Is Your Job Working For You?
You spend a substantial amount of time at work, so it’s important to be happy and feel good about where you work, the role you perform, and the impact you make. For lots of people it is also important to be able to see how you can progress up the ladder, whether that’s promotion, skills, or responsibility.
But is your ladder leaning against the right wall?
You may work long hours, consistently knocking tasks off your list, but it will be to no avail if you aren’t working towards goals you really want. You probably started on the right track, but then something happened. A little change here and a decision there means things have gone astray and your ladder is no longer leaning against the right wall.
Let's take a look...
Recall a time when you have found yourself working your way up a ladder which was leaning against the wrong wall.
How far up did you get before you noticed?
How much time, money and effort did you waste?
What happened for you to discover it was the wrong wall?
If the ladder is on the right wall, all is good. If not, you need to stop, evaluate, and reposition the ladder. The only way to be sure is to constantly check and adjust as soon as you notice things are moving off track.
“The first step toward change is awareness” ~ Nathaniel Branden
Awareness
Awareness is incredibly valuable in the workplace, especially if you’re working as a manager or within a team. Being aware of what is happening around you and what those around you are going through will improve relationships, enable you to make better decisions, and help prioritise where to spend your time and resources.
Being aware of what is happening with you (self-awareness) is also valuable - it helps in all areas of life, but sometimes we forget just how important it is at work.
Self-awareness is knowing what triggers you to behave in certain ways – for example feeling stressed, getting angry or becoming defensive. Self-awareness can also help highlight what makes you feel good, when you are at your most productive, and who you find it positive to be around. Being aware of your triggers, positive or otherwise, means you can choose how to respond to them, and make changes to minimise their impact if they are unhelpful, or increase opportunities for them if they are helpful.
Awareness of yourself and the world around you can help you:
Be more productive - If you know you have a lot of energy or are more creative in the morning, and then dip mid-afternoon, plan to do the tasks that would benefit from this first thing. If certain music helps you concentrate, put it on whilst writing a report, analysing a spreadsheet or designing a lesson/workshop.
Feel better about what you do - Getting to know yourself better includes getting to know your strengths and weakness, what you enjoy doing and what you don’t, what comes naturally to you and what is a real slog. If your role isn’t currently geared towards your skillset or you think you could contribute more, consider talking to your manager about ways you can incorporate more tasks that play to your strengths and interests.
Understand the impact you have on others - Self-awareness doesn’t only benefit you, it benefits those around you. Knowing your moods and emotions, how you treat people and the way you communicate, will help you better understand the impact you have on others.
Make better decisions – With awareness and insight you can weigh up your options, assess the true implications, and make a decision based on evidence. It enables you to run through scenarios, play out conversations in your head, and be prepared for potential challenges that may occur.
Once you have awareness and insight, you can choose what action, behaviour, response will move you towards the outcome you want, be it in a conversation, a meeting or career.
Tips to improve awareness:
Be more productive - If you know you have a lot of energy or are more creative in the morning, and then dip mid-afternoon, plan to do the tasks that would benefit from this first thing. If certain music helps you concentrate, put it on whilst writing a report, analysing a spreadsheet or designing a lesson/workshop.
What matters to me most?
If I had no constraints where would I go?
If I could do anything what would I do?
How would I like to be remembered?
If I could make one change, what would that change be?
What skill or knowledge would I like to have?
What questions should I ask myself right now?
Who’s opinion means a lot to me?
What kind of person would I have to become to get all that I want in life?
A follow up question to all of the above is: Why is this the case?
Monitor self-talk: We all have some form of self-talk. Some people hear voices, others debate pros and cons in their heads. It doesn’t matter how your self-talk manifests what is important is that you listen to it. Notice what it’s telling you, how it makes you feel and then use the awareness to make changes that serve you better.
Keep a journal: This can be a game-changer when it comes to self-awareness. Make notes on how you feel, any stress triggers or behaviour patterns you spot day-to-day. We have a simple Journalling Activity to get you started.
Encourage feedback: Seeing yourself through the eyes of other people gives you a different perspective. This is important because how you intend something to come across may not be how it is received. Plus, we do a huge number of things subconsciously that we do not notice, but others will. Ask your manager and / or colleagues for feedback on how you could improve and learn from it.
Being awesome starts with Living Well
We can show you the best ways to build resilience, tap into your personal power, and perform at your best every single day.
Registered Office: 71 – 75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ
© Absolutely Awesome Ltd 2023