10 things this class has taught me

Management II was definitely a new experience for a lot of us. I have never experienced a class like this, but thats not necessarily a bad thing. I feel like I have taken more skills from this class than most of my other courses in college. Skills that I can actually use in my life, not just facts from a text book.

1. Exit your comfort zone.
 Hop right in on the human pretzel game, play telephone to practice communication, state your opinion. This class taught me to be comfortable with myself and work as a team. In traditional classes, I feel like I get stuck sitting in the background and absorbing what goes on around me, but Management II forced me out of my comfort zone.

2. Don't be afraid to speak in front of people. 
I am a far better speaker and presenter because of this course. Teaching the classes made me more comfortable with the experience of public speaking.

3. Think Deeply
A lot of these topics we learned about were not easy issues. Things like ethics and crisis management really made me stop and think. Management is not going to be easy, and critical thinking is going to be an important skill.

4. Write more often 
Blogging has been a great way for me to reflect on things that I learned and let me relate them to things that I enjoy. I was able to tie together our topics with The Office, Greys Anatomy, Legally Blonde, and other favorite shows and movies. I realized that I love to write, especially about topics that relate to management.

5. Talk to people  
Contacting a mentor was kind of scary at first, I did not think that I was good at talking to strangers, but it was another learning experience where I could exit my comfort zone. My mentor is wonderful and I am so glad I got to meet her!

6. Assignments shouldn't be "disposable" 
Reading David Wiley's blog post on open pedagogy, I really enjoyed his discussion on assignments not being disposable. Leaving this class, I feel like my blog and the primer is something that we can be proud of. I hope to leave my future classes with something just as tangible.

7. Change is good 
Aside from learning a lot from Erin and Kyle's presentation about change, this whole course has been a change. It was something new we all learned from.

8. You can learn a lot from others 
From Jess's stories about Red Robin and Jason's Pirates Cove experiences, I think I learned a lot from everyone's past management/employee experiences.

9. Participation is key
Not only did I learn more from participating in others presentations, but I know as a presenter when others engage it makes my job so much easier.

10. Personality is important 
From our very first assignment, I saw everyones personality type very clearly. Having this in mind made working with others easier, because I could understand where they were coming from.

Workplace Environment

A study was published in the Proceedings of Healthy Buildings 2000, Vol 1 showing that factors such as temperature problems, stuffiness, job stress, and just an overall unsatisfactory indoor environment had a positive correlation with low levels of productivity. I think this is an important thing to take note as as a student soon to be entering the workforce. It is important to be aware of how your environment really can take a toll on you and your co workers. Also, the way that you and your co workers treat your space can make you more or less productive.

If there is any two people to show what not to do in an office space, its Dwight Schrute and Jim Halpert. They both negatively affect the work environment in these clips. Both contribute to a somewhat negative (although entertaining) workplace environment.

(No one likes feet, especially in their workplace)

Pranks are great but not in the office 

Study on workplace environment: http://www.senseair.se/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/31.pdf

Co Workers and Employees by Zodiac Sign

I was excited to find some more workplace zodiac signs! My previous post was related to your management style based on your star sign, but I found this article discussing what type of co-worker and employee you are based on your zodiac. I thought this tied in well with "Many" and whether you're a believer or not, its fun to see!

Mine was:
Cancer (June 21 - July 22)

Clock this sign in as the den mother of the office, even if he's a guy. They can make people feel so good with their natural tendency to nurture and be supportive. They're also highly intuitive and intelligent. However, their moods and emotions can seem to clock in and out as often as the office door swings open and closed during the day. 

I thought this was interesting considering my recent post on the quiz I took on what type of leader I am. My results for that was a Paternal leadership style. This lined up well with the traits of my star sign. 

This is the article where you can see what your sign means:

http://www.dailyhoroscope.com/horoscope-headlines/astrology-office-employees-horoscope 

One, Two, and Many as a Team

Today, Shayna and Logan presented on the topic of Teamwork. I noticed a lot of what they talked about lined up very well with the evolution of our class as Management II. We started off on the first day all really uncomfortable. No one wanted to volunteer to put on the blindfold and do the icebreaker. We all sort of looked at each other, waiting for someone to step forward, not wanting to make a fool of ourselves. I think that part of the course was our Forming stage. Our Storming stage, although not hostile as the diagram below shows, was confusing. We all had different ideas: how should we pick our mentors? how should we be graded? how many absences? I feel like after the first few presentations we reached Norming. You can tell the level of comfort we had with each other just by how much we participated. No one was afraid to ask questions or make comments. After that, we reached Performing. Now, as we assemble our primer, we are Adjourning. We are assessing what we have done, and looking at all the work we have done with pride. I think we make a great team.

What Kind of Leader Am I?

As part of Colleen and David's pre work, we were told to take a quiz on what type of leader we were. My results were:

"Paternalistic: You are a parent to your employees and show plenty of concern for them and their work. The relationships between your team members are strong and positive. You are constantly offering guidance and help to those who need it. However, you are known for playing favorites every now and then. "

I was a little shocked to hear this result at first, however looking back on my past leadership experience I can see how this may be true. At my past job, one of my employees jokingly would call me "mom" when she needed help or was in a sticky situation. I did feel like I was a emotional support system, as well as someone to go to for help during work hours. Although this was just a quiz, and my results could easily change as I grow in my career I did find some truth in these results. 

Makeup in the Workplace

I've always been a big fan of makeup. At age 13 I remember discovering the YouTube beauty tutorials and being fascinated by these people who had devoted careers to mastering the art of cosmetics. As much as I love a lazy no-makeup day, I can tell a difference in my confidence on days where I have makeup on, and I know I am not the only one.

I found this article by the New York Times explaining that studies have found that those who wear makeup in the workplace were perceived as more trustworthy and intelligent than their non-makeup wearing counterparts. At first, I thought that this was a shallow assumption, and I still fully believe that employees should be judged on the quality of their work and not their lipstick shade, but this quote by Daniel Hamermesh, an econ professor at the University of Texas made a lot of sense to me: 

“we conflate looks and a willingness to take care of yourself with a willingness to take care of people.”

I feel like this goes along with why we dress professionally. We want to express our position in an organization by the way we dress, and makeup can be a part of that. If we dress and look like a professional, then people will see us as that. However, I do think makeup is a personal preference. I feel more confident and put together while wearing it, especially when I work. Whether you want to go bare-faced without a drop of makeup or a smoky eye, your advancement in the workplace should be based upon your skills. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/fashion/makeup-makes-women-appear-more-competent-study.html

Ethics in Healthcare

Today, Caroline and I presented on the topic of Ethics in the workplace and in healthcare. My research while preparing for this lead me to the case concerning the Dr. Fata Case, and I wanted to look further into it. I remember hearing about this case and being completely mortified that someone that was entrusted to care for so many people could betray his patients like that. Personally, I feel most vulnerable when I am sick or being treated in a healthcare setting, and would listen to whatever the healthcare provider recommended. In this case, they put their trust in the hands of someone who was blinded by greed. This case made me think more about the Hippocratic Oath and what it actually entailed. The modern version states:

"I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:...

I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.

I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.

I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.

I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. Above all, I must not play at God.

I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.

I will prevent disease whenever I can but I will always look for a path to a cure for all diseases.

I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.

If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help."

While reading this, I realized that Dr. Fata violated almost all of these guidelines. As a future healthcare administrator, I think it is important to keep these points of ethics in mind. Although administration is not directly proving care person to person, they are still responsible for the quality of care and satisfaction of the patients.

Being a Role Model in the Workplace

When Chris Armijo video chatted into class to talk about leadership, he brought up some good points about being a role model in the workplace. I think these points also tie in well the concepts of mentorship that we had discussed in previous classes. The ones that stuck out to me the most were :

• Be yourself
• Your job does not have to consume you, but it is a part of who you are
• Be human, people will seek you out when they need you the most
• Everyone is always watching

My favorite point that he brought up was the idea of being human or being yourself. I feel like I often forget when I am in a professional environment to relax and be myself. I have a tendency to tense up and become too serious. Moving forward I will consciously try to be more open with the new environments and people that I will be encountering in my future career. I have come across leaders who reflect who they are in their work and leadership styles, and those are the ones that I find myself most looking up to.

30 Second Dance Party!

This week has been super busy and pretty stressful. The semester is coming to a close and its getting harder and harder to find time to relax. I'm usually the type of person to relax by taking a break and napping, but Jess, Carly, and Sarah's presentation sparked my interest in the stress relieving power of a 30 second dance party.

Studies show that dancing and traditional exercise both release endorphins, but dancing is more successful in boosting your mood and relieving stress. Both of these video clips below show Dr. Meredith Grey relieving stress in emotionally charged moments with a 30 second dance party.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mgrpmabEpk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UmqhkRvuTY

I think this concept of fun stress relief is good to keep in mind as a college student and beyond. Not just for self-care, but also for the care of employees and co workers. I believe that employee morale is such an important part of organizational culture. Even though a 30 second dance party may seem silly, it is a quick way to boost your mood.

Mentorship

I came across this clip from the Office and thought it tied in well to the topic of mentorship we had been discussing. Erin is the receptionist in the Office, who desperately wants to be in accounting, and looks for guidance. Angela offers to be her mentor. As you can tell by this clip, although very entertaining, Angela was not the most positive mentor. She decides to turn Erin into a clone of herself, instead of helping her to realize her own potential while teaching her a skill.

http://www.nbc.com/the-office/video/the-mentor-the-pupil/n29398

Childlife and Patient Satisfaction

I was reflecting on Jason and Erin's presentation about the different views of administrators and physicians and one quote from their pre work really stuck out to me:

"What I’ve learned from both working in the ER and visiting patients on the floors is that real quality is not a zero-sum game. Quality is multidimensional and nuanced; we can’t sacrifice or neglect one dimension for another. When patients are dissatisfied with the minutiae of care, their real message is that their emotional needs are not being met. They may feel disrespected, confined, vulnerable, fearful and lonely. These are all 10s on the scale of painful emotions. Not treating them interferes with healing."

This quote followed a passage about nurses not wanting to attend to small emotional needs of patients, such as wanting Splenda and not sugar. The administrators were frustrated that the patients weren't getting an experience, and the physicians were frustrated that they were being held back from practicing medicine. 

I was talking with one of my best friends about the topic of quality patient care. She is a Child-life Specialist major at UNH. A child  life specialist is a certified professional who helps children and their families cope with the stress of illness and hospitalization. They use play and age appropriate explanations to help prepare the child for there procedures, or simply just life in the hospital. They often attend medical procedures as support for both the child and parent. Hospitalizations can be traumatic for a child, and their lack of understanding of what is happening to their bodies can take a toll on them. It has been found that Pediatric procedures are more successful with the child life specialist present due to their training on how to handle the specific worries of a child. Many hospitals are choosing to hire child life specialist in order to increase HCAHPS scores.

This made me realize the necessity for an employee such as a child life specialist. Doctors and nurses cannot constantly be focused on the feelings of each individual patient, especially the specific emotional needs of a child. Hiring people such as child life specialists could help heal the concern a lot of administrators have about patient quality, at least in terms of pediatrics.

Difficult Conversations-Listening

One of the biggest points I took away from the pre work for difficult conversations was listening:

" Forget the words, focus on authenticity. Authenticity means that you are listening because you are
curious and because you care, not just because you are supposed to.

 Listen to your own internal voice. Negotiate your way to curiosity (quieting your internal voice), to truly understanding the other person, or express what’s going on for you. “I have to admit that as much as I want to hear what you have to say, I’m feeling a little defensive right now.”

 Ask open-ended questions. “Tell me more…” “Help me understand…”

 Paraphrase for clarity. Express to the other person, in your own words, your understanding of what they are saying.

 Acknowledge the other person’s feelings. Unless they get the acknowledgement they need, feelings will cause trouble in a conversation."

I feel like the steps to being a good listener tie well into the competencies of emotional intelligence, especially the acknowledgement of the other persons feelings. I feel like a lot of difficult conversations in the workplace can feel like reprimands, and I've experienced discussions in the past where I felt that my feelings were not being accounted for, and it makes a huge difference in the outcome. If the person feels as if they are being attacked, this may cause them to shut down and respond with possible aggression or disinterest.

(Not all of us are as resilient as Dwight Schrute)

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

The video Jason and Erin showed in their presentation on Monday is one that I have seen many times, in my HMP classes and is one of my favorite TED talks. It draws attention to a lot of points of improvement for our current healthcare system. Although it outlines how far we have come, it also shows the weaknesses. One of the biggest faults we have as a healthcare system is that it is not a system at all. Gawande explains that American healthcare workers have been trained and think as cowboys, not pit crews. We lack the skills to work together to prevent errors and reduce costs. 

In my job the past couple summers, the phrase "teamwork makes the dream work" was thrown around on an hourly basis. Although it sounds corny, I think it was one of the most important take aways I got from my job, and it can be applied to many different fields. I feel that a lot of emphasis is put on solo work, especially in medicine. I strongly agree with Gawande's idea to implement checklists, and to make sure that doctors rely on each other to catch mistakes. You can see that these two tactics have proven to be effective in preventing errors by the data presented in the video. I believe that the concept of a "pitcrew" can be used in many different areas in healthcare and a high value should be placed on team work. 

The Color Pink

In the movie "Legally Blonde" Elle Woods enters the court room headed to her first big case. She struts in confidently, but theres one thing that is catching the eye of those in the courtroom: She is wearing an all pink suit, complete with a Jackie Kennedy style pill-box hat. She stood out aggressively in the all black and grey wearing crowd. Those viewing the trial doubted her simply based on her appearance. However she showed us that maybe pink is a power color, and won the case.

I don't think this comes as a surprise, but pink is my favorite color.

In society today, the color pink is seen as a symbol of femininity. It is used by marketing companies and brands alike to exude "girly-ness". It hasn't always been this way. Pink, a muted version of Red was considered to be a mans color up until around World War II. Blue was associated with females, being the color of the sky, water, and bringing about a feeling of calmness.

 The color psychology of pink is described as a color that is soft, nurturing, calming, and youthful. Also, it can carry a connotation of immaturity, or over-sensitivity. I have been told multiple times to not wear pink to a professional setting , even in the most appropriate styles of clothing. My freshman year, I took a course called "Fashion This", and we discussed the topic of color psychology often. I always wondered: what deemed grey and black as the colors of our professional world? Why do certain colors act as an outward symbol of your personality?
With my research, I found this list of colors associated with different desired qualities in an employee:

Black – Leadership· Blue - Team Player· Gray - Logical/Analytical· White – Organized· Brown – Dependable· Red – Power· Green, Yellow, Orange or Purple – all four colors were associated with creativity 

As someone who has been working in fashion retail for the past four years, associating color with personality did not surprise me, as I see clothing as an outward expression of who you are. Its hard to say if every person that puts on a white shirt is organized, but its a good thought to hold on to as a future manager. 

I was thinking after looking at this list, if pink is derived from red, shouldn't it be a power color too? I don't think I will be walking into my first day on the job in an all pink suit, but I hope that the unprofessional connotation that the color pink holds will change with time, and it will sit with the rest of the strong colors on that list. 

Reflection on "One"

Now that we are starting on the section "Two", I wanted to reflect on the first part of this course. At first, I was slightly hesitant about creating a course, and unsure about how well we would go about it. I felt comfortable around my classmates at the beginning of the semester, but now I feel like we really work together as a team. I really enjoy going to class because it is something that we created, and something to be proud of.

I also have really enjoyed the topics that we are choosing. They have really forced me to take a step back and look at my soft skills, something that I feel like other classes don't really require, but is so necessary. Topics like Resilience, Motivation, and Identity have brought some clarity to parts of myself that I had been unsure of before.

I know that I will be able to use the skills that we have been working to build in this course(also really enjoying The Office references 😀) I am excited to see what the rest of the semester brings.

Bossy Week 6 post 2

With International Women's Day just happening, (and being a girl who grew up on princess movies) I found this Ted Talk and thought it was very relevant. I loved the use of Frozen's Queen Elsa as an example. Its a great movie and was written by a University of New Hampshire alum!

 Personally, I remember an instance in elementary school so vividly where I was called bossy. It was in second grade and I was in a group with 4 boys doing a project. I noticed one of the boys had spelt "Mississippi" wrong and I politely corrected him. He was so angry that I noticed his mistake, he retreated to a corner of the classroom and muttered "bossy pants" and carried on with his work. I felt so guilty for the rest of the day, and the project, and will never forget being called that name.

I think this ties well into the thought of : "is it better to be feared or loved?" Kelly Parisi uses the example of Queen Elsa, being so worried that her powers will scare people, that she runs away to isolation, builds herself an ice castle, and hides from the world. Rather than facing her fears and learning to lead. I feel like this is an important lesson to hold on to. As a woman or a man, we should not be afraid to use our strengths to lead for the fear of being disliked, or being called bossy.

Emotionally Unintelligent-The Office Week 6 Post 1

 My favorite show ever is NBCs The Office, I could watch it for hours. If you haven't seen it, the show follows the daily antics of a fictional paper company, head by regional manager Michael Scott. If you have not seen it, you really should start watching! Since taking management, I have noticed patterns of Emotional Unintelligence in the shows characters. Although this is hysterical for Netflix, I couldn't help but wonder what would happen in a real workplace in these scenarios. I found a few of my favorite clips and broke down some Emotional Unintelligence!

Toby vs Michael
Michael is definitely unable to craft appropriate behavior based on his surroundings. Especially when it comes to his least favorite HR man Toby, who returns to the office after some time away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfNReBBUk_w

Dwight Does Healthcare
Dwight is probably one of the least empathetic characters in the office. He is desperate for a position of management, and fails any time he is given responsibility, like this time when he tries to take away health benefits.

                                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifFzxiSQsCE


Michael Scott Fake Fires Pam
Michael's management styles are definitely questionable, especially here when he entertains himself by pretending to fire Pam, at the expense of her feelings. He is totally unaware of the emotions of others here.

                                      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAxtVMuDYD8

First Aid Training 
Someone comes to the office to teach the team how to administer first aid, you can see by the dancing, emotions are contagious!

                                     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OolIRm0MI6I

Personality Week 5 Post 2

1.     Have someone who knew you during your childhood (preferably a parent or relative) and someone who knows you now (college friend, significant other, etc) take the MBTI test and answer the questions as if they were you. Reflect on these. Are they the same or different? Were you surprised by the results? Rank the personalities from most to least accurate.

2.     Look up your horoscope. Are the traits of your sign similar to the traits of the personality you were given when you took the MBTI? 

3.     Which statement do you relate to the most?

I feel that I can control my own destiny and what happens to me is my own doing.

I feel that things happen to me because of fate, luck, or a powerful being.

1.I had my dad take the MBTI test as if he was me and these were the results he got. 

When I took the MBTI, I received ENFJ, which is pretty similar! I feel like my personality traits have stayed pretty consistent since I was young, especially my extrovert and feeling traits. 

2. As for my Zodiac, I am born under the Cancer sign. 

"Strengths: Tenacious, highly imaginative, loyal, emotional, sympathetic, persuasive

Weaknesses: Moody, pessimistic, suspicious, manipulative, insecure

Cancer likes: Art, home-based hobbies, relaxing near or in water, helping loved ones, a good meal with friends" 

In most of the research I have done on my zodiac sign, I have found that Cancers are highly emotional people, with the ability to mask their emotions with their "shell". I feel like this definitely lines up with the Feeler aspect of my personality results. 

3. Growing up, I went to a Catholic school and we were always taught that God had a plan for us and that was that. As I have gotten older, and moved away from that mindset, I really do think that we are in charge of our own destinies. I am a firm believer that you get out what you put in.

A Team of Extroverts Week 5 Post 1

This week has been extremely busy for me. Caroline, Shayna, and I have a 12 page Policy paper due on Monday and we have been working on it constantly. Normally I dread papers like this. They stress me out like no other. I noticed something different about this group though, we share most of the same traits from the 16 Personalities test, and its pretty obvious because of how well we work together. (Shayna is a ENFP and Caroline and I are ENFJ)

I noticed first when we started working on the paper and we brainstormed out loud about all of the ideas we had for our topic. We didn't talk over each other, and everyone got their voice in. Even the way we wrote was vocal. Before writing, we would say the sentence out loud and verbally edit it. I thought this was interesting because extroverts have a tendency to process information out loud, and thats exactly what we did. Also, the work didn't seem so hard because of our high energy levels and enthusiasm we had in a team setting.

Caroline 

I realized that we are a great team and I definitely think that our personalities have a role in that.

Shayna 

Regan 

Character Strengths Week 4 Post 2

I completed the strengths quiz for Characters and Values and the following were my top strengths. I really enjoyed this quiz and felt that my results lined up with the other personality type tests we have taken so far. I was not really shocked by my results because it pinpointed the things I value the most in myself and others. According to the color legend, these strengths fell under the categories of justice and humanity. This also did not surprise me because these are two qualities I value highly. 

Leadership-Encouraging a group of which one is a member to get things done and at the same time maintain good relations 

Being a leader is something I feel like I am in my life and aspire to be in my career in the future. I enjoy leading others without being too intense or pushy. I think my leadership style is very relaxed and focused on kindness, something I really value. 

Love -Valuing close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing & caring are reciprocated; being close to people.

I was actually surprised this was not my top strength. I deeply value the relationships in my life and my friends and family are held above all other things in my life. I always want to be close to people. 

Social Intelligence- Being aware of the motives/feelings of others and oneself; knowing what to do to fit into different social situations; knowing what makes other people tick.

This is a strength I am proud to have, and I am happy it gets highlighted in tests such as these. It is something that I definitely always want to build upon.   

Identity Week 4 Post 1

I think one of the hardest questions I have ever been asked is "tell me about yourself." My answer is usually: my name is Regan Brooks Judge and I am 20 years old, go to the University of New Hampshire. I always felt like that was not enough of an answer, especially in an interview. I have read my horoscope profiles, taken personality tests, and Buzzfeed quizzes that tell me what my favorite Disney movie means about my personality, but it is still a really hard question for me.

This Ted Talk asks us to think of ourselves not as a thing that collects life experiences and holds on to them, but as a "collection" of experiences. I like how he explains who we are as all aspects of our brains and personalities working together to create our identity. There is not one place in our minds that holds on to who we are, and our identity is something that is constantly changing.

Vulnerability Week 3 post 2

My mentor suggested that I listen to a Ted Talk by Brené Brown discussing the power of vulnerability when I told her that Caroline and I would be presenting on the topic of Emotional Intelligence. Although this Ted Talk was not directly related to management, I felt that Brown brought up great points on understanding your own emotions, tying in perfectly with our presentation.

 "In order for connection to happen we have to allow ourselves to be seen." This quote from her talk tied together a lot of the topics I introduced in my presentation. Not only do we have to make an effort to be empathetic and understanding towards others, but also to understand ourselves, and to project this openness in our environment. If you spend your days being closed off and impersonal, you will not reach the level of emotional intelligence necessary to create connections in the workplace, as well as in other aspects of life. We think of being vulnerable as being a weakness, but it is presented here as a strength. Vulnerability is a form of courageousness. I feel that especially in the field of healthcare that we are all entering into, we will deal with tough topics and choices that will affect more than just the business decisions of an organization. We will be dealing with real people and their health and well being. I think that being vulnerable and capable of emotion will positively impact the quality of work we will bring into the healthcare industry.

We will play the Ted Talk tomorrow in our presentation!!

Zodiac Signs in the Workplace Week 3 Post 1

This post is totally for fun because I have been an avid reader of horoscopes most of my life and have found them super interesting. I personally match up well with the description of my zodiac sign, and know others who think its complete junk. I stumbled upon this article about how to understand your boss based upon their zodiac sign and I thought it was pretty interesting and accurate. My birthday is June 28th and fall under the Cancer zodiac, so my description was as follows:

The Cancer BossJune 22-July 22Strengths: low-key, easy, harmoniousWeaknesses: overly demanding, expectant, particularInteractive Style: persuasive, feeling, empathicIt can be a mistake to deny or underestimate the dominant qualities of the Cancer boss. Extremely particular about how things are done, Cancer bosses can be very demanding, albeit in a low-key manner. They expect their employees to understand their wishes and even to anticipate them. It is not so much rules and orders that count most for Cancer bosses, but the fact that everyone is on the same emotional wavelength. Not fond of trouble, Cancer bosses want things to run smoothly, underscoring their need for unquestioned dominance -- not be confused with power-tripping. 

Interestingly enough, my zodiac description matched pretty well with my personality test results. I linked the article below if anyone wants see what type of boss they are based upon their zodiac. Whether you are a believer or not, its fun to read.

https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/understand-boss-by-astrology

Emotional Intelligence Week 2 Post 2

"No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care."
 -Theodore Roosevelt

Emotional intelligence is defined as a persons ability to recognize their own feelings and emotions, as well as those around them and to then adapt their behavior to their surroundings. As a young professional, I have been focusing more on my soft skills, such as emotional intelligence in order to adapt to my future workplaces. 

Traditionally, the focus of success has been based around a person's IQ, their grades, and how well they master subject matters. I feel as though this changes as you advance in life and approach your career. 

I found this graphic on the qualities that allow a person to be emotionally intelligent. Personally, one quality that I want to focus on in the near future is Social Skill, especially from a networking point of view. 

Power Posing (Week 2 Post 1)

Yesterday I had my very first interview for my summer internship. The only other interview I had ever done was over the phone, so I was very nervous about body language. When I was talking to my mentor, she talked about how important body language was in interviews, as well as in the workplace.
She directed me towards this Ted talk, spoken by Amy Cuddy, a Social Psychologist. Cuddy spoke about her belief that your body language can shape the way not only others perceive us, but also how we see ourselves.

If you force yourself to smile, you start to feel happy after a while. The same goes for Power Posing. Amy took 2 groups of people, one sitting in high power poses, and one sitting in low power poses. (High Power Posing: arms above your head, shoulders back, smiling. Low Power Posing: Hunched over your phone, slouching, arms crossed.)The findings of Amy's Power Posing experiment were that after 2 minutes of sitting in high power poses, those people's testosterone levels (the "dominance" hormone) were higher than those who were sitting in low power poses.

So for 2 minutes before my interview, I stood in the bathroom mirror and followed her advice. I "Power Posed". I will say it made me feel less nervous and more comfortable with my environment. Hopefully it improved how I interviewed, but only time will tell that. 

Personality Results

My first assignment for this course was to take two personality assessments, The Big Five and 16 Personalities. I have taken both of these tests before, and receive pretty consistent results each time that I take them. I felt that the16 Personalities test reflected my personality more than the Big Five, but the results of both seemed to line up with each other.

For 16 Personalities my personality was ENFJ, "The Protagonist." My percentages were Extraverted – 100%, Intuitive – 56%, Feeling – 72%, Judging – 56%, Assertive – 85%. My Roll was a "Diplomat" and my Strategy was "People Mastery". I felt that this description is a very accurate representation of who I am. ENFJs are described as "genuine, caring people who talk the talk and walk the walk, and nothing makes them happier than leading the charge, uniting and motivating their team with infectious enthusiasm." I have seen these qualities in myself throughout my life. Even as a child, I enjoyed taking the lead, being in the spotlight, and having a team. I have always been extremely social, and enjoy the constant company of people. I have always wanted to work as a manager, and the results gave some insight on what would be good career options. It explained that ENFJs are natural born leaders, and must manage a team. All suggestions given revolved around working with people and not "systems and spreadsheets". 
However, my weaknesses also lined up with my results. One of the major weaknesses listed is overly idealistic, and I see this in myself often. I try to be an optimist in all aspects of my life, but sometimes simply fail to be realistic. I am also an extremely sensitive person, which has proven to not always be a bad thing, but can get in the way sometimes. Learning to not take criticism too much to heart is something that I strive to work on heading into a professional career. 

My results for The Big Five were: O70,C92,E86,A83,N7. I agreed with all of these answers, but I wish it went more in depth with character descriptions like the 16 Personalities did. It explained to me again that I was outgoing, talkative, and social. However, I did not feel like I gained any insight from The Big Five results. Overall, I am glad I took these tests. I feel like it helps to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. I hope that results like these can help in a future career in healthcare administration.