Personality, Learning, and Communication Styles - Coursework Example

Personality, Learning and Communication Styles of Personality and its theory The term ‘personality’ is commonlyused for identifying most common traits and characteristics of a person with respect to their social skills. However, in this regard psychologists mainly exhibit their interest towards personality in terms of heredity, experience and motivation with respect to a particular situation. There are a number of personality theories that has been proposed by different authors so far. One of the most commonly referred personality theory is the trait theory. Traits are certain specific dimensions of personality that are continuous in nature (Monte, 1995; Kasschau, 1985). Allport (cited in Monte, 1995) ordered various traits in three hierarchical levels, namely, cardinal trait, central trait and secondary trait. The three hierarchical levels are explained as follows: Cardinal traits: Cardinal traits are referred to certain specific traits which shape and have a dominating effect on the manners of an individual. Such traits have been placed by the author at the highest level of the hierarchy and are referred as master traits for controlling personality of an individual. However, it is noteworthy that such traits are rare and extreme and can have an impact so strong that it may completely define an individual’s life. Examples of cardinal traits can be greed, altruism and ambition. Central traits: The central traits occupy the second highest level in the trait hierarchy defined by Allport. These characteristics are found in different persons in varying quantity. These traits are referred as common building blocks that have major impact on an individual’s behaviour. Examples of central traits can be honesty, dedication, sensitivity and generosity. Secondary traits: The secondary traits are placed at the lowest level of the hierarchy and are exhibited under specific circumstances. Secondary traits are largely individualistic with respect to its features. These traits are activated by certain stimuli and can explain the rationale behind certain behavior of an individual that is different from the person’s other behaviors. Preference and attitude can be considered as secondary traits (Monte, 1995; Kasschau, 1985). Learning style and theory The term learning style indicates towards personal preference of an individual towards gaining knowledge and learning. There are three prominent learning styles that are largely implemented in organizational framework: adult learning theory, visual, auditory and kinesthetic (VAK) learning style model and Kolb’s experiential learning theory and styles. The paper discusses adult learning theory where Malcolm Knowles have presented six features of adult learner. The theory implies that adults have certain specific requirements as a learner and they learn best when they are put in an environment that is collaborative and problem oriented (James Cook University, 2015). Autonomous and self directed Adult learners have a preference towards active involvement in personal learning and being self-directed towards learning objectives. Therefore, in this regard the main role that leaders play is motivating employees to set their goals and objectives in the learning process. In this regard, leaders’ responsibility is not only to supply information but also to assist employees to accept their responsibilities. Life experiences and knowledge An adult learner generally has past experiences, opinion and knowledge which they can bring in the learning activity. Such experiences comprise family responsibilities, academic experience and work experience. They can conveniently integrate their past experiences with current practices for enriched experience. Goal oriented Individuals feel motivated towards learning when they are provided with real life problems and issues. This suggests that learners require certain goals or objectives for better motivation and learning so that they can relate their learning with a particular situation. Such a step maximizes the learning experience of learners. Relevancy oriented Relevancy orientation suggests that any adult learner experience better learning when the learning task can be related to their personal goals and things that they want to achieve in short and long run. Leaders are responsible for providing guidance in this regard for better achievement of goals. Practical implication Adult learners should be provided with opportunity where they can make maximum utilization of their learning and knowledge. The opportunities should be realistic in nature so that learners can relate their learning from situational perspective. Real situations facilitate better learning opportunities for long term purpose. Respect Respect is an important aspect of human character and among adult learners, it has been observed that they enjoy being part of collaborative relationships where they can earn respect from colleagues and managers and other members of the organization. Leaders can demonstrate respect to learners by means of encouraging their innovation and by providing them feedback and reasoning whenever possible (Conlan, Grabowski & Smith, 2003; Queensland Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Collaborative, 2007). Communication and relevant theory Communication is referred to the process by means of which two or more individuals interact and exchange meaningful information by means of verbal and non-verbal expressions. Since communication accommodates a variety of dimensions in the process of interaction, there are several theories that have been proposed in this regard. However, these theories can be largely classified as common sense theory, working theory and scholarly theory (Miller, 2005). The common sense theory is generally developed by individuals by means of their personal experiences and that of their friends and relatives. This theory proves useful because it provides a strong basis for decision making regarding communication techniques. However, it is noteworthy that this theory has not been proven completely right and can often backfire. The working theory presents an individual with various generalizations regarding specific professions and various techniques of doing a particular task. Working theories are considered comparatively systematic with respect to common sense theories as they present certain pre-decided means of doing things related to a particular profession. Working theories provide specific guidelines with respect to behavior and communication. The last theory in this regard is scholarly theory which was determined to provide relatively accurate, abstract and methodical explanation for communication with respect to the other theories. Scholarly theories provide a strong foundation for understanding of complete communication process. However, one major drawback of scholarly theories is that it is relatively more complex and difficult to comprehend (Griffin, 2003; Miller, 2005). Importance of knowledge of personality styles, communication styles, and learning styles in good leadership Personality traits and styles reflect the nature, perception and preference of individuals. In other words, personality can be considered as shadow image of a particular person. A clear perception of one’s personality helps managers appreciate the employee as well. Understanding of personality enables managers to have knowledge of various techniques by means of which they can motivate employees. It also enables them to understand satisfaction level of employees with respect to the job prospects and its other features. Appropriate personality management implies better management of people and consequently, it is essential for good leadership (Mohammad Mosadegh Rad & Hossein Yarmohammadian, 2006). Communication styles can be assertive, passive and aggressive in nature and no human being use one kind for prolonged period. In regular communication, a blend of all three kinds of communication is implemented by individuals. Unless a manager is well aware of the communication styles, he or she may fail to assess and decode the actual message that has been coded by the sender. Clear knowledge of communication styles opens large number of avenues to leaders for better understanding of their team members because individuals often tend to express their nature and attitude by the way they communicate. Knowledge of communication styles also allows leaders and managers to implement appropriate leadership style within the organisational framework and motivate employees (Munter, 1993). In workplace, strong knowledge of learning styles is important so that leaders can offer various learning methods to employees for acquiring and learning facts and information. Additionally, knowledge of various learning styles also provides opportunity to leaders for sharing their own knowledge and experience with employees by means of a style which the employee (s) is/are most acquainted with. Learning styles empower managers to delegate information in such a manner that is relatively understandable by employees. Learning style, personality style and communication styles are interrelated and knowledge of all the three factors together provide strong scope of establishing appropriate leadership within the firm (Davenport & Prusak, 1998). Examples regarding implementation of various styles by leaders If leaders acquire clear understanding of different personality styles then they can employ their knowledge in better resource and task allocation. Employees with outgoing personality can be deployed tasks where level of client interaction is very high while introvert employees can be provided desk oriented activities. Leaders can allocate comparatively critical tasks to employees who are more sensitive and dedicated in nature. Communication style of leaders depends largely on the leadership style that they are practising. For instance, an autocratic leader will communicate mostly by means of formal channels such as email, minutes and memos while participative leaders may adopt a relatively more relaxed approach for communication. Sound knowledge of communication skill further enables leaders to understand approach and build relationship with employees having different kinds of personality traits. Learning styles can be essentially implemented in process of delivering training and development to employees. It is important that training is imparted by means of appropriate learning method for ensuring that it is proving fruitful for employees. Besides training, learning styles can be used by leaders to share their own experiences with employees. References Conlan, J., Grabowski, S. & Smith, K. (2003). Adult learning. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Adult_Learning. Davenport, T. H. & Prusak, L. (1998). Working knowledge: How organizations manage what they know. Harvard: Harvard Business Press. Griffin, E. (2003). A first look at communication theory. (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill. James Cook University, (2015). Learning styles and learning theory. Retrieved from http://www.jcu.edu.au/wiledpack/modules/fsl/JCU_090463.html Kasschau, R. A. (1985). Psychology, Exploring Behavior: Student Handbook, Experiments and Quizzes. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Miller, K. (2005). Communication theories. In Processes and Contexts. Boston: McGraw Hill. Mohammad Mosadegh Rad, A., & Hossein Yarmohammadian, M. (2006). A study of relationship between managers leadership style and employees job satisfaction. Leadership in Health Services, 19(2), 11-28. Monte, C. F. (1995). Beneath the mask: An introduction to theories of personality. (5th ed.). US: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. Munter, M. (1993). Cross-cultural communication for managers. Business Horizons, 36(3), 69-78. Queensland Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Collaborative. (2007). Adult Learning Theory and Principles. Retrieved from http://www.qotfc.edu.au/resource/index.html?page=65375. Bibliography Broadbent, D. E. (2013). Perception and communication. Philadelphia: Elsevier. Loehlin, J. C. (1992). Genes and environment in personality development. London: Sage Publications, Inc. Read More