It is easy to notice the shortcomings of other people at work — employees, colleagues, bosses — and offer constructive criticism to help them be more productive or professional. It is much more difficult to take a step back and do the same thing for yourself.

Challenge yourself to take an honest look at how you are doing in different areas of your job and how you can make improvements. As you build self-awareness, you will also boost your personal effectiveness.

Spend some time checking in with yourself and asking the following questions to get started:

Job Performance

• How would I rate my job performance on a scale from 1 to 10? Why?
• In which areas of my job do I feel like I’m struggling or stagnant?  What step can I take today toward improvement?
• In which areas do I feel most confident or competent? What about these areas do I find interesting?
• Which of my skills are the strongest? What do they contribute to my company?
• Which of my skills need the most work? Which additional skills do I need to do my job more effectively?

Management & Leadership

• How would I rate my management skills on a scale from 1 to 10? Why?
• How would you describe your management style? How do you feel your employees respond to your style?
• Which interpersonal skill is your biggest asset in management? Why?
• Which interpersonal skill do you most need to develop? Why?
• What did you learn through your self-awareness evaluation?

Which areas do you think you are excelling in? Which areas do you want to work on more in the future?

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