PROJECT ESSAY 2 1
Project Essay 2
Connection Assessment
Raul Saez Jr.
Liberty University
Author Note
Raul Saez Jr.
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose. Correspondence concerning this article should
be addressed to Raul Saez Jr.
Email: rsaez@liberty.edu
PROJECT ESSAY 2
Abstract
This project is designed to expand on the knowledge we have gained about
ourselves during this course. Throughout this course we have learned about our working
styles, how we work with others, our strengths and our weaknesses. This project begins
with taking self-assessments by completing The Connect Assessment. Throughout the
assessments we discover more about individual behaviors as well as some personality
traits. We will take this information and combined with the knowledge from previous
assignments and conduct more in-depth self-analysis.
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Step I
Part I: Personality Insights
Big Five with Myers-Briggs
Based on my previous personality test covered in Project 1, I am an ISTJ.
my rating is Introversion 34%, Sensing 12%, Thinking 9%, and 31% Judging. Defining
something as complex as personality is a challenge. Fortunately, psychologists and
researchers have simplified this work into the Big Five Personality Dimensions:
extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness to
experiences (Kinicki et. al, 2016, p88). Taking my personally trait scores and relating
them to the with the Big Five helps to understand the type of individual I am. In Connect
Assessment 03.01: What is my Big Five Personality Profile?; I was low extraversion,
moderate in agreeableness, high conscientiousness, moderate in emotional stability, high
openness to experience.
In my opinion, the Connect Assessment and Myers-Briggs comparison are
parallel. A few examples of the correlation between the two assessment: Myers-Briggs, I
am Introvert and the Assessment I scored low in Extraversion. In direct connection to my
Sensing trait, I scored High in Conscientiousness. Persons who score high in this
dimension tend to be dependable, reasonable, achievement-oriented and persistent
(Connect 2020). As I relate to Sensing, I do prefer specific answers (Kroeger et al., 2002).
All of these specific answers feed the qualities of the high conscientiousness.
Attitude and Core Values Insights
Attitude and Core Values are to aspect that are very important to me in both my
personal and professional life. There are four key workplace attitudes: organizational
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commitment, employee engagement, perceived organizational support, and job
satisfaction. As a manager the most important one in management is perceived
organizational support. In section 05.01: Assessing Your Acquired Needs, I scored high in
need for Achievement, this is also demonstrated in Thinking trait. As a Manger, I believe
my decision-making traits and high desire to achieve helps me to create a culture in
which my employees feel supported.
Core Values correlates with the Judging of my personality trait and are at the
center of my work ethic. In organizations where leaders lead, the leadership values must
be communicated by actions, mostly in the ways in which activities / actions are
conducted on a day-to-day basis, and not so much in words directly spoken or written
(Žydžiūnaitė, 2018). Actions speak louder, but written values that reinforce and support
specific actions, and specific actions that reinforce and support written values, make a
powerful combination (Healthfield, 2018).
Motivation Insights
With all the things going on in the world today, how do we stay motivated and
continue to motivate others. In contrast to the Introvert in my personality, I know that so
have to find other way to motivate peoples. When you’re a leader, all of the people below
you lean on you. You guide them, support them and tell them what to do (Jay, n.d.).
In 01.01: How Strong Is My Motivation to Lead, I scored a moderate motivation.
This stems a little from the introvert part of my personality. With years of experience, I
have learned that you have to motivate each person differently and each person will
respond differently. The key to being a motivational leader is stay motivated yourself
every day, you people will feed off that energy.
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PROJECT ESSAY 2
Decision Making/Problem Solving Insights
As the Thinking trait suggest decision making and problem solving are important
to me. Thinking things through and being methodical in the decisions are key to being
successful. Sometime decision making is not a process that can only be done individually,
using other to in the process can be vital to your success as a group. By tapping the
unique qualities of group members, it is possible that the group can generate a greater
number of alternatives that are of higher quality than the individual (Barnett, 2020). This
is my true weakness within my personality, as an introvert I normally do not like working
in groups. I gravitate to working alone rather than relying on others, even though I have a
high sense of achievement.
Part II: Working with Others
Communication Competency and Listening Style
Communication is valued as one of the most important skill that both an
employees and managers can have. Poor communication can lead to disaster. In 05.02:
Measure Perceived Intrapersonal Treatment and 04.02: Assessing an Organization’s
Diversity Climate, I scored in the High View section. My organization does a great job of
communicating with employees and has a high view of fairness with its employees. I also
work hard in my level to provide excellent communication to my staff; with my Sensing
personality trait this goes to the details that I expect for others.
Leadership Readiness and Team Insights
In section 13.02: Assessing Your Task- and Relationship-Oriented Leader
Behavior, I exhibit high initiating structure leader behavior and high consideration leader
behavior. These assessments are true to my leadership style and the Thinking and Judging
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aspect of my personality. I am very detail oriented and I regularly make my expectations
known to my teams. Effective performance management influences important outcomes
such as greater employee engagement and better performance (Kinicki et. al, 2016,
p202).
Conflict Tendencies/Style
Conflict, like it or not, is inevitable as long as humans try to coexist in the
workplace (Kroeger & et al., 2002, p. 139). As an Introvert, I do not conflict for the sake
of conflict. I would prefer avoid conflict if possible, but as a manager that is not likely.
Against the grain of my personality type, I try to tackle conflict head on. I feel that
conflict that lingers only causes complications later.
Part III: Life in Organizations
Organizational Politics
Even in the smallest of organizations there is organizational politics. Its
omnipresent nature requires that it not only be understood but also be addressed by
managers (Schneider, 2016). In my organization there are layers to the politics, as a mid-
level manager, I have to engage in the politics to be success at my job, while protecting
my employees from some of the politics. This type of behavior comes relates back to
sections 04.02 and 05.02 when I had hire regard to my organization. With my Thinking
and Judging personality, I consider communication of the issues, concerns, and
perceptions within the organization will help control the politics associated with the job.
Organizational Needs-Employee Satisfaction, Job Fit, Core Skills
In order to be a successful manager each one of these categories are critical to the
success of the organization. Section 13.02 assessment, I had high leader behaviors in
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conjunction with my high achievement score in 05.02 helps to create a culture that
benefits the organization. This is one of those times that I have to step out of my introvert
personality and display extrovert tendencies. Good managers task the time to get to know
each employee’s unique combination of personality traits, abilities and potential and
create a productive and satisfying person-job fit (Kinicki et. al, 2016, p. 95).
Organizational Change and Climate
Organizational climate can help mitigate the negative effects of organizational
politics (Schneider, 2016). Understanding organizational climate in general will help you
be a better manager. Having respect for your organization and good communication skills
provides managers with an opportunity to create positive culture and climate, which leads
to positive change. My Thinking trait constantly keeps me thinking about our
organizational culture and how to make it better.
Step II
The key takeaways from these assessments regarding organization behavior is that
communication and teamwork is the key to all things to be successful. There are a lot of
qualities that go into good leadership skills and while you cannot be great at all of them
you can be good at most of them. Understanding your faults and your strengths is the first
aspect that every great leader needs to understand. The fact is that when you practice
learning as an element of personal leadership, you stay motivated and you get better
results for yourself and for your work (Jay, n.d.).
Particularly, as an introvert I have to work harder at the teamwork part of the job.
According to Connect Assessment, (2020) majority of my moderate to low results came
in the sections related to group or team-based work. An example of this in my job if a
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tasking is related to the finance of compliance, I will generally take on the tasking by
myself. I feel if I do it myself it will be done right the first time. As a good leader, I
should delegate some of this to others to provide them an opportunity to learn.
Step III
As a natural introvert in a profession that requires me to display extravert
behaviors his difficult sometimes. My job requires me to meet and interact with people
every day, but through prayer and my faith I know that God provides me with the
strength to work through each encounter. “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man
glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man
glory in his riches” (Jeremiah 9:23, 2020, KJV). I know and understand my strengths and
weaknesses, this doesn’t make me better than anyone else. It means I put my faith in God
to lead me down the right path and I know that the challenges I meet are of his design.
Conclusion
Understanding your weakness and your strengths in a vital part of your own
success. Throughout this project, I used the Connect Assessment and the Myers-Briggs
personality test and conducted in-depth self-analysis. During this study the focus was on
discovering and understanding our strengths and weaknesses. For me my greatest
strength is my attention to details and detail-oriented thinking. As my personality traits of
Thinking and Judging represents, I like organization in my life. My greatest weakness is
that I am an Introvert, while that is not bad in itself, I have a position of leadership within
my organization that requires me to be extroverted regularly. In the end the key to all this
is not what your strengths and weakness are, it is accepting them and know how to work
within those boundaries.
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References
Barnett, Tim (2020). Group Decision Making. Retrieved 2020 June 14 from Reference
for Business: https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Gr-Int/Group-
Decision-Making.html
Connect Assessment. (2020, November). Retrieved from McGrawHill Connect:
https://newconnect.mheducation.com/
Heathfield, S. (2018). Leadership values and workplace ethics. Available at:
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/leadership-values-and-workplace-ethics-
1918615 (Accessed on 2018- 10-12).
The Holy Bible, King James Version. Cambridge Edition: 1769; King James Bible
Online, 2020. www.kingjamesbibleonline.org.
Jay, Joelle (n.d.). Lead and motivate – not just your team, but yourself, too. Retrieved
2020 June 13 from RELIABLEPLANT:
https://www.reliableplant.com/Read/24724/lead-motivate-team-mentor
Kinicki, Angelo & Fugate (2016). Organizational Behavior - A Practical, Problem-
Solving Approach. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Kroeger, O., Thuesen, J. M., & Rutledge, H. (n.d.). Type talk at work. New York: Dell
Publishing, 2002.
Schneider, R. C. (2016, February 18-20). Understanding and Managing Organizational
Politics. Retrieved from globalbizresearch.org:
https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1013&context=
pes_confpres
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Žydžiūnaitė, V. (2018). Leadership Values and Values Based Leadership: What is the
Main Focus? Applied Research in Health & Social Sciences: Interface &
Interaction / Sveikatos Ir Socialiniu Mokslu Taikomieji Tyrimai: Sandura Ir
Saveika, 15(1), 43–58. https://doi.org/10.2478/arhss-2018-0005
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