Reference no: EM132296080
Wow. Chapter Two is “chock full” of interesting information that can be immediately applied to your life – whether your focus is on getting your education, building your career, developing relationships with friends and families – this chapter has something for everyone.
What’s notable about the chapter is just how much of this is really a matter of awareness – awareness of yourself and an awareness of others. And, in developing that awareness, in tuning in to you and in tuning in to others, exploring what’s fixed (very little) and determining what you can and should change. Recall that in chapter one, you were asked to identify your top five areas for development in the course. And I encouraged you not to necessarily limit yourself to those five, but to recognize that you don’t want to overwhelm yourself. Thus, as you read this chapter, I encourage you to keep an open mind, but don’t let yourself become overwhelmed with what you “should” do!
Let’s take a quick look at each of the topics in the chapter.
Personality:
If you are taking this course because it is required in the Business Administration program, chances are that you’ve already taken PSY 150 (Introduction to Psychology) or, a similar course. With that, much of the information in the chapter will be a review to you. Regardless of whether this is new information or a refresher, it’s important to recognize that each of us possesses a distinct personality – one that’s been with us for a long time (some experts say that our personality is generally formed by age 3) but not one that is forever fixed! It’s also important to recognize that by our very nature, there are people with whom we will strike an immediate connection and there are those to whom we will be immediately inclined to distance! The trick, at work and throughout life is to find ways to work with those who are different than we. As you’ll learn (or recall) investing time in understanding someone else and understanding their views pays incredible dividends.
Of equal importance, the information presented in the Ted Talk by Dr. Brian Little raises important considerations about the need to keep all of this in perspective and not assume a behavioral expectation based upon someone’s personality.
Stress:
As defined in your text, stress is the emotional and/or physical reaction to environmental activities and events. That environment could be school, work, family (with me, it’s almost always family!) Regardless of the source, your professional development and personal health depend on your ability to learn constructive ways to manage and reduce your stress!
Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence, and Learning:
The takeaway here is that again, we are all different and we all possess different strengths. The trick for success is to discover and build upon your strengths; identify and develop areas where you are weak and to not lament what you cannot do but instead, celebrate what you can do.
Conclusion:
As you review the chapter, take the time necessary to work through the exercises provided throughout. This will help you better understand how this information relates to you and, will help you be prepared to complete the assignments associated with the chapter!
Identify what you learned about yourself by taking the assessment.
Write a paragraph or so about your initial plans to build or improve upon your skill set as it relates to the assessment.