Work Solutions: Know Thyself

Author Tasha Eurich says feedback is the key to achieving personal growth.

What is self-awareness?

“Internal self-awareness is understanding values, strengths and weaknesses, and what we’re passionate about. External self- awareness is about how other people see us. You can be high in one and low in the other. Ninety-five percent of people believe they’re self-aware, but the real number is closer to 10 to 15 percent. Take a compassionate but honest look at yourself and concede that maybe you’re not as self-aware as you think. When you decide there’s more to learn about yourself, you become more open to feedback.”

What’s the best way to ask for feedback?

“We studied people who didn’t start out as self-aware but made dramatic transformations, and learned they’re picky about who they get feedback from. The right person has your best interest at heart and is able to tell you the truth when it’s hard. Often when we get critical feedback, we’re emotional and feel pressured to act immediately, but these highly self-aware people give themselves time to process. They’ll say, ‘Just because I got a bad performance review, it doesn’t mean I’m a bad person or bad at my job. It just means there are things I need to work on.’”

The right person has your best interest at heart and is able to tell you the truth when it’s hard.

How can you improve?

“Don’t think you have to change overnight. Anyone can improve if they know the barriers and use the right tools. As hard as it is and as much courage as it takes, it’s absolutely possible.”

Illustration by Leo Espinosa

Pick up Eurich’s book Insight: The Surprising Truth About How Others See Us, How We See Ourselves, and Why the Answers Matter More Than We Think.