Burnout is a significant trend for women in the workplace. It encompasses feeling stressed, overwhelmed, frustrated, anxious, and irritable. Part of our work at the McGuckin Group is helping women leaders understand the contributing factors of their burnout. We have discovered that in order to rekindle the fire, regain balance, and succeed in achieving their big dream, leaders need to exhibit both keen self-awareness and self-monitoring. Let’s unpack the difference between the two.

Self-awareness is about seeing yourself through the lens of others, and self-monitoring is choosing to do something about it. Self-awareness allows you to know yourself and accurately understand others’ perspectives, while self-monitoring involves deciding how to adjust or fine-tune your approach to leverage the feedback you get through self-awareness. One builds on the other.

For example, I might give someone this feedback: “You tend to be very creative, but that creative urge may distract you with more options than you can reasonably follow through on, which means you often don’t finish what you start or complete what you commit to.” Some women might say in response, “I am who I am—I’m not changing.” Those are the women who stub their toes, because they decide not to self-monitor, confusing the choice to ignore feedback with authenticity. 

Self-monitoring means using tools or strategies to create a different result. Continuing this example, for someone who is very creative but easily distracted and therefore not as productive as they’d like to be, the relevant tool might be starting each week by writing a list of the top priorities for each day and for that week as a whole. Then, they can check in with an accountability partner or supervisor at the end of each day to say, “I did the top three things on my list today.” 

Sometimes a woman leader will say, “I know I get passionate about things and make my mouth go. But I’m not changing. That’s just me.” They know they’re not getting to the desired outcome with this behavior, but despite that awareness, they’re choosing not to self-monitor. As a result, they get passed over or fired. They’d achieve much greater success if they instead said, “I know that my communication style can sting or come across as very straightforward, so let me think about my audience and how I might refine what I say to get to the right outcome.” By self-monitoring, you’re not changing the fundamental essence of who you are, but you are thinking about who your audience is and how they’ll best receive you.

In pursuing your full potential as a leader, self-awareness and self-monitoring serve as the basis for your ongoing journey. People tend to think these traits are “one and done,” but they’re not. You may have had self-awareness about who you were five years ago, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have self-awareness about who you are today. Back then, you may have been in a different role, had a different perspective, or had different objectives. We change as human beings over time; therefore, it’s important to continue to practice self-awareness and self-monitoring.

If you already know your self-perception doesn’t align with how people are receiving you, and are ready to do something about it, consider joining our Navigator Program.

This is just one of the solutions I explore in my book, Reclaiming The Fire in Your Belly, I address how you can reframe and start to create different results in your life. It will help you name your own limiting mindsets and offer tools to reconnect with power and possibility. By naming what you’ve been feeling in your gut and your heart that you weren’t previously able to name, you can address it and, in the process, become empowered.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS

Accelerate your professional growth and executive presence with the WOTW Navigator program. This journey is designed to help women cultivate the vision and capabilities needed to succeed within their organizations.

Participants will gain access to:

• Custom development plan based on the McGuckin Method of Professional Development, including behavioral assessments, aspirations, and more
• Monthly 90-minute virtual learning sessions delivered by WOTW CEO, Audrey McGuckin, along with facilitated peer learning conversation, a proven impactful learning method
• Five customized 1:1 executive coaching sessions, aligned to the women leader’s PDP and the virtual learning sessions
• One ticket to the  Women’s Leadership Summit, a 1-day in person leadership event with the extended WOTW Community
• Exclusive access to research, thought leadership and practical development tools.

Connect with us now and take your career to the next level!