How important it is to be socially aware at work?
Everyone is talking about social awareness and social responsibility. And, how important it is to be socially responsible. But, does social responsibility imply only to the environment and our surrounding?
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People are focused on making world a better place to live. But, we cannot forget the importance of making workplace better. And, social awareness is an element that holds quite an important role in our workplace.
Social awareness at work
To understand the concept of social awareness at work, let me share a small example with you -
“Suppose you are going to conduct a meeting for the next project. So, you call your team members and gather in the conference room. Now, can you read the room? Can you read the feelings of people sitting in that room? Who is nervous? Who is excited? Who seems ready to take up the challenge?
If the team is happy with the way things are going, then everyone must be excited when a new project arrives. But, if there are some gloomy faces out there, then it is a sign of some problem. And, If you are not able to read that well, then how can you get the best out of your team? After all, when someone in the team is not happy with something, you cannot expect him/her to give their best.”
This is where social awareness comes into the picture. As a manager, you must be able to read the room. So, how can you become socially more aware at work? Here are some tips that have helped me become a better manager, and a leader. I am sure they can help -
Learn the art of empathising
Competition. Strict deadlines. And, the race to do surpass everyone else. All these factors have made us less empathetic. Let me ask you a couple of questions — when was the last time you cared about the feelings of your team mate? Or, you could notice that your colleague was emotionally stressed? If you cannot remember, then you are surely lacking the social awareness.
To become better at it, you can begin by being more empathetic. For instance, if someone in the team has made a silly mistake, don’t blast them off straight away. Talk to them about why it happened? Maybe they were in a state of stress. Maybe they had some problem in their personal life. And, so on.
Working as the manager of the team does not mean that you just assign tasks and get them done. It means you must know how the employees are feeling so that you can get the best out of them. And, that’s where the virtue of empathy becomes so important.
Listen before you speak
Listening is one of the most lightly-taken skills in corporate world. And, why wouldn’t it be as we work in an environment where the focus is on getting things done ASAP. This is the reason that people speak more, and listen less.
And, amidst this race to get more done in less time we forget the basic human emotions. Someone had something to say about the task, but you ignored his/her opinion. That’s where the difference in thoughts begin to pile up. Respect between team members and the manager begins to diminish. And, teams start to break.
After all, no one likes to work with a bossy manager who just places orders and does not listen. If you are socially aware, you will understand the basic human emotions. And, will make everyone feel important. That’s how great leaders create teams that create wonders!
Share to care
To make sure that your team sticks together, you need to learn the art of sharing. As a manager it is your duty to create a work environment where no one feels hesitant to share their thoughts. And, to achieve this you need to take the first step.
Employees spend a big part of their life at office. So, if you will not make them feel at home when they are at work, then you cannot retain them for long. This is why informal company culture has seen such a huge growth over the past few years. People love to work at a place where they can share their personal as well as professional life.
A big step in creating that informal company culture is becoming socially more aware. When everyone in the team can read each other’s feeling, they will feel more connected. And, will develop better work relationships. Even science supports this fact. When employees have better work relationships, they are able to achieve more.
These small things, no one even bothers to care for them at work. But, when we look at them in the longer run, the impact they create on the team and work culture is quite huge!
If you want to create a team that can achieve greatness, the first step should be becoming socially more aware. And, making your team so as well.
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