demonstrate effective self-management skills

8/2/2019 Demonstrate Effective Self-Management Skills

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Goal SettingBefore you can plan what you will do in the next hour or week or year, youmust decide where you want to go, what you want the results of yourefforts to be and what your goals are. The self- assessment exercises in 2were intended to help you to review your interests, abilities andaccomplishments. Knowing what you would like to achieve is an important

step in setting goals. Realistic goals based on honest self appraisal are amust for effective time management.

The Goal Setting Process

1. Decide on a goal

2. List key tasks required to achieve this goal

3. Place the tasks in order or sequence in which they must be done

4. Determine what resources are needed to carry out the task

5. List your goals relating to work, family, community activities -set

priorities and start with your top priority

You cannot do a goal

Goals must be defined in terms of tasks or activities for which we canmeasure the outcome

All tasks cannot be done at once -some can only be done after othershave been completed

Resources and time are interdependent -ready availability or resourceswill shorten the time

Put everything into a time frame.

Indicate milestone dates for the accomplishment of the tasks and thefinal achievement of the goal

Time Management

Specific Guidelines for time management allow you to:

Analyse the ways in which you spend your time.

Assign priorities

Make effective lists

Use a diary or a planner Create an effective and efficient work environment

Apply useful time beaters

Time Management - Characteristics.

Time management is about setting clear objectives for yourself and

making sure you achieve them. Three key words can help you achieve

better management of your time. They are:

1. Knowledge

2. Choice3. Time

You need to KNOW clearly what you need or want to do.


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You need to make a CHOICE about which of these to do.

You need to arrange a TIME to act on your choice.

1. Write down three things that you find frustrating about the way youspend your time at the moment.

2. Note one important thing that you would really like to achieve that you

don't have time for at the moment.3. Note two things you would like to change about the way you spend

your time at the moment.

The first thing to do is to admit that you DO have a problem in managingyour time!

The second thing you have to admit is that this lack of time is often YOURFAULT!

It takes a lot of courage to face up to the fact that you are going to have towork very hard at managing our time more effectively.

Don't be discouraged by the size of the task ahead of you. It can betackled one step at a time.

Analyse the ways in which you spend your time.

Activity TaskUse the blank timetable below to analyse the way you usually spend yourtime each day. Write down what you do from the time you wake until thetime you go to sleep. List all the things you do (e.g. travelling, preparingmeals, attending work, etc.) Give the approximate duration of each task.

TIMETABLENo Activity Duration

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Question: Look at the list. What three things take up most of your time each day?


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Only when you know how you are ACTUALLY SPENDING YOUR TIME ascompared to how you SHOULD BE SPENDING YOUR TIME, can youmake considered judgements about whether you are spending your timeon the right things.

In analysing the way you spend your time, the next step is to spend sometime looking at your job and what it entails.

What is your job?

Are you responsible for accomplishing?

As you begin to form a picture of the activities that make up your job, listthem under ten headings which could include:

1. Planning

2. Reading and dealing with correspondence

3. Meetings (Staff, clients, suppliers, etc)

4. Unscheduled meetings

5. Counselling

6. Troubleshooting

7. Making and receiving telephone calls

8. Writing reports

9. Reading

10. Travelling

PLANNING

READING

MEETINGS

UNSCHEDULED MEETINGS

COUNSELLING

TROUBLESHOOTING

PHONE CALLS

REPORT WRING

READING

TRAVELLING


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How much time is spent on the activities?

The Pie Charts above is an example of the amount of time spent onactivities.

You should look at:

a) Time you ARE SPENDING on job activities

b) Time you SHOULD BE SPENDING on job activities

There are clearly discrepancies between: The amount of time you should spend on planning and the amount of

time you are spending on planning.

The amount of time you should spend in meetings and the amount oftime you are spending in meetings.

The amount of time you should reserve for counselling and trainingstaff and the actual time you are spending on counselling and trainingstaff.

The amount of time you should reserve for troubleshooting and theactual time you are spending on troubleshooting.

The percentages are calculated by allocating an estimate to the amount oftime spent on each activity; dividing that figure by 8 (assuming an 8 hourday) and multiplying by 100.

The DISCREPANCIES between the two charts will be the starting point foryou to improve your time management at work.

Highlight Your List Of Job Activities In The Following Way:

Use a RED highlighter for the most important tasks/activities (Also knownas A priorities)

Prioritising Your Job Responsibilities!

Prioritising means deciding what tasks, activities are the most importantand need to be done first. The following exercise has been designed toassist you in achieving a balance between the time you SHOULD bespending on job activities and the time you ARE spending on job activities.

Use an ORANGE highlighter for the ones that are next most important, notas urgent (8 priorities) Use a GREEN highlighter for the tasks that are notimmediately important. (C priorities)

Question: 1. Which tasks/activities do you see as being most important?

2. Which tasks/activities did you highlight in green?Bear in mind that as time progresses, your priorities change.

Now you are going to use all this information you have been working onand plan how you are going to spend the rest of the year.


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Using A Diary Or PlannerAs your time management skills have developed. you will be aware thatyou have produced a number lists and charts. These are the basic toolswith which you plan your time. As with any tool it helps to keep them alltogether in a diary or planner.

DIARIES provide a convenient place to keep your daily lists and are

essential for forward planning.PERSONAL PLANNERS provide all the advantages of diaries plus extraspace to keep records and charts.

1. Gather together all the charts and lists you have produced to plan yourtime.

2. Refer to your list of job activities that you colour coded and your piecharts.

In the space below make a list of all the things you have to dotomorrow (red colour code.)

In the space below make a list of all the things you want to do

tomorrow (orange colour code.) In the space below make a list of all the things you would quite like to

do tomorrow (green colour code.)

Now provide a time slot for you red, orange and green colour codes

Once you have done that, plan out the next month in detail.

Here are some tips to assist you in planning your time:

1. Make new lists at the end of each day, while you are thinking abouttasks to do for tomorrow. .Keep the list with you.

2. Cross off items when they've been achieved. This acts as a reward.

3. Ask yourself from time to time, "Am I spending too much time onorange and green activities?"

4. Have you got the right balance between what you should be doing andwhat you are actually doing?

5. As soon as something new occurs, add it to the list and colour code it.

6. Don't put off unpleasant jobs -they won't disappear!

7. Transfer to tomorrow's list uncompleted items from today.

8. If a green activity remains on your list for more than three or four days,upgrade it to an orange or red activity, or cross it off the list!

9. Don't forget to build in thinking time where necessary.

10. Use short green activities to act as energisers, or do one at thebeginning of the day to get off to a successful start.

You have now learnt how the use of a diary or planner can assist you inmanaging your time. An organised workspace, office or study can alsohelp you manage your time.


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Time Planner

MAY 2005 JUNE 2005 JULY 2005

S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 1 2

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 17 18 19 20 21 22 2329 30 31 26 27 28 29 30 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31

DAY:WEEK:

Action Completed D Delegated Action Fixed AppointmentsEarly

Carried Forward In Progress

07h00

Action Cancelled Interruption

08h00

ABC

PriorityACTION LIST

Time

Taken 09h00

10h00

11h00

12h00

13h00

14h00

15h00

16h00

17h00

18h00

19h00

20h00

Late


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Creating An Efficient Working Environment

Activity TaskImagine you have an important job to do tomorrow. What would make youfeel good about starting it? Jot down a few thoughts on how your idealworking environment would be

Here Are Some Useful Tips:

A clear workspace or desk -this allows you to concentrate fully on theactivity.

Before you start, make sure you have the right equipment, books andstationery.

Don't waste valuable time searching for things.

Peace and quiet, if possible! Noise is distracting.

Try to work in good light, sitting in a comfortable chair at a work surface

that is the right height. . Put a favourite picture on the wall or flowers on the desk. When you

take a break, look at these. .

The basis of a time efficient approach to many jobs is a good filingsystem. .

In -and Out -trays can be very useful for keeping your mail in oneplace.

.Notice boards are a great way of reminding yourself about things athome and work. Now that you have some tips, job down any that youthink you might use.

Obstacles That Get In The Way Of Effective Time Management

Time management is all about organising yourself better to get out of timewhat YOU WANT. Sometimes obstacles do occur that threaten effectivetime management.

Here are some of those obstacles together with possible remedies.

Obstacle 1. Work piling up

2. Trying to do too much at once

3. Getting involved in too much detail

4. Postponing unpleasant tasks

Possible Remedies

Set priorities

Set deadlines

Make realistic time estimates

Set priorities

Do one thing at a time

Learn to say no to yourself as well as to other people

Delegate more Set a timetable and stick to it

Get unpleasant tasks over with quickly -you will feel better afterwards.


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Insufficient time to think

PEOPLE

Constant interruptions from other people

Constant telephone interruptions

Too much time spent in conversation

PAPERWORK

Reserve blocks of time -part of a day or week -for thinking.

1. No paperwork, no interruptions

2. Make appointments and see that people stick to them

3. Reserve block times when you are not be interrupted

4. Get your secretary to intercept and, where appropriate to divertcalls

5. State firmly that you will call back when convenient

6. Decide in advance what you want to achieve when you meetsomeone, and keep pleasantries to a minimum at the beginningand end

7. Concentrate on keeping yourself and the other person to the point -it is too easy to divert or be diverted

8. Learn how to end meetings quickly but not too brusquely

9. Get your secretary to sort it into three folders: action now, actionlater, and information

10. Take yourself off the circulation list of useless information

11. Only ask for written memos and reports when you really need them

12. Encourage people to present information and reports clearly andsuccinctly

13. Ask for summaries rather than the whole report

14. TOO many letters/memos to write or dictate Use the telephonemore

15. Avoid individually typed acknowledgements Practise writing asuccinct 'yes/no/let's talk' on the memos you receive and returnthem to the sender

16. Paperwork piling up

17. Lost or mislaid papers

MEETINGS

1. Too much time spend in meetings

2. If you set up the meeting:

3. Avoid regular meetings when there is nothing that needs sayingregularly. Review all the meetings you hold and eliminate as manyas you can

4. Get yourself taken oft committees if your presence is not essentialor if someone else is more appropriate

5. The Chairman should set limits for the duration of meetings andkeep to them.


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6. Cut out 'waffle' and repetition.

7. Allow discussion but insist on making progress.

8. Have a logical agenda and stick to it.

9. As a member: do not talk for the sake of talking, and do not wastetime scoring points or boosting your ego

Travelling 1. TOO much time spent on travelling2. Use the phone or post

1. Send someone else

2. Ask yourself every time you plan to go anywhere. whether yourjourney is really necessary

3. Plan the quickest way -air, rail or car

4. Let us assume that travelling has taken up a large portion of yourtime. You might ask the following questions:

5. Was my journey really necessary?

6. What would have happened if I had not gone? Could I have usedthe telephone? Could I have sent someone else? Did I choose thequickest route?


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PROCRASTINATION

Procrastination is the art of convincing yourself that you can put off untiltomorrow what you should be doing today.

Areas of Procrastination.

Individuals have different areas of procrastination.The most common areas in which people do procrastinate

Unfamiliar work.

Boring tasks.

Large jobs.

Difficult people.

Tasks with a lot of "red tape"

Small tasks.

Cumbersome phone calls.

How do we procrastinate?

We prefer smaller, quicker tasks.

We postpone because we do not have all the necessaryinformation.

We convince ourselves that the tasks are not really necessary.

We avoid the task by doing other things.

We phone at awkward timesAction Plan,

Having identified the areas in which we procrastinate and the ways inwhich we do it. We must now overcome it.

HANDLING LARGE TASKS

The biggest problem is getting started!The key to overcoming the an insurmountable new task is to break it intoit's compo- net parts. Spend time identifying the key elements and it willtransform an apparent insurmountable task into a manageable one.

Plan breaking the task into its components. Give each part a goal, a start time and a deadline. Commit yourself to starting times. Break large jobs into manageable portions Control the paperwork on your desk. Prioritise your tasks. Reward yourself


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Do it now

Set aside the first half hour or so in the say to deal with urgentcorrespondence

Leave a period at the end of the day for less urgent reading

Aim to clear at least 90% of the paper on your desk every day

Arrange, organise, papers on current projects in separate, easily

accessible folders. Don't hang on to papers in your pending tray -clear it daily

Set up a filing and retrieving system which will enable you to get atpapers easily

Ensure that you keep a day book of correspondence as a last resortmethod of turning up papers.

Keep a tidy desk

By critically examining obstacles in this way, you would have identifiedareas that require improved time management.

CONCLUSION

Managing time is not about always being busy. Time management is about priorities Priorities result from setting objectives

Setting objectives is about planning

Planning is about control

Being in control is being self empowered

SELF EMPOWERED PEOPLE MANAGE THEIR TIME

DELEGATE WORK

What to delegate.

Routine jobs together with responsibility and power of to makedecisions.

Whole jobs - to give a sense of achievement to subordinate

Jobs that others have talent to do.

Effective Delegation.

Delegate early

Give clear brief and gain agreement.

Agree on review dates.

Establish a finish time, which allows for buffer time,

Delegate whole jobs.

Don't hover.

Praise in public -criticize in private.


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CRITICAL AND ANALYTICAL THINKING

What is critical and analytical thinking?

The basic skills of analytical thinking are the formal reasoning

Critical analytical thinking in brief means looking very closely at the detail

and not taking what you read or hear for granted. You must:

evaluate how far materials are appropriate, and up-to-date evaluate how far the evidence or examples used in materials really

proves the point that the author claims to weigh up opinions, arguments or solutions against appropriate

criteria to think a line of reasoning through to its logical conclusion check for hidden bias or hidden assumptions check whether the evidence and argument really support the

conclusions.

When you analyze an issue, a situation, an item, or an idea, you mustconsider: Why it is important and to whom.Ask yourself: "So what?"Why does this issue or situation matter to you and to your audience?

Ask yourself:What's at stake?Who's at risk?What's right/wrong and in what way?Try to pin down the issues that cause an effect, or ask yourself why the

issues caused a certain effect and not another.Serious analysis means that you know what is going on, and how thesituation or issue appears; your analysis seeks to determine WHY thosethings behave as they do.

Identify the main line of reasoning in what you read or write

What is the main argument or line of reasoning? Is the line of reasoning clear from the text?

Critically evaluate the line of reasoning for what you read or write

Note any statements from the text which strengthen its line ofreasoning or prove the argument.

What statements, if any, undermine the argument? Are points made in the best logical order?

Identify hidden agendas in your sources and in your own writing

What hidden agendas might the writer have that might make youquestion the contents or conclusions of the passage? Considerwhat they might hope to gain through writing this piece.

What information might be missing that could paint a differentpicture?


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Evaluate evidence in the text

What kinds of evidence or examples does the writer use? How reliable and usefulis this evidence?

Does it really support the argument? Is the evidence strong enough?

Is the data up-to-date?

Does the text use reliable sources? What are these? What makes you think theyare or are not reliable?

Look for bias

Do you think there may be any bias in the text? Give reasons and examples.

Comment on any statistics used. Are these likely to give a true and full picture?

Does their writing reflect a political viewpoint?

Who might disagree with the writer?

Identify the writer's conclusions

Does the evidence support the writer's conclusions?

Does the line of reasoning lead you to make the same conclusions?

Critical skills when writing

Apply the same rigour to your own writing as you do to analysing sourcematerials.

Work out early on what your conclusion is and write this down where you cansee it easily. Use this as a guide for what to read, what experiments to run, whatexamples to use.

Before you begin your main piece of writing for an assignment, write yourconclusion on a piece of paper and keep referring back to this to ensure that all ofyour writing leads towards this conclusion. The outline plan for your writing

should map out how each paragraph leads your reader towards the conclusion. Ensure that your conclusion can be supported by the evidence. If you cannot find

the evidence to support your position, you may need to change your conclusion

Analytical understanding

Analytical understanding, as opposed to descriptive understanding, involvesappreciating evidence and methods behind a principle. It requires fluency in basicprinciples and explains why people may "flounder" outside their specialty. Fluencyrequires extensive training and/or reading of primary literature. In a given field somepeople lack these skills, while some non-special acquire them via interest andperseverance.

Objective of critical judgementWe use critical judgement on a regular basis in a variety of situations.It enables us to make informed decisions about events that affect our every day life.

Can you think of some examples?You might have come up with situations like buying a new product, organising yourtime or understanding peoples behaviour.All of us are capable of evaluating a situation and consider various possibilities when itcomes to practicalities. It is true that the kind of considerations to be taken into accountvaries according to the context, but the ability to do so remains the same.


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What is reflective thinking?

The description of reflective thinking:

Critical thinking and reflective thinking are often usedsynonymously. Critical thinking is used to describe:

"... the use of those cognitive skills or strategies that increase theprobability of a desirable outcome...thinking that is purposeful, reasonedand goal directed - the kind of thinking involved in solving problems,formulating inferences, calculating likelihoods, and making decisions whenthe thinker is using skills that are thoughtful and effective for the particularcontext and type of thinking task. Critical thinking is sometimes calleddirected thinking because it focuses on a desired outcome." Halpern(1996).

Reflective thinking, on the other hand, is a part of the critical thinking

process referring specifically to the processes of analyzing and makingjudgments about what has happened. Dewey (1933) suggests thatreflective thinking is an active, persistent, and careful consideration of abelief or supposed form of knowledge, of the grounds that support thatknowledge, and the further conclusions to which that knowledge leads.Learners are aware of and control their learning by actively participating inreflective thinking assessing what they know, what they need to know,and how they bridge that gap during learning situations.

In summary, critical thinking involves a wide range of thinking skills leadingtoward desirable outcomes andfocuses on the process of makingjudgments about what has happened. However, reflective thinking is mostimportant in prompting learning during complex problem-solving situationsbecause it provides students with an opportunity to step back and thinkabout how they actually solve problems and how a particular set ofproblem solving strategies is appropriated for achieving their goal.

Characteristics of environments and activities that prompt and supportreflective thinking:

Provide enough wait-time for students to reflect when responding to

inquiries. Provide emotionally supportive environments in the classroom

encouraging reevaluation of conclusions. Prompt reviews of the learning situation, what is known, what is not yet

known, and what has been learned. Provide authentic tasks involving ill-structured data to encourage

reflective thinking during learning activities. Prompt students' reflection by asking questions that seek reasons and

evidence. Provide some explanations to guide students' thought processes during

explorations.

Provide a less-structured learning environment that prompts studentsto explore what they think is important.


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Provide social-learning environments such as those inherent in peer-group works and small group activities to allow students to see otherpoints of view.

Provide reflective journal to write down students' positions, give reasons tosupport what they think, show awareness of opposing positions and theweaknesses of their own positions


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Why is reflective thinking important?

Modern society is becoming more complex, information is becomingavailable and changing more rapidly prompting users to constantly rethink,switch directions, and change problem-solving strategies. Thus, it isincreasingly important to prompt reflective thinking during learning to help

learners develop strategies to apply new knowledge to the complexsituations in their day-to-day activities.Reflective thinking helps learners develop higher-order thinking skills byprompting learners to:

relate new knowledge to prior understanding, think in both abstract and conceptual terms, apply specific strategies in novel tasks their own thinking and

learning strategies.

Problem

Scenario

Propose

Ideas &

Research

Info

Propose

Solution

REFLECTIVE

THINKING

Collect

Data -

Analyze


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Activity 1: Learning to ReflectObjectives:

To plant the suggestion that there is need for reflective thinking. To help us explore the idea that time spent in reflection is not

wasted time but is rather time well spent. To give participants theory and others' words on the topic which

might encourage them to action.

Activity 2: Recipe for Reflective Thinking

Objective: Taking time to reflect.

Procedure:

1. Determine a need to reflect. Ask yourself: Do I (or my students)need more time to think about whats going on around me/us?

2. Find a place where you can be undisturbed during the reflectiveexperience.

3. Attempt to slow down while you are reflecting. This takes practicebecause slowing down is mental as well as physical.

Its OK to be unproductive in the traditional sense for a while. Perhaps lessreally is more. Sometimes you should be deliberate about your think timeand other times let your mind take you wherever it goes. A focus at timecan be of great value

Performance Guidelines

Reflective students understand:

That decisions about right and wrong choices are based on anagreed set of ethical principles.

How to think about, describe and improve own thinking andlearning.

In what ways experiences, emotions, beliefs and cultural

perspectives affect thinking and create differences between selfand others. The importance of being open to new possibilities and perceptions

pertaining to the ideas of self and others.

That dialogue is essential in developing fair-minded positions

Key Element Outcome

Understands that reflective thinking is a deliberate process, affected byemotions and motivations, and that it is used to develop and refine ideasand beliefs and to explore different and new perceptions.


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Standard 1

Understands how to use simple strategies that assist in organisingthoughts, and how to modify their own actions in the light of reflection.

Illustrative examples of performance

Students demonstrate aspects of this learning when they:

Use phrases that demonstrate deliberate organisation of ideas: e.g.I did this because, That is good/bad because, I am happybecause

Give reasonable explanations of the concept of cause and effect inrelation to familiar events: e.g. This is so because

Use their existing knowledge about safety rules in an unfamiliarplay setting and use self talk as they do so.

Talk about changes to their own thinking as new information arises:e.g. I used to think but now I

Standard 2

Understands that they can solve problems in ways that are particular tothem or their group, and can use tools provided.



Explain the steps they used to plan and make something. Describe some differences between how they responded to a

challenge of a problem and how someone else did. Follow advice or instruction from the teacher and use a particular

strategy or approach.

Standard 3

Understands how to use particular thinking and problem-solvingstrategies, recognising that emotions, motivations and beliefs ofthemselves and others influence the process of making choices.



Identify different thinking tools and how they work. Reflect on strengths and weaknesses of an inquiry they conducted,

and consider how they might make changes for next time. Provide useful feedback to others about their inquiry and its

strengths and weaknesses. Explain why a particular strategy is effective in a particular situation.


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Standard 4

Understands how to choose from a range of thinking strategies and usethem to solve problems, make personal and group decisions and evaluatetheir effectiveness.



Participate in an issues forum and identify good reasons for aviewpoint they disagree with.

Explore reasons for feeling the way they do about an issue. Recognise that others think and feel differently, and consider why

they do. Participate effectively in a community of inquiry, recognise that

others think and feel differently, and consider why they do. Design a research project that includes using a range of thinking

strategies. Use thinking strategies that generate points of view on a complex

issue (e.g. six-hat thinking to consider woodchipping). Create possible solutions and demonstrate empathy when

describing how solutions affect various others.

Standard 5

Understands how to deliberately select and apply thinking strategies to theconsideration of alternative perceptions and value positions, and evaluatethe quality of personal choices about such issues.



Explain to others how emotion and beliefs have made a personalchoice about an issue difficult.

Justify a personal position with reference to established principlesfor making ethical judgement.

Identify the range of positions about an issue and the strengths and

limitations of each. Monitor their own progress and modify strategies to suit problem-

solving purposes. Explain how an important concept has evolved over time (e.g. free

will). Apply the principles of fair-mindedness when analysing the

positions of others. Make valid predictions about the future and make valid choices in

describing preferred futures.


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Creative Thinking

Much of the thinking about the skills of analysis-- However, there isanother kind of thinking, one that focuses on exploring ideas, generatingpossibilities, looking for many right answers rather than just one. Both ofthese kinds of thinking are vital to a successful working life, yet the latterone tends to be ignored. We might differentiate these two kinds of thinkinglike this:

Critical Thinking Creative Thinking

analytic generative

convergent divergent

vertical lateral

probability possibility

judgment suspended judgment

focused diffuse

objective subjective

answer an answer

left brain right brain

verbal visual

linear associative

reasoning richness, novelty

yes but yes and

In an activity like problem solving, both kinds of thinking are important tous. First, we must analyze the problem; then we must generate possiblesolutions; next we must choose and implement the best solution; andfinally, we must evaluate the effectiveness of the solution. As you can see,this process reveals an alternation between the two kinds of thinking,critical and creative. In practice, both kinds of thinking operate togethermuch of the time and are not really independent of each other.


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What is Creativity?

An Ability. A simple definition is that creativity is the ability to imagine orinvent something new. As we will see below, creativity is not the ability tocreate out of nothing (only God can do that), but the ability to generatenew ideas by combining, changing, or reapplying existing ideas. Somecreative ideas are astonishing and brilliant, while others are just simple,

good, practical ideas that no one seems to have thought of yet.

Believe it or not, everyone has substantial creative ability. Just look at howcreative children are. In adults, creativity has too often been suppressedthrough education, but it is still there and can be reawakened. Often allthat's needed to be creative is to make a commitment to creativity and totake the time for it.

An Attitude. Creativity is also an attitude: the ability to accept change andnewness, a willingness to play with ideas and possibilities, a flexibility ofoutlook, the habit of enjoying the good, while looking for ways to improve

it. We are socialized into accepting only a small number of permitted ornormal things, like chocolate-covered strawberries, for example. Thecreative person realizes that there are other possibilities, like peanut butterand banana sandwiches, or chocolate-covered prunes.

A Process. Creative people work hard and continually to improve ideasand solutions, by making gradual alterations and refinements to theirworks. Contrary to the mythology surrounding creativity, very, very fewworks of creative excellence are produced with a single stroke of brillianceor in a frenzy of rapid activity. Much closer to the real truth are the storiesof companies who had to take the invention away from the inventor inorder to market it because the inventor would have kept on tweaking it andfiddling with it, always trying to make it a little better.

The creative person knows that there is always room for improvement.

Creative Methods

Several methods have been identified for producing creative results. Hereare the five classic ones:

Evolution. This is the method of incremental improvement. New ideasstem from other ideas, new solutions from previous ones, the new onesslightly improved over the old ones. Many of the very sophisticated thingswe enjoy today developed through a long period of constantincrementation. Making something a little better here, a little better theregradually makes it something a lot better--even entirely different from theoriginal.

For example, look at the history of the automobile or any product oftechnological progress. With each new model, improvements are made.Each new model builds upon the collective creativity of previous models,

so that over time, improvements in economy, comfort, and durability takeplace. Here the creativity lies in the refinement, the step-by-stepimprovement, rather than in something completely new. Another example


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would be the improvement of the common wood screw by what are nowcommonly called drywall screws. They have sharper threads which areangled more steeply for faster penetration and better holding. The pointsare self tapping. The shanks are now threaded all the way up on lengthsup to two inches. The screws are so much better that they can often bedriven in without pilot holes, using a power drill.

The evolutionary method of creativity also reminds us of that criticalprinciple: Every problem that has been solved can be solved again in abetter way. Creative thinkers do not subscribe to the idea that once aproblem has been solved, it can be forgotten, or to the notion that "if it ain'tbroke, don't fix it." A creative thinker's philosophy is that "there is no suchthing as an insignificant improvement."

Synthesis. With this method, two or more existing ideas are combined intoa third, new idea. Combining the ideas of a magazine and an audio tapegives the idea of a magazine you can listen to, one useful for blind peopleor freeway commuters.

For example, someone noticed that a lot of people on dates went first todinner and then to the theater. Why not combine these two events intoone? Thus, the dinner theater, where people go first to eat and then to seea play or other entertainment.

Revolution. Sometimes the best new idea is a completely different one, anmarked change from the previous ones. While an evolutionaryimprovement philosophy might cause a professor to ask, "How can I makemy lectures better and better?" a revolutionary idea might be, "Why notstop lecturing and have the students teach each other, working as teamsor presenting reports?"

For example, the evolutionary technology in fighting termites eating awayat houses has been to develop safer and faster pesticides and gasses tokill them. A somewhat revolutionary change has been to abandon gassesaltogether in favor of liquid nitrogen, which freezes them to death ormicrowaves, which bake them. A truly revolutionary creative idea would beto ask, "How can we prevent them from eating houses in the first place?" Anew termite bait that is placed in the ground in a perimeter around a houseprovides one answer to this question.

Reapplication. Look at something old in a new way. Go beyond labels.Unfixate, remove prejudices, expectations and assumptions and discoverhow something can be reapplied. One creative person might go to thejunkyard and see art in an old model T transmission. He paints it up andputs it in his living room. Another creative person might see in the sametransmission the necessary gears for a multi-speed hot walker for hishorse. He hooks it to some poles and a motor and puts it in his corral. Thekey is to see beyond the previous or stated applications for some idea,

solution, or thing and to see what other application is possible.


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For example, a paperclip can be used as a tiny screwdriver if filed down;paint can be used as a kind of glue to prevent screws from loosening inmachinery; dishwashing detergents can be used to remove the DNA frombacteria in a lab; general purpose spray cleaners can be used to kill ants.

Changing Direction. Many creative breakthroughs occur when attention isshifted from one angle of a problem to another. This is sometimes called

creative insight.

A classic example is that of the highway department trying to keep kidsfrom skateboarding in a concrete-lined drainage ditch. The highwaydepartment put up a fence to keep the kids out; the kids went around it.The department then put up a longer fence; the kids cut a hole in it. Thedepartment then put up a stronger fence; it, too, was cut. The departmentthen put a threatening sign on the fence; it was ignored. Finally, someonedecided to change direction, and asked, "What really is the problem here?It's not that the kids keep getting through the barrier, but that they want toskateboard in the ditch. So how can we keep them from skateboarding in

the ditch?" The solution was to remove their desire by pouring someconcrete in the bottom of the ditch to remove the smooth curve. The sharpangle created by the concrete made skateboarding impossible and theactivity stopped. No more skateboarding problems, no more fenceproblems.

This example reveals a critical truth in problem solving: the goal is to solvethe problem, not to implement a particular solution. When one solutionpath is not working, shift to another. There is no commitment to aparticular path, only to a particular goal. Path fixation can sometimes be aproblem for those who do not understand this; they becomeovercommitted to a path that does not work and only frustration results


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Negative Attitudes That Block Creativity

1. Oh no, a problem! The reaction to a problem is often a bigger problemthan the problem itself. Many people avoid or deny problems until it's toolate, largely because these people have never learned the appropriateemotional, psychological, and practical responses. A problem is anopportunity. The happiest people welcome and even seek out problems,

meeting them as challenges and opportunities to improve things.Definition: a problem is (1) seeing the difference between what you haveand what you want or (2) recognizing or believing that there is somethingbetter than the current situation or (3) an opportunity for a positive act.Seeking problems aggressively will build confidence, increase happiness,and give you a better sense of control over your life.

It can't be done. This attitude is, in effect, surrendering before the battle.By assuming that something cannot be done or a problem cannot besolved, a person gives the problem a power or strength it didn't havebefore. And giving up before starting is, of course, self fulfilling. But look at

the history of solutions and the accompanying skeptics: man will never fly,diseases will never be conquered, rockets will never leave theatmosphere. Again, the appropriate attitude is summed up by thestatement, "The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a littlelonger."

I can't do it. Or There's nothing I can do. Some people think, well maybethe problem can be solved by some expert, but not by me because I'm not(a) smart enough, (b) an engineer, or (c) a blank (whether educated,expert, etc.) Again, though, look at the history of problem solving.

Who were the Wright brothers that they could invent an airplane? Aviationengineers? No, they were bicycle mechanics. The ball point pen wasinvented by a printer's proofreader, Ladislao Biro, not a mechanicalengineer. Major advances in submarine design were made by Englishclergyman G. W. Garrett and by Irish schoolmaster John P. Holland. Thecotton gin was invented by that well known attorney and tutor, Eli Whitney.The fire extinguisher was invented by a captain of militia, George Manby.

But I'm not creative. Everyone is creative to some extent. Most people arecapable of very high levels of creativity; just look at young children when

they play and imagine. The problem is that this creativity has beensuppressed by education. All you need to do is let it come back to thesurface. You will soon discover that you are surprisingly creative.

That's childish. In our effort to appear always mature and sophisticated,we often ridicule the creative, playful attitudes that marked our youngeryears. But if you solve a problem that saves your marriage or gets youpromoted or keeps your friend from suicide, do you care whether otherpeople describe your route to the solution as "childish?" Besides, isn't playa lot of fun? Remember that sometimes people laugh when something isactually funny, but often they laugh when they lack the imagination to

understand the situation.


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What will people think? There is strong social pressure to conform and tobe ordinary and not creative.

I might fail. Thomas Edison, in his search for the perfect filament for theincandescent lamp, tried anything he could think of, including whiskersfrom a friend's beard. In all, he tried about 1800 things. After about 1000attempts, someone asked him if he was frustrated at his lack of success.

He said something like, "I've gained a lot of knowledge--I now know athousand things that won't work."

Fear of failure is one of the major obstacles to creativity and problemsolving. The cure is to change your attitude about failure. Failures alongthe way should be expected and accepted; they are simply learning toolsthat help focus the way toward success. Not only is there nothing wrongwith failing, but failing is a sign of action and struggle and attempt--muchbetter than inaction. The go-with-the- flow types may never fail, but theyare essentially useless to humanity, nor can they ever enjoy the feeling ofaccomplishment that comes after a long struggle.

Myths about Creative Thinking and Problem Solving

Every problem has only one solution (or one right answer). The goal ofproblem solving is to solve the problem, and most problems can be solvedin any number of ways. If you discover a solution that works, it is a goodsolution. There may be other solutions thought of by other people, but thatdoesn't make your solution wrong. What is THE solution to putting wordson paper? Fountain pen, ball point, pencil, marker, typewriter, printer,Xerox machine, printing press?

The best answer/solution/method has already been found. Look at thehistory of any solution set and you'll see that improvements, new solutions,new right answers, are always being found. What is the solution to humantransportation? The ox or horse, the cart, the wagon, the train, the car, theairplane, the jet, the SST? Is that the best and last? What about pneumatictubes, hovercraft, even Star Trek type beams?

What is the best way to put words on paper? The word processor? Is thatthe last invention? How about voice recognition, or thought wave input?

Mental Blocks to Creative Thinking and Problem Solving

Prejudice. The older we get, the more preconceived ideas we have aboutthings. These preconceptions often prevent us from seeing beyond whatwe already know or believe to be possible. They inhibit us from acceptingchange and progress.

Problem: Make a ship's hull that won't rust or rot like steel or wood.Solution: Use concrete. Our prejudice is that concrete is too heavy. Whynot make lightweight concrete? That's what's done.

Problem: How to divide a piece of cake equally between two kids so theywon't complain that one kid is preferred over the other: "You gave him thebigger piece; you like him better! Waaaah!" Solution: Put the kids in


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charge of dividing the cake. Our prejudice is that immature, selfish kidscan't do the job. But the solution, one cuts the cake, the other has firstchoice of pieces, works very well.

Functional fixation. Sometimes we begin to see an object only in terms ofits name rather in terms of what it can do. Thus, we see a mop only as adevice for cleaning a floor, and do not think that it might be useful for

clearing cobwebs from the ceiling, washing the car, doing aerobicexercise, propping a door open or closed, and so on. (Later on in thesemester, we will be doing "uses for" to break out of this fixation.)

Learned helplessness. This is the feeling that you don't have the tools,knowledge, materials, ability, to do anything, so you might as well not try.We are trained to rely on other people for almost everything. We thinksmall and limit ourselves. But the world can be interacted with.

Positive Attitudes for Creativity

Curiosity. Creative people want to know things--all kinds of things-- just toknow them. Knowledge does not require a reason. The question, "Why doyou want to know that?" seems strange to the creative person, who islikely to respond, "Because I don't know the answer." Knowledge isenjoyable and often useful in strange and unexpected ways.

For example, I was once attempting to repair something, without apparentsuccess, when an onlooker asked testily, "Do you know what you'redoing?" I replied calmly, "No, that's why I'm doing it."

Next, knowledge, and especially wide ranging knowledge, is necessary forcreativity to flourish to its fullest. Much creativity arises from variations of aknown or combinations of two knowns. The best ideas flow from a wellequipped mind. Nothing can come from nothing.

A belief that most problems can be solved. By faith at first and byexperience later on, the creative thinker believes that something canalways be done to eliminate or help alleviate almost every problem.Problems are solved by a commitment of time and energy, and where thiscommitment is present, few things are impossible.

The ability to suspend judgment and criticism. Many new ideas, becausethey are new and unfamiliar, seem strange, odd, bizarre, even repulsive.Only later do they become "obviously" great. Other ideas, in their originalincarnations, are indeed weird, but they lead to practical, beautiful, elegantthings. Thus, it is important for the creative thinker to be able to suspendjudgment when new ideas are arriving, to have an optimistic attitudetoward ideas in general, and to avoid condemning them with the typicalkinds of negative responses like, "That will never work; that's no good;what an idiotic idea; that's impossible," and so forth. Hospital sterilizationand antiseptic procedures, television, radio, the Xerox machine, andstainless steel all met with ho-hums and even hostile rejection before their

persevering inventors finally sold someone on the ideas.


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Some of our everyday tools that we now love and use daily, were opposedwhen they were originally presented: Aluminum cookware? No one wantsthat. Teflon pans? They'll never sell. Erasers on pencils? That would onlyencourage carelessness. Computers? There's no market for more than afew, so why build them?

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is an idea generating technique. Its main goals are (1) tobreak us out of our habit-bound thinking and (2) to produce a set of ideasfrom which we can choose. (No one wants to have a choice of only oneproduct when buying detergent or cars, so why have a choice of only onesolution when working on a problem?)

Basic Guidelines for Brainstorming

Brainstorming is useful for attacking specific (rather than general)

problems and where a collection of good, fresh, new ideas (rather thanjudgment or decision analysis) are needed.

For example, a specific problem like how to mark the content of pipes(water, steam, etc.) would lend itself to brainstorming much better than ageneral problem like how the educational system can be improved. Note,though, that even general problems can be submitted to brainstormingwith success.

Brainstorming can take place either individually or in a group of two to ten,with four to seven being ideal. (Alex Osborn, brainstorming's inventor,

recommends an ideal group size of twelve, though this has proven to be abit unwieldy.) The best results are obtained when the following guidelinesare observed:

Suspend judgment. This is the most important rule. When ideas arebrought forth, no critical comments are allowed. All ideas are written down.Evaluation is to be reserved for later. We have been trained to be soinstantly analytic, practical, convergent in our thinking that this step is verydifficult to observe, but it is crucial. To create and criticize at the same timeis like watering and pouring weed killer onto seedlings at the same time.

Think freely. Freewheeling, wild thoughts are fine. Impossible andunthinkable ideas are fine. In fact, in every session, there should beseveral ideas so bizarre that they make the group laugh. Remember thatpractical ideas very often come from silly, impractical, impossible ones. Bypermitting yourself to think outside the boundaries of ordinary, normalthought, brilliant new solutions can arise. Some "wild" ideas turn out to bepractical, too.

For example, when the subway was being dug under Victoria station inLondon, water began seeping in. What are the ways to remedy this?Pumps, steel or concrete liners? The solution: freeze it. Horizontal holes

were drilled into the wet soil and liquid nitrogen was pumped in, freezingthe water until the tunnel could be dug and cemented.


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We've already talked about gold plating electrical contacts. In anotherexample, it's a fact that electric generators can produce more power if thewindings can be kept cool. How would you cool them? Fans, airconditioned rooms? How about a wild idea? Make the electric windings outof copper pipe instead of wire and pump helium through them. That iswhat's actually done in some plants, doubling the output of the generators.

Tag on. Improve, modify, build on the ideas of others. What's good aboutthe idea just suggested? How can it be made to work? What changeswould make it better or even wilder? This is sometimes calledpiggybacking, hitchhiking, or ping ponging. Use another's idea asstimulation for your own improvement or variation. As we noted earlier,changing just one aspect of an unworkable solution can sometimes makeit a great solution.

Example problem: How can we get more students at our school?Brainstorm idea: Pay them to come here. That sounds unworkable, butwhat about modifying it? Pay them with something other than money--like

an emotional, spiritual, or intellectual reward or even a practical value-added reward like better networking or job contacts?

Quantity of ideas is important. Concentrate on generating a large stock ofideas so that later on they can be sifted through. There are two reasonsfor desiring a large quantity. First, the obvious, usual, stale, unworkableideas seem to come to mind first, so that the first, say, 20 or 25 ideas areprobably not going to be fresh and creative. Second, the larger your list ofpossibilities, the more you will have to choose from, adapt, or combine.Some brainstormers aim for a fixed number, like 50 or 100 ideas beforequitting the session.

Practical Methodology

Choose a recorder. Someone must be put in charge of writing down all theideas. Preferably, the ideas should be written on a board or butcherpapered walls so that the whole brainstorming group can see them.Lacking this, ideas should be put down on paper. In an ideal session, therecorder should be a non participant in the brainstorming session, sinceit's hard to be thoughtful and creative and write down everything at thesame time. But in small sessions, the recorder is usually a participant, too.

For a one-person brainstorming session, using an idea map on a largepiece of paper is useful. Butcher paper on the walls is good, too. (Largewriting helps keep your ideas in front of you and increases creativity. Whynot try it?)

Organize the chaos. For groups of more than three or four, have amoderator to choose who will offer an idea next, so that several peopledon't speak at once. The moderator should prefer those with ideas that tagonto previous ideas, then those with new ideas. If necessary themoderator will also remind members of the group not to inject evaluationinto the session (in case a member asks, sneers, says, "Oh, come on,"

and so forth).


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Keep the session relaxed and playful. The creative juices flow best whenparticipants are relaxed and enjoying themselves and feeling free to besilly or playful. Eat popcorn or pizza or ice cream or make paper airplanesor doodles while you work, even if the problem itself is deadly serious likecancer or child abuse. Don't keep reminding everyone that "this is aserious problem" or "that was a tasteless joke."

As an aid to relaxation and a stimulation to creativity, it is often useful tobegin with a ten-minute warm-up session, where an imaginary problem istackled. Thinking about the imaginary problem loosens people up and putsthem into a playful mood. Then the real problem at hand can be turned to.Some imaginary problem topics might include these:

how to heat a house more efficiently how to light a house with a single light bulb how to improve your travel from home to work inventing a new game for the Olympics how to improve institutional food without increasing its cost

Limit the session. A typical session should be limited to about fifteen ortwenty minutes. Longer than that tends to become dragging. You shouldprobably not go beyond thirty minutes, though thirty is the "ideal" lengthrecommended by Alex Osborn.

Make copies. After the session, neaten up the list and make copies foreach member of the session. No attempt should be made to put the list inany particular order.

Add and evaluate. The next day (not the same day) the group should meetagain. First, ideas thought of since the previous session should be shared(entered on the photocopied lists). Then the group should evaluate each ofthe ideas and develop the most promising ones for practical application.

During the evaluation session, wild ideas are converted to practical onesor used to suggest realistic solutions. The emphasis is now on analysisand real world issues. Some brainstormers divide the ideas found to beuseful into three lists:

A. Ideas of immediate usefulness. These are the ideas you will be able to

use right now.B. Areas for further exploration. These are ideas that need to beresearched, followed up, thought about, discussed more fully, and so on.C. New approaches to the problem. These are ideas that suggest newways of looking at the situation.

Note here that evaluation does not take place on the same day as thebrainstorming session. This fact keeps the idea session looser (no fearthat evaluation is coming soon) and allows incubation time for more ideasand time for thinking about the ones suggested.

Variations


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Stop and Go. For stop and go brainstorming, ideas are generated for threeto five minutes. Then the group is silent (and thinking) for three to fiveminutes. Then ideas are given out for another three to five. This patternalternates for the entire session.

Sequencing. In this technique, the moderator goes in order from onemember of the group to the next in turn or sequence. Each member gives

whatever ideas he then has, and they are written down. If a member hasno ideas, he just says, "Pass," and the next member responds. Thismovement in turn or around the table continues throughout the session.(Sequencing has been said to nearly double the number of ideasgenerated in a brainstorming session.)

Style Modification StrategiesIncreasing ResponsivenessCentral Theme EMOTE a litte more often

CONTRAOL a little less often

How to Increase 1. Verbalize feelings2. Pay personal compliments3. Be willing to spend time on the relationship4. Engage in small talk socialise5. Use more friendly, nonverbal language

Increasing Assertiveness

Central Theme TELL a little more oftenASK a little less often

How to Increase 1. Get to the point2. Volunteer information3. Be willing to disagree4. Act on your convictions

5. Initiate conversation

Descreasing Assertiveness

Central Theme ASK a little more oftenTELL a little less often

How to Decrease 1. Ask for opinions2. Negotiate decision making

3. Listen without interuppting4. Adapt to time needs of others5. Allow others to assume leadership more often

ANALYTICAL DRIVER

AMIABLE EXPRESSIVE


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Decreasing Responsiveness

Central Theme CONTROL a little more oftenEMOTE a little less often

How to Decrease 1. Talk less

2. Restrain your enthusiasm3. Make decisions based on facts4. Stop and think5. Acknowledge the thoughts of others


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Checklist For Role Shifting with Drivers

DOS DONTS1. Be clear, specific, brief and to thepoint

1. Dont ramble on or waste theirtime

2. Stick to business 2. Dont try to build personalrelationships

3. Come preparted with allrequirements, objectives, supportmaterial in well-organisedpackage.

3. Dont forget or lose things, dontbe disorganised or messy; dontconfuse or distract their mind frombusiness.

4. Present the facts logically; planyour presentation efficiently

4. Dont leave loopholes or cloudyissuesif you dont want to bezapped.

5. Ask specific (preferably what?)questions.

5. Dont ask rhetorical queestions,or useless ones.

6. Provide alternatives and choicesfor making their own decisions.

6. Dont come with a ready-madedecision, and dont make it for them.

7. Provide facts and figures aboutprobability of success oreffectiveness of options.

7. Dont speculate wildly or offerguarantees and assurances wherethere is risk in meeting them.

8. If you disagree, take issue withfacts, not the person.

8. If you disagree, dont let it reflecton them personally.

9. If you agree, support results, notthe person.

9. If you agree, dont reinforce withIm with you.

10. Motivate and persuade byreferring to objectives and results.

10. Dont try to convince bypersonal means.

11. Support, maintain. 11. Dont direct or order.

12. After talking business, departgraciously.

12. Dont do an epilogue bit afterfinishing business.


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Low Responsive Social Style

Cool and ControlledReserved and Unemotial

Task Orientaed, Reasoning and Logic Oriented:Efficient Formal

Independent, Self-sufficient

AskingStyle

UnassertiveCautiousCo-operativeEasy GoingMay be QuietUnaggressiveDeliberate PaceAvoids RiskListeningGo-along

TellingStyle

AsserticeBoldCompetitiveActiveMay beAggressiveFast MovingTakes RisksTakes ChargeInitiating

High Responsive Social Style

Warm and emotionalPersonalInvolved in Own and Others Feelings

Relationship and People orientedMay be Inefficient or Imprecise as a Result of Putting People First

Informal, CasualGregarious Enjoys People, Fun, Attention


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Checklist For Role Shifting with Analyticals

DOS DONTS1. Prepare your case in advance. 1. Dont be disorganised or messy.

2. Approach them in a straight

forward, direct way; stick tobusiness.

2. Dont be giddy, casual, informal,

loud.

3. Support their principles; usethoughtful approach; build yourcredibility by listing pros and cons toany suggestion you make.

3. Dont rush the decision-makingprocess.

4. Make an organised contributionto their efforts, present specifics anddo what you say you can do.

4. Dont be vague about whatsexpected of either of y ou; dont failto follow through.

5. Take your time, but be persistent. 5. Dont dilly-dally.

6. Draw up a scheduled approach toimplementing action with step-by-step timetable; assure them thatthere wont be surprises.

6. Dont leave things to chance orluck.

7. If you agree, follow through. 7. Dont provide special personalincentives.

8. If you disagree, make anorganised presenation of yourposition.

8. Dont threaten, cajole, wheedle,coax, whimper.

9. Give them time to verify reliabilityof your actions; be accurate,realistic.

9. Dont use testimonies of others orunreliable sources; dont behaphazard.

10. Provide solid, tangible, practicalevidence.

10. Dont use someones opinion asevidence.

11. Minimise risk by providingguarantees over a period of time.

11. Dont use gimmicks or clever,quick maniupulations.

12. When appropriate give themtime to be thorough.

12. Dont push too hard or beunrealistic with deadlines.


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Checklist For Role Shifting with Expressives

DOS DONTS1. Plan interaction that supportstheir dreams and intentions.

1. Dont legislate or muffle.

2. Leave time for relating,socialising.

2. Dont be curt, cold, or tight-lipped.

3. Talk about people and theirgoals, opinions they find stimulating.

3. Dont drive on to facts andfigures, alternatives, abstrations.

4. Put details in writing, pin them tomodes of action.

4. Dont leave decisions hanging inthe air.

5. Ask for their opinions/ideasregarding people.

5. Dont waste time trying to beimpersonal, judgemental, task-orientated.

6. Provide ideas for implementingactions.

6. Dont dream with them or youlllose time.

7. Use enough time to bestimulating, fun loving, fast moving. 7. Dont kid around too much orstick to the agenda too much.

8. Provide testimonials from peoplethey see as important, prominent.

8. Dont talk down to them.

9. Offer special, immediate andextra incentives for their willingnessto take risks.

9. Dont be dogmatic.


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Assertive Behaviour

Discuss each situation and decide on a response which is direct, honest,diplomatic and appropriate.

SITUATION RESPONSE

1. You would like anincrease and say

2. Someone asks for alift home. It isinconvenient as yourelate and still have a fewerrands to do.

3. One person ofteninturrupts you when

youre spakeing duringa metting.4. You have beenpestered several timesthis week by caller whohas repeatedly tried tosell you a magazine.The caller contacts youagain.5. The local library callsand asks you to returna book you have notborrowed.6. Your spouse wantsto watch a soccermatch on TV but youare busy watchinganoteher programme.There is NO videorecorder.7. A friend often

borrows money fromyou and does no treturn it unless asked.He again asks for asmall load.8. You are standing in aqueue at thesupermarket. Someonequietly shoulders theirway in front you.

Career Development


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Step 1: Self Assessment

Completing Step 1 will help you to:

Understand why self assessment is a key factor leadingto career success

Conduct a complete assessment of your personality,interests, values, skills, learning needs and self-employment potential

Know what you are looking for in your career

The First Step to Career Success!

6LifeWorkPlanning

5Work

4Networks & Contacts

3Decision Making2Research

1Self Assessment

Personality Values Skills InterestsKnowledge& Learning

Entrepreneurism

In the past it was normal for students to declare a major related to acareer; complete a prescribed set of studies; find a job in a related field;and stay in that field until they retired. One decision and that was it! Today,however, it is far more common for individuals to change their majors, doseveral career searches and changes in a lifetime. People change their

careers for a variety of reasons. For example, they did not make a wisechoice initially; the career they selected no longer exists; they want tomatch their changing values and needs to a new set of career possibilities.

Making the right plans for your future during these changing times can bedifficult. Starting with the self assessment process can give you morechoices and broaden your options. You then can have the confidence thatyou are on the right career path.

A self assessment can reveal your characteristics, interests, values andskills. It will define your strengths and your weaknesses. Looking for amatch between these and the work you are considering is the mostimportant step you can take before you write a resume or begin the searchfor a job. In fact, when the time comes to write your resume and preparefor a job interview, you will find the task easier if you have completed theself-assessment process first!
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You are the place to start. Ask yourself:

What do I do well? What am I good at? What do others tell me? What do I enjoy doing? What turns me on? What energizes me?

Answers to these types of questions and many others will help you identifyyour strengths and make decisions around the contributions you can

make. Many people try to fit into jobs advertised in newspapers or othersources. The employer today has many qualified candidates from which tochoose. You will be seriously considered for a position only by showingthe employer that you know who you are, what you can offer and whereyou are going.

You will need to commit some time to prepare your personal inventory.Your honesty and the quality of your work will predict your level of successin getting the right job. Write out your answers and the conclusions youcome to as a permanent record of your thoughts and feelings. This datathen becomes an important resource as you continue in your career

planning and work search activities.

Step 1.2: Understanding Your Personality & Characteristics

This exercise will help you to identify key elements of yourpersonality

This process will take 15-30 minutes

One of the most important factors in determining your happiness andsuccess in a job is understanding your personality, also referred to as

characteristics or attitudes. You have now identified your PrideExperiences and written stories. If you have not completed this exercise,please go back to Step 1.1. Evaluate who you really are by referring to thestories as you complete the following exercise. Be honest when you judgeyour thoughts, feelings, attitudes and behaviours.


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Personality ChecklistYou will notice that the checklist is divided into six sections with similarpersonality clusters. You will learn more about these clusters in the sectionon Interests. Read your stories and scan the checklist. Put a check toshow each characteristic that applies to you from each of the stories. Addto the list other characteristics describing you. Check with your friendsand/or family. Do they see you as you see yourself?

Personality & Characteristics Story # Total#

Section R 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

AthleticConformingDown-to-earthFrankPersistentPracticalRuggedSelf-reliantStableSection R Totals

Section I 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 #Analytical

CalmConfidentCuriousIndependent

IntellectualInventiveLogicalPreciseSection I Totals

Section A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 #Creative

EmotionalExpressive

FlexibleIdealisticImaginativeImpulsiveIntuitiveOriginalSection A Totals


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Section S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 #Co-operative

EmpatheticFriendlyHelpfulInsightfulKind

SensitiveTactfulUnderstandingSection S Totals

Section C 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 #AccurateCareful

DependableDetailedEfficientOrderlyOrganizedPersistentThoroughSection C Totals

Insert your own descriptive words 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 #

Congratulations on assessing your personality and characteristics! Goback and review this list again. Circle or highlight the top 5 characteristics.This information will be helpful when you get to the section on Interests inStep 1.5.

Section E 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 #Adventurous

AmbitiousAssertive

Competitive

DrivingEnergeticEnthusiasticPersuasivePowerfulSection E Totals


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Step 1.3: Understanding Your Values

This exercise will help you to clarify your values This process will take 15-30 minutes

Have you ever wondered what causes someone to study for years to entera career such as engineering or law while another person will look for thequickest way to make money? What causes someone to switch his or hercareer midstream? The answer to these questions is values. If you valuegood health, you will make time for daily exercise and proper nutrition. Ifyou value career satisfaction, you will take time to examine your valuesand make choices that are consistent with them. This section will help youto identify what is needed in your work environment to enable you to feelsatisfied with your job. Understanding your values is also essential topreventing conflict in the workplace.

Step 1.3 Understanding Your Values

This exercise will help you to clarify your values


As with the previous section, you will notice that the checklist is dividedinto six sections with similar values clusters. You will learn more aboutthese clusters in the section on Interests. Read your pride stories andscan the checklist. Put a check to show each value that applies to you.Add to the list other values that describe you.

Values Clarification Story # Total#

Section R 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Be able to move around in my workDo hands-on workMeet clear standardsSee the results of my workWork outdoorsSection R Totals

Section I 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 #Be able to structure my own workBe recognized for my knowledgeContribute new learning to a fieldDemonstrate high degrees of skillEngage in complex questions & demanding tasksSection I Totals

Section A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 #Be able to write or present ideasBe free to express my uniqueness

Be involved in studying or creating beautyCreate new ideas, programs or structures

Have personal control over my life & lifestyle


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Section A Totals

Section E 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 #Be able to get ahead rapidly

Be in a position to change opinionsHave a high standard of livingHave the power to influence others activitiesImpress others, have respect & statusSection E Totals

Section C 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 #Carry out responsibilities and meet requirementsComplete work where attention to detail is requiredDo work where employment is secureDo work where tasks are clearHave regular hours and predictable workSection C Totals

Insert additional values 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 #

Congratulations on clarifying your values! Highlight the top 5 values thatare most important for you. This information will be helpful when you get tothe section on Interests.

There is more in us than we know. If we can be made to see it,perhaps for the rest of our lives, we will be unwilling to settle forless.

~Kurt Hahn

Section S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 #Be involved in helping others directlyContribute to the betterment of the worldFeel that my work is making a differenceHave opportunities for self-developmentWork with others toward common goals

Section S Totals


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Step 1.4: Analysing Your Skills This exercise will help you to define and identify your skills This process will take 15-30 minutes

A skill is learned ability to do something well. Skills are the currency usedby workers. In the labour market you receive pay in exchange for the skillsthat you offer and use at work. Individuals who can describe themselves toa potential employer in terms of their skills are more likely to find the workthat they want and enjoy.

If you were asked right now to list your skills, what would your list looklike? It might be a short list, not because you do not have the skills, butsimply because you have never been asked to identify them and are notaccustomed to thinking and talking about them. Each person hasapproximately 700 different skills in their repertoire. Most individuals havetrouble identifying them and if they do recognize them, they dont feel rightpromoting them. However, you cannot afford this kind of misdirected

modesty. Before you can be confident about your ability to move through achanging work world, you have to realistically know what your strengthsare.

Step 1.5: Understanding Your Career Interests

This step will help you to organize the information from theprevious sections

You will learn how to relate your vocational personality tocareer planning


Understanding Your Career Interests

In the previous three sections, the characteristics, values and skillssections were organized into six (6) clusters. Please transfer your top five(the 5 items that you like the most or that are most similar to you) fromeach of the exercises to the chart below. Please check () which clusterarea they belong to and total the number below. You may find that youhave dominant interest cluster(s) that emerge.


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My Top 5 Characteristics R I A S E C

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Sub-total number of for each column of

characteristics

My Top 5 Values R I A S E C

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Sub-total number of for each column of values

My Top 5 Skills R I A S E C

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Sub-total number of for each column of skills

Total for all sections

Review the six Holland themes; consider which ones are most similar to

you based on your scores from the exercises and your thoughts fromreviewing the descriptions provided in Section 1.5. Complete the sectionbelow to help you create a summary listing for this section.

# HollandTheme

Potential Educational or Occupational Options ofInterest to Me

1

2

3


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Step 1.6: Knowledge & Learning Style

In addition to finding out who you are by reviewing and assessing yourcharacteristics, values and skills, it is also important to consider yourknowledge and learning style. Throughout your life, you have learnedinformation by attending classes, working on projects, readingindependently, traveling and many other methods. It is important at thisstage to assess what you know and how you like to learn.

This process will help you to identify your core knowledgeand learning style

It will take 20-30 minutes

Your Knowledge & Learning Style

This process will help you to identify your core knowledge andlearning style

It will take 20 30 minutes

Identifying Your Knowledge Areas

You can use the space provided below. Begin with your formal education.Consider everything that you have studied at:

University

College

High school

Other

institutions

Through Courses

Projects

Papers

Thesis

Write down your:

Specializations, options

Subjects you liked the most and what you liked about them

Your marks

Any other certificates, diplomas or awards you have received

Name ofInstitution

Dates and Specific Information

In addition to the knowledge you have acquired though formal educationalopportunities, you have informal sources of learning. This informaleducation includes training provided by employers (both on and off their


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premises), volunteer agencies, sports organizations, etc. Write thisinformation below.

OrganizationsName

Dates and Specific Information

Finally, record what you have learned through your own travel, research,reading or other experiences.

Experiences Dates and Specific Information

Review all of your notes in this section on Knowledge. Choose 5 areas ofknowledge that you would like to build on in your career and write thembelow.

My 5 Main Knowledge Areas1.2.3.4.5.


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You may find it helpful to go back and review the HollandPersonality type descriptions in the previous section. There areeducational preferences in each of these six types. When youreview your 5 main knowledge areas, look for similarities withyour Holland profile. This process can help you to identifyrewarding career pathways.

Identifying Your Learning Style

Learning style refers to how people learn. The concept is important;people do learn in different ways. Understanding how you learn can helpyou to take more effective control of your own career development andlearning. To discover how you learn, think about the experiences you havehad in your life in which you felt you learned a great deal. Then considerthe following types of learning processes and environments:

Unstructured or highly structured environment

Working at your own speed or working at the pace set by a teacher

or group Learning things step-by-step or getting the big picture first

Working alone or working in a group

Learning in a quiet setting or with sounds in the background

Forming pictures in your mind, touching the object or speaking toyourself

Engaging in computer-based instruction / interactive multimedia

Conducting field work or doing case studies

Sharing thoughtful dialogue with others

Listening to a lecture

Watching videos or films Participating in a role play or simulation

Writing in logs, journals or workbooks

Reading about something and then trying it out

Trying something out and then reading about it later

My preferred ways of learning are:

Step 1.7: Entrepreneurism as a Career Option

Over the past decade an increasing number of individuals have chosenself-employment or entrepreneurship as a career option. Those who areself employed or entrepreneurs are people who create a new product orprovide a service and then proceed to put form to their dream by opening

a small business. Consider the following questions:


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Do you welcome challenges? Is achievement important to

you? Are you confident about your

abilities? Do you like to be in control? Do you consider yourself a

realistic planner?

Are you persistent? Can you cope with

uncertainty? Do you usually complete any

task you start? Are you willing to take

moderate risks?

Do you consider yourself tobe organized?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, you have some of thecharacteristics of people who are self employed. Additionally, in theprevious section (1.5) that used the Holland types, if you identified theEnterprising type as your first, second or third preference, you may find ithelpful to review this career option further.

Step 2.4: The Information Search

The world of work (or labour market, as it is often called) is very complex.There are now over 10,000 occupations in Canada. New occupations areemerging while other occupations are on the decline. The challenge is:"How do we make sense out of this ever-changing world?"

It is possible to discover career opportunities by learning what it isimportant to search for and where to search for it. Before beginning thisprocess, gather your results from Step 1. This material will help you toidentify opportunities as you conduct your research.

The what includes the characteristics, values, skills and knowledgerequirements of the occupational role. Additional material you will want toknow includes: duties and responsibilities, working conditions (e.g., hours,physical demands of job, physical environment and level of stress), salaryrange or compensation for work, opportunities for advancement, relatedoccupations and future outlook predictions.

The chart on the following page is designed to help you record thisinformation in your research. Start by reviewing your ideal careerneeds from your self-assessment results in Step 1. Then use thechart to compile information about the occupations you are

interested in. Make copies of the chart and use one chart f

demonstrate effective self-management skills

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