Briefing Paper on Personal Effectiveness

1. Introduction
1.1 Terms of Reference
This Briefing paper has been prepared in fulfillment of the requirements of the
Personal Effectiveness tests that have been requested by Human Resources Manager
and to identify our strengths and weaknesses by doing these various tests.
1.2 Definition of terms
In this Briefing paper, the following definitions are used:
“HDIT” refers to Hemispheric Dominance Inventory Test
“MCQ” refers to multiple Choice Questions
“LS” refers to Learning Style
“IS” refers to Interaction Style
1.3 Main Points
Most people want to feel useful in their lives. They want to feel as though they are
making a contribution of various types. If we are employed, then work is one of the
most important places where we will want to feel useful, valued and appreciated.
When things are going well our life feels effective and efficient and we are capable of
handling whateverwork is given. By doing these activities/tests such as HDIT,
Learning Styles, interaction styles, self monitoring test, Big five Locator we will be
able to identify our strengths and weaknesses. (Personality-and-aptitude-career-tests.com
– 16/04/2009)
2. Context and Issues
2.1 Past and Present trends in peer review and in performance review
In the past, management organization were stable, inflexible, had permanent jobs, a
standardized workforce, command oriented and individual oriented. Comparing to the
past management, present management is dynamic, the jobs are temporary, the
present management is flexible comparing to past, diverse workforce and team
oriented. (www.unesco.org/most/westeu14.htm - 19k) and (www.aimresearch.org)
3. Personal Effectiveness Tests
Since our organization is team oriented my team member and I did few activities in
order to develop our skills.
3.1 Hemisphere Dominance Inventory Tests
One way of looking at learning styles is to verify our hemispheric dominance. Are we
more right brained or left brained? The right side of our brain is more visual, and left
side of our brain is more Logical.
After concluding the HDIT these were the results that my team member and I got:
I responded as a right brained person to 7 questions, and left brained person to
11questions, according to HDIT, my team member and I both use our left brain a lot.
We both prefer MCQ tests, we both are planned and structured, we both prefer talking
and writing, I control my feelings and my team member looks at differences.
(http://www.web-us.com/brain/braindominance.htm)

According to our results we both are planned and structured, I control my feelings
and my team member looks at differences, all these facts are strengths to our
company and these strengths will help our company in order to achieve success.
3.2 Learning Styles
This is also an online test which determines what LS we should choose in order to do
our profession and studies effectively and efficiently.
There are a large number of learning style inventories available, but it is important to
understand that a learning style inventory does not measure intelligence, and that
having a preference for a particular learning style does not mean that we can only
learn in one way and not another. One learning style is not ‘better’ for learning than
another; our learning style simply means that we have a preference for learning in a
particular way. (Business Edge Week two notes on the Portal)
The Four behaviors of Learning Styles are:
➢ Visual – If people prefer Visual, they will gain information presented in
diagrams, graphs, mind maps, flowcharts, videos and other images.
➢ Auditory – If people prefer Auditory then they understand better when listening
to information
 ➢ Read/Write – Learners who learn best through reading and writing may be
regarded as visual-linguistic learners. Learner with this preference will find
information such as handouts.
➢ Kinesthetic – Kinesthetic learners prefer a hand-on approach. They concentrate
better when moving about. Kinesthetic learners find difficult to sit down and
listen to a lecturer unless they are engaged in taking notes.
(From the Portal – Week 2 notes)

After concluding the Learning Styles activity the results that I got were
Aural/Physical and social, which mostly, I prefer using sounds, music, using my
body, hands of and sense of touch and I also prefer learn in groups.
And the results that my team member got were Visual, Logical and Social, which she
learns when information is presented visually and she thinks logically and she also
prefer working in groups.

In present organizations team work, social work is more beneficial and so important,
so according to our results we both are social; it is a strength to our company in order
to carry on with work.
(http://www.metamath.com/multiple/multiple_choice_questions.html)

Interaction Styles
This is an activity/test that verify the unique technique that a person should use when
interacting or communicating with others in order to convey the accurate message. IS
provides easily recognizable information about how people interact and influence
each other and how they function effectively in teams. IS tells us “how” our behavior
is. IS gives us a map for greater flexibility in our interactions with others.
(www.interstrength.com/curriculum/interactionstyles.htm - 16/04/2009) and (Interaction styles
handout (2009), the Business Edge program, ACBT.)

After doing this activity I found out that I was cautious paced and my team member is
quick paced. I am also a great problem solver where it helps to solve our company
problems. I also dislike disorder and carelessness; it will help to keep our company in
order. I also like to plan and prepare well, I’m sensitive to criticism, displays emotion
but difficult to get to know. As my weak point I work slowly where I need to get
improved.
As for my team member she is very friendly and social, has good persuasive skills
and often highly competitive, it is also a strength for our company and these strengths
will help our company in order to achieve higher goals. (www.interactionstyles.com -
16/04/2009)
The Big Five Locator
The Big Five Locator Personality Test is intended as a first step in helping us to
define issues that may be important to our effectiveness in a leadership capability. It
also determines the individual’s adjustments, sociability, conscientiousness,
agreeableness, and the intellectual skills. Basically it will verify what kind of a
personality we have and the result will shows the outcomes of having such a
personality. (www.outofservice.com/bigfive - 20/04/2009)
The names of the five dimensions are:
➢ Openness to Experience/Intellect
➢ Conscientiousness
➢ Extraversion
➢ Agreeableness
➢ Neuroticism
(www.outofservice.com/bigfive - 20/04/2009)

These are the results that my team member and I got:

According to the Openness to Experience/Intellect model, high scorers tend to be
original, creative, curious, complex; Low scorers tend to be conventional, down to
earth, narrow interests, uncreative. I got a low score because I prefer traditional and
familiar experiences. And my team member got a high score due to she is
conventional. (Q/The_outcome_of_the_big_five_locator_qusestionaire - 45k – 20/04/2009)
According to Conscientiousness model High scorers tend to be original, creative,
curious, complex; Low scorers tend to be conventional, down to earth, narrow
interests, uncreative. I got a low score because I do things somewhat haphazardly and
my team member has achieved a high score due to she is well organized and reliable.
(Q/The_outcome_of_the_big_five_locator_qusestionaire - 45k – 20/04/2009)

According to Extraversion model High scorers tend to be sociable, friendly, fun

loving, talkative; Low scorers tend to be introverted, reserved, inhibited, and quiet. I
got a low score comparing to my team member because I am shy for social situations
and my team member relatively social and enjoy the company of others.
(Q/The_outcome_of_the_big_five_locator_qusestionaire - 45k – 20/04/2009)
According to Agreeableness model High scorers tend to be good natured,
sympathetic, forgiving, courteous; Low scorers tend to be critical, rude, harsh, and
callous. My team member and I both got high scores which say we tend to consider
the feelings of others. (Q/The_outcome_of_the_big_five_locator_qusestionaire - 45k –
20/04/2009)

According to the last model which is the Neuroticism model, High scorers tend to be
nervous, high-strung, insecure, worrying; Low scorers tend to be calm, relaxed,
secure, and hardy. We both got low scores for this and we ended up by becoming
anxious or nervous. (Q/The_outcome_of_the_big_five_locator_qusestionaire - 45k –
20/04/2009)

After doing this test we found out that there are lots of weaknesses in our self which
will effect our organization. My team member’s and my intend is to over come all our
weaknesses and to develop our strengths more.
Self Monitoring Tests
This psychological test that verifies how a person should behaves in different
circumstances. It shows whether the person is high or low self-monitored. Self-
Monitoring, as defined for the purposes of this test, is a personality trait that refers to
the ability to regulate oneself. The test includes monitoring not just one's behavior but
cognitions and affect as well. It involves adapting one's behavior, altering one's
thought processes, and acclimatizing one's emotions whenever this proves beneficial
for the self and others. (www.psychtests.com/tests/personality/self_monit_access.html -
20/04/2009)
After concluding the self monitoring test these were the high self monitoring results
that my team member and I got: We both show variability in behavior in different
contexts, and are extremely flexible in adapting to current situation, we both tend to
have different public and private personas and are careful about mixing different
social circles, we also tend to make better managers and do better in jobs that involve
influencing other people.
The low self monitoring results that my team member and I got were: we both use
internal values and beliefs in deciding how to behave; we also act the same in most
social circles, we tend to be better in research and project-based work and we also can
be relied upon for opinions as they tend to say it like they see it. (Personality-and-
aptitude-career-tests.com – 20/04/2009)

3. Analysis and Critique

3.1 Evaluation
I believe these tests and activities have helped me and my team member to understand
‘how to succeed in life’, and also to use our abilities efficiently when working with
others. These activities show that the best employees are those who are strongly
aware of their own strengths and their weaknesses.
The personal effectiveness tests have guided me to exploit my strengths and to
improve my weaknesses, and then to be able to understand others and their
inspirations, desire, approaches and capabilities and use this information to encourage
me and to get better results in near future.
These tests have also helped our organization to understand the significance of
keeping employees with self-knowledge and frequently engage in self-assessment,
trainings and experiences that allocate them to constantly learn about and progress
themselves.

4. Conclusion
Personal effectiveness covers a diversity of themes all aiming to improve our self in
personal social or work related environment. It is a topic used actively by managers,
employees and taught extensively in training courses.
Personal effectiveness is defined as a distinct set of behavioral competencies, which
are a group of skills, embedded within all work related activities.
(www.public_personal _impact_course/personal_effectiveness.html)
These skills are required by individual to improve themselves and be effective
performers in any environment. The key themes, which emerged throughout the
review of positive personal effectiveness, were self-development and understanding,
communication and listening and leadership. Self-development and understanding
outlines the personal management of an individual where the results will be positive
in forming relationships and knowing our self. But the main purpose of this personal
effectiveness tests is to identify our strengths and weaknesses and to develop them for
the betterment of our company.