It's official Cranky Co-Workers Day today, so perhaps it's the ideal day to talk about the need for everyone to be more self-aware at work. Self-awareness is a critical trait for any employee to possess. As I wrote in my soon-to-be-made-into-a-Broadway-musical book, The Jerk-Free Workplace, if you and all your colleagues gained a greater sense of self awareness, you will undoubtedly create a happier and more collaborative workplace. Here are a few ways to encourage greater awareness about self-awareness.

1. Talk about the "above average effect." Have everyone assign a number on a scale of 1-10 that they think best captures their own rating as a team performer; then have everyone assign a 1 to 10 rating for how they'd rate the rest of their team. Don't ask them to share the numbers. Typically, what happens is 8 out of 10 people rank themselves higher than their teammates. In other words, most people think they're wonderful and the real problem is their teammates! Use this exercise to remind everyone that ultimately all they can control is their own behaviors, and that perhaps, just maybe, their self-assessment might be a tad biased.

2. Share surveys. Or share those top-10 lists of the "most annoying office pet peeves or behaviors that drive teammates batty." This is a safe way for teammates to become more self-aware about behaviors (like being cranky) that might be annoying the rest of their teammates. 

3. Institute 360-degree feedback.This is a huge topic unto itself but creating a culture where everyone is encouraged to offer and accept constructive feedback will improve everyone's self-awareness. 

4. Encourage mindful practices. The more present and focused you are, the easier it is to be self-aware. So encouraging practices such as meditation and mindfulness at work can help. Packing away smartphones so you are fully present in meetings and conversations will also help!

5. Raise awareness about the impact people can have on others. For example, a study out of California found that every encounter a person has with a "fun-sucker" reduces the odds of someone being happy by 7%; conversely every encounter with a happy, positive person increases that person's chance of being happy by 9%!   

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. What do you do to be more self-aware, and how have you encouraged self-awareness in your workplace? And is an enlightened werewolf an awarewolf? So many questions...