If you asked Jason, a lighting designer at a high-end architecture firm, whether his emotions impact his work, he’d laugh. He’d tell you that what matters is his ability to turn a client’s vision for their office building into a design that is practical and aesthetically pleasing. His feelings have nothing to do with it.
Ask Jason’s coworkers and you’ll hear a different story. They’ll tell you that his work with clients and coworkers is inconsistent. If he’s in a good mood, all goes well. But when he is angry or frustrated, his interactions suffer. He doesn’t listen well and he shows contempt for the client’s suggestions. Inevitably, clients reject his initial designs because he didn’t accurately incorporate their wishes. And, his coworkers know to avoid him when he is in a bad mood.
Clearly, the designer’s failure to identify his feelings and how they influence his behavior hurts his work performance. What he lacks is emotional self-awareness.
What is Emotional Self-Awareness?Emotional self-awareness is the ability to recognize and understand your emotions and how they impact your behavior. You know how you feel and why you feel that way. And, you can see how…
