Social scientists have known for centuries (ref) that human beings are innately subjective and that we all have blindspots, or biases that are unknow to us but apparent to others. We mostly judge ourselves on our intent not on our impact on others and when we are stressed, bored or uncertain we all have behaviours that can be overplayed and derail our performance and relationships. As a result, the key to effective performance and productive relationships is to understand your blindspots and work to manage them.
Asking for feedback from people you trust or completing a 360 or Hogan Assessment is a good place to start to gain these insights about your reputation or how others perceive you. Questions you need to ask others could include:
- How do I handle stress?
- Am I good listener?
- How do I lead others?
- What change could I make to improve my leadership effectiveness?
Thinking about these questions is important in building self-awareness.
Your activity this month is to share your assessments with your mentor or ask your team, manager and partner to give you feedback on these four questions.
Discuss your blind spots with your mentor and how they might impact on your performance and relationships at work.