Web view1,2,3 Personality Test. 123. 10 Years Out Exercise. ... I began by blindly listing 15-20 themes solely from what I learned so far during my educational experience

Qualitative Thematic Self-analysis Research Project Matt Pizarro

Introduction:

The process of self-analysis has become one of the most valuable pieces of knowledge I have received during my educational experience at ASU. The courses I found to be the most impactful on my life and career outlook were focused on peeling away the layers of self-doubt, insecurity, and aimlessness and garnering life changing information from experiences that I may not have ever thought twice about. This experience has led me to be confident in my abilities and have shown me the value in my mistakes. I have become goal-oriented and have found a new drive in life due to the self-analysis aspect of my educational experience.

Below is a list of self-analysis tools and research exercises that have taught me a lot about myself and where I want to be in life. This list encompasses a wide array of topics and methodologies that aim to give my life direction. The following table names the tools and gives a brief abbreviation for each for the purposes of ease of reference throughout this assignment.

Source AbbreviationAzCIS Interest Profiler IPAzCIS Skills SAzCIS Work Importance Locator WIL3 Questions Exercise 3QIdentities Exercise IEValues, Desires, Purpose, Vision VDPVLife Story Personal Narrative LSPN1,2,3 Personality Test 12310 Years Out Exercise 10YOInterviews w/Significant Others ISOIdeal Organization Exercise IOEOGL 300 – Week 4 Self-Analysis OGLCareer Anchors Exercise CA

From this list, I have determined a lot about myself, what is important to me in life, and what aspects of my thinking contradict my inner desires.

In order to determine my personal life themes and to get the most out of this assignment, I began by blindly listing 15-20 themes solely from what I learned so far during my educational experience. After that, I went through each of the resources and self-analysis tools and listed another 15-20 themes that I could back with the data acquired through completing the exercises. The reason I took this avenue of approach to this assignment is because I wanted to make sure that my mind wasn’t influenced completely by words on a paper. I found that my themes were much stronger if I they came from my subconscious and could also be backed by the self-analysis tools.

From there, I took both lists of themes and analyzed the similarities and the differences between them. If themes from lists were similar, I kept them as a basis for the growth of this assignment. For the themes that didn’t match, I revisited the resources and began analyzing the purpose of each exercise and what each exercise was trying to tell me in the hopes that I could evaluate the outcomes from a different perspective. After I analyzed each resource through what I called a “third-party perspective”, it became easier to identify what information was important in order for me to develop my themes and also what information led me to different themes in my original assessment.

After assessing all of the different data points (each resources purpose and pertinent information, my two lists of themes, a combined list of potential themes, and reviewing my feelings on the process), I was able to develop a set of 10 themes that I feel could shape my outlook on life and the direction my life takes for years to come. My themes are:

1. I have developed a passion for growth; both personally and professionally.2. My wife and my son are at the forefront of every decision I will make for the

rest of my life.3. My values and beliefs drive my everyday behaviors.4. I value diversity and the free flow of information.5. I enjoy working with others in a team-based and mutually-beneficial

environment.

6. I enjoy seeing others succeed.7. I like to assume responsibility and make decisions based on my own ideas

and the input of others.8. I prefer to work with minimal supervision and have a mentor as opposed to a

boss.9. I value leadership that puts others first and is guided by a strong moral

compass.10.I embrace change and seek new and fulfilling opportunities.

With these themes in hand, I began collecting supporting and contradictory evidence to evaluate how each theme fits into my life and goals. I thoroughly enjoyed this assignment’s process and the progress I was able to make. I hope to continue the self-analysis process throughout my life and one day return to this exercise to see how my life has either followed these themes or strayed from them. Either way, it would be interesting to complete this assignment again in 10 years and see how I’ve grown and analyze the things I’ve learned along the way.

Theme 1: I have developed a passion for growth; both personally and professionally.

Supporting evidence:

In the values worksheet, I listed growth as a top value in my life. I have developed this value throughout the years and I hold it dear to my heart. (VDPV)

My ideal organization is one where I am in control of my own destiny. I can only achieve this goal through my personal growth and determination. (IOE)

I enjoy competition as I feel it brings the best out of me and leads to positive changes. Scoring high on the enterprising personality type is where this trait shined for me. (S)

Having a sense of accomplishment is important in my professional life. I like to see the results of my hard work and I strive for achievement. Scoring high on achievement showed me that I look for things in my life that lead to learning. (WIL)

I take pride in everything I do and my past and future successes. My score on the 1, 2, 3 Test showed that I was proud and competitive and I do see those traits as a driving force in my life. (123)

Contradictory evidence:

In several of the AzCIS exercises, I scored high on the conventional personality side. People with conventional interests like to follow set

procedures and have rigid routines. Rules and instructions keep these type of people occupied and that seems to me to an inhibitor of growth and progress. (S, IP)

Reflection:

This theme is extremely important to me and that is why I listed it number 1, even before the importance I place on my family. Growth not only impacts me, but it impacts the people around me, including my family. Without the will to grow, I feel like my family will suffer as much as I do. In order to keep my family strong, I need to seek out ways to improve and have the proper attitude and demeanor to make a lasting impression on my wife and son. Though there is contradictory evidence to my theme, I attribute that to my time in the military and the rigidness of that lifestyle. It took some time to break out of that mold but I feel I am making huge strides in committing myself to growth.

Theme 2: My wife and son are at the forefront of every decision I will make for the rest of my life.


In the values worksheet, I listed having a family as a top value in my life. I am proud to have a wife and son and look forward to having a positive influence on my son’s life. (VDPV)

In viewing my life 10 years from now, I saw my family expanding. I think that is a clear sign at the value I put on family and the need to think about how my decisions today will affect my family in the future. (10YO)

My father’s presence in my life had a huge impact on who I am today and I can’t thank him enough for all that he has done for me. My upbringing has taught me the importance of family and being sure to make time to spend with family is more important that money. (LSPN)

The fact that I scored high on independence on the Work Importance Locator exercise shows me that I value the ability to make time for my family at my own discretion. Having the ability to be held accountable for my work without overbearing supervision will allow me to utilize my skills to accomplish difficult tasks quickly and spend more time with my family. (WIL)

My father’s impact on my life shows through in the interview I did with him. He stresses the importance of family and how it can become easy to get sucked into cycle of work and dismiss family as a result. (ISO)


In the career anchors exercise, I scored the lowest on the security and stability area. I tend to find this contradictory to making decisions that benefit a family over an individual. Normally, people search for that job security and stability in order to be certain they can provide for their family at all times. (CA)

Reflection:

This theme is one that I find to be one of the most impactful on my life. I never truly understood the meaning of selflessness until I got married and had a child. It is a one of the greatest feelings in the world and one that I will hopefully never forget. That feeling is something that I hope can steer my decision making and drive my efforts to give my family everything they need and want out of life. I have to remain focused on that and not get caught up in the desire for professional achievement to the detriment of my family and responsibilities at home.

Theme 3: My values and beliefs drive my everyday behavior.


In the values worksheet exercise, I listed growth, having a family, integrity, loyalty, and responsibility and accountability as my top 5 values. Though it was difficult to get to 5, I find that these values influence my day-to-day interactions with others, whether at home, work, or anywhere else. (VDPV)

In my ideal organization, I stressed the need for a culture that emphasizes cooperation, communication, and accountability. Without these values being enforced on a daily basis, I feel that organizations won’t be successful long-term. (IOE)

The Skills assessment from AzCIS and the Holland Personality Type test showed me that I enjoy helping, understanding, and teaching others. I find this to be an effective way of exhibiting the values that you expect from others. I can’t expect others to behave a certain way unless I model that behavior. (S)

In my interview I conducted with a co-worker, Josh told me that he believes my greatest strengths are my work ethic and my ability to influence others to work hard too. My belief in hard work and earning my paycheck drives me to perform every day. (LSPN)

The 3 Questions exercise asked “What does the world need me to do?” I believe that my greatest impact can come from utilizing my values and beliefs system to influence the youth in my community. Coaching and mentoring is an ideal way to make sure that ethical behavior and a moral code is passed to the next generation. (3Q)


The interest profiler exercise contradicts this theme in a way that won’t necessarily impact my life negatively, but can help me see some of the issues I need to work through. I scored low on the social section of the test and that is the section that discusses working with people and promoting learning and personal development. Also, teaching and giving advice fall into this section which contradicts my hopes to give back to my community by coaching and mentoring youth. (IP)

Reflection:

This theme seems to me to be the most black and white theme I have addressed in this assignment. In my opinion, values and beliefs and how they affect behavior can’t be compromised. Once they are compromised, integrity and influence seem to go out the window. I have seen it happen

first hand many times where people stray from the values that got them to a certain point of influence only to lose that influence and negatively impact the lives of others. I hope to stay true to my values and beliefs and let them guide to a fulfilling life.

Theme 4: I value diversity and the free-flow of information.


The Skills assessment showed that I am a social person who enjoys working with others. Problems are solved by talking about them and attempting to see them through many different lenses. (S)

An investigative interest is one that deals more with thinking and exploring ideas than with hands on tasks. Scoring high on the investigative portion of the interest profiler shows me that the more information is available, the better the ultimate outcome. (IP)

My experience in the Marine Corps developed my love of diversity. Meeting and working with people from all different corners of the globe made me appreciate different ways of thinking and the impact it can have on teamwork and an organization’s goals. (LSPN)

My ideal organization is one that emphasizes communication and the free-flow of ideas. Organizational success and individual satisfaction are all tied to this concept. (IOE)


The area that contradicts this theme is the career anchors exercise. I scored high on the autonomy and independence section of the test and this seems to highlight the need to do things on one’s own without input from others. People who score high in this section tend to seek out roles that are independent and don’t require much interaction with others. (CA)

Reflection:

This theme may be the most impactful theme of life in regards to my past experiences and how they have shaped my outlook on life. I have truly fell in love with diversity and the impact it has on society. I have seen people of all races, creeds, religions, nationalities, and any other label put on to people work together towards common goals. These people have become lifelong friends based on their ability to look past differences and respect each other’s perspectives. Organizations that stress diversity and open communication will be more successful than organizations that don’t.

Theme 5: I enjoy working with others in a team-based and mutually-beneficial environment.


I identify as a member of team more often than not. I enjoy working within a team and what can be accomplished by using the word “we.” (IE)

I struggled with my return to civilian life after my tour of active duty in the Marine Corps. The individuality and selfishness was not something I could relate to and ultimately had a negative, yet temporary, impact on my view of the world. (LSPN)

Even though my current job at the railroad has been a difficult transition for me, the co-worker I interviewed enjoys working with me and sees that I have an attitude that puts the organization first. I seek out the employees that have the same mentality as me and look to build those relationships. (ISO)

In the 3 Questions exercise, I highlighted my skill of being able to work with others in team environments and utilizing my influence to make sure everyone worked toward a common goal. I use my experience to show others how to get the most out of their jobs and benefit the whole at the same time. (3Q)

The OGL 300 assignment highlights what I think about leadership. “Going beyond self-interest for the good of the group” should be a trait of all leaders and if they don’t push for group success then I wouldn’t consider that person a leader. Leaders understand the need for teamwork and do whatever it takes to make them successful. (OGL)


I scored low on the relationships section of the Work Importance Locator exercise. People who value relationships in an organization and see their value in attaining the overall goal scored high on this section. Building relationships is the foundation of effective teams and this should be a priority for team leaders. (WIL)

Reflection:

I truly do enjoy working with a group of people who have a common goal and aren’t fixated on their individual behaviors. Obviously, teams are made up of individuals but identifying as a group can go a long way in making those groups successful. My experiences working in teams and having common missions has shown me how much that type of environment affects my actions, thoughts, and overall happiness. I am most happy in the team environment and this theme highlights that aspect of my outlook on life. I am now working towards the ability to find that type of organizational culture once again.

Theme 6: I enjoy seeing others succeed.


In the values worksheet, I cited loyalty as a value that was important to me. I see loyalty as standing behind someone no matter what the circumstance. If a member of my team gets recognized or promoted, it is a happy moment for me as well. I have seen people sabotage others in the hopes of seeing them fail and that is not loyalty in a team environment. (VDPV)

The test of a true leader is seeing what type of leaders their influence creates. It is important to pass on knowledge, communicate, and trust the people in your charge in order for them to grow and one day succeed on their own. The military is a prime example of the importance of creating an environment for others to learn and grow. (OGL)

The interview I had with my father shed a lot of light on this aspect of my personality. He said one of my greatest strengths was my generosity and my care for others. He told me a heartfelt story of me when I was younger and it has motivated me to be a better person. (ISO)

My ideal organization values the needs of every person involved, regardless of stature. Creating an environment that recognizes others for their contributions fosters a sense of pride and accomplishment and ties their efforts to the success of the organization as a whole. In other words, individual success leads to organizational success. (IOE)


As mentioned in other themes, some of my attempts at the AzCIS assessments don’t mesh with this theme. I scored low on the social section of the interest profiler and the relationships section of the work importance locator. This shows my inner drive to be independent and rely on my own intuition. Other people don’t effectively matter as much to my own actions. (IP, WIL)

Reflection:

Seeing someone succeed that you had an influence on is one of the greatest feelings in the world. This theme has had a large impact on the way I approach leadership and interacting with others. In the Marine Corps, I was promoted to Corporal after two years and instantly became responsible for the development of younger Marines. When those younger Marines themselves got promoted to Corporal and I saw them interact with younger Marines in a way that I found positive in their growth, it was exciting and humbling to watch.

Theme 7: I like to assume responsibility and make decisions based on my own ideas and the input of others.


I scored high on the enterprising section of the interest profiler test. These types of people enjoy leading, making decisions, and persuading others. I find myself to be a self-starter and assuming responsibility goes hand in hand. (IP)

In the values worksheet, I found that accountability and responsibility were values that I hold in high regard. Without responsibility and accountability, how can I grow as an individual? Being able to be responsible and being held accountable for that responsibility leads to experiences that drive learning. (VDPV)

The 3 Questions exercise highlighted my fondness of leaders who accept responsibility for their actions and the actions of those around them. Even in the face of failure, it is the leader’s job to take responsibility for decisions and in times of success, to spread the

recognition to others. This builds trust for a leader in a team environment. (3Q)

In my life, I have had to accept responsibility for bad decisions that have negatively affected my life and the lives of those around me. When I decided to join the Marine Corps, I took input from the influential people in my life and used my own ideas for what was best for me. I was prepared to deal with the consequences and it turned out to be a life changing moment. (LSPN)


Scoring high on the conventional sections of the personality tests and the independence section of the work importance locator test seem to contradict this theme. This theme is based on the idea of team work and taking others’ input before making a decision. In other words, leading a group with open communication leads to the best outcomes. (S, IP, WIL)

Reflection:

The fact that there was so many contradictions to this theme worries me a little bit. I feel like I am the type of person who expects a lot of people and holds them to high standards. However, I am not afraid to take responsibility for others not being able to reach those expectations. As a leader, it is my job to show, train, and influence others to be the best they can be and generate positive outcomes for the organization. I do enjoy that type of responsibility as it gives me a challenge and affords me learning opportunities along the way.

Theme 8: I prefer to work with minimal supervision and have a mentor as opposed to a boss.


Independence and autonomy seem to be a common theme for me. The work importance locator showed independence as one of my highest scoring values. Independence meaning I like to plan my work with little supervision. (WIL)

Autonomy and independence was my second highest score on the career anchors exercise. It claims I have an overriding need to do things my own way. (CA)

During my younger days, I tried extremely hard to please other people instead of focusing on the things I wanted and needed. Instead of searching for a mentor, I got stuck in a pattern of being told what to do. This harmed my life journey and I now look for mentors to guide me. (LSPN)

The skills assessment put me high into the enterprising category. These types of personalities like to be in control and seek out decision making positions in their lives and careers. (S)


On my list of dreams and desires, I didn’t place this specific idea. I found other goals and desires to be more important and it makes me wonder how much I actually need to be autonomous in my career. Ultimately, independence is ideal but this makes me think I could be happy as long as I fulfill other dreams. (VDPV)

Reflection:

This idea is relatively new to me as a career goal. I never thought about how important working independently and being responsible for decisions and performance was to me until I began working at the railroad. Even in the strictest of environments, like the Marine Corps, it never occurred to me that the desire to be autonomous was there and what avenues I needed to go down in order to achieve it. Thankfully, I decided to finish my college degree in the hopes that it will lead to more opportunities where I can be more independent and find a professional mentor along the way.

Theme 9: I value leadership that puts others first and is guided by a strong moral compass.


OGL 300 outlined many different leadership styles, the traits associated with those styles, and the benefits of each. During the course, I related best with the transformational style of leadership that aims to put the group ahead of individual needs and makes decisions based on the correct moral path. (OGL)

My personality type strongly reflected a social aspect of my life and career experience. The skills test said that I “like helping, understanding, and teaching others.” It also claims social people care about others and take others’ feelings into consideration when making decisions. (S)

In my ideal organization, morality comes into play as the actions of the organization directly affect the community and the environment in which they live. Leadership needs to make ethical decisions that lessen the negative impact of the organization regardless of the impact on its profits. (IOE)

The roles I play in my life have impacted my outlook on the world and how my decisions impact others around me. Since becoming a father, my actions affect more than just myself and that mentality carries over to professional life as well. I would like to treat others how I would want to be treated. (IE)


Though I scored high on the social category of the skills test, I scored low on the social section of the interest profiler exercise. This contradicts my desire to put the group first and ultimately act as a servant to the people around me. (IP)

In the interview I had with my co-worker, he rated my empathy lower than I would have expected. He claims I don’t listen to others well and my stubbornness gets in the way of taking other peoples’ thoughts and ideas seriously. (ISO)

Reflection:

It has become a mission of mine to truly create a positive image for myself beyond my own skills and attributes. My time here at ASU has shown me the importance of how you treat the people around you and how that impacts a person’s ability to lead. Looking back through my experiences, I realized that I always enjoyed the type of leader who took my thoughts and ideas seriously and put my well-being above their own. Hopefully, I can embrace the qualities in my next leadership position and remember how that type of leadership positively impacted my life.

Theme 10: I embrace change and seek new and fulfilling opportunities.


“Pure challenge” was my top scoring career anchor. The people who score high on pure challenge are always seeking different ways to challenged and put the organization secondary. Having variety in a career and different opportunities keep things challenging and lessens boredom. (CA)

I got caught up in the routine and boredom my first attempt at college. I wasn’t challenged and it negatively impacted my outlook on higher education and life in general. I needed something more out of life at that moment in my development and instead of implementing change, I stayed the course and it ultimately caused me to fail. (LSPN)

The dreams and desires that I listed can only be achieved through embracing new opportunities. Things like finishing my BA and earning an MBA and paying off debt and being financially secure can’t be achieved on my current path. I desire to seek challenges and change in order to live a fulfilling and happy life. (VDPV)

In trying to determine what gives me joy, I landed on something that fits in with this theme. Learning, goal setting, and striving for more were things I listed that make my happy in life and content with the road I am on. I can’t stay the same and hope to continue learning, achieving different goals, and striving to improve. Change is necessary for my joy. (3Q)


The interest profiler and the skills exercises seem to contradict this theme. I scored high in the conventional section of both tests and this says that I like to follow set procedures and stay in familiar routines. Change can’t come from staying in my comfort zone. (IP, S)

Reflection:

This theme may be one of the biggest driving forces behind my goals and outlook on the rest of my life. Keeping the status quo would be the easiest thing to do. I have a decent job and make decent money, certainly enough to provide for my family. However, I am not satisfied in my career and I strive for more. I have never been someone who accepts the way things are and could be happy. I am constantly looking for ways to improve processes at my job, efficiency in my home life balancing school with my obligations to my family, and my overall attitude and well-being. Hopefully, complacency never enters my thought process and I can continue learning and growing into the future.

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Web view1,2,3 Personality Test. 123. 10 Years Out Exercise. ... I began by blindly listing 15-20 themes solely from what I learned so far during my educational experience