Sunday, October 13, 2013

A520.9.5.RB - Shuck, Allison

Power

Are you comfortable developing sources of personal influence to gain power?

This question is a hard one, in some situations, I would be ok using personal influence to gain power, but in other situations I would not. For example, I would be ok using influence to empower others, but I would not be ok with using influence to take advantage of others. Because power and influence go hand-and-hand, I think that it is always best to look at influence from an ethical standpoint. If it is not ethical, don’t do it.

Do you embody the characteristics of likable people depicted in Table 5.4 (p.290)?

Yes, without a doubt! I pride myself on being open, honest and loyal. I am sincere and strive to be non-judgmental, I avoid telling lies; because every lie has an equal or lesser consequence, and I believe in the value of friendship. However, I am not always emotionally accessible, because I have a hard time relating to or understanding the feelings of others. For example, a friend of a friend had a little baby girl who died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). For those of you who don’t know what Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is, it is the unexplained death of an infant. Unfortunately, the cause of SIDS is unknown.  Well, my friend, let’s just call her Liz, was consumed by the baby’s sudden death. And, as the baby’s God Mother, she felt the need to devote every spear moment she had to her friend, the baby’s mom. Well, let’s just say that I did not understand how the baby’s death affected Liz’s life. I understand being there for you friend who is in need, but I don’t understand how Liz’s life changed as a result of the baby’s death. It is instances like that I cannot grasp. Yet, I find the need to provide unconditional support and acceptance. Some things you just cannot change. I have learned over the years to accept things for what they are and move on. Enduring sacrifices is what friendship is all about. I had to provide Liz with social reinforcement (sympathy and empathy) even though I did not understand the situation or how it affect her life. I knew that in order to sustain our friendship, I had to keep my mouth shut.

Are you able to use influence both up and down your organization considering the information in Table 5.5 (p. 293)?

Yes, after reading Table 5.5, I feel pretty confident that I would be able to use my influence both up and down my organization. My direct supervisor and I have a great relationship. We both understand each other personally and professional. I know that if I ever came up with a way to improve a process or procedure, she would listen to my suggestions and consider them with an open mind. 

Sunday, October 6, 2013

A520.7.3.RB - Shuck, Allison

Importance of Having a Coach and Mentor

Throughout my life, I have meet a lot of kind and caring people; however, there are only a select few who took it upon themselves to take a sincere interest in me and my life. The first was Kathy Fagan. I meet Kathy when I was 11 years old. She moved down from Pennsylvania to live with my family, she was going to date my mom. At the time, it was strange to have two mommies but I grew to love and accept her, despite the fact she made my life a living hell. Kathy, although gay, is transitional, meaning that she does not allow you to eat with your hands or use more than one towel during a week. If I was caught eating with my hands, I was literally stabbed with a fork. If I randomly decided to use a different towel, other than the one I was assigned for the week, I lost my privileges to use a towel for the week. Drastic, I know, but her methods really worked. I learned to be a young respectful individual. I never stole, got into drugs and I never snuck out. I knew that if I did what I was told, I would be able to do what I wanted, within reason. Kathy by far was the best coach/mentor I could have ever asked for at such a young age. She did what my mother couldn't do, she gave me discipline.  

The second person that took a sincere interest in me and my life was Wally Eshelman. Wally and I meet my senior year of high school when I was working as a care companion for his mother. Wally’s mother Kay was near and dear to my heart, I took care of her every day for almost a year. I cooked her meals, gave her a bath, did her laundry, extra. Many people would say that we were family, due to the type of relationship we had. Kay though very highly of me and wasn't hesitant on showing it. She is the main reason why Wally invested so much time and effort of me. At the time, I lacked very little know-how  I made little money and I did not have a bank; and, on top of that my car was out of commission. To say that Wally was my savior does not do him justice. Wally taught me responsibility!  He bought me a new motor for my car, helped me install it and allowed me to pay him $25 payments on the motor each week until it was paid off. He gave me money and helped me open my own bank account. He pushed me to finish my AA degree. He tough me about boys and gave me valuable life lessons. To this day, I cannot thank him enough. I just wish I could show him how much he means to me and to let him know his efforts were not for nothing.

Without Kathy and Wally, I would not be the person I am today. I wouldn't be perusing my master’s degree or starting my own business. To both I am forever grateful.


Sunday, September 29, 2013

A520.5.3.RB - Shuck, Allison

Empowerment: Rejuvenating a potent idea

In the article “Empowerment: Rejuvenating a potent idea”, Russ Forrester explanations six reasons why so many organizations today fail to effetely empower their employees; Those reasons are: (1) Precipitous empowerment mandates, (2) Over reliance on a narrow psychological concept, (3) One-size-fits-all, (4) Negligence of the needs of power sharers, (5) A piece-meal approach and, (6) distortions of accountability.

Of the six reasons, I personally think that precipitous empowerment mandate and one-size-fits all, are typical among most organizations. The old switcheroo act happens all the time, where employees who are promised higher positions of power but never receive them; only to find out that the position had been given to someone else within their department. For some reason, many organizations today choose to only promote those who they deem worthy rather than those who are actually qualified. This kind of fast-track empowerment gives employees a false since of hope and explains why so many employees lack motivation.

The concept one-size-fits-all is somewhat relative in that it implies that employees are all the same and that the approach used to empower an employee is also the same. According to Forrester (2000), such deployment of empowerment is destructive and guarantees failure. Making assumptions is one thing, but assuming that most decisions have the same requirements and/ or that the person of power who makes such executive decisions can easily be replaced is outlandish. Although, this non-selective approach to decision making is professional and curious, it is not common within most organizations and one should not assume that just anyone will do.  That is not to say that we should be biased against anyone, but it takes years or experience to be a leader. Thus, most organizations “resist delegating authority to employees who are not ready to handle it, or who don’t, for their own reasons, want to” (Forrester, 2000, Pg. 70).

Sunday, September 22, 2013

A520.6.5.RB - Shuck, Allison

Team Roles

According to Whetten & Cameron (2011), there are two types of roles that exist to enhance team performance”, those roles are: task-facilitating and relationship-building.

Task-facilitating roles, are roles used to help a team or group accomplish its desired objectives. For example: one could, seek information, elaborate on an idea, analysis a process, and/or provide direction to the team. All of these roles, are an important aspect of team performance. Task-facilitating roles are meant to help a team or group work more efficiently and effectively. “Without having a least one team member displaying task-facilitating behaviors, teams tend to take longer to achieve their objectives and have difficulty staying focused” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, Pg. 514).

Relationship-building roles, on the other hand, are roles designed to build and / or enhance interpersonal relations between and among team members. Essentially, relationship-building roles are meant to dissolve disagreement, reduce tension and assist in the development of interpersonal relationships. For example: one could, be supportive, create harmony, be energizing, relieve tension, build consensus, and/or empathize with the team. Each of these roles are meant to help team members feel good about one another. When members of a team actively engage with one another, the chemistry of the team improves and so does the team’s performance.

In a team, I believe that is it important to establish and maintain a balance between both task-facilitating and relationship-building roles; for without balance, teams cannot perform efficiently or effectively.  Certain team members (leaders) must ensure that roles are assigned and performed appropriately, while other team members ensure that the team is bonding together interpersonally.

As a member of the financial aid team, I strive to ensure collaboration and cohesion between and among team members. One of my goals is to dissolve inner office conflicts and encourage team participation. I pride myself on making each member of the financial aid team feel important. I want each of them to know that they are valued and that I am here for them if they ever need anything. 

Sunday, September 8, 2013

A520.4.3.RB - Shuck, Allison

Although money is one way to motivate people to work, it is not the main source of motivation.  According to Andy Mulholland people are motivated by the following three things:
  • Work Interest – A leader, must maintain employee motivation through work interest. If an employee doesn't find interesting in his or her work he or she will be unmotivated and as a result, be unproductive.
  • Knowledge and skill set expansion - Most employees seek to obtain a job where he or she can expand his or her knowledge or skills; therefore, a leader must be ensure to incorporate knowledge and skill set expansion in order to meet that need. 
  • Recognition – “Value me for what I can do, and how I can work” (Andy Mulholland) 

In order to maintain a balance between and among each of the above listed sources of motivation, a leader must try to meet the needs of the employee. By expanding an employee’s knowledge and skills, he/she will feel challenged and a as result become more interested in his or her work. Which in turn will create work interest. Once interest is obtained, then, all the leader will need to do is show the employee recognition for his or her efforts.

Essentially, by satisfying the employee’s need for increased knowledge and skills, the leader creates work interesting; which in turn satisfies the need for recognition, because the leader will have the opportunity to recognize the employee for his/her efforts. Theoretically the employee motivation is in the hands of the leaders; and, if the leader succeeds, the process should come naturally.  

Money aside, the three things that motivate me are:
  • Recognition and Praise – I truly like being recognized for a job well done.
  • Growth and Development – I want to be able to increase me knowledge and skills and as a result be challenged. My hope is to learn all that I can and climb the latter.
  • Healthy Work Environment – I want to be surrounded by people who are happy and motivated; those who find their job enjoyable. 

Sunday, September 1, 2013

A520.3.5.RB - Shuck, Allison

Guidelines for Supportive Communication     

Coaching vs. Counseling

As a financial aid counselor, I believe that it is important to differentiate between coaching and counseling a student. Why, because every student is different and his/her needs are different; some students prefer coaching while others prefer counseling. Although, both communication styles have proven to be effective, I believe that coaching a student is more effective than counseling a student. Why, because most of the student who contact the financial aid office to obtain more information do not understand the financial aid process. By coaching a student, I can provide him or her with the information necessary to make responsible financial decisions.

Authentic Communication

For the most part, organizations do not welcome authentic communication. Why, because authentic communication goes beyond ethical communication in that the person tells his or her true feeling without fist evaluating the situation. However, I believe that in order to be an effective communicator one must be true to his or her thoughts and feelings; I pride myself on communicating authentically.  I am the type of person who has a tendency for speaking authentically, I will tell you exactly what I think and feel; but, I do try to refrain from hurt someone else’s feelings.

Feedback

Feedback is one of the most important aspect of leadership. A leader must provide effective feedback to his or her team in order achieve success. Feedback is a necessary part of effective problem solving.  As a leader, providing feedback to my team, I would seek to understand the situation fully: I would determine what happen, find out who was affected, and suggest the possible acceptable alternatives. 

Problem –Oriented Statements vs. Person-Orientated Statements

In order to effectively communicate with someone about a problem, one must first define the problem and then find possible referent points. Meaning one should focus on behaviors or events from the past in order to reference a problem rather than personally attacking the other person’s attributes. As a leader, it is important to understand that people often do not change and that change can only be accomplished through problem-oriented statements.

Fostering two-way Communication

Fostering two-way communication is the key to maintaining successful relationships. By acknowledging the other person’s uniqueness and promoting two-way interchanges, one can identify areas of agreement and establish mutual respect.  Two-way communication is an essential part of the maintaining progress within the financial aid department. By demonstrating flexibility and humility, the financial aid department creates open lines of communication and promotes group-think.

Specific, Not Global

When attempting to correct someone’s behavior, it is important to use specific statements rather than global statements; meaning that one must focus only on those behaviors that can be changed, rather than attempting to change those behaviors that are beyond one’s control.  I believe that this guideline can be applied both personally and professionally. For example, I can use specific communication to correct the behavior of someone within my family or someone at the office. Specific communication is about understanding the types of behaviors that can be changed. 

Conjunctive, Not Disjunctive

When conversing with others, it is important to use conjunctive statements. Conjunctive statements are statements that flow smoothly and do not contain long unnecessary pauses. Conjunctive statements allow all participants to have an equal opportunity to talk. It ensures that all participants can express his or her thoughts and feelings without interruption. Conjunctive statements attempt to avoid one individual from dominating the conversation.

Own Your Statements

By using the word I, one can refrain from blaming other for his or her problems. For example, if two people are arguing and one person frequently places blame by using the word “you” he or she will receive a negative response from the listener. However, if that same person uses the word “I” instead of “you” he or she will receive a positive response from the listener. Why, because he/she owns his or her statements and is not placing blame on anyone other than him/herself.   

Demonstrate Supportive Listening

Supportive listening is one of the basic concepts of communication. In order to be a supportive listener, one must maintain eye contact, be responsive both verbally and non-verbally  and provide feedback when necessary. Supportive listening is simply being respectful to the speaker. I find that even if I have no interest in what the other person is saying, I must be supportive and provide feedback.

Implementing Supportive Communication

In order to build and maintain strong positive relationships, foster personal development, and provide supportive listening one must implement the above behavior guidelines to supportive communication. 

A520.3.1.RB - Shuck, Allison

Decision Making

  1. What are a few words that describe your decision-making style?
Honest, Realistic, Respectful and Straightforward

  1. What are the opposites of the words you chose?
Dishonest, Impractical, Inconsiderate, and Deceiving

  1. Could you see any benefits to making decision using an approach that is based on either the opposites or somewhere in-between and what outcomes would you expect to see?
In order to make the best decision possible, one should must be honest, realistic, respectful and straightforward. Why, because any other way would simply be unethical. When tasked with making a difficult decision, I try to put myself in someone else’s shoes. It is important to be sensible and thoughtful to the feelings of others. I believe that morality is the main factor that must be considered when making a decision. One must ask him/herself is this the moral thing to do? Personally, I believe that if someone were dishonest, impractical, inconsiderate and or deceptive toward me, karma would somehow, in some way repay the favor. It always does; well at least in my experience.
For the most part, decisions at an organizational level require a lot of work; the harder the decision the more impact it will have on an organization; it can either make or break an organization.  For example, when an organization decides to switch to a new, more effective software program in order to increase its customer service; much like Embry Riddle did when switching from DataTel to Campus Solutions. The decision, although difficult to make, could have both a positive or negative long term impact on the organization; it could be either beneficial or detrimental to organizational success.

Therefore, I feel that when making faced with a difficult decision, one must be truthful, practical, considerate and straightforward. He/she must strive to eliminate negativity and increase the chances for positive long term results.  

Sunday, August 25, 2013

A520.2.6.RB - Shuck, Allison

Time Management
Assess your time management skills.
I am the type of person who likes to get things done; no matter how hard or challenge the task is. From the moment I get to work, I began prioritizing my day. I review all incoming emails and tickets in order to determine what emails/tickets need to be completed in what order, I schedule time to review all outstanding documents within my verification que, and I allot time each day to return all incoming phone calls.  Within a given day, I am responsible for, answering emails, responding to tickets, returning phone calls, reviewing/completing documents from within my que; among other things. However, due to the amount of incoming emails, tickets, phone calls ext. I find it difficult to complete all tasks within a given day. Therefore, I must find a way to manage my time and complete as many tasks as I can.

Evaluate how these skills have increased your locus of control.
Due to my situation, locus of control cannot be determined. Although I feel that I am in control of time, I cannot control of the amount of incoming emails, phone calls, tickets ext.  In addition I cannot control the type or amount of additional assigned to me by my supervisor. Once more, I cannot anticipate the amount or length of meetings in which I am required to attend. As a result of my inability to determine the above listed tasks/ meetings, I sometimes cannot effectively schedule my time and I often fall behind in my work.

Identify three new areas in which improved time management skills would reduce stress.
1.      Be sure to read each email completely and answer all questions fully – this will prevent additional emails from students
2.      Pay attention to deadlines
3.      Continue adding responses to Quickparts
4.      Seek help and guidance from others 

Add an action plan to integrate these to your daily routine.
By displaying each of the above time management skills on my whiteboard at work  I will be able to integrate each skill into my daily routine.


A520.2.3.RB - Shuck, Allison

Conflict Resolution

What was the conflict?
In my experience, ninety-nine percent of all conflicts arise due to miscommunication; where either myself or the person I am conversation with misinterpreted the meaning of a message. For example, about two years ago, I had a pretty big fall out with one of my colleagues from the accounting department due to miscommunication. This particular colleague, let’s just call her Lindsay, called me on the telephone to ask me about a loan adjustment that had been placed on a student’s account; she wanted to know what the loan adjustment was from.
In response to her question, I explained that all loan adjustments are in result of a Title IV Return of Funds. I continued to explain that when a student withdraws from all classes within a given term, the financial aid office must process a Return of Funds (ROF). A ROF is calculated by dividing the total number days within a scheduled course period by the total number of days in which the student has completed. The result of this calculation will give you the percentage of Title IV Funds earned that can be awarded to the student; all other funds must be returned to the Department of Education; which will create a balance on the students account.
After explaining the ROF process, Lindsay expressed that she did not completely understanding the transactions processed within the accounting screen and as a result asked me to speak with the student. At that time, I expressed to Lindsay that I do not know how to read the accounting transactions either and that it was not a part of my job responsibility. I continued by asking Lindsay “isn’t reading/interpreting the accounting transactions a part of your job?  This created a huge conflict!  Lindsay thought I was telling her that she wasn’t doing her job; when in fact, I was simply seeking out information.

What role did you play?
I was the recipient/initiator; when Lindsay called, she was already very confused and frustrated; and as a result, made me frustrated. However, I did not help the situation when I asked Lindsay about her job responsibilities.   

Who were the other participants in the negotiation?
As a result of my question, Lindsay became very irate and refused to speak to me about the situation. So, she decided to discuss the situation with my supervisor instead. Hence, my supervisor acted as the mediator. 

What was the result?
After informing Lindsay about the meaning of my question, I apologized to her for the misunderstanding. In addition, agreed to evaluate the situation fully before responding.  Lindsay however, did not apologize to me as she felt that she did not do anything wrong.


Can you see any room for improvement to how the conflict was handled?
Yes, I believe that when a conflict arises, the people involved should discuss the conflict, why it happened and what to do in order to prevent the same conflict from happening again in the future. I think the situation could have been handled differently. Lindsay should have taken the time to cool off before addressing the situation. I also think that she should have tried to talk to me first before addressing the problem with my supervisor. 

Sunday, August 18, 2013

A520.1.2.RB – Shuck, Allison

Self-Awareness Assessment

1.      What do you notice about your results?

After taking the pre Self-Awareness Assessment, I realized that I have a well-developed set of personal standards and beliefs that guide my behavior. However, because I am constantly trying to improve myself, both personally and professionally, I have a tendency to seek feedback from others. I have learned that through self-disclosure, I can learn more about myself and how I receive and process information. But, for the most part, I am capable of demonstrating emotional intelligence; I have the ability to display emotional maturity.

Emotional Intelligence Assessment

·         Emotional Awareness: the result of this assessment indicates that I am capable of understanding my inner emotions; I am capable of evaluating why I make certain decisions.
·         Emotional Control: the result of this assessment indicates that I prefer to confront an issue rather than avoid it. However, it also indicates that I am skillfully honest, in that I try to avoid being harsh to others.
·         Emotional Diagnosis: the result of this assessment indicates that I am sensitive to the emotional issues of others; but, that I sometimes lack the ability to acknowledge different emotional commitments.
·         Emotional Response: the result of this assessment indicates that I have emotional control, but also imply that I sometimes loose emotional control during stressful situations.

The Defining Issues Test

The result of this assessment indicates that I evaluate each issue from an ethical standpoint.

Cognitive Style Indicator – determines the way in which you gather, evaluate and act on information.           

      For all three styles: Knowing, Planning and Creating, my scores were as follows:

Knowing = 5
Planning = 4.85
Creating = 4

Based on the above listed scores, I scored above the average mean in knowing and planning among young managers, but scores below the average mean in creating. I scored above the average mean in planning amount young mangers and MBA students, but scored below the average mean in knowing and creating.

Locus of Control Scale

      In this assessment I scored 6, which is higher that then overall mean average of 5.19.

Tolerance of Ambiguity Scale – refers to the extent in which an individual feels threatened by the lack of information received with situations that are ambiguous, incomplete, unstructured, or dynamic in any way.

In this assessment, I received the following scores for each of the following categories:

Novelty = 27
Complexity = 51
Insolubility = 14

The result of this assessment indicates that my total score 92, was far above the average mean of 56.47; which means that I feel really threatened by the lack of information.

Core Self-Evaluation Scale – the attitudes, emotions and though patterns that make each individual unique.

The result of this assessment indicates that my score of 3.16 was significantly lower than the average mean 3.88.

2.      How much of this rang true for you?

For the most part, I feel that the results of each assessment were accurate, except for that of the Cognitive Style Indicator. I was shocked that I received a low score in creativity because I love to create and design new things.

3.      What did you see that you were expecting in the results?

I found results of the Emotional Intelligence Assessment to be completely accurate, I try to be non-confrontational but prefer to immediately address issues as they arise.

4.      What were the surprises?

Well, I felt that my score for the Core Self-Evaluation was not completely accurate. Why, because some of the questions being asked could only be applied during specific instances. For example: Question 8. I am filled with doubts about my competence. In some cases this can be true, but not in all cases. I feel that my competence can sometimes determined by others; meaning that I formulate my thoughts and beliefs on the opinions of others. Thus, it can be difficult to truly evaluate my true competence because everyone sees and understands things differently. What may be true to one person may not be true to the other. 
5.      How will you make use of this information? 
I can use this information to asses why I think the way I do and how my thoughts effect my actions. By evaluating my thoughts, values, beliefs, and emotions, I can learn how to adapt in different situations both good and bad. 

Saturday, August 17, 2013

A520.1.6.RB - Shuck, Allison

SELF AWARENESS

Over the past two years, my level of self-awareness has increased significantly.  Since I first began the MSLD program back in 2011 I have learned how to embrace the five core aspects of self awareness:

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE   

According to Whetten & Cameron (2011), “emotional Intelligence has come to encompasses almost everything non-cognitive including - social, emotional, behavioral attitudinal and personal factors”. To embrace emotional intelligence, one must be able to interprets his or her feelings and emotions; as well as, the feeling and emotions on others. 

The concept of emotional intelligence has always been a very difficult concept for me to grasp. Why, because I constantly struggle with interprets the feelings of others. And, I sometimes find it difficult to embrace the view point of others. It wasn't until learning about emotional intelligence and realizing my own feeling and emotions, that I became more aware of how to evaluate the emotions and feeling of others. Before learning about emotional intelligence, I was known for jump to conclusions and assuming the worst. Now, I tend to ask questions in an effort to understand the others person point of view before making assumptions. I have learned that by forming an open dialog and providing positive feedback, I can create a mutual understanding between myself and others.

ATTITUDES TOWARDS CHANGE

In order for a person to recognize his/her attitude toward change, he/she must first start by fully understand his/her own cognitive style. Meaning that in order for a person to adapt to change, he/she must understand how to perceive and remember information.

I truly believe that in order to grow one must embrace change. Change, although scary, is essential for progress.  In order to cope with change, one must become aware of his/her own orientation towards change. How one perceives and remembers information is an essential prerequisite for embracing change.  For me change id non-threatening, I am the type of person who is capable of learning and adapting to change well. For example, when Embry Riddle changed its operating system from DataTel to Campus Solutions, I was quick to learn the new system and as a result, was able to help my team through the transition process.

COGNITIVE STYLE

Cognitive style refers to the way in which a person perceives, interprets, and responds to information. A person’s cognitive style is often habitual, meaning that is does not involve conscious effort.  However, it is important to note that a person’s cognitive style is not always habitual; for he/she suppresses different information over time.  

A person’s cognitive style is formulated by two key dimensions: 1) the way a person gathers information and 2) the way in which a person evaluates and acts on information. According to Whetten & Cameron (2011), there are three dimensions within a person’s cognitive style. Those dimensions are: Knowing (facts, details and data), Planning (organization, plans and preparation) and Cheating (creativity, risk and innovation).

Because I am the type of person who must be interested in a topic to remember it, it has always been very difficult for me to retain random information. For example, if I was asked to recite each US president and the number of year he served in office, it would be almost impossible for me to do so. Why, because I simply not interest in the topic. However, if I was asked to recite the various components within a camera, I would be able to do so without a problem.

VALUES

For the most part, a person’s values are determined by his/her culture (the environment in which he/she grew up in); however, values have the tendency to change over time. Throughout a person’s life, he/she is influenced by different people and as a result, new values are formulated. According to Whetten & Cameron (2011), “values are among the most stable and enduring characteristic of individuals. A person’s values are the basis for intellectual decisions, personal guidelines and personal tastes.  

Two of the values that I cherish most in myself and others are: sincerity and honest. I learned at a very young age that if I told the truth, I would not be in as much trouble as if I told a lie. Call me old fashion, but I believe that people are only as good as their word.

CORE SELF-EVALUATION

Core Self-Evaluation can be referred to as positive self-regard – the degree in which a person values him or herself. A person’s Core-Self-Evaluation is made up of four components: self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, emotional stability, and locus of control. All of which determine a person’s personality, job satisfaction, job performance and overall happiness.

Within the past year, I have begun focusing on my emotional stability and locus of control. Not that I am a crazy person, but I tend to get defensive when conversing with others and do not always take constructive critics well. Sometimes, I feel as if I am being personally attacked, when in reality, that is not the case. In an effort to gain emotional stability and locus of control, I have begun paying attention to my behavior, attitude, emotions, and thought patterns when conversing with others. I have learned to formulate my thoughts are reactions on solid facts instead of delusional assumptions.

REFERENCE

Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2011). Developing management skills (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall/Pearson. (pp. 57-82)