How do you increase self-awareness in your team?

Using tools such as surveys, 360 degree reviews etc are a great starting point to understand about yourself- your strengths, stretch areas, what you value etc. From my experience, I have found that coaching sessions, even informal discussions with team members are a great way to reflect and share insights on their behaviour and professional attributes. Thanks to Agile practices, there are also more opportunities as a team to come together and reflect on their performance. That can also be a great way for people to develop self-awareness and use it for continuous improvement.

Make things comfortable for everyone. Foster a safe and open environment for self-assessment where team members feel comfortable sharing their results and discussing areas of improvement.

I'm a big proponent of deep breaths. Ideally, in through the nose and out through the mouth, 3-5 times. Simply invite the team members to take a moment and let go of the last meeting or project....and to breathe deeply 3-5 times. Thank them. Anything else you need before we start?

Consider introducing short mindfulness sessions into your team's routine, such as a brief meditation before meetings, to promote mental clarity and reduce stress.

Cultivating self-awareness within a team is best achieved through the practice of mindfulness. I believe that mindfulness fosters heightened focus, emotional regulation, and improved concentration. Drawing from my perspective, incorporating mindfulness techniques such as meditation, breathing exercises, and journaling can lead to a greater awareness of thoughts, emotions, and surroundings. By creating a safe space that encourages open sharing of experiences, challenges, and triumphs, I've found that team members are more inclined to embrace mindfulness, ultimately leading to enhanced self-awareness and collective growth.

We have failed to figure out how to create an environment where all employees are able to give honest and supportive feedback to each other. Although we may see small pockets of trusting teams or radically candid leaders, we have not been able to create the technology that allows us to deliver effective feedback at scale across an entire organization. Does this mean it is impossible to fix this problem? Or do we just need to take a radically different approach to the way we design feedback systems?

The heavy lift is on the leader of the team. They are always asking for feedback--on their last meeting, the zoom call, the 1:1, or a strategic goal. And, they help the direct report to provide the feedback/input if they are struggling. Once this becomes consistent, and is authentically sought, others will be more open to receiving and providing feedback from one another.

Encourage a culture of continuous feedback within your team, where both giving and receiving feedback is viewed as an opportunity for growth and development.

Reflection is not something that happens automatically. You need to make time for it. And to make it easier, consider adding a small structure to it. Some leading questions could help, though keep it simple in the beginning. Most important is that you start cultivating the habit and start having this as a standard moment in the week when people can reflect by themselves, with a peer and as a group. Though with many new things: keep it simple and develop it over time. It will help you construct a more realistic and meaningful worldview outside your daily bubble.

Fostering self-awareness within a team involves a dual approach of reflection and action. I believe that reflection allows critical evaluation of actions, leading to improved performance and identification of growth areas. Drawing from my experience, asking probing questions like "What could we do differently?" stimulates learning. However, the key lies in converting insights into actionable steps, ensuring that lessons learned are applied to set and achieve objectives, thereby propelling the team's growth and effectiveness.

Leaders play a critical role in setting the tone for the team by demonstrating professionalism, respect, and self-awareness in their interactions. Modeling and upholding the values expected from the team is paramount to success. Leaders inspire employees to do the same by exhibiting a positive and drama-free attitude. Leaders set themselves up for success by embracing authenticity and building their culture around their values.

If, as a leader you do not set time apart for reflection, you need to share the insights you gained from reflection. It is tough to ask your team to start reflecting if you are not putting your words into action first. You are the first to take the step, open up, and be vulnerable. Doing so can build a safe space where the team can reflect, question, and share their insights. Leaders set the tone for their organizations. They define the culture not just through their actions but also through their inactions.