2010

Research Document
Self Awareness
Align Organization’s and Individual’s vision and aspirations to achieve the
goal. The primary objective is to enable to management orient itself to
the external environment through the executive, eventually harmonizing
the organization’s internal environment leading to the improvement in
work culture and credibility of the organization with its clients. This will
reduce work related stress through orientation of an executive with the
internal as well as external clients. Apart of Intelligence Quotient, which
predominantly relies on hard facts, Emotional Quotient enables the
organization as well its human capital to integrate with the internal as
well as external environment with due consideration and respect for the
resources and their utilization for the benefit of everyone

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Organization’s Need to Assess itself
 The commonly used tools are
SWOT analysis. The purpose of
the assessment fundamentally is to
integrate with external
environment. Social. Economic,
cultural and domain specific (in
terms of the market competition)
and consumer specific.
 Develop internal environment on
the basis of a transparent,
simplistic, quantitative and
comprehensive work culture
adequate infrastructure support in a
system to data from multiple
sources. Functional strategy in
order to evaluate its functional
strategy in order to maximize its
credibility and validity.
Individual’s Need for Self Assessment
 SWOT Analysis (Strength and
Weakness(Internal), Opportunity
and Threat (External); Mind
Mapping or any indigenously
devised tool to assess an individual
in terms of his or her unique job
profile.
 There should be multiple sources
of data to (internal and external
clients); work pattern; use of
resources; aspiration.
Important: It is very important to
align organization’s functional
objective with the individual’s work
profile.
 Quantifiable parameters assigned
with the consent of the individual to
assess aspects of his or hers
functional responsibilities viz. In
terms of production in a Organization’s Support in
manufacturing unit or service
oriented organization quantifiable
quality standard.
 Weightage should be given to
individual’s assessment to self and
the organization.
 Holistic approach to organization or
individual assessment. The
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Self Awareness 2010
assessment can be as simple as
SWOT Analysis or as specific and
unique to individual’s function in the
organization.
Delivery of Assessment Report
 Should be done in a safe and
supportive environment to
minimize resistance and
defensiveness. Discuss the
individual’s strengths and
weaknesses.
 Integrate the information of his
and her methodology and the
related scope for improvement.
 Discuss the methods and scope
of improving upon the drawback
as a prelude to discuss the
functional roadmap. It should
indicate the appreciation in the
form of incentives and formal
recognitions for the efforts
invested in improving his or her
work pattern or methodology.
 Discuss the learning and &
Development along with
mentoring support to improve
skills in order to improve his/her
function leading to alleviation in
functional hierarchy too.
Discussion of L&D services
 Discuss how L&D service is vital
in the individual’s development
process to achieve their functional
objective. This should be done by
the immediate functional superior
along with the coach or mentor.
They should have the individual’s
trust to discuss the setting of their
goals and the support of L&D in
achieving it.
Encouraging L&D
Certain working calendar days
should be earmarked for formal
L&D activities for behavioural
and skill development
pertaining to their job profile.
The learning goals should be
inherently integrated with
 Self Awareness 2010
individual’s work environment organization’s work culture and
and the expertise/skill needed further support in internal
to execute his/her environment (Self) and the
responsibilities. The purpose of external environment
learning should emphasize on (Organization).
awareness both in terms of self
(Internal environment) and the The individual needs to be aware
organization or society, per se of himself or herself both
(External environment). This personally (internal) and socially
will enhance individual’s self (External). For self awareness,
image along with self one needs to be calm both
confidence; so that he or she internally and externally
will credibly execute (mentally and physically).
responsibilities (Internal
environment) eventually Follow the steps described in the
enhancing the organization’s following page to be calm both
work culture and credibility too mentally and physically to initiate
(External environment). the process of self awareness.
Therefore, the objective of L&D Please note: You need to be
is to motivate positive change honest to yourself for your
in an individual. Therefore, success.
prepare both the organization
to set realistic functional goals
and have realistic expectations
while executing their
responsibilities. The employees
cannot expect to mint gold from
coal mines but earn gold from
conscientious use of the
resource: the coal mine. This
means, the organization and its
employees should exhibit their
credibility and in the products
and service they offer to the
consumers (Both internal as
well as external).

L & D is Complementary to Change

Management

An individual’s change or transformation

should be self motivated. The change can
be:
 Personal, behavioural for personal
effectiveness.
 Change in the form of Skill
development of enhancement.
 Functional change or improvement
that can help in help in improving

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 Self Awareness 2010
TO HAVE CALM BODY AND MIND

Calm Body and Mind

Emotional Peace

Physical Relaxation

Peace of Mind

Uplifting Energy

Lack of Calm Mind and Body leads to

Physical Ailments Fitness

Nutrition
Headaches Colitis
Neck and back pain Arthritis
Pinched nerves Stroke Mental
High blood pressure insomnia Relaxation
Hypertension heart attack
Ulcers stomach upset

Mental or Psychological Problems

Fatigue nervousness
Poor self esteem anger
Overeating anxiety
Racing thoughts poor
concentration
Anxiety depression
Fear panic attack

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 Self Awareness 2010
Step One to Mental Relaxation The objective is to gradually move the attention
focus from external to internal, this will help to improve span of attention:
 Hearing External process to be changed to Internal process
Listen to a music (External process), feel its effect on your mind and senses
(Internal), be aware of how it helps you to relax mentally. (Auditory
Relaxation.)
 Seeing External process to be changed to Internal process
Observe beautiful scenery (External process), close your eyes and try to
visualise it mentally (Internal), be aware of the aspects of the scenery or picture
that appeal to your mind and helps you to relax. (Visual Relaxation)
 Feeling External process to be changed to Internal process
Message your head (External process) feel feel its effect on your mind and
senses (Internal), be aware of how it helps you to relax mentally. (Kinesthic
Relaxation.)

Elementary Steps to be de-stress Breath

1. Take a deep breath through your nostrils.

2. Fill your lungs till you feel the pressure of inhaled air on your abdomen.
3. While holding your breath count to six.
4. Gradually, slowly exhale your breath till both your lungs are completely empty.
5. Immediately repeat steps 1 to 4 and completely concentrate on the inhaling and
exhaling process.
This process will help you to de-stress yourself. Some of the classic symptoms of
stress are:
 Adrenaline rush
 Heart racing
 Pounding pulse
 Profuse perspiration
 Rapid shallow breaths
 Cold hands and feet
 Face flushing
 Stomach upset
 Intense and frequent headaches
 Appetite gain/loss
 Dry mouth
 Feeling butterflies in the stomach
 Dizziness
 Feeling light headed.

Elementary Steps to Calm Breath

1. Take a deep breath through your nostrils.

2. Fill your lungs till you feel the pressure of inhaled air on your abdomen.
3. Gradually, slowly exhale your breath till both your lungs are completely empty.
4. After exhaling, feel the emptiness inside you while counting 1 to 6.
5. Immediately repeat steps 1 to 4 and completely concentrate on the inhaling and
exhaling process.

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 Self Awareness 2010
Most Important Step to de-stress Yourself
Immediately become self-conscious, especially of your:
 Lung movement in breathing and regulate it with de-stress breathing process.
 Become conscious of your stomach, your eyes, your limbs and the stiffness in
them.
 Do the steps of Calm breathing to relax yourself both physically and mentally.
Physical Relaxation to de-stress
Practice the following once daily or when you feel stressed:
1. Consciously stretch the following parts of your body:
 Forehead
 Temples
 Eyes
 Jaw
 Grind your teeth
 Neck, throat
 Shoulder
 Chest
 Stomach
 Lower back
 Thighs
 Calf muscles
 Feet/toes and ankles
2. Now relax every part of your body in the same sequence as mentioned above.
3. Repeat the process at least for three times.
4. Sit straight on a straight backed chair with armrest. Do not lean on the chair.
5. Place your arms on the arm rest and keep both your legs parallel to the floor.
6. Let your arms placed on the arms rest bear the weight of your body and raise
yourself up from the chair.
7. Squeeze your buttocks and do the steps of Calm Breathing while you remain in
suspended position.
8. Slowly sit down on the chair and repeat the stretching and relaxing of the body
parts along with Calm Breathing.
9. Do de-stress breathing and calm breathing alternately whenever you need to
relax.
10. Daily take six deep sigh breaths followed by body muscle stretch and relaxation.
Then complete the relaxation exercise with de-stress and Calm breathing
exercises.

The purpose of calming down self both mentally and physically is to calmly initiate
the process of self assessment without any prejudice or bias taking the better of us.

The following diagram shows various internal (self) and external (organization)
aspects we need to assess in all earnestness.
When we complete the assessment we will have a true picture of our self and the
organization/society/institution we are a part of:

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Competence Assessment

Self (Individual) Individual in Social/Organizational

Context

Self Self Self Social Social

Awareness Control Motivation Awareness Skills

Emotional Self control Empathy Influence

Awareness Optimism

Communicatio
Innovative Service n
Self Achieveme
Evaluation Orientation
nt Drive Leadership
Trustworthy
Help others Team
Initiative develop Capabilities
Adaptable
Self
Confidence Change
Valuing
Catalyst
Conscientious Commitment Diversity
Conflict
Management
Political
Awareness
Building Bonds

Collaboration
& Co-
operation

Among all the listed traits, Self Awareness is vital both from the individual’s own
personality and also in terms of the individual’s competence and orientation in the social
or organizational context. Therefore, we shall look at the various aspects of the traits:
Emotional Awareness; Self Evaluation; Self Confidence:

Emotional Awareness

 Emotions and their reasons

 Links between thoughts and feelings and actions related to them.

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 Affect and influence of feelings on actions.

 Aware of his or her value’s and goals.

Accurate Self Assessment

 Aware of strengths and weakness

 Reflective to learn from experience
 Accepts candid feedback in the form of continuous learning for self development,
awareness and appreciate new perspective.
 Show a sense of humor along with accurate self perception.

Self Confidence

 Individual presents herself or himself with self assurance.

 Individual has “presence of mind”(wit).
 Individual supports what is right and shares his or her views and opinions on
what is unpopular or controversial to remove any misunderstanding.
 Individual is able to make or support in making viable and acceptable decisions
despite uncertainties and pressures.

Every individual is capable of self evaluation and identify the facets of his or her
personality traits and improve on the ones that when developed further can enhance
and make an individual’s personality more effective and attractive too. If the individual
finds it difficult to develop positive personality traits by him or her then can definitely do
so through formal Learning and Development activities.

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