Strengthening Your Situational Awareness

Once, on vacation, I was walking with our small group to dinner. I?stepped out of the taxi after making our way across the island to an isolated, remote village. As?we walked together toward the local eatery,?the peppery aroma of something delicious being fried in cooking oil I smelled when we first arrived was quickly replaced with the?pungent, earthy scent of the humid tropical forest. I saw there was quite a variety of palm trees, and became aware of how quiet it was on this side of the island. Suddenly I stopped short, and caught my breath. Who was this man beside me? Who were any of the men beside me??In a panic I realized I was walking with a small group of locals toward?a wooded area down by the river,?and not with my group at all! I'd turned left when they all turned right! With chagrin, I quickly?hurried over to my group, who thankfully weren't that far away.

What is Situational Awareness?

Situational awareness. It's a competency of emotional intelligence, and requires a great deal of social intelligence to put into practice. This awareness is the ability to pick up on currents, no matter how slight, whether they are social, political, or emotional, in whatever situation you are in. In the office -- while you're driving -- at home -- these currents are present but it's up to us to bring awareness to them.?

Exercising situational awareness is a superpower. From the Institute for Social and Emotional Intelligence Coaching Toolkit , we learn that those who are adept at this skillset can often:

• Accurately recognize key power relationships and can show respect the "powers that be"
• Detect crucial social networks and adjust their behavior accordingly
• Understand how to navigate the political forces at work in social and business settings, including the community, gatherings of family and friends, the workplace, in organizations ("company politics" or "family dynamics", for example)
• Correctly decipher the guiding values and unspoken rules that operate in various social and work situations
• Effectively influence?others at social, family, community and organizational events in a positive way
• Know how to support social, family, community and organizational norms

When It's Lacking

Those who struggle with this competency of emotional intelligence tend to act in ways that are not appropriate in the organization, the community, the neighborhood, the workplace, the family, etc. They may find it difficult to get things done in various social setting and unwittingly offend?others. They are unaware of and often surprised by?the politics in any given situation, and as in my case, miss the big picture. They can sometimes be described as either 'naive' (having their head in the sand) or the flipside, a 'steamroller' (not noticing the emotions of others and adjusting their actions accordingly, thus trampling on others' feelings).

While I noticed the minute, and now looking back, insignificant details around me as I left the taxi, I failed to tune into the bigger picture -- where my group was, where I was headed, and my safety -- some of the pitfalls when situational awareness is lacking.

Situational Awareness in the Workplace

On the job, this skillset of situational awareness comes in quite handy.?In a Forbes article The Power Of Awareness For Leaders , the author writes, "In order to be successful, it is important to be aware of your surroundings and the people in them. This includes being aware of the latest trends, technologies and changes in the marketplace." The author goes on to say, "When we are attuned to our surroundings, we can protect ourselves from negative influences, finding opportunities for growth and expansion instead."

Nitin Nohria's article in Harvard Business Review, Leaders Must React , states it simply: "The best leaders stay attuned to what’s going on in their organizations and their external environments. In meetings they are mindful and present, which allows them to pick up on small clues (such as someone’s body language) that might indicate a developing concern."

Enhancing Personal Relationships

And with friends, family, and significant others? Think of it this way: how many times have you missed, say, with your significant other, in "reading the room"? Imagine the positive impact on your relationship(s) if you were able to pick up on the undercurrents in conversations, noticing the emotions behind the words, and knowing how to respond to meet the other person's spoken or unspoken needs! A blog by EverydaySpeech.com , The Importance of Situational Awareness in Building Strong Relationships ,?says it well:? "Situational awareness fosters empathy towards others by helping us recognize and understand their emotions. When we are aware of the emotional state of those around us, we can respond with empathy and support. This strengthens our relationships and creates a sense of understanding and connection."

Strengthening Your Situational Awareness

Even if you're highly aware, there's always room to grow. And if you struggle, no shame. Emotional intelligence is a skillset which can be developed.?From a book entitled Special Tactics, Single-Person Close Quarters Battle: Urban Tactics for Civilians, Law Enforcement and Military , the authors state this: "In modern society, most people’s situational awareness is very low. They generally spend their day wrapped up in their own thoughts and problems and pay little attention to what is going on around them. People who live in relatively secure environments fall into even deeper levels of complacency and unpreparedness."

So, where to start? First of all, consider working with a Certified Social and Emotional Intelligence Coach to help you get started in your journey toward increased situational awareness. These coaches can walk alongside you, helping you recognize your strengths and areas of growth, guiding and providing encouragement as?you set new goals. Additionally, begin to work on these behaviors:

• Make it a goal to better tune in to your surroundings. When you walk into the office, look around the room. Notice who is there, and what they're doing, and what emotions they may be experiencing.
• Understand that your ability to notice what's going on around you and your success are?intrinsically linked.
• Practice your listening skills. Listen carefully as your friends, family members and colleagues share insights, information, and emotions.?Set your attention on the needs others are expressing, behind their words.
• Learn?the history of your social and community groups, as well as your workplace or organization (or particular department or team). Ask questions of those who have been around the longest and gather stories of what has worked over the years, and what has not worked.
• Conduct conversations with friends, family members, colleagues, and co-workers, to get their perspective on how things get done in specific social settings

• Spend time with others. Have breakfast or lunch with people in the community, social group, or work organization who are perceived to be influential, and learn from them how they operate within the organization.

As we better understand the world, we'll better understand ourselves. Dr. Ed Brenegar, leadership innovator and coach, notes in his book, Circle of Impact , that "self-awareness and situational awareness are indelibly intertwined." He goes on to say, "This is situational awareness far beyond simply seeing what is going on around us. This is a perspective that makes it possible to make decisions about our lives that leads us to be persons of impact, families of impact, businesses of impact, and communities of impact."

We simply must develop our situational awareness.

"We must become aware of what's going on around us so ultimately we can be aware of what's going on inside us."? -- The Minimalists