Key Design Career Trait 19: SOCIAL AWARENESS
- Erica Hughey
- Jan 27
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 4
Having an awareness and sensitivity to the social and emotional needs and wants of your team is a soft skill that makes you a valued member of any organization. As we contemplate Trait 19, I invite you to understand and accept the basic need that human beings have for a culture of community and mutual support in the workplace. As a team leader or member, the skill of social awareness allows you gain the insights you need to cultivate strategic, mutually beneficial partnerships that drive collective success and individual satisfaction for everyone. When you are aligned with this trait developed, it can often feel like you know colleagues better than they know themselves.
Social awareness is rooted in self-awareness as you first have to recognize your own needs because your independence is your anchor. By tracking your own needs, you can be there for others and quickly recognize where adjustments need to made to foster an equitable, inclusive and productive environment. This sensitivity is a gift to you for others, careful not to mistake it as a weakness because you don't want to end up losing yourself in the needs of others. Pace yourself and find a balance between your needs and others, so you don't get overwhelmed trying to meet everyone's need simultaneously. If not, emotional exhaustion may set in if you don't have healthy boundaries to direct your energy where it is truly needed.
You set the priorities for the team with your ability to recognize what needs and wants are necessary or not. You intuitively sense what others in your work environment need emotionally, mentally or materially to thrive. This is the energy to negotiate as a skilled mediator able to present your perspective and hold empathic space for others and diversity of thought. Trait 19 comes with a drive that pressures you to reach out to settle that urge for belonging. Being the lone wolf or outsider is contrary to your nature.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:
The gift of having social awareness stems from a pressure to stabilize and aligned the emotional energy in the office to promote shared success and sustainability. The desire for connection usually comes with an offering where you might say, "My skills and talents can support the team to achieve it's goals and I would like to be a part of it." Interdependence is the goal, not codependence, giving and receiving help without jeopardizing your sense of self is correct. Remember not to get caught up too much too fast a begin to sacrifice your 'me time'. This could lead to misalignment and you becoming needy and garnering negative attention to get your need for connectivity met. This energy is a projection and should only be given when someone calls upon it from you. if the timing is off or your team members aren't receptive to your support, you may experience rejection and isolate yourself from your team and refusing their subsequent attention and bid for connection.
Ask yourself:
How can I leverage my interdependence with my coworkers to enhance my individual professional growth and development?
What would the risk be if I didn't open up to engage and connect by cooperating and collaborating with others?
Business Sociology is Satori Synergy's approach to holistic professional development and coaching. Work-life integration is achievable and you don't have to choose between professional success and personal satisfaction, you can have both. A Career Design Analysis Session or a Career Design Report can help you discover how to elevate your natural skills and align them with your career goals.
