Personal Leadership Reflection Final Paper PDF

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Final Paper for Human Relations in Administration 125 - Using the provided Personal Leadership Reflection Template - Provided References throughout...

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OL 125 Personal Leadership Reflection Template This template can be customized to your own liking, but all sections are required in order for you to receive scores on the critical elements of your Final Project (Personal Leadership Reflection) Rubric. If you wish to use a modified template, please have your instructor approve an early draft. Name: Hanna Rockwell

Student ID: 2103477

Program(s) of Study (Major): Healthcare Administration w/ concentration in Health Information Management Anticipated Graduation Date: 2025

SECTION I – Personality and Self-Concept Discuss your personality strengths and areas of improvement to consider. Use your Milestone Two: SWOT Analysis assignment from Module Four to assist you with this section. Make sure you are considering the feedback you received from your instructor and any additional feedback from your peers, and be sure to clean up any written errors in the submission.

Organization, Dependability, Achievement Oriented, and Fast Learning are all strengths I embody and each of these will be of value in a leadership position. Organization is important because it will help me prioritize my tasks and goals in the workplace. It will ensure that I set aside enough time for tasks, so I do not rush through my work, and it will help me meet deadlines consistently. Dependability is important because my coworkers/peers will not have to worry about my tasks being left unfinished, or that I will not be present. In return it will let them focus on their own work and tasks. Being achievement oriented is another skill that will play a key role in a leadership position because I will often not stop until I get to the achievement I have in my sight. This will prove to any organization that their priorities will be put first, and I will not stop until they are achieved. Lastly, I am a fast learner, this will be important because I can quickly learn new skills and can work without supervision once I am confident that I have mastered the skill assigned. In contrast my weaknesses are that I am introverted, impatient, I have an inability to say no, and that I lack selfconfidence. All these aspects of my personality will lead to different difficulties in a leadership role. I am more introverted than extroverted, and I am usually quite in new situations and around new people, which can lead to people thinking that I am unapproachable. My lack of patience can lead to difficulties because when things do not go the way that I have anticipated I often get frustrated. In the aspect of a work setting this could be seen to my peers as me being frustrated with them, or that I am easily irritable. I also am a people pleaser and have a challenging time saying “No.” This can lead to many tricky situations because I want to please everyone, and it could be mistaken for being weak or that I am easily walked over. Lastly, my lack of confidence can lead me to need constant reassurance or validation. To my coworkers/peers this could make them think that I do not have the skills or abilities to be in a position of leadership.

SECTION II – Human Interaction Skills Discuss management skills involved in the engagement and motivation of personnel, and consider the intended impacts on workplace productivity. Reflect back to assignments and resources you reviewed throughout the course to assist you with this section. Make sure you are considering the feedback you received from your instructor and any additional feedback from your peers, and clean up any written errors in the submission.

Being in a leadership position, is astronomically important to the organization you are working in as well as to each individual that you will be managing and leading. So much rides on the backs of individuals that are leaders, and even the simplest of things can make a difference. Having clear communication skills for instance is such an important skill to have as a leader. Communication in simple terms is the sending and receiving of information, it is the foundation of a successful organization. Communication in the workplace is much more than just a conversation between coworkers and has profound impact on organizational culture, “research shows that lateral communication between peers can influence important organizational outcomes such as turnover.” (Krackhardt & Porter, 1986) Communication is a key aspect of any management team, because it is what ties together the employees. With clear communication employees will get clear and concise directions which will help them better understand their expectations and which allow them to get their work done because it is clear what they should be doing. Without effective communication, the process in which work gets done can fall apart. Effective communication is linked to better employee engagement, for instance, “research shows that frequent communication with one's supervisor is related to better job performance ratings and overall organizational performance.” (Snyder & Morris, 1984; Kacmar, Witt, Zivnuska, & Gully, 2003) Effective and recurrent communication should be one of the leader's top priorities, but the communication should be direct to avoid information overload. Lastly, communication can also be tied to better workplace productivity. Effective communication will lessen misunderstandings within the workplace which can also help avoid conflict within your management/department team. By doing so, you are creating a better work environment which will help employee productivity overall. Clear and concise communication to keep employees informed of what is expected from them, or about what is going on within the organization is the first step of creating a good team and a better work environment. Time management is another skill that will be beneficial for a leader to have in any organization. Time management is simply the ability to use time effectively and productively. It can help with motivation, productivity, and stress all of which are important aspects in organizations. When you are able map out your tasks it can increase your motivation to get things done because you are able to “check them off” your to-do list, while also reducing stress because you have allotted adequate time to complete each task. Prioritizing tasks helps you become more productive and effective, while simultaneously minimizing procrastination and stress. When time is prioritized for each task, you will become more focused and will spend less time on each specific task. This will also help you from trying to multitask, which as we read “trying to do too many things at once makes it harder to focus on any of them.” (Bauer & Erdogan, 2018) Effectively managing time, or by practicing time management techniques in the workplace can help employee engagement because as a leader you can help them delegate and prioritize their tasks. By teaching and leading employees with time management it will create employee autonomy eventually, which will allow for increased productivity and engagement amongst employees. Time management is also important because it can create a better work-life balance. It can reduce bringing work stress home when employees are efficiently completing all their tasks, which can also lead to better quality work. Minimal stress and higher efficiency will help employees and the organization as a whole. It is a ripple effect, when time management is a priority, motivation can be increased, stress can be

decreased, and overall happiness can be amplified. An effective leader will be able to address all issues within the workplace with ease, and handle conflict productively while handling their own work procedures and tasks.

SECTION III – Personal Development Plan For this final section, consider all of the coursework and feedback you received that allowed you to craft sections I and II above. Focus on your personality, selfconcept, and human interaction skills you have mentioned to help you form your personal leadership philosophy.

Throughout this class, I have learned a lot about myself and about how to become an effective leader. Prior to this class, I had not even thought about the characteristics that leaders need to embody, let alone what some of the strategies are for becoming an effective leader. My knowledge about the distinctive styles of leadership, as well as how to handle conflict, communicate effectively, and how to manage a team have all grown from the ground up in the last 8 weeks. While learning about leadership and effective management solutions it has shaped my leadership philosophy, which is a combination of different leadership styles. For me to implement my leadership style I will first have to focus on my own weaknesses as well as improve on my communication, and problem solving. Part of my leadership philosophy is that there is always room for improvement, and if I am willing to keep learning my leadership will continue to improve and change. To start, the transformational leadership style will be my foundation, I will encourage learning and change while helping my team set goals for motivation. Achievement of goals will come with a reward because I believe incentive will help drive employee productivity and engagement. To add, when it is appropriate, I will implement a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement, which will help enforce the type of behavior or work ethic that I would like my employees to put forth. Creating a cohesive team will also be a priority of mine, which will help task commitment and overall performance. It will be important that I am able to adapt my role to fit what my team needs and help complete tasks when needed. It is also important to have employee autonomy because I want my team to feel empowered and know that I trust their abilities to be responsible and achieve their goals. I will also make it a point that solving problems on my team will take both compromise and collaboration amongst all members. To build upon teamwork, we will make decisions together and I will make it known that individuals are heard, and their opinions are important to me. I will try to always include every employee in decision-making and would adopt a democratic decision-making process. Overall, I will aim for my leadership to take a task-oriented approach while also being supportive and directive. Lastly, use the provided section below to identify three relevant goals to enhance your skills as a leader. Answer the following questions for each of your goals: What are action steps I can take to achieve this goal, what are potential obstacles I may face, and what is my plan to overcome these obstacles?

Goal #1: Listen Effectively What are action steps I can take to achieve this goal? I will maintain eye contact, I won’t interrupt before the speaker is done talking, and I will keep an open mind. What are potential obstacles I may face when working toward achieving this goal? Distractions whether it be internally in my mind or external distractions going on around us during the conversation. Information overload is another obstacle that could disrupt listening effectively as well as judgment about the topic being discussed. What is my plan to overcome these potential obstacles? Be conscious about my thoughts, and try not to think about my response while the other person is talking. Additionally be aware of any judgment regarding the topic and try to look at it from the speakers prospective rather than my own.

Goal #2: Delegate What are action steps I can take to achieve this goal? Try to not take on too many tasks myself, and learn to say no. When it is appropriate I will ask for help or delegate a task to one of my teammates. What are potential obstacles I may face when working toward achieving this goal? My own desire to complete tasks myself, lack of confidence in my coworkers to complete the delegated task. The thought that delegation reflects negatively on my own abilities. What is my plan to overcome these potential obstacles? Take the time to explain the delegated task and how I would like it done. Be aware of my own stress level and when it is getting high delegate a task or two. Goal #3: Don’t Shy Away From Conflict What are action steps I can take to achieve this goal? Take the time to create a plan on how to deal with conflict that I feel comfortable and confident in and stick to it. When asked to handle a situation, I will stand my ground and present in a confident and calm manner. What are potential obstacles I may face when working toward achieving this goal? Dismissing a conflict because I do not view it as a “big problem”, jumping to conclusions without thoroughly listening to the problem, and becoming defensive. What is my plan to overcome these potential obstacles? Be diligent to gather all the facts, and talk to the necessary people before taking any steps towards resolution. Be aware of my body language during the conflict resolution and make sure that my body language reflects what I am saying and trying to portray....