Personal Effectiveness Agenda
MBA 602 F2FF
Dave McKnight
MBA 602 F2FF
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Personal Mission Statement
My mission is to be a person whom others recognize as being fair and ethical in
all relationships, whether personal or business. I strive to give more in each relationship
than I receive, setting an example in each interaction.
Professional Vision Statement
My vision is to be in a leadership position where I can utilize my talents to help
the people I work with, and the organization I work for, be more successful.
I will treat my subordinates as peers with the knowledge that my success and the
success of the organization depend on them.
I will treat my peers with respect and always see them as teammates rather than
competitors.
I will look for opportunities to help my subordinates and peers develop their own
talents. My role is, and always will be, as a coach and resource for the team.
Current Professional Reality
I am currently employed as a benefit claim processor for the Ohio Public
Employees Retirement System (OPERS). The position demands very little compared
with my past experiences, however it does allow me to learn more about the organization
I work for, while leaving my time free to develop my skills.
OPERS is a moderately old, conservative organization, with a history of stability not change. Until about five years ago when a new director arrived, OPERS employees
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operated under the same processes as they did in the 1980s, which were not too much
different from the processes used in the 1960s.
Today, the organization is rapidly adding new programs and new technology to
better serve members. While most people can see the advantages that technology brings,
the employees who began work under the prior leadership are not comfortable with the
changes. Having come from a corporate culture where change never occurred, many
employees are not comfortable with the rapid advances.
Prior to joining OPERS, I was with a theatre chain that went through several
reorganizations in an effort to adapt to a changing market. My leadership responsibilities
included coaching my own employees and managers in theatres across the country
through these changes. As a result, I am accustomed to and comfortable with change. I
believe that this past experience as well as my MBA studies will increase my chances for
advancement when a suitable position becomes available.
Although I am not presently a supervisor, I do what I can to help my peers adapt
to the changes and see the advantages the changes can bring. I help the senior employees
learn how to work with new software, and help the newer employees understand why
some of their peers are uncomfortable with change. Although my job description does not
include coaching and mentoring peers, it is my nature to help where I can.
Self-Assessment Results
During the course of my studies at Franklin University, I have completed a
number of self-assessments to help me better understand my competencies and make
better use of my talents. An overview of the various assessments follows.
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Myers-Briggs Personality Profile
The Myers-Briggs test was developed by Isabel Myers and Katherine Cook
Briggs to identify personality types. They identified four paired traits which describe how
a person prefers to take in information, prefers to make decisions, is motivated by the
inner or outer world, and prefers ongoing activities or closure. The paired traits are:
Introversion/Extroversion, Sensing/Intuitive, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving.
My personality type as identified by this test is ISTJ, or Inspector. People with my
personality profile tend to be quiet, serious, responsible, patient, and loyal. We are
conservative and dedicated to our work. We are extremely dependable, and perform our
duties quietly and efficiently without calling attention to ourselves.
Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI)
The Herrmann Brain Dominance
Instrument was originally developed by Ned
Herrmann at General Electric’s Management
Development Institute (Herrmann 1996). His
theory is that there are four general thinking
styles. By understanding which styles
dominate our own thinking, we better
understand ourselves, and how we tend to
interpret information. If we understand which
styles dominate the thinking of others, we can
communicate more efficiently with them and build better teams to achieve more.
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Emotional Intelligence Style Profile
The Emotional Intelligence Style Profile was developed by Dr. Jon Warner. This
profile helps us understand how we prefer to apply knowledge and feelings to inter relate
to others. As with the HBDI, a better
understanding of our own strengths and
weaknesses can help us better work with others.
As can be seen on the graph at the right,
my most highly preferred styles are Organized
and Reflective. I like to see clear systems and
processes to apply decisions in a controlled,
consistent way. I prefer to analyze carefully, rather than rushing to judgment. Oddly,
while this instrument has a left-brain/right-brain model similar to the HBDI, this suggests
that my emotional intelligence is not as well rounded.
Learning Styles Inventory (LSI)
The Kolb Learning Styles Inventory is a
tool to measure how a person learns most
effectively. As seen on the following graph, I
learn most effectively through assimilation and
convergence. In other words, I learn new things
best by gathering information, organizing it into
logical form, then applying it for practical uses.
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Language System Diagnostic Instrument(LSDI)
The Language System Diagnostic Instrument (Pfeiffer & Goodstein 1986) is a
tool intended to determine how you interpret
LSDI
information, which can suggest which learning
Auditory (36)
Visual (32)
Kinesthetic (32)
styles suit you best. As seen in the results on
the left, I have a slight preference for auditory
information. In a problem solving or stressful
situation, I might favor talking about solutions. Note however that this is a slight
preference only. I interpret visual and kinesthetic information equally and almost as well.
Strengths Finder
The Strengths Finder is a more complex tool developed by Marcus Buckingham
and Donald O. Clifton of the Gallup institute (Buckingham & Clifton 2001). Their theory
is that it is better to focus on building our strengths, rather than trying to shore up our
weaknesses.
My five greatest areas of strength, or themes as determined by this survey are,
Analytical, Harmony, Maximizer, Includer and Responsibility.
My Analytical theme indicates that I tend to look for proof rather than rely on
supposition. I have a natural talent for analyzing facts and figures and finding patterns.
The Harmony theme indicates that I look for areas of compromise and agreement.
Although I may not agree with someone, I am always willing to listen and attempt to find
a common ground for understanding.
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My Maximizer theme means that I do not like to accept average results. I tend to
be a perfectionist and am always looking for ways to improve processes, and improve my
understanding of processes and of the people around me.
The Includer theme refers to my desire to include as many people as possible in
group activities. I am willing to accept others as they are and consider everyone to be my
equal.
Finally, my Responsibility theme makes me feel bound to follow through on
anything that I commit to. If I do not deliver on a promise, I feel obligated to do whatever
is necessary to make it up to the person I failed.
Four Motivational Drivers Plot
Lawrence Nohria
theorizes that people are
motivated by four primary
drivers: The drive to acquire
Driving Factors
10
8
6
things and status, the drive to
bond with others, the drive to
Personal
4
Professional
2
0
learn, and the drive to defend
D1-Acquire
D2-Bond
D3-Learn
D4-Defend
or protect (Nohria 2002). Unlike most of the other profiles described here, this evaluation
is entirely subjective. The relative levels of the drives shown in the graph are not based
on a test, but on my own belief in my motives.
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Competency Card Sort Matrix
The Competency Card Sort Matrix is a simple exercise I completed for the course,
intended to compare my current competencies to those I believe are required to be an
effective leader. Shown below are the results.
Card Sort Tally Sheet
Competency #
Self-Assessment
1. Oriented toward action
3
2. Decisive
3
3. Learns through experience
2
4. Organizationally intuitive
2
5. Self-development skills
1
6. Understands the business
3
7. Trustworthy and straightforward
1
8. Strategic thinker
2
9. Capacity to take risks
2
10. Critical thinking skills
1
11. Global Perspective
2
12. Change management skills
1
13. Effectively works across functions
1
14. Emotionally literate
3
15. Team skills
1
16. Written communication skills
2
17. Presentation skills
3
Future Need - Three years
after graduation
1m
2
3
3
3
1L
2
1b
2
1a
2
1j
2
3
1h
2
3
Self-Assessment
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
Gives and receives feedback
Facilitation skills
Exhibits creativity and innovation
Technological agility
Systems thinker
Deals with ambiguity
Mentoring and coaching skills
Listening skills
Delegation skills
Negotiation skills
Quick learner
Confronts problem employees
Builds and repairs relationships
Management and Control
Planning
Leading through Shared Vision and Values
Inspiring and Influencing Others
Future Need - Three years
after graduation
2
2
3
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
2
2
3
3
1k
1g
1e
1d
1f
2
3
2
1i
2
3
3
1c
For Self-Assessment, 1,2, and 3 represent my perceived strength in this competency.
For Future Need, these represent my perception of what competencies will be needed to be successful.
Assessment of Social Capital
After studying Wayne Baker’s Achieving Success Through Social Capital (2000),
I believe that this is an area I need to develop further. I currently have quite a few friends
from the theatre industry scattered across the country. However, my plans for myself are
in Columbus, Ohio, so my nationwide contacts in the theatre industry are of limited value
as social capital.
From my interactions with mall merchants while I was in the theatre business, and
from my time managing a RadioShack store I have a number of contacts in the retail
world. Again, however, these contacts are not particularly helpful for my current career
plans.
In the year and a half in my current position, I have developed social contacts in
at least ten departments at OPERS other than the one I work in. In addition, I have
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developed social contacts at the other Ohio retirement systems – Ohio Police and
Fireman Pension Fund (OPF), School Employees Retirement System (SERS), State
Teachers Retirement System (STRS) – as well as contacts with a number of Ohio
employers who are in the OPERS retirement system.
I have developed these contacts not through a conscious effort, but simply
because I have gone the extra mile to help in a number of situations.
Integrated Weekly Time Allocation
Shown below is a grid of my time allocation for a typical week. I am fortunate
compared to many of my fellow students in that my present job does not demand more
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
than 40 hours, and I have no
600
Breakfast and daily planning
Sleep
700
Travel
major obligations of my time
800
Work
Study
900
outside of work. I try to keep
1000
1100
Sundays free for family and
1200
100
200
recreational activities,
300
400
500
Travel
Travel and Errands
otherwise all of the white areas
600
School
700
in the grid are unassigned. If I
800
900
Travel
1000
1100
need to spend additional time
Sleep
on a school assignment, I have time to do so. If the Ohio Township Organization
schedules a meeting on a Wednesday evening, I am free to attend.
Summary of the Results
Reviewing the results of the assortment of self-assessment tools, the strongest
theme throughout is my strength in analytical thinking and organizational abilities. These
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strengths are counterbalanced by a slight weakness in interpersonal and imaginative
thinking.
Whether looking at the HBDI results measuring intellectual thinking preferences,
or the EIS results measuring emotional thinking preferences, you will see that my
preferred thinking modes are left brain, analytical and organizational modes. This has
always been my greatest strength. Whether I am trying to solve a staffing problem at
work, plan a budget at home, or determine why my nephew’s computer crashed, I am
very good at analyzing facts, developing solutions for the present, and planning to
prevent future problems.
While these analytical modes dominate the HBDI results with a score of 122, the
lower scores of 38 and 33 for imaginative and interpersonal right brain thinking indicates
that I am also comfortable with these mode of thinking and relating. I may prefer that all
people think logically as I do, however I am comfortable looking at problems from the
emotional side as well.
The same pattern clearly shows in my Strength Finder results. Of my five
strongest themes (Analytical, Harmony, Maximizer, Includer and Responsibility), the
Analytical and Maximizer themes indicate my strengths in left brain reasoning, while the
Harmony and Includer themes demonstrate my abilities in right brain emotional
reasoning.
Looking at the Competency Card Sort, when I compare my current competencies
and strengths to what I perceive as needed to be successful, I find that I have most of the
core strengths needed to be an effective leader. On the positive side of the balance sheet
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are my strong analytical and organizational abilities. Areas where my current
competencies do not match what I perceive as ideal for a world-class leader are:
An orientation towards action – my past experience as a mid-level manager in a
large organization has given me a conservative outlook. When presented with a problem I
tend to analyze it thoroughly, collect more facts, then develop the perfect solution before
I take action (Maximizer theme). This is useful in a conservative organization, however if
I ever elect to move to a more fast-paced modern organization I realize it could be a
weakness.
Inspiring and influencing others – I have always relied on setting an example
through my actions to influence others. While I continue to set an example, my current
position at the bottom of the organizational chart limits my influence on others.
Understanding the business – While I have heard a number of people say that a
good manager can be effective in any business he or she chooses, my own experience has
been that the most effective managers are those who know their business well. My
current plan is to advance through management at my current organization therefore I
need a more thorough understanding of the business.
Backfit Scenario
By the time three years have passed after completing the MBA program, I expect
to have been in a leadership position with OPERS for at least two and a half years. If I
were then reminiscing about how I made it there, my thoughts would be something like
this:
I am finally where I want to be – in a position where I can actually make a
difference in the organization. Instead of spending my days telling clients, “I really wish I
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could, but we just can’t do that for you.” I spend my time working with a team planning
how we are going to prevent problems before they occur.
Getting here was not easy. When I joined the organization, I was one step up from
the bottom. It was more than a little humiliating. After 25 years in the theatre business,
the vice president of General Cinema would call me for advice on solving problems.
When I started here, I was not allowed to speak directly to my immediate supervisor. As
a trainee, I was required to take all questions to my trainer, then to a senior processor for
a solution. If neither of them could answer my question, one of them would present my
question to the supervisor.
The turning point came when I decided that I would not let my low position limit
me. Instead of joining my coworkers in grumbling that I was unappreciated, I looked for
ways to force the organization to recognize my abilities. The next time I had a difficult
case I developed a spreadsheet to solve the problem. Although it was not accepted at first,
I persisted. My persistence paid off when a coworker found a problem that could not be
solved using past processes. When I was able to present a solution in under ten minutes I
moved in their minds from trainee to problem solver.
My education at Franklin began the same way. When I was told that I was not
qualified to apply for a management position in the organization without a college
degree, I enrolled in Franklin University. My original goal was to earn a bachelor degree
and have the minimum qualifications needed. However, after completing a few courses I
realized that aiming for a bachelor degree would again be accepting the limited
expectations of others. Instead, I set my sights on an MBA.
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It was a difficult time. Meeting a whole new group of people every six weeks at
school forced me to develop my social skills. At the same time, I had to learn new
coaching skills at work. While I continued to earn the respect of my coworkers by
developing better solutions to problems, it was often difficult to introduce solutions to
those set in their ways.
By the time I achieved my MBA degree, I had gained the respect of not only my
coworkers, but of the managers of most of the departments in the building. Although I
was still just one step up from the bottom, they had learned that I was always willing to
help. When the Estimates department was understaffed for a major project, I volunteered
to learn something outside my defined role and put in more overtime than many of their
employees. When we replaced the antiquated software utilized in the Back Payments
department, the IT department learned that I had a better understanding of how and why
things were done than many of the senior people in the department.
With the respect of so many people in the organization obtaining my MBA was
almost anticlimactic. Shortly thereafter, I was not surprised when the assistant director
came to me and asked if I would like to take on a new role.
Although my position does not demand it, I continue to this day to earn the
respect of my peers by helping wherever I can. By doing so, I set an example for others
on how the organization as a whole can work together to better serve our clients.
Individual Development Strategy
Reviewing my current strengths and weaknesses I believe that my most effective
strategy to meet my goals is to focus on developing my strengths rather than focusing
excessively on weaknesses. The weaknesses that I have noted from the instruments above
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are for the most part not severe weaknesses, and not likely to limit me in my current
organization. By focusing on my analytical strengths, I can advance from “very good” to
“outstanding” problem solver rather than focusing excessively on weak areas and
advancing from “good” to “above average”.
Identification of Target Development Areas
Specific areas that I plan to develop are Information Technology Knowledge,
Organizational Knowledge, Social Capital, and Strategic Planning.
IT Knowledge
This is an area where I can build on my current strengths. My analytical and
problem solving strengths have in the past brought me success when dealing with
Information Technology issues.
To further develop this area, I have selected MIS as my focus for the MBA
program. In addition, I have an opportunity at work to become more involved in the
current initiative to replace the software we are currently using in the Back Payments
department. By doing so I can learn more about computers, and further demonstrate my
value to the organization.
Organizational Knowledge
As I previously indicated, my experience has been that the most successful
leaders are those who thoroughly understand their business. In less than two years I have
become one of the most knowledgeable people in the Back Payments department. By
learning more about the functions in the other departments in the organization, I can
position myself better for future advancement.
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To further develop my knowledge, I will look for opportunities to assist in other
departments when practical. I recently assisted with a major project in the Estimates
department, which greatly increased my knowledge of their processes and how they
interrelate with Back Payment functions.
A second strategy, which I may consider, would be to apply for an internal
posting to another department.
Social Capital
In the year and a half that I have been in the organization, I have gained the
respect of my peers and made social contacts in a number of other departments in the
organization. I plan to continue to do so by continuing to volunteer to assist people from
other departments wherever possible.
I also plan to use the academic requirement that I participate in a professional
organization during my MBA studies to my advantage. By participating in a professional
organization, I can expand my social contacts while learning about another business.
Strategic Planning
My past experience has given me a great deal of experience with strategic
planning. I have been involved with planning projects ranging from product rollouts to
selection of new sites for theatres.
While my current position in the organization does not demand much advance
planning, I can build these skills through participation in the software re-write project
currently underway in my department. By analyzing potential software problems and
anticipating future training needs I can help prevent some of the problems I have
witnessed with the rollout of other new projects in the organization.
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Organizational Engagement
As part of my MBA experience, I have joined the Franklin County chapter of the
Ohio Townships Organization. This is an organization primarily consisting of members
of township governments.
In addition to expanding my social contacts, I chose this organization for two
reasons. The first is an interest in better understanding government. By working with
members of local government from all across the state, I can get more exposure to a
variety of people and ideas than I would by participating in only our local government.
The second reason is that in my current organization the individuals who work for
local governments are my clients. By relating to these individuals in another capacity, I
can learn more about their concerns. I can also, in an unofficial, capacity share
information that can help them interact better with my organization. An example would
be to offer advice on which department can best solve a complex problem for a township
clerk.
Focus Selection
For the elective part of my MBA experience, I chose to focus on Management
Information Systems (MIS). I selected MIS as my focus as a way to build on my existing
strengths and shore up my lack of experience in this area.
In the past, I have had a great deal of experience working with personal
computers. I have a CompTIA A+ Certificate for building and repairing personal
computers. I have also been developing spreadsheets and software applications since the
beginning of the PC era. In addition, while I was employed with General Cinema
Theatres I helped introduce the use of personal computers in local theatres.
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By further enhancing my IT skills, I can become even more valuable to the organization.
Expectations for Coaching Support
As you will note from the various analyses of my self-assessments, I am
accustomed to taking responsibility for my own actions and working independently.
Having a coach to assist in any way is a novel experience. As such, I do not expect my
coach to waste her valuable time teaching me things I can learn on my own.
Instead, I see more value in my coach as a person who can look at what I am
doing from another viewpoint, and offer advise on how I can be more effective and
valuable to my employer.
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Reference
Baker, W. (2000). Achieving success through social capital. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Buckingham, M., Clifton, D.O., (2001). Now, discover your strengths. New York:Free
Press.
Herrmann, N. (1996). The whole brain business book. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Kolb, D.A. (1999). The Kolb learning style inventory. Boston: McBer & Company
Training Resources Group.
Lawrence, P.R., Nohria, N. (2002). Driven:How human nature shapes our choices. San
Francisco:Jossey-Bass.
The Myers-Briggs personality types. Retrieved October 12, 2003, from
http://209.15.29.56/myersbriggs/personhome.htm
Myers & Briggs Foundation. MyersBriggs.org. Retrieved October 13, 2003, from
http://myersbriggs.org
Pfeiffer, J.W., Goodstein, L.D. (1986) The language system diagnostic instrument. The
1986 annual: Developing human resources. Pp 104-110.
Warner, J. (2001). Emotional intelligence style profile. Amhurst, MA:HRD Press.
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