The uncomfortable practice that can help you get better at reading the room

Get better at: Reading the roomToday's moveIf you want to read people and situations more accurately, you need to first get a better read on yourself.Pamela Meyer, a fraud examiner and human behavior expert said that reading the room starts with self-awareness. Asking for feedback is a good strategy to do that because it helps you understand your blind spots.Why it worksA 2018 study published in the Journal of Management looked at over 2,600 workers across 515 teams. The researchers compared how people rated their own contributions with how their teammates rated them.Researchers compared how people rated their own contributions with how their teammates rated them. The idea was to measure how well individuals understood their own strengths and weaknesses.They found that teams with more self-aware members worked more effectively together and also performed better.Try it todayChoose three people you trust and ask them for one piece of honest feedback. You can ask them about your biggest blind spot or how your communication style comes across.Pick people who know you well, but don't have a reason to make you look especially good or bad.Ask for an example of the behavior they mention and thank them for being honest. Pay attention to any patterns you hear from the three people, and choose one behavior to work on.That may include interrupting people less or being more direct. Keep a log of what you hear from people, and in a few weeks, ask them whether they've noticed a difference.The bottom lineBuilding better relationships starts with understanding how other people experience you.SourceThis insight is drawn from Business Insider reporting on how to read the room, citing advice from Pamela Meyer, a fraud examiner and human behavior expert. Read the full story here.This story also includes information from a Journal of Management study published in 2018. You can view the report here.Have you tried this feedback exercise? We want to hear how it went in the comments below. Read next Ana writes about workplace trends, careers, and how AI is reshaping software engineering roles. She also regularly interviews C-suite executives about their trajectories and leadership insights.Ana is the host of "Get Better at Work," a series that offers advice about the habits and behaviors that can help workers stand out and build their careers. She also hosts "Work Shift," which breaks down the biggest workplace news of the week. She holds a master’s degree in multimedia journalism from NYU and has been featured on BBC, NPR, and other global media platforms.Have a tip? You can contact her via email at aaltchek@businessinsider.com or through the secure-messaging app Signal at aalt.19. Get Better at Work Careers Psychology More