Developing Key Skills For Personal And Professional Growth

What is the Johari Window?

Discuss about the Human Communication In Society?

The Johari Window have helped me in enlarging the Open Area through the protocol of involving self-disclosure. This highlighted in opening up and thereby disclosing my thoughts, dreams, goals, feelings. Moreover, it helped in developing my trust within the teammate, which is considered as an important attribute in career development.

Enlarging the Open Area targeted  in acceptance of feedback from other members of the team in a positive manner. I was made very clear that the feedback from my team members would definitely help in learning things about one another. I believed it to be an important prospectus triggering for my personal growth.

If some is found to be interested in learning from another individual, then the person can reciprocate it by disclosing the information in his or her hidden quadrant. As soon as my level of confidence along with self-esteem hikes, it becomes much easier to invite others in order to comment efficiently in the blind spots (Sharf 2014). Obviously, it should be noted clearly that active and empathic listening skills are important tools associated to this context.

Development of various parameters, such as Intellectual Ability, Learning Style and Motivating Capabilities are all analyzed under Personality Achievement Exercise. It can be assumed that intellectual ability along with the achievement motivation is found to be associated positively with the success of an individual. The big five personality factors, i.e. Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Extraversion, Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience need to be positively monitored in order to steer a successful impact of an individual.

The factor of Need for Achievement (N-Ach) mainly refers towards the desire of an individual for significant accomplishment, control, mastering of skills and maintaining high standards. I was affected in developing the various instincts of an individual. This includes prolonged, intense and repeated efforts in order to accomplish a difficult task. Developing this psychological trait mainly helped me in enduring the concern and thereby meeting high standards of achievement (Frieden et al. 2014). This is mainly influenced by the internal drive of action (which is stated to be monitored by intrinsic motivation) and pressure (found to be exerted by the expectations of others, i.e. extrinsic motivation). A Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) motivated me in order to achieve success during intense competition and hence formulated my path to excel in other important aspects, which are directly, related to others life.

Understanding Personality Achievement Exercise

Developing exercise is considered as an efficient tool in order to clarify the values, which are related to work satisfaction. It helped me in jotting down the answers related to the various issues and thereby monitoring the career related constraints of the individual. It focused in reaffirming the values, which are the main priorities of the work (Smith 2015).

I considered knowing the impact of values as an important factor related to the working platform. I found it to be very critical to understand this parameter and thereby developed my career related satisfaction and motivation. While following theValues Driven Work Assessment Exercise, I assumed that career related values were clustered in four different domains. These are as follows:

• Intrinsic Values
• Work Environment Values
• Work Content Values
• Work Relationship Values

Formulating a thirty-second monologue mainly helped me in developing the internal infrastructure of at a significant scale. It helped me in triggering a confident and poised venture to the other side of the table (Turner and Ceremony 2016). The commercial targets in answering to questions, such as “Tell me about you. What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness? What can you bring to this position” in a much distinct and representative manner.

A unique commercial made my audience aware (for a brief amount of time) towards a specific impressive and unique attribute that can be brought to the environment. The commercial highlighted my background and thereby reflected my key abilities. Moreover, it also helped me in limiting the greatest weakness to some extent, which later became a positive factor for me.

I have noted the following guidelines while encountering a thirty second commercial. These were as follows:

• Using a concise and cleared language which isn’t detailed at every segment
• Selling the professional experience along with the abilities
• Emphasizing the strength and the linkage which are required for an employer
• Using descriptive statements along with specific example which are mainly acquired out of abilities and skills
• Stating the kind of position that is been required in the organization
• Speaking very clearly and with full confidence
• Linking the factors of excellence, i.e. knowledge, experience and skills in order to the position or/and employer

Skills Assessment Exercise can be efficiently monitored by wide variety of tools, which provides the concept of valued team effort and effective contribution towards the organization (Dell’Arciprete et al. 2014). Some of the attributes, which was enlisted for evaluating my skills, are stated below:

Table 1: Skill Assessment Exercise

Statements to be Answered	Response
	Not at All	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Very Often
I Routinely maintained realistic goals and tracked the progress until achieving the target				√
While making the decision, I always pick the good solution			√
Approaching my life with confidence and maintaining high self esteem manner				√
While managing the workload I understood my priorities				√
Team development is considered as the area which I admitted to cut back when time and resources were found to be limited				√
I lost time during the day because of not getting assurance regarding the target			√
While implementing motivation plan, I implemented the same approach with all other members			√
The work, which I needed to be fulfilled on a daily basis, should reflect the values of the individual. Moreover, it should be consistent to my goals.				√
I am able to communicate the needs and thereby making sure that the message is well understood and heard					√
While I am encountering a problem, I wish to look immediately  in order to begin the potential solutions					√
While encountering a conflict, I would use the communication skills and thereby find solutions and work things through				√
Focusing on the awareness regarding the difference between management and leadership				√
Discussing with the issue with someone trying to setback and possessing the difficulty of focusing on the situation objectively and positively				√
Being motivates in order to complete all the aspect related to the work					√

(Source: Author)

Before I looked at the job adverts, I encountered that it is quite vital to be aware regarding the skills of knowledge and experience so that I can match to the best role. Had I ticked to 80% of the boxes, in terms of what the employer asks from me, then it might be considered a worth of applying. Nevertheless, sometimes I encountered that reading between the lines as some of the adverts might be very vague at the first impression.

Assessing Your Values

Previously I possessed the attitude of sending as many applications as possible. Nevertheless, it is encountered that these strategies and the techniques can be used for a smarter work, rather than working hard for the same.

I preferred in taking a print of the job advert and follow with highlighters, thereby picking out the key words and the phrases. This helped me in finalizing the keywords appearing in the Curriculum Vitae (CV) and in the cover letter wherever applicable.

Continuing education is perceived as a protocol that helps in improvising the lives of individual and thereby clarifies the thoughts and personal refection on what they are doing. I have assumed that the knowledge from various parameters are identified in three distinct types, i.e. the knowledge of the employer, background knowledge of the employee and the knowledge built by the members of both groups while interacting with one another. Knowledge based on experiences plays a crucial role in developing the professional acquaintance and thereby helps in developing a proficient platform.

I was entitled to wide range of theoretical concepts, which was based on self-efficacy, locus of control and happenstances. I personally believe on the concept of Psychologist Albert Bandura, who states the fact the self-efficacy is one of the effective tools, which helps in defining one’s ability in order to gain success over a specific situation. This would definitely help me in accomplishing every tasks related to career consultation. I assume the fact that self-efficacy plays a major role in analyzing the fact of how approaches need to be monitored in order to regulate a certain goal, task and challenge.

Second parameter, which I focus on, is the locos of control, which generally refers to the extent to which I tend to control every affecting situation. I follow the principle of Julian B. Rotter in analyzing the locus of control and focuses heavily on developing my personal attitude.

Happenstances play a crucial role in my life. I often encounter various coincidental events, which are directly related to my career planning. Some of the events go in favor of me, while the others do not. I always prefer to take an extra note to the situation and thereby monitor in order to minimize the negative consequences of Happenstances in my life.

I personally state that there are five important elements which need to be considered in order to plan my career growth. The first step includes the initial stage. At this step, I would plan to spend several years at a large company and thereby learn skills and build effective networks. The second stage included Expanding phase. This is the beginning of the moonlightening phase, which would help in developing borader skills and develop my contacts systematically. I would target in developing an effective reputation during this phase. The third phase would be to start a fresh company and collaborate with other small companies. The fourth phase would be the Mid-Career phase, which would highlight in refreshing my skills and analyzing my basic infrastructure related to my career planning. Finally at the fifth stage; Developing Career Stage, I would target in appealing the projects with temporary employees and contractors, and thereby promote for expansion of the infrastructure to a successive level.

Crafting a Thirty-Second Commercial

I insist in following the Gibb’s Reflection Model for Career planning, which is as follows

Figure 1: Gibbs' Reflection on Career Planning

The factors of action, description, feelings, evaluation and conclusion need to be analyzed at a systematic manner. All these factors would play an effective role in processing my career planning. This can be synchronized only when I am subjected to an efficient communication pattern.

Based on the above discussion, effective communication can be considered as the most significant and important personal quality that has been revealed in the given portfolio. The reflective essay will thus specifically help in evaluating the importance of the effective communication that will help in demonstrating how the effective communication can be found effective in dealing across a range of activities and experiences. The reflective essay will therefore be very crucial in highlighting the role of effective communication in dealing with the problems that arises in terms of different saturation and how it helps in shaping the characteristic of a particular individual (Busse, Aboneh and Tefera 2014). Effective communication will help me in exchanging information that will provide better understanding the emotion and the intentions while communicating with a particular individual. Effective communication it’s a two way process it will not only help me in conveying the message but will also help in understanding what someone is intend to convey. This will also help me in gaining an understanding of then full meaning so that the other person emotion can be better heard an d understood. Effective communication will also help me in combining a set of skills including non verbal communication that promotes engaged listening, managing stress in a particular moment that is very much essential for me in better managing the stress in a particular moment and will also provide  a better platform for assertive communication. This will also help me to recognize and understand the emotions of the people with whom I am communicating with. Not only understanding the emotion of the people, effective communication acts as a glue that will also assist me in deepening my connection with other and will thereby improve my ability to work as a team, to initiate better decision making abilities and initiate important problem solving methods. In a workforce environment where communication plays one of the significant role in understanding then  the viewpoint of the others by providing proper respect, effective communication will also teach me even how the negative or the difficult messages can be communicated without creating any kind of conflict among one another. Effective communication is thus a learned skill, which is not only effective but is also spontaneous rather than formulaic. Taking as an example, employees always seek candidates who can better listen and act on those specific instructions that provide minimal guidance (Austin and Pinkleton 2015). They always want employees who can speak better, write and listen effectively and organize their thoughts logically and can be explained effectively. Thus, effective communication will provide a platform for reshaping the personal traits and characteristics for betterment that will help me in reshaping my personality. The problem solving and creativity method that is the prime advantage associated with the effective communication will also aid me making transactions, processing data, formulating vision and reaching resolution that will provide me the assurance by which I can better conquer the job challenges by thinking critically and creatively. The quality of effective communication will also provide me the platform to build interpersonal abilities that emphasizes on building relationship and relationship management that provides a high priority to the employees. This skill will help me in better understanding the emotion of the candidate such that I can relate well to others as that include both the co workers and the customers. The quality of effective communication will thus instill in me the faith that will provide the ability to understand and work well with the other team members that will help in pursuing the common goal, which will help me in the end for better understanding the viewpoint of the employees. It will also provide me with the ability to work with minimum supervision. Apart from the basic characteristics provided, effective communication also provide the platform for better planning and organization and understanding the leadership and the management in a better and simplified way. Understanding effective communication is a strength regarding the fact that that helps in dealing with various kinds of problems and thus plays a significant role in understanding the viewpoint of the overall workforce environment by enhancing the ability of me in better understanding of the present scenario (Blustein 2013). It will also help me to focus upon the fact of listening that will specifically include understanding of the words or the information is being properly communicated that will help in enhancing the understanding the emotion of the speaker and what he is trying to achieve through the process of consistent body language. 

Developing Your Skills with Skills Assessment Exercise

Diversity sensitivity in today’s world will help in building and understanding the cultural sensitivity and the ability that will help in building a rapport for maintaining a better multicultural environment, which is highly valued by the employers. This will also specifically focus in evaluating the planning and organization of the workforce in building my career in a way that will effectively provide me with the platform that will allow me in organizing information. Effective communication will also instill in me the quality of leadership as because effective communication will primarily help me in better understanding and communicating the leadership styles to the employees of the organization by taking input consideration that the goals and objectives of a particular company. Effective communication through the method of understanding and conveying the leadership style will consist of building a strong sense of confidence and comprehensive knowledge regarding the basic aims of the company. The qualities will also help in motivating and inspiring by providing a solid foundation of framework. I will also be able to provide assurance in a way that will help in building faith among me in a way that will not only help in better reshaping of my personality but also will help my fellow employees to build up trust and confidence in me.  Effective communication skill will also help me in understanding the adaptability and flexibility that will help in giving a higher response rate that will be confined to the openness to new ideas and concepts. Employers seeking for productive workers with positive work ethics who remains associated with taking up challenges will also get highly influenced by the method of effective communication that will also help me in better understanding of the work ethics and environment and will also help me in dealing with problems with different kind’s ethical problems (Arnold and Boggs 2015). The effective communication skill also helps in staying calm under extreme work pressure that will help me in managing the emotions for executing the effectiveness of the communication skill under pressure. It will also help me in stalling tactics that will give me time to think and make the proper clarification of the statement before responding. Asserting I will also help in expressing more clear communication that will help in boosting the self-esteem and decision making. Being assertive will also help me in expressing the thoughts, feelings and needs in an open and honest way that will also help me in standing up for myself and respecting others. The assertiveness will therefore help in valuing my opinions and the associated with opinions of the others. Expressing negative thoughts and receiving feedback positively will also help me in understanding and receiving the feedback that will help also encourage me in showing and escalating the assertion.

An effective communication skill would help in developing the personality to a huge scale. In future, I might be encountering various challenges, which might be directly or indirectly associated to career development. This might also occur that I based on my personal experience or skills might not easily address the challenge. Nevertheless, the only factor, which can help me in such a situation, is the effective communication skills. An effective communication skill would be only developed when it is equally supported by confidence and knowledge. If I excel my confidence and communicate with other members associated to the context, then there might be a solution to the issue. Often it is observed that most of the people fails to communicate with one another and rather considers depending completely on their own personal skills. This often results in building up of the constraints for the person. Communicating with the issue with other people would help in analyzing their skills and knowledge regarding the issues. Moreover, it can also be encountered that the communicated person might have faced the similar challenge in the past, and thus a life experience would help in overcoming the situation significantly. Thus, this is one of the most important parameter of communication skill, which is found to be related in minimizing the constraint to several folds. The second important benefit which can be analyzed for Effective Communication is building up of inter personality and thereby implementing personality largely. It can be clearly assumed that the factor of personality development plays a very crucial role in the sector of career development.

One of the most difficult parts associated to the workshop exercise and the employability experiences is the lack of communication platform. Often I observed that it was very difficult to communicate with every sort of people associated to an organization. Due to the difference in the cultural or linguistic factor, I tend to discover several issues in communicating with the persons directly. Often this results in the development of a huge communication gap and various other constraints resulting from this factor. It is always not possible to communicate with a person on his/her style, which results in the basic difficulty related to the issue. In fact, all the perspectives of confidence, skills, knowledge, intellectuality and personality becomes limited when a suitable communication platform between the speaker and the receiver is not established due to the cultural or linguistic difference. Thus both the speaker and the receiver need to spend an extra effort in order to understand each other through other protocol, such as sign languages, etc. so that it has a limited effect on career development.

There are instances where I fail to communicate efficiently and effectively due to several prominent reasons. Often I have observed that during intense pressure I fail to communicate efficiently with the other member. Situations such as communicating with a highly delegate personality often results in the development of various palpitations (Alberts, Nakayama and Martin 2015). While undergoing through these factors of palpitations, there is often a development of nervousness and other negative body languages. Because of the fact, I tend to lose control on my communication skills and thereby resulting in the limitation of my most effective strength, i.e. Effective Communication Skills.

Thus, I personally feel that effective communication skill has a very wide role to play in designing the career development planning for a person’s life. It is the first and the last impression for a candidate, which need to be oriented in a diligent manner.

References

Alberts, J.K., Nakayama, T.K. and Martin, J.N., 2015. Human communication in society. Pearson.

Arnold, E.C. and Boggs, K.U., 2015. Interpersonal relationships: Professional communication skills for nurses. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Austin, E.W. and Pinkleton, B.E., 2015. Strategic Public Relations Management: Planning and Managing Effective Communication Campaigns(Vol. 10). Routledge.

Blustein, D., 2013. The psychology of working: A new perspective for career development, counseling, and public policy. Routledge.

Busse, H., Aboneh, E.A. and Tefera, G., 2014. Learning from developing countries in strengthening health systems: an evaluation of personal and professional impact among global health volunteers at Addis Ababa University’s Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (Ethiopia). Globalization and health, 10(1), p.1.

Dell’Arciprete, A., Braunstein, J., Touris, C., Dinardi, G., Llovet, I. and Sosa-Estani, S., 2014. Cultural barriers to effective communication between Indigenous communities and health care providers in Northern Argentina: an anthropological contribution to Chagas disease prevention and control. Int J Equity Health, 13(6).

Frieden, T.R., 2014. Six components necessary for effective public health program implementation. American journal of public health, 104(1), pp.17-22.

Sharf, R.S., 2014. Applying career development theory to counseling. Brooks/Cole.

Smith, T.E., Polloway, E.A., Patton, J.R., Dowdy, C.A. and Doughty, T.T., 2015. Teaching students with special needs in inclusive settings. Pearson.

Turner, M. and Ceremony, C., 2016, April. FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. In Workshop Registration (Vol. 6, p. 00pm).