[Editors note: The following is a journal entry addressing specific questions provided by the CPM course instructors for module 1.1.]
Q1. Briefly describe what you learned from the introductory activities, instruments and discussions. What stands out for you?
After the first two days of instruction providing only marginal amounts of new material, one observation in particular stood out. Since this is the first offering of the class by the UW-Tacoma, the course’s shape, format, and requirements, in the phraseology of the famous golf instructor Harvey Penick, “has the opportunity to improve.”
A fairer description should also acknowledge the third day provided interesting introductions to and dialogue about the concepts of personality typing and systems theory presented by Mrs. Rough-Mack and Dr. Fraser.
Q2. Now that you know what the program entails, what are you most excited about and why?
Given that much of the course is still forming, I am particularly excited to help shape the course in a manner that maximizes my learning and leaves a positive imprint on subsequent classes. Being part of something that is innovative and developing is intriguing, whereas a rigorously scripted syllabus would grate on my "Most Independent" (INTJ) personality type.
As for the course content, I am very excited to meet a wide range of experts in the public management fields. Both of the first two instructors were very engaging and knowledgeable.
What do you anticipate will be most challenging to you and why?
Since participation in the program has been primarily driven by my own initiative, I anticipate getting strong investment and buy-in from supervisor and peer team members to be my biggest challenge.
Q3. How will information about personality typing be useful to you as a leader?
The personality typing has clarified some of my thoughts in regards to my own motivations. Anticipating that this will be a subject for a future reflection, I will defer further comment on that specific subject for the present.
Q4. How would you describe systems thinking and how does it relate to leadership?
Thinking in terms of systems and structures is something that seems to come naturally for me. Given a background in engineering and construction which entail designing, analyzing, and optimizing systems of inter-related systems, envisioning these concepts within management applications has been and will likely be one of my strengths.
Being able to communicate the vision of an optimized system with enthusiasm is something that will probably be an area for growth.
Q5. Considering your self-assessment and the components of the program, what aspects of your leadership style would you most like to develop? What do you want to learn more about? How might you do that? Who or what would need to be involved?
Given the other reading in the class, the concept of starting with self assessment components seemed either paradoxical, or at the least premature.
The first reading, In Grave Danger of Growing by Dr. Charles Seashore, makes the point that there are often "significant discrepancies between what was expected in the programs and what is found" and "Participates will generally find some of their most valuable experiences and learning in situations which have not been planned or designed for that purpose.” So guessing at what areas to target for development based on self assessments in the first class is likely to be inaccurate.
More pointedly, in the assigned reading Teaching Smart People How to Learn by Chris Argyris (Harvard Business Review, May-June 1991) the point is made that even high achieving professionals who are very profficient in teaching others how to do things, are particularly poor at identifying their own errors. The article does point to a process whereby self assessment techniques leading to learning feedback loops could be taught, but it gives little support to a notion of simple period of self reflection will be productive.
Third, Americans are extremely poor at self assessment. Consider this synopsis of the situation recounted within a sermon by Dr. Robert Rayburn dated April 29, 2007. (See also his sermons dated 2/18/96, 4/5/98, 9/3/00, 9/30/07 and 7/28/13 for additional references. Should it be surprising that this concept needs repeated reinforcement?)
I have regaled with you such statistics before but
it is important for us to remember and never forget that human beings typically
view themselves in wildly complementary terms. Whether it is the recent Washington
Post report of a survey that found that 94% of Americans said they were
above average in honesty, 89% above average in common sense; 86% above average
in intelligence; and 79% above average in looks; or a recent report in the
journal Social Psychology (1993) that 90% of American business managers
rate their performance “superior”, 86% of employees rate themselves as “better
than average”, and among divorced couples 90% insist that the break-up was
their spouse’s fault; or the enormous survey some years ago of American high
school seniors who took the SAT, of whom 70% rated their leadership ability
above average and only 2% below, as to getting along with others zero rated
themselves below average and 25% saw themselves in the top 1%... (http://www.faithtacoma.org/content/2007-04-29-pm.aspx)
Given all of this, how accurate or meaningful should we expect a self assessment to be? Is it logical to make such a self assessment the primary basis for how we structure learning goals for the course?
Q6. Identify a goal or action item for your Learning Plan.
So with minimal weight placed on self assessment, the two areas have emerged as the most worthwhile growth areas for the coming class.
The first foci, would be the continued development of social interaction skills. In conversation with my wife recently, she commented that I was pretty smart, but didn’t have ANY social skills. Admittedly, I have always felt this is an area of discomfort for me and an opportunity for growth.
The second foci would be a technical aspect. I would like to round out some of the knowledge areas peculiar to governmental service that I may not be exposed to at my position in a Tribal Government.
No comments:
Post a Comment