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Assess your time management skills:

My time management and the ability to track, control and prioritize projects and tasks is excellent.

I selectively read when the situation presents itself and fully read when required such as the case of highly technical or a legal interpretation.

I often make and reassess a list of tasks and accomplishments with date due or assigned and who is responsible for the outcome.

I accomplish the most technical and time consuming tasks either at work in the early morning or when the situation presents itself when I work from home or during air travel when there are several hours of un-interrupted time to review and analyze a project or situation.

I keep a clear workplace, computer files including tractable versions to avoid lost data and in-turn allows me to keep a clear head and vision to complete tasks on time or ahead of scheduled.          

Evaluate how these skills have increased your locus of control:

By definition, the Locus of Control is the extent to which people believe they have power over events in their lives. A person with an internal locus of control believes that he or she can influence events and their outcomes, while someone with an external locus of control blames outside forces for everything.

My personnel definition is that of an internal locus of control. I assume responsibility for my actions and decisions based upon sound and prudent decision-making processes after weighing the facts and available data.

The items identified in item one have allowed me to be timely, accurate, analytical and the ability to acquire the skills needed to make sound and prudent decisions and recommendations to both superiors and subordinates alike. This has allowed me to quickly become a trusted member of a team allowing my colleagues to rapidly understand and       appreciate my position on topics of relevance and importance.    

Identify three new areas in which improved time management skills would reduce stress:

Since I am a Type “A” personality. I believe three new areas that would benefit from improved time management skills would be a benefit and in- turn reduce stress:

Getting ahead and obtaining the professional goal of Director of Safety.

Feeling guilty when relaxing or do nothing for several hours.

Schedule time during the day for just myself to read for pleasure, shoot    pool or listen to music.

My action plan to integrate these into your daily routine:      

Create a timeline of milestones needed to accomplish goal one would be to map it out for reference and review to benchmark items accomplished and those still needed.

  

      Look and learn how my family members are able to be content with simply reading of watching a TV show and try to follow their lead of only doing that one thing and not multitasking.

As I get up at 0400 daily to exercise and walk the dog, I could start  listening to music or an audio book during my 45 minute commute to work in the morning and home in the evening.

Scheduled some rainy day time for shooting pool.  

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Describe how your level of self-awareness has changed since you began your MSLD program with respect to the "Five Core Aspects of Self-Awareness"

My emotional Intelligence including my ability to self regulate and manage my relationships and myself has gained somewhat better incite with respect to the professional and personnel manner I have and will strive in handling uncomfortable situations of varying degrees and outcomes. An excellent example of a professional situation would be a situation at work, where a survey my agency utilized for a broad brushed look at the operation and key departments were polled for how they were gaged by the organization. The survey was not tailored to our operation and the manner in which it was presented painted a very demeaning and unprofessional picture on how some departments including mine were viewed. To add insult to injury, I was next in line to present on another topic, which I preformed professionally and to the best of my ability.

After reading about the new and emerging topic of emotional intelligence encompassing non-cognitive thought such as; social, emotional, behavioral, attitudinal and personality factors.  I believe that I handled the situation in a professional and emotionally intelligent manner… I believe that I could have handled the next several days after word in a better manner. In other words, rather than being rather quite and reserve, I believe the next time; I will simply shrug it off and continue on as though nothing had happened?      

Further insight into my core self evaluation has not appeared to have been influenced or gaining more awareness regarding levels of self-esteem, self-efficacy, emotional stability or self control than previously acquired in other courses of a similar nature. After browsing the course syllabus and textbook, I believe this topic as well as the other four core aspects or self-awareness, will gradually surface after exercise review and personnel reflection.

My core value, which are the singularly most stable and enduring characteristics I poses has been re-confirmed through the exercises and self-awareness assessments. And has reinforced my own values from various influences such as parental influence, scouting, and the military and masonic instruction.

The assessments did emphasize to me that not all individuals hold the same personnel values which may be based upon things such as religion, geographic location, life’s experiences, parental influence or the lack of it, and ethnic origin.       

The cognitive style and manner that I perceive, interpret, and respond to information in a certain way and the suppression of some kind of information, while directly remembering other type of information is always on the forefront particularly in the manner a witness may remember a detain to a crime or a pilot may remember witnessing an air accident and seeing one thing because that is the normal method or procedure, all the while, it was not the actual case or occurrence. 

In my profession of aviation safety and investigation, I excel with both the Knowing Style and presenting convincing and compelling arguments based upon the facts and evidence and not conjecture. The Planning Style it also a strength of mine most likely a product of the military and has always been well received in my profession for clear and well defined lines of communication, outlines and processes and procedures. Where this has brought struggle to is my personnel life with my family, who are not a byproduct of the military and has caused me to frequently re-think my approach to situations at home. In other words, I have needed to turn off the analytical and investigative mind… and turn-on the creating style of thinking. Realizing that impulsiveness vs. rules and procedures might be the avenue to a more harmonious family life.

The concept of attitude toward change and the need to be aware of my orientation toward change, including my own cognitive style, has not been influenced. My self-awareness or attitude of change has not been influenced either way from this week’s module. I contend that I am individual who is comfortable with change, and often advocate for change to occur based upon sound and prudent decision-making principles, utilizing the knowing and planning styles of the cognitive style.

I have also experienced through out my career and education that my opinions of this may differ. And, as the course develops lending too greater insight into the five core aspects of self awareness are explored. I view this as an opportunity much like Total Quality Leadership (TQL,) and the opportunity that the concept of continuous improvement had for me while in the military, and the ability to reflect and improve.   

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What do you notice in your results?

Some, not all have or had a direct correlation on past and present interpersonal relationships from a personnel and professional perspective. And how I have handled those relationships in the past and how I might handle them in the future if and when confronted with a similar situation.

     

How much of this rang true for you?

The results rang true for a number of items that I have experienced through out both my personnel and professional relationships.

     

What did you see that you were expecting in the results?

I thought I would see like or similar results of similar courses I have been involved with in a professional position. Like Franklin Covey for example.

Also, I have seen both strengths and weaknesses I have identified in both professional and personnel relationships such as: marriage and working with colleagues toward a common goal and the give and take than is a constant reminder that we can rarely have things the way we see them… even if it might be the best way is not necessary the only way. And those contentious items should be left for another day (if possible)?    

What were the surprises?

The surprises were that I am not as rigid and military as I portray myself to be regarding my interpersonal relationships and I am rather stern and military in my professional relationships especially when it comes to aviation legal and aviation safety issues including accountability of those not likely to accept responsibility for action or in-action.

How will you make use of this information?

I will use it like most information about ones self, in that being honest with yourself, is probably the singularly most difficult thing to do and do well. That said… It is the prudent and smart person who files these things away in a place where they can be retrieved readily and as the occasion presents itself. In other words learn to retrieve the information in a manner that can be used in a most beneficial manner in a given situation.