ESA Skill 2: Building Self-Awareness & Attention-Control at Work
- The Open Mind Institute
- Sep 26
- 3 min read
Last week, we introduced the first of the 12 Essential Skills for Teams (ESA)—Emotional & Social Intelligence—which lays the foundation for understanding ourselves and others.
This week, we shift focus to the next critical skill: Self-Awareness & Attention-Control. Together, they form the internal compass that allows individuals to notice blind spots, regulate distractions, and stay grounded in what truly matters.
Week 2: Self-Awareness & Attention-Control
In today’s fast-paced workplaces, distractions are everywhere—emails, meetings, messages, and endless notifications. Without strong self-awareness and attention-control, it’s easy to get caught up in reactive patterns, overlooking the impact of our behaviour on others or losing focus on what’s most important.
For individuals, this skill means:
Noticing blind spots: Understanding how your emotions, habits, and biases shape decisions.
Staying focused under pressure: Directing your energy to the task at hand, even in a noisy environment.
For teams, it means:
Reducing friction: When team members are aware of how they “show up,” collaboration improves.
Boosting productivity: Teams that manage attention well spend less time firefighting and more time creating.
9 Practical Ways to Strengthen Self-Awareness & Attention-Control
Here are some tips leaders and teams can use:
1. Run a Personal “Trigger Audit”
Track moments when you feel stressed, defensive, or distracted. Note patterns—are certain people, tasks, or times of day more triggering?
Teams can normalise this by sharing “what helps me thrive” in team charters to reduce blind spot friction.2. Use Attention Anchors
When your mind drifts, train yourself to return to an anchor (e.g., your breath, a keyword, or even a physical gesture like touching your pen).
In team settings, leaders can use an agreed “reset word” to refocus discussions when meetings go off track.3. Leverage Feedback Partners
Identify a trusted colleague to give you real-time feedback when you’re missing cues, speaking too much, or losing focus.
Teams can rotate “awareness partners” during projects to keep each other honest.4. Practise Micro-Mindfulness
Instead of long meditations, take 30–60 seconds before a meeting or when composing an email to pause, breathe, and set an intention.
Teams can do a 1-minute “centring pause” together before starting meetings.5. Set Clear “Attention Boundaries”
Turn off notifications for specific times of the day to protect deep work.
Teams can introduce “focus blocks” where no internal messages are sent, boosting collective concentration.6. Label Your Emotions in Real Time
When you notice yourself reacting, quietly label it: “I feel frustrated,” “I feel pressured.” This reduces emotional hijacking.
Teams can make this practical by using simple emotional check-ins: “Red, Yellow, or Green?”7. Watch Your Non-Verbal Signals
Record yourself in meetings or presentations and review your body language, tone, and expressions. Are they aligned with your intent?
Teams can run quick playback reviews of key presentations to uncover blind spots.8. Break Tasks Into Micro-Focus Intervals
Utilise techniques like the Pomodoro method (25 minutes on, 5 minutes off) to stay mentally sharp.
Teams can adopt “time-boxing” in sprints, where each block has one clear focus before regrouping.9. Revisit Purpose Daily
At the start of the day, ask: What matters most today? At the end, ask: Did I act in alignment with my values?
Teams can set one “anchor goal” at the beginning of the week and revisit it every Friday to maintain collective awareness.
Bringing It Together
Self-awareness is about understanding yourself. Attention-control is about directing yourself. Together, they form the bridge between insight and action—helping individuals and teams stay focused, intentional, and effective in the moments that matter most.
💡 Next Week: We’ll explore Communication Excellence—a skill that ensures clarity, builds trust, and turns everyday interactions into opportunities for stronger collaboration.
If you’re ready to explore what’s possible with ATAR, we’d love to start that conversation.
Xin Yi Ng (Michelle)
Research & Development Lead
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