Summary
The article Exploring the Relationship Between Listening Style Preference and Personality discusses how the art of listening can be directly related to one’s personality. The four types of listening styles are: people, action, content, and time. Each type has certain characteristics. People listeners look for the commonalities with the speaker and tend to listen with their own feelings. Action listeners are more critical and look for incorrect or questionable information. Content listeners look for the evidence or proof of the information presented. Time listeners are in a hurry to get the most important information from the speaker and move on. As further discussed by Worthington (2003), the type of listener can be determined by individual personality. She discussed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). This instrument assesses personalities in the following categories or pairings: Extraversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuiting, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving. As subjects take the test and end with a score, they are determined to be one type in each pair, which then helps to determine the type of listener they are.
Reflection
When relating this topic to my current work setting, I have learned that listening is more than simply hearing what has been spoken. Actively listening and ingesting what is being said is not as easy as one may think especially when working with lawyers who are poor communicators in general. It is imperative to listen to instructions and then ask questions based on the information that was missing. Directions are often unclear and knowing which questions to ask will bring more information than the original set of instructions. Often the outcome of an assignment is not at all what was asked. According to Worthington, having the type of personality to think quickly and feel comfortable asking helps in being an action/content type of listener (2003).
Realization
I agree that our listening style mimics that of our personality for the most part and further agree that the testing provided in the article would be considered accurate most of the time. However, the MBTI isn’t an exact science and given the type of day one may have, they may score differently if they took it weeks later in a different mind set. I also believe that there are times we listen differently based on the interest of the subject or the reason we are exposed to.
Overall, the most significant concept that I took away from this article was simply the idea that listening can be related to the personality of an individual. This concept is not something I had ever encountered or considered before. I found it fascinating that there is more behind the manner in which one listens than simply being active or passive. Before reading the article, I believed we listened based on our level of interest. However, there are times that we need to listen even when we are not interested at all. This is where I believe we need to adapt in order to better communicate with those around us.
If I were to know the personality types of my coworkers, I may find it easier to improve my professional communication skills. However, now that I am aware that I am an action/content listener, I can easily determine when I need to tailor my listening to the person that I am interacting with. There may be times that I communicate with people in other countries and of other cultures which present challenges of their own. Adapting my listening and communicating should help to break down communication barriers.
References
Worthington, D. (2003). Exploring the relationship between listening style preference and personality. International Journal of Listening, 17, 68-87
Monday, May 26, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Essay on Becoming a Successful Graduate Student
Becoming a successful graduate student means learning how to reprioritize life in general, being open to learning many new things, and working towards a goal. When deciding to enter graduate school at Franklin University, the biggest adjustment came in the form of life style change. Gone are the days of arriving home from work and casually doing the things one would do from day-to-day to maintain life. The weekends that used to be spent unwinding from a tough week, and recharging the batteries for a new week, now serve to finish assignments and fulfill responsibilities geared towards meeting due dates.
As a student who works full time in a busy law firm, it is expected that working under pressure and managing deadlines should come naturally. It does not. Working under pressure and juggling deadlines for a living was a learning process itself. In order to keep the job, receive compensation, and maintain a lifestyle, the learning process went quickly and successfully. Generally speaking, this writer has experienced many occasions where she performs better under pressure. Clearly this is not the ideal manner to approach graduate school and all of the extra pressure that it brings, however, it may prove useful when both work and school deadlines coincide.
In addition to adjusting to a new life schedule and learning to not procrastinate, the graduate student will begin a new kind of writing which involves many new challenges. Performing research using scholarly resources, evaluating those resources for usefulness and reliability, and organizing thoughts into research papers are among a few of the key tools for being successful as a graduate student.
The mere entry into a graduate program means a new goal has been set. As Donahue states, “Make sure the goal you are working for is something you really want, not just something that sounds good.” The sacrifices one experiences as a graduate student will be worth it when they have learned to adjust their life style, become a well trained researcher, writer and presenter, and achieved a goal that they set for themselves (n.d.).
References
Donohue, G. (n.d.). Goal setting: Powerful written goals written in 7 easy steps! Retrieved May 18, 2008, from
http://www.topachievement.com/goalsetting.html
As a student who works full time in a busy law firm, it is expected that working under pressure and managing deadlines should come naturally. It does not. Working under pressure and juggling deadlines for a living was a learning process itself. In order to keep the job, receive compensation, and maintain a lifestyle, the learning process went quickly and successfully. Generally speaking, this writer has experienced many occasions where she performs better under pressure. Clearly this is not the ideal manner to approach graduate school and all of the extra pressure that it brings, however, it may prove useful when both work and school deadlines coincide.
In addition to adjusting to a new life schedule and learning to not procrastinate, the graduate student will begin a new kind of writing which involves many new challenges. Performing research using scholarly resources, evaluating those resources for usefulness and reliability, and organizing thoughts into research papers are among a few of the key tools for being successful as a graduate student.
The mere entry into a graduate program means a new goal has been set. As Donahue states, “Make sure the goal you are working for is something you really want, not just something that sounds good.” The sacrifices one experiences as a graduate student will be worth it when they have learned to adjust their life style, become a well trained researcher, writer and presenter, and achieved a goal that they set for themselves (n.d.).
References
Donohue, G. (n.d.). Goal setting: Powerful written goals written in 7 easy steps! Retrieved May 18, 2008, from
http://www.topachievement.com/goalsetting.html
Summary of Resource Evaluations
When evaluating resources for validity, reliability and usefulness, the first consideration should be the author’s intended purpose for delivering the information. Were they trying to sell a product or service? Were they biased in their view of the information presented? Resources can be professional, academic, or opinionated. In evaluating the assigned resources, the author’s credentials, bias, and purpose were considered. More credibility was given to those authors whose credentials were of academic status, had professional experience in the topic area they were writing about, and showed little or no bias.
A resource is considered to be useful if the information provided pertains directly to the topic area being researched. If it speaks specifically to one point or another it is more helpful than if it is written as an overview. A source is considered accurate particularly if the information it provides is consistent with other sources that address the same subject. Whether the author is biased is another consideration. An opinion that agrees with the researcher’s position will be useful, but evaluating the information on accuracy is even more important. Just because the information is what one may want, it doesn’t mean the source is credible. Therefore, particular attention should be paid to agreeing sources.
Wikipedia and encyclopedias are generally not good sources. While Wikipedia appear to provide current and interesting information on a topic, it cannot be regarded as credible because its content can be altered by the general public. No professional experience, expertise, or credentials are required to add or alter a Wikipedia entry. Encyclopedias, however, can provide good information, but their information is typically dated and not terribly in depth. Using the reference sources that these resources cite may prove useful, but only after a thorough evaluation of that research has been conducted.
Overall, it is important to know how to evaluate resources in graduate school because much of the work done is based heavily on research. If the resources are not evaluated then research used may be inaccurate or unreliable and therefore result in poor performance at the graduate level. Regardless of the type of source, accurately referencing and citing the information is of the utmost importance. Failure to do so can be considered plagiarism and students can be placed on academic probation or expelled from their program. The ideas, theories, and work of an author does not belong anyone but the author, and that author deserves to be credited when their work is used. Additionally, should professors or other readers of graduate papers want additional information about a topic that has been written about, they should be able to go directly to the sources of the research. Lastly, in graduate school, it is expected that students not simply write papers based upon their opinions and experiences, but to write papers based on actual in depth research.
Many graduate students will go on to become leaders of corporations, industry, and even society. Thus, it makes sense that, in preparing for potential leadership roles or simply advanced career positions, graduate students are held to a higher level of accountability than undergraduate students. The use of academic references and scholarly sources is integral to this preparation and to meeting the standards that graduate students are held to in school and will be held to in the professional world.
A resource is considered to be useful if the information provided pertains directly to the topic area being researched. If it speaks specifically to one point or another it is more helpful than if it is written as an overview. A source is considered accurate particularly if the information it provides is consistent with other sources that address the same subject. Whether the author is biased is another consideration. An opinion that agrees with the researcher’s position will be useful, but evaluating the information on accuracy is even more important. Just because the information is what one may want, it doesn’t mean the source is credible. Therefore, particular attention should be paid to agreeing sources.
Wikipedia and encyclopedias are generally not good sources. While Wikipedia appear to provide current and interesting information on a topic, it cannot be regarded as credible because its content can be altered by the general public. No professional experience, expertise, or credentials are required to add or alter a Wikipedia entry. Encyclopedias, however, can provide good information, but their information is typically dated and not terribly in depth. Using the reference sources that these resources cite may prove useful, but only after a thorough evaluation of that research has been conducted.
Overall, it is important to know how to evaluate resources in graduate school because much of the work done is based heavily on research. If the resources are not evaluated then research used may be inaccurate or unreliable and therefore result in poor performance at the graduate level. Regardless of the type of source, accurately referencing and citing the information is of the utmost importance. Failure to do so can be considered plagiarism and students can be placed on academic probation or expelled from their program. The ideas, theories, and work of an author does not belong anyone but the author, and that author deserves to be credited when their work is used. Additionally, should professors or other readers of graduate papers want additional information about a topic that has been written about, they should be able to go directly to the sources of the research. Lastly, in graduate school, it is expected that students not simply write papers based upon their opinions and experiences, but to write papers based on actual in depth research.
Many graduate students will go on to become leaders of corporations, industry, and even society. Thus, it makes sense that, in preparing for potential leadership roles or simply advanced career positions, graduate students are held to a higher level of accountability than undergraduate students. The use of academic references and scholarly sources is integral to this preparation and to meeting the standards that graduate students are held to in school and will be held to in the professional world.
What am I doing?
That is the question I have been asking myself for four weeks now.
As I post this blog, I find myself reflecting on the weekend. My mom at the age of 59 graduated with her master's degree yesterday. Talk about a roll model!! I've been working in my field since I was 19 and I'm ready for a change sooner rather than later. Why in the world didn't I pay more attention when she was complaining about "APA"?
So the answer to my own question is, I'm trying to "attain" a graduate degree. It's far more complicated than I thought it would be. Like everyone else, I'm a working adult with a family and friends who are incredibly supportive. Working 65 hours a week on average doesn't allow me to be a 4.0 student, so I couldn't be more happy that I'm in a class with like-minded people who are all in the same situation.
Beyond the hours of preparation for class each week, I find my biggest challenge is the way I research. I've been trained to research in support of a position (or in support of a client's case) so researching objectively on a given subject, and presenting both sides is beyond difficult.
My goal: one class at a time - one trimester at a time. Hopefully I'll be done before I'm 59!
As I post this blog, I find myself reflecting on the weekend. My mom at the age of 59 graduated with her master's degree yesterday. Talk about a roll model!! I've been working in my field since I was 19 and I'm ready for a change sooner rather than later. Why in the world didn't I pay more attention when she was complaining about "APA"?
So the answer to my own question is, I'm trying to "attain" a graduate degree. It's far more complicated than I thought it would be. Like everyone else, I'm a working adult with a family and friends who are incredibly supportive. Working 65 hours a week on average doesn't allow me to be a 4.0 student, so I couldn't be more happy that I'm in a class with like-minded people who are all in the same situation.
Beyond the hours of preparation for class each week, I find my biggest challenge is the way I research. I've been trained to research in support of a position (or in support of a client's case) so researching objectively on a given subject, and presenting both sides is beyond difficult.
My goal: one class at a time - one trimester at a time. Hopefully I'll be done before I'm 59!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)