Sometimes it is impossible to achieve total objectivity about one’s self, which indicates several self-awareness degrees. Many people have a fundamental concept of the meaning of self-awareness, but they may not know where it originates from. Self-awareness occurs when people are cognizant of motives, behaviors, and feelings, facilitated by deeper self-reflection. Self-awareness is a useful skill that is important in group facilitation. It is critical to evaluate the significance of self-awareness in group settings.
I consider myself a highly self-aware person because I demonstrate mindfulness. Being self-cognizant allows me to reflect on what I want in life. Furthermore, when solving problems, self-consciousness has helped me a lot. For instance, I had problems with my best friend, whom I blamed for not appreciating our friendship adequately. However, using self-awareness, I reflected and found that I may have contributed to the problem. I did not complement my best friend when they did nice things for me. Therefore, by employing self-consciousness, I understood and solved the problem.
Being more self-conscious will promote perspective-taking and improve self-regulation in a group setting. Self-cognizance has helped me to have enhanced perspective-taking, which enables me to comprehend that I am separate from other people and that those individuals have different thoughts and needs. In addition, perspective-taking enables me to use more empathic responses to other people’s problems, which improves connections and relationships in a group setting (Adams & Galanes, 2020). On the other hand, self-consciousness has assisted me to improve my self-regulation. It is crucial because it will enable me to restrain anti-social impulses as well as increase personal responsibility in groups.
Self-awareness has impacted my understanding of group theories and human systems. I gained a deeper comprehension of how systems theory affects group dynamics. Systems theory promotes a holistic approach to hardships, choices, and personalities, which is essential to successful group facilitation. Group leaders must collectively understand the interconnected factors that shape the experiences of group members and their identities (Kottler & Englar-Carlson, 2019). Group systems theory assists in clarifying group processes that occur and provides interventions to challenges in group dynamics in order to create productive group facilitation.
In addition, self-awareness and group systems theory promotes systemic thinking, helping to answer difficult questions about group dynamics. For instance, systemic thinking and self-consciousness increase the understanding of the roles various individuals play in a group. Furthermore, self-awareness helps identify coalitions and boundaries that are formed in a group. Being self-aware enables me to comprehend how group members share their knowledge (Kottler & Englar-Carlson, 2019). Besides, I can determine whether the lines of group communication are direct and clear.
Practicing meditation and mindfulness and allocating time for reflection can improve my self-awareness. Mindfulness will enable me to be present in current moments and pay attention to myself and my surroundings. Meditation can help me focus on one thing, such as breathing and let my thoughts drift. Both practices will assist me in being self-cognizant of my reaction to situations and my internal mind state (Adams & Galanes, 2020). On the other hand, connecting with myself daily, avoiding digital distractions, and carving out my solitude will improve my self-consciousness.
In conclusion, it is crucial to examine the importance of self-cognizance in group settings. Group facilitation is challenging and it requires a leader to have self-awareness. Furthermore, group systems theory helps to understand group dynamics and the interconnected factors that affect group facilitation. Self-consciousness can be improved by practicing mindfulness, meditation, and allocating time for reflection. Self-ware group facilitators are successful in leading diverse groups.
References
Adams, K. L. & Galanes, G. J. (2020). Communicating in groups: Applications and skills (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Kottler, J. A., & Englar-Carlson, M. (2019). Learning group leadership: An experiential approach (4th ed.). Cognella Academic Publishing.