Personal Learning Paper

THEMES
WHAT IT MEANS TO ME
How do I learn?
How does my learning impact my
growth?
Concepts
Learning is a relatively
permanent change in behavior that
results from experience.

HOW DO I APPLY IT

WHAT DO I NEED
TO DO
What is my predominant
How do I enhance
learning style?
my learning by
incorporating other
How does it affect my
ways of learning to
current learning?
become more
effective today &
Am I applying all modes of tomorrow?
learning in my current
situation?
(You can reflect the
various activities of
the PG Lab where
one or combinations
of the various modes
of learning were
being used)

Kolbs Model
Learning Styles Concrete
Experience(feeling), Reflective
Observation(watching), Abstract
Conceptualization(thinking), Active
Experimentation(doing)
Learning Style Preference Accommodator (CE+AC), Diverger
(CE+RO), Converger(AC+AE),
Assimilator(AC+RO)
Who am I?
How I perceive myself &
Who are the others with whom I
how others perceive me?
interact ?
( see your Joharis
window)
Concepts
How do I decrease my
blind spot?
Self Concept Who am I
Self Esteem Sense of selfWhat impact I have on
worth
others?
Self efficacy (Also known as (Reflect on your
social cognitive theory or social
interactions in the various
learning theory ) refers to an
activities.)
individuals belief that he or she is
capable of performing a task or their Am I doing any self
confidence in their ability to
examination & self
succeed in a task
reflection on my strengths,
Self Knowledge How can I abilities, aspirations, needs,
explain & predict myself
etc?
Social Self - My roles as a
student, family member, and friend;
What part of my social
my group identity
identity helps me to
Social Identity The social
connect/disconnect to
definition of who you are-your race, people?
religion, gender, etc.

After a thorough self

assessment (RBS,
peer feedback,
visualization
exercise, Ice Breaker
) what do I need to
change?
Can I give a timeline
for my
developmental
process?

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Personal Learning Paper

What kind of a person am I?
What is my consistent way
How does this difference affect my of behaving?
relationships ?
What are my predominant
Concepts
personality traits?
(See your scores on Big 5)
Personality the sum total of
ways in which an individual reacts
Am I effective & happy in
& interacts with others
dealing with my current
situation?
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Extraverted vs. Introverted
Do I understand the people
Extraverted individuals are
I interact with well so as to
outgoing, sociable & assertive.
be able to understand them
Introverts are quiet & shy.
& predict their behavior?
Sensing vs. Intuitive Sensing
types are practical and prefer
(Reflect on your
routine& order. They focus on
interactions in the
details. Intuitives rely on
Creativity game and
unconscious processes & look at the Outdoor activities)
big picture
Thinking vs Feeling Thinking
types use reason& logic to handle
problems. Feeling types rely on
their personal values & emotions.
Judging vs Perceiving Judging
types want control & prefer their
world to be ordered & structured.
Perceiving types are flexible &
spontaneous.

What traits would I

like to enhance &
how?
Considering what
role& kind of
organization I would
like to join
What are the areas I
would like to
improve on?

The Big Five Model

Extraversion is ones comfort level
with relationships.
Agreeableness refers to an
individuals propensity to defer to
others.
Conscientiousness is a measure of
reliability.
Emotional stability taps a persons
ability to withstand stress.
Openness to experience addresses
ones range of interests &
fascination with novelty

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Locus of control the
degree to which people believe that
they are masters of their own fate
Internals Individuals who believe
they control what happens to them
Externals Individuals who believe
that what happens to them is
controlled by outside forces such as
luck or chance
Machiavellianism degree to
which an individual is pragmatic,
maintains emotional distance, &
believes that ends can justify means
Narcissism The tendency to
be arrogant, have a grandiose sense
of self importance, require excessive
admiration, & have a sense of
entitlement
Self-monitoring A
personality trait that measures an
individuals ability to adjust his or
her behavior to external situational
factors
Type A personality
aggressive involvement in a chronic,
incessant struggle to achieve more
and more in less & less time &, if
necessary, against the opposing
efforts of other things or other
people
Proactive personality
people who identify opportunities,
show initiative, take action, &
persevere until meaningful change
occurs

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Personal Learning Paper

How do my emotions drive my &
others actions?

Am I aware of mine &

others feelings?

Concepts

Can I handle conflicts

constructively?

Emotions Intense feelings

that are directed at someone or
something

How can I motivate myself

& others?

Emotional Intelligence the

ability to detect & to manage
emotional cues & information

Can I bounce back after an

adversity? (see your score
on EQ Map & reflect on
your experience on the
Emotional Labor a situation Trek)
in which an employee expresses
organizationally desired emotions
Currently am I facing any
during interpersonal transactions at
Emotional labor or
work
emotional dissonance?
Emotional Dissonance
Inconsistencies between the
emotions we feel & the emotions we
project

Am I able to create a
friendly emotional climate
in whichever group of
people I am working with?

Do I need to work
on some aspects of
my EI (see the EQ
map)?
Which are my
vulnerable areas &
how do I improve on
them?
Which areas in my
EI am I proficient in
and how can I build
on them?
Am I aware and do I
understand my
emotions so as to be
able to manage them
for greater
effectiveness both in
my professional and
personal life?

Affective Events Theory a

model which suggests that
workplace events cause emotional
reactions on the part of employees,
which then influence workplace
attitudes & behaviors
How do I connect to my inner
core?
What qualities do I need to
develop to enhance my well
being?
Concepts
Compassion Compassion is your
ability to be exceptionally empathetic,
to appreciate and honour another
persons feelings and point of view and
to be forgiving of yourself and others.
Integrity Integrity means that you

Am I able feel empathy

towards myself and others?

How to I imbibe
these qualities to
lead a more happy
and healthy personal
and professional
life?

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adhere to moral or ethical principles, or
code of honour, that won't allow you to
do certain things that you feel would
debase you or others
Service This is your tendency or
behaviour of extending yourself to help
or serve others who need help or aid.
Gratitude / Humility The quality of
acknowledging the service or help one
receives from others and feeling that
ones own strengths and achievements
compare equally or unfavourably with
those of others.
Non-Self-Centeredness Non self
centeredness is the ability to transcend
ones self-interest and reach out to
others and to society at large, for the
betterment of others.
Equanimity Equanimity is a
measure of ones ability to maintain
balance and evenness of mind in all
circumstances.

What motivates me as a person ?

How do my motivations affect
those I interact & work with ?
Concepts
Motivation-the processes that
account for an individuals intensity,
direction, and persistence of effort
toward attaining a goal.

In situations am I able to
think of others before
thinking of my gains?
Am I able easily to
acknowledge others
contribution to my
success?

In tough difficult situations

am I able to remain calm
and composed?
(Please think of situations
from your past and present
and understand how you
think , feel and behave in
such situations . What does
this mean to you and what
effect does it have on your
short term and long term
performance .
You can also look at your
scores on the 10 to 15 in
the EQ & SQ
Questionnaire to validate
your responses)
Which are the needs that
are important to me?
Are my motives in
alignment with my
aspirations?

Am I able to
increasingly
press the pause
button and reflect
on the consequences
of my actions on
self and others?
What will help me
enhance my well
being in the long
run?

Do I need to align
my aspirations &
actions to satisfy my
needs?

Do I like to work alone,

with others or through
others?

Need theories
Maslow hierarchy of needs
physiological, safety, social, esteem

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& self-actualization as each need
is satisfied the next becomes
dominant
Alderfer ERG three core needs
existence, relatedness & growth
Herzberg two factor theory
relates intrinsic factors to job
satisfaction, while associating
extrinsic factors with dissatisfaction
Mc Clelland the three important
needs that explain motivation are
achievement, power & affiliation
Equity theory individuals
compare their job inputs &
outcomes with those of others &
then respond to eliminate any
inequities

While interacting &

working with others which
of the three needs play a
predominant role?

What do I value in life?

What outcome do I value
the most while working on
a task?

Expectancy theory the

strength of a tendency to act in a
certain way depends on the strength
of an expectation that the act will be
followed by a given outcome & on
the attractiveness of that outcome to
the individual

Are these
expectations in
alignment with the
role and the kind of
dream company I
have in mind?

How do my perceptions affect my

behavior?
Concepts
Perception a process by
which individuals organize &
interpret their sensory impressions
in order to give meaning to their
environment
Kelleys theory attribution
theory) makes an attempt to observe
behavior to determine whether it is
internally or externally caused

While working with people

do I understand &
incorporate different
perspectives?
While interacting with
others, do I take into
consideration both the
internal & the external
reasons for their behavior?

Can I be aware in
my day to day
dealings with others
of their perspectives
& problems?
How do I build more
sensitivity &
empathy in my
dealings with
others?
What steps do I see

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Personal Learning Paper

Perceptual biases
Self serving bias the tendency for
individuals to attribute their own
successes to internal factors while
putting the blame for failures on
external factors

Self fulfilling prophecy

(Pygmalion in management)
explores the notion that the way one
treats another can be transforming
for the person & this affects both
productivity, capabilities & self
confidence
How do I relate to others?
What changes do I need to make
to improve my effectiveness in
dealing with others?
Concept
Basic interpersonal needs
Inclusion need to belong & to
establish & maintain satisfactory
relationships with people in general
Control need to exercise influence
in order to get things done, measure
of a persons leadership inclinations,
expressed in terms of his tendency
to make decisions & take
responsibility while relating to
others
Affection need for intimacy &
close personal relationships with
others. Indicates an individuals
tendency to enter into deep personal
relationships
How do I manage intra & inter
relationship conflict?

Am I aware of the various

biases that can affect my
interactions with others?
Do I understand the power
of my expectations on
others?

myself taking to
overcome my biases
so that I can be more
effective in dealing
with others?

Do I treat those who work

with me or for me in a way
that leads to their superior
performance

Am I happy with the

relationship I share with
the significant others in my
life?
Am I facing any problems
with respect to some
people?
(You could look at your
scores for expressed &
wanted needs in FIRO B)
What needs drive the
direction of my
relationships with people?
(In FIRO B look at your
predominant score)
Is there some relationship
(personal or professional
where you
find it difficult to adjust?
Why do you find it
difficult?

With people I am
having trouble with
how can I make
my relationships
more effective &
happy?
What strategies &
actions would I
adopt to ease my
relationship
problems?
The people I share a
positive relationship
with , can I take it
further to increase
happiness &
productivity for both
?
(look at your
comprehensive
FIRO B score)
How can I create
functional conflict?

Am I a conflict avoider or

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Personal Learning Paper

Concepts

a conflict manager?

Conflict a process that

begins when one party perceives
that another party has negatively
affected, or is about to negatively
affect, something that the first party
cares about

Am I able to clarify & put

forth my views in an
assertive manner?

The conflict process it has

five stages: potential opposition or
incompatibility, cognition &
personalization, intentions,
behavior, & outcomes

While working how

can I use opinions
different from my
own for enhancing
my performance,
satisfaction &
creativity?

Am I mature (both high on

consideration & high on
assertiveness) in handling
conflict?

Conflict Management the

use of resolution & stimulation
techniques to achieve the desired
level of conflict
Resolution Techniques problem
solving; super ordinate goals;
expansion of resources; avoidance;
smoothing; compromise; authoritive
command; altering the human
variable; altering the structural
variables
Stimulation Techniques
communication; bringing in
outsiders; restructuring the
organization; appointing a devils
advocate
What happens when we work &
interact in groups & teams?
Concepts
We join groups for security,
status, self-esteem, affiliation,
power, goal achievement
Stages of group development
are forming, storming, norming,
performing & adjourning

Does the presence of others How can I use the

affect my performance?
feedback from
others to function
more effectively in a
group?
While working in different
activities what did I enjoy
most & why?
How can I use the
Punctuated
Equilibrium Model
How do I view my
to get higher
contribution while working performance from
in a group?
my team members?

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Personal Learning Paper

Punctuated Equilibrium
Model transitions temporary
groups go through between inertia
& activity
Schachter study The Pitch
Fork productivity curve imply that
highly cohesive groups have very
powerful dynamics, both positive &
negative, for group performance

How do we as individuals move

from me to we?
Concepts
Teams - a teams goal is
achieved through collective
performance; positive synergy;
individual & mutual accountability
& complementary skills

How do I achieve personal

leadership & become an
integrated individual?
Concepts
Aligning IQ, SQ, AQ & EQ

How can I use the

implications of Punctuated
Equilibrium Model &
Schachter study while
working in a group?

When would I like

to go in for group
decision making?

What kind of role do I

typically manifest while
working in a team?

Am I comfortable
working in a team or
do I prefer to work
alone?
To what extent can I
Do I have the necessary
trust my team
skills to take my group
members? ( This is
from one stage to the next
also a reflection on
both as a team member & a how much do I trust
team leader?
myself and on my
When did I enjoy the
Self Esteem how
most while working in the much do I like
team?
myself)
(refer to your 2
predominant Belbin Team
Roles to understand the
roles you inherently play
while in teams . validate it
with your experiences)
In the final analysis,
knowing yourself &
therefore arming yourself
with the equipment to
make correct choices
concerning life & job
(See your integrated Excel
sheets).

Am I questioning
myself about my
needs, personality
type, strengths &
weaknesses &
values to start with?
How can I develop
a day to day

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awareness of my
behavior & attitudes
towards the myriad
aspects of my life &
work?
The role that I
foresee for my self
do I see any gaps in
my competencies? If
so what action plan
do I have in my
mind?
What are my unique
strengths and how
do I play from my
areas of strengths?

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