Self–awareness and self-management are keys to success

Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash

A critical key to success in the workplace and in life is how we manage ourselves. Specifically, treating ourselves and others with the utmost respect and courtesy; carrying ourselves and presenting ourselves in all facets of our lives in a manner that reflects recognition of our value.  Some people may respond to this notion of self-management as, “Well, that’s common sense”.  I don’t disagree with this sentiment.  If what we see and hear via the news, social media, entertainment, our homes and the workplace, is a reflection of how many individuals are choosing to manage themselves, then common sense is not as common as one would hope or imagine.  Every day we are bombarded with images and examples of how some people abuse themselves and/or abuse others. Some evidence of this is the level of substance abuse we hear about and the abuse of others through the use of inappropriate language and reactions to situations that are often seen in the media and in the workplace.  Sometimes the former contributes to the latter. 

Whatever is contributing to this behavior can only be addressed if the individual is first able to recognize that he or she is not managing himself/herself in the best possible way.  Self-reflection is not easy.  Sometimes we need life to mirror what it is we are putting out there in a way that will not allow us to deny our behavior. Unfortunately, that may come in the form of losing a job or opportunity because of something we did, said or did not do that we should have.  And yes, other people could be involved and could have contributed to the situation, but the reality is we control ourselves.  We are not victims of some uncontrollable force that causes us to respond to things in ways that do not generate positive results. There is always a choice in how we respond to any given situation. I am using the word ‘respond’ as opposed to the word ‘react’ intentionally.  Most people accept that with living there are going to be challenges and issues that confront us.  At work it could be dealing with a difficult co-worker or supervisor especially when we may not feel our best or have something on our mind that distracts or upsets us. How we respond or handle ourselves in these situations could be the difference between being considered an asset or liability to the company. Or worse, it could lead to a dismissal.  

Businesses look to hire, retain and promote individuals who can bring value to their organization and represent them in the best possible way.  We all know that securing a good job is a competitive process and that we need to be able to demonstrate our value to the prospective employer. So, of course we put together a winning cover letter and resume, practice our interviewing techniques and dress for success.  This is the minimum expected when looking for a job, but there is the desire on the part of employers to do what they can to discover if this prospective employee is a good fit for the organization.  Some employers will go to great lengths to try to get a sense of the character of an individual.  They will ask behavioral questions during the interview process like, “Tell me about a time when you faced a challenging or difficult situation at work… How did you respond and what were the results?  And, in addition to reference checking they will also do an extensive background check that sometimes includes a credit check.  Some employers also want to get a sense of how an individual represents himself/herself in the digital world and may request access or otherwise gain access to an applicant’s social media accounts.  This is a very sensitive and somewhat controversial issue with the job seeker citing rights to privacy and the prospective employer, seeking to get a sense of how this potential employee manages his/her image and how inappropriate images and behavior may reflect on the company. Some employers care more than others.  While many hiring decision makers accept that individuals have a life outside of their employment, several may still base a hiring decision on how an applicant manages his/her on-line presence.  The reason they give is that allowing inappropriate images to exist in the cyber world reflects poorly on an applicant’s judgment and could embarrass or compromise the organization. You may never know that the reason for not getting a job offer is some questionable on-line images. Whether this is perceived as fair or not has not changed the reality, so why risk it.

You have a choice and a responsibility to care about what information and images of you are out there.  You could be totally unaware of something someone posted about you, or have forgotten something that was shared with “friends”.  You have to do a search of your name and check the social media sites to have any potentially harmful items removed.

These are the times we live in where individuals are viewed as a “brand” and the quality of the brand matters.  It does require awareness and vigilance in self-management to maintain it. 

Here’s to your success. Cheers! 

Carlotta Daniels-Randolph is a writer, educator and career and life coach. The Randolph Report is a weekly newsletter on politics, Black culture and career and professional development relevant to African Americans. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox.