Life Style Inventory, Genesis of Personal Style - Case Study Example

Email Address No. Life Style Inventory Results Analysis Introduction Lifestyle inventory is an assessment followed by a provision of feedback on behavior and thinking patterns. It can be altered to allow dimensional change in people in an endeavor to develop them (Humphrey, 227). Results in my life style inventory indicate that my primary thinking style is power. This scale measures tendency associated with my self-worth as well as the degree to which I control and dominate other people (Humphrey 228). More often than not, the interpretation of the results is accurate. On a critical evaluation of myself, I find the concept of power dominating other thinking styles. Occasionally, I overwhelmed with the desire to control actions and be in charge. However, this has always posed a number of challenges on my ability to provide directions as a manager. Power has created an unquestionable authority in the organization. The relationship between me and my employees has been impaired and a sense of personal authority and accountability at the department level has been lost. It has discouraged decentralization leaving me with the bulky duty of ever making each and every decision in the organization. However, in contradiction to the descriptions of this thinking style as shown in the lifestyle inventory, I have never witnessed the trait of coercion and intimidation in me. Often, I treat my employees with respect and listen to their opinions with an open-mind even though most of them do not like participating in the decision making process. Again, as opposed to the results description, I am usually patient and tolerant with my employees as long as the job is done as it ought to be. As my results would have it, my back-up thinking style is avoidance. This scale measures my tendency to use defensive strategies of withdrawal (Humphrey 229). This appears to be another true fact though there could be a few variations. Personally, I believe that problems are part of life and the preeminent method of solving issues is not by running away from them. I am capable of doing whatever it takes just to have the problem solved. It does not matter how much risk is involved. As some scholars would put it, there is no one best way of doing something. Similarly, I do not rely on a single way of tackling my problem of choose the easiest way out, instead, I explore more on other avenues that allows me to have my problem solved. This strengthens my ability to fulfill my role as a leader and a director in the organization Avoidance, as a thinking style has made me become more effective in my job as a manager. Normally, the practice of management is usually faced with lots of challenges, but my ability to solve problems has always seen me through the tough huddles in management practice. However, imperfections are part of humans and I do not believe that I have to be right at all times. Therefore, I differ with the description provided in the lifestyle inventory that people with this thinking style purport to always be right. I like being corrected when I make a mistake and accepting liability as a result of my blunders. On the other hand, my lifestyle inventory results indicate low performance on my humanistic-encouragement thinking style. This scale measures my interest to people and ability to care about others (Humphrey 230). Even though this was not the lowest performance recorded, humanistic engagement is an important style in the practice of management. As a manager, I need to be concerned with my employees and make them believe in themselves. They should also appreciate themselves for who they are and be satisfied with what they have. The lack of humanistic-encouragement in me compromises my ability as a manager since a manager needs to be listening and caring about employees. Presence of this trait in me might enhance manager-employee relationship and this has always proven to be one way of motivating employees. Suggestively, one of the things I should do better my humanistic-encouragement style is to mingle and socialize with people and open up to share my feelings. This has always been a big problem with me. Letting other people in my thoughts and them letting me in theirs’ would give me a deeper understanding of whatever they are going through and in that way I can be able to care about them after having known what they are really undergoing. Understanding people’s problems is the basis of caring for them. Genesis of Personal Style The low performance in my humanistic-encouragement thinking style came as a result of my social background. Coming from a rich family, I could not be allowed to play around with other kids from the neighborhood. I attended very expensive schools and have never gotten the taste of what other people from middle level and below families goes through. This compromised my ability to care about other people because I am not aware of their mind. Most people learn from what they see and that is how I acquired my power thinking style. My father is such person. He had the desire to control everyone in the family and he was at time desperate to feel that he was in charge especially when there would be a misunderstanding between my mother and him. My siblings and I grew up wishing that someday we would also be in charge of somewhere and to me, it was like revenging for what my father used to do to me. As I grew up, the notion of revenge fed away but the desire for power stack. As stated before, my childhood life was a lonely one. I had only two destinations; school and home. This situation resulted into a problem with adaption to new environments and I would really feel free to talk to people who am not used to. This was coupled with how my father used to talk down on me when I failed at school; made me feel like a loser. In such manner, I acquired my avoidance style. Conclusion Lifestyle Inventory is important in assisting people to benchmark themselves and help understand why people behave the way they do. As for my case, I have studied my lifestyle inventory and known some of the check points that need to be addressed. It would be more prudent for other people to evaluate themselves and the people near them so that they can understand and account for their actions. This would be more important in an organizational set up. Work cited Humphrey, James H. Anthology of Stress Revisited: Selected Works of James H. Humphrey. New York: Novinka Books, 2005. Print Read More