Running head: Assessing 1

Multiple Reflections of One Thing

Erik Lamb

Arizona State University

Unit 1 Self-Assessments
Assessing 2

Multiple Reflections of One Thing

After taking the Kuder Career Interests Assessment, I scored highest on Social, Enterprising, and

Artistic (SEA). These Social and Enterprising aspects scored far above the other sections, with

Artistic, Investigative, and Realistic scoring close to one another. There was no surprise that

Conventional was my lowest scoring attribute as I tend to want to think creatively rather than

using tried and true solutions to problems. The only real “aha moment” came when I realized I

had scored high on the realistic indicator. In my current employment, I tend to view myself as

more of a career than a job because I fall squarely into Pixley’s Emotional investment factor

(Harrington & Hall, 2007), which sometimes causes me to think about creating a solution rather

than what is possible or what has previously fixed the situation.

I have an intrinsic motivation that creates personal investment in my work which causes others to

also identify me with my work (Harrington & Hall, 2007). I believe that most people will look at

this assessment, see my strengths, and focus on those aspects to create a conducive work

environment. However, I view it slightly differently by seeing where there is room for

improvement, alteration, and perspective. By knowing the indicators that are not the strongest, I

will be able to formulate alternate plans to incorporate more of those aspects to raise my

efficiency in all six areas noted by the indicator. As work is a more structured environment than

my day-to-day life, it will be easier to attempt to implement such change and then be able to

monitor the incurred results of said change. These alterations are not permanent; instead, they

allow growth and create a potential work environment conducive to higher productivity and

employee satisfaction.

The results that I received after taking the Kuder Skills Confidence Assessment differed slightly

from the assessment that I had taken previously. In this assessment, Social, Conventional, and
Assessing 3

Artistic interests played vital roles. What struck me as odd and thus created the “aha moment”

was that none of the indicators registered in the upper third percentile contradicted the previous

assessment. Furthermore, most of the indicators were equivalent to each other, indicating an

equal amount of influence over me. Drucker suggests that it may take two to three years to fully

develop and understand the importance of analytical feedback about a person’s skills (Harrington

& Hall, 2007). These three primary aspects indicate action within the core competency section of

my Pro-Seminar I. The empathy, team dynamic, and collaboration sections show the social

aspects. The conventional area of my personality best represents within the project management

section, where I utilize fundamentals taught by those before me. The artistry representatives

perform best within the decision-making/problem-solving and delegation areas, as both require

certain artistry to create an environment where events can occur most efficiently. Where I can

make improvements within the E-Portfolio can be made by strengthening multiple aspects within

each core competency. Although one could extrapolate each of these interests and sections

within each core competency, one part dominates each competency rather than being an

amalgamation of multiple different personality aspects.

When comparing lead two Kuder Assessments, there is a common thread of Social and Artistic

interests. Still, when it comes to career interests, I tend to lean more towards an Enterprising

nature, whereas when I utilize my skill set, I tend to be in a more conventional heart. Upon

reflection, this inconsistency is the difference between how I view interactions that should occur

in the future and my experience in the business world. Harrington and Hall indicate that

reviewing a person’s past can help to identify their likes, dislikes, experience, and background

(2007). As I was learning to conduct myself within the general business aspect and leadership, I

learned in a very traditional top-down hierarchy manner. As business changes and the hierarchal
Assessing 4

structure flattens, it has created opportunities to engage in more enterprising endeavors, creating

more social influence than authoritative ones.

Taking the Motivation and Career Anchors assessment yielded that Managerial Competency

(67/80) and Sense of Service/Dedication to a Cause (49/80) were my two most substantial ties

when choosing a career path and what motivated me. There was no surprise that Managerial

Competency would be my primary career anchor as I am incredibly open about my motivation to

climb the corporate ladder and grow in any leadership opportunity I can. My secondary anchor

was harder to decipher but landed where it did because of the department of human resources I

aim to ascend. My perspective of the human resources department is that they are there to serve

both the company and the employees to create a more symbiotic relationship between them and

dedicated towards this purpose. Of all the scores that I got for this assessment, the only one that

surprised me was that Security, Stability, Organizational Identity (48/80) was not a higher score

as I often find myself identifying with whichever organization I work for because of the

emotional investment that I put into my work daily.

My lowest scoring anchor was Entrepreneurial Creativity (38/80) not surprising because it

emphasizes courage for taking risks and creating new businesses. It further indicates a sense of a

“sink or swim” mentality which is against my nature of needing to succeed. Though I mostly

cannot entirely agree with the ranking of each anchor based on the scores that I got, I see that this

assessment provides an excellent basic understanding of where a person’s motivation and career

ambitions tether. Harrington & Hall speak of these attachments regarding lifestyle relationships,

including hours and type of work and connection to one’s colleagues (2007). All these can play a

factor in which anchors are prominent. I also believe that, as with most anchors, they can be
Assessing 5

removed and re-plugged as people travel down the river of life. It is more of an indication of the

current anchors rather than a set of permanent ideals that all others revolve around.

For my additional three assessments, I started with the DISC personality model, one of the few

assessments I have taken previously. In my previous taking of this assessment as a first-year

student, my two top aspects were Dominance and Influence because I had different ideas about

how a leader should act in situations, primarily as a boss, to instruct others on how to do their

jobs. Over the last four years, work experience and collegiate study have changed how I view

leadership and, thus, my personality. Upon completing the DISC personality model, my main

aspects were Steadiness and Dominance. My identity, which is unique to me, is part of my self-

image (Harrington & Hall, 2007); thus, this is due to the patience and thoughtfulness I utilize in

each situation. Once a solution is thought out, I use persistence to enact my solutions, including

taking control of a problem.

The second of the assessments that I took was the ASU ME3: Major and Career Quiz. This

assessment provided me with three paths based on the questions I answered and a RIASEC score

indicating A high aptitude for Social, Enterprising, and Investigative arenas. The three

educational paths dovetailed into teaching and arbitrating, which closely coincide with my career

aspirations of being a corporate trainer and human resource member. The score I received helped

to strengthen that it is essential to have a social aspect in what I do and how my personality

works, but it also showed me that other elements vary depending on mood and other life events.

Although I am near graduating with my bachelor’s degree, this assessment will help me direct

further learning avenues for certificates, bachelor’s degrees, and potential master’s programs.

The 123-personality test was the third assessment I took to understand myself better. It is a far

more in-depth assessment tool than previously taken because it can elaborate on multiple aspects
Assessing 6

of my personality. It measured my openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion,

agreeableness, and natural reaction. With the level of indebtedness that this assistant goes into, I

will be able to identify where my strengths lie and where there is room for improvement. These

strengths include my tolerance for diversity, sense of responsibility, and assertiveness. My

willingness to experiment, intellectual curiosity, and orderliness are the areas where I have the

most significant opportunity to improve. As this assessment provides such a broad range of

aspects, I will be able to utilize this from both within a work environment and a life

improvement. By using the results as a guidepost, I will be able to direct my energy towards

improving, or at least the attempt to improve those areas that scored lower while still maintaining

the higher-level scores that add and make up my current personality.

The most valuable self-assessment tool for my leadership growth through my professional and

personal life has been life itself. It is through trial and error and interpreting the results that have

given me the best assessment of navigating and analyzing situations that have occurred in the

past and will happen in the future. The most potent self-assessment tool I have taken in recent

years is the 123-personality test because it can dive deep into various aspects of my personality

and help me interpret how I view the world and how others may view me. Gaining this insight

into how others view me as a person and leader allows me further my professional and personal

life by molding my behavior, personality, and reaction to a given situation. The best living

example of this is college itself. Over the last four years, I have put forth effort with each

assignment and received feedback, allowing me to self-assess these strengths and growth

opportunities. Very rarely will someone point out the exact flaws that occur, as a professor may

allude or give ample descriptions of situations that need improvement. Using these guideposts to
Assessing 7

self-reflect and self-assess, I can come back and present a more robust and conducive mindset

and deliverable.
Assessing 8

Reference

Harrington, B., & Hall, D. T. (2007). Career Management & Work-Life Integration. SAGE

Publications, Inc. (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781452278940