*This article is a transcript of The Nontrepreneur podcast episode titled Awareness. Listen here.
We’ve all heard of IQ, (your Intelligence Quotient); the total score derived from several standardized tests designed to assess human intelligence.
It’s said that IQ of between 85 and 114 is considered average whereas anything above 145 is considered genius.
It’s no surprise to hear names like Einstein, Bill Gates and Beethoven were all in the genius range, but you don’t have to be a genius to be incredibly successful.
Nobel-prize winning molecular biologist, Francis Crick had an IQ of 115, Andy Warhol had an IQ of 86.
Abraham Lincoln, John F Kennedy, Francis Ford Coppola – not one of them had IQ’s in the genius range. But I assure you, they were aware, hyper-aware!
Awareness is crucial for success on both a micro or personal level and macro, your professional world.
On a micro level, it’s so much about being self-aware. How are you perceived? How are your actions perceived?
I remember being two weeks into my first job as a manager. Upon being promoted and moving from cube to office, I kept my door shut to stay focused. I took meetings when they fit my schedule because, well, I was the new boss, these were my rules, I was under a lot of pressure to deliver, I was busy and quite honestly…I was scared to death.
At the end of my second week, one of the other department heads came to me and said:
“Your door being shut is sending the wrong message. That’s not who you are, that’s not how you got promoted and that’s not how you should lead.”
I was naive and unaware of the message my shut door was sending to my staff and colleagues. Now looking back, that’s a pretty big (and obvious) one. A constantly shut office door absolutely sends the wrong message, but what about the not-so-obvious messages we send on a regular basis through a lack of awareness?
Like checking a text while talking with an employee (even if you are truly listening) or walking past a co-worker in the hallway and not acknowledging them because you just have so much on your mind.
What resonated the most with me was: “People are watching you.”
I was knew people were paying attention to the product I was delivering and my results. But I was unaware that people were watching more than just the outcome – they were watching the process.
As a manager, a leader, you are always on stage, in person and on social media. At the holiday party, how you interact with employees of another division, how you talk about the competition, on your Twitter feed, your Instagram stories.
It’s important that we don’t confuse being self-aware with being self-critical.
I made that mistake for years early on in my career, thinking that being hyper self-critical, I was being hyper self-aware. By dwelling on my mistakes, I was staying hungry and grounded, instead, looking back, it only made me doubt myself.
Confidence and awareness can and should co-exist.
Awareness in its micro application has a lot to do being hyper-present in conversations and meetings. Understanding how you are being perceived as well as how you are perceiving a situation.
On the macro-level, awareness, is about being cognizant of what’s going on in your bigger world.
Regardless of what you for a living, your awareness of industry trends is vital.
Having an understanding of shifts consumer behavior, machine learning, technological advances, disrupter brands is all critical to your professional growth and success.
This requires an attentiveness and openness to what’s happening, not just in your company or industry, but the entire ecosystems that surround and support it. And sometimes even in unrelated industries.
Doing your job today means being aware of and hopefully creating the trends that will disrupt your job tomorrow.
Unfortunately, most of us get so caught up in our daily routine, focusing on the tasks at hand, and keeping the in-box manageable, that we don’t take time out of our day for our own professional self-development.
Below are a few ways to improve your awareness on both a micro and macro level. Hopefully if just one or two of these ideas pique your interest you can implement them and start to improve your awareness immediately.
Awareness on a Micro-Level.
1. Keep a Journal
Stephen R. Covey wrote: “Keeping a journal, a daily in-depth analysis and evaluation of your experiences is a high-leverage activity that increases self-awareness and enhances all the endowments and the synergy among them.”
2. Daily Self reflection
Schedule 5 minutes at the end of your day to do a short post work-day analysis. Did you focus on what matters? Were you aware and present in the meetings and conversations you had during the day? Did you make genuine connections with the people you work with?
3. Get Honest Feedback
Ask the people close to you to give you three adjectives to describe you. Let them know that you are doing this as a project of self-discovery, and you want them to be very honest.
Try this with both co-workers and your friends outside of work. The habits you have in your personal life co-exist in your professional life.
4. Ask HR for a 360 Degree Review
Not everyone loves these, but I’ve personally found these to be very helpful as they provide feedback from multiple perspectives; your supervisor, your customers, vendors, peers, and direct reports.
5. Consider Professional Coaching
There are many executive coaching services in person and on line, that can help you become more aware.
Awareness on a Macro-Level.
1. Use the Internet
Customize your Social Media feeds. Follow industry influencers.
Watch for emerging patterns around your industry.
Use Google and YouTube trends and analytics
2. Leverage Your Team and Contemporaries
By creating a team of Nontrepreneurs you will be creating a culture of sharing. Use platforms like Slack, or email and text chains to facilitate involvement and sharing. Leverage your professional social group, surround yourself with smart passionate people.
3. Attend Trade Shows and Conferences
Truly immerse yourself and don’t just attend conferences in you direct line of work. Find a conference that touches some part of your industries eco-system. You’d be amazed what you can learn from people outside of your immediate business.
4. Watch your competitors
Follow them on social media, attend their panels at the conferences we just spoke about. Stay close to the moves they are making.
5. Read White Papers
Yes, so many of them today are lead generation, but the good ones know they have to include some real information and insights.
No one will ever argue that intelligence isn’t an important ingredient in achievement. It obviously is. However, intelligence married with awareness is absolutely a recipe for success.
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