Law - Criminal Help with Assignment

To: Professor

From: Student

Date:

Subject: required behavioral changes to improve four selected skills.

Dear readers,

Step One: Skills

The skills I have selected include communication, leadership, decision-making and creative-thinking skills. I have evaluated my personality and need to improve these skills to strengthen my personality. Improving these skills would enable me to build confidence and enhance possibilities to gain more opportunities. For example, successful communication improves relationship building in personal and professional life. Communication is key to success in professional life, enabling us to understand people better and avoid conflicts.

Similarly, creative-thinking skills help solve problems and develop successful alternatives. Creative-thinking skills also improve resilience and capacity to get out of complicated situations. To work on these skills is crucial to make them a part of my everyday behavior to excel on personal and professional grounds. I want to improve both communication and critical thinking skills as a priority. These skills are important to be successful in academic, professional and personal life.

Step Two: Behavior Change Plan

According to the theory of planned behavior, individuals act rationally based on their subjective norms and values, perceived behavioral control and attitudes. The theory further argues that external factors affect an individual's behavior in shaping or preventing a certain behavior. External factors also affect individuals' decision-making towards shaping a certain behavior (Ajzen, 2010). Applying this theory to my behavioral change plan, external factors such as motivation to be successful in professional life affect my behavior to improve these skills. Attitudes towards learning and improving skills are relevant to this theory. According to this theory, subjective norms and intentions shape an individual's intentions (Ajzen, 2010). Similarly, my intentions to improve my skills are shaped by the motivation to succeed personally and professionally.

The behavioral change plan comprises four steps which are as follows.

a. Contemplative

b. Preparing

c. Action

d. Maintenance

These five steps would be completed in two weeks to increase proficiency in selected skills. Following is the breakdown of the behavioral change plan;

This behavioral change model would improve all four skills over two weeks. The goal of improving these skills is clear: to excel in personal and professional life. According to research, understanding how behavior can be changed begins with understanding how the behavior emerged in the first place (Duckworth & Gross, 2020). The process model of behavior change states that all senses should work in one way to make successful change happen. Thus, certainty in mental and physical behavior is crucial for skill improvement. Throughout this process, the behavioral change would be holistic, requiring improvement in both mental and physical behavior.

Focusing on behavioral dimensions such as self-control, exercise, and emotional control is important to process behavioral change successfully. Because all these external factors could impact the motivation to make the required behavioral change (Martín-Martín et al., 2021). A successful career is my motivation which is driving this behavioral change.

Step Three: Step-by-Step Description

The first step of the behavioral change model is contemplation. At this stage, I was figuring out what type of change would be sustainable and how this change could be successfully executed. According to Dan Ariely, if we want to change behavior, we must change the environment. Because the environment implies a greater influence on how we behave and how our attitudes are being shaped (Ted Talk, 2019), thus, at this step, I will contemplate the environment and think about the possible change which could assist me in improving my behavior. At this stage I have realized that communication skills and critical thinking skills are crucial to be successful. Thus, to improve these skills I would change my behavior.

The second step of the behavioral change model is preparation. At this stage, I will collect information and research the needed change. For example, what environment and attitude would help me improve my communication, leadership, decision-making and problem-solving skills? This stage of the behavioral change model is crucial to avoid relapse (Sniehotta & Aunger, 2010). I will be prepared mentally and physically to execute the required change. Involvement in everyday decision-making tasks using critical thinking would improve my skills and help me gain opportunities. To improve communication skills, I would prefer communication of my thoughts on a daily basis. For example, instead of texting I would prefer to call to improve my skills and to enhance interactions. Similarly, to improve critical thinking I would try to manage every task by myself instead of asking for help. I will change this behavior by doing all of the assignments by myself without depending on any helping material or anything else. It would help me to build critical thinking skills and enhance my problem solving skills as well.

The third step is action, in which the behavior is modified. It involves the most realistic change when the individual starts showing the behavioral change. At this stage, I would have improved my communication skills, and I would be utilizing these skills in everyday practice. At this stage, collected information would be used to improve behavioral responses for these skills. In addition, the last stage is maintenance, where I will work to prevent relapse and try to maintain the adapted behavioral change. At personal and professional levels, I would keep engaging in situations where I could practice my leadership and communication skills. This is the last stage of the behavioral change model in which addictive behavior would be maintained.

Step Four: Expected Personal Outcomes

Expected personal outcomes from the behavioral change are improvement in professional performance. By making certain changes in my behavior, I will improve my skill set, which is mandatory to be successful in a competitive employment position. I am also expecting to utilize these behaviors in my personal life. In our everyday life, we must make certain decisions; thus, having these skills would be convenient for making informed decisions. I want to be skilled in managing every problem personally and professionally. Communication improvement is the most important achievement after this behavioral change.

References

Ajzen, I. (2010). The Theory of Planned Behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211. DOI:10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

Duckworth, A. L., & Gross, J. J. (2020). Behavior Change. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 16(1), 29-39. DOI:10.1016/j.obhdp.2020.09.002

Martín-Martín, J., Roldán-Jiménez, C., Muro-Culebras, A., De-Torres, I., & Tang, W. (2021). Behavior Change Techniques and the Effects Associated with Digital Behavior Change Interventions in Sedentary Behavior in the Clinical Population: A Systematic Review. Frontiers Journal, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2021.620383

Sniehotta, F., & Aunger, R. (2010). STAGE MODELS OF BEHAVIOUR CHANGE. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242079143_STAGE_MODELS_OF_BEHAVIOUR_CHANGE

Ted Talk. (2019, December 17). How to change your behavior for the better | Dan Ariely. YouTube. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPBFVIxnbDw