Prompt #1:  Take a moment to respond meaningfully to the “three questions” that are discussed as key to vocational discernment, and provide any additional perspective that you may feel is necessary.  Don’t just settle for short, one sentence answers.  Try to be very specific, aiming for a couple of cohesive, well-written paragraphs in response to each of the three questions.  Also, write vividly and descriptively – paint a “picture” with your words here.  Your responses to these prompts shouldn’t read like a resume or take the form of “bullet points” – use analogies / metaphors, engage and inspire us by “painting a picture” with your words, and make some connections to the Father Himes videos.

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The Three Questions:

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What gives me joy? (What kinds of things am I doing when I’m most naturally content and happy?)

While this may seem like a very straightforward question, defining the source of my joy in life is quite challenging. I think that this is because I derive joy from many sources, many of which are situational and relative to the context of my vocations. Some of my joy in life comes from my personal accomplishments, some comes from the accomplishments of others, and some comes from the possibilities of things not yet accomplished.

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Looking at the joy of my own accomplishment is far less self-involved than it may seem. I don’t specifically take joy in being able to do various tasks or gloat upon my accomplishments. Instead, joy in this regard comes from being able to meet the expectations of others – to establish that I have respect for their expectations and will do what I can to meet them. That is not to say that I am not self-driven in my ambitions, but that my performance may directly reflect on those who support me. For example, my return to school after more than a decade away was a choice founded in my own desire to elevate my knowledge and ability. The joy I receive from my education, though, comes from knowing that I am working hard to demonstrate the lessons I have learned along the way from my peers, my professors, and myself. By delivering value to others through my education, I feel a sense of joy that comes as a result of meeting the needs and expectations of others. This ties into the joy I derive from the accomplishments of others. If I can, in some way, provide resource to others in their quest for joy, then that provides me joy as well. I recognize that I will not always be the star of the movie, and many times work to avoid that level of attention. Instead, I try to use my talents and abilities to be a supporting actor – helping others to achieve their moment of stardom.

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Taking joy from the possibilities of things not yet accomplished is somewhat like taking joy from dreams. I look specifically at my role as a father and how my son may someday contribute to the world as a result of his current experiences. I find joy in knowing that imparting lessons to him now may someday allow him to inspire or lead others. While I do not know for sure what his future will hold, I do everything I can to provide him with opportunities for an optimistic path in life. In so doing, I find joy in knowing that he will be supported regardless of his endeavors.

 

What am I good at?  (What are my strengths?)

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It is challenging to define what I’m good at without providing a bit of my own, biased perspective. However, when I evaluate my personal strengths I must consider the things that I do that people may not realize I am actually doing. Feedback from my peers tells me that my strength can be found in my level of composure during difficult times, my hardworking nature, and my willingness and ability to support others. My own observation, though, would provide reason for the strengths identified by others. My composure in difficult times may be a strength, but it is driven by my desire to alleviate stress for others. Working hard has value, but I do it because I want to provide a positive example to others and demonstrate my commitment to sharing the load. And, while I certainly work hard to support the needs of others, I understand that at times, we all need support. I see my strength in my motivations while others see my strengths defined by the result of my actions.

 

What does the world need me to do? (What can I contribute?)

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What does the world need me to do? I think that the world needs me to continue to support and develop others. It needs me to sacrifice of myself for those with greater needs. The world needs me provide optimism, hope, guidance, and direction to the best of my ability. While nobody has told me directly that they need these things, this thought is constantly affirmed by the progress I’ve seen as a result of my efforts. And, I think that, if asked, the world would not deny the value of these pursuits. In my current life, this need is delivered through my role as a manager and leader, a husband, a friend, and a father. While each role is unique, my ability to deliver value to the world can be seen in each of them.

 

Prompt #2:  Consider this week’s reading, Managing Oneself, by Peter Drucker.  While we do not have the time in this course to conduct a thorough feedback analysis, we can consider some of our key decisions thus far in our lives reflectively.  Although, admittedly, this isn’t quite as objective of a process, it is helpful in light of the qualitative self-assessment we’ll be doing later in this class. 

First, consider several decisions /goals you have made over the last few years – ideally one or two that worked out well, and one or two that didn’t work out as well as expected.

Briefly list those decisions / goals here:

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Two years ago, I decided that I needed to support my continued education and personal growth in a forum outside of my professional environment. I chose to return to school and resume my education in the field of leadership with ASU. This experience has worked out wonderfully so far as I have learned much about myself, my abilities, and have been able to bring those learnings to life in my day to day interactions.

While the above decision reflects positively, it is driven as a result of poor decisions of my past. At the age of 19, I entered the world of retail management. I was so committed to excelling in that role that I decided to forego my formal education so that I could be more available to my employers. While I gained relational experience from my effort, much of my life was put on hold so that I could simply work more. After nearly 15 years of working hard and often, I realized that my personal growth had been stifled.

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Now, reflect on the ramifications / results / successes / failures of these decisions / goals, and respond to the following questions: 

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What results are you skilled at generating? 

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Generally speaking, I am skilled at meeting the expectations of others. I work hard and make personal sacrifice to achieve goals. While I am not always great at being accountable to myself for results, I take great pride in being able to meet the expectation of others.

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What abilities do you need to enhance in order to get the results you want? 

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In order to get the results I really want, I need to recognize that my own needs and expectations have value. In our videos this week, it is mentioned that only we can define what brings us joy. Too often I sacrifice elements of my own joy in order to bring it to others.

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What unproductive habits are preventing you from creating the results you desire?

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As aforementioned, I tend to focus on the needs of others while neglecting my own. This is not specifically negative as much of my joy in life comes from seeing others succeed and personally contributing to their success. However, I allow others to prioritize their needs above my own and fail to invest in myself as often as I should.

 

Prompt #3: Now consider the following questions also posed in the Drucker article.  Give each one some thought, and provide a brief response to each.

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Am I a reader or a listener?

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Based upon our reading this week, I would identify myself as a listener. I generally act in accordance with the needs of others and work to advise performance as a subordinate rather than dictate decisions as a commander.

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How do I learn?   Make some connections to OGL 498 Pro-Seminar I (Assignment #1 - Plus / Delta – Significant Learning Experiences – Structure and Transfer)

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For me, effective learning is accomplished through two strategies. I must first absorb the information at my own pace in order to understand the purpose of the content. Once understood, my learning is reinforced through personal experience and hands on execution.

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Do I work well with people (and in what relationship), or am I a loner?

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Having worked in a team environment for nearly 19 years, I’d be inclined to say that I function well when paired with other people. Though I often find myself comfortable in doing work alone, I derive more joy from group efforts.

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Do I produce results as a decision maker or as an advisor?

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My years of experience as a manager have supported the fact that I am capable of delivering results as a decision maker – it is a necessary part of my job. As a leader, though, I recognize the value of engaging others in the process of accomplishment and try to work in an advisory role as often as possible in order to support achievement through others.

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Do I perform well under stress, or do I need a highly structured and predictable environment?

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On a personal level, I am a very structured and organized individual. I often refer to myself as a creature of habit and routine and I work hard to develop efficient behaviors through repetition and structure. However, if I’m being honest with myself, I find that I deliver my highest levels of success (and failure) when challenged by demanding and stressful situations. It is in these situations that I learn and grow the most and, as such, deliver my personal best.

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Do I work best in a big organization or a small one?

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Most of my time spent as an employee has been within the context of large corporations. As a result, many of my learned behaviors support positive performance in the format of a big organization.

 

Set-up for Identity Exercise Prompt (Prompt #4):

First, carefully read the instructions for the Identities Exercise (page 22 of your textbook), and follow those instructions.  Remember to be specific and detailed in your responses – at least as detailed as the example given.   Included at the bottom of this document is a template / table to help you organize your thoughts.  Feel free to use it or to create your own.  Note:  While this template suggests some specific roles / categories, you may have more than one role in many of these areas (such as two different jobs, with two very different influences on your identity).  Be sure to define (and separate out) each role as applicable to you.

 

Prompt #4:  For this prompt, complete (and include) the identities exercise / table, and then answer the following questions. 

 

 

Areas of identity / Life role

I am a…

How does this role define your self-concept or views?

How does this role influence your priorities and your actions?

Retail Store Manager 

*Provides me with confidence in my leadership ability.

 

*Allows me to deliver results as a result of my actions.

 

*Establishes my identity as a business professional – capable of managing multiple priorities.

 

*Allows me to serve as a mentor to others.

*My actions are defined by the needs of others (company, employees, customers)

 

*This role provides financial stability for my life and, as such, is given high priority.

 

*My ability to achieve results in this role dictates many of my opportunities for future positions.

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* My self-concept is defined significantly by the perceptions my wife has of me.

 

*Much in line with my own ambitions, being a husband allows me to find joy by supporting the needs of another person (my wife)

 

*I am able to develop confidence and capacity as an individual based upon the feedback of my spouse.

*All decisions in my life are ultimately made based upon the needs of my immediate family (wife and son).

 

*My wife provides me support and love regardless of my personal ability or personal successes. My role as a husband is nearly at the top of my priorities – second only to my role as a father.

Father

*Me self-concept is defined by my ability to guide my son through life’s challenges.

 

*My role as a father allows me to define my personal concept through the acts and behaviors of my child.

*The needs of my son are my number one priority in my life and I work with that thought constantly in my mind.

 

*Being a father has helped me recognize the importance of work life balance.

 

*Knowing that my son looks up to me challenges me to be a better version of myself for his future benefit (role modeling)

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*My self-concept is influenced by how well I live up to the expectations of my parents.

 

*I see my actions as a direct reflection upon the other members of my family

 

*My parents imparted many of their life lessons unto me and as such, I define myself in terms of my ability to learn from their experiences.

*My parents’ perception of me is important, and I work hard to make them proud through personal performance and achievement.

 

*My role as a child inspires a need to prove myself responsible and capable as an individual

 

*As the only son in my family, I am responsible for carrying on the legacy of the Cooley name. I work to perpetuate family traditions and shared expectations with my own son.

Student

*My self-concept is supported by professional accreditation and my role as a student allows me to demonstrate ability through course completion.

 

*My role as student also works to demonstrate my desire for personal growth and continued development.

 

*Upon its completion, a degree from ASU will define my ability to commit to large (and surprisingly long-lasting goals)

*In my current life, my role as student has temporarily displaced my professional role for priority. I am currently enrolled in my final two courses within my degree program and am working hard to complete them successfully.

 

*My role as a student as forced me to learn time management skills as I work to balance being a full time student, full time professional, and full time husband/father

Runner

*Being an amateur runner has delivered a sense of self-concept based upon my own wants and needs without professional motivation.

 

*Running has allowed me a chance to incorporate skills normally associated with work into my personal life (planning, commitment, energy and effort)

*Running provides me with an emotional outlet for life’s stresses or frustrations

 

*Running has allowed me to develop relationships with other people in a non-professional manner.

 

*Investing time in physical activity provides me with more energy and focus for other life pursuits.

 

 

 

• How do your various roles influence how you see yourself?

 

As a leader/manager I see myself as a capable and competent business professional who can be trusted to achieve results. As a husband, father, and son, I see myself as a person who can be counted on for emotional support and constant focus on protecting the needs of my family. My role as a student helps me to grow as a person and feel more aware of my opportunities for future development. My role as a runner helps me see myself as driven and capable of sometimes putting my own needs first.

 

• How do your various roles influence how you see the world?

 

My role as a leader gives me hope in the world because I see how important leadership is to others. As a husband, father, and son, I am able to see beyond the professional culture of the world and look more closely at the importance of relationships and personal support structures in the world. My role as a student has given me exposure to diverse thoughts and behaviors that I may never have encountered on my own – allowing me to see value in alternate perspectives. And my role as a runner allows me to see that not all of life’s pursuits need to be founded in financial gain or the benefit of others.

 

• How do you currently prioritize your roles? Which roles are most (and least) attended to?  Are you happy with this prioritization? What changes would you like to make?
   

  • Father

  • Husband

  • Son

  • Student

  • Retail Store Manager

  • Runner

 

I am, in fact, happy with this current prioritization. However, as I conclude my role as a student in the very near future, I am eager to provide greater attention to my role as a runner. Running is selfishly motivated and making time for it is challenging. However, I find great value (mentally and physically) in doing it.
 

How do you see your roles changing in the future – and how will that affect your identity?

As life progresses, I see my role as a father becoming less impactful to my son as he will inevitably gain independence and will pursue his own roles. At that time I see myself defined more by my professional accomplishments and my ability to happily support my wife in our relstionship.