Self-awareness is not only key to understanding what it is that we don’t want in life, but also to discovering our passions. And once we let our passions set the course of our lives, we might easily end up living happily, both professionally and personally. That’s why employers should focus on hiring self-aware, passionate people.

Check out: For a More Flexible Workforce, Hire Self-Aware People

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Glossary

• amidst – surrounded by; in the middle of
• profound – very great or intense
• aphorism – a pithy observation which contains a general truth
• thereby – by that means; as a result of that
• unleash – cause (a strong or violent force) to be released or become unrestrained
• ignite – arouse or inflame (an emotion or situation)

Think about it

Answer the questions below.

• Why might it seem counterintuitive that it’s tough for companies to find the right people?
• How should companies change their approach to staffing?
• Why is self-awareness important to organisational performance?
• What insights do the results of Myers-Briggs give people about their preferences?
• What is “type-flexing?”
• How can organisations take advantage of people’s passions?

Practice makes perfect

Fill in the blank spaces with the missing words. Use ONE word per blank space.

When organizations put more emphasis ________ understanding people as individuals, and helping people understand themselves, they also tap into ________ may be the most fundamental aspect of workplace engagement. According ________ Ken Thomas, Ph.D., author of the Work Engagement Profile, people produce the best results when they’re passionate ________ their work. Yet few organizations seem to place heavy weight ________ personal interests in their staffing strategies. They hire and assign people according to ________ their degree or resume says they can do, rather than where they really want to ________ a difference. Organizations that want to unlock untapped potential and unleash creativity should see the case ________ investing in training that enables people to contribute where their passion lies.

Fill in the blank spaces with the correct forms of the words in CAPITAL LETTERS.

For many people, a great benefit of gaining more self-awareness is developing more ________ FLEXIBLE. Understanding that one has certain tendencies leads to ________ RECOGNIZE that those tendencies serve one better in some situations than others. That recognition in turn leads to a ________ WILL to assess a situation and adjust one’s approach to it, if called for. Knowing what behavior they prefer to show, and what is needed, ________ POWER people to choose ________ EFFECT behaviors. In terms of the Myers-Briggs assessment – which helps individuals see themselves as most resembling one of 16 major ________ PERSON types — this is referred to as “type-flexing.”

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