Skills Development Report Essay Example

Skills Development Report Essay Example Skills Development Report Essay Skills Development Report Essay According to Scott (2005), self-awareness is at the center of professional learning and development.   In order to boost his career potential, each worker must understand himself, being aware of the kind of work he enjoys, and recognizing his strengths, weaknesses and skills, as well the effect that he has on others.   Self-awareness allows people to easily manage their own behavior apart from their colleagues while fulfilling the goals of the organization.   As a matter of fact, self-awareness lies at the very core of successful leadership. So as to help the reader develop self-awareness, Scott recommends the Myers Briggs personality type indicator (MBTI) in addition to the 16PF – two of the many psychometric tools employed in the assessment of one’s interests, talents, and skills.   Such psychometric tests are known to help in self-reflection.   Feedback from a skilled practitioner who administers these tests is sure to help the individual gain more insights about his behavior.   In order to gather additional knowledge about their managerial styles, managers may even consider requesting â€Å"multi-sourced feedback† if not a â€Å"full-blown 360-degree appraisal (Scott).† 1.2 Discussion Scott’s article stresses the importance of self-awareness.   Managers who are deeply cognizant of their managerial styles are easily able to improve upon them.   However, self-awareness is also essential for their subordinates.   People who are not aware of their talents, skills, strengths and weaknesses may waste a great deal of time on jobs that they are not suited for.   If they truly understood their own capabilities they would not only increase their productivity but also their earning potentials. Fortunately, psychometric tests such as the MBTI and 16PF are available to the modern-day workforce.   Perhaps every organization should make it mandatory for its employees to take these tests.   In this way, the organizations would also be saved from wasting their time and resources on training people for jobs that they are not suited for.   Moreover, self-aware employees would be able to manage themselves and their colleagues better.   In short, they would act more responsibly toward their organizations. 1.3 Summary Hardingham (2004) writes that self-awareness is necessary for all workers, except the â€Å"most creative, talented and quirky of individuals, who survive by simply doing what comes naturally.†Ã‚   Yet, Hardingham’s article is especially meant to help developers and trainers in organizations to expand their self-awareness.   According to the author, self-awareness would allow developers and trainers to plan in advance so as to ensure that their weaknesses would not compromise their work.   Besides, it would assist them in watching out for mistakes and doing something about their weaknesses. Hardingham further believes that self-awareness helps people to be conscious of their responses.   Additionally, it leads to self-acceptance.   The author recommends several strategies for achieving this, e.g. psychometric testing and coaching. 1.4 Discussion Hardingham’s article offers a fresh perspective on self-awareness, although some of the author’s ideas are the same as the ones put forward by Scott.   The fact that self-awareness permits people to be conscious of their responses in any given moment was not mentioned by Scott.   Similarly, the idea of self-acceptance as a corollary of self-awareness is new.   This idea is especially important for people who are severely critical of themselves.   Some of these people are perfectionists whose performance may be adversely affected when and if they fail to meet their own expectations.   By knowing who they truly are, such persons may save themselves from a great deal of heartache in addition to losses in productivity. Both Hardingham and Scott describe the importance of feedback in addition to psychometric tests such as the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator for self-awareness.   The reader is, therefore, led to believe that these two methods of increasing self-awareness must be the most essential ones.   At the same time, however, the importance of introspection as one of the principle methods of gaining insights about oneself cannot be discounted.   Hardingham describes introspection as â€Å"a personal exploration of our own history and beliefs.†Ã‚   She also mentions a strategy for increasing self-awareness that Scott’s article fails to consider: coaching.   All the same, this method of expanding self-awareness is not described by the author in depth. 2. Managing under Pressure 2.1 Summary With a focus on health care management, Curtin’s (2005) article describes plenty of situations that could place a â€Å"severe strain† on managers.   These situations may include â€Å"public dissatisfaction with healthcare, hospital closures, disgruntled patients, physicians, administrators and personnel, meeting after meeting devoted to planning and/or reporting on implementation of yet another change, or on budget (keeping within it or explaining why you cant or didnt), or reorganization (Curtin).†Ã‚   The author’s advice for managers that are dealing with pressure is that they must learn to lead themselves under pressure before they can hope to effectively lead others.   The following are three of the most significant tips for managers to bear in mind when facing pressure on the job: (1) They must not hurt themselves and others on the physical, psychological and emotional levels; (2) They must take good care of themselves so that they are in a posi tion to take good care of others; and (3) No matter how difficult the circumstances are, managers must use their experiences as opportunities for growth and learning. 2.2 Discussion The advice offered in Curtin’s article may be used by managers in all industries.   All managers may have to face the kinds of problems that managers in the health care system must deal with from time to time.   Time pressures are commonplace; and dissatisfied and/or disgruntled people are not hard to find among the stakeholders of any organization. It is noteworthy that Curtin’s article also touches on the concept of self-awareness.   When facing pressure in the workplace or in times of crises, managers must be able to manage their own selves before they can effectively manage others.   Self-management includes physical, psychological and emotional levels to the self.   Curtin writes that managers must experience stressful times as opportunities for growth and learning.   In other words, they must reflect on themselves as well as their relationships with the situations at hand when dealing with pressure on the job.   Undoubtedly, managers would be able to increase their self-awareness in the process of managing themselves under pressure.   What is more, with the assumption that pressure is an experience of growth rather than pain, managers would be able to deal with the stressful situations in a positive way.   In fact, their positive attitude toward pressure is sure to rub off on their subordinates. 2.3 Summary Stettner (2004) writes that managing under pressure demands the process of decision-making to be speeded up.   In point of fact, fast decision-making is a skill for managers to learn before they can use it under pressure.   Managers cannot afford to make stupid decisions by acting too quickly.   Rather, they must be able to thoughtfully assess the organizational situations before they can arrive at decisions during stressful times. Instead of worrying about the deadlines, managers under pressure should keep their focus on the goals of the tasks at hand.   Also according to the author, managers under pressure are inclined to talk too much.   Instead of lecturing their teams on the subject of speediness, however, managers should learn to listen.   In any case, it is more important for them to assess rather than debate under pressure. 2.4 Discussion Stettner offers very valuable advice for managing under pressure.   The author is absolutely correct to state that assessment is of the essence, regardless of whether the situation facing the manager is stressful or not.   Anxious managers may spoil the tasks at hand.   Therefore, it is necessary for managers to learn self-control so as to effectively manage under pressure.   The concept of self-awareness may be quite useful for managers who are trying to learn self-control for this reason.   By knowing that he easily becomes anxious through a tense situation at work, a manager would be able to control his emotional state.   He would also learn to talk less and listen more in such situations.   This advice proffered by the author may, in fact, reduce the manager’s anxiety.   When the manager is relaxed and in control, his subordinates would also feel relaxed enough to perform their tasks efficiently.   After all, it is not impossible for people to meet deadli nes in a state of relaxation.   What is more, anxiety is known to have an unfavorable effect on any job at hand. 3. Motivating Others 3.1 Summary Welch and Welch (2007) describe money, â€Å"interesting work,† and â€Å"enjoyable co-workers† as â€Å"no-brainers† as far as employee motivation is concerned.   Managers need to learn about a new perspective on employee motivation that the authors put forth.   In this perspective, recognition is a very important motivator.   Whenever an employee or a team does a good job, the company should make a public announcement.   Awards should also be handed out, and the managers should mention the productive effort of the employee or team whenever there is an opportunity.   In point of fact, the success of employees and/or teams must be celebrated by their companies. Another way of motivating employees is for companies to ensure that their missions are spelled out.   In fact, the mission of every task must be explained to the employees in simple terms.   Finally, the authors advise companies to motivate their employees by making them feel that although they have reached the top, they are still climbing the mountain of success.   The authors explain this as a balance between â€Å"achievement and challenge (Welch and Welch).† 3.2 Discussion It is a well-known fact that employees are motivated by money, jobs that they enjoy, and co-workers who make their organization a fun place to work.   Welch and Welch offer entirely new ideas about employee motivation – all of which are expected to work wonders for the organization.   Furthermore, it does not cost the organization anything to implement most of the ideas.   Recognition, for example, only requires the organization to make its employees’ success a fact to be known by everyone in the workplace.   Similarly, by clarifying the mission of the organization and its tasks to the employees, the organization is expected to cut its costs rather than to incur costs.   There would be less wastage of time and resources if the mission of the organization and its tasks is made obvious to the workers.   Lastly, the organization would not incur costs by helping the employees to feel that although they have achieved great success they may continue to climb the s uccess ladder. Celebrating the success of all employees may be costly.   All the same, it is considered essential by many organizations to celebrate the major successes of their employees.   As a matter of fact, celebration is expected to be such an effective motivator that the employees who are not successful enough for their efforts to be celebrated may also be motivated by the hope that their efforts would be similarly celebrated if they work harder and better. 3.3 Summary Dalton (2007) writes that there may be seven kinds of people in an organization at any time: â€Å"Commanders, who need control; Drifters, who need flexibility; Attackers who need respect; Pleasers who need to be liked; Performers, who need recognition; Avoiders who need security; and Analyticals, who need certainty.†Ã‚   Accordingly, the author offers tips to motivate the seven kinds of people, even though the basic descriptions of the seven types of workers are enough as a framework for a theory of motivation. 3.4 Discussion Dalton’s need theory of motivation is altogether different from Abraham Maslow’s famous theory, despite the fact that it is based on the same concept, that is, employees have needs, the fulfillment of which is enough to motivate them.   Thus, the commanders among the employees must have their work linked to results in order to feel that they are in control.   If these people lack a sense of being in charge, they would be unmotivated.   Likewise, the drifters in the workplace should be given free rein to express their creativity, without which they may be unmotivated to work efficiently.   The attackers, the pleasers, the performers, the avoiders and the analytical also possess specific needs that must be fulfilled in order for them to feel motivated for efficient work practices.   What is more, if the ideas of Welch and Welch are incorporated, it would be icing on the cake. 4. Managing Conflict 4.1 Summary Fralix (2007) writes that there are two main kinds of conflict: covert conflict and overt conflict.   Covert conflict is also of two types: avoiding conflict and ignoring conflict.   According to the author, conflicts are unhealthy for the organization.   Therefore, employers should use the conflict management tactics that she puts forward: (1) Using personality assessment tools to understand the communication styles of potential employees, so as to prevent and avoid conflict in the workplace; (2) Establishing an organizational culture that welcomes diversity, seeing that conflict is often a result of diversity; (3) Clearly explaining the roles and responsibilities of each individual; (4) Openly discussing conflict, etc. 4.2 Discussion Needless to say, all kinds of conflicts mentioned by the author may be destructive or constructive for the organization.   Falix fails to mention the constructive type of conflict in her article.   This kind of conflict may lead to new ideas and much-needed changes in the organization. It is interesting to note that personality assessment tools may also play an important role in preventing destructive conflicts in the workplace.   As mentioned previously, these tools may be very helpful for the employees in enhancing self-awareness.   Although the organization is expected to use its employees’ results on personality tests to understand their communication styles before the occurrence of a destructive conflict, the results must be shared with the employees so as to allow them to increase self-awareness, which in turn would increase their sense of responsibility in the workplace. 4.3 Summary Springer’s article, â€Å"Managing conflict to build consensus† describes the constructive side of conflict.   According to the author, â€Å"Fostering conflict to enhance decision quality while simultaneously building consensus requires the stimulation of debate, keeping conflict constructive, insuring that the process is fair and legitimate and being able to reach closure (Springer).†Ã‚   Thus, the article offers ideas on nurturing conflict instead of preventing it, e.g. by way of role playing.   Springer also describes the decision-making process that is perceived as fair, in addition to ideas to prevent a misalignment of the entire process of using conflict to help the organization. 4.4 Discussion Contrary to Falix’s article, â€Å"How to prevent and resolve conflicts in the workplace,† Springer’s writing defines conflicts as desirable.   As stated previously, constructive conflicts may help the organization by allowing it to gather new ideas for change.   Moreover, once the conflict is resolved the employees of the organization would be able to agree on the final decision made by the managers, provided that their organization is in the habit of nurturing conflicts for positive change.   The author insists that the decisions should be perceived as fair, however.   In order to achieve a sense of fairness in its decision-making, the organization must seek to avoid all negativity during the conflict.