Page 272 - kf fyi for your improvement license eng 3-4-15

11. Don’t have time to reflect? Build in a pause. Life is busy. Urgent tasks get priority. Self-aware
people build in time for what Kevin Cashman calls The Pause Principle. “The conscious, intentional
process of stepping back, within ourselves and outside of ourselves, to lead forward with greater
authenticity, purpose, and contribution.” It looks different for different people. Meditation works for
some. Others recognize they need daily physical activity. This becomes valuable reflection time for
them. Daily walks. Journaling. The key is to take the time to reflect, however it makes sense to you.
Consider. Appreciate. Debrief before moving forward or taking action. When you’ve completed a task
or a project, hit the pause button. Rewind. Press play and review. What went well? What didn’t? What
will you do differently next time? Ask others for their feedback. Reflect as a team. Allow the
comments—yours and theirs—to settle before moving on. Self-aware people learn from experience
and build it into their next activity.

12. Avoid admitting mistakes? Take ownership. Self-awareness is knowing when you are wrong and
owning it. Admitting it not just to yourself, but to others. Made a mistake? Own up to it. Would have
done something differently? Talk about it with others. Showing ownership to others helps them feel
more comfortable giving you feedback and offering suggestions. Take the lead. Identify what you
think went wrong. Talk first about what you would have done differently. Then ask others what they’d
like to see you do differently in the future. Learn from experience. Reflect. Taking ownership shows
openness to reflection and willingness to change.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…

Bregman, P. (2011, January 3). The best way to use the last five minutes of your day. Harvard
Business Review Blog Network.
Jensen, K. (2012, July 3). Success is overrated: How do you handle your mistakes? Forbes.
Zwilling, M. (2012, May 26). Don’t be too busy to do some reflective thinking. Business Insider.

Job assignments
• Volunteer for an assignment in a different culture. Use this to become more aware of how you may
respond in new or unfamiliar settings.

• Start something new. Begin something from scratch or build a new area of the organization. Build a
new team.

• Take on an assignment that stretches your skills or pushes you to embrace a new challenge. Move to
a new location, take on a position in a different area of the organization.

• Complete a 360. Consider who may be able to give you the best feedback, not just those who will tell
you what you want to hear.

• Take on a new project outside your area of expertise. Make a point of asking those working with you
for specific, honest, and regular feedback.

© Korn Ferry 2014-2015. All rights reserved. WWW.KORNFERRY.COM

272