The awareness trifecta
In a leader's journey, it is important to increase our awareness. What does that actually mean?
Awareness means we gain information. We become conscious. We see something different. It's amazing how much our attitudes and behaviors can change simply by seeing something we've never seen before. This can be about the world, others, or ourselves. In fact, it's hard to unsee it and we're deeply changed as a result. That's the power of awareness.
In my own journey, I have found Michael Bungay Stanier's three-part framework helpful. He organizes awareness into three types - situation-aware, other-aware, and self-aware. He calls them mindfulness, empathy, and humility.
Here's a bit about each and how they could apply to conductors:
1) Situation-aware (mindfulness). He describes this as separating data from judgment and fact from opinion.
Conductors can be blind and deaf when we are on the podium. Our rich aural imagination means that we can hear things that didn't happen and not hear things that actually did. We may misdiagnose problems and mis-assign blame to others or even ourselves. We may hold untrue judgments of others from first impressions. This awareness can help us notice the biased, incomplete stories we are telling ourselves.
To be more situation-aware, we can ask: What do I know to be true? What am I imagining? What is the real problem? What may be the real cause of the problem?
2) Other-aware (empathy). He describes this as seeing the other person fully, seeing yourself reflected in others, and having this awareness influence the way you respond to the world.
Most conductors have been in the shoes of performing musicians. At the very least, we've all performed on a stage before. We've lived the experience - how it felt, the thoughts that came to mind, the fears that held us back, the joy and excitement we felt, and the desires we had. This awareness can help us remember to imagine and respond in a way that is informed by what they may be experiencing.
To be more other-aware, we can ask: What might they be experiencing, feeling, thinking? What would I need right now if I were them.
3) Self-aware (humility). He describes this as knowing who you are and where you stand. An important part of this is to embrace all of you - what you're not good at and what you're good at.
It seems trite to say conductors need to check our ego and be more humble. That's only half of humility. Michael's framing of self-aware urges us to tell the story that reveals all of us. This helps us to know when we are at our best so we can feel solidly confident in thriving under those conditions. It also gives us permission to recognize when we can ask for help. This awareness demands honesty from ourselves, and that is empowering.
To be more self-aware, we can ask: What repertoire feels most natural to me? What conditions make me feel safe? Which people do I connect with the most? Why?
I found it educational to identify and evaluate my levels of awareness within this framework. This trifecta approach is one of curiosity rather than judgment. Reflecting on it all has improved my relationship with myself, with others, and with my environment. I hope it speaks to you in some of the same ways.
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