29/9/2019 The Power of Self-Awareness: How to Build Successful Teams — Gustavo Razzetti

(https://liberationist.org/)

The Power of Self-

Awareness: How to Build
Successful Teams
(https://liberationist.org/the-power-of-self-awareness-how-to-
build-successful-teams/)
by Gustavo Razzetti (https://liberationist.org/author/gusrazzetti/)
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29/9/2019 The Power of Self-Awareness: How to Build Successful Teams — Gustavo Razzetti

Clarity drives collaboration and action — Pic by Quino Al

(https://unsplash.com/photos/dhGFLj3rI0Q?
utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=cr
editCopyText)

Self-awareness has become a management buzzword — let’s hope for

the right reasons.

Self-awareness is not something new. Throughout history, the most

successful leaders have always been obsessed with knowing
themselves. Self-awareness is having an accurate view of one’s skills,
abilities, and shortcomings.

Sun Tzu said: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not
fear the result of a hundred battles.”

Let me show you why self-awareness dramatically affects how your

team collaborates, communicates, and performs. And how your
organization can bene t from it.

The Case for Self Awareness

“Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can

 render the world.”― Ramana Maharshi

Research by Tasha Eurich, author of Insight (https://www.insight-

book.com/), shows that self-awareness is the meta-skill of the 21st
century — self-aware people are more successful, more con dent,
build better relationships, and are more effective leaders.
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29/9/2019 The Power of Self-Awareness: How to Build Successful Teams — Gustavo Razzetti

Eurich spent several years studying how self-awareness impacts

organizational behavior.

The most prominent problem organizations face is not knowing what

they don’t know. Blind spots, assumptions, and over-con dence hinder
the performance of both individuals and teams.

(https://blog.liberationist.org/self-aware-teams-are-more-
successful-why-you-should-care-3afcb59e3554)

The iceberg of Ignorance by Andy de Vale

Self-awareness is much more than a personality assessment — it’s

learning to observe yourself through others people’s eyes and yours
too. It requires developing a mindful mentality to avoid being the prey
of overcon dence and ignorance.

The more people become aware of their mindsets and behaviors, the
more they can avoid harmful habits such as dominating conversations,
not paying attention to others, being arrogant or trying to impose their
points of view.

According to research by The Potential Project, self-awareness has a

more positive impact on leadership than an MBA. The study evaluated
more than 1,000 leaders in more than 800 companies across the
world. The ndings show (https://hbr.org/2018/01/self-awareness-
can-help-leaders-more-than-an-mba-can) that self-awareness
encourages us to lead ourselves with authenticity and integrity — and in
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29/9/2019 The Power of Self-Awareness: How to Build Successful Teams — Gustavo Razzetti

Another study (https://hbr.org/2015/03/research-were-not-very-self-

aware-especially-at-work) by the College of Business at DePaul
University directly links self-awareness with team performance. Teams
with high self-awareness make better decisions, interact better with
each other, and manage tensions and conflicts more effectively.

Self-awareness clearly increases performance. Interesting to note,

organizations are not as self-aware as they believe they are, the study
shows. The good news? Organizations can dramatically bene t from it
if they start taking it seriously.

Fortunately, self-awareness can be nurtured.

Seven Ways to Develop Self-Aware Teams

“No one is free who has not obtained the empire of himself.
 No man is free who cannot command himself.”

 ― Pythagoras

1. Being present increases productivity

Distraction is our worst enemy. Having focus is a scarce currency — the

cost of “not paying attention
(http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/bsx/basexcostpayes.pdf)”
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29/9/2019 The Power of Self-Awareness: How to Build Successful Teams — Gustavo Razzetti

organizations $588 billion per annum in the U.S. alone. People attend
meetings or video conferences, but their minds are somewhere else.

Being present is the better gift you can give to your productivity.

Promoting self-awareness removes distractions — it helps people stay

focused. Checking-in people’s mindset before a meeting creates both
individual and collective awareness. Letting everyone share “What has
got your attention?” is a useful practice
(https://medium.com/swlh/mindset-check-in-how-to-make-your-
meetings-more-focused-945ba9911683) to focus on being present.

2. Move from blind spots to bright spots

What you don’t know can get you into trouble. What you don’t know
you don’t know, blinds you. Knowledge, Beliefs, Thoughts, and
Emotional Blindness are the four common types of blind spots — that’s
why teams make wrong decisions. Inaccurate assessments or
members that over-rate their contributions, damage performance and
collaboration.

Self-awareness can turn blind posts into bright spots.

Our blind spots lie at the intersection of how we perceive ourselves

and how others perceive us. Self-awareness is not just a personal
journey —it requires feedback from others to see what you are
missing. The Johari Window is an effective tool that I facilitate with
teams to help them uncover their “unknown unknowns.” Check out

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29/9/2019 The Power of Self-Awareness: How to Build Successful Teams — Gustavo Razzetti

this exercise (https://medium.com/personal-growth/the-elephant-in-

your-life-how-to-conquer-your-blind-spots-dc5982372576) to get
you started.

3. Nurture a culture of clarity and transparency

(Mis) Communication is the main reason behind most team tensions.

The inability to discuss things openly — people see conflict as
hindering, rather than enabling, growth. The more people know their
team members, the better they can interact among each other.

Self-aware teams are more self-resilient, self-con dent and more

adaptive — they share a common purpose.

Clarity doesn’t just help current members collaborate; self-aware

teams make the immersion of newcomers much easier. Open dialogue
and candid feedback require a safe space. Psychological Safety is
necessary (https://blog.liberationist.org/what-if-no-one-would-ever-
get- red-827601fb8af1) for people to speak up without the fear of
being ignored, criticized, or punished.

4. Turn awareness into a team practice

Having the entire team play by the same rules, levels the playing eld.
If some members have high self-awareness and others are clueless,
the team will still suffer.

Self-awareness is a collective journey — the whole team

experiences the transformation together.

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29/9/2019 The Power of Self-Awareness: How to Build Successful Teams — Gustavo Razzetti

Encourage your team to engage in self-awareness rituals every day.

Promote ongoing feedback (https://blog.liberationist.org/feedback-is-
a-gift-not-a-torture-e02f089e66a4), not just annual 360 reviews.
Feedback is a gift for your organization — it’s necessary fuel for
continuous improvement. Assigning Accountability Partners is a simple
practice we facilitate to turn everyone into a mirror; they can reflect
what others are missing. Learn more about how you can implement
(https://medium.com/swlh/how-to-increase-your-chances-of-
success-get-an-accountability-partner-d41c0ab8b4df) this method —
turn every team member into a coach.

5. Self-aware people don’t ght reality — they adapt

and thrive

Adaptability is a critical advantage to thrive in a fast-paced and

unexpected world. The problem is that most people resist reality —
they ght what they don’t know, what makes them feel uncomfortable
or what they can’t understand.

Self-awareness encourages curiosity — rather than resisting

change, people pay attention and ask questions.

Accepting reality is not passive — it doesn’t mean giving up either.

Teams have to have an objective and un ltered assessment of reality
(Acknowledge), so they can understand why things are happening
(Learn), and adjust their mindsets, strategies, and behaviors (Adapt).
Read more about how to develop a Learning Mind
(https://medium.com/@GusRazzetti/the-learning-mind-how-to-stop-
ghting-what-you-dont-know-c1a184decc6e) — help your team
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29/9/2019 The Power of Self-Awareness: How to Build Successful Teams — Gustavo Razzetti

6. Go deep, but mind the gap

Self-awareness is not an X-ray image of who you are. I see many

organizations that believe that developmental assessment tools (DiSC,
The Core Values Index, etc.) provide self-awareness. Uncovering
biases and blind spots — same as becoming more aware of how our
mindsets and emotions get in the way — requires going deep.

Self-awareness is an ongoing journey of self-discovery, not a

static assessment.

Self-awareness is about reconnecting with the multiple layers of one’s

identity. Coaching self-awareness is a sensitive task — it requires
applying mindfulness, introspection, neuroscience methods among
others. However, too much introspection can kill people, as I explained
here (https://medium.com/personal-growth/how-to-see-yourself-
clearly-skip-the-introspection-mode-c66bfb05c061). It’s essential
that everyone leaves the room in a great mood. That’s why we
incorporate games, improv, and other tricks and team activities to
balance the spirit.

Self-awareness is something serious, but it should be treated too

seriously  You want people to bene t from knowing themselves
better, not to run away from it.

7. Encourage self-development, not just awareness

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29/9/2019 The Power of Self-Awareness: How to Build Successful Teams — Gustavo Razzetti

Team development is an ongoing practice, not just a one-off. The same

way that developmental assessment tools only provide a snapshot,
holding a self-awareness workshop won’t change much. We normally
experience a dramatic transformation in just a few hours of coaching
teams. However, building a practice requires consistency and time.

Self-development is an ongoing practice — it’s a habit that takes a

lifetime to master it.

Whatever plans you have to increase your team’s self-awareness,

follow-up is critical. Artists and athletes practice most of the time, and
then play; in business is the other way around. Developing self-
awareness requires preparation — set aside ‘practice time.’ Most
importantly, you don’t need to have a consultant like me continually
involved. Equip your team with tools and methods that they can
implement (and adapt) on their own.

Long-lasting change happens from within.

Prepare your team by showing them the bene ts of self-awareness.

Involve your people from the start — self-awareness can’t be imposed,
they need to own it. Making ‘self-awareness’ a company priority is not
enough — develop the right conditions.

Provide a safe space, proper tools, and coaching. Keep it simple. Start
small.

Self-awareness doesn’t happen overnight — it’s a lifetime journey. It’s

time to take the rst step. Privacy & Cookies Policy

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29/9/2019 The Power of Self-Awareness: How to Build Successful Teams — Gustavo Razzetti

Increase Your Team Self-Awareness

Download my ebook “Stretch Your Team: how to thrive in a changing

world”: get your free copy (https://liberationist-change-
leadership.ck.page/1a35bbec11).

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