Organizations that have self-aware cultures are more attractive, agile, and competitive.

It’s likely that you are already familiar with the term “self-awareness.”  In emotional intelligence (EI), the term originally coined by psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer and popularized by Dr. Daniel Goleman, self-awareness is the foundational pillar of four that make up the EI model – Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness and Social Skill.

Salovey and Mayer describe emotional intelligence as “a form of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and action.”

When we extrapolate this definition and apply at the organizational level, businesses can develop greater awareness and become more intentional about how day-to-day operational decisions are made, ultimately creating workplaces where people actively contribute their best.

Understanding the Self-Aware Business and Its Influence on the Workplace

As self-aware individuals that clearly understand how one’s life experiences inform how we either positively or negatively react to current situations, we can understand our emotions and recognize their impact on our performance, relationships and the like. As we realistically assess our own strengths and limitations, we make deliberate choices on how we utilize our strengths and grow in our limitations. These actions build our sense of self confidence and self-worth.

The organization that has not sufficiently integrated its own story may result in operating decisions based in fear, lack of trust, inability to innovate and foster command and control leadership styles.

Like an individual, a Self-Aware business is its own standalone functioning system, possessing the same ability to continuously examine itself and make conscious choices about how to leverage its strengths and develop itself into a workplace where people want to be. Like individuals, an organization has its own history which may influence how it operates in the present. For the organization that has not sufficiently integrated its history and stories, whether positive or traumatic,  may result in operating decisions (e.g., policies, procedures, processes, organization structures, etc.) that are based in fear, lack of trust, inability to innovate and foster leadership styles of command and control.

The Benefits of the Self-Aware Business

By recognizing the positive influences of self-awareness, decision makers can start making conscious choices that create healthier workplaces for all.

1. Stronger talent bench strength and career opportunities
   Finding good talent and retaining top performers are two of the top concerns for CEO’s today and it has been difficult for most organizations.  If building relationships and staying connected with the overall health of the organization is a key retention tool, then being a Self-Aware organization is at the heart of it. Ongoing learning is the mindset DNA of the Self-Aware organization, and it is always focused on building its skills with cutting-edge tools and processes. A recent McKinsey & Company study showed that 70% of Americans state that they define their sense of purpose through their work. Self-Aware organizations use the coaching process as a way for individuals to increase their own self-awareness and encourages them to apply these learnings in their process of discovering their life purposes, creating their own legacies, and becoming happier individuals. Happier individuals want to take on additional responsibilities and lead teams in more complex business challenges. Self-aware organizations continuously use their mission and vision as the key criteria when implementing processes, especially hiring and ongoing development.
2. Sustainable organizational growth
   Self-awareness drives self-reflection and curiosity, allowing the organization to explore its own triggers, decision-making patterns and its existing processes which could be hindering its ability to grow to remain competitive in the marketplace. For example, if an organization has a story of near bankruptcy in its history, the traumatic impacts of that event may lead to mindsets that foster conservative behavior, lack of taking risks in the marketplace, siloed thinking across its business and attitudes of protectionism. The cumulative impact of this may result in an organization being stilted in its growth and unable to remain competitive in the marketplace.

Conversely, if this same organization is mature in its self-awareness, it quickly recognizes the visible negative behaviors that are occurring and consciously focuses on addressing them as soon as possible. Because it practices self-examination, learning from its past, the Self-Aware organization expands its capacity to be agile, adaptable to growth and sustainable within the ever-changing market environments.

• Culture of well-being  
  Self-Aware organizations create workplaces where the culture says, “you belong here,” “we see you and we’ve got your back;” “we respect you in every aspect of your life”.

Consider the fact that many employees are still reeling from experienced trauma of the COVID pandemic. Many are still grieving the loss of loved ones and may now be in the position to be caregivers for extended families while maintaining their jobs. In turn, “burnout” is now a formal diagnosis code in the International Classification of Diseases. The Self-Aware organization communicates a strong caring for its employees by considering these factors and finding flexible ways to help employees handle their personal situations while accomplishing their work responsibilities.  This results in increased trust and loyalty to the organization.

In short, Self-Aware organizations exist because of the traits of the individuals that operate within them and so it is important for the individuals within the organization to be self-aware to help cumulatively build the Self-Aware organization.

The Self-Aware organization can be a key differentiator for a business seeking a new level in its ability to attract new talent, retain its current employee base and create new ways of work that catapult its ability to grow and sustain its competitive edge.

Next Steps

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