Remembering What's Actually Important in Life

As I end my junior year of college while working three jobs and making as much money as I can in order to pay for my internship and car insurance in order to safely travel to and from my internship and other jobs, I've been thinking a lot about why it is we do what we do and why money is so 'valuable'.

Sometimes all I think about when I work is what money I am earning or saving by working in that moment. It almost makes life seem as though it's all going so quickly... I'm doing this job so that I can make this money so that I can buy or do this thing, but for what? For higher social status? For finding happiness? For saving all of the funds to travel? Sure, but when are you going to take advantage of all of that when all you do is constantly work your whole life away?

I'm terrified that one day I will be 70 years old and will have wasted all of the years in the prime of my life working so that I could do the things I wanted to do during that time, but it just got away from me because I was so focused on making money. U.S. currency isn't even backed by any gold!!! It's essentially worthless, but some many people treat it like it's the only thing that matters! That's insanity!!!!!!!!!

I really appreciate when my mind decides to go on sprees of thinking this way, where I question the nature of my reality and the social constructs that confine our ways of thinking. It brings a much needed change in perspective and helps me to really appreciate all of the little, and big, things that I am so fortunate to have. For example, flowers in a garden or a forest full of trees and wildlife are such beautiful and real things, and so many people don't recognize and appreciate their importance. The relationships we have with our families and friends... How do so many not find all the happiness they need in those relationships? Sure, traveling is amazing and I would love to go everywhere too, but I wouldn't want to go alone. I'd want to have my closest friends and family members with me so that we can enjoy it together. That is half the joy of traveling, just spending time exploring and discovering things with the people you love most.

I just think we all take so much for granted all of the time and don't stop to appreciate all that we are fortunate to have in our lives often enough. So I advise you to take time to think about all of the non-monetary things that make you the happiest and let those things fill you up with all the happiness you can't and won't ever find in money. ☺

Cultural Differences

I never realized Cinco de Mayo was such a celebrated holiday in the U.S. until I came to college. I took Spanish through all of high school and I learned a lot about Latino and Hispanic cultures, and I know what an incredible holiday Cinco de Mayo is for the Mexican people. However, I think its meaning has been muddled by the typical college student looking to drink their college careers away.

UNH prides itself on being a school of great diversity and acceptance of world cultures. Although this way be the vision of UNH, the students don't seem to quite understand how to be appropriately accepting. Cultural appropriation is the act of stereotyping or misrepresenting a culture that is different than your own. On Cinco de Mayo, this is a huge problem and people don't seem to understand why or how their actions offend those of Mexican heritage. By dressing up in ponchos, fake mustaches, sombreros, and other stereotypical Mexican cultural artifacts, those people are demeaning the Mexican culture and are being insensitive while belittling the importance of their holiday.

That being said, others were posting on Facebook all day calling people out for wearing the Mexican garments and celebrating the holiday. Some people were pretty rude about how they approached the party-goers, which to me seems counter intuitive since the whole issue is based upon educating and accepting others. I think the better tactic would have been to talk to the people about how their behavior is portrayed and perceived by others. And maybe trying to educate before the day so that they are more aware and receptive of the message. Anger is not going to fix social injustices by any means.

One thing to help put this whole issue in perspective is this idea that draws a connection to a more intense, but absolutely equivalent, scenario: we all appreciate MLK Day and respect the black culture and understand the oppression of the culture. So, since some people have that day off as a holiday, does that give people the right to dress in black face for any ceremony for MLK?

When you think about it on a broader scale, the celebration and appropriation of other cultures is wrong no matter what culture you are trying to emulate through stereotyping. THIS IS NOT TO SAY WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CELEBRATE AND APPRECIATE OTHER CULTURES. It is to stress the importance of accepting ALL of the culture, not just the bits and pieces you want to accept.

Rant over.

Prioritizing

Over the course of this semester I have learned a lot about how to be a successful professional. Through this class, my other four classes, my jobs, and trying to balance all of that out with a personal life I have been able to grow and learn the importance of prioritizing.

Prioritization takes a lot of discipline; making sure you do all your work before you go to hang out with friends, or making sure you do the assignments that are most pressing first instead of putting them off by doing other work. It definitely feels easier to procrastinate sometimes, but as we all move on into our internships, and eventually our professional lives, prioritizing becomes vastly more important. When expense reports are due, project presentations are looming, executive decisions need to be made, etc., the stakes are high and prioritization becomes a necessity.

This article by the National Association of County and City Health Officials gives a very detailed view into many techniques for prioritizing the tasks that one may face while in work. I like the article because it gives insight as to how to start prioritizing and the information can be used in any sector of life when making decisions. I think it's helpful to read about the different methods for how to devise a strategy for assigning numerical values to the items on your 'to do' list, 1 being the highest priority. Or the method of voting on the items on the 'to do' list and the item with the highest score becomes the highest priority. The article shows how to use these methods in your own life.

Although there is still glaringly obvious room for improvement in self-discipline and prioritization, I appreciate the knowledge I have gained and skills I have developed over this semester, and this year.

Time Management

We're currently in the midst of our last week of junior year and my mind is buzzing from a lot of things. It's crazy to think about how fast time flies, even though it sometimes feels like it's stagnant. Now it's time to get through finals and finish the year on a good note. While a lot of people are looking forward to the long break to hang out with friends and stay outside all summer, the junior HMP majors have a different story to tell, and I have an even more different story.

We will all be embarking on our summer internship opportunities at various hospitals and healthcare facilities around the region working 40 hours a week for 8 weeks. It's definitely the most exciting part of this year. I know I am excited for the variety of things that I will be doing at the hospital where I will be interning. Some people are starting right after the school year ends so they can have the later half of their summer off, and some are waiting a bit to give themselves a break before going to work all summer. I know people who aren't getting paid at their internships who are working weekend jobs and some of them who are not. We will definitely be busy this summer, no matter what.

I gave myself no time, though. I am currently an RA here, I work at the Institute for Health Policy and Practice, and I just recently started working at an ice cream shop in Boston (Fomu...it's the best). I finish being an RA and working at IHPP on May 18th and then work at Fomu that weekend, then start at the internship on Monday the 22nd. And even though I am starting so early in the summer and will be ending mid August, right after I finish I will be moving back to school for RA training before everyone comes back to school.  The more I think about it, the more overwhelming it seems that I will not have any free time this summer.

But I think it will teach me even more about time and stress management than I already know. Being able to juggle a full time job, a part time job, and preparing for the school year as an RA will be a lot. I am hoping to get as much out of these opportunities as possible, and I'm already thinking that working at Fomu will essentially be my 'free time' because it will be an easy job in an ice cream shop.

Let's see if I make it out of this summer alive.

Thoughts on UNH

I've really been in a reflective state over the past few days due to the semester coming to a close, and I have got to say that I am so happy I came to UNH. While I was considering schools, I didn't really want to even look at UNH because it is the state school, and at my high school we called it "Pinkerton Academy 2.0" because so many people from Pinkerton come here (Pinkerton Academy is the name of my HS).

After looking for colleges and thinking about the long term goals I had for myself, I thought that UNH would be the best school for me, mainly due to the 'lower' in-state tuition ('lower' because it's still outrageously expensive). As I stated in my last post, I came in to college declared environmental engineering, and UNH is known for being highly environmentally conscious and friendly which was another reason I thought coming here would be okay (although there is still major room for improvement in terms of lowering our environmental impact).

My first year...terrible. I hated all of my classes and had some problems finding myself, but I overcame mostly because of the amazing support that I surrounded myself with, such as my roommates and my RA (now my boyfriend). But last year everything clicked when I switched to HMP, yet another great program almost exclusively found at UNH that creates amazing opportunities for students in the major.

I think a lot about how the decisions we make affect our futures. It is crazy to think about the fact that I almost missed out on such a wonderful opportunity to be an HMP student and meet all of the people who have become some of my closest friends. I could have gone to an out of state school, but I don't think I ever would have even considered health management as a career because there aren't that many programs as good as ours. One thing I think I can take away from my college search, decision, and experience is that you should never overlook an option just because it isn't your first choice. Another example further proving my point is when I was searching for internship positions I almost cancelled one of my interviews because I thought I didn't want to go there. Turns out, I accepted a position and loved the woman I met with! Always give a potential opportunity the chance to prove your preconceptions wrong.

(And as it turns out, not too many people from Pinkerton ended up coming here, although some did, but it isn't a burden and when I run into some of them it reminds me of home, so having them here is kind of nice in a way.)

HMPositivity

When I applied to UNH, I was accepted as an engineering student. I wanted to save the world through environmental engineering. I didn't realize, however, that there is so much math involved in engineering (I knew it was relevant but I didn't know it would be the only thing we would be doing). It didn't take long for me to realize that engineering was not for me and I was left searching for a new purpose in my education.

My adviser at the time suggested that I take random classes from all sorts of backgrounds. I knew that I still wanted to help people somehow, I just didn't know in what way. I ended up randomly taking epidemiology and I loved it. And I'm so happy I did because it sparked my interest and was the catalyst for one of the best decisions I've ever made... Joining HMP!

I hadn't met anyone from the major by second semester sophomore year, but then I met Jess (where we suffered together through 3 hours in a row of human behavior). After that, first semester this year I met pretty much everyone else and it's been amazing so far and keeps getting better. These people are so supportive of one another and we all wish for each others success. It is a really positive group of people and I am so happy I joined the major and became a part of it. They are some of the best friends I've made in college. Not only that, but our professors are so supportive of our work and success! Not everyone can say that about their professors.

As this year comes to an end it is important to reflect on the hardest year I think any of us have endured in terms of course work. But it has also helped us grow and become the close-knit group that we are, and for that I'm, in a weird way, grateful for the terrible homework assignments, seemingly impossible problem sets, and horrible exams.

'Many' Presentation: Organizational Culture

A few classes ago, Jessica, Carly, and I gave a presentation about organizational culture. It was really interesting to read about the incredible impact that culture can have on work productivity. A lot of places that we looked into were a bit on the extreme end, such as the Zappos example where they are allowed to decorate their space in any way they want and where everyone is seen as equals. There is not one boss in their organization, which tends to lead to fewer conflicts and higher productivity rates.

While reading about organizations like Zappos I was honestly surprised to find that productivity didn't go down. I thought that since everyone is kind of friends in their work environment that it would create distraction from doing work because they just want to hang out with their friends. But it was interesting to find that the opposite was true. It is shown that when people are generally happy to be at work and happy with the work they are doing, they tend to get more done and use time more efficiently, even if they are friends with their coworkers. This is because everyone actually wants to do their work! I think it's awesome that there are places like this, where the people are able to perform well and have a really good time with their team.

Building an environment through trust and respect from one another is just one way to create a positive organizational culture. Transparency is another very important factor in a positive culture. When people are not secretive about their work, they become more collaborative and function better as a team. They are able to support one another and help to better each others work. I think that organizational culture can either help or harm the productivity of its workers, and that is an important thing to keep in mind in the future when developing a culture myself.

I'm Bad with Phone Calls

Today at work I was asked to find the email address of a healthcare professional in order to invite them to an event we are hosting in May. At first, I went to the internet. I looked up the company they work for and scoured the website for their email...nothing. I then consulted a personal blog of theirs, their LinkedIn profile, and news stories containing their name...still nothing. THEN, I sent an email to the company's email for inquiries, knowing that this may take a few days to get addressed and responded to.

My boss came into the office and asked me whether I had found the person's email yet and when I said no she told me to call the number on the website. Now, I am very uncomfortable with phone conversations (I don't even like talking to family on the phone!). However, I called the number, was transferred to the assistant and she gave me the email, taking fewer than 5 minutes to complete the task.

This one experience has really given me an idea of the importance of phone calls and reaching out to others when you need help. It can sometimes be the most efficient and best option for finding the information you need. I'm coming to terms with the idea of stuttering and making mistakes while speaking to someone on the phone. It is still scary even though I know and understand the importance, especially when speaking with professionals. It takes practice, which can be hard to do because I don't regularly have opportunities to speak to professionals over the phone, or even in person. But I know that the practice will come after I graduate and am searching for jobs (scary...).

A Few Things...

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of hosting Major Chris Armijo as a guest lecturer in class. It went really well and he spoke a lot about many relevant topics. Unfortunately we didn't get to all of the topics we had planned to, so I'm going to touch on setting objectives and constructive criticism here!

Setting objectives: Objectives are really important to the development and improvement of a company. Personal goals as well as small group and organizational goals all play roles in the bettering of a company. A crucial aspect when thinking about goals you want to set is remembering that the objective is not to just do the job. The objective is to strive to do better than the standard and exceed the job description. However, you can't set it so high that it is unattainable. Setting easier simpler goals will not only help you reach your overall end goal, it will also motivate and inspire you to continue to work toward the bigger objective. When setting your own goals, make sure you don't set yourself up for failure. And when you are helping others set goals or delegating tasks to others, don't set those people up for failure! It can be really easy to give somebody a goal to accomplish, but it's hard to follow-up. Follow-up is another crucial aspect of setting objectives. Be available for them to ask questions and make sure they know you are there to help!

A few questions that I have regarding goal setting: what are some tips on benchmarking? What would be an appropriate timeline for completing an objective, especially if it is a long-term goal? As a supervisor, should you step back and allow people to create their own goals, or should you provide them with the goals that you think you benefit them? And what if that person or people is/are resistant to changing their behavior in order to achieve the goals you provide?

Corrective counseling and constructive criticism: When it comes to corrective counseling and constructive criticism, I think it is essential to keep it impersonal in the workplace. When you are accepting criticism it is important to remember that you are not being personally attacked by the supervisor. They are trying to give you helpful feedback to improve your performance. It can be hard not to get defensive about it and sometimes it can feel personal, but in reality it is about growth and improvement. When giving criticism you need to remember to be honest and straight forward with the person you are talking to. You have to have the maturity to be able to have the conversation and be honest to the person while looking them in the eyes. Another part that is crucial when giving criticism to someone else is following-up with them. You want to be sure that the person is feeling good about your conversation, they understand the ideas you gave them for improvement, and repair the relationship if they are feeling threatened. It can be difficult to see people after you have told them they need to improve their work ethic, but if you don't reach out to them afterward it is unlikely they will take the criticism into strong consideration and may even disregard it all together.

One question that I have thought of as a future professional: how do you, as a junior member of an organization, approach a supervisor and initiate a conversation about something you think they should improve upon? How can you approach that situation without seeming arrogant or unprofessional or disrespectful?

Thanks for reading!

Be the Change!

For one of my classes, a group of my peers and I have to do a project on another country's healthcare system. After doing some research on Mexico's healthcare system, I have become even more grateful for the amazing care that I have available to me at virtually any moment. But at the same time, I am even more encouraged to try to do what I can with my professional career to improve the quality and equity of care in the U.S.

According to cms.gov's National Health Expenditures datasheet, the U.S. spent $3.2 trillion on healthcare in 2015, which averages out to $9,990 per person and 17.8% of the GDP. With spending at record highs, one would be lead to believe that we would be ranked very highly in terms of  healthy outcomes, but in 2014 we ranked last out of the top 11 industrialized countries in healthy lives. Healthy lives was measured in infant mortality and deaths that were potentially preventable with timely access to effective health care. And equity....I could talk forever about the inequities that affect so many millions of people in this country.

I'm eager to learn as much as I can this summer while interning with a senior executive of Catholic Medical Center. I am hoping this experience will push me to think about my future and the future of healthcare and my interactions with it. I know there is so much room for improvement and I am excited to get going and be the change!

Goal Setting

This is a really cool graphic my mentor sent me about goal setting. The one that I think is most important would be "attainable". We always need to remember to that we can make multiple goals to achieve a larger goal. We don't need to tackle the entire larger goal all at once, as it can be much more fulfilling to attain smaller goals that lead to the large goal.

In terms of specificity, sometimes being too specific can cause a narrow mind and you may block out some ideas that may have help you in the long run to attain your goal. You definitely don't want to think too broadly though because you can easily get lost and lose the motivation to keep working toward the goal.

It must be measurable so that you can track your progress while you work toward the goal. This is also to reduce repetition in your methods so you don't overwork an idea. Relevance is another factor that needs to be considered because you need to set your goals with an end in sight. The goal needs to be realistic. The goal must also be time bound. You need to set up boundaries for yourself, like deadlines and to keep yourself on track. If no deadlines are set, it is possible that the goal will be forgotten altogether and you will never achieve it.

I think that this graphic is a great stepping stone while trying to set goals. Remembering these things while goal setting can make achieving the goal so much easier.

Weird Week

Due to an unforeseen emergency, I was unable to attend class Wednesday and missed out on viewing a presentation. Although I was upset to have missed so much this week while in and out of the hospital and doctor's office, I am happy to be feeling better now.

It has been a weird week for me and my health, but I realized during this week a few very important things. I am now VERY appreciative of the health insurance I am currently covered by. It's scary to even think about not having coverage, or having a lower level of coverage. Since my mom works at a hospital we have very very good health insurance, so almost none of the tests I went through this week are coming down on us. The insurance is covering everything from ER visits to x-rays and all we had to contribute was the copay. That's CRAZY to me! I can only imagine what it's like to not have coverage and having to pay for everything, especially if it is a necessity.

It was honestly an inconvenient time to get sick, seeing as I did miss a lot in some of my classes. I have been communicating with my professors though, so I feel a little better about it. However, only one of them got back to me in a timely manner (thanks, Bonica). The other two professors I emailed in terms of making up class time and missed assignments have still not answered my questions from Wednesday. This is a good example of bad communication between professors and students! I don't even know if I emailed their correct email!

Oh well, I am finished complaining and will now attempt to make up the rest of the work that I missed. Thanks for reading this odd little post.

Food for Thought

My mentor sent me a few articles to read after our last phone conversation. I just re-read one and found this great quote about communication:

"You can’t communicate with someone you don’t respect. The word “communication” comes from the same root as “community” and “comity.” The word literally means “to make common.” The more you amplify your adjectives, the more you erode even the possibility of coming to common views with."

Especially today with the lack of communication happening between political parties, I think it's important to communicate with each other using facts and a respectful, empathetic dialogue. As I learned last week while researching the topic of Effective Communication, empathy is one of the most important factors in a meaningful conversation. The conversation could be about anything, but letting that person speak uninterrupted, with the feeling that they are being listened to and understood, can change the discussion from hostile to peaceful.

As the newest form of healthcare in the United States is debated, it is crucial to speak to others openly and with credible supporting facts to back your opinions or claims. Healthcare is built upon empathy and making huge investments into saving and helping people. I think we all need to remember that as we head into our futures. We all need to work together to come to a middle ground, where everyone can agree on the best quality of care for the largest amount of the population.

"Two" Presentation: Effective Communication

Today Jess and I presented on the topic of effective communication. I think it went really well. We had some fun activities this time and had a lot of discussion. I also felt more comfortable presenting this material than any other material I’ve presented recently, which might be due to the fact that I knew the information well, but it is also because I feel more comfortable with the people in the class. It’s cool to actually know your audience well and be able to prepare something specifically for them. I’ve never really been in a class where I know all of the people in it, so it is a different experience than any I’ve had before while presenting. I also felt confident and I think that is partially due to the fact that I didn’t read off of the slide notes as much as I usually do while presenting.

Overall I had a lot of fun with this topic and even learned some new things! I learned a lot about the importance of communication especially in hospital settings. I knew that it was incredibly important to the smooth running of any facility, but I didn’t realize how influential different types of communication can be in each situation. I learned a lot about the appropriate use of each type of communication and how to be a more effective communicator. This information is definitely something that I will be able to implement into my personal and professional life. Thanks to all my peers for being so interactive!

Busy Day. Busy Life.

Today, I had two interviews for internships this summer. I’ve been thinking about them a lot and I think they went really well! The first interview was in person and the second was over the phone and while they are both used often, I have realized the importance of actually going to meet someone in person at the facility. The two interview styles are so different in terms of the experience and, I think, how much you value the conversation.

Before even going to the first interview I had already pretty much decided in my mind that I did not want to intern at the hospital. However, once I got there, met the woman, and had a meaningful conversation, my opinion completely changed. I am now seriously considering taking this position, even after being so set on not doing so.

The second interview was over the phone, and before speaking to them I was already seriously considering any position they were willing to offer. Afterwards, my opinion completely changed AGAIN. My attitude was definitely influenced by the outcome of my first interview, but I did not expect it to affect me so profoundly.

Although I think both opportunities would be amazing for the summer, I really don’t know what I am going to do anymore! It’s simultaneously exciting and scary that I have to choose between two remarkable prospects, seeing as this will almost definitely impact my future. Either way I know I will have an awesome experience. I’m excited for the future ☺

Another Perspective

Having done Logan and Shayna's pre-work for their presentation today about personality, I found it very interesting what results I have received from friends and family who I had take the MBTI test answering the questions with me in mind. I had previously considered doing this just out of curiosity, but I didn't want to be a burden and make someone do something for me. However, now that it was required for class I didn't see it as an issue.

After having one of my best friends that I made college take the test, I found her results not too alarming. She got INFP as my personality type, rather than the INFJ I get every time I take the test for myself. This puts me as a Mediator instead of an Advocate, both of which I can relate to in different ways. She may not know exactly how I think in certain situations, but I trust her evaluation and think it is interesting that my perception of myself and her perception of me differ so minimally.

Next, I had a group of my closest friends from childhood take it for me, one of them being my sister. Two of them also got INFP, one got ENFP, and the last got INFJ. The two Mediator results were very different in terms of percentages of each trait, but that they both got the same personality type was not surprising. My sister was one of those people, and I value her input highly because she has known me my entire life. The INFJ result was also not a surprise, but the ENFP was quite different. His reasoning for this result though was this:

"You take into consideration that other people may feel uncomfortable in social situations and will be more apt to start conversation for them because you know how hard it is."

I think that this is a very true reasoning, and in some situations I am willing to take the initiative. But generally speaking, I am very introverted. I really liked how different this result was though, because it really opened my eyes to how differently other people perceive your personality, which relates to my last post about how others see you in the workplace. I think it's cool how all of this is connecting as this section of the course comes to a close.

*My mum also took this; she got ENFJ, and the result was only E by a difference of 2% (51% E, 49% I), so she was the closest to my actual personality type.*

FOCUS! (I can't)

Focusing can be very difficult sometimes, especially with next week being spring break and with all of the mounds of work and exams that need to get done before we get there. Trying to stay focused while keeping our heads down and plowing through this next week has never been so difficult. This semester has been one of the most stressful ones I have ever experienced, and I am sure it will not be any easier when we return from break.

Going through this week now has made me wonder about my future in any workplace. I wonder how I will be able to stay focused when, or if, I become a professional in the healthcare sector. There are so many questions heading forward, now more than ever with the current administration, and I am sure by the time I become a professional it will not have fully recovered from the next 4 to 8 years... Other than just those obvious questions coming from the upcoming change, I wonder a lot how I will react in pressing situations, or where there is a conflict that I need to address.

I know that my personality will play a part in those situations, such as being empathetic and conscientious. But how I view my actions and how others do are inevitably different, and I wonder how my actions will be perceived by the people around me and how that will affect my professional career. I'll see in the future, I suppose.

*This post really has no direction but is just showing what I have on my mind about my future, again, proving that my ability to focus is slowly disappearing.*

Character

Monday's class was presented by Colleen and David on the concept of character and how it compares to personality and identity. I think they did a very nice job with their presentation and I really enjoyed the pre-work they provided. When I completed the quiz they sent us, I thought my results were representative of my character. My top five character traits are as follows:

·         Kindness
·         Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence
·         Love
·         Honesty
·         Perspective

I thought that these five presented an accurate description of who I am as a person. I strive to help others and be kind to everyone. I am extremely aware and appreciative of beauty and excellence. And I do think I have a good grasp on perspective. My next two were Fairness and Leadership, which I was pleased to see ranked so high considering I am an aspiring leader and I hope to be as fair as possible with all of the people I will lead.

My lowest four were also just as accurate. They were:

·         Creativity
·         Hope
·         Zest
·         Spirituality

I do not consider myself a spiritual person in the definitive sense of the word, although I do have an innate connection to nature and appreciate the earth very much. In terms of Hope and Zest, I am a very realistic person and, although I can be excited about certain things, I am generally reserved around most people. The definition the quiz provided for hope is “expecting the best in the future…believing that a good future can be brought about”. While I do believe my life is what I make of it, I rarely have expectations of anyone or anything. I would like to have a successful future and I am willing to put in the work to get there, but I do not expect to be the most successful person in the world.

In class, Colleen and David conducted an activity where we had to try and correctly guess each person’s top five character traits associated with them. I was very surprised when Jess got mine correct within the first 10 minutes of starting. I see that as a very good thing though, because it truly shows that I hold true to my values and morals to the point where others are able to sense them as well. Overall I really enjoyed Monday’s class.

Everyday Leadership TED Talk

I know I have definitely seen this TED talk before in some class, but I still think the message behind it is amazing. Drew Dudley talks about the moment when he met a girl who he, unknowingly, convinced to stay in college. This talk is about passive leadership. It's about how small moments to you may that impact others immensely. You never know how you impact other people's lives.

Drew explains that it is really about positivity and giving all people a reason to smile. Like he states in the video, leadership does not have to be something that is beyond our reach. Leadership is about positively influencing people, pushing them to do their best, and putting them on the right track to success. We can all be leaders everyday in some way. I think we all should strive to be that person who inspires others to do great things, even if it's only one person that we influence.

Drew Dudley: Everyday Leadership

EQ vs. IQ

On Monday, Caroline and Regan presented to the class about IQ versus EQ. I thought their information was really interesting and well presented. I have been thinking a lot about the importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace and just in general. I think EQ plays a huge role in every part of our lives.

While going into interviews for summer internships, I have been talking to some people preparing for them. I have been saying that you can be very smart and super overqualified, or you can be qualified and more in touch with yours and others’ emotions, and the emotionally intelligent person is more likely to get the job, in my experience. I believe that no matter how smart you are, it ultimately comes down to how much the interviewer likes you, or how well you are able to connect with the person in a short amount of time. You have to make yourself desirable, sell yourself to the interviewer. Those skills require a high EQ to enact. Even in friendships, people are more attracted to spend time with those who understand you well and are able to empathize, sympathize, or have meaningful conversations with you.

Having a high EQ allows a person to be more approachable because they are more in touch with their emotions, more receptive to the emotions of others, and more responsive in situations of conflict. I believe that being able to connect with people and understand how to relate to other people is the key to any successful interview or interaction. I really appreciated Caroline and Regan’s presentation because it further supported my theory that EQ is just as important, or even more important, than IQ.

Time Management

Time management (n.): “the ability to use one's time effectively or productively, especially at work”.

I used to think that I was fairly good at managing my time and using it efficiently. But the beginning of this semester has really been showing how truly fluid my ability is to use time well. Taking five classes this semester and working two jobs, with tasks coming from all angles, I am slowly (almost too slowly) understanding time management better. I am realizing that although one way of being efficient may work for a while, time management is an active developmental process. It is most effective if it is being constantly developed, absorbing new productivity skills, and learning how to successfully implement those skills into everyday tasks.

I believe that professionalism and time management go hand in hand. To be late to work, to turn in assignments past the due date, or not answering emails quickly portray laziness and lack of interest in the institution’s success. And I think that it can only be successful if people are able to communicate with one another and share ideas openly. I am realizing this throughout my years and years of schooling and through every job I have had thus far in life. To be a manager in any institution requires great coordination and constant communication. Being sure that every department has all of the necessary resources to function properly, being sure that there is enough money in the company to replenish assets and continue to develop the companies brand, and being sure that the communication between all staff members is smooth and that the staff is cohesive… those are all extremely important skills needed to be an effective manager. I believe that in order to be a competent manager, time management is the integral skill that all other skills are built upon.

Presentation "One"

On Wednesday, Jess, Carly, and I gave our presentation on Motivation Theories and how they transfer into the workplace. If I’m being honest with myself, I think we could have prepared more, and practiced with the technology at least once. We could have related the theories into the healthcare industry rather than just going in to detail about them and explaining them, like one person said. As Professor Bonica said as well, we now need to research studies and articles that support our statements made. I think we could have added in some examples from studies done. We also could have had a better interactive section of the presentation, as a few peers suggested.

But also I think it went really well. In terms of content, we knew our information thoroughly and I think we did well with the delivery as well. Aesthetically speaking, I think our clothes were professional enough to meet the standards that we set for ourselves. The slides themselves also looked nice with simple bullets, pictures, and the video. Overall, I am very grateful for my group members.☺

I really appreciated all of the feedback we got yesterday. One of the main reasons I think this class is so interesting and helpful with professional development is because we are almost using this as a “test run” for the future. We are trying to improve ourselves to help each other become more confident and professional. Being able to discuss the presentation and the content objectively with people who want you to succeed makes it feel more meaningful and honest (because if one succeeds, we all do). And I think this supportive environment is one of my motivating factors for me to do well in this class.

Two things:

1. We have all procrastinated at one point in our lives. I am certain there are no exceptions to the procrastination trap. This video is a TED talk that my mentor, Kelly Hardee Wheeler, sent me on Tuesday about why chronic procrastinators are the way they are. It's 15 minutes long, but it is very funny and extremely relatable (at least in my life).

VIDEO: Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator


2. My phone call with Ms. Wheeler went really well. She is very insightful and gave me a lot of things to think about. One thing that really stuck with me from my contact with her yesterday was when she said that as a future leader, you should always be thinking of the next question that can be asked. You have to be aware and intuitive and always being asking why things are the way they are and why the people are asking the questions in the first place. We need to be thinking about how to tackle the issue, what the next improvement should be, and how the issue arose to begin with. She said that leaders need to be self-disciplined as well as self-motivated, and that you can't be afraid to change paths and take advantage of every available opportunity presented to you. You can't sit back and expect things to happen for you.

Needless to say, I'm excited about getting to know my mentor better and learning a lot from her.

Respect in Leadership

I have lately been thinking about how respect plays into relationships with others, and how a lack-there-of can lead to unstable relationships. Although this concept can be applied to nearly every relationship, I am focusing solely on professional connections, such as those made in the workplace.

Being a Resident Assistant for the past semester and into this spring, I have learned even further how important respect is when dealing with people you are “in charge of”. A dorm setting is very different to the workplace, but the things I have learned from my position are arguably similar. One thing I have realized is that respect is easy to gain, and even easier to lose. I say this cautiously, because the tricky thing about respect is that it must be established within the first few encounters with a person. You have to lay out the ground rules and then build a meaningful relationship with them. But even after the relationship has been developed, you cannot be afraid to enforce policies and regulations. If you let bad work go just because you have a personal connection with the person, they will take advantage of your kindness and the organization will be full of people who are too complacent to listen to management.

At the same time though, you, as the administrator, must show respect to those you are overseeing. There must be a mutual respect for a cohesive environment to be sustained. If you do not respect those reporting to you, they will feel your disinterest and be less motivated to do well. And why should they be motivated if they know that, no matter what, they will get away with sloppy work?

Sometimes the best way to gain the most respect is to become friends with your workers. Some managers are afraid to become friends with the people they manage because they do not want to have to put their friendship in question if they have to enforce policies. In my experience, I think it is possible to be friends with those you oversee. However, you always have to remember that you are the administrator first, and the friend second. But I do not think this will create a disingenuous relationship, or one that feels almost fake because you have to be stern with them sometimes. I think that they will be more receptive to your feedback and your authority if they are friends with you because what you have to say will be genuine and coming from a place of support.

Motivation and Discipline

Last week, I reviewed Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, to refresh my memory and to see how I could apply it to Organizational Behavior. I had never thought of this theory as it applies to organizations, but I learned that it is extremely relevant to a workplace setting.

I read one article that explained the correlation between the Hierarchy and how it works within an organization, and its shortcomings within an organization as well. This article states that, of course, motivation is the reason or reasons why people act a particular way and what make us want to participate in making the organization run as efficiently as possible. However, motivation can only go so far and “lack of motivation” can be used as an excuse to do the work poorly or to avoid fulfilling their roll at all. This argument, when I first read it, came off as far-fetched and abstract, but after doing further probing of the idea, it began to make more and more sense. People only do things if they have a motivator. For instance, most people only go to work at boring jobs if they get a paycheck at the end of the week, or to get the bonus at the end of the fiscal year, or to help support their families. But what if we took away those incentives? A CEO, for example, who has reached the highest position in the company and who is financially stable with incredible job security does not have to be concerned with the bonuses and the money. What is the motivator for them to get their work done, and to do it well?

This is when a second idea comes into play: the idea of discipline and self-discipline in the workplace. Motivation can only go so far to get things done in an organization. And if the CEO or other management is not motivated to do well, why should the workers on the floor be motivated to do well? Maslow’s Hierarchy says that going through the process of self-actualization, or the top level of the needs pyramid, is the only way to learn self-discipline. This in turn means that motivation to do good work must come from within, and only if all other lower level needs are met.

I believe that in order for any of these theories to work successfully within an organization, people have to enjoy what they are doing at work and enjoy the setting in which they work. Only then, when people are positive about and confident in the work they are doing, will money no longer be the primary motivator. When the CEO and others in management are happy to work at the organization, do their best to improve it in any way they can, and make it known to the employees that they care about what they need and what they have to say, that is when the organization has risen to the highest level of the Hierarchy.

Personality Tests

I took the Myers Briggs Personality Test and the Big Five personality test. I have taken both of these tests before and my results are as expected. Although, seeing as I have taken these before, it can be easy to skew the results of the tests by inputting specific answers and trying to get the desired outcome. I will say that I tried to be honest with these tests, but it is human nature to answer questions about oneself in a more positive light therefore skewing the test results. Because of this, I think that these tests can easily be judged as invalid. However, the results can be indicative of how a person sees themselves or how they wish to be seen by others. This may give them an opportunity to work on themselves to be more like their desired result. The best way to do these tests and receive the most unbiased results is to have someone else take the test for you, having them answer the questions about you by how they perceive you. I think this would be a more honest assessment of someone because that person answering the questions is not searching for a preferred outcome.

Taking the Meyers Briggs test this time, however, was a little different. When given the link to the "16 Personalities Test", I did not know that I had taken this test before because I had never heard it called anything other than the Meyers Briggs test in the past. So when I received my results and saw that it was the Meyers Briggs personality results, I was caught off guard. I know what my personality type is from this test seeing as I have taken it many times before, but this time, since I did not know which test I was taking and I still got the same results, I think the outcome has more validity. Because I did not know what test it was, I could not have skew my results by answering the questions to attain my preferred outcome. However, as I stated before, it can be easy to see oneself in a more admirable light and skew the test results regardless.

My result for the Big Five test is as follows:

Openness to Experience/Intellect percentile: 70 - I am relatively open to new experiences
Conscientiousness percentile: 69 - I am well-organized and am reliable
Extroversion percentile: 7 - I enjoy spending quiet time alone
Agreeableness percentile: 87 - I am good-natured, courteous, and supportive
Neuroticism percentile: 49 - I am not particularly nervous or calm

My result for the Meyers Briggs test is as follows:

Advocate Personality - INFJ -A

Introverted: 79%
Intuitive: 71%
Feeling: 59%
Judging: 71%
Assertive: 58%
This personality type is rare, making up less than one percent of the population, and people with this type are usually diplomatic.

I think that the results of these tests are indicative of who I am as a person and describe me very well in a very concise manner. As a future professional and leader, I will be able to use these results to my advantage by capitalizing on my strengths and working to abolish my weaknesses. It is important as a leader to recognize your weaknesses and be able to delegate tasks to others when you know they will be a better fit for the task at hand. I can also use this in the future by making others take these tests to learn more about them and their strengths and weaknesses so that I will better be able to assign them to tasks and projects where they will excel and feel confident about the work they are doing.

Links to the test:
Big Five - http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/
Meyers Briggs - https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test