Self-awareness report

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Table of Contents

SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY....................................................................................... 1 Executive Summary................................................................................................................. 3

1. 2.

Introduction..................................................................................................................... 3

Self-Awareness ................................................................................................................ 3 2.1 Personality ................................................................................................................................ 3 2.2 Values and Motivators .............................................................................................................. 4 2.3 Emotional Intelligence .............................................................................................................. 5 2.4 Leadership ................................................................................................................................ 6 2.5 Power and Politics..................................................................................................................... 7

3. 4. References............................................................................................................................. 10 Appendix ............................................................................................................................... 11

Decision Making and planning........................................................................................ 8 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 9

Executive Summary

The aim of this report was to gather self-awareness about myself which encompassed understanding of my strengths and weaknesses based on various attributes. In addition, five essential elements of self-awareness were explored briefly with the behavioural features of each elements. Alongside, analysis is made against the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) index results and behavioural features are analysed. Also, some significant motivating factors for myself, factors of emotional intelligence and career aspects are explored. Finally, planning and decision- making skills in relation to the theory of Recognition Primed Decision (RPD) is made and discussed. Lastly, background of the MBTI test results is mentioned in the Appendixes.

1. Introduction

It is of huge significance for anyone to be aware of all their attributes and personality, the norms and values they carry, factors that motivate them, their emotional intelligence and their behavioural skills. Being self-aware and based on the self-management strategy in real life, these factors will help me define my goals and achieve them. This assessment report is broadly divided into two major part. The first part analyses five essential components of being self-aware which will include discussion on personality, values and motivators, emotional intelligence, leadership and power and politics. The discussion will be relating to my own self. Nevertheless, the analysis and discussion made on the various mentioned components will be presented in support by theories and tests including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test. Followingly, the second part will seek to highlight the decision making and planning skills that I will utilise in making decisions on further career development and achieving goals.

2. Self-Awareness

Smith, Farmer & Yellowley (2013) asserts self-awareness being the understanding of your own qualities of motivation, personality, emotions, strengths, weaknesses and other behavioural traits. Nonetheless, having a clear reflection of qualities and traits and being aware of those qualities signifies in determining the career prospect and succeeding in achieving goals. Five essential elements of self-awareness are highlighted and discussed as following:

2.1 Personality

Smith et al. 2013 highlights personality as the collective and measurable characteristics and attributes that shapes the behaviour of an individual and his/her reaction and interaction with people. Nevertheless, personality is considered as the features of people that differentiates an individual from others based on the behaviour, thoughts and emotions. Various theories of personalities development such as the trait theories and the type theories (Myers Briggs type).

After completing the MBTI test, I have gained an insight on my personality of which the discussion has been made as following.

The completion of MBTI tests online of my behavioural traits based on six career themes depicted the higher significant career theme is ‘Doing and Implementing’ followed by the second theme of ‘Thinking and Investigating’. The outcome is established on the test questionnaire that was completed online and the test can generalize my personality traits along with the interest and skills that matches. The MBTI profiling for success highlights that the doing and implementing group of people are interested and challenged by works that includes certain degree of physical endurance and risk. Nevertheless, it also highlights that works having an adventurous component and a tangible result are enjoyed by people with my attributes. Thus, positive traits for me based on the assessment are hardworking, proactive, athletic, independent and practical. Also, results depict my personality traits are closer to openness and agreeableness nature of traits of which openness highlights characteristics such as creativity, insight, imagination and curiosity. And agreeableness traits in me is highlighted as kind, altruism and trust. The jobs suggested for me after the assessment are architect, chef, electrician and sports coach.

In addition, ‘thinking and investigating’ is the second theme of interest as charted by the MBTI assessment. It suggested that I encompass an openness personality trait of which the people are interested in investigating and locating issues of science business and nature. Nonetheless, my personality personas of investigator, intelligent, eye for detail, enthusiastic and independent are highlighted by the profiling. Thus, the jobs suggested are of similar in nature based on my traits that includes engineer, health worker and a technician.

In general, with the assistance of MBTI test, I have been able to gain insights of my own personality traits in detail, which is of huge significance so as to follow a right career path. I am moreover a ‘doing and implementing’ and ‘thinking and investigating’ nature of person of which the personality traits I possess are highlighted below:

Agreeable, athletic, independent, practical, creative, challenging and innovative, enthusiastic, optimistic, proactive, determined and dynamic.

2.2 Values and Motivators

Locke & Latham (2013) considers the qualities, standards and principles of individuals that they embrace and consider in higher regards. Nevertheless, such values and norms come from peers, family, religion, culture and numerous other life events. It is of huge significance that we understand and be self-aware of the values that we encompass since it affects how we maintain relationship and behave with peers, customers, guests, employers and co-workers. In addition, the way we respond to people reflects our personal norms, beliefs and values. Similarly, I also have my norms and values which is shaped by various life events including religion, family, friends, schooling and so on. For me my most significant values are clear-mindedness, flexibility, adaptability and sense of accomplishment. I strongly believe these values will assist me in fulfilling my career goal. Nonetheless, having a clear set of goal, being flexible to work and people around

me, coping with various situations and adapting to new environment and accomplishing short-term goals to meet long-term goals to succeed in hospitality industry will be benefitted by my values.

In addition, attitude is explained as the belief of anything for which we describe it and a way of doing things (Locke & Latham 2013). Nevertheless, it comprises of both positive and negative aspect based on the fact that we can behave positively or negatively about certain things. Connecting to my positive attitude, optimism in every aspect, confidence to conclude tasks assigned to me, openness to any challenge and learning and friendliness with people around myself are my key ones.

Connecting to motivation, Miner (2005) explains motivation as the process which boosts and stimulates an individual’s desire and keeps him/her committed to a job or a goal. Thus, motivators are stimulus that keeps one attained and targeted towards a subject. Among the various theories of motivation, I have been highly influenced by the Herzberg’s hygiene theory which mentioned job ‘motivators’ as the job satisfiers and ‘hygiene’ as the dissatisfiers (Miner 2005). In addition, things that motivates me and keep me attained in my goal are highlighted below:

· Competitive salary  

· Learning and growing opportunities at workplace  

· Work Culture  2.3 Emotional Intelligence  Mayer, Salovery & Caruso (2008) highlights emotions as the conscious aspect of which feelings such as sorrow, joy, fear, hate, anger and likes are experienced. And the ability of an individual to identify, cope up and reflect upon to those emotions is generalised as emotional intelligence. This differs from person to person based to various behavioural traits, psychological state and other factors including situation and time and social activities. In addition, Mayer et al. (2008) highlights emotional intelligence as the information processing about emotions and relevant stimuli and to derive a thinking and behaviour for the same.  Since I am looking forward for a rewarding career in hospitality industry, I need to work with workmates from multicultural background and guests from various nations. In addition, I need to maintain effective relationship with all associates, guests, business partners and so on. Thus, emotional intelligence is of highly significant aspect since it assists in understanding emotions and reacting to it in an effective manner. Based on the Mayer-Salovery-Caruso model of emotional intelligence test (MSCEIT), four factors describes an individual’s emotional intelligence:  

a. Perceiving Emotion This deals with recognizing your emotions and others as well. I am aware of my emotion and personal attributes; thus, I first understand what the emotion is of the other participant. Nevertheless, I try to control my emotions and react effectively towards the situation.  

b. Using emotion  

This deals with reflecting upon the emotion or making cognitive activities. Thus, generating moods to situation, empathizing and influencing are done here. Nevertheless, this use of emotion can be made in solving issues and decision making.

c. Understanding emotion

Understanding emotions is the capacity to relate to other’s wants, ideas and feelings which is based on self-analysis and may not be obvious. Connecting to myself, from the results of MBTI test, I have the capacity to empathize which promotes stereotyping and making prompt judgement of others. Thus, I am very good in diplomatic and maintain effective relationships with associates and people, which is rewarding in hospitality industry because of the significance of host-customer relationship and associate relationship.

d. Managing emotion

This deals with integrating your emotions to motivate others and yourself. Also, the results from MBTI tests highlighted my higher rated social skills, of which I am good in maintain relationship with people and associates. This is highly supported by the integration and management of emotions. In addition, this also helps in communication development with people and achieve targeted goals.

All in all, understanding of emotional intelligence fosters in identifying emotions and integrating them for achieving career advancement.

2.4 Leadership

Smith et al. (2013) asserts leadership being the process and ability to influence and inspire vision, collaborating the required skills and fostering engagement of people in better ways to achieve a targeted goal. Thus, ability to do so can be considered as the leadership skills which includes directing, motivating, controlling and guiding the group of people towards a goal. Nevertheless, a leader not only does guides and directs people but often reflects the whole organization.

Proactive, honest, effective communicator, competent and humble are some traits of a good leader. Also, the MBTI results has depicted some qualities in me that falls on the category of a leader, these traits are highlighted below:

a. Confidence:

I bear confidence in various tasks I perform and also feel confidence to lead groups and associates towards an objective. This might be the result of being aspired to become a successful hotelier in future.

b. Empathy:  I consider myself a friendly and a diplomat person seeking effective solutions and growth in every aspect. In addition, I prefer to look for solution to issues and appreciate people for their good work. Thus, integrating other’s emotion and beliefs are of my constant aspiration for good work.  

c. Optimism:  I have always been an optimistic person with drive to succeed and make positive change in everyday work and tasks. This is a very essential characteristic of a leader to remain positive and to be the change and nevertheless to attain a goal in a most effective way.  

d. Futuristic:  A leader shall be futuristic which deals with being able to see through various situations towards a goal. Planning and organizing are the essential aspects of a leader which helps him/her to move ahead effectively and guide people. Also, being futuristic is about having quality goal and effective ways to analyse situations.  

e. Persuasion:  Charismatic theory of leadership classifies leaders into two segments including transactional and transformational leaders. Leaders guiding and motivating associates to predetermined goals are the transactional leaders whereas transformational leaders tend to influence associates to enhance their self-interests. Based on my own evaluation, my traits of morality, being ethical, supportive and appraising nature, I reflect myself as a transformational leader who motivates associates on their well-being and growth as well  

2.5 Power and Politics

Furnham (2013) asserts power as an individual’s capability to guide and influence others to act accordingly. Also, Kemelgor (1976) highlights power as the ability to control behaviour or other people. In addition, Kemelgor states that two parties are present in the context of power where one influences and other depends. Furthermore, two bases derive power that includes, position power and personal power. Organizational sources determine the position power and examples include process, information, representative, rewards and legitimacy. Personal power on the other hand is initiated from one’s individual sources and includes expert, rational and referent power types. Connecting to my case, having backed by hospitality education, leadership skills and attitude can be my expert power. Being able to make rational persuasion and control over others behaviour can be my rational power. Nevertheless, A leader shall influence and lead people towards an objective with the use of right power effectively.

Kemelgor (1976) considers organization politics as the procedure to achieve sanctioned needs with the use of non-sanctioned means. Politics is inherent to the context of organization of which the positive aspects of it embraces formalizing authority, adapting change, maintain equality and resource allocation. This will exactly form my base for approach to politics. Associates regulation, working hours, equality, resource allocations and overcoming adequacies in all organizational aspects will be my major approach to politics. All in all, creating an environment safe for associates to learn, grow and succeed socially will be the target of my organizational politics concern.

3. Decision Making and planning

Person with traits such as futuristic, optimism, proactiveness are considered as a good planner and decision maker (Adair 2013). Also, traits of good decision making, and effective planning defines success for any organization. In relation to all this, various theories on decision making and planning are to be considered while taking any major steps. In addition, I have highlighted below some factors and strategies that I will consider while planning and decision making.

Recognition Primed Decision (RPD) model derived by Gary Klein, a psychologist, evaluates the first stage of decision making as experiencing any situation. Thus, I will consider this stage to understand what situation I am in and where I seek to proceed in career. Secondly, analysing the situation with all effect. In this stage I will evaluate its advantages and peripheral aspects of the situation such as benefits, location opportunities and threats. Nevertheless, the last stage is implementing the decision and evaluation. Thus, in this stage I will select the best possible way amongst all. And will conclude an evaluation in different period to check the fruitfulness of its implementation.

In relation to planning, understanding resources, situation, and its analysing as discussed by the RPD model is highly significant since it explores all essential aspects of the course of action. Nevertheless, selecting best preferred way or the best course of action is planning’s ultimate goal. Nevertheless, checking to see if planning is effective shall be done so as to opt out any errors and planning failure.

Connecting to my short-term planning and decision making, I am using RPD model to now diagnose and analyse all resources, and desired hotels for internship. Followingly, I will select the best hotel to apply for and learn for my internship purpose and to move one step closer to career advancement.

4. Conclusion

All in all, self-awareness is of huge significance in real life for which it acts as a self-management strategy. Nevertheless, five essential elements of it are explored so as to learn one’s strengths, opportunities and prospects. Personality, motivators, leadership, power and politics are elements that helps an individual to grow if they are utilised effectively in career development. Connecting to my reflection, I am proactive, understanding, honest and clear minded. Also, my emotional abilities approach is to understand and control my emotions and empathize. Nevertheless, I also have traits of inspiring people, being futuristic and proactive which are essential characteristics of a leader.

References

Adair, J 2013, Decision Making and Problem Solving, Kogan Page, viewed 10 September 2018 < https://ebookcentral-proquest- com.ezproxy.scu.edu.au/lib/scu/reader.action?docID=1131628&ppg=53%20>.

Department of Education and Training 2009, Personal Values, belief and attitudes, viewed 11 September 2018 < https://sielearning.tafensw.edu.au/MCS/CHCAOD402A/chcaod402a_csw/knowledge/values/val ues.htm>.

Kemelogr, BH 1976, ‘Power and the power process: Linkage concept’, Academy of management review, pp. 143-149.

Locke, EA & Latham, GP 2013, New Development in Goal Setting and task performance, viewed 10 September 2018 https://ebookcentral-proquest- com.ezproxy.scu.edu.au/lib/scu/reader.action?docID=1104793&ppg=28

Miner, JB 2005, Organizational Behaviour: Theories of Leadership and motivation, viewed 11 September 2018 < https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=kUO5NWwaySYC&oi=fnd&pg=PA61&dq= herzberg+motivation+theory&ots=UFaCDhLsBL&sig=7XqZn- z8S6KZOT6zdjqNg_khask#v=onepage&q=herzberg%20motivation%20theory&f=false>.

Appendix

Figure showing MBTI test results on various six elements.