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!

MSLD500_Activity7.3_HoyeJennifer

Elements of quantitative research.

A quantitative researcher often seek to know what percentage of people do one thing or another, whereas a qualitative researcher pays more attention to individual cases and the human understandings in those cases.

Quantitative tools gather numerical and statistical data using experiments, measurements, fixed-response questionnaires, test scoring, and so on. The approach is underpinned by 'scientific' world views of cause and effect, belief in the objectivity of the researcher and the search for truth.

Surveys are the primary method of quantitative research – research with some claim to statistical accuracy.

A well-designed survey is critical to quantitative research. There are three ingredients to a well-designed questionnaire:

-A clear understanding of the research objectives and the product, concept, or issue.
-An ability to write clear, intelligent questions using language common to the surveys respondents.
-Attention to the surveys flow & logic so respondents are only asked appropriate questions and not asked those that do not pertain to their situation.


There are two types of survey errors: a) non-sampling error and b) sampling error. Both can be controlled. Non-sampling error results from poor questionnaire construction, low response rates, non coverage (missing a key part of the market), and processing weaknesses.

The other type of error is sampling error. Sampling is the process of deciding what portion(s) of your market you will survey, including who and how many. The goal of sampling techniques is to reduce (or eliminate) sampling error. In the ideal world, you wouldn’t need sampling, and there would be no sampling error. You would (and could) survey all customers (called a census), and they would all respond.

Proper sampling means reaching the right audience in large enough numbers to be confident that you know what your market feels and thinks.

MSLD500_Activity6.2_HoyeJennifer

For the record, I relly enjoyed the Ratcliffs explanation of qualitative Research...it was SO incredibly helpful! HERE is the link if you are finding yourself a bit confused when it comes to research data. The video's are a bit grainy and (at times) hard to hear, but they are FANTASTIC! I, for one, have had a hard time lately distinguishing the difference between qualitative and quantitative research. I understand that quantitative has to do with set data and numbers, but Ratcliff distiguishes between the two types of research. The differences are as follows:

Classic distinction between qualitative and quantitative. [from Cook & Reichardt (1979)]

Qualitative


•phenomenological
•inductive
•holistic
•subjective/insider centered
•process oriented
•anthropological worldview
•relative lack of control
•goal: understand actor's view
•dynamic reality assumed; "slice of life"
•discovery oriented
•explanatory


Quantitative


•positivistic
•hypothetico/deductive
•particularistic
•objective/outsider centered
•outcome oriented
•natural science worldview
•attempt to control variables
•goal: find facts & causes
•static reality assumed; relative constancy in life
•verification oriented
•confirmatory


What are the main elements of qualitative research?

Qualitative research seeks out the ‘why’, not the ‘how’ of its topic through the analysis of information and siuations – things like interview transcripts, survey responses, emails, notes, feedback forms, photos and videos. It doesn’t just rely on statistics or numbers, which are the domain of quantitative researchers.

Qualitative research is used to gain insight into people's attitudes, behaviours, value systems, concerns, motivations, aspirations, culture or lifestyles. It’s used to inform business decisions, policy formation, communication and research. Focus groups, in-depth interviews, content analysis, ethnography, evaluation and semiotics are among the many formal approaches that are used, but qualitative research also involves the analysis of any unstructured material, including customer feedback forms, reports or media clips.

Collecting and analyzing this unstructured information can be messy and time consuming using manual methods. When faced with volumes of materials, finding themes and extracting meaning can be a daunting task.

"Qualitative research is a loosely defined category of research designs or models, all of which elicit verbal, visual, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory data in the form of descriptive narratives like field notes, recordings, or other transcriptions from audio- and videotapes and other written records and pictures or films." --Judith Preissle


Reference:

http://qualitativeresearch.ratcliffs.net/1.htm

MSLD500_Activity5.3_HoyeJennifer

After taking some time to reflect on the current state of my critical thinking competencies, I found the following to be true:

In the begining of the course, I thought I was more versed in critical thinking than I actual was(the score on the initial quiz, pretty much showed THAT clear enough). I've never been a very close-minded person, therefore I considered myself to be a critical thinker. I know now, that doesn't mean I am a critical thinker!

I think that since this course began, I've started to reflect wider and broader than I was before. I've grown to appreciate the fact that some issues are not only complex, but broad in scope, and that these issues are often difficult, if not impossible, to settle definitely. I know that Critical thinkers have a broad perspective, and seek the most flexible and open-minded way of looking at a situation.


The concepts have enabled me to take charge of my thoughts, to recognize my values, and take action that contributes to the good of others and situations I come across.
I've learned to recognize all thinking has a purpose, objective, goal and
function.

Assumptions Americans Makes About Choosing

After watching the TED video by Sheena Iyengar on the art of choosing. Sheena suggests three assumptions that Americans make about choosing:
1. Make Your Own Choices
2. More options leads to better choices
3. Never say no to choice

I absolutely LOVED this video. I am linking it HERE for those of you who'd like to watch it!
http://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_choosing_what_to_choose.html

In her first point, Make Your Own Choices, Sheena says, we see making your own choices as, "Being true to yourself." and "The assumptions that we do best when the individual self chooses, only holds when that self is clearly divided from others. It is a mistake to assume that everyone thrives under the pressure of choosing alone."

An instance I can think of in my own life where I did not care to have a lot, or any choices are at the gym. In that setting I do best if someone tells me exactly what and how to do a workout. The gym, for me, is definitely an instance where having choices does not matter to me! However, generally speaking in life, I usually make important decisions based on some long term plan for myself. It is usually a quite personal decision that is based on what suites me. (Sounds a bit selfish, but I think if you really evaluate yourself and the choices made in your personal life...you'd agree).


In Sheena's second point, More Options Leads To Better Choices, she states, "Many choices are between things are not that much different", and "The value of choice is to perceive differences between options." The truth is, having too many choices people can make poor decisions. We are smart people, we can think rationally, and make decisions. But reality is often different. Prejudices, fears, doubts and pre-determined assumptions can cloud our judgement.

In Sheena's third point, Never Say No To Choice, she says, "Americans themselves are discovering that unlimited choice is more attractive in theory than in practice" and "When it comes to choice, we have far more to gain then to loose, If we speak to each other albeit through translation, then we can begin to see choice in all its strangeness, complexity, and compelling beauty."

I also watch a talk TED talk by Sheena called 'How to make choosing easier'. I am linking it HERE, because it is a fantastic end to the first subject of choice. In this video, Sheena speaks about choice overload and how to make better choices.

These videos are important to leadership because in leadership it is important to know how and why your choices are made, and how they affect the people you are leading.