Itfeedback Reportbased on the Following: What About

¶ … itFeedback Reportbased on the following: What about yourself in the report resonates with you? Provide personal examples of times where these strengths were manifested in your behaviour. What surprised you about the report and why?

End your paragraph by stating a fully developed SMARTER goal based on a skill or strength or weakness you might want to develop or enhance. If you do not remember what a SMARTER goal is, see Week One's lecture notes on Blackboard. The concept of a SMARTER goal was presented in week 4 by Professor Schlanger.

You will be required to submit a reflection paragraph based on your Career Feedback Report.

As the report states, the results were based on my input and therefore the report cannot be faulted for non-correspondence to my actual personality.

(reflection paragraph ) I did, however, find contradictions and I also am skeptical with the accuracy of the report since my behavior varies according to context, situation, and time as well as mood and other factors. There are some environments, for instance, where I may find myself more drawn and patient with people than I find myself in others. A tired mood or upset, too, may make me more short-tempered and aggressive. My extroversion also depends on context and mood. In fact, I think that were I to complete that report at another point in time, my answers may well have been different (due to my mood and context when completing the report). Their response may well have been different too.

Either way, the following is a summary of the report:

The report analyzed me as someone who has little patience for others and prefers to be a loner detesting collaborative work. Non-complimentary, the report also analyzed me as being competitive and disregarding the needs and desires of others. I am -- so the report said -- focused on myself. I am self-reliant and able to work in many different conditions and whilst able to influence others if the issues were important enough, generally shy away from doing so since I abhor company of others and think too few things worthy of addressing with my persuasive skills. The report also seemed to imply that I needed work on my persuasive skills since it referred me to workshops on this. .

At times, the report was contradictory in that it mentioned that I have little drive excepting when working on myself and lack the competitive edge (that was polar to what it had said before). The report too mentioned that I prefer rules and structured environments that possess consistency and eschew flexibility but, later on, under 'organization', mentioned precisely the reverse saying that a flexible environment would be the best bet for me. Somewhat contradictory again, it mentioned (under 'innovation') that I sometimes do engage in this, although prefer a predictable routine.

Certain high-risk, high-reward jobs would not be a good choice for me since the repot mentioned that I am a low-risk person. It emphasized this with saying that my tolerance for stress is low and implied that I am an emotional person given to over-excitement and hyperbolism as well as drive towards perfectionism. later on, the report was again contradictory and hedged its earlier comment regarding my dislike of working with people when it mentioned that I may like to work with some rather than with others and that I have impatience for certain demanding, challenging relationships. Well, don't all of us?

The report too noted that I had an analytical bent and interest in working with data. It therefore analyzed me as an analytical rather than social-minded person who veers towards research and investigative work.

In a similar way I enjoy "hands-on" work and am curious about how things work.

On a more positive note, I generally accept responsibility for my shortfalls and work on amending them. The report concluded that, like most people, I am not eager for leadership roles and ma willing to follow others rather than originate and command.

Reflection?

I find the report to be a mixed bag of contradictory assessments some of them way off mark. I for instance like others more than the report indicates and I consider myself to be less ego-centered and selfish as the report portrays me. On the other hand, my interests are analytical and more data than social driven. It is possible, too, that I prefer to work independently rather than work with others and certainly do like consistency and stability.

The contradictoriness of the report however may be due to the fact that it is not so easy to answer some of the questions and the questions reflect attitudes accumulated over different times and in different contexts. Naturally, there has been a diversity of results.

The SMARTER goal that I would wish to develop is work on my rhetorical and persuasive skills as the report recommends merely because I perceive this to be a valuable skills.

Specific, - I want to develop my persuasive skills by evaluating a Toastmaster's meeting and signing up for its sessions if I find them helpful. I will find out their location in this area and details by doing some Internet research and e-mailing them this coming Sunday.

Measurable, - I will know when I have improved in my persuasive skills by receiving the feedback from the Toastmaster members and by giving at least five speeches within the coming year.