Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence - Assignment Example

SELF ASSESSMENT AND DEVELOPMENT Introduction This assignment is aimed at my self-improvement, which I intend to undertake through some contemporaryself examination methods – namely, Belbin Self Perception Inventory, Johari Window, and IPIP--NEO Narrative Report. I am Pattamaporn, a graduate of Bangkok university international college. For a year, I worked as marketing coordinator at Honda Company in Thailand, where I develop new marketing campaigns and strategies for the company. However, I believe that acquiring further knowledge in international business could provide me a wider range of opportunities in my future career. Hence, I decided to leave my job for further studies, this time in an international business program at Northumbria University. Also, my parents own a small family business that exports goods to China. Accordingly, I realized that studying MAIB and developing myself are not only beneficial to my future career but also to our family business. It is necessary to understand the importance of self-awareness to self-improvement, as several studies have suggested. A discussion on this follows. Task One: The importance of self-awareness “Self-awareness, or understanding more about ourselves, is at the centre of personal development and career development” (McDonald, 2009). To be aware of oneself may not be as easy as it sounds, but it is a requisite for one to function effectively in any endeavour, particularly if one were to be a skilful manager. The first step to take, according to Williams (2009) is to become aware of himself, his strengths and weaknesses, for which he cites the case of Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney. During his chairmanship, nobody in the company dared question his decisions or leadership style because they were afraid of getting fired. Because he lacked feedback about his management, Eisner’s company performed poorly. Feedback, according to Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee (2002), is crucial because it provides us with constructive criticism to gauge and improve our importance. Williams identifies five key areas for self-awareness, which provide the criteria by which we could evaluate and understand ourselves. These are personality, values, habits, needs and emotions. “Personality” is defined as “the complex of all the attributes – behavioural, temperamental, emotional and mental – that characterize a unique individual”; on the other hand, “values” is defined as the “beliefs of a person or social group in which they have an emotional investment (either for or against something)” (WordNet, 2009). We constantly compare our actions and beliefs to those of others, convinced either that we are wrong and everybody else is right, or that we are right and everybody else is wrong. In truth, there often is no right or wrong; we merely respond differently because of our unique personalities. Once we understand how uniquely we each respond to common situations, then we tend to become less judgmental, and therefore gain a more balanced decision-making approach which is necessary for managerial competence. Habits are “the behaviours that we repeat routinely and often automatically” (Williams, 2009). Many times, we are aware of our habits, but just as many times we are unaware of other habits; and worse, the adverse habits we are unaware of tend to be harmful for us. For instance, a study by Monaghan and Blaszczynski (2010) explored the effectiveness of publicly displayed warning signs against the risks and losses incurred in gambling. Despite their negative content, such signs had little effect upon the public, and sometimes even worked to encourage individuals to gamble. It appeared that the warnings which should have discouraged gamblers instead challenged further those who have developed gambling as a habit. (Monaghan & Blaszczynski, 2010). Our perceptions as to our needs and emotions may likewise be distorted by how we may want to be perceived by others. We sometimes deny our needs and ignore our emotions, or give them a different interpretation, to suit our self-image. It is only through an honest self-examination and self-awareness that we get to face the truth about ourselves and come to terms with it. There are various ways through which self-awareness enhances one’s managerial skills. First, self-awareness highlights the gap between the current situation and the desired outcome. Where our skills fall short of the ideal for a good manager, skills development could be pursued. Secondly, self-awareness also enables us to know our strengths and weaknesses, which thereafter allows us to enhance the former and resolve the latter. Thirdly, by knowing ourselves better we are able to avoid stress that comes with being employed in jobs that are incompatible with our personality. Fourthly, awareness of our psychological needs increases our motivation by helping us to seek out the rewards that truly satisfy us. Finally, when we have found the proper motivation, we gain an insight into what motivates others, an insight which enhances our leadership capabilities. It is this translation from inward reflection to outward action that makes a self-aware person a potentially good manager (Williams, 2009). Task Two – Application of various tools in self determination In the course of embarking on self-analysis and assessment, there are certain tools that have already been developed that more effectively and efficiently attain this objective. In this paper, we shall make use of three techniques: Belbin’s Self-Perception Inventory, also known as the Belbin Team Role Inventory; the Johari Window; and the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP)-NEO Narrative Report. 1. Belbin Self-Perception Inventory, also known as the Belbin Team Role Inventory This is mainly a test to assess how well an individual performs in a team environment. It was developed by Dr. Meredith Belbin, and are comprised of five roles. The Plant refers to creativity, unorthodoxy, and the generation of ideas. Plants usually come up with good ideas for solving a problem, but avoid going into details. The Resource Investigator is a strong performer and works well outside the team. He is creates possibilities and excels at networking; however, towards the end of the project he tends to lose interest and to forget small details. The Coordinator, the third role, is the default chairperson of the team. He usually gains a broad perspective, is stable and mature and excels at delegating tasks because they have a profound understanding people. However, they sometimes appear as manipulative and lazy because they prefer to delegate. The Shaper is a natural leader, task-focused, energetic, and highly motivated to win. However, their focus and intensity usually lead them to controversy & arguments with their team mates. If two shapers are present in the group, there tends to be infighting. The Monitor Evaluator is fair and logical, detaches himself from bias easily, and is slow and analytical. However, they find difficulty in inspiring underlings to attend to their work passionately and motivatedly because of their pragmatism. The Teamworker is a good listener and diplomat, and work best in resolving conflicts and smoothing relationships among team members. Teamworkers usually forgo taking sides, however, and may be seen as indecisive at times. The Implementer is deed-oriented, often translating plans and intentions into working programs. The are organized, efficient, and self-discipline. He takes on jobs others do not like, but their job centeredness can be interpreted as close-mindedness and inflexibility. The Complete Finisher has a strong inward sense of the need to be accurate. They are self-starting and self-motivated, and maintain their own high standard of excellence. However, they refuse to delegate tasks and may frustrate their teammates with an obsession for minor details. Finally, there is the Specialist, who are passionate about learning matters pertaining to their jobs. They have a great depth of knowledge which they enjoy imparting to others; however, their expertise tends to be narrow and highly focused. According to my results in the Bebin self-perception inventory, the evaluator suggests the four styles of working best suited for me. These are in the areas of liaising, investigating, exploring, and helping others with ideas. These working styles were gathered from the team roles wherein I had gathered highest assessments. I have learned that among my strengths, I am innovative and prefer to be challenged mentally. I require intellectual stimulation, exercise personal initiative, and am keen on developing outside contacts and exploring new ideas. I will thrive in an environment that allows me to perform variety of tasks and duties, as well as opportunity for self expression. The Bebin study showed the my sole possible weakness was that I am uncomfortable when dealing with pressure. 2. Johari Window The Johari Window was developed by Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham at about the middle of the last century. It is comprised of a grid of descriptions of the person being evaluated by himself, as well as descriptions of this person by colleagues and friends who know him. The first (upper left) quadrant in the grid is the Arena, which contain the descriptions of oneself that is known to him as well as to others. In my assessment, my arena descriptors are that I am caring, complex, friendly, helpful, idealistic and sentimental. The second (upper right) quadrant is the Blind Spot. These are the qualifiers that are not known to oneself but are known to others. In my blind spot are a host of complimentary descriptions, most pronounced of which are cheerful, confident, happy and loving. In this window, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my colleagues thought me brave, something I never associated with myself before. In the lower left-hand quadrant is the Façade, which are descriptors that are known to myself but not to others. In my window, there are no descriptors in this quadrant. I take this to mean that I have been sufficiently open and honest about myself, that whatever I know of myself I have shown to my friends and colleagues. Finally, in the lower right-hand quadrant is the Unknown, qualities which are unknown both to others and to myself. Again, there are a host of descriptors in this window, the most notable (to myself) of which are dignified, introverted, mature, and shy. These are because I have not thought myself to be these things; by “dignified” is meant, to me, some sort of aloofness which I had never thought myself to be. I also have trouble seeing myself as mature, introverted and shy. These have opened in my mind that it is possible that I may be portraying these impressions, but were just not aware of it. 3. IPIP-NEO Narrative Report The IPIP-NEO narrative report compares individuals from one particular country to other persons between the ages 21 and 40 years (http://patrifriedman.com/aboutme/ipip_personality. html). There are five broad personality domains in the Five Factor Model. In the conduct of the test, it must be kept in mind that personality traits describe a person’s feelings, thoughts or behaviours, but among individuals there is a variance of degrees, in terms of frequency and intensity. Two individuals may be described as extraverts, but one would tend to be more so than the other. The five domains were described by Dr. John A. Johnson. The descriptions were founded upon the available literature on personality measurement. These five domains are as follow: Extraversion is described as a “marked engagement with the external world” (Higgs, 2006). Extraverts thrive in the company of others, are energetic, and often experience positive emotions. On the other hand, introverts lack the energy, activity level, enthusiasm, and assertiveness of extraverts, avoiding social interaction and preferring to be left alone. What is really independence and reserve among intraverts is often misinterpreted as unfriendliness or arrogance. The key facets describing extraversion are friendliness, gregariousness, assertiveness, activity level, excitement-seeking, and cheerfulness. According to the test scores I have garnered in the IPIP-NEO report, my level of Extraversion is high, meaning I am a sociable, outgoing, energetic, and lively person. It underscores my preference to be with people in most instances. Among the facets, my scores for friendliness, gregariousness, excitement-seeking, and cheerfulness are high, with assertiveness low and activity level average. Agreeableness is the second domain, reflecting individual’s concern for cooperation and social harmony. The subdomains under agreeableness are trust, morality, altruism, cooperation, modesty and sympathy. My overall level of agreeableness is average, meaning I show concern for others’ needs but also an unwillingness to sacrifice myself for others. Among my scores for the agreeableness facets, my scores were unremarkable except for modesty where I scored high. Conscientiousness refers to the manner in which the individual controls, regulates, and directs his impulses or urges. While in certain instances that require it, acting on impulse may be desirable, in most ordinary circumstances reacting on impulse is not desirable since actions must be deliberate and well thought out. Facets of conscientiousness are self-efficacy, orderliness, dutifulness, achievement-striving, self-discipline, cautiousness. My scores for conscientiousness and its facets are all low, except for self-discipline which is average. This indicates my need to develop greater control over my impulsiveness. Neuroticism is marked by the tendency to experience negative feelings. People high in this domain are emotionally reactive, responding to situations more intensely than most people, if at all. They also tend to keep the negative emotions for a longer time. The neuroticism facets include anxiety, anger, depression, self-consciousness, immoderation and vulnerability. I have garnered average scores for neuroticism; depression and anxiety are low, while immoderation and vulnerability are high. Finally, Openness to Experience is distinguished by nonconformity, creativity and curiosity. Most psychologists consider openness a mark of maturity. The facets of openness are imagination, artistic interests, emotionality, adventurousness, intellect, and liberalism. My score in openness is low, indicating that I am practical and conservative. Among the facets, my imagination, adventurousness and liberalism are scored high, Task Three My self-assessment, conducted through the Bebin inventory, Johari window, and IPIP-NEO narrative, show my strengths to be optimism, friendliness, outgoing and helpful. On the other hand, among the qualities I am still weak in and which I have to develop as a leader is that of being more self-assertive of my own talents and opinions, more persevering in and capable of solving problems under pressure, and more confident when in front of people. I am happy to note that my friends see my strengths in liaising, investigating, exploring, and helping others with ideas; caring and happy, friendly, brave and mature; innovative; enjoys being challenged. Task Four On the page following, summarized in tabulated form, is the personal development plan I have set out for myself to do. The contents were obtained from the above strengths and weaknesses as gathered from foregoing discussion on the self-analysis tools. Personal Development Plan (PDP) of Pattamaporn What do I want/need to learn? (SMART objective) Work with approximately 4 - 6 overall. What will I do to achieve this? (learning activities) What resources or support will I need? (practical and academic) What will my success criteria be? (must be measurable) Target dates for review and completion To use my talents and maximize my abilities To overcome shyness and assert myself when others tend to dominate To develop my self-confidence in public speaking To enhance my ability to solve difficult problems To develop perseverance and determination in meeting challenges, and to perform well even under pressure Take chances, accept challenges and exert more effort Pause to think things through; make it a habit to questions before answering. Voice opinions/disagreement if needed. Volunteer to speak before an audience more often, such as in class or in meetings. Join clubs and civic activities that require mingling and speaking with people. Gain experience. Read and study other people’s experiences. Concentrate on one project before embarking on a new one. Tackle problems step by step, but see it through to full resolution. Discuss problem with a close friend, for perspective. Seminars & training courses; class work and extracurricular activities Leadership in group activities and interaction Public exposure; training in public speaking Class projects and group work Class projects and group work Membership in one extra-curricular club involved in one of my personal interests. Always ask at least one question and volunteer one opinion before replying to any proposition Conduct class discussion or talk at least once every month. Resolve every project before embarking on a new one Resolve every project before embarking on a new one Dec. 2008 – Sep. 2009 Dec. 2008 – Sep. 2009 Dec. 2008 – Sep. 2009 Dec. 2008 – Sep. 2009 Dec. 2008 – Sep. 2009 Conclusion: This exercise has been an eye-opener for me. I found that I already possess qualities that would make me a good manager, such as being friendly and connecting well with people, optimistic and extroverted. On the other hand, there are qualities that I lack, as well as qualities others perceive in me, such as confidence and assertiveness, that I actually feel I am deficient in. Through this exercise, I have articulated and defined these problems, and set out solutions for them. With the personal development plan, I hope to achieve my goal not only of becoming a better manager, but a happier and more fulfilled person. [wordcount = 2,800 excluding title] References Aritzeta, Aitor; Swailes, Stephen; & Senior, Barbara. Belbin’s Team Role Model: Development, Validity and Applications for Team Building. Journal of Management Studies, vol. 44 no. 1, 2007 Belbin, Meredith. Management Teams. London; Heinemann, 1981 Bourne, Harold. False Self: The Life of Masud Khan. Canadian Journal of Psychoanalysis, 2009, Vol. 17 Issue 2, p353-357 Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. & McKee, A. Primal leadership: Realizing the power of emotional intelligence. 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