Thematic Analysis

Introduction

​

The purpose of this thematic analysis is based in the review of prior personal assessments I have taken. These assessments have been conducted in a variety of classes, this one included, and work to establish an understanding of who I am as an individual. That deeper understanding can thereby work to develop professional confidence and ability as I continue to grow in my current and future roles.

​

In order to identify my life themes, it was first necessary to understand how the information provided in past assessments could be grouped based upon common characteristics. These prior assessments have included review of personal skills, elements of personality, and evidence based on my behaviors in various scenarios. Many of these individual assessments share common elements and can thereby be subdivided into associated groupings. The review and division of this information allowed me to identify ten relevant themes which will be outlined ahead.

​

As I worked to sort out all of the information contained in these past assessments, it was helpful to first understand the context of each one. Some of these assessments were assigned in classes with a specific characteristic in mind – a reason for taking them. Others were conducted for a more personal benefit – simple understanding about who I am. Good, bad, or indifferent, the information offered by these surveys allowed me to better identify my personal strengths and opportunities. I have used that information, then, to better develop as a professional and an individual.

​

Purpose of Self-assessments:

​

Self-assessments are created with one key purpose in mind: allow individuals to use the intimate knowledge of themselves to identify and understand why and how they function. Self-evaluation is a challenging, yet critical skill for all individuals – especially those who are working to establish themselves in a professional setting. But, completing self-assessments is not as simple as checking off boxes in a list. There is a necessity for established skills and understanding of the expectations placed upon us in various life situations. There is also a necessity for personal honesty. Talking about our weaknesses can be tough, but if we are not truly honest about our answers we will gain nothing from our assessments. By being open and vulnerable about my own opportunities, I allow myself to get a true picture of my own performance. With that view in mind, I am able to effectively create plans for future growth and can take action upon those plans.

​

The benefit of some assessments reaches beyond the professional realm, but many serve as terrific tools for career identification. Assessment of our individual skills and personality traits help to align us with similarly minded organizations and job fields. While many of the assessments I’ve taken support my current position in management, I am sometimes surprised at the additional prospective careers that may await me – given some future inspiration to make a change.

​

Based upon my own experiences, and supported by the results of various evaluations, I have developed confidence in some of my own skills. Analysis of systems and structure, resource management, group leadership, and desire for efficiency have played a strong role in my career so far and provide me with a strong sense of self satisfaction. However, I also maintain a focus on trustworthiness, dependability, attention to detail, planning, social perception, and many other skills of varied importance. Skills assessments have outlined the way in which I do my work, and demonstrations of my personality have helped me understand how those skills relate to interaction with others. Each of us maintains our own unique sets of skills and there is no right or wrong collection. Personal assessments allow us to not only understand our own motivations, but how our skills play a role in the accomplishment of shared goals and the understanding of others.

 

Sources of self-assessment:

​

Source

Abbreviation of Source Name

​

AZ CIS Interest Profiler

(AZCIS IP)

​

AZ CIS SKILLS Assessment

(AZCIS S)

​

AZ CIS Work Importance Locator

(AZCIS WIL)

​

AZ CIS Career Anchors

(AZCIS CI)

​

Three Questions

(3Qs)

​

Identities Exercise

(IE)

​

Values, Desires, Purpose, Vision

(VDPV)

​

Personality Characteristics

(PC)

​

Ten-Years-Out Activity

(10YO)

​

Interviews with Significant Others

(ISO)

​

Jung Typology Test

(JTT)

​

Motivational DNA

(MDNA)

​

Ideal Organization Exercise

(IOE)

 

Below is a description of the assessments outlined above. Each of these assessments has offered a unique perspective on my individual qualities, but they have also demonstrated some level of overlap. This overlap has helped contribute to the identification of my life themes.

​

• Work Importance Assessment (AZCIS WIL): Based on information provided by the Arizona Career Information System (AZCIS), personal values can be used to identify appropriate career choices. Careers chosen based upon ideal work values would be most likely to provide long term satisfaction and achievement of career goals.

• Interest Profiler (AZCIS IP): Based on information provided by the Arizona Career Information System (AZCIS), interests can also be used to identify appropriate individual career choices. Careers chosen based upon individual interests are more likely to provide long term sense of belonging and satisfaction than those which do not appeal to individual interests.

• Career Inventory (AZCIS CI): After reviewing my own interests, the AZCIS system was able to recommend potential career fields that might appeal to me specifically.

• SKILLS (AZCIS S) - Based on information provided by the Arizona Career Information System (AZCIS), the SKILLS assessment makes recommendations for career options based upon the evaluation of my own unique set of skills.

• Three Questions (3Qs): The three questions referred to here are critical forms of personal evaluation used to find our true vocations. Looking beyond ability and seeking sources of joy is an important part of the career choice process.

• Identities Exercise (IE): The Identities Exercise is a list of an individual’s key identities and the roles they serve within each of those. Seeing how our roles change for various elements of our lives helps provide a clearer idea of our complete identity.

• Values, Desires, Purpose, Vision (VDPV): The VDPV survey links persona values (the five most important) with the individual behaviors we demonstrate in our different roles. Then, that information is used to evaluate how effectively those values are brought to life in everyday circumstances.

• Personality Characteristics (PC): Personality characteristic assessments are used to identify general trends in individual behaviors.

• Ten-Years-Out Activity (10YO): This activity was used as a way to imagine our lives 10 years in the future. By acknowledging long term goals, I am able to identify core values that I expect to carry forward in life.

• Interviews with Significant Others (ISO): These interviews were aimed at receiving constructive feedback from individuals close to us in our personal and professional lives. This feedback can then be used gain ulterior perspective on my ability to demonstrate my own ability to live my values.

• Jung Typology Test (JTT): Based on Carl Jung's ideology of psychological types, individuals can be categorized based upon their tendency to support various character traits. General demeanor identified as Extraverted (E) or Introverted (I), personal perception received by either Sensing (S) or Intuition (N), normal forms of judgement through Thinking (T) or Feeling (F) and forms of influence through Judging (J) or Perceiving (P). 

 

 

My 10 Personal Themes:                                                                                                  

 

1. I enjoy working independently with a high degree of autonomy.                                  

 

2. Personal and professional endeavors are met with high levels of expectation.                     

 

3. In addition to professional engagement, my life includes a focus on family.                          

 

4. Understanding who I am and what my values are provides me valuable perspective.         

 

5. My personal image is based heavily on the perception of others.                    

 

6. Because my life is balanced between work and family, my happiness in life comes

from success in each of those fields.                                    

 

7. My personal values are aligned very closely (and intentionally) with the culture of my professional organizations.                                                                                                    

 

8. I am systems oriented and work hard to be efficient in my endeavors but I sometimes struggle to understand others who aren’t.

 

9. Much of my success at work comes from operating in an empowering environment where ownership is encouraged and supported.                                                           

 

10. My role as a leader and mentor supports my desire to serve others through empowerment.                                                       

 

Theme 1:  I enjoy working independently with a high degree of autonomy.

Supportive Evidence:

• I often work with minimal direction and am capable of achieving results within stated parameters (JTT)

• While much of career is focused on team leadership, I am able to achieve high levels of performance when working independently (JTT)

• I am often successful in creating and executing plans according to my understanding of situational needs (ISO)

Contradictory Evidence:

• As a long term manager and team leader, I have a demonstrated record of accomplishment through teams. (ISO)

• Many elements of my personal joy can be directly linked to my involvement with others (3Qs)

 

Impact of Theme on Personal and Professional life:

Although I can successfully work on my own, working as part of a team allows me to act as a source of inspiration to others. Organizational structure and goals provide me the framework necessary to make my own decisions, but involving others in the process can lead to more lasting results.

 

Theme 2:  Personal and professional endeavors are met with high levels of expectation.

Supportive Evidence:

• By the age of 19, I had worked to the level of assistant manager – the youngest in regional history.

• My dedication to my job is demonstrated through the commitment of my time and energy. The same can be said of my need to meet the needs of my family (ISO)

• I maintain a high level of focus on the value of work ethic and professional composure (VDPV)

• I graduated from high school in the top of my class with departmental awards in Business and Computer Science.

Contradictory Evidence:

• I sometimes put a priority on my professional life – neglecting the needs of my wife and son (ISO)

• I sometimes prioritize my own systems or ideas over those of others (PC)

• While I strive for personal achievement, I am concurrently motivated by extrinsic rewards such as promotions and salary increases (AZCIS IP)

 

 

Impact of Theme on Personal and Professional life:

It is incredibly important to approach life with a sense of passion and commitment to excellence. Without those things, life may seem mundane or meaningless. It is equally important to recognize the role I play in the lives of others and make time to support their needs as well as my own.

 

Theme 3:  In addition to professional engagement, my life includes a focus on family.

Supportive Evidence:

• My wife and I coordinate our schedules in an effort to maximize the amount of time we spend together as a family – eliminating the need for professional child care.

• I complete school work after my wife and son go to bed each night – dedicating time for us to be together as a family.

• I take my role as a mentor for my son very seriously. Working hard to teach him how to behave and care for others (VDPV)

Contradictory Evidence:

• In my 10-year future plan, I identify that much of my professional career to has been dedicated to working through the corporate hierarchy. That dedication will inevitably mean long working hours associated with senior level corporate leadership (10YO)

• In the past, my professional career has outranked the important elements of my personal life. Though I began my college education in 1999, I abandoned my program half way through in order to be more available to my job.

 

Impact of Theme on Personal and Professional life:

Despite the overwhelming sense of personal accomplishment I get from my professional endeavors, it is equally important to make time for other sources of joy. Life is not defined by the course of my career, but is instead a culmination of many contributing elements. Taking time for family provides a sense of satisfaction and joy that keeps me energized for the other aspects of my life.

 

Theme 4:  Understanding who I am and what my values are provides me valuable perspective.

Supportive Evidence:

• One of my most helpful professional qualities comes from my ability to receive feedback from others (ISO)

• Joy in my life is often defined by my ability to serve others. By knowing what I am able to contribute to others, I can more effectively support this source of joy in my life (3Qs)

• I work hard to find organizations with cultural values that align with my own personal beliefs (JTT)

Contradictory Evidence:

• Despite knowing what my own values are, I sometimes sacrifice them in order to support the values and needs of others (3Qs)

• Much of my success in my professional career comes from my ability to establish goals and achieve them. I sometimes fail to include others in that process despite the fact that I long to support and empower others (ISO)

 

 

Impact of Theme on Personal and Professional life:

Knowing who I am and how I best perform in all aspects of my life allows me to be as effective as possible in achieving personal goals. Being able to receive feedback from others and learn/grow from it means that each day I become a better version of myself.,

 

Theme 5: My personal image is based heavily on the perception of others.          

 

Supportive Evidence:

• When working in a group, I tend to achieve levels of leadership/management (JTT)

• Many of my personal values include a focus on trustworthiness, honesty, dedication and ethical behavior as defined by relevant groups (PC)

• Joy in my life is largely defined by my ability to serve others (3Qs)

• I lead teams by demonstrating ideal behaviors through my own actions. This means I am very intentional with what I do and who is going to see me doing it (VDPV)

Contradictory Evidence:

• Sometimes, when working to achieve goals, I fail to engage others in the process of decision making. (ISO)

• Despite observations and requests for behavioral changes from my wife, I sometimes maintain personal habits rather than changing familiar items (ISO)

• I sometimes act without regard for the input of others (AZCIS S)

 

 

Impact of Theme on Personal and Professional life:

Being successful in the various roles of my life means being able to engage others in the process. Whether I am making leadership decisions or offering guidance as a parent, it is important to recognize the value of outsider perspective. When others are included in the process of decision making, they are more likely to enthusiastically support my efforts.

 

Theme 6 Because my life is balanced between work and family, my happiness in life comes from success in each of those fields.

Supportive Evidence:

• Professional achievement and associated recognition motivates me to work harder (AZCIS CI)

• I thrive on the opportunity to meet expectations and accomplish personal/professional goals. (ISO)

• In my 10-year outlook planning, I chose a career that balances my own needs with the needs of others (clients, community citizens, family) (10YO)

Contradictory Evidence:

• My ability to balance work and personal life is sometimes out of line – prioritizing one over the other (ISO)

• Joy in my life is largely influenced by my ability to serve others. This sometimes detracts from my ability to meet the needs of my own family (3Qs)

Impact of Theme on Personal and Professional life:

My ability to succeed at work provides me with a sense of personal pride. It justifies the level of commitment, energy, and time required to achieve that success and validates the systems I’ve used in the process. And, while balance between work and life is important, success in my professional life paves a path for future stability and protection of my family needs. Likewise, satisfaction in my personal life leads to a sense of personal joy and motivation to accomplish goals (which is necessary for that professional achievement) - each one supports the other.

 

Theme 7:  My personal values are aligned very closely (and intentionally) with the culture of my professional organizations.

Supportive Evidence:

• My current employer is Starbucks coffee – a company driven largely by the values of its CEO Howard Schultz. Howard, in turn, makes many of his business decisions based on personal experiences with his own life and family.

• Multitasking is a skill necessary to succeed in rapidly changing environments such as retail sales. The same skill is a critical element required for being a full time employee, full time student, and full time husband/father (AZCIS S)

• My workplace offers a sense of welcoming and belonging much like the environment offered by friends and family. (AZCIS WIL)

• In my 10-year plan, I specifically identified a career that affords me schedule flexibility which supports the needs of my family while also supporting the needs of others (10YO)

Contradictory Evidence:

• I like to work to serve others but my role as a manager/leader is often supportive of being able to make my own priorities more important than secondary concerns.

• I long to serve others, but in the course of being a parent and as student, I have had to put my own needs first when choosing how to spend my time/energy (3Qs)

Impact of Theme on Personal and Professional life:

Being able to work in an environment that is so closely aligned with my own values has made it easier to be successful at what I do. That success has, in turn, lead to development and progression in my career which has then contributed to my ability to support the needs of my family. However, those needs are not based in the financial reward associated with professional competency. Instead, it is based on my ability to feel good about what I do and to derive joy from my work. Those things are what inspire me and allow me to be a person I feel good about being.

 

Theme 8:  I am systems oriented and work hard to be efficient in my endeavors but I sometimes struggle to understand others who aren’t.

Supportive Evidence:

• I am not afraid to commit myself to the work necessary in achieving results (ISO)

• I derive satisfaction from well-structured systems and do everything in my power to make sure things work as they should (JTT)

• I enjoy working in a fast paced and challenging atmosphere (AZCIS WIL)

• Based on the evaluation of my career anchors, I am driven by managerial competence and sense of service to others. As a person who is focused largely on managerial competence, I demonstrate a focus on analytical, interpersonal and emotional ability

Contradictory Evidence:

• Individuals who do not work in the same way as I do or who do not “make sense” to me often frustrate me (JTT)

• While I thrive in systems oriented structures, I often feel most empowered when I am allowed to act with a sense of autonomy and personal direction.

 

Impact of Theme on Personal and Professional life:

While I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, I have learned that not all people are driven by the same values and aspirations as I am. I see work as a source of investment – I am trading precious hours of my life for the needs of my organization and I want my efforts to reflect the same passion and concern for quality as I give all elements of my life. Unfortunately, not everybody approaches work with this attitude. They are not, however, required to do so and should not be faulted for having other sources of motivation in life. Sometimes a job is just a job and I must learn not to get caught up in trying to figure out why that is. All I can do is try to inspire and motivate others through my own actions and hope for the best.

 

Theme 9:  Much of my success at work comes from operating in an empowering environment where ownership is encouraged and supported.

Supportive Evidence:

• I do my best to lead others within the parameters of ethical decisions (VDPV)

• I try to always be open to feedback from others and encourage peers to do the same. (PC)

• I try to lead others by example and include them in the process of goal achievement (ISO)

Contradictory Evidence:

• I need to more actively involve others in the process of planning and goal establishment (ISO)

• I often become frustrated when others are not able to accomplish work in the same way that I am or through the same systems (JTT)

• I sometimes tend to judge others for their deficiencies rather than focus on developing their abilities (PC)

 

Impact of Theme on Personal and Professional life:

As a leader, it is imperative that I include others in all parts of our shared experiences. After all, a large part of successful leadership comes from trust. I must gain the trust of my peers by first trusting them to have valuable insight into the decision making process. The same is true for my personal life – especially with my son. Though he is only six years old, I have to focus on trusting him to make decisions based upon the values I’ve shared with him. We all make mistakes and I want him (and others) to know that I am here to help them through the process of recovering from those mistakes. They can trust me to have their best interests at heart.

 

 

Theme 10:  My role as a leader and mentor supports my desire to serve others through empowerment.

Supportive Evidence:

• As early as the eighth grade, I was interested in helping others work through challenging times. That year, I helped my school launch a program for peer mediation and served as a resource for students who faced interpersonal challenges with others.

• I have had great success in developing relationships with coworkers and direct reports (ISO)

• My reputation as an effective leader and strong team player have given me credibility in my current role (VDPV)

Contradictory Evidence:

• Sometimes, I’d rather be allowed to achieve goals through my own ideas and actions rather than engaging others in the process (ISO)

• Sometimes I view my way of doing things as the best way of doing things without considering other options (JTT)

Impact of Theme on Personal and Professional life:

My role as a leader goes beyond achieving organizational goals. My duty also includes the development of others and the support of their needs and ideas. This is just as true for my role as a father – I am not trying to create a clone of myself. Instead I am trying to help my son become the person he is destined to be. By sharing my experience and my guidance, I can help others to achieve their own goals in life, and hopefully to challenge them to even greater things in the future.