The Big Five Personality Traits

Question:

Discuss about the Communication and Managerial Effectiveness.

The communication diagnostic tools are important for the purpose of understanding of self-evaluation of communication style of particular individuals (Rosenberg & Chopra, 2015). This essay would make use of five diagnostic tools that would help me to understand my own individual communication style. There would be brief literature review based on gaps identified in the personal communication process. The concluding part of the essay would discuss about a strong action plan that would help me to improve my identified communication challenges.

The first diagnostic tool used was the “Big Five Personality Traits”, which is considered as the analysis of the five individual personality parameters (Leutner et al., 2014). The five personality traits include the conscientious, open to experience, extraversion, neuroticism and others. I have scored low in openness in experience, which indicates the fact that I am comfortable in known surroundings only. My score in openness in experience is 48%, which implies that I am impulsive, disorganized and often addicted to different forms of addiction. My score of 45% in extraversion implies that I am an introvert person and I am usually quiet, reserved and deliberate when it comes to communicating with others. My score of 68% in the parameter neuroticism, indicates that I am highly susceptible to negative emotions of fear, sadness guilt and others. The results are shown below (Details given in Appendix 1).

Table: Big Five Personality Test Results

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The second diagnostic tool used was the “Willingness to Listen Test”, which tests the ability of listening well to the opinions and viewpoints of others in a professional setting (Derwing & Munro, 2014). I have scored a low score of 5, which indicates that I have poor listening skills (Details given in Appendix 2). I do not have the capability of practice active listening and hence it creates communication barriers. The third tool used for the purpose of the assignment is the “Personal Report of Communication Apprehension”, which is a measure of fear or anxiety faced by an individual when interacting with other persons in a professional environment (Neuliep, 2017). The communication apprehension is concerned with the fear of anticipated or real interaction with other groups of people (especially with people of other ethnic, religious or racial groups). I have scored 70 in this test (Details given in Appendix 3), which implies that I have moderate level of communication apprehension. I am not scared to meet and talk with people, neither I am too open to talk to them.

Willingness to Listen Test

The fourth diagnostic tool is the “Assertiveness Questionnaires”, which tests the behaviours of individuals and the assertive component in the behavior of the people (Warland, McKellar & Diaz, 2014). In this test, my score was 56, which implies the fact that I am unable to bring important concerns to public notice (Details given in Appendix 4). At times, I do feel self-assured and hence I do not have issues if someone else knows that I disagree with them. The fifth diagnostic tool used for the purpose of this assignment is “Johari Window”, which is one of the unique communication tools for understanding the self-awareness of the individuals and the level of disclosure to other individuals (Saxena, 2015). There are four quadrants which are the open area, blind area, hidden area and the unknown area. I have a small open area (façade) and a large unknown area (Details given on Appendix 5). This implies that I have many characteristics which are not known to me as well as they are not known to other also.

The above analysis helped me to identify two major communication challenges that I have identified. I am introvert, which has been reflected by the test results of Big 5 personality tests. I am unable to share my feelings with the outside world and hence I am unable to receive adequate attention from others. I am unable to communicate my feelings well with the people and hence I am often misunderstood or left out. I am also having poor listening skills, which is detrimental for my professional life. I am unable to concentrate on a speech for a long time and hence lose track of the same. I engage in passive listening skills, which often makes me land in trouble, especially in tough corporate scenarios.

I realized that I actually possess the identified communication challenges as I have two incidents in practical life. During my induction period, I was unable to mix with anyone and this introvert attitude prevented me from making good professional contacts. I was not being able to be a part of the group and hence I felt that I somewhere lacked the confidence of being a part of the team and the organization at large. My introvert attitude has prevented me from getting accepted in my friends circle as well as my professional field. I have felt that there are times in my professional endeavor when my reserved attitude has given me adequate losses.

Personal Report of Communication Apprehension

When I was sent to an on-site task, I had one meeting in the client office. I was engaging in a one-to one discussion with my client, when I started distracting myself and slowly my thoughts engulfed my mind. I found it difficult to keep track of the conversation and this was well understood by my client. I was embarrassed by my behavior and I asked some stupid questions, the answers of which was already shared by the client. I repented my actions and this incident gave me negative impression. After this incident, I was determined that I need to overcome my communication challenges so that it might not endanger my future professional meetings.

As opined by Zelenski, Sobocko and Whelan (2014), the “introversion” is concerned with the chronic under stimulation of the individuals in which there is reduced social activity and there is lack of social circle. The introvert individuals are characterized by their timid, reserved and quiet approach in which there is lesser interaction with other members of the society. One of the most important features of the introvert individuals is that they have increased instances of solitude (Zelenski, Sobocko & Whelan 2014). They tend to spend more time on activities in which there is least interaction with the other people. They are often apprehensive about interacting with other people and they wish to seek their own company. These types of individuals have less interaction with the outside society and they tend to create their own small world. However, McIntyre, Wiener and Saliba (2015) argued that the introverts are happier in certain culture which does not display individualistic characteristics. This is because of the fact in such cultures; the society does not expect them to act in a manner, which is displayed by the extraverts (Malik & Zamir, 2014). This makes the individuals who are introverts to behave in a particular manner, in which they feel most comfortable.

Malik and Zamir (2014) stated that the Jung’s theory of Introvert/Extrovert personalities deals with the different personalities and the pattern of thoughts of the people which make them unique. The theory specifies the fact the random behavior of the individuals is concerned with the differences between individuals which can be attributed to their mental capabilities. The theory is successful in the identification of the feelings and the thoughts of the individuals (Malik & Zamir, 2014). Jung has defined introverts as the persons who feel more comfortable by living alone and being secluded by the rest of the organizations (Malik & Zamir, 2014). This kind of individuals is immersed in their own specific world and they often lose the touch of the contact with the outside world (Malik & Zamir, 2014). On the other hand, the extroverts are considered as the persons who are actively engaged in communication with the outside world and they are aware of the things that are happening around them (Malik & Zamir, 2014). Jung also observed that every individual possess a unique combination of the qualities of the introverts as well as extroverts.

Assertiveness Questionnaires

As commented by Ambrozová et al. (2016), the quality of introversion is good in some aspects but it looked down as a negative thing in the organizational context. This is because of the fact that the introverts are often misunderstood by other people of the society (Davidson, Gillies & Pelletier, 2015). They are often considered as antisocial, unfriendly and people who have great deal of attitudes (Sus?ow et al., 2015). They are often perceived as least interested in certain aspects, which is detrimental for their professional performance. In a professional environment, if there are individuals who display more characteristics of introverts, then he or she is being considered as the aloof or having less capability (Sus?ow et al., 2015). In such instances, the extroverts are being given more credibility and they are being assumed as the more powerful performer.

Bodie et al. (2015) has viewed “active listening” as one of the most important component for the building of strong relationships and success in professional lives. The managers should be equipped with updated information, which would help them to engage in judicious decision making (Day & Burbach, 2015). This would not be possible without practicing the art of active listening. The art of listening as well as responding to the opinions of another person so that there is an improvement in the mutual understanding is known as active listening (Weger et al., 2014). This is one of the most attentive listening in which there is focus and concentration and there is not merely hearing of the original message. The process of active listening is concerned with a deliberate effort of combining effort, empathy, attention and others (Bodie et al., 2015). Individuals need to practice the art of active listening rather than engaging in the process of passive listening. The art of becoming an effective listener requires patience and perseverance, which needs to be incorporated over time (Katzenbach & Smith, 2015). This would automatically increase the team cohesion and there would be an increase in the organizational productivity (Katzenbach & Smith, 2015). This is because of the fact that the if the employees are listening to each other in a more active manner, then there would be the transmission of accurate information, which would make increase the team efficiency (Conrad, 2014). There is no doubt that active listening is directly proportional to the fulfillment of the organizational goals.

As argued by Purdy and Manning (2015), active listening can be attributed to the various factors and it is extremely important when there are multicultural interactions. The active listening enhances the cultural interactions and it is often shaped by the different cultural practices as well as cultural values. There are varied cultures of the world and hence the people of one culture may actively participate in listening and acknowledging the preferences of other cultures. This focus is being framed by the theoretical as well as philosophical aspect and the intercultural background (Purdy & Manning, 2015). There are various kinds of miscommunications and misunderstandings that take place in the multicultural work cultures of the multicultural companies, which can be effectively solved with the help of active listening process (Liu, Volcic & Gallois, 2014). There are often issues with the transparency levels in the organization and this constitutes several grievances of the employees, which can be solved well by the active listening process.

Johari Window

As opined by Olsen (2014), the listening process can be used successfully to reduce the instances of workplace bullying. The victims would be sharing their stories with the concerned authorities and the HR department should engage in active listening process, so that the real issue can be handled well. The active listening process would also ensure that the employees are being heard and this would automatically decrease the attrition level of the employees.

I have learnt that it is important to overcome my communication challenges so that I can have professional excellence. I want to gain success in life and I have understood the fact that if I possess communication shortcomings, I am not going to achieve professional success. I have learnt that I need to follow an action plan, which would help me to overcome the communication challenges, within a period of time.

I should take an active part in incorporating some qualities of an extrovert person. This can be done by the following action steps-

• Speak loudly when I am in a group so that I am being heard
• Expand my social circle, so that I can get rid of the fear of communicating with others
• Join public speaking club or poetry sessions, in which I would be able to share my ideas with the audience
• Cut short the time that is being spent alone
• Spent more time with friends, families and close persons and maintain transparent channels of communication with them

I should also try to improve my listening skills so that it is possible to enhance the possibilities of active listening. The following steps should be taken in this regard-

• Maintain eye contact with the audience and the person with whom I am communicating
• Facing the speaker would help me to concentrate on his talks well
• Maintaining proper body postures also helps the brain to be more receptive
• Avoid interrupting others middle way and let them complete their lines
• Join social club for having more interactions with the people
• Engage in debate competitions

Fig: Gant Chart of action plan

Source: Created by author

References

Ambrozová, E., Kole?ák, J., Ullrich, D., & Pokorný, V. (2016). Effectiveness of competent decision making of professional managers in the context of the modern corporate environment and its requirements for the quality of their skills. In of the 9th International Conference (p. 6).

Bodie, G. D., Vickery, A. J., Cannava, K., & Jones, S. M. (2015). The role of “active listening” in informal helping conversations: Impact on perceptions of listener helpfulness, sensitivity, and supportiveness and discloser emotional improvement. Western Journal of Communication, 79(2), 151-173.

Conrad, D. (2014). Workplace communication problems: Inquiries by employees and applicable solutions. Journal of business studies quarterly, 5(4), 105.

Davidson, B., Gillies, R. A., & Pelletier, A. L. (2015). Introversion and medical student education: Challenges for both students and educators. Teaching and learning in medicine, 27(1), 99-104.

Day, F. C., & Burbach, M. E. (2015). Does organization sector matter in leading teleworker teams? A comparative case study. International Journal of Business Research and Development, 3(4).

Derwing, T. M., & Munro, M. J. (2014). 10 Training Native Speakers to Listen to L2 Speech. Social dynamics in second language accent, 10, 219.

Katzenbach, J. R., & Smith, D. K. (2015). The wisdom of teams: Creating the high-performance organization. Harvard Business Review Press.

Leutner, F., Ahmetoglu, G., Akhtar, R., & Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2014). The relationship between the entrepreneurial personality and the Big Five personality traits. Personality and individual differences, 63, 58-63.

Liu, S., Volcic, Z., & Gallois, C. (2014). Introducing intercultural communication: Global cultures and contexts. Sage.

Malik, M. A., & Zamir, S. (2014). The relationship between Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and emotional intelligence among university students. Journal of Education and Practice, 5(10), 35-42.

McIntyre, E., Wiener, K. K., & Saliba, A. J. (2015). Compulsive Internet use and relations between social connectedness, and introversion. Computers in Human Behavior, 48, 569-574.

Neuliep, J.W., 2017. Intercultural communication: A contextual approach. Sage Publications.

Olsen, H. (2014). Beyond Definition: Moving towards effective interventions that stop workplace bullying. New Zealand Journal of Human Resources Management, 14(2).

Purdy, M. W., & Manning, L. M. (2015). Listening in the multicultural workplace: A dialogue of theory and practice. International Journal of Listening, 29(1), 1-11.

Rosenberg, M., & Chopra, D. (2015). Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships. PuddleDancer Press.

Saxena, P. (2015). JOHARI WINDOW: An Effective Model for Improving Interpersonal Communication and Managerial Effectiveness. SIT Journal of Management, 5(2), 134-146.

Sus?ow, W., Kowalczyk, J., Boi?ska, M., Nowak, J., & Statkiewicz, M. (2015). Psychosocial correlates of software designers’ professional aptitude. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications (IJACSA), 6(8), 201-208.

Warland, J., McKellar, L., & Diaz, M. (2014). Assertiveness training for undergraduate midwifery students. Nurse education in practice, 14(6), 752-756.

Weger Jr, H., Castle Bell, G., Minei, E. M., & Robinson, M. C. (2014). The relative effectiveness of active listening in initial interactions. International Journal of Listening, 28(1), 13-31.

Zelenski, J. M., Sobocko, K., & Whelan, D. C. (2014). Introversion, solitude, and subjective well-being. The handbook of solitude: Psychological perspectives on social isolation, social withdrawal, and being alone, 184-201.