Class Reflection

I can divide what I've taken away from this class into two categories. One category is the information I've absorbed between 3:30 PM and 5:30 PM every Wednesday this quarter. The other is everything that happened in relation to the class in-between. Both had a very strong impact on me.

In class, what I think will stick with me the most is what resulted from the difference of ideas we had. After we had done an activity I had in my head what I thought about it - what I felt the overarching message was, what went well, what could be improved, etc... However, it was great hearing what others had to say too. It seems like everyday we were discussing a common experience, whether it be an icebreaker an energizer, or something deeper like the step-forward activity. These discussions were just as important if not more important to me than the activity itself. Coming "full circle", as I think Lori said she enjoyed doing, really helped me understand the activity we had just done. I've discovered I'm not as good at converting my thoughts into words as others are, yet I totally agreed with a lot of what my classmates had to say. It helped me to hear how others took what was in their heads and expressed it into coherent sentences.

Outside of class, the blog-posts and camaraderie are what will stick with me. In regards to the blog-posts, I really enjoyed delving into the core of my beliefs and ideas and person as a whole. They have done a lot in helping me figure out what I believe and who I am. I went to college hoping to not only get a higher education but also learn a lot about myself and what I stand for/believe. These posts took what I might learn in a few years and crammed it into 10 short weeks. It'll be pretty easy to track how the camaraderie sticks with me post ELP; I fully plan on enjoying the friendships I strengthened and created in this class even after it officially 'ends'. That last part I have mixed feelings about. On one hand the class is ending and we won't meet in Locatelli on Wednesdays anymore. On the other hand, we will always be emerging, developing, and improving our leadership skills and in that sense our leadership education is just getting started.

For the second part of the post, I'm most looking forward to growing in regards to how I bring out the best in others. While it's great if I learn how to do my best, it benefits the team exponentially more if I can help others do the same. Hopefully in my time as a CF in Swig and during my other future leadership opportunities I will get better at this and of course develop other leadership skills as well.

Tuckman's Stages of Group Development

Clip One:
      This clip from Coach Carter best describes the "Norming" stage of group development. Here the basketball team unites under one goal; complete the tired player's pushups and suicides so he can remain on the team. The players clearly have given up their personal interests (who wants to do push-ups and suicides before a big game?) in favor for a down teammate.

Clip Two:
      The second clip in my opinion describes the last, "Adjourning" stage. It's apparent the team is falling apart, the mission in this case having been completed. Their is some separation anxiety but in the end all parties end up for the better.

Clip Three:
      First off, this is one of my all time favorite movies and second it reflects Tuckman's third stage of group development - "Storming". Clearly issues regarding race and the 'team' are examined and their is evident dissatisfaction and frustration from multiple team-members.

Clip Four:
      Having narrowed it down to the "Forming" and "Performing" stage, the last clip describes the performing stage. Each fish/aquatic animal is using his or her talents to accomplish their shared goal - get Nemo back to the ocean. The pelican distracts the dentist, the puffer fish lowers Mount Wannahakaluigi, the shrimp turns on the bubbles, the other fish push while Bill climbs into the mountain and then flips Nemo down the drain.

My Clip: (Click link not video to skip to relevant scene - 4:22)
     This video is a very clear case of the "Forming" stage of group development. There is obviously some tension between the dwarves and the elves, but all that is put aside when pressed with the Sauroman's growing power in Middle Earth. Each member of the team steps forward, thus forming the Fellowship of the Ring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyQlj6dIzAw&t=4m22s

 

Efficient Leadership Communication

Top 5 Methods for Communicating with an Individual

1. Analyze your purpose
• Before you begin communicating, you need to "size up the scene" and figure out what you want to accomplish. If it's just small talk, then skip this step. If you have an agenda or a goal you want to accomplish, knowing that goal ahead of time will allow you to be more concise and to the point. In regards to leadership, the clearer you are the more efficient your team will be in accomplishing its goal.
2. Analyze your audience
• How you communicate is strongly influenced by who you're talking to. If you're talking to the president of the United States you should use different diction than if you were talking to a close friend. Recognizing your audience will allow you to use appropriate words and will allow you to not appear foolish.
3. Look in the eyes
• Always make eye-contact when talking to someone. It doesn't have to be all the time and really it doesn't even need to be in the eyes (if you find it difficult, look at the forehead!). By doing so you come across as trustworthy and genuine.   
4. Show Interest
• It's easy to tell when someone is faking attention or isn't interested. Don't be that person, even if you are indeed bored. Find something to relate to and be involved in the conversation.
5. Communicate with body language
• Body language is a huge and sometimes underrated part of the communication process. Using correct hand-gestures, standing up straight, and doing other subtle things can make yourself be more approachable and confident two great qualities for a leader.

Top 5 Methods for Communicating with a Group  

In addition to the 5 methods listed above,  the 5 following methods apply more towards communicating with a group:

1. Confidence
• The phrase "confidence is key" is true for communicating to a group. People will listen to you and be more likely to believe you if you come across as confident. Therefore being confident is crucial to communicating to a group, especially a large group. This confidence can stem from knowing your topic forwards and backwards or just being comfortable with yourself.
2. Support your ideas
• Backing up what you say with facts from reputable sources will add credibility to what you're saying.
3. When possible, use a visual aid
• If you really want to nail a few points home, adding a visual display e.g. PowerPoint, drawing on a whiteboard, etc... can add a visual component to an otherwise strictly verbal communication process. These two methods combined will help your audience remember what you say and can cater to more people's individual learning styles.
4. Have a clean and professional appearance
• You should want your audience to focus on what you're saying rather than what you look like. If you have a giant ketchup stain on your white t-shirt and dirty sweatpants people will be too busy looking at those distractions and not on what you're saying.
5. Vary your tone, speed, angle of delivery, physical location, etc...
• People get bored quickly, and speaking in a monotone while standing in one spot certainly won't help. Varying several aspects of your delivery can make what you have to say more interesting and therefore your audience is more likely to listen.

These strategies are pretty general and should work for most communication settings. Knowing them is the easy part however. Actively using them while you're communicating takes practice and is something everyone can always get better at.

My methods assumed in person communication and not communication over the phone or online. Different strategies are needed for those mediums.

This I Believe

Part One:

Here is the essay I chose. For those who don't want to follow the link, here it is:

The Power of Fishing

I believe in the power of fishing. I am not an avid angler, and I’m still not sure if real flies are used in fly fishing. However when I think back on my childhood, many of my warmest and most salient memories took place on a fish bank.

I remember running, playing, exploring, and growing as the adults fished, drank beer, and talked trash to each other as B. B. King and Millie Jackson belted the blues from eight-track tape decks in deuce and a quarters and El Caminos. I remember eating the day’s catch cooked outdoors on a Coleman stove. There was always plenty of hot sauce—and admonitions to be careful—with white bread on hand in case you got choked on an insidious fish bone.

One time the family went down to the pay lake with the warning, “If you don’t catch a fish you’ll have to walk home.” Half believing this, I was delighted and relieved when I reeled in a three-pound, or was it a five-pound, no it was definitely a seven-pound catfish. After a struggle that rivaled that of Captain Ahab in Moby Dick, I finally got it to shore. I didn’t have the nerve to take the ugly thing off the hook; luckily that was not a condition of getting a ride home. The poor fella sure was tasty, though.

As a young teen I was delighted when I reeled in seventeen white bass from the Sandusky River behind the sugar factory in Freemont, Ohio. I breathlessly told the story of my conquest to anyone who would listen. It was the last time I remember going fishing with my father. I was soon old enough to opt out, and I chose more urbane pursuits than sitting on a fish bank all day.
When my sister died unexpectedly at the age of seventeen, I remember feeling like I could not breathe. Everyone in our large family was grieving terribly. The world changed forever, like our own personal version of 9/11. Everything before that day meant something different, great or slight, the day after. I remember my father got up early the next day to go fishing—alone. It was his way of coping and everyone understood. I never saw him cry about my sister. I often wondered if the fish did. I have a mental picture of him pouring his heart out to a wide-eyed bluegill who listened sympathetically before swimming away.

Now, in my role as a mental health therapist for children, I often take them fishing. They talk more openly when slightly preoccupied with the many little tasks it takes to fish. They are able to learn patience and skills to deal with frustration that can serve them well in school and at home. They develop courage as they tackle the daunting task of baiting their hook with a squiggly, reluctant worm. However, I think the most curative factor is that on a fish bank they are not kids with problems. They are just kids—running, playing, exploring, and healing.

I personally can connect to this on many levels. In the simplest sense, fishing was a huge part of my childhood growing up as well. I have countless memories of me and my dad sitting in a canoe on the Pawcatuck River casting and trolling for trout or battling the 'chop' on a windy day on Lake Latonka. My mom even tells me how my dad would take my two year old self with him on his days off when my mom was working. Fishing has literally been a part of my life since before I could walk.

When I asked my dad why he liked fishing so much, his answer surprised me. For him it's not about how many fish he catches or the sense of accomplishment associated with reeling in the Big One, it's about the ability to get away from the world and being a part of something beautiful. It's at once relaxing and rewarding. Relaxing because we're out on the water away from cellphones and traffic and artificial noise. Rewarding because we've learned first-hand the beauty of nature and the importance of conserving it so that others can experience it as well.

Part Two:

 

I Believe I have a Duty to do my Best

I have been given a lot. On the most basic level I have inherited beneficial genes from my ancestors. I am also fortunate enough to have been given an unfathomable amount of time and large amounts of money and experiences from not just my parents, but also everyone else who wants to see me succeed. These factors, all of which I have no control over, when combined with my own internal motivation and desire to succeed, have led me to be in a position where I would consider myself to have great potential. Potential to have a large effect on the world, potential to benefit humanity, and potential to leave a long-lasting legacy on the planet.

Because of this, I have a duty to do my best. Anything less is a waste of the things I have been given. A waste of talent that I feel makes me undeserving of what others have given me so that I could be successful. In high school I was presented with kids who were lucky enough to have been given the same if not more than I had. Yet I saw plenty be satisfied with meeting the minimums and never reaching their full potential. I made a promise to myself that I would push myself so that when I'm 80 years old and looking back on my life, I won't think "I wish I tried harder", or "I could have done a lot better". I want to be 100% satisfied with everything I've done and the choices I've made as a whole. To do this I need to do my best. I don't necessarily need to be the best, just be the best that I can be.

In wrestling I fine-tuned this belief. I was not the strongest nor did I have the best technique, but I had a duty to my team to do my best. Maybe my best was winning half of my matches, maybe two thirds, maybe all but a couple.  I had no idea but as long as I did my best my coaches and fellow wrestlers would be proud of me. Not only this, but I would be proud of me. This I believe.

Internal Struggle Response

The Setup
     I grew up in a family where military service was not only common, but also somewhat expected. Both my parents served in the Army, my dad retiring after 22 years. Of my four aunts and uncles two are in the Navy and one is in the Army. Three of my four grandparents served in one way or another in WWII. Having grown up on military bases my whole life and exposed to this legacy of military service, I was pretty sure I wanted to serve as well. If I did, I knew I wanted to be an officer and lead, so I figured ROTC would be the best route for me. It would allow me to go to college and get a degree and when I graduate I would 'owe' anywhere from 4-12 years depending on my job and level of training.

The What
     Fast forward to senior year of high school. I was in the middle of applying to and touring colleges and like most seniors was overwhelmed. In the back of my mind were my previous thoughts of ROTC, but conflicting for space were also plans of being a doctor and an engineer. I had narrowed down ROTC to just that for the Air Force because I figured that was the best branch for me. I applied to 10 colleges, about half offering AFROTC. Around this time last year I had narrowed my choices down to the University of Washington, Washington State University, Gonzaga, Santa Clara, and Montana State. Of those only UW, WSU, and MSU offered AFROTC on campus. Unfortunately my favorite two schools were GU and SCU. At the time I didn't think there was any way to do ROTC at either of these schools. Complicating matters I had received an AFROTC scholarship that was dependent upon attending a school where AFROTC was a possibility. Thus my internal conflict was presented: do I go to one of the schools I loved and pay more and forget the chance of military service, or go to a school that wasn't as good a fit for me for the chance to save money and serve.

The So What
     I had to choose one of two paths that would take my life in very different directions. Granted both options were great and I really couldn't choose a bad option, yet my future was at stake. I had decided that if I attended WSU, UW, or MSU I would do ROTC and pursue a career in engineering and strive to become a pilot, a life long goal of mine. On the other spectrum if I attended Santa Clara or Gonzaga I could still do engineering or possibility even pre-med but I would be forfeiting the chance of becoming a pilot and serving in the military. This choice was front and center in my brain for a number of weeks and I wasn't making much progress while the May 1st deadline loomed in front of me. Fortunately my Dad did some research and actually called headquarters AFROTC at Maxwell AFB and discovered a little known program offered at SCU that would allow me to do AFROTC at nearby San Jose State University. Since SJSU was so close and AFROTC was offered there, I could attend classes at SCU while still doing ROTC at SJSU. When I heard the news I was thrilled. I was able to go to the school of my dreams without sacrificing my dreams for the future. That day was one of the best days of my life. I checked over everything to confirm it would work out and once I had confirmation, I confirmed my enrollment to Santa Clara and accepted my ROTC scholarship on the same day.

The Now What
     I couldn't be more happier with my decision. SCU is everything I want it to be and I am very happy here. I also am succeeding in AFROTC and am very happy there as well. Overall I am extremely satisfied with my life and where it's going. I was unsure if I would like AFROTC and took a risk by essentially signing away at least four years of my life. Looking back I would do the same thing again without hesitation. What I took away from this experience is that in spite of conflicts if you persevere, after a while a solution may appear that wasn't apparent from the start. Had I given up on ROTC sooner I never could have found out about the ability to do it at SCU and my life would be heading in a totally different direction.

TED Talk Response

Here is my TED Talk - "The Earth is Full" by Paul Gilding:
 


This TED talk highlights the growing effect overcrowding and unsustainable economies has on our planet. Gilding begins with four simple and memorable words, "The Earth is full". He references several statistics such as the fact that collectively as humans we need 1.5 Earths in order to meet our resource needs. Since we only have the one, we are essentially stealing resources from future generations in order to meet our needs. These needs are ever increasing; they are expected to double in 40 years.

This video speaks to me personally because I am definitely part of the problem and feel guilty because of it. As an American growing up in a middle class family I have without a doubt used more than my fair share of resources. I own a car, have gone through several phones in my short life, and enjoy long hot showers amongst other unnecessary things. At the same time I try and recycle whenever I can and do little things such as print double sided and use a reusable water bottle. These actions speak to the fact that sustainability is a value I strive to live by in my life. Yet overwhelming  I cannot help but think I am doing more harm than good. As a result I have mixed feelings about my congruence in terms of my values. I do the things I mentioned above, which are congruent with my value of sustainability, but I can't help but think that they have little effect when compared to how much energy I require to live. In regards to this I am far from congruent. I could become a vegetarian and bike everywhere while wearing one of my two outfits and be much more congruent, but like the video states there is no imminent crisis driving me to do so. Our current energy system dependent on fossil fuels is still functioning and while this holds true, it's hard for me and others to do more than carpool and recycle amongst other simple things. As I see it the only way I can have a net energy usage less than my fair share is if someday I engineer and implement some new efficient system that reduces the carbon footprint of not only me but those around me as well.

MBTI Response

One criticism about the MBTI is perfectly explained this way, "When we put people in boxes where they can only be one or another, we miss the opportunity to see people as diverse as they are"





I disagree with this quote because I don't think people use the MBTI to form strong opinions about others. It's a tool used to help people determine what their preferences are and not to determine who they are at a deep level.  I don't look at any of my friends differently now that I know they're an ESFJ or an ISRJ. I get that they were reported as leaning certain directions but in no way does that undermine their complexity and diversity as people.

My reported type was an ESTJ, which essentially means I'm decisive, clear, and assertive and should pursue a career of a practical nature. I regard all of this to be true, as well as most of the other information it gave me. But the MBTI naturally missed a lot about me too. It's an imperfect system to capture the infinite number of preferences a person could have. In some scenarios I could be a 'judger' and in others a 'perceiver'. How do you design a test to capture these differences accurately? I don't think anyone ever can. This being said, I still believe tests like the MBTI are a great way to start thinking about yourself and once you have that base of understanding, answering the more intricate questions yourself shouldn't be too hard.