Neslyn Watson-Druée CEO of Beacon Organisational Development, International Speaker and champion of Emotional Intelligence speaks about the importance of individuals improving business and personal outcomes by being self-aware.
Q. Neslyn why are you so passionate about self-awareness?
A. Self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence competencies because you cannot change the behaviours of which you are not aware. Self-awareness is the first step to modifying the behaviours that distance you from other people. You are better able to modify your behaviour when you are conscious of what you are feeling and the impact those feeling have on others, otherwise you will be not be successful in building key relationships.
Q. So how do you go about developing self-awareness?
A. The journey begins with a desire to understand yourself and the impact that you are having on other people. That is why a lot of time and money is wasted on sending people on training courses. If the desire is not present within the person the change will not happen. So I want you to know the pain of is likely to happen when self-awareness is low.
For example: when self-awareness is low you are not good at recognizing your own emotions, you have difficulty putting your feelings into words, and you may often be surprised by your own emotional reactions.
To anchor the development I tell stories to hook people into understanding the issues and finally I take people thorough specific exercises so that they may experience issues relating to self-awareness followed by a personal development plan. I extend my work with the aid of the Lumina Spark Profile to enable individuals to know their three personas: the everyday, extended and overextended.
Q. So as a matter of interest, what more do you want me to know about self-awareness?
A. I want you know that to be self-aware is to have the capacity to recognise how your feelings and emotions impact on your personal opinions, attitudes and judgements? Emotionally intelligent people are aware of their emotional experience and know what they are feeling most of the time. They have the capacity to recognise how their feelings and emotions impact on their personal opinions, attitudes and judgements.
I read this quote some time ago and it has resonated with my beliefs:
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” – Tao Te Ching
Q. What more would you like to say?
A. Without self-awareness you will fail to notice when you are feeling stress and you will weaken whatever capacity you have for empathy and you will be compromised in your ability to display sensitivity when communicating with others.
Wow. That is surely convincing as to why self-awareness is important.
Neslyn will be working with staff at St Mary’s University College, UK over a number of weeks to facilitate staff with the development of emotional intelligence. For further information see her website at wwww.beaconorganisationaldevelopment.com.
(Newswire.net — November 22, 2013) Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey —