Project 2
Katy Ward
BMAL 500
April 17, 2022
Liberty University
WARD 1
Abstract
Through this assignment I will analyze my personality through a variety of tests and
assessments. I will then explain what I have learned through the results and how I can apply it to
my current and future workplaces. Finally, I will explain how the Holy Spirit has helped me to
overcome my weaknesses.
WARD 2
Step 1
Personality Insights
There is a lot that goes into someone’s personality. Many tests have tried to analyze
personality and how it works, they try to put people into boxes of belonging. However, most tests
end up acknowledging that they are not 100% accurate and no one can be a perfect
representation of any one personality. With this section, I will analyze and present the data that
makes up my personality through the use of several assessments.
The Big Five with Myers-Briggs is an interesting assessment to me. Ranging from a scale
of low to high, there are five main categories. In this assessment, I scored moderate (5-7/10) in
every category (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Emotional Stability, and Openness to Experience)
but one. I scored a 10/10 in Conscientiousness. The assessment describes people who score high
in this category as “dependable, responsible, achievement-oriented, and persistent” (New
Connect). This feels accurate to me, and I have received similar statements in past performance
evaluations. The rest of the Big Five also feel correct to my personality, although I am a bit
surprised that I was not higher on Extraversion. I scored a 6 out of 10 in this category and find
this to be surprising because I tend to feed off other people’s energy.
Attitude and Core Values Insights – I tend to live on the realistic side of life, leaning
slightly more pessimistic than optimistic. I try to keep my expectations on a reasonable level so
that my goals can be achieved. This can lead to a stricter attitude, often being known as blunt and
hard to work for/with. I scored high in a need for achievement, 23 out of 25 possible, and I do
see this play out in my life regularly. The assessment describes people with this desire to, “tend
to like jobs where pay and performance are linked and where advancement is possible” (New
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Connect). I am almost always looking for something new, a way to challenge myself and achieve
my goals.
Motivation Insights – My motivation tends to come in waves. When I pick up something
new, I have a higher motivation because I am excited about the task. However, when things are
slower than I thought they would be or something does not go as planned, my motivation takes a
dip. I scored low on my engagement levels assessment, with a score of 9 out of 20. I do not tend
to find much enjoyment out of schoolwork, especially in classes that I am uninterested in
learning. When I enjoy what I am doing I am much more motivated to complete the task at hand.
Decision Making/Problem Solving Insights – I am a very decisive person. There are few
situations where I do not know what I want to do when presented with options. I only have a
moderate need for affiliation, score 14 out of 25, and do not feel a strong desire to build many
relationships. I enjoy having a close circle of 3-4 people who I have a deep relationship with but
outside of that, I do not tend to care much about what others think of me. This helps my decision-
making process because I do not feel like I always need other’s opinions. This is an area that I
have been learning and growing in while becoming a leader.
Working with Others
Communication Competency and Listening Style – I am a clear communicator most of
the time. I do not like to complicate instruction or receive information that needs to be explained
multiple times. I am known to be blunt and say things how they are. Because I do not have a high
need for affiliation, this can come across as rude if not filtered correctly. My listening style has
changed through the years, and I have become a better listener in attempt to better understand
problems. I like to fix things, including people, and while this is not always wanted, I enjoy
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listening to people so that I can understand them better, which in turn ends up allowing me to
communicate with them more effectively.
Leadership Readiness and Team Insights – I have always been a natural leader, ending up
in leadership roles often. I believe this stems from being the oldest child of four. I have a high
need for power, scoring 24 out of 25 and that paired with my high need for achievement, always
has me looking for the next advancement in the workplace. Working with a team is something
that I have had to work through because I am very independent and having to balance working as
a leader and taking care of my team members does not come easily to me. “No matter where you
work in a company, no matter what you do, you are a part of a team” (Kroeger et al., 2002, p.
176). This mindset has proven to be helpful to me as I continue to grow in my leadership.
Conflict Tendencies/Style – I have a high initiating structure leader behavior, with a score
of 25 out of 30 and moderate in consideration leader behavior, with a score of 22 out of 30. This
makes a lot of sense to me as I am still growing in my leadership and structure comes naturally
to me but consideration for others is something I am continuously working on. I want my work
to be as efficient as possible, and I address problems head on, solving it as quickly and
effectively as possible.
Life in Organizations (1st tab, 5th tab)
Organizational Politics – My organization has a good diversity climate with a score of 49
out of 60. My organization has a decent diversity, especially when it comes to personalities. We
work on a small team of eight to nine people and must always work closely together. We must
work to keep things safe and healthy for everyone because if even one person feels some form of
WARD 5
tension, then the whole team picks up on it and it can change the entire dynamic of a shift. That
being said, I feel as though currently, we have that space, and all feel free to talk about whatever
it is that is happening in our lives, but also feel safe enough to keep private things private
respectfully.
Organizational Needs-Employee Satisfaction, Job Fit, Core Skills – Because our team is
so small, high consideration is needed. While I only scored moderately, I have grown in this skill
to better satisfy the needs of each person on my team. I have a high motivation to manage,
scoring 31 out of 35, and managing includes making sure that my staff are properly equipped
with the skills that they need to complete the job well and feel good about the job they are doing.
Organizational Change and Climate – Change is highly prevalent in my organization
because we have a high turnover rate. Each semester we lose a couple of people and have to
rehire, which changes the dynamic of the team. I have a high view of fairness in my
organization, scoring 41 out of 50. I think this view comes because we have a great training
program, which gives each staff an equal stance when they start with us. I am fairly comfortable
with change, so this turnover does not affect me much in my day-to-day life.
Step 2
Through these personality tests have helped me understand where I need to grow to
become the best employee and manager I can be. While personality tests are great, I do believe
that there are “greater gains are possible through closer attention to both the multilevel nature of
trait-relevant situational cues and an understanding of job performance as valued trait
expression” (Christiansen, et. al., 2008, pg. 316). I think tests can only tell so much and most
experience comes through time and working through situations as they arise. I find the same to
be true when it comes to people. You can only know so much about someone on paper, it is the
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on-the-job skills that really showcase a person and their traits. Utilizing these tests should be as a
basis, not a hard and fast rule. People also have a tendency to change, so that means that these
tests would change as well. Using these tests to help me recognize my weaknesses will help me
to become a better employee, coworker, and manager.
Through these tests I have learned that I need to learn to keep my motivation consistent,
even when I am in the low parts of a task or project. I think that if my motivation stayed at a
more regular level, that I would maintain more enthusiasm throughout my team. I also think that
through these tests, I have learned that I could grow in my consideration leader behavior. Often, I
can find myself forgetting to take my team’s thoughts into the plan before I act on it. This could
help my team to feel safe and heard and important when completing projects.
Step 3
The Holy Spirit has worked in many ways throughout my life, and I have seen great
grace provided through many parts of my life. I think because I have seen grace played out
actively in my life, that I have been able to give more grace than I used to give. I used to be a
very black and white person who believed there was right and there was wrong and if someone
was wrong, then that was it. I hardly ever gave second chances, and now I try my best to function
out of grace whenever possible.
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References
Christiansen, N., & Tett, R. (2008). Toward a Better Understanding of the Role of Situations in
Linking Personality, Work Behavior, and Job Performance. Industrial and Organizational
Psychology, 1(3), 312-316. doi:10.1111/j.1754-9434.2008.00054.x.
Kinicki, A. (2021). Organizational behavior: A practical, problem-solving approach. McGraw-
Hill Publication.
Kroeger, O., Thuesen, J. M., & Rutledge, H. (2002). Type talk at work: How the 16 personality
types determine your success on the job. New York: Dell Publishing.
NewConnect. (2020). Self-Assessment. https://newconnect.mheducation.com/
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