Practical Coach: Management Skills for Everyday Life, The

Why the Self-Concept Is Important

Our self-concept is important because it influences how we think, feel, and act in everyday organizational life. Understanding the self-concept is particularly important for managers because self-knowledge helps managers understand why they do the things they do and how their beliefs and behaviors affect themselves, others, and the organization—for better and worse. The self-concept is, of course, only one of many factors that affect managerial thinking, feeling, and behavior, but it is undoubtedly one of the most powerful influences on many important behaviors.^[37] Specifically, the self-concept influences:

• Attention. Our self-concept acts like a filter that lets some information in and keeps other information ...