Managing Communication: Personality and EI Tests Analysis - Coursework Example

Managing Communication: Personality and EI Tests Analysis Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation The adoption of personality test as a validity set of prediction of a person’s job performance is indeed quite high in modern organisation setting. Now than ever, most of the organisations have integrated The Big 5 Personality test to ascertain individual attributes that are deemed necessary in improving job performance and overall productivity level of an organisation. Mittal and Sindhu (2012) further emphasise that an emotionally-balanced leader is able to cope up with aspects related to uncertainty and imperfections hence the study of emotional intelligence helps determine the level of effectiveness a leader is able to portray in different levels of situations facing organisations. Following this line of reasoning, this paper seeks to examine how well; the Big 5 Personality and Emotional Intelligence tests are able to put a perspective of an effective employee within any given organisation and how they can be used to improve on performances. A. Big 5 Personality Test Findings Analysis Taking a closer look at the results of this test, there is an indication that I have managed to score highly in two components that include; Conscientiousness with a score of 4.0 and Agreeableness whose score is 3.8. In relation to the other three aspects; the results are as follows; openness to experience (3.2): Extraversion (3.0) and Neuroticism (3.0). Zillig, Hemenover and Diestbier (2002) notes that conscientiousness is highly dominated by the aspect of one’s behaviour hence allows one to exceptionally adhere to the fundamental aspect of being governed by conscience. In research studies conducted to find the validity of these components in job performances indicate that in specific jobs that involved customer service, the traits associated with Agreeableness, Openness to Experience as well as Neuroticism showed levels altogether. In essence, a popular theme that could be associated with such occupation as customers and sales lies in their interpersonal ability of performing jobs (Vukasović & Bratko, 2015). O’Connor and Paunonen (2007), notes that the Big 5 personality factors are fairly positioned at the highest level of overall personality hierarchy. They allow encompassing the relatively narrow personality traits that are at lower-levels of the underlying hierarchy within an organisation. It is further posited that the factor related to Conscientiousness is indeed mostly linked to performance success since the workers that have successfully acquired this trait have been more motivated to conduct their works and duties even better than those without it (Lui et al, 2016). Ability to acquire the Openness to experience ascertains that there is a positive relation with intelligence. Consequently, the component related to extraversion indicates that those employees will have a good time to spend in socialising with other people within the organisation hence increase their participations in important issues affecting the organisation. As a result of this, the overall job performance is improved tremendously. Agreeableness is however; not found to be an important factor in assessing the degree of individual commitment to undertake their job tasks within a stipulated timeframe (Parks-Leduc, Feldman, & Bardi, 2015). From the analysis above, it can be clearly understood that as an individual employee, I am more inclined to conducting my day-to-day duties and obligations while being influenced with my moral conscience. Results indicate that I tend to focus on doing that which is right and follow the already laid-out rules and regulations that, in fact, help me achieve my overall goals while at the same time accomplish the organisation’s objectives. However, one of my strongest weakness, as far as Big Five Personality test is concerned relates to my rather introvert as opposed to extrovert nature. In this regard, I am bound to be keep to myself for most of the times; a factor that can greatly hinder my capacity to engage in teamwork spirit and achieve organisational objectives in teams. It seems that I am also lagging behind the openness to experience factor meaning that I am not fairly-open to new suggestions and ideas from different quotas within the workplace setting. As a result of this, then there is a possibility of taking more time and resources trying to decipher important information needed in executing specific tasks within the organisation. B. Emotional Intelligence Findings Analysis My scores in this test are quite average. They are as follows; self-awareness (22); managing emotions (20); motivating oneself (22); empathy (24) and social skills (22). Mittal and Sindhu (2012) indicate that effective leaders are consistently self-aware of their immediate impacts on others and use to their advantage. Effectiveness managers within an organisation are deemed to be certainly sensitive on the manner for which they come across to others within the workplace. Individuals with a high sense of self-awareness understand that their mere physical presence and stronger personalities have a dramatic impact on their colleagues. Despite the fact that there is a chance of self-aware individuals being able to bring out the best in their colleagues; they are exposed to the uncertainties related to overbearing or disingenuous hence they are called to attain a balance. Efficient leaders are supposed to have empathy for others but still can engage in making even tougher decisions. In this sense, individual managers are certainly able to put themselves in other’s shoes for purposes of coming to comprehend on why and how employees are able to react to different organisational events, personal crises as well as relentless events of change (Côté, 2014). It is however; emphasised that while showing empathy, they should not be prevented from making even tougher decisions. In relation to social skills, research indicates that these leaders will be able to easily develop personal connection with their people (Di Fabio & Saklofske, 2014). Considering the current world’s organisation setting where firms have multiple locations and globally scattered operations, employees within these areas should be able to feel that they are not alienated from their leadership and thereby disconnected from the activities of the organisation at a personal level. In essence, the most effective individual managers will certainly pay specific attention to this aspect and thereby formulate ways for which they can make themselves visible and approachable by every single-employee despite their locations and position within the organisational hierarchy. Keer (2006) ascertains that effective leadership will portray emotional intelligence whenever they show that they are motivating to oneself (Siegling, Nielsen & Petrides, 2014). This means that they should be passionate about whatever the engage in as they are highly optimistic and would certainly show their inevitability of success. In fact, they are set to ensure that their colleagues are able to believe that they can achieve on their most challenging objectives while still be able to overcome daunting issues as they arise. From the analysis above, it can be noted that my strengths lie in my ability to put myself in other people’s shoes prior to judging their personal views and opinions as well as issues as they affect their workplace settings. While doing so, I am however; very able to differentiate between empathy and sympathy so that I am not accused of over-identifying myself with the employees hence prevented from making effective and timely decisions affecting overall operations of the organisations. My weaknesses are however lies in my inability to effectively manage emotions as sometimes; I can take long period of time trying to understand employee’s personal crises in both work and family life. As a result of this redundancy, the organisation suffers from efficient ways of making decisions that are insensitive in nature. My social skills are also somehow unfairly-positioned since most of the times; I am not able to connect with some of the employees as I take most of the time in solitary trying to figure out how certain tasks can be well-executed without hindering organisational performance. C. Implications in My Workplace Considering the fact that I am overly emotional and sometimes exercise lots of empathy, I am supposed to listen and understand my colleagues like in case of conflicts between work and family life. I am expected to show that I care and understand and try to help them strike a balance between work and family matters at any given point in time. This can be done through allowing young mothers to bring their kids to work where they can play with others and as a result, help them achieve a sense of security for their immediate family members. Consequently, I am expected to exercise my ability to only act morally through conscience mind by encouraging immediate staff members to always do what is right at all times. For instance, in the course of formulating annual reports, I will encourage the employees to come up with reports that reflect the true position of the organisation as opposed to having manipulated report that seeks to bring a specific picture of the entity to the different stakeholders. D. Improvement Plan I seem to be lagging behind in terms of my sociability skills; and efficient management of emotions. I plan to improve on them within the shortest time possible of let’s say 3 or so months. I intend to undergo lots of seminar on effective leadership and also, seek further clarifications from my personal mentors on how well; I can manage this weaker side of mine. I intend to utilise my own personal resources in doing so, so that I can fasten the training and development process. In sum, it can be noted that the personality tests indicate that currently I stronger in the Big 5 Personality test as opposed to emotional intelligence. This means that I am expected to put much effort into improving my empathy and management of emotions as well as social skills in order to ensure that I can exercise my duties in the workplace effectively and efficiently for that matter. References Côté, S. (2014). Emotional intelligence in organizations. Annu. Rev. Organ. Psychol. Organ. Behav., 1(1), 459-488 Di Fabio, A., & Saklofske, D. H. (2014). Promoting individual resources: the challenge of trait emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 65, 19-23 Kerr, R., Garvin, J., Heaton, N., & Boyle, E. (2006). Emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 27(4), 265-279 Lui, P. P., Rollock, D., Chang, E. C., Leong, F. T., & Zamboanga, B. L. (2016). Big 5 personality and subjective well-being in Asian Americans: Testing optimism and pessimism as mediators. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 7(4), 274 Mittal, V., & Sindhu, E. (2012). Emotional intelligence and leadership. Global Journal of Management and Business Research, 12(16) O’Connor, M. C., & Paunonen, S. V. (2007). Big Five personality predictors of post-secondary academic performance. Personality and Individual Differences, 43(5), 971-990 Parks-Leduc, L., Feldman, G., & Bardi, A. (2015). Personality traits and personal values: A meta-analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 19(1), 3-29. Siegling, A. B., Nielsen, C., & Petrides, K. V. (2014). Trait emotional intelligence and leadership in a European multinational company. Personality and Individual Differences, 65, 65-68 Vukasović, T., & Bratko, D. (2015). Heritability of personality: A meta-analysis of behaviour genetic studies. Psychological Bulletin, 141(4), 769 Read More