A520.1.6.RB.HoyeJennifer

The Five Core Aspects of Self-Awareness are as follows:
- Core Self-Evaluation
- Values
- Cognitive Style
- Attitudes Toward Change
- Emotional Intelligence

My level of self-awareness has changed since I began the MSLD program with respect to the "Five Core Aspects of Self-Awareness" by really forcing me to look at myself a little closer. Self-awareness helps me identify gaps in my management skills and leadership style, to help promotes skill development. Self-awareness also helps me find situations in which I am most effective, assists with intuitive decision making, and aids stress management and motivation of oneself and others.

When I can understand "what make me tick", I also have insight into what makes others tick! To the extent that other people are like you (and, of course, there are limits to the similarity), knowing how to motivate yourself is the beginning to knowing how to motivate others!

According to the February 2007 Harvard Business Review, there may be something to all this talk about self-awareness. Self-awareness has just been recognized as the most important capability for leaders to develop (Simms, 2007).



Reference:

Simms, Michelle. "Self-awareness important for capable leadership.(Personal Coach)." Bellingham Business Journal. Sound Publishing Inc. 2007. Retrieved March 25, 2012 from HighBeam Research: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-164949709.html

A520.1.2.RB_HoyeJennifer

A culture of continuous improvement depends on open and honest feedback. Effective leadership periodically puts performance under the microscope by surveying employees at different levels. For this weeks assignments, I completed the Diagnostics Surveys for Self-Awareness. putting myself 'under a microscope' per say, is important to evaluate areas in which I can improve upon!



Please see the following results for the different sections of the Diagnostic Surveys for Self-Awareness:

Self-Awareness Assessment:
For this portion of the diagnostics, I scored a 60, which places me above average in the top quartile. This score didn't surprise me. I know that self-awareness and confidence are two different things, but I am am definitely a very confident person. Self-awareness means having a sense of I am, my place in the world and what I am all about. It's values, principles, ethics and morals all combined. Knowing who I am as a person, makes me feel better about making choices.

Emotional Intelligence Assessment:
For this section, I scored a 70, placing me right on target with the mean score, but in the third quartile. For this section, I was splitting the fence on issues, which didn't show definite emotional control.

The following is a list of three items derived from areas that I scored '0' points:
- I often rely on the other person getting an indirect hint.
- I do not acknowledge the different emotional commitments.
- I am not sensitive to the emotional climate of the group and my behavior may be inappropriate.

These things do not come as a surprise, though I am direct most of the time, I do expect people to just 'get' it. I often don't see outside the box when it comes to other people's feelings, or emotional commitments. I've been told that I can come off as being insensitive and think this quality has a lot to do with it!

The Defining Issues Tests:
This test, I did wrong. I thought I was only suppose to mark the top four, making all the rest of the answers a '5'. When I redid the test, I found my top answers to be on par, but a lot of my other answers tended to be more lenient than the test allowed. I can define an issue. I make my own decision about the issue, but quickly rule out the items I don't find important. I found this test quite ambiguous, to be honest, as the scoring was merely a comparison to the authors choice decisions.

The Cognitive Style Indicator:
This portion of the test, had three sections: knowing, planning and creating. I scored the following for each section:
Knowing: 4 ( above average for young managers, but slightly below the mean for MBA students

Planning: 3.8 (slightly above mean for young managers and slightly below the mean for MBA students)
Creating: 4.3 (slightly above mean for MBA students and young managers)


Locus of Control Scale:
For this section, I scored a '4', putting me in the second quartile, or lower levels. The data suggests I have a low locus of control, meaning that I don't think I have that much control over the events that affect me. I was very surprised by this. I think I am primarily responsible for everything that affects me, not the other way around. hmmp.


Tolerance of Ambiguity Scale:
For this section. I scored a '55' meaning that I have a high tolerance for ambiguity. This quality and score, however places me in the second quartile. I have a lot of patience, and like to think outside the box. Though I appreciate when work is specific, it doesn't make me crazy if it is not. I take it as an opportunity to shine!


Core Self-Evaluation Scale:
For this section, I scored a '4.6', putting me in the top quartile. Individuals scoring high on this scale generally have a high self-esteem, and generalized self-efficacy, which for me is pretty dead-on.

MSLD500_Activity9.4_HoyeJennifer

The concepts of this course were priceless in many aspects. I entered this course for a bit more insight into the completion of my Management thesis. I initially completed MGMT605, finished the course with a 98 and submitted my Proposal. My proposal was swiftly ripped apart by the Instructor. I was overly frustrated and confused. How could I get a 98 in a course which was to prep me for MGMT690,just to have it thrown in my face, as though I'd done nothing at all?!

That being said, I believe the MGMT605 course could learn A LOT from this one. I felt I learned more that would help my Proposal than I did at the end of that course. I registered in MSLD500 to re-group and evaluate my proposal topic. The course helped me do exactly that! I enjoyed breaking down thinking critically. I also grew to love the Brain software, which I was initially wary of! It is extremely helpful to have a resource which can save links, photo's, data, and word documents into specific, easy-to-find folders. I will continue to use the software in my future research!

So, in short...thanks so much for the 'direction'. Sometimes that's all one needs!

MSLD500_Activity8.3_HoyeJennifer

The ART of good presentation design is truly an art because some try, but not all succeed!

I compiled a small list of qualities that I believe all presentations must have to leave a lasting impression on the audience and result in a good presentation!(aside from rehearse, since rehearse is not a 'quality')

A-Appeal,Awakening
R-Rehearse, Reveal
T-Tantalizing, Touching

To appeal to your audience, you must first know your audience. You must make sure you are on the same page as your audience, or you will loose them before you even start. I always try avoiding 'talking down', or 'at' the audience, which is easy to do if you are presenting difficult material, or information they do not already know about. In this case analogies are a must, to make the information relatable!

Awakening is something that happens within the audience as a good presentation takes place. You want to awaken something within them, to cause interest, change and excitement! This can be done with enthusiasm, a little emotion and a presentation that is effortless and not crammed with too much information...which will do the opposite and put your audience into 'zombie mode'(sleeping with their eyes open)!



Rehearsing may seem silly at first, but is necessary. Going into a presentation without practicing, is the equivalent of going on a road trip without a map, or trying to run a marathon without first training for it. I usually rehearse in an empty room, until I have the information basically memorized, so that it flows. I then will give my presentation to whomever is at my house. I pay attention to the non-verbal cues that I am loosing them as an audience and tweak the presentation. Tweaking the presentation is when I'll take out information that is possibly too wordy or not working, then add hooks and stories where they need be added.

Reveal- Revealing is sharing, or announcing something that was before unknown. Any time, the audience feels they are being let in on a secret, you can be assured they are engaged in the presentation....this is VERY important!

Tantalizing- Being tantalized by something, is when something is desired, but is just out of reach! Having a tantalizing presentation is to keep the interest of the audience!

Touching- People remember what they feel, before they remember what you say. A presentation that is touching, is lasting. As part of the module this week, I watched a PowerPoint about Presentations by Steve Jobs. In that presentation, it was stated that when emotion is triggered, the brain releases dopamine, which aids in memory! (I joke that this is why, when my boyfriend makes me mad...I definitely remember!-ha ha)



I am re-inter rating my discussion post here because I think it definitely applies!
Presentations and speaking in front of people are two of my absolute favorite things. My father was a preacher and I am little bit of an attention hog...it all helps! ha ha

I fell in love with the art of presentation after I attended my first high school assembly. Dr. Pheifer, the principle of the massive 5A Cooper High School in Abilene, TX (there were 500 freshman in my class) was able to hold the ENTIRE student body attention for 45 minutes straight. I remember sitting on the edge of my seat because I couldn't wait for her next analogy. Dr. Pheifer, was a master presenter. I was on speech and debate team throughout my entire high school years and always aspired to speak as eloquently as she did!

That being said, I've sat through a bazillion BORING PowerPoint presentations, many of them during my five year stint at RAF Mildenhall as Lead Travel Agent, ITT. The Air Force, in my opinion, has mastered the art of 'death by PowerPoint'. I feel there isn't much of a standard set, most people don't enjoy speaking in front of people and people don't practice!!!

I make my eleven year old practice her presentations every night for three nights prior to presenting. After each presentation, she comes home beaming with confidence and excitement, that HER presentation was one of the better ones. What's wrong with striving for the best?

We all should do so, our audiences will thank us!