A520.3.5.RB_DiazBrian

Whetten and Cameron (2011) describe supportive communication as "a kind of interpersonal communication that helps you communicate accurately and honestly, especially in difficult circumstances, without jeopardizing interpersonal relationships." (p. 242).  Additionally, Whetten and Cameron (2011) note that "Supportive communication seeks to preserve or enhance a positive relationship between you and and the person while still addressing a problem, giving negative feedback, or tackling a difficult issue.  It allows you to communicate information to others that is not complimentary, or to resolve an uncomfortable issue with another person but, in the process, strengthen your relationship." (pp. 242-243).

We recently hired a new member to our team.  Applicants are screened by our Director and team leader.  They choose the candidates they feel best suited for the team's needs.  They conduct phone interviews and based on those interviews they select candidates for face-to-face interviews.  These candidates then interview with our entire team (which can be a daunting task based on my experience) of 8.  We did 3 straight days of interviews conducting 3 interviews a day.  Each of us asks 3 questions and then we do some scenario based verbal and written questions.  After each interview we discuss the candidate's performances and evaluate them.  Each team member has the opportunity to express their opinions, concerns, and/or recommendations.  One the last day of interviews, on the last candidate, one of our team members refused to participate and would not offer and evaluation or feedback of the candidate.  This took the entire team aback as none of us could understand why this senior team member refused to share her thoughts.  This created unease and noticeable tension among us all.  Our director asked if she would feel more comfortable sharing her thoughts privately which she agreed to.  Never has there been an instance where one of us has felt that we could not openly share information .  We actually encourage openness and advocate sharing our genuine feelings in our meetings.  It is one of the reasons I love working for this team.  It is one of the foundations of our team dynamic.  After the team member met privately with our director and team leader we reconvened to decide on our new team member.  Our team member expressed that she felt uncomfortable and took the opportunity (without going to any great detail) to express why she felt the way she did.  She opened up about and finally felt comfortable discussing the candidate we interviewed.  She basically said she got a gut feeling about the last candidate we interviewed that was not positive and she was afraid to communicate that with us.  I really appreciated her honesty and thanked her for her openness.  Then as a team, we all took turns encouraging her that she is always free to express herself to us without fear.  As a team we respect her opinions and her voice is an integral part of our team decision process.

I think in this situation as a team,  we were able to acknowledged our teammate's feelings.  We listened to what she had to say and really heard her concerns.  I know this was appreciated because after the meeting she pulled me aside to say thank you.  When we spoke to her, our statements matched our feelings and thoughts and I think this put her at ease.  We were authentic in our approach and in turn were able to communicate supportively with her.  In this situation we were also able to validate this team member's importance to the group and the fact that we valued her individualism.  As a whole, I think my organization would be better served by following these examples when dealing with difficult situations.  As a team, we came together and strengthened the bond we already had.  This is a lesson for any organization and one I will remember as I move forward in my leadership studies.

I am often reminded just how fortunate I am to work for an organization that values its employees thoughts and beliefs.  In this week's discussion my classmate, Beau Seabourn described supportive communication in his organization.  Beau said "Supportive communication is something that I feel my entire organization could better utilize to get greater results. I actually believe that our company has a break down in a lot of different communication levels, some of which are personal and some of which are actually structural. I think the bottom line of supportive communication is to enhance the interpersonal relationships in order to promote a better “bottom line” for a company. For my company, we have a corporate office which is made up of people who were at one time, in the field, and are now doing the administrative jobs. In the field, there are facility managers and then the workforce under them. The managers are free to basically run their facility as they need, with minor interference from our corporate office. There are actually some up sides to that including each manger can basically make the facility a great place to work or a really bad place to be. I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing both."  I think that in Beau's instance, his organization would benefit from implementing a personal management program.  This would give his organization the opportunity to use supportive communication to coach, counsel, and foster personal development and to build stronger personal relationships between the corporate office and facility managers.  We learned that the one of the biggest barriers to effective communication in organizations are interpersonal.  By breaking down these walls and working towards goals together, there is very little organizations cannot accomplish.

Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2011). Developing Management Skills (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall/Pearson.

A520.3.1.RB_DiazBrian

Some of the words I would use to describe my decision making style are: cautious, logical, self-motivated, rational, active, and quite.  The opposite corresponding words I chose are: careless, irrational, unenthusiastic, unreasonable, stagnant, and boisterous.  By thinking about the opposite of the word I am working with this can give me the opportunity to brainstorm and possibly see something I was missing from the onset.

My classmate Mark Mackay wrote in this week's A520.3.4.DQ assignment that "Reverse definition is a technique that expands a definition by redefining a topic from an opposite viewpoint. The ability to think in terms of what contradicts a subject increases the ability to see creative options about what may exist.  This flexibility is a quick way to start thinking creatively when stuck on what to do about a difficult problem.  When I think of a contradiction, I have to think what is logically correct first so my thinking is clear before I can introduce an opposite view. For example, I will use a logical syllogism to illustrate.  All states exist in United States, I live in Washington State, and therefore I live in United States. Based on the syllogism assumptions a logical contradiction would exist to say I live outside of the United States. What this helps me understand is how my assumptions control my thinking and opens my awareness of different ways of thinking about my assumptions."  Not only is Mark's analysis insightful, it serves as great example of what we can accomplish with a little bit of creativity when we free our minds.

My personal method of decision making is so second nature to me that I have found this exercise to be quite challenging.  I have made no secret that for me, being creative presents a certain level of unease.  Not because I cannot be creative, quite the opposite.  By  abandoning my comfort zone and allowing myself to become free from my mental restrictions, I believe I can accomplish some great things.  It's funny.  As I write this, memories come flooding back to me of my childhood growing up with my friend Frank.  We lived near each other while in elementary school.  We must have played together at each others house's almost every day.  I would go to his house and eat the best Italian food ever and he would loved to come to my house for the authentic Puerto Rican dishes my mother would make.  Frank and I played and created some wonderful memories.  As children we are so free to imagine and at a certain point in our lives it just seems like that type of creativity gets lost.  Frank and I imagined and built some of the most wonderful worlds for our toys.  We came up with exotic lands from far away and would lose ourselves in creativity.  What I wouldn't give to go back to that time.  As children we are so open to things.  As adults we become so indoctrinated into thinking that things must either be black or white.  Frank is so creative and imaginative that he held on to something we loved as children and that was the wacky make believe world of wrestling.  Frank loved it so much that for the last 20 years he has traveled the world as a professional wrestler.  He is living a dream he had from when we were children.  I admire the hell out of him for it and I'm privileged to watch him realize his dream.

Whetton and Cameron (2011) wrote "achieving creativity through imagination refers to the creation of new ideas, breakthroughs, and radical approaches to problem solving." (p179).  My goal is to harness the imagination I used so frequently as a child, and apply that to the issues I face on a regular basis in my organization.  I think it would be a good idea to mention some of the exercises we have learned to my group and see where our imagination can take us.  Incubation would be beneficial to our team processes.  Whetton and Cameron (2011) wrote that incubation "refers to an approach to creativity through teamwork, involvement, and coordination among individuals.  Creativity occurs by unlocking the potential that exists in interactions among networks of people.  Individuals who approach creativity through incubation encourage people to work together, foster trust and cohesion, and empower others." (p. 181).

In my opinion I believe decisions can be made by using an approach based on the opposite of the issue.  Any exercise that can stimulate thought, creativity , and alternative methodology can only enhance the process of problem solving.  I look forward to utilizing this approach and to seek out creative solutions to problems moving forward.  I think its time for me to stop always playing it so safe and take some chances like my friend Frank.  After all, isn't that what leadership is all about?

Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2011). Developing Management Skills (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall/Pearson.

A520.2.3.RB_DiazBrian

My blog will be a reflection of a personal conflict I had with my wife's sister.  This incident caused quite an uproar and divided our families for half a year.  It all started on Christmas Day (of all days).  We were making the family rounds and the last stop of the day was to my mother-in-law's house.  My sister-in law, her husband, and two children were there.  Her older son is 5 and at the time my son had just turned two.  My sister-in-law's son watches a lot wrestling  and can be very aggressive.  He was playing rough with my son and I asked him to stop because of course I didn't want my son to get hurt.  I repeated myself to him more than once in front of his parents, my wife, and her mother.  He would stop for a few and then five minute later would start again.  After my last warning he had my son picked up "wrestling" with him and was about to drop him.  I jumped up and grabbed him.  I did this instinctively to protect my son from being dropped on his head and did not realize that in doing so I upset my sister-in-law.  No one said anything to me at the moment not even his father who was sitting there.  He too had asked his son to not play rough with my boy.

Later that evening my wife received a text from her sister saying she couldn't believe she had allowed me to put my hands on her child.  She said her son was very upset and that she was extremely mad at me for my actions.  I did not realize that what I had done extremely upset anyone as everything seemed fine when we left.  In hindsight she was offended because someone other than herself disciplined her child.  I attempted to reach out to her by phone but she refused to take my calls.  I left her a message explaining that it was not my intention to cause her son any harm and that I was protecting my child.  I even reached out to her husband but he too refused my calls.  They would not allow me to offer  an apology.  I was embarrassed by my actions but I did what I felt was right to protect my son.  This caused a major strain between my wife and her sister.  They argued over whether who was "right" and who was "wrong".  As an adult, I took full responsibility for my actions and admitted I handled the situation poorly.  I texted my sister-in-law and offered my sincere apologies.  She in turn accused me of "turning things against her" and using "psychological warfare" in my apology? She also placed a post on FB directed at me which accused me of harming her child.  This really upset by my father-in-law and mother-in-law because this was a distortion of the facts and they demanded she delete her post.

Over the course of the next few weeks my wife, my mother-in-law, my father-in-law all attempted to help us to resolve this issue.  It made things extremely difficult for the family because all functions had to be held separately.  My sister-in-law refused to speak to me regardless of my repeated attempts at a reconciliation.  In the meantime all of the kids involved were upset because they could not see each other.  As cousins, they genuinely love one another and it was hardest on them.  Eventually my wife was able organize a truce after 6 months!  It turns out we were being given false information from her sister.  She said her son never wanted to see me again and that he was scared of me.  I have been in this boy's life since he was 1.  When my wife personally spoke to him he said this was not the case.  It seems this was what he was being told to say.  This experience was one I wished I never would have had to endure but it taught me many valuable lessons.

My classmate, Chris Davis in his discussion post this week wrote the following "series of rules that would alleviate hostilities. The rules I would put in place are as follows:

1. All ideas are welcomed and will be treated with respect.
2. If you disagree with a thought you will talk it out in a peaceful manner.
3. If you become unruly or agitated to where you cannot control your emotions; walk away.
4. If you are offended say it and the conversation ends.
5. If you would like you can request a mediator to make sure both ideas are given ample opportunity to be heard."

I genuinely wish that these rules could have been in place when I faced my conflict.  Both sides would have benefited from these and our families could have saved 6 months wasted being "at war".

Had I had the tools for selecting the appropriate conflict approach when this occurred the results may have been different.  Things are "patched" up between my sister-in-law and me but I still get the sense that she will truly never forgive me and I am okay with that.  I never intended to hurt her child or anyone for that matter.  I understand that I overstepped my boundary by disciplining her son but I did everything in my power to make it right.  I apologized to my nephew repeatedly and asked for his forgiveness which he has given me.

 Whetten & Cameron (2011) wrote "The accommodating approach satisfies the other party's concerns while neglecting one's own."  (p.383).  I learned that "Personal differences are a common source of conflict because individuals bring different backgrounds to their roles in organizations.  Their values and needs have been shaped by different socialization processes, depending on their cultural and family traditions, level of education, breadth of experience, and so forth.  As a result, their interpretations of events and their expectations about relationships with others in the organization vary considerably." (p. 380).

In my conflict, the ones that truly suffered were the kids.  They went half a year without seeing one another and for them this experience was the hardest.  I should have had a better understanding of where my sister-in-law was coming from.  At first I only saw things through my own "lens" however I failed to consider there were two parents and two children involved in this situation.  In the future I will never discipline any one's child myself.  Instead I will ask their parent to do so.  It is not my place nor was it my place to act in the manner I did.  I learned a valuable lesson from this conflict.

Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2011). Developing Management Skills (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall/Pearson.

A520.2.6.RB_DiazBrian

My time management skills are atrocious.  This is something I have been aware of for some time and my wife is more than happy to remind me of.  I seem to treat the way I manage my time for school and work similarly but to varying degrees.  I think in both realms I find myself managing my time poorly.  At work I will focus all of my attention to one or two main areas.  This means at the end of the day because of my lack of time management, I am rushing to complete my final reports and prepare properly for the following day.  Sometimes I might not finish my reports completely and rely on the beginning of the next day to get caught up.  This is a self repeating cycle that makes me feel like I am in the movie Groundhog Day. Each day is the same and I can't seem to change my processes.  But the funny things is that I can.  When it comes to school I have become accustomed to procrastination.  This for me is somewhat of a double edged sword because I am trying to make room for other aspects of my life.  It is imperative that I give my son the attention he wants and needs.  He is in a critical stage in his development and I am cognizant of his need to have daddy pay him attention and interact with him.  I also make sure that I make time for my wife.  I at least try to sit with her for an hour each evening before she goes off to sleep.  By this time I am exhausted from my day and this is when the procrastination sets in.  "I can always do that tomorrow" I tell myself which leads to me completing my assignments later rather than sooner.

I am quite aware that I have the power to change this pattern I have fallen into but it is up to me to take the steps necessary to effectuate this change.  I always feel as if time is slipping through my hands.  In this week's discussion, we learned about a company named SAS.  We considered the stressors and life-balancing strategies SAS employees we afforded and how we could relate to them.  Toni Dammer provided some great insight into the company and she wrote that "They are providing their employees with extra time to spend with their families and health attention. In many companies employees begin to get burnout due to time management, as there are not enough hours in the day to complete assignments and spend quality time with their families"  This statement reflects how I personally feel about work.  I feel as if there is never enough hours in the day.  I hope exploring some time management skills will help to change this perception I have.

Whetten & Cameron (2011) wrote "In addition to approaching time management from the point of view of effectiveness, it is also important to adopt an efficiency point of view.  Many techniques are available to help managers utilize more efficiently the time they have each day.  One way to enhance efficient time use is to be alert to your own tendencies to use time inefficiently." (p. 124).  If I could improve my time management skills maybe I can feel less exhausted all the time.  Negative stress is taxing not only emotionally but studies show that we can be affected physically as well by them.  I tend not to worry about many things but time is definitely always a concern for me because of my belief that I am always fighting it.  If I improve my time management skills maybe I will feel better.  It would definitely free up time for me to take the bike rides I enjoy so much.

As a result of my poor time management I am susceptible to encounter stressors.  While I have made it a point to spend as much time as possible with my family, truth be told that if I managed my time better (especially with school) I could dedicate more time to them as opposed to working on homework Saturday's and Sunday's.  By confronting my time management issues now, I can be better prepared for future leadership positions.  I can't think of a successful leader in my organization that does not manage their time efficiently.  Additionally if I managed my time better at work I wouldn't constantly be thinking about going in on the weekends to get things done that I should have completed during the regular work week.

I need to initiate a proactive strategy in order to better manage my time.  At work we have student aides which we are free to delegate responsibilities to.  I think it would be a step in the right direction for me to utilize these student aides to help me achieve some goals I have for myself at work and also to free up some of my time to attend to other matters.  I also need to develop a strict school schedule.  I am half way through my degree program and I know what things I need to work on in order to be an effective leader.  Time management is at the top of the list.

Here is the action plan I intend to initiate:

I am a big proponent of technology and apps.  I found the app above in the Apple store at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/productivity-wizard-action/id670870972?mt=8. 
I intend to develop and personalize my own action plan and sync it across my devices (which of course I go nowhere without).  This way I can track my progress and have a clear plan of what needs to be done and when.  I look forward to using this app and reflecting on it in a few weeks.  I am excited about the potential to take back a part of my life that I have been neglecting, my time!

Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2011). Developing Management Skills (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall/Pearson.

A520.1.6.RB_DiazBrian

When I started the Leadership program I had no clue what I was actually getting myself into.  I figured "Hey, I wanna get a Master's degree.  This one seems like one I would be interested in."  I had a general idea of what I was going to learn and a whole lot of assumptions.  Little did I actually know that the lessons I was going to learn in this program would not just be applicable to my professional life, but to my personal life as well.  For example, I believe that this program has taught me to be a better listener (which my wife is a fan of).  I have learned to use reflection as a learning tool and it has helped me with my work processes tremendously.  But most importantly I have gained a better understanding of what it means to be self-aware and the value that self-awareness can bring in the development of leadership.

How has my my self-awareness changed in respect to the 5 core aspects of self-awareness since the beginning of my MSLD program?  Well, there have been some variance and change in certain areas, and much needed room for improvement in others.  The first critical area of self-awareness is emotional intelligence.  "Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions. Some researchers suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and strengthened, while others claim it is an inborn characteristic." Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/personalitydevelopment/a/emotionalintell.htm  I think it is important for me to be more honest about my feelings.  Culturally I grew up "wired" not to share my emotions.  It was something that was "understood" and not necessarily spoken.  This might be a factor in my survey score being less than desirable.  I feel like I have learned to control my emotions, now I need to be more comfortable sharing them.  I have always been empathetic to others however I would benefit if I could identify more easily the emotions of others.  This will enable me to become a more effective leader.

I touched upon my personal values in my earlier blog and these are a representation of my heritage.  Whetten & Cameron (2011) describe values as "the foundation upon which attitudes and personal preferences are formed.  They are the basis for crucial decisions, life directions, and personal tastes." (p. 65).  It is comforting to know that the values I hold in highest regards are the same values most organizations envision and aspire to find in their employees.  It makes for a culture that I can easily fit in with as I move forward in my career.

Cognitive styles are how we gather and process information.  Since entering the leadership program I have seen myself grow in this area.  I have also discovered the need for improvement in this area as well.  My team leader is a shining example of someone who's cognitive style I would like to pattern myself after.  She (much like this program) has taught me to ask questions and to use my critical thinking skills.  I trained under her when I started with ERAU and I can recall several times I went t o her with issues I encountered.  Reaching out to her, I was able to see how she would approach each issue.  She critically worked through the problems, asked questions (most of which I didn't consider to ask), and thought of more than one possible solution to offer.  It's funny because her approach would be the same one I learned early on in my foundational research class.  I am working on becoming more creative in my problem solving and this opportunity to improve my cognitive skills will serve me well in a leadership role.

My attitude towards change and the progress I have made since starting  this program has been a bit of a challenge for me.  This area is one I have not progressed in as much as I would have liked to.  For me, change is a bit difficult because I like routine.  My tolerance for ambiguity is less than I would like it to be.  Whetten & Cameron (2011) remarked "Managers with higher tolerance-of-ambiguity scores are more likely to be entrepreneurial in their actions, to screen out less information in a complex environment, and to choose specialties in their occupations that possess less-structured tasks." (p. 77).  This would describe the opposite of me however I would like for that to change.  I think the first step is acknowledging that in today's environment conditions change so rapidly that I need to adjust in order to remain relevant and competitive in this market.

The last area of self-awareness to address is my core self-evaluation.  Before beginning this program I never gave much thought to my personality or how others might perceive me.  However, I have learned just how important these factors are.  Especially for someone that wants to be in a position of leadership.  Whetten & Cameron (2011)  note that "Core self-evaluation is sometimes referred to as overall positive self regard - or the extent to which people value themselves and feel proficient as individuals." (p. 80).  A correlation between core self-evaluations and how effective we can be at work has been studied and established.  The studies show that the higher the core self-evaluations, the more people seem to be happier at work.  As leaders, we should lead by example, so it is imperative to communicate with our employees how we regard ourselves and others.  This can help to establish trusting relationships and increase work productivity.  As I progress through the remainder of my program this area of self-awareness will remain a focus of mine.  I want to be the very best leader I can and it is important for me to exude confidence in my abilities and to lead and inspire others.

Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2011). Developing Management Skills (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall/Pearson.

A520.1.2.RB_DiazBrian

Whetten & Cameron (2011) noted "There is little question that the knowledge we possess about ourselves, which makes up our self-concept, is central to improving our management skills.  We cannot improve ourselves or develop new capabilities unless and until we know what level of capability we currently possess." (p. 58).  Self-awareness or self-understanding is essential to personal and professional growth.  Those that avoid personal growth are limited due to fear.  I personally cannot imagine not having the desire to improve myself not only for me but for my family.

I have worked for ERAU for just under two years as an academic advisor.  This position is completely different from my previous line of work as a mortgage foreclosure paralegal.  When I was hired and before my extensive training, (all new advisors go through a comprehensive 3 month training period) I was told that it would be about a full year before I was comfortable with my position (which I found to be true).  After my first 3 months of training I was "cut loose" and was advising students on my own.  I was struggling to keep up with my daily work requirements, I was uncertain of my decision making, and I was beginning to become discouraged by my performance.  I knew I had to do something because I knew that I could do this job.  I was not shy about asking for help but I came to the realization that I needed to do something more.  Luckily, I work with a tremendous team and they were extremely supportive of me.  One morning I took some time to really reflect on what I was doing and how I could improve my processes.  I felt it was necessary to get some feedback from one of my teammates about my performance and ask what I could do to improve.  I IM'd one of my senior co-workers and I asked her what she thought of my performance.  I could tell her reply was "guarded" as to not hurt my feelings.  She said I was doing as expected for someone new to the position and I just needed more time to develop.  I asked her to please be honest with me and tell me what she really thought.  And she did!  It was the best thing that could have ever happened and I respected that she was honest with me.  She said I knew what I was doing but I kept doubting my own abilities.  I was so worried about doing something wrong that I couldn't complete my other tasks.  She was right.  I am so happy that I was self-aware enough of the fact that I needed to know how I was being perceived in order to correct and re-evaluate my processes.  In my self-awareness survey I scored in the top quartile for  self-awareness.

Whetten & Cameron (2011) wrote that "Emotional intelligence has come to encompass almost everything that is non-cognitive- including social, emotional, behavioral, attitudinal, and personality factors- so the extent to which it can be adequately measured and predictive of outcomes remains cloudy." (p. 62).  I scored low in the survey on emotional intelligence and  I was actually surprised by this result.  "Emotional intelligence can be defined as the ability to monitor one's own and other people's emotions, to discriminate between different emotions and label them appropriately and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior."  Retrieved from  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_intelligence#Definitions    In my mind I think I am very in-tune with the my feelings (to a certain degree) and with the feelings of those around me.  This is an area I am interested in exploring further because maybe I'm not as in-tune with myself and others as I had believed.  I feel like it would benefit me to gain a better understanding of emotional intelligence by researching literature on the subject and possibly taking some additional online tests.

I hold my personal values in high regards and consider this factor of self-awareness to be one of the most important for me.  I was raised on respect, honesty, and virtue by my parents.  As a parent now I am passing these traits on to my son.  I learned the value of hard work at an early age and I do not take things for granted.  I know what it is like to be hungry.  I know what it is like to not have a lot.  I also know that hard work pays off and I grew up idolizing both of my parents for their commitment to me and 3 brothers.  We may have never had a lot but we were loved and taught right from wrong.  I espouse my core values in my work and think it is important to remain humble, genuine, and hard working.

Whetten & Cameron (2011) define cognitive style as "the inclination each of has to perceive, interpret, and respond to information in a certain way." (p.74).  Admittedly this is in area of improvement for me to work on.  I wasn't necessarily surprised  by my mixed results in this area of self-awareness.  It was more or less what I had expected.  I scored low in my knowing and creative style, however I scored above average in my planning style.  This is a pretty accurate reflection of who I am.  This is definitely an opportunity for me to improve upon and raise my self-awareness.  For example, we are about to begin a new academic term in October and I have brainstormed a few different creative ways I can improve my enrollments (which is our measure of success and how our goals are based for the year).  To improve my knowing style I plan to sit with various advisors during the course of the enrollment period to view how they interpret facts, details, and data to improve on my processes.

I am a creature of habit and as so I need to improve upon my attitude towards change.  I get so used to doing things one way that I don't allow myself the opportunity to experience new processes.  My mentality had always been to stick with whatever "brings you to the dance".  My tolerance of ambiguity score was less than desired and my locus of control score was in the second quartile.  My orientation toward change needs to develop much like my pallet for wine has over time.  When I was younger I only liked white wines because I never took the time to educate myself on the intricacies other wines had to offer.  I was a fan of Rieslings and chardonnays, so why would I ever try a sauvignon blanc or a pinot grigio?  I "din't" like Merlots so there was no way I could be entranced by a syrah or malbec?  With age, much like with wine, we mature and I hope to develop in this area.

Lastly, I scored high in my core self-evaluation.  I always thought I had a pretty good idea of what made me unique.  Does this mean I can't learn more?  Absolutely not.  Just the opposite.  What traits do I espouse the most in my life and how do others interpret that?  I attended a work social gathering with my wife and gained some insight.  I was slightly embarrassed because of all the kind things my co-workers had to say about me to my wife.  She joked and asked if they were talking about the right person :)  I knowingly make an effort to make my interactions with others as positive and as pleasant as possible.  I think it is important to be thought well of by my peers and as a leader I look forward to gaining the respect and trust of those I will serve.  Seems that I have some more work to do on my self-awareness before I am ready to lead others but I openly welcome the challenge and look forward to new self growth.

Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2011). Developing Management Skills (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall/Pearson.