Most of us spend our careers trying to fit into a mould that wasn’t built for our brains. We look at the high-flyer in the corner office and try to mimic their habits, only to find ourselves burnt out and frustrated by Friday afternoon. This lack of self-awareness is exhausting. It leads to mismanaged conflict, missed opportunities, and a nagging sense that you’re just not ‘doing it right’.
At Compono, we’ve spent over a decade researching high-performing teams and individual behaviour. What we’ve found is that the struggle isn’t usually a lack of skill – it’s a lack of clarity. Without the right self awareness tools, you’re essentially trying to navigate a new city without a map. You might get where you’re going eventually, but you’ll take a lot of unnecessary wrong turns along the way.
Self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence. It’s the ability to recognise your own emotions, triggers, and natural work preferences as they happen. When you understand your default settings, you can stop reacting and start choosing how you show up. This is where Hey Compono helps, by bridging the gap between who you think you should be and who you actually are at your best.
We’ve all done the five-minute internet quizzes that tell us which kitchen appliance we are. They’re fun for a minute, but they don’t help when you’re staring down a difficult performance review or trying to lead a team through a crisis. Real self awareness tools need to be grounded in science and provide actionable insights that actually mean something in your day-to-day life.
Understanding your work personality is a game-changer. It’s not about putting you in a box; it’s about identifying your dominant preferences. For example, The Evaluator naturally gravitates toward logic and data. If that’s you, being forced into a role that requires constant, unscripted emotional labour will feel like wading through treacle. It doesn’t mean you can’t do it – it just means it will cost you more energy.
On the flip side, The Helper thrives on harmony and supporting others. If they are in an environment that prizes aggressive competition above all else, they’ll likely feel alienated and undervalued. Recognising these patterns in yourself is the first step toward finding a work environment – and a leadership style – that actually fits.
To truly build self-awareness, you need to look at three specific areas: your natural tendencies, your blind spots, and your environmental triggers. Most people only focus on the first one. They know they like to work alone or that they enjoy public speaking, but they rarely dig into the ‘shadow side’ of those strengths.
Consider The Pioneer. Their strength is innovation and out-of-the-box thinking. But their blind spot? They might struggle with follow-through or get bored once the initial ‘spark’ of a project has faded. Without self awareness tools to highlight this, they might constantly wonder why their projects never seem to reach the finish line. They aren’t lazy; they’re just wired for the start, not the finish.
Similarly, The Auditor is methodical and precise. Their detail-oriented nature is a massive asset for any team. However, under pressure, they might become overly critical of small errors, missing the bigger picture entirely. Recognising this shift in behaviour allows you to catch yourself before you alienate your colleagues. It turns a potential conflict into a moment of self-correction.
Leadership isn’t a one-size-fits-all jacket. Your personality dictates how you naturally guide others. Some of us are born for Directive Leadership – providing clear, structured instructions and keeping a firm hand on the wheel. This is often the default for The Coordinator, who excels at organising tasks and setting clear priorities.
Others lean toward Democratic Leadership, where collaboration and shared decision-making are the priority. The Campaigner often leads this way, using their natural enthusiasm to inspire and unite a team around a vision. Then there’s Non-Directive Leadership, a hands-off approach that trusts the team to self-manage. This is where someone like The Advisor shines, offering support only when it’s truly needed.
The trick to being a great leader isn’t just sticking to your natural style. It’s knowing when to flex. If you’re The Doer, you love getting your hands dirty and focusing on immediate tasks. But if your team is highly experienced and needs autonomy, your ‘hands-on’ approach might start to feel like micromanagement. Using self awareness tools helps you recognise when your ‘strength’ is actually becoming a hindrance to your team’s growth.
You don’t need to go on a month-long silent retreat to find clarity. You can start by simply paying attention to your energy levels throughout the day. What tasks leave you feeling energised? Which ones make you want to hide under your desk? This simple audit is one of the most effective self awareness tools available.
Another powerful method is seeking ‘radical’ feedback. Ask a trusted mate or colleague: “What’s one thing I do that unintentionally makes your job harder?” It’s a terrifying question, but the answer is pure gold. It reveals the gap between your intent and your impact. You might think you’re being thorough, while they perceive you as a bottleneck. You might think you’re being decisive, while they feel ignored.
Finally, leverage technology designed for human complexity. Hey Compono uses a personality-adaptive approach to give you insights that are specific to your brain. Instead of generic advice, you get a clear picture of your work personality and how it interacts with others. It’s like having a coach in your pocket who actually knows you, helping you navigate the messy reality of the modern workplace without the fluff.
Want to explore more? You can read more articles about how your personality shapes your career success.
Self awareness tools are frameworks, assessments, or practices that help you recognise your own personality traits, emotional triggers, and work preferences. They provide a mirror to your behaviour, helping you understand how you show up in professional and personal settings.
By understanding your natural work personality, you can choose roles that align with your strengths, manage stress more effectively, and communicate better with your team. It reduces the ‘friction’ of trying to work in ways that don’t suit your brain.
A blind spot is a behaviour or trait that you are unaware of but others notice. For example, a highly detail-oriented person might not realise they are slowing down a project by over-analysing minor points. Identifying these is crucial for professional growth.
While your dominant personality type remains relatively stable, your leadership style can and should be adapted. High-performing leaders use self awareness tools to learn how to ‘flex’ their approach based on the specific needs of their team and the task.
Hey Compono goes beyond a simple test. It uses a science-backed assessment of your work personality to provide ongoing, adaptive coaching. It helps you apply your self-awareness to real-world scenarios like conflict resolution and team collaboration.