Final Portfolio Assignment

Jennifer Givens

MSM500-T301

Management of People in Society

Bellevue University

5/26/2024

Introduction

Throughout this semester, we have had the opportunity to test and research many tools that are useful when managing staff.   Understanding your staff’s personality differences, learning styles, how they handle emotionally charged situations, and how they adapt to change will help to build an engaged and productive work environment.   I think it is also important to note that managers can also use the tools to understand how they handle certain situations.  Self-awareness is very important as a manager, if you understand how, you handle certain situations, you can be mindful of how that reaction will affect each person on your team as well.  This paper will dive deeper into each tool, and I will discuss my results, as well as how they can be used effectively and my account of how I found them useful. 

Myers-Briggs Type indicator

The first tool we visited was a personality test known as the HumanMetrics Questionnaire or Meyers-Briggs approach.  The Meyers-Briggs approach breaks down types into four dimensions or indicators (Myers et al., 1985): introversion–extraversion (how people get energized), sensing-intuition (how people receive information), thinking–feeling (how people make decisions) and judging–perceiving (how people organize information).(Pratama, A. Pritasari, A. Hidayanti, N. Tampubolon, M.N., and Nur, B. 2021).    My results, INTJ, were not a surprise to me.  The breakdown was as follows; Introvert (66%), Thinking and Judging (34% each), and Intuitive (6%).   INTJ is considered part of the “thinker” category which ensures “the quality standards are achieved appears to be rather prioritized than maintaining good relationships” (Pratama, A. 2021.). 

In my own business experience, I try to be self-aware and understand there are opposites of me, and they truly thrive on relationship building.  I love contributing to conversations, but sometimes small talk is a struggle. We all know the golden rule “treat others how you want to be treated” but I am a firm believer it should state “treat others how THEY want to be treated”.  What works for me does not work for everyone and it is important to understand their profiles so you can adapt. Managers should understand where their staff ranks in each one of these dimensions and understand how they can manage someone who may be on the opposite side of them.  Having awareness and understanding of such a thing can help them to lead more productive conversations and build on each person’s strengths.

Learning Styles

The VAK learning styles model, Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic, is a basic and easy way to classify how we learn.  I was surprised with my results as I have always said I learn better when I am “hands-on”, however, my results showed auditory as #1, Kinetic #2, and Visual #3.  They were only 1 point away, so they were very close.    For me, I think I learn certain things in different manners.  For example, when it comes to math, I am 100% visual and kinetic.  Knowing your learning style can help you find a good balance with your learning. 

I facilitate corporate learning courses once a quarter and my audience can vary from Executive leadership to front-line associates.  I must ensure I tailor our lessons to meet each person’s learning style.  Now that we are 100% remote this makes it a litte more difficult to engage everyone and ensure everyone’s learning needs are being met.  Managers can also use this information to assist with onboarding a new hire or bringing in a new project.  Some people may find a quick tutorial sufficient, but others may need a step-by-step guide to help them understand.   Onboarding is a great time to get to know your employees and find out what method works best for them.    

How can managers use this to help with staff?

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the theory of how individuals manage their own emotions and how they manage the emotional responses of others.   According to Mayer and Salovey, Emotional intelligence can be broken down into four dimensions; perceiving emotions, using emotions, understanding emotions, and managing emotions (Mayer and Salovey 2008).

My results for Emotional Intelligence came in at 100, which was reasonably good but still has room for improvement.   I was not completely surprised with my results; however, I was a little surprised that I fell higher on handling the emotions of others rather than handling my own.  I sometimes feel uncomfortable when others show emotion or react in an overly emotional way to certain things.  

            Emotional intelligence is a very popular topic at work, especially over the last few years.   When hiring, we added a question around emotional intelligence to try and determine if applicants possessed strong emotional intelligence or if it was something they struggled with.  The answers have varied, some truly understand the meaning of emotional intelligence and can effectively manage their emotions at work.  This has been especially useful for our internship program since we are working with younger adults.  Emotional intelligence is not necessarily something you are born with, but it is something you can continue to build on throughout your life.   Situations, experiences, and even other people can affect how you learn to handle certain emotional situations.  I think for managers, it is important where each person stands and, in some instances, we should be there to help guide them to a higher level of emotional intelligence.   In a study done by Edelman, P. and van Knippenberg, D. (2018), they found that “EI is positively related to leadership effectiveness when controlling for cognitive intelligence and Big Five personality traits, and we established the appropriateness of responses to follower emotions as a mediator in this relationship”.

Tolerance of Ambiguity

Tolerance of ambiguity is how we deal with situations where there is little clarity or instruction.  This happens often and how someone handles ambiguity may have a direct impact on their growth within a company.   Individuals with a high tolerance of ambiguity will be less hesitant to proceed with a task or project with little clarity.  An individual with a lower tolerance of ambiguity may need more clarification or black-and-white instructions before proceeding comfortably.  In the study by O’Connor, P. J., Jimmieson, N. L., Bergin, A. J., Wiewiora, A., & McColl, L. (2022), they presented that higher tolerance of ambiguity leads to a more comfortable leader when presented with ambiguous situations. This showed leaders with a high tolerance for ambiguity also had better team performance as well. 

I was not completely surprised by my results for tolerance for ambiguity.  I scored very high.   I have learned to roll with punches as I have gotten older, especially at work.  I am not afraid to jump in and figure something out, I think I have had a lot of change in my life that has prepared me.  I work with someone who has a low tolerance for ambiguity, he will get anxious over the littlest change or if someone is asking for something we didn’t prepare for.   We balance each other well!   This assignment and the readings helped give me more insight into how we handle different things.  I will take this information back with me to help me understand his thought process on things versus my own.

Managers can use this specific skill or tool to help them understand the best way to approach change or unplanned situations.  For example, when we have an unplanned event at work, my manager often reaches out to me first so I am prepared for the fallout I may get from my peers.   That gives me a chance to think about what I am going to say to him or how I can try to lessen the impact.   It may seem unfair for him to tell me first, but my peer knows it is for the best.   In some cases, I may just get a warning that something is coming and to be prepared, I may not get specifics.  Either way, it helps me prepare for the concerns and “panic” that may be coming.  Another way my manager handles this is by giving us time to ask questions.   Allowing us a safe space to share grievances or to check our understanding is a great way to show he is trying to accommodate us, and he wants to hear us out.

Locus of Control

Locus of control is the theory of believing we control what happens to us.  It is broken out by internal and external control.  Internal control is the belief that we control our destiny.  A high internal control firmly believes that their behavior creates a result.   External control is the belief that we do not control our destiny, instead, it is controlled by other people, fate, and luck create our outcomes.  In a study published by the Journal of Organizational Behavior (Volume 27, Issue 8), they analyzed the relationship between locus of control and a variety of work outcomes.  Their study showed internal locus was “positively associated with favorable work outcomes”.They had more positive social interactions and motivation.  These two differ in their perception of “the environment, motivation, tendency to exert effort, and coping strategies, resulting in different work and life experiences and outcomes” Xu, L.  Liu, Z. Ji, Ming. Dong, Y. Wu, C-H.  (2022).

I didn’t know what to expect from Locus of Control.  I tend to lean higher internally.  I believe we made our luck.  If you work hard, your work will be rewarded.   We cannot control everything, but I do feel as though I control my fate, for the most part.  I believe as managers, it is our responsibility to help our staff feel as though they control their destiny, and they need to be accountable for their actions.   This can be a struggle in many cases as some choose to pass the buck and blame others for events in their lives.  I may not always be able to control what happens to me, but I can control what I make of the situation. 

Conclusion

There are many different tools and assessments in the market today that can be of great use to managers.   Many of these tools are great for self-awareness as well as understanding those around you.   We may not always fully understand why some people behave or react in a certain way, but we can determine our reactions and how we grow from situations.  These tools can also help managers to create a safe, engaging workplaces for all employees.  I have learned so much through these tools and I feel as though it has made me stronger in my leadership style.   I hope to continue to utilize these as time goes on.

References

• Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. R. (2008). Emotional Intelligence: New Ability or Eclectic Traits? The American Psychologist, 63(6), 503–517. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.63.6.503 (page 5)
• Pratama, A. P., Pritasari, A., Hidayanti, N., Tampubolon, M. N., & Nur, B. M. (2021/04//). Personality types and managerial styles: a phenomenological approach. [Personality types and managerial styles] The Journal of Management Development, 40(3), 141-150. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-09-2020-0302
• Edelman, P., & van Knippenberg, D. (2018). Emotional intelligence, management of subordinate’s emotions, and leadership effectiveness. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 39(5), 592–607. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-04-2018-0154
• O’Connor, P. J., Jimmieson, N. L., Bergin, A. J., Wiewiora, A., & McColl, L. (2022). Leader Tolerance of Ambiguity: Implications for Follower Performance Outcomes in High and Low Ambiguous Work Situations. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 58(1), 65–96. https://doi.org/10.1177/00218863211053676
• Ng, T. W. H., Sorensen, K. L., & Eby, L. T. (2006). Locus of control at work: a meta-analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27(8), 1057–1087. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.416
• Xu, L., Liu, Z., Ji, M., Dong, Y., & Wu, C.-H. (2022). Leader Perfectionism—Friend or Foe of Employee Creativity? Locus of Control as a Key Contingency. Academy of Management Journal, 65(6), 2092–2117. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2019.0165
• Learning Styles in the Workplace, Bellevue University, 2018
• HumanMetrics.com, Personality Type Explained.