Gbese for Management Communication Assignment

For our Management Communication assignment this week, we were asked to pitch ourselves to a potential employer. I found this interesting and somewhat challenging. Speaking about oneself requires self-awareness, mastery of presentation skills, a conscious recount, and organization of skills, achievements, and career events. Accordingly, it probes for a response on “Who are you?”

Who am I?

Significantly, this exercise prompted me to answer again some personal questions, self-evaluate, assess my life and professional progress as well as a new direction. This exercise gave me an opportunity to mirror my strengths and professional compass while weighing/ measuring my realities against adjusted career plans and life objectives.

Five (5) months ago, I found myself in a ring with this “Who are you” question. Considerably, I had to win, so I got to work. It took me a month to figure it out. Some may say, “Haba! for this simple question?” Unfortunately, Yes.

To answer it, I had to dig deep. I conducted personal findings, referenced spiritual reminders, and sort environmental responses. Furthermore, I engaged the help of a career coach/ mentor. It was a tough but beautiful realization and a life-defining process.

The Realization Process

It began to make sense when I was faced with, truth-finding sessions and self-realization explorations. I had to answer questions for the past, understand the events of today, and define a course of actions for tomorrow in alignment with my essence of being, truth, and interests. Also. I learned to make room for readjustment to unfolding/ changing life events and economic trends. Here are some nuggets to bite.

The Concept of Self-awareness

In the philosophy of self, self-awareness is the experience of one’s own personality or individuality. While consciousness is being aware of one’s environment and body and lifestyle, self-awareness is the recognition of that awareness. It involves being aware of different aspects of the self-including traits, behaviors, and feelings. Essentially, it is a psychological state in which one becomes the focus of attention. Self-awareness is one of the first components of the self-concept to emerge.

It allows you to see things from the perspective of others, practice self-control, work creatively and productively, and experience pride in yourself and your work as well as general self-esteem.

Silvia & O’Brien, 2004

Also, according to Ridley, Schutz, Glanz, & Weinstein, 1992 – It leads to better decision-making.

Lessons from the exercise

Being self-aware is having a good knowledge and understanding of yourself including being aware of your own feelings and character. I will share more details in my next post.

Personally, self-awareness means the habit of paying attention to the way you think, feel, and behave. Specifically, it means looking for patterns in the way we tend to think about and perceive what happens, how we explain things to ourselves, and make sense of the world around us.

Additionally, it is about understanding our own emotions and moods (even the difficult and uncomfortable ones) and paying attention to how we tend to act and behave in certain situations.

• What are your default responses to things?
• What are your vices, habits and tendencies?

Benefits of self-awareness

• It leads to better self-realization
• Improves mood and responses
• Clearer thinking and better decision making
• Help define responsibilities and set priorities
• Effective communication and relationships
• Increased productivity – let me expand on this a bit

I realized that the most common cause of procrastination and poor productivity isn’t a lack of effort, knowledge, or commitment, it’s interference from ourselves. When we struggle to get to work, it’s usually because on some level our own thoughts, emotions, or habits are getting in the way. Improving self-awareness can help eliminate many of these hidden obstacles to productivity. I will share more about this in my next post.

Lessons from the communication presentation

• Firstly, state your academic background
• Secondly, highlight your career history and abilities (competencies and skill set)
• Thirdly, align your skills to the identified gap in the organization.
• Lastly, state your proposed value to the potential employer in response to the identified gap.

I applied the lessons from my self-awareness journey and it helped me combat the fear of self, and gain confidence for the presentation. On the D-Day, I was so engrossed in the role that I didn’t hear the applause and signal to stop (thanks to the silly network and fluctuating audio problems) until I gave my last sentence then (thanks to network reconnection) I heard the lecturer’s voice:

“Ezinne, we have been shouting, time up!”

Funny but frustrating. Surprisingly, my stopwatch was at 00:01:57. Apparently, I thought I was just on time, guess I was wrong. Aarrgh! After all that preparation, time caught up with me. So, next on my agenda is time management for presentations.

Well, time up! The girl’s gotta go.

Until next time. Stay sharp and stay safe.

Article by Ezinne Okuku