Summing yourself up in three words
Suit: You outside the organisation
This question goes back to how you would want people to describe you as a manager. And the good news is, you get to just ask! Go back to old managers, previous team members and ask them to come up with three words that would sum you up. But before you do so, here’s a twist.
Start with yourself. Write down three words you believe describe your managerial style. Put those in an envelope and mail them to yourself in a month’s time. Whilst you are waiting for the letter to get back to you, get external feedback from several sources and once the envelope arrives, see if those discussions have changed your own view of yourself. Do those three words you initially wrote down still resonate with you after talking it through with a few colleagues?
This exercise is also useful in finding out if your own description is a match for that of those who surround you. If there is a sizable discrepancy, you may want to chat this through as your level of self-awareness could be low. Self-awareness is a key component of emotional intelligence (EQ), which allows leaders to understand others, communicate effectively and empathize.
It is even a more important quality than IQ when it comes to leadership. So working on having a realistic view of your own strengths, skills, areas of development and characteristics could help you be a better leader by allowing you to understand others and relate to them better.
If you wish, you could even extend that exercise to your personal life. Ask for feedback from parents, siblings and friends so you can have a holistic view of your whole self. And if you’d like to keep on working on your EQ skills in order to improve your leadership abilities, give us a call for some Coach on Demand sessions or find a mentor you admire.
Career Coaching Cards: Explained
This is a new series of blog posts, that explain our Career Coaching cards in more depth.
Our deck of cards contain 52 questions that help guide better career conversations and connect more with the individuals you’re having these conversations with.
Each week we are releasing a question from our deck with a little more information about why we think this question is a good question and what you are looking to get out of it when you ask it.
Book Coach on Demand now
Our Coach on Demand service supports your employees with easily accessible, flexible and virtual coaching sessions, providing employees with a safe space to explore their current developmental challenges.
Your colleagues are just a few clicks away from access to an experienced professional coach from the comfort of their home at a time that suits them.
Fill out the enquiry form on our Coach on Demand page and a member of our team will be in touch within 24 hours.