If empathy helps you understand the emotions of an individual, organizational awareness helps you to understand the culture within which those emotions operate. The corporate culture of your organization is a major influence on how you can or cannot express yourself. In a conservative culture, the display of emotions is viewed as inappropriate. In another organization, you might be admired and encouraged for being expressive. Usually, only by reading the mission, values, and goals of an organization or team, can we grasp the culture and the emotional intelligence of the organization.

To build or enhance your organizational awareness, consistently practice the following:

• Be curious about your people: Talk to your employees, colleagues, teammates, peers, direct reports, stakeholders, and so on, and ask their opinion on how to improve your organization, department, service, and so on. Find out, in a subtle way, what organizational constraints are blocking certain things from happening in your organization.
• Identify the influencers inside your organization: Who are the key people inside of your company who influence policies and decisions.
• Research your company: What is its mission? What are the values? What are the department's goals? Are there specific goals expected of each team member? What is the culture of the organization?