Self Assessment

Table of Contents

I. Introduction

II. Assessments

            a. Decision-Making Style

            b. Creativity Quotient

            c. Personality Type

            d. A/B Scale

            e. Emotional Intelligence

            f. Flexibility

            g. Leadership Style

            h. Corporate Cultural Preference Scale

            i. Perspective

            j. Communication

III. Self-Reflection

IV. Summation

       Participation in a self-assessment analysis can be a good way to gain insight to a person’s strengths and weaknesses.  This self-assessment test had a total of 18 areas that I could choose to explore further about myself and I explored a total of 10 areas. The areas that I chose were preferred decision-making, creativity quotient, personality type, type A/B scale, emotional intelligence, flexibility, leadership, corporate culture preference, and communication style.  The areas that I did not choose were listening skills, appreciating and valuing diversity, ethical decision making, leader-member exchange, career planning, organizational structure, team role preferences, and conflict-handling style.

       The first self-assessment I chose was preferred decision-making style. I was curious about myself and wondered what category would apply to me. The four major decision making styles are directive, conceptual, analytical, and behavioral.  The literature points out that people predominantly use one style, but do switch styles depending upon the situation.  My dominant style was analytical. The characteristics of an analytical decision-making style are: focusing on tasks and technical problems, taking a logical approach, considering every aspect of a given problem, acquiring information by careful analysis, using a large amount of data, evaluating information through abstract thinking, avoiding incomplete data, having a high tolerance for ambiguity, and is innovative in solving problems. Other skills are being intellectual, wanting control, impersonal social orientation, skilled in organizing and establishing facts, completes tasks by applying analysis and detailed plans, motivated by complex situations with variety and challenge, and wants predictable outcomes (Analytical Decision-Making Style).

        People’s impressions towards a person who has an analytical decision-making style vary. Some think that they are dogmatic, over controlling, too careful, abstract, mathematical, and too slow. I have to say that I do recognize myself in this style most of the time. I can be very focused on tasks and I try to take a logical approach, analyzing every aspect of the problem. I frequently use problem-solving techniques by devising a pros and cons list to help sort out decisions. This is where I use my skill to establish and organize the facts. Many times I will seek out assistance to help me connect the dots in my brain because it sometimes can be difficult for me to process. Once I grasp a concept it is firm in my mind, but it may take several practices to incorporate.  I have difficulty taking learned responses from past experiences and applying it to new situations. A large amount of data can overwhelm me and I dislike technical problems. Technical problems can be time consuming and frustrating but I may include seeking others to help me problem solve the technical glitch.

        I agree that I do not have a high tolerance for ambiguity. Ambiguity can be very confusing for me and I lose sight of my goal.  This can be difficult for me to deal with because I do want predictable outcomes. I do like detailed plans and I have found in the past the clearer the directions of what is to be accomplished, the better job I can do. I do not consider myself mathematical and I am slower because it takes me longer to process. I do consider myself intelligent, but at the same time I like control. I have historically disliked group projects, felt a loss of control, and preferred to work alone, but with practice I have found that a team approach can work for me. I become less stressed when I have someone to bounce ideas with, and someone else to share in the work load. I can appear to be impersonal in my social orientation because I am focused on the task at hand. However I do care about others and their feelings. I know that others could consider me dogmatic because I express my opinion and I am firm in my convictions.

        The second assessment I chose was assessing creativity quotient. I chose this area because I have always been told by others that I think creatively and I wanted to know if this actually was the case. Creative people can be viewed by others as critical of new ideas and judgmental, staying in their own comfort zone and not being satisfied with the way things have always been done and seek change because they do not like to conform. Research indicates that the majorities of people are right-brain thinkers and under-develop their left-brain which is known for developing creativity. I feel that I am an unusual case because I am ambidextrous and both sides of my brain have developed.  I did indeed score high on creativity.  Many times I have found that others have difficulty relating to me because of my creative slant on life.  They state that I think “non-traditionally,” daydream frequently and therefore “I beat my own drum” so to speak.  According to Psychology Today, this phenomenon is called “functional fixedness," meaning that people see only the obvious way of looking at a problem. According to Kaufman,                 

           ‘you go out for a walk and you are completely relaxed and at peace. All of a sudden the

            solution to a problem you’ve been thinking about for a while pops into your head? You

            wonder why this answer didn’t come to you earlier. In this moment you've made contact

            with your creative spirit. When this spirit stirs it animates a style of being: a desire to

            innovate, to explore new ways of doing things and to bring dreams into reality. The

            unconscious mind is far more suited to creative insight than the conscious mind. The

            unconscious mind is the storehouse of everything you know, including things you can't

            readily call into awareness. We can uncover things in the unconscious mind when we are

            not thinking of anything in particular. This is the same process of why we can daydream’

I tend to be critical of new ideas can be negative or feel threatened because I desire to stay in my own comfort zone. New ideas can stimulate my feelings of lack of confidence in myself. However, at the same time I feel dissatisfied with the way things have always been done, dislike having to conform and feel that it is ok to change. If I become pressured too much I can feel discouraged and give up too easily.

       The third assessment I chose was assessing how your personality type impacts your goal setting skills and I wondered how my personality may influence my goals. Everyone is motivated by a core motive that determines your behavior, needs, wants, and desires. My core motive color is blue with intimacy. I need to be morally good, to be understood, to be appreciated, and to receive acceptance. I want to reveal my insecurities, to please others, have autonomy, and feel security. As a goal-setter my strengths are: highly disciplined both personally and professionally, receptive to other’s suggestions, strong goals, plan well with details and excellent follow through, and highly intuitive (Morris). My weaknesses are: setting unrealistic expectations on myself and others, easily discouraged with failure, easily frustrated with lack of team cooperation, expect others to understand my goals and make them a priority, and have difficulty with flexibility. According to Evan Carmichael, blue people are deep thinkers, detail focused, very organized, aloof, like to have things in their place, good time managers skills, and able to come to their own conclusions. They take their time at a slower pace, and like to have all the facts. According to Morris, blues do not like disorganization, flippantness, pushy, and vagueness. These characteristics describe me well.

       The fourth assessment I chose was the type A/B scale. I have heard people refer to a type A or B personality, but I really did not understand what that meant. Although no personality is purely an A or B type, they have tendencies to be one type or the other. I scored as a moderate type B scale. According to Michaels, type B characteristics include: the handling of details patiently, less competitiveness, carefully contemplation of issues, low concern for time, approach life in a relaxed manner and does not feel guilty about relaxing, working at a steady pace, and not easily angered. A type B personality is introverted, less concerned with personal status, has fewer friends, but are closer to them as a result, have a more reserved manner, intuitive, value facts, but are open to different interpretations, value emotion, and value possible consequences of decisions.  They are more relaxed when it comes to getting the job done, more at ease of surroundings, less likely to be a victim of stress related diseases, know when to work and when to play and they see value in smelling the roses instead of being a workaholic. I have all of these characteristics except I am not patient, am anxious to interrupt, fail to listen attentively, and I become easily frustrated from waiting.

         The fifth assessment I chose was assessing emotional intelligence. I chose this because I wanted to know how I would score in the areas of self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and social skills. I scored 16/20 on self-awareness. I am usually aware of my emotions/feelings, I like to get out of bad moods as soon as possible and I recognize how my feelings affect my performance and am aware of my own strengths and weaknesses. I scored a 10/20 on self-management. I like to think before I act, I do not bounce back quickly from life setbacks, I deal somewhat well with stress, and I sometimes have trouble restraining from impulses. I scored 16/20 in self-motivation. I am very impatient when I want something, but am very persistent when I go after something I want. I can set measurable goals, but I have a hard time anticipating obstacles to reach my goals.  I scored 13/20 in empathy. I can pick up subtle social cues that may indicate people’s needs or wants. I am terrible at putting myself in other people’s shoes. I usually can accurately read other people’s moods and nonverbal cues, but I have trouble listening attentively to others.

        The sixth assessment I did was flexibility and it is a desired and strong attribute to possess. However I scored 126 points which indicates that I experience considerable stress when my expectations are not met and am inflexible. I lack full confidence and tend to not give myself full credit for accomplishments, I am prone to put off things, and I show inflexibility in relating to others. I can be effective in solving business problems but focus on small detailed factors. I have a low tolerance for ambiguity, rigidity, and prefer everything to be logical and have things fit my perception of how things should flow. I am incapable of quick responses that require rapid or drastic changes in intellectual orientation. I go back and forth searching for the right decision. I make strong demands on myself and I must be punctual and feel uncomfortable breaking appointments. I believe in making sure to plan and schedule activities carefully and I get upset when things do not go as planned. I find it hard to find time to relax, move, walk and I eat rapidly sometimes because I do not like wasting time. I formulate lists to be accomplished, but I frequently get annoyed when people do not keep the plans I have made. It is important to have everything in its place and it annoys me if people do not put things back. I strive for perfection in everything I do and worry a lot. I feel anxious or worried when I have no idea why I am anxious, and I am frequently tense. Strong leaders are flexible and can adapt to any situation. You must develop an ability to balance your vision with the needs and desires of your team. Flexibility is what makes this all a possibility (Bowerman).

        The seventh assessment measured personal stability, productivity, self-management, boundary setting, communication and work quality indicating leadership ability. A characteristic conveying a great leader is communication skills by keeping in touch with the person in the group, and convey their ideas carefully and have good interpersonal skills. Successful entrepreneurs are comfortable relating to other people; they easily create rapport and are more extroverted than they are introverted. These factors help leaders seem approachable, likeable, and comfortable in their position. “Nothing builds a picture of success more than achievement” (Javitch).

        My score was 71 which suggests that I have excellent leadership skills. For personal stability I am honest with myself, positive and upbeat. For productivity I regularly prioritize what I need to get done, and I do not procrastinate on work. For self-management I am always on time and take responsibility for my own actions. Regarding boundary setting I separate my personal life from school and have appropriate boundaries. For communication I communicate my ideas clearly, but I have trouble adjusting to different communication styles. Regarding work quality, I do not get distracted when doing work or projects, and seldom redo work because it is thorough and complete. For teamwork, I do not work well in a group, because I am not people-oriented but rather, results oriented. I care more about my personal success than other people within the group, and do not praise others for doing a good job.

        The eighth assessment was corporate culture preference scale. Employee success is affected by culture. Corporate culture is the total sum of the values, customs, traditions and meanings that make a company unique. Corporate culture is often called “the character of an organization” since it embodies the vision of the company’s founders. The values of a corporate culture influence the ethical standards within a corporation, as well as managerial behavior. Potential employees are attracted to organizations based on their cultural reputation; organizations select employees who seem to “fit” their culture; and employees who do not fit leave through either voluntary or involuntary (Bradley). 

        In the corporate culture control I scored a 4/6. I prefer to work for an organization that has a hierarchy, where top management has a sense of order in the workplace, where employees work by the rules, where most decisions are made by top executives, and where management keeps everything under control. For performance culture I scored a 5/6. I prefer to work for an organization which produces highly respected products/services. Employees are proud when their organization achieves its goals, perform at their best, get the job done, and expectations are that everyone puts 110% in their work.

        I scored low in relationship culture (2/6) and responsive culture (2/6). I prefer an organization where employees are treated fairly and kept informed about what is happening.  I would dislike an organization where employees cannot adapt quickly to new work requirements, and cannot respond quickly to competitive threats.             

        The ninth assessment measured perspective and empathy defined as the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes with a quality of feeling and understanding for the other person’s situation. Why is possessing empathy important? The ability to not understand what another is going through makes relationships superficial, without depth or richness that occurs when we share an emotional connection. Without empathy, people tend to go about life without considering how other people feel or what they may be thinking. Everyone has different perspectives and it can be easy to make assumptions or jump to conclusions about others. This often leads to misunderstandings, bad feelings, conflict, and poor morale. In surveys where employees commented on what makes a good manager they indicated that people want to feel like their manager listens to them. When people listen to another the person feels valued as a human being, safe and that they matter which helps them feel free to be themselves and to perform their work (Fuimano). My score was 18/35 which indicates below average perceptiveness. I have trouble trying to imagine how the other person would feel before criticizing them. I have trouble not listening to someone else’s arguments if I think I am right, especially if I am upset. I find it difficult to understand my friends by seeing a situation from their perspective, but I believe that there are two sides to every question and try to look at both sides. However I do not try to see everyone’s side of a disagreement before making a decision.               
         The final assessment examined communication style during stress. Passive-aggressive communicators believe that they are incapable of successfully expressing in an open and honest way, particularly if it is a negative thought. They try to communicate in a way that is subtle, indirect and manipulative (Watson). When I get stressed I tend to avoid, withdraw, and label. There were seven dialogue skills tested in the assessment. I scored high on all except one. The first one is start with the heart. I know that the only person I can control is myself and I try to stay focused no matter what and I try to resist the urge to fight.  The second one is learning to look. I tend to tune out how people are feeling and acting. The third is making it safe. I care about goals, interests, values, and I respect the other person. The fourth is master my stories by adding meaning to it through assessing what motivates them. I also assess if it is good or bad. When I respond with an emotion that has been triggered especially if it an inappropriate feeling I try to analyze why I had that emotion.  The fifth is state my path. When I have a tough path I stay convinced of my own rightness and I may push too hard. The sixth one is the one I am weakest in; exploring other’s paths. I have a hard time asking other people for help because I like to try to figure it out on my own. The last one is move to action. I determine how decisions will be made and go into action, recording my decisions and doing a follow-up while holding others accountable for their promises.

           I tend to use passive-aggressive communication style. I like to use sarcasm, give people the silent treatment, and try to make people feel guilty while trying to avoid open conflict with others.

           Based on my first assessment, my decision-making style is analytical. I can improve  my decision-making skills is by weighing the pros and cons, think about how much the decision will impact my life, and asking multiple sources for their perspective (Kehoe). I have a difficult time asking people for help and getting other people’s opinions.

            For my second assessment of creativity quotient, I can improve my creativity by setting goals to be more creative, asking others for help, putting time aside each day to develop my skills, and becoming an expert by having a rich understanding of the topic. This will stimulate my ability to think of novel or innovative solutions to problems. Instead of reprimanding, I need to encourage myself to be curious about something and give myself the opportunity to explore new topics (Cherry). When it comes to building creative skills, I need to be willing to take risks in order to advance my abilities. I can take note of the progress I have made, reward my efforts, and always be on the lookout for ways to reward my creativity. I will not be able to develop my creative talents if I do not make time so I must schedule time each week to concentrate on some type of creative project. Keeping a positive attitude is important because according to a 2006 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, positive moods can increase your ability to think creatively (Cherry).

               The third assessment was assessing how my personality type affects my goal-setting skills. One way I can improve my goal-setting skills is by using SMART. S is for specific, and significant, M is for measurable, and meaningful, A is for attainable, achievable, and action oriented, R is for relevant, realistic, rewarding and results oriented, and T is for timely and traceable (Haughey). This can put perspective on my personality type and give me more direction towards improvements.

                The fourth assessment was type A/B scale. I can improve by being more aware that I need to be more patient with people, try not to interrupt, listen more attentively, and try not to get so irritated when waiting.

                 The fifth assessment was assessing your emotional intelligence. I can improve by changing how I feel about negative emotions. In order to change the way I feel about a situation, I must first change the way we think about it. If I feel angry and upset with someone I can take a deep breath and count slowly to ten. In most circumstances, by the time I reach ten, I would have figured out a better way of communicating about the issue. If I feel nervous and anxious I can put cold water on my face and get some fresh air. Cool temperatures can help reduce my anxiety level. If I feel scared, depressed, or discouraged I can try intense aerobic exercises energizing myself. If I feel overwhelmed, confused go outdoors and clear my head (Ni). Being empathetic is an important skill especially in the human service field.  I can improve my empathy by meditating. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have found that meditation has the potential to increase an individual’s empathy towards others, and can even change brain patterns associated with empathy and compassion. The results showed that the people who lack empathy had notably less activity in the insula portion of their brains and the insula region plays a significant role in the bodily representation of emotion. This area of the brain has been implicated by studies as being important for processing empathy, and especially in an individual’s perception of the emotional and mental states of others (Meditation Shown to Increase Empathy).

        The sixth assessment was assessing flexibility. I can improve my flexibility by changing up my routine, being ok with less than perfect standards for completing a task, focus on the future, and take more risks. 

         The seventh assessment measured leadership ability. I can improve by being more aware of others and their needs, setting goals, journaling, exercise or take a walk around the block just to clear my head (Kerpen).

         The eighth assessment was corporate culture preference scale. Corporate culture can be improved by having a clear vision of the core values of the organization, a target population, having consistently, clear communication, and celebrating achievement by being sure to work for an organization that has a clear vision (Campbell).

         The ninth assessment was assessing perspective. I can improve by praising people with honest appreciation, call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly, talk about my own mistakes before criticizing someone else, ask questions instead of giving orders, and let the other person save face. I can praise others by their slightest improvement, encourage people, and make them satisfied about doing things I suggest.

         The tenth assessment was communication style under stress. I can improve by getting other people’s opinion and asking for help more often.

          In conclusion I have enjoyed this assignment and I have learned a lot about myself and gained more insight myself. I enjoy and have more insight into areas that I can improve and strive towards successful accomplishments.   

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