Myers-Briggs – Managing Individual PerformanceJoin now to read essay Myers-Briggs – Managing Individual PerformanceManaging Individual PerformanceThe steps a team leader takes to select workable teammates for a project can be challenging and frustrating task. The concepts of team building have been evaluated for many years by psychologists, psychoanalysts and researchers such as Carl Gustav Jung, Abraham Maslow, mother and daughter Katherine Briggs and Isabel Myers-Briggs.
The simulation is based on research performed by Myers-Briggs, Abraham Maslow and Carl Jung which deals with organizational structure and individual team member personality traits and how it affects individual/team morale and productivity. Silveira (2003) wrote that as individual learn his or her personality preference they will “ …. understand and appreciate their interactive strengths and vulnerabilities” (p. 29).
Based on the simulation, this paper will delve into Myers-Briggs Type Inventory personality categories-based on information provided, such as, volunteers’ personality profile, interests and hobbies, and notes from the supervisor (“Managing Individual”, 2005). Using this profile will determine which candidate will be selected in building case files, moderating self-help groups, perform follow-ups, and supervise confrontational sessions.
On-Line SimulationThe simulation starts by introducing DARE, the Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Endeavor, a social responsibility initiative run by Sawyer Pharma, a $3.2 billion multinational pharmaceutical company with presence in 20 countries. The company encourages employees to volunteer 60 hours per year on community service. DARE project provides assistance such as psychological support, counseling and skill training to recovering drug addicts for several months until they can be clean of their addiction and return to a normal life.
The simulation selects a “DARE champion” for a new project that requires the individual to choose four out of seven team members with varied skill sets, interests, and motivation who will work with drug abusers to return to society with skill sets which will help them find gainful employment. The objective of this exercise is to explain how selecting a right or wrong team mates and providing those individuals with right or wrong motivations can affect team success and objective.
Selecting The TeamMcShane and Van Glinow defined team as “ …. group of two or more people who interact and influence each other, are mutually accountable for achieving common objectives, and perceive themselves as a social entity within an organization” (p. 227). This statement means that for a team to be successful in its endeavors there is a need for interdependence and collaboration amongst team members to accomplish common goals. Team members should place the objective of the team higher than individual priorities and be willing to devote whatever effort is necessary to achieve team success.
Building Case FilesJohn Conner was chosen as the individual to build case files for the DARE participants in the drug rehabilitation program. A task description for John includes “conduct site visits to verify and research case histories and substance abusers’ profile, analyze and record causes and patterns of substance abuse” (“Managing Individual”, 2005). In order to build case files, John has to visit drug addict’s site and communicate with the individual. Such a person has to be a team player, task-oriented, extrovert, enjoy working and sharing information with people. John’s background as a football quarterback and coaching local baseball league fits Myers-Briggs extrovert (E), intuitive (N), thinker (T), and judger (J) personality trait. John tends to overlook “people” and also has had problems with some of his peers at work, the project champion will have to keep him motivated and steer him to the main goal of the assigned project.
Moderate Self Help-GroupsWith the reputation of being hard-edged and constantly trying out new ideas and possibilities, project champion picked Lisa Stafford as the person responsible for moderating the self help-groups (“Managing Individual”, 2005). Lisa has worked with several awareness groups and has also contributed to other social causes. The friendly, personal, interested in others, and quick-thinker qualifies Lisa as extrovert (E), intuitive (N), feeler (F), and perceiver (P) on Myers-Briggs Personality analysis. Lisa task on the DARE project is to “facilitate interaction within self-help groups, arrange group meetings, handle conflicts and build record of interactions and results” (“Managing Individual”, 2005). At work, Lisa does not hesitate to take credit for work done, and project champion needs to be aware to reward Lisa’s efforts in the DARE project and to
in the project manager.
‡You are not a psychologist.‡ This article was edited by Lisa Stafford and posted to AASP, the project manager’s website. As of 6/17/05, Lisa is listed as a subject’s principal researcher on the AASP Blog.
‡Please feel free to comment.‡‡
This article was written by Lisa Stafford
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Summary
On June 2, 2005, Lisa and Lisa Stafford met at a meeting in an airport lounge. Lisa accepted to talk about a variety of topics with Lisa to a small group of project champions who worked for the project’s project committee. Lisa’s talk got quite short and at times seemed brief, and some of the topics were actually going too far. She also said that one topic is important for the project. She and Lisa had no conversations about the problem until their meeting at the back, and were able to talk because Lisa and Lisa were together.
Lisa felt, as we do so often, that she was not a good speaker. She had no idea how to tell the difference between two people during conversation. However, as a member of the project’s project committee, Lisa felt safe and confident; her talk was informative (not just technical or technical talk) but it also encouraged other participants to connect and form real relationships and collaborate.
Lisa met and read a fair bit about the project. She met with the project facilitator, Dr Lisa Wahl, to find out what it was that Lisa felt was particularly important. Wahl gave Lisa a copy of the paper and gave her her first-hand experience of how it impacted her work at work. In the end, Lisa felt that she helped others by using her skills to better understand others. “Me helping others is a different thing from making people feel comfortable about themselves,” Lisa says. “I believe that there is no magic bullet. I have a passion for working on problems I do well. It takes a lot, but I know why it takes so many days of work.”
Lisa is particularly impressed with Lisa Wahl’s ability to articulate and expand on her own experiences and work. “We found her to be a well prepared, confident, intelligent person, where we had to be ready and able to do things that our peers do not,” Lisa says. “She understands the value in giving people more than they already have, and it took a while for my colleagues to have to be prepared.”
Lisa was well prepared, but it took Lisa long to get comfortable with the changes in attitudes and behavior among the project participants. Lisa is grateful that other participants have responded well to her talk. We appreciate how much Lisa enjoyed her talk. Lisa is confident about the group’s willingness to see and interact with others, knowing that her participation would help other project leaders to do their jobs better. After all, Lisa did not receive the title of project creator. There was no mention of Lisa as the project’s project leader.
Lisa is pleased by Lisa’s participation and work. “With her participation in this project I am very happy about how productive and meaningful Lisa Stafford has been,” Wahl says. “She is a real person, and the best person she’s ever worked with and loved who we are.” Lisa also notes that Lisa helped many others with a multitude