"Use of Self"-As an instrument in process of change

I was recently introduced to the concept of “Use of Self” as an instrument in process of change and thought of sharing it with all my connections irrespective of the domain or the field that we come from or operate in .

This concept is well known in the world of OD , one of the models  introduced by Charles Seashore  . Having read the concept I  thought of sharing it with all because as managers or professionals we are all involved in bringing about some change or the other in our environment or world around.

“Use of Self” starts with our understanding of who we are , our conscious perception of our self ( called as Ego), the unconscious or unaware part of self , our perceptions of what is needed in this world around us and our choice of a strategy along with a role in which we use our energy to create change.

Use of Self comes into play , using self-awareness knowledge to influence behavior , intention, choice and outcomes in service of another .

Through self-awareness , we gain greater consciousness , leading to greater intentionality and choice and grow out of the confines of limited frames, biases, skills and habits. Without self awareness , we only enter situations with knowledge of part of who we are and may not have the consciousness and choice to manage or leverage how we use our self for the welfare of the situation. We may become victims of our own behavior , routines or blind spots, and under optimize what we ultimately do.

Our ability to add value  gets hindered or helped by the instrumentality of our strengths and limitations, presence and movements, awareness and blind spots , fears , courage etc.

Hence , we all should get into the lifelong journey of development of our cognitive, emotional, physical and spiritual aspects , there by using “Use of Self” as an instrument in the process of change . The development of self is a holistic practice where the human being and the work role improves together and this involves feedback, self-assessment, coaching , therapy etc.

Purpose is to bring about change effectively, without personal interference (e.g. biasness, avoidance etc.), with enough consciousness to have clear intentionality and choice.