Reflection paper, just your opinion, no right or wrong answer 500 words
Individual Differences
Self-Awareness and Working with Others
Dr.Nathanson
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Individual Differences at Work
We seek to understand people in order to develop insight into our own behavior, and the behavior of others, and to respond in effective ways in work settings.
Insight
Effective Interactions
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Personality
- Who are you, and why do you behave the way that you do?
- the combination of stable physical and mental characteristics that give an individual his or her identity
- stable over time, stable across situations
- unique set of complex, interacting characteristics
- “Habits of Response”
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Personality (cont.)
- Origins of personality?
- genetics (nature)
- early life experience (nurture)
- modeling, reinforcement, stability of context, family dynamics
- Impact of personality at work?
- Person x Situation interaction
- organizations are “strong situations”
- dependent on culture, job, group factors
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Personality (cont.)
- “Big Five” Personality Dimensions
- decades of research and theoretical discussions of personality --> dozens of personality dimensions
- 1970’s and 1980’s: statistical methods (e.g., factor analysis) provided a “clearer picture”
- conscientiousness, extroversion, openness to experience, neuroticism, agreeableness
- only moderate predictors
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Group exercise
- Each group member should discuss their profile, i.e are they high or low or in the middle for each of the Big 5 elements.
- Then the group should discuss on average what the group personality is like.
- Select a group leader and report to the class.
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Personality (cont.)
- Locus of Control
- an individual’s sense of control over his/her life, the environment, and external events
- High Internal LOC
- task-oriented, innovative, proactive, self-confident
- High External LOC
- sensitive to social cues, anxious
- changes with strong situational cues
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Personality (cont.)
- Tolerance for Ambiguity
- extent to which individuals are threatened by or have difficulty coping with ambiguity, uncertainty, unpredictability, complexity…
- High Tolerance for Ambiguity
- can handle more information
- better at transmitting information
- more adaptive
- sensitive to other’s characteristics
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Personality (cont.)
- Do organizations have personalities?
- SAS Theory
- B. Schneider
- through the combined processes of selection, attrition, and socialization, organizations create a culture with a “stable personality”
- implications?
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Emotions
- complex, patterned, organismic reactions to how we think we are doing in our efforts to survive and flourish; goal oriented
- biological, psychological, social
- goal oriented: related to our ability to achieve what we want
- negative emotions: triggered by frustration (anger, jealousy)
- positive emotions: triggered by attainment (pride, happiness)
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Emotional Intelligence
- Predictive of “star performance”: who does well, who gets ahead
- Daniel Goleman: Working with Emotional Intelligence
- based on research in 500+ organizations
- more important in predicting success than technical skills or IQ
- High “EQ”: works well with others
- can be learned
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Emotional Intelligence (cont.)
Five dimensions of Emotional Intelligence
1. Personal Competence
- self awareness
- self-regulation
- motivation
2. Social Competence
- empathy
- social skills
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Implications
- Personality is stable…
- don’t expect to change another’s personality; get to know their personality, and work with it…
- Recruiting, Selection & Placement
- be very cautious about using personality inventories
- validity & reliability are essential
- people tend to choose occupations that “fit” their personality
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Implications (cont.)
- Communication & Coaching
- personality differences impact understanding between people
- Coaching skills should be part of developmental process at work
- Diversity
- diversity in people increases creativity, innovation
- it also increases conflict… conflict resolution skills are essential for all
- Value and support diversity!!
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Implications (cont.)
- Develop self-awareness
- Who are you?
- How does your personality affect your work, and other people at work?
- What are your personality strengths?
- accept who you are, and then look for opportunities to develop
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