A record breaking snow fall in NM finds me hunkered down in my adobe casita in the North Valley of Albuquerque with some time to catch up on some reading and other tasks that accumulate as a result of a busy schedule. In perusing the December 8-14 issue of New Mexico Business Weekly (yes, I am that far behind), I came across an article by Jason Trenkle about Larry Waldman, the Senior Economist at The University of New Mexico’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research. While the article talked about Larry’s facility with numbers, it focused primarily on “what keeps him up at night , pondering why it is he thinks and acts the way he does. In other words Larry Waldman spends time on better understanding himself.

In my management workshops and in one-on-one sessions with managers and executives, I stress self-awareness , building a better understanding of our individual style and how it lands on others. We all have different preferences regarding what energizes us (e.g., people or ideas), as well as differences in how we perceive the world, how we make decisions, and how much structure or flexibility we need. Understanding our own preferences and how they impact others as well as appreciating and valuing the different preferences our colleagues may have is a major key to effective and satisfying workplace relationships. If only all of us would invest in Larry Waldman’s practice of self-understanding I think we would have a start at better relating to others.