Response to Jessica Godfrey 10/24/12

Describe your motivation in each of these areas: school, personal goals, social, and family.
1. Quite honesty, my motivation for staying on top of my schoolwork at BYU has been complete and utter terror. The all-consuming fear of a late assignment, bad grade, or not being able to handle college assignments has motivated me to push myself extensively. In the long run, my educational motivations go much deeper than that. I am motivated to gain an education because I want to contribute to the world and serve in the most effective ways possible. To excel in the world an education is necessary, and the prophet has counseled us to seek higher education.
2. In general, goals are powerful motivators for me in and of themselves. When Jessica was talking about rewards, I realized that the biggest rewards I can give myself are the accomplishment of goals and having balance in my life. I am motivated to set and achieve personal goals because I know that is how I can grow closer to the Savior and become who He wants me to be. No one else knows what things I personally need to work on and improve; only I know that through the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
3. When it comes to priorities, social is pretty far down my list. I tend to put academic interests above social goals. However, I am socially motivated because I know “people skills” are learned best by actually interacting with people. Also, I believe the Lord puts people in our lives we are meant to touch and influence, and being a part of social activities is a way to meet and bless the lives of others.
4. I have been ten times more grateful for my family since having started college. Family relationships are so important! Heavenly Father has given everyone a family and they are the social structure we should be spending our most concentrated efforts in. I am motivated to keep strong family relationships because of the promise we have to live with our families forever. I have been so blessed with the family I have, and I want to continue to love and serve them.

How can you motivate others as a leader in the following areas: school, work, family, or social? 

It is much more difficult to motive others than to motivate just myself. Before I can motivate other people, I have to be motivated myself. I think the different aspects of motivating others apply to all four of the above-mentioned areas. Jessica mentioned some great things in class yesterday that apply to this question. Some key points that stood out to me were having the right perspective, delegating meaningfully, and loving people. As easy as it would be to do some projects myself, it is important to keep an eternal perspective and realize that while getting the job done is important, it is not as important as the individual growth of people. As I keep this in mind, it will be easier to motivate people to become better rather than just accomplish a task. Delegating meaningfully is a fantastic concept that I loved. Jessica emphasized how important it is that we as leaders delegate responsibilities that are meaningful and show appreciation for the people we lead. Loving others was the final point that stood out to me the most. People are willing to do anything if they care about you, so having and showing genuine love is the most effective motivator.

Explain the motivation style of your assigned leader for Monday's lab.

My assigned leader was Jiang Qing, who I had never heard of before this assignment. She was an actress, joined the Communist Party, and eventually became Mao Zedong’s third wife. She became involved with music and theater arts and worked to integrate proletarian ideas (which consist of the middle-class overthrowing the wealthy) in her theater and ballet performances. Eventually, she joined the Gang of Four, which was a group of four radical leaders that held prominent positions in the Communist Party of China. The power of the Gang of Four declined after Zedong’s death, and the four leaders were found guilty of plotting against the state. Qing’s motivation style was certainly strong, but her motivations were not exactly open and honest. She motivated people through under-handed ways and she didn’t have the best intentions at heart. Instead of motivating people through genuine love, she did so in a coercive manner. Her motivating power came more from force and authority than it did from inspiring others to be better.  

Response to Brad Wilcox 10/17/12

Pick a church leader and research what he/ she has said about conflict resolution. Below share at least two of your favorite findings.

Brother Wilcox used the examples from the October general conference talks to illustrate examples of conflict resolution, and I chose Elder Holland’s talk “The First Great Commandment.” There are numerous examples of leadership and conflict resolution in his talk, but two of them especially stood out to me. Elder Holland told the story of  Christ’s disciples after He was crucified. The apostles essentially forgot their divine calling and went back to being fishermen after the Savior died. After His resurrection, Christ could have easily found them fishing and gotten irate that they hadn’t carried on the work without them. Instead, he told them to put their nets on the other side of the boat to catch fish. This is the first example of conflict resolution: He helped them with what they were trying to accomplish, gently reminded them of their duties, and called them back to discipleship. He patiently and lovingly steered His disciples back where they needed to be instead of getting upset and impatient. The second lesson is when the Savior asked Peter three times if he really loves Him. Peter says yes, but the Savior emphatically repeats the question until there is no doubt in either Peter’s mind or the Savior’s that Peter really does love Him. Always a perfect example, the Savior inadvertently taught that effective communication is essential in resolving conflicts. He made sure Peter understood what was expected of him to prevent disappointment and conflict in the future.   

What is the difference between destructive conflict and constructive conflict?

Conflict is something everyone has to deal with at some point, and the way a person responds to conflict has much to do with what makes it constructive verses destructive. Conflict can be used to strengthen relationships and form stronger bonds than existed before the conflict, or it can be used to create enemies and foster hostile feelings. Like we discussed in lab today, knowing how to approach conflict in a positive way can make all the difference. Constructive conflict is the act of addressing issues that may be bothering a team member instead of letting them silently fester. Talking things out or coming up with a solution are important parts of constructive conflict. Destructive conflict is when a problem or discussion evolves into an argument or personal attack. A big differentiating characteristic we discussed today is that conflicts should not be a personal attack against someone, but should be about the problem itself. It’s easy to make assumptions and turn the issue into a problem you might have with someone personally, rather than the actual cut-and-dried conflict alone.

Do you currently embrace good conflict or evade it? Analyze your current way of managing conflict and find two areas of improvement.

From our conflict resolution worksheet today, the area I scored the highest in was the collaboration section. That is the ideal goal of leadership conflict resolution, but I felt like I could be a lot stronger in that area. My reaction to conflict seems to vary depending on the situation, so I'm in between embracing and evading it. My second highest score was a tie between accommodating and competing, and both of these methods of conflict can definitely hinder effective compromise and conflict management. These areas clearly showed me that I need to work on improving these two characteristics. Competing and accommodating are very different traits and are brought out differently depending on the situation. When there is something I feel strongly about, it is easy to have a competitive nature, but other times I am more willing to accommodate. Being accommodating might not always be a good thing because sometimes I don’t speak up about things that are important to me while trying to accommodate others. Finding a balance and strengthening my dominant collaborative tendencies will help me resolve conflicts more effectively. 

Response to Communications/PR 10/10/12

Why is communicating powerfully and prolifically a crucial part of leadership?

Effective communication is an integral part of the world we live in, and is a crucial part of successful leadership. Being able to share thoughts and convey ideas is key to getting along with others and fostering positive relationships. Leaders may have earth-shattering ideas or a great love for team members, but without effective communication, they won’t be able to convey or implement these ideas. I would even venture to say that great leadership is great communication, because people are inspired, motivated, and committed through words and communication. Great leaders are able to communicate in such a way that their team members know they are valued, needed, and important while simultaneously communicating the need to achieve goals and stretch abilities. The communications department at BYU is an excellent example of the important need for communication. The major consists of four emphases that all relate to communicating and sharing ideas with people. The end result of positive communication is to motivate people to change, make a decision, be informed, or make a difference and these are essential goals of leadership as well.

Throughout your life you will serve in various leadership roles everywhere from family roles to work roles to church roles. Every day you communicate what you believe to those around you through your words and your actions. Todd and Joe expressed how important it is that your messages are rooted in what you believe. In the future, how can you make sure what you communicate is rooted in your beliefs?

As ridiculous as it sounds, oftentimes people don’t say what they really mean or they sugarcoat what they do say. In my ethics class we had an entire class period about lying and how social lies are acceptable and even encouraged. An important part of this concept is saying how I genuinely feel about things, regardless of what may be socially expected. It can be done with tact and love, but honesty is critical in communication. If people don’t know who you really are from what you say, how else can they get to know you? Another important concept is taking as many opportunities as I can to share who I am and what I believe, even when I am communicating in a professional or somewhat less personal environment. Todd and Joe talked about the public relations department and how employees really have to believe in what they are trying to advocate. People know when there is a lack of real belief or enthusiasm in something, and they will be less motivated to change or buy a product when the person promoting it doesn’t believe in it himself. I’m working to discover what values are most important to me personally and communicate those in the most effective ways possible.

Todd and Joe gave us some great hints to help leaders communicate powerfully and prolifically. Develop a step-by-step process that you can follow in order to communicate your desired message to those you lead.

1.      Prayerfully select team goals and make sure I personally believe in them. It’s not enough that the goals have a positive outcome; I need to have conviction and passion for the goals I propose.

2.      Present ideas in a clear and focused manner. My main points should be laid out and explained so there is as little ambiguity as possible. Being prepared for this is important and may involve an outline of my thoughts as well as a rehearsal of specifically important points.

3.      Ask the team to restate ideas in their own words so there is definite mutual understanding. Even if I think I have clearly communicated my thoughts, a vital part of communication is making sure the listeners understood the messages as they were meant to be conveyed. 

Response to Brandon Hatch 10/3/12

Which of the five dysfunctions do you personally have a hard time implementing in a team setting? What can you do to better facilitate against falling into this dysfunction?

Between the five dysfunctions, I think I have the hardest time with the first step, which is an absence of trust. Since it is at the base of the pyramid of dysfunctions, I can’t really be an effective team member until I overcome that first hurdle. Trusting people is difficult for me in general, but it is obviously a necessary and vital aspect of having a successful team. Team-building activities and sharing goals and visions would be helpful for me to develop trust in my fellow team members. An important facet of building trusting relationships is connecting with team members on a personal level. Also, following through with assignments is necessary in building a dependable and trusting foundation of teamwork. Making sure I have a basis of trust with my teammates will open the door for effective teamwork.

As a leader, what do you think are some obstacles you may run into when facilitating teamwork?

In the past, one of my biggest obstacles has been having a certain expectation for myself and my team members that may not be wholly supported by the team members themselves. I demand sometimes unreasonable levels of achievement from myself and sometimes it is difficult to see the need for motivating others. It is easy for me to get so focused on the goal or task that I forget to enjoy the steps it takes to get there or I get stressed out worrying about the final result. This stress gets passed to my team members and it isn't an enjoyable experience for anyone. Essentially, this comes down to maintaining enthusiasm, trust, and understanding throughout my role as a leader, even when things may become stressful. I also find it difficult to involve the team members that may be quieter – they have great ideas but sometimes it is hard to know what they are really thinking. Being on the same page, having a sense of direction, and hearing ideas from everyone in the group are essential steps to having an entire team commit to a common goal. 

For the third blog questions please complete a version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) at: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp and post your letter combination here.

Humanmetrics Jung Typology Test™

My Type

ESFJ

Extravert(33%)  Sensing(50%)  Feeling(50%)  Judging(67%)

·         You have moderate preference of Extraversion over Introversion (33%)

·         You have moderate preference of Sensing over Intuition (50%)

·         You have moderate preference of Feeling over Thinking (50%)

·         You have distinctive preference of Judging over Perceiving (67%)