Self-awareness, which means deeply knowing your values, abilities, style, areas to grow, and impact on others, is a critical capability for work life. Seeing ourselves clearly enhances learning, improves decision making, enables stronger relationships, and makes communication more effective. We are more likely to realize our potential with high self-awareness and we are more likely to know ourselves deeply by engaging in meaningful self-assessment.
In the history of everything, self-assessment has never been so accessible, easy, and/or effective for human beings.
YouTube has thousands of videos breaking down Michael Jordan’s footwork, Christine Sinclair’s footwork, Steve Nash’s curvy weaving arcs through defenses, Serena Williams’s stretching backhand returns, and every other technical move of note from a generation of athletes.
TikTok and Instagram have every emerging, classic, and hilarious dance move that is relevant.
Pinterest presents opportunities for all of us to compare our work to the original craftsperson’s masterpiece (we can evaluate if we nailed it or not).
Countless free online assessment tools give us relatively-kinda-sorta-science-backed stories about our personality and psychometric preferences that, at the very least, start or sustain reflections and conversations about how we might show up in professional and personal relationships.
Using simple tools like smartphones, Grammarly, or 3D printers provides us with real-time feedback on shooting form, pop fresh dance moves, blog posts, and cool designs.
To say the least, there is no excuse for shrinking from self-assessment that reveals how we think, feel, and perform. Dig deeper into yourself and relish the knowledge and confidence that you uncover.