Chapter 1: Developing
Self-Awareness
Who are you,
and what is your preferred
work style?
Objectives

Increase personal awareness of your:
 Sensitive line
 Personal values and moral maturity
 Learning style
 Orientation toward change
 Interpersonal style
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Sensitive Line


Point at which individuals become
defensive or protective when
encountering information about
themselves
Increased self-knowledge occurs when:
 Information is verifiable, predictable
and controllable
 Self-disclose so others can provide
insights into your behavior
3
Core Aspects of SelfConcept
Values
Attitudes
(Toward
Change)
Learning
Style
Interpersonal
Needs
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Values

Fundamental standards of desirability by
which we choose between alternatives,
assumptions about the nature of reality
 learned early, continue to develop
 drive choices and behavior
 differ based on culture and
environment
5
Cultural Values

Broad, general orientations that
characterize large groups
 Identify ways in which nationalities differ
from one another
 Cultural values predict individual values
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Trompenaar’s Value
Dimensions
Universalism
Particularism
Individualism
Collectivism
Affective
Neutral
Specific
Diffuse
Achievement
Ascription
Past and Present
Future
Internal
External
"Flags courtesy of www.theodora.com/flags. Used with permission"
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Rokeach - Two Types of
Personal Values

Terminal
 Comfortable life
 Exciting life
 World at peace
 World of beauty
 Equality
 Family security
 etc...

Instrumental
 Ambitious
 Capable
 Cheerful
 Clean
 Courageous
 Forgiving
 etc...
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Kohlberg – Value Maturity
Model

Three levels of maturity with six stages of
development
 Self-centered level – (1) obedience and
punishment, (2) naively egoistic orientations
 Conformity level – (3) good person, (4) “doing
duty” orientations
 Principled level – (5) contractual legalistic, (6)
conscience of principle orientations
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Learning Style


An individual’s inclination to perceive,
interpret and respond to information in a
certain way
Two key dimensions:
 manner in which you gather
information
 way in which you evaluate and act on
information
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Learning Styles - Kolb
Concrete experience – learn through
personal involvement
 Reflective observation – seek meaning
through study
 Abstract conceptualization – build
theories using logic, ideas and concepts
 Active experimentation – change
situations and influence others to see
what happens

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Sample Scoring for LSI
Concrete Experience
Accommodating
Diverging
Reflective
Observation
Active
Experimentation
Converging
Assimilating
Abstract Conceptualization
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Tolerance of Ambiguity


The extent to which individuals are
threatened by or have difficulty coping
with ambiguity, uncertainty,
unpredictability, complexity...
Organizational environments are
characterized by more and more
information, turbulence and complexity
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Tolerance of Ambiguity
Dimensions
– coping with new,
unfamiliar situations
 Novelty

Complexity – using
multiple, distinctive, or
unrelated info
– dealing with
problems that are difficult to
solve
 Insolubility
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Managers with High
Tolerance for Ambiguity...

are more entrepreneurial in their actions
 screen out less information in complex
environment
 choose specialties that are less
structured
 cope more effectively with organizational
change, downsizing, role stress and
conflict
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Locus of Control


The attitude people develop regarding
the extent to which they are in control of
their own destiny
Most successful American managers
have internal locus of control – they
believe that they control destiny rather
than being controlled by outside forces
(external locus of control)
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High Internal LOC







less alienated from work
more satisfied with work
experience less job strain
more likely to be leaders
do better in stressful situations
use more persuasive power
less likely to comply with leader
directions
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Locus of Control Scale
Comparison Data
SAMPLE SCORE
Alberta Municipal Administrators
Business Executives
Career Military Officers
Connecticut Psychology Students
National High School Sample
Ohio State Psychology Students
Peace Corps Trainees
NUMBER
50**
71***
261***
303*
1000*
1180*
155*
MEAN
6.24
8.29
8.29
3.88
8.50
8.29
5.94
Sources: *Rotter, 1966 **Harvey, 1971 ***Rothberg, 1980 (Higher scores more external.)
(29 possible points.)
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Interpersonal Needs

Need to work with others to accomplish
tasks
 Need to work with others to reduce
anxiety
 Need to work with others to define oneself
 Personality determines style of working
with others
 FIRO-B measures differences in styles
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FIRO-B Descriptors
Inclusion
Control
Affection
Expressed I join other
I take charge,
I get close
Toward
people, and I and I influence and personal
Others
include
people.
with people.
others.
Wanted
From
Others
I want other
people to
include me.
I want others to I want people
lead me or give to get close
me directions. and personal
with me.
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FIRO-B Incompatibilities



Reciprocal – Difference between one
person’s expressed behavior and
another person’s wanted behavior
Originator – Match between expressed
scores of two individuals
Interchange – Extent to which two
people emphasize the same
interpersonal needs
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Developing Self-Awareness:
Behavioral Guidelines

Identify your sensitive line
 Identify your values and those of others
 Seek ways to expand yourself
 Identify important interpersonal
incompatibilities
 Engage in self-disclosure
 Keep a journal
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