{"id":2312,"date":"2020-11-10T11:33:17","date_gmt":"2020-11-10T16:33:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/giombettiassoc.com\/?p=2312"},"modified":"2021-03-24T17:18:03","modified_gmt":"2021-03-24T21:18:03","slug":"self-awareness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/giombettiassoc.com\/learning-lab\/self-awareness\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-Awareness: Why Gauges are Better than Idiot Lights (Guest Blog)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Car<\/p>\n

When I took driver\u2019s ed in high school, I first thought about cars having \u201cgauges\u201d that showed various readings (engine temperature, fuel tank fullness, battery status) and \u201cidiot lights\u201d that only alert you when something has gone very wrong (\u201ccheck engine\u201d). When it comes to self-awareness, why would anyone prefer an idiot light rather than a gauge?<\/p>\n

Our personal idiot lights might read \u201cmust escape\u201d or \u201cthe liquor is talking\u201d or \u201cyou\u2019re fired,\u201d whereas if we had those gauges, we might see where we are trending before we have already gone off the rails.<\/p>\n

When we are aware of our personal gauges, we may realize that we\u2019re accommodating too little or too much, under or over-communicating, or under or over reflecting on ourselves and how we are deciding too hastily or sluggishly. We can tell when people we know are not tuned up well, when their needles indicate a problem. But we may be the last to know when we are out of sorts, not being our best selves.<\/p>\n

We admire people who demonstrate self-awareness. It is part of who we are as people, which is why Socrates said, \u201cthe unexamined life is not worth living.\u201d<\/p>\n

Self-Management<\/h2>\n

But once we are more in touch with where the needles are on our gauges, do we rejoice, lament or do something about it? This is where self-management comes in.<\/p>\n

I lived most of my life with the idea that, like Popeye, \u201cI yam what I yam.\u201d Even if I knew I could be overly analytical, talk too much or have trouble taking the time to gain more insight and perspective, what could I possibly do about it? Would it not be phony for me to challenge myself and take responsibility to improve, for my own sake, not to mention to benefit everyone who has to put up with me \u201cwarts and all?\u201d<\/p>\n

It somehow took me most of my 67 years to realize that I am allowed to be my best self. It\u2019s not really \u201cfake it till you make it\u201d as much as \u201cfree to be you and me.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is a classic Bob Newhart sketch<\/a>, where he is an impatient therapist and tells his flawed patients to \u201cjust stop it!\u201d Clearly, the joke is that it isn\u2019t that easy. But I suspect that what makes it especially difficult to be our best is that we feel we don\u2019t have the insight to see ourselves clearly, and if we could, don\u2019t have the permission to do much about it. But whose permission are we wanting? Our family and friends? Our therapist or boss? God?<\/p>\n

I think all those beings, superior or ordinary, give us a thumbs up to know ourselves and be our best selves. And if we were not able to do this by ourselves, if we need a coach, a guide, a way to see those needles, a way to open the hood and tune ourselves up, I can\u2019t think of a single person in my life who would object to me being a better me, so \u201cIra, please improve yourself!\u201d<\/p>\n

In conclusion, I am glad to be doing the work I am, assessing and coaching, using the Performance Dynamics\u00ae<\/sup><\/em><\/strong><\/a> tool. I have to say, I am also the beneficiary of helping others to do this work, being inspired by those who are seeing their gauges and can be tuned. It gives me great optimism about who we are, as homo sapiens, wise women and men.<\/p>\n

About Our Guest Blogger<\/h2>\n

\"IraIra Bryck helps leaders grow. He founded and ran, for 25 years, the Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley, which provided expert and peer learning through forums, workshops, consulting and roundtables. His new work includes coaching business leaders, personality assessments for professional and personal development, and facilitating executive peer groups. Ira is the author of three plays about life in a family business, presented as \u201cedutainment\u201d at conferences worldwide. His third play, A Tough Nut to Crack<\/em>, is based on his years in his family’s 4th generation childrenswear business. He is the host of the Western Mass Business Show<\/em> on WHMP, and so far has interviewed more than 300 entrepreneurs. He has created a blended format of strategic questioning and role-playing that assists entrepreneurs in finding new solutions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When it comes to self-awareness, why would anyone prefer an idiot light rather than a gauge? Our guest blogger, Ira Bryck, explains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2313,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learning-lab"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSelf-Awareness: Why Gauges are Better than Idiot Lights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When it comes to self-awareness, why would anyone prefer an idiot light rather than a gauge? 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