The REFECT test that we had to take for our BSE program was a huge shock to me because it gave me the complete opposite results than what I expected. I still have trouble believing that a generalized online test can tell me more about myself than I can. Nonetheless, at the end of the test I was presented with an overall summary of how I would perform in the business world as well as the positive and negative aspects of my behavior.
According to REFLECT, I'm a practical and levelheaded contributor but I lack originality in creating new ideas. I act impulsively without thinking of the process required to make a good decision. I also focus more on day-to-day goals instead of on long-term success. This is something I can actually agree with, but I think it is easily changeable. Additionally, REFLECT says I set high standards for myself, and this fuels team success. I definitely think I work well in a group setting because I am a great believer in teamwork, and I feel I can feed of the energy and knowledge of others, allowing me to better myself in the process. I have always set high standards for myself, ever since elementary school when I cared about getting good grades from an early age. I have never found this to be a bad thing, because it gives me a goal to work towards and presents me with a strong motivator. Additionally, I like making my family and myself proud.
When approaching day-to-day tasks at work, the test says that I'm self confident and don't let the perceptions of others hold my back. I may not recognize my limitations or when to ask for help. I disagreed with this part of the report right away. I know for a FACT that I lack confidence and other people even tell me that. If anything, I feel like I ask for help too much. I also disagreed with REFLECT on the idea that my direct communication style may unintentionally hurt someone else's feelings if I don't watch my tone of voice. Personally, I am one of the most sensitive people out there, and this I am extremely cautious and sensitive of other people's feelings as well. Sometimes I feel like I run into situations where I actually value others' feelings more than my own, and most of the time this is a bad habit to have because I end up not doing what's best for myself. I am still incredibly confused why this test suggests that I have a harsh and direct communication style, but I suppose I should try to consider the impact of my actions on others more often. To the right is a screenshot of the full REFLECT report for my performance on each of the different skills. While there is definitely room to improve on all 10 of them, I decided to choose 3 to focus and improve on- Strategic Vision, Resilience, and Collaboration. Last year for the first-year PCR, I chose to improve on operational thinking and the process really helped me, so I know that creating an improvement plan for 3 more skills is another helpful idea.Strategic Vision
The results of my strategic vision show that I pay more attention to short-term issues rather than the long-term. I lack thought about my future growth and long-term goals and instead focus on day-to-day issues. For this skill, REFLECT suggested that I start creating an environment that encourages forward-thinking ideas and learning while remaining open to those new ideas. I think the reason why I struggle with forward-thinking is because I let the fear of being wrong or the fear of failure get in the way of my future goals. For example, last semester I took a very challenging class called Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Literatures (LGBT265). The course description sounded like an interesting elective, but I had no idea what I was getting myself into. All the others in my class were extremely opinionated and well-researched on LGBT cultures and current events, unlike myself. The classes were full of strong discussion about current events as well as the wordy texts we were assigned to read for homework. Participation was a huge part of the grade, but unfortunately, I was too focused on simply getting the class over with, I didn't even try to raise my hands even if I did have thoughts I wanted to contribute. I just felt that what I wanted to say wouldn't be good enough, so I chose to say nothing at all. In the end, my grade suffered and I wished I had done things differently. If I had just had more confidence and realized that there are no stupid contributions, I could have gotten a better participation grade for the class. Even if I did say something wrong, that would be a learning experience for me and I could have done better the next time. I need to remember that we must fail in order to succeed in the long run. Instead, I focus on succeeding in the short run and don't give any thought to the future.
A way that I have started thinking for the future is the process of me finally deciding my major this semester. Freshman year of college was difficult for me because I didn't know what I wanted to do, and I tried many different tracks before finding the right one for me. Instead of actually thinking about what I wanted to do, I just expected the decision to come to me and it wasn't going to. It took me actually experiencing different classes and talking to people to realize that I want to major in communications and I would follow the public relations track. Freshman year I came in with an undecided major, then I decided I would try to apply to the business school; not because I actually saw myself doing business, but because I didn't have any other solid leads and I just figured why not. Once I was in a few business classes and wasn't doing well, I questioned if this was actually a major I should be pursuing. I reached out to seniors in my sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, for advice. I explained my questions and concerned, and finally realized that I could do what I'm interested in as well as have more free time to gain real-world experience through internships if I majored in communications. This way, it is a very similar major to marketing (which I would have done if I applied to the business school) and I can still get all the same internships if I truly apply myself. I wish I had talked to people earlier than this semester, because I could have totally avoided taking classes like business statistics which brought my GPA down, but I am glad I finally took initiative and created a plan for the future.Resilience
The results of my resilience show that I tend to work in short, intense spurts and am passionate about my work. Peers appreciate my urgency to get things done in a timely manner. However, challenging situations tend to make me become self-critical, anxious, or tense, which could negatively affect my team's attitude and productivity. For this skill, REFLECT suggested that I start analyzing the situations in which I become frustrated and anxious. I think a good example of times when I get frustrated and stressed are times in school when I have exams. I always feel that I study super hard and then sometimes still do badly. However, I need to understand that it's not how much I study, it's about how I actually do it. For example, the first exam of the year in my geography class seemed difficult, so a few days before the exam I started cramming every night, but still got a low B on the exam when I was aiming for an A. Someone could study geography for weeks and still not remember a thing if they don't actually do it the right way. Instead of simply just memorizing facts and looking over my notes, I need to find new ways to study. For example, creating flash cards and having other people quizzing me on them would be one good way. Another would be creating possible test questions for myself and then finding the right answers and studying them. The ability to notice what is and is not working and then refining your habits to adapt is a very important skill to develop for life both in and out of the workplace. To achieve your goals, there is not always one clear-cut way to get there. You need to have a trial and error period where you still have the resilience to keep trying.
A way that I have started building my resilience and battling stress is by starting to use an online Google Calendar. I decided I would be less frustrated about exams if I planned out times to study for them piece by piece well in advance, so I don't have a tendency to cram right before my exams. I first color-coded each of the events that would be going into my calendar. Periwinkle events were for homework, turquoise was for social events, sea foam was meetings and study sessions, blue was necessities (showering and eating), and all the other colors represented my different classes. I started out by planning out my weeks very loosely, then I adjusted my method to being more strict because I found that it was very helpful. I am so happy I got into this practice because even though it seems a little intense, I was still able to remain flexible because if I didn't actually do an assignment at the time that I said I would, I can just drag and drop the little box on Google Calendar to another day so that I still make sure I get it finished at a different time. When I actually took the time to focus on the details of my assignments, I no longer rushed or stressed when I was doing things I needed to do.Collaboration
The results of my collaboration show that I work well with others and enjoy team interactions in most circumstances. While I may prefer individual work, I recognize the advantages of working on a team and I encourage it. However, I may not initiate team assignments or projects on my own. For this skill, REFLECT suggested that I keep maintaining a balanced amount of individual and team oriented tasks. An example of a time when I work with others as well as individually is during my waitressing job this past summer in Annapolis, MD at a crab restaurant. Many people may think of waitressing as an individual job, where you are only focused on serving your tables and making sure you get good tips. However, this is not the case. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that requires teamwork between all of the servers and kitchen staff. For example, every server at my restaurant has side work assigned to do throughout each night: such as taking down clean cups from the dish room, making sure the straws and lids are stocked, and helping the food runners carry out food to the correct tables. If people are simply focused on their own tables, nothing ever gets done. You need to help each other out in the restaurant industry or else there is a chain reaction that causes everything to be slow and it ends up affecting everyone. If I see another waiter struggling with a lot of tables in one section, it is my instinct to go over there and assist a table that has maybe been waiting too long for their drinks, or I will go back in the kitchen and check on the status of the food they ordered. I do this because it is the right thing to do, and it'll end up making the whole restaurant run more efficiently. Additionally, if the server I help sees that I did them a favor, they will return it to me whenever I'm in trouble myself. Being a waitress taught me the importance of being part of a team and helping others in order to help myself, and I will keep this lesson with me in every other job or task I encounter.
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