Self-Analysis and Emotional Intelligence Assessment - Essay Example

The experience of both taking and scoring the self-assessment instruments was eye opening, and led to some unexpected discoveries. There were resultsthat reflected exactly what I would predict, while others were less obvious. In both cases, I found new information about myself and my ways of relating to others, and that information will definitely contribute to my future success in business. Though it was uncomfortable to confront some of the areas that need improvement, I know this minor discomfort was a small price to pay for the exceptional insight that came along with it. Kaplan describes that although all leaders have some combination of strengths and weaknesses, most leaders devote most of their energy to dealing with the weaknesses (2002). However, strengths are just as important, and if a leader doesn’t have an adequate understanding of their talents, performance can suffer (Kaplan, 2002, p. 20). It is essential for a business leader to take measure of positive and negative traits and to apply what is found there in a way that will encourage growth and professional development. One way to discover strengths and reveal weaknesses is to take self-assessment instruments. One of the instruments that had a surprisingly profound impact on me was the emotional intelligence assessment. It really made me stop and think about how I typically respond in different circumstances and how I might want to change the way I respond. For me, imagining a type of intelligence that was specific to emotions was very new. When I took this instrument, I first went through and simply marked the response that best fit my behavior. Then I went back through and read each item carefully, imagining how my behavior might impact a scenario in a business atmosphere. I thought about how I might perceive a person that I observed behaving that way. Viewing my behavior through this lens gave me a better understanding of how emotional intelligence can be a pivotal factor for the success of a manager, and how it might be very difficult for a person in management to thrive in the absence of a healthy dose of emotional intelligence. It was interesting to find Goleman’s (2004) description of a leader, and his statement that “the most effective leaders are alike in one crucial way: They all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional intelligence” (p. 82). Goleman asserts that a leader might be the most intelligent, analytical, and best trained, but without emotional intelligence that leader will fail (p. 82). When looking at the components of emotional intelligence, it quickly becomes clear that these are all things necessary for a leader: self-awareness (strengths and weaknesses both), self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill (Goleman, 2004, p. 88). When I think about these traits in the context of effective leaders I’ve encountered, it seems that these traits are a combination resulting in the type of charisma that people respond to readily. Other assessments were also impactful for me. I really had to slow down and think about the items in the self-awareness assessment in order to give an answer that was based in the truth instead of what I would like to be true. For example, question two asks me to rate whether I get angry or defensive when receiving negative feedback about myself. My instinct was to respond that yes, I do get angry and defensive in this situation, everyone does. What is important to me is whether I show my emotion in that situation or keep my calm. Then it occurred to me that this was self-awareness! The instrument itself had a developmental impact on me, so it was beneficial before I even learned my results. Another item that left an impression on me was the stress management assessment. This was significant to me as an individual, but it also made me think about how stress might affect the members of a team I might lead. I could see where different people would have different responses to stress and different ways of managing a stressful situation in the workplace. It would require emotional intelligence to respond effectively to staff members that were overwhelmed with stress. This instrument certainly served to increase my self-awareness, because I looked at the eighth item, “I effectively utilize others in accomplishing work assignments,” and realized my tendency to want to take everything on myself (p. 106). Similarly, looking at the time management assessment made me think about the variety of time management tools I’ve made use of over the years, and the many tools I’ve observed others using. More than ever, I understand how individual these things are, and how each person must be encouraged to discover the thing that works best for them and not to use something just because it works for someone else. In taking the managing interpersonal conflict assessment, I again thought about emotional intelligence and its presence in this area. If ever there was a situation that required a manager to have emotional insight, this has to be it. In reading each point, I could see where I needed developing on some things. For example, “when someone complains about something I’ve done,” I am aware that I sometimes try to justify my actions or behaviors, thinking that the other person would eventually realize that I was right (p. 375). I will challenge myself to simply listen the next time this occurs, and to avoid self-justification. In order to exert emotional intelligence in that situation, I would need to show empathy to the other person instead of only thinking about myself (Goleman, 2004, p. 88). This relates well to the assessment on communicating supportively, as it is not supportive to the speaker when the person listening automatically jumps to self-justification without even acknowledging what the speaker has said; that instrument’s items on conveying genuine interest and not being condescending seem particularly relevant in this context as well (p. 235). Having self-awareness of my style of communication in addition to awareness about the communication styles of the people surrounding me will contribute to my effectiveness and ability to influence others. I was grateful to gain new insight into my communication style, which is generally talkative, extroverted, and approachable. Thinking through my responses to this assessment gave me a deeper understanding of how modes of communication can really make or break an interaction with a colleague, customer, or manager. Again, it seemed obvious that a person with a higher level of emotional intelligence would be a better communicator and have a natural insight into how best to communicate with another person. In fact, Goleman describes the concept of “self-regulation” another facet of emotional intelligence that involves holding back potentially harmful impulses, outbursts, and communication in order to function well in business (p. 85). Self-regulation trickles down: “fewer bad moods at the top mean fewer throughout the organization” (Goleman, 2004, p. 86). With each assessment I took, I found more and more interrelatedness between the attributes that were being tested. Of course, self-awareness is related to all of these assessments, and stress management impacts everyone. However, I never expected to discover such a profound relationship between emotions and business. I realized that Goleman’s self-regulation concept is present in many aspects of the communication, motivation, assessment, and team development practices that a manager engages in. Without self-regulation, the manager wouldn’t be approachable to direct reports, as they could never trust that their manager wouldn’t have an extreme response to their communications. The other instruments that were impactful for me include the “Leading Positive Change” assessment (p. 534). This was a huge eye-opener, because it is something I’d never focused on or thought about before. It took me a while to think back to different circumstances to decide whether I’m compassionate and forgiving, or whether I express gratitude frequently (p. 534). I answered honestly and I admit that this is one of the areas that I really need to focus on and work with so that I can be more empowered to lead positive change. I noticed another interconnectedness in this, as so many of the items described in this instrument relate to ways of communicating, whether that means expressing gratitude, speaking encouraging words, or expressing compassion (p. 534). I thought about whether these were such challenging things for me to do because they seem like behaviors that belong in the personal realm instead of the business world. I was thrilled to take the “Gaining Power and Influence” assessment, as I was certain I’d score well and was looking forward to discovering my strengths there. This instrument was very easy for me to take, and I was decisive on my answers and didn’t need to stop and think about them for very long. I was satisfied with the results and felt that they served to confirm what I already knew and to give me more information about my strengths. These are all concepts I’ve thought about on my own, and they are things I appreciate in others, too. From Kaplan (2002), I learned that I should cherish this information about my strengths and tend to my skills so they can be applied with maximum impact. The instrument I believe will make an immediate impact on my managerial behavior is the “Team Development Behaviors” assessment. It helped me to analyze the experience of being a team leader and a team member, and to remember the difficulties a team faces when there is change such as a new member being added or a current member leaving. The difficulties a team faces and whether it can survive crises depends so much on effective leadership, and I know that I am a more effective leader when I am aware of my own tendencies. What was especially enlightening in this tool was the examination of my behavior as a team member. For example, I struggled to respond to the item that addresses shifting roles from facilitating task accomplishment to helping build trusting relationships among members (p. 491). I think I’m much more comfortable when I can focus on one role and not have to switch back and forth, so this seems to be an area I could work on developing. Unfortunately, the problem solving assessment instrument didn’t go very well for me. The items seemed to apply generalizations to situations that would be much more detailed in reality. It’s hard to make a sweeping statement about how I would solve a problem that I don’t know anything about. The creativity instrument was fine, and I already knew that I wouldn’t have a high score as a creative person. I was pleased with the innovation instrument, and wondered whether my creativity is really in that area since that assessment seemed to really resonate with me. Finally, I really appreciated the “Effective Empowerment and Delegation” assessment because it not only reminded me of the type of leader I want to be, but it also pointed out some areas that I’ll need to work on in order to become that leader. There are so many facets to working with teams and delegating, and it seems that much of this boils down to communication. Again and again, I’m asked to look at how I’m treating people, how I talk to them, and whether or not my practices, habits, and behaviors are promoting effectiveness or creating alienation. Every instrument is facilitating the examination of interactions with others or ideas about one’s self. What I take from this is the sense that careful thought and planning of sensitive communications will pay off and help the manager to maintain effective influence and leadership. For the most part, I agree with the information the assessments pointed out. Some of them seemed to be better written than others; the vagueness of the problem solving instrument was a drawback for me. Still, none of them were a waste of time. I learned something about myself through each test, and plan to keep these instruments and results so I can refer back to them periodically. It was helpful to have all of these ideas about effective managerial behavior in one place, and to see such profound ideas listed in an easily accessible format. The instruments revealed as much as can be revealed in such a brief, simplified, and concentrated analytical format. In some ways, the instruments pointed out what I already knew about myself. However, they magnified my understanding of my skills and I find that very valuable. Additionally, they very clearly pointed me toward my weaknesses, and helped me to understand in a more specific way what I need to work on. Even if I already had some of this information, the instruments served to illuminate the specific areas that need fine-tuning. I had never had such a thorough, detailed, and comprehensive examination of so many aspects of my leadership and personality, so I appreciated that opportunity. After this I find that you can’t have too much self-knowledge, and it can only help the people around you when you’re applying what you know about yourself to improvement and advancement. I will definitely use this information in the future, and on many levels. First, I’ll use the actually instruments for reference and review, and to remind myself of what I’m working on, where I’m strong, and what I’ve already accomplished. Then, on a different level, I’ll use the knowledge I’ve received through the experience of taking these tests in my daily living. I take this with me every day, even if I’m not conscientiously applying energy toward it. I hope to constantly improve myself and constantly learn, and these are the kinds of tools necessary to my meeting that goal. References Goleman, D. (2004). What makes a leader? Harvard Business Review, 82(1), 82-91. Kaplan, R.E. (2002). Know your strengths. Harvard Business Review, 80(3), 20-21. Read More