The Power to See Ourselves Reaction

I found the article, “The Power to See Ourselves,” to be very informative and insightful. I agree with the author, Paul Brouwer, that self-image, self-concept, and the development of a manager are all connected. I agree with the Brouwer that all of the things that people do, see, or hear is influenced by self-concept. I feel that, if I see myself as a confident and capable businesswoman, I will be much more confident and capable in my actions while in the workplace. On the other hand, when I first started my job and I saw myself as not knowing what I was doing, I conveyed that to others in my hesitation and nervousness about taking on the new responsibilities I was being handed. I also agree with the section of the article that deals with conflicts in a person’s self-concept. As a working mother, I have experienced the same thing that Brouwer discusses in this section. I have felt firsthand how conflicts in my personal life can affect my work, and vice versa. When I want to be in my role as a mother, but am forced to be at work when my daughter’s class is going on a field trip, I may become short-tempered with others at work, and later have a jealous attitude toward the mothers who were able to attend. Usually, when those two roles of mine collide, it is not a pleasant thing. Each individual role is difficult on its own, but when I am trying to fill both roles at once, it is nearly impossible. I found it interesting that, according to Brouwer, mature people are resistant to change. I would have thought that mature people would be open to change, and would embrace it as a way of furthering their education or bettering themselves. However, Brouwer’s explanation makes a lot of sense: self-concept has to do with patterns of behavior and habits, which makes it a difficult thing to change. Older, more mature people have had their same patterns and habits established for a long time, so changing those behaviors and habits would be difficult. It reminds me of

References: Brouwer, P.J. (1964, November-December). The power to see ourselves. Harvard Business Review.