Assignment 1: Self-Reflection Anuj Khadka

Student Name Anuj Khadka

Course Code: CRED 10106
Course Name: Business Success Strategies

Part 1 Instructions
To complete Part 1 of this assessment, make sure to refer to your “CliftonStrengths 34 Report,” which
can be found in your Gallup account after you complete the assessment online.
1. Go to [Link] and sign in with your username and password.
2. Click the menu found on the upper-left corner of the page, then select CliftonStrengths.
3. Select the Reports tab from the options that appear on top of the page.
4. Click Download Report under the CliftonStrengths 34 Report to view the content of the report.
5. You can also check out the rest of the reports generated for your own information including the
Strength Insight Guide, the Signature Theme Report, and the Theme Sequence Report.

Question 1.1
Let us take a deeper dive into your top 5 strengths from your CliftonStrengths 34 Results and reflect on
who you are as a person. To make the most of your talents, it is important for you to understand what
they are, and how to describe them to others. Choose 2 of your top 5 strengths and give an example
for each, including where you have exhibited that certain strength. Elaborate on that example by
explaining what you did, how you did it, and why.

Example: My top strength is that I am a learner. I see myself exhibiting this strength through the choices
I make. I finished my undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering, and I am now pursuing a Master of
Education degree. I have a passion for life-long learning, and I find joy and satisfaction in continuously
learning and acquiring new knowledge that allows me to excel at my career and what I do.

Positivity: One of the situations where I illustrated positivity was at work, when we were
encountering a difficult period with tight deadlines and unexpected setbacks. My workmate and I did
not yield to despondency but reminded ourselves about the reason behind all of it. Later, we tried to
foster positivity in the environment. Apart from this, several times I controlled the team huddle
where we exhausted the small victories, gave one another grievances for their contributions, and
brought laughter into the interactions just so that we lessened our mood for a while. I also provided
positive words and backed up the team members who were feeling frustrated. I emphasized their
abilities and the progress we had made so far. Through the concept of positive CS, I spent my time
building up an atmosphere that allowed low morale to be replaced by higher morale, team cohesion
to be strengthened, and a culture of resilience to take the place of life's challenges.

Adaptability: I am adaptable, and another example of this is when I switched to work in a new role,
which required me to quickly learn skills and methods that were unfamiliar to me. Instead of being
threatened by the change, I saw it as a chance to grow and develop. Whether it is being new to
senior high school or university, I have always come to each level with an open mind and a burning
desire to learn. Thus, I have been reaching out to more experienced people for advice, attending

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 appropriate training sessions, and making use of online resources to augment my knowledge.
Moreover, I did not stick to a single way to go about my tasks or projects, as I was always testing and
trying different strategies. I could also see how far I went each time and use feedback to stop and
start. On the contrary, my versatility helped me to overcome difficulties, to be a helpful team
member, and to be successful in my new job. Adaptability and the ability to cope with the tempo and
unpredictability of the contemporary workplace are the key traits demanded in this age, supporting
workers to survive in circumstances of volatility and uncertainty.

Question 1.2
In your CliftonStrengths 34 report, you will find that each of your top 10 strengths is broken down into
why you succeed at that particular strength and how you can take action to maximize your potential
with it. Out of your top 10 strengths, choose 2 that stood out the most to you, and summarize how
you intend to allow these strengths to shine in your day-to-day life.

Example: One of my top 10 strengths is that I am a relator. I intend to use this strength by making sure I
carve out time during my week to connect with my friends no matter how busy I get. I know now that my
closest relationships energize me, and with COVID-19, it has been difficult to see my friends in person.
Therefore, I will make sure to schedule online video calls with my friends to ensure that I am not missing
out on meaningful connections, and that I am making the most out of the tools I have at hand.

Learner: As a student who regards education as significant, then I can be a self-starter in seeking new
knowledge and skills in the field that I am passionate about. I will make a habit of it by setting aside
an hour from my schedule to grow in my field, either by borrowing books from libraries or taking
online courses, attending workshops, or immersing myself in practical experiences. I will overcome
the obstacles that will come to my way when I consider myself and grow deeper and deeper till I am
myself where I never ever imagined being, continuing my quest for knowledge by studying new
things. Besides, I will also have interaction with my peers so that I can know where these areas for
improvement are located and how to grow. Using this approach and promoting a lifelong learning
will help me to be intellectually curious, adaptable, and the one who is always stimulated, thus
enhancing my personal and professional performance.

Input: As a student who is able to differentiate and process information readily, I can take advantage
of my input superiority to help me develop a higher degree in decision-making, problem-solving, and
creativity. I'll be diligently gathering these mind-tricks from a variety of sources, ranging from books,
videos, and personal observation. I will develop systems or tools to structure and classify this
information in such a way that it will be easy to get to and analyze it in the future. Moreover, I will
volunteer my experience and opinions to the community, which I think can truly enrich togetherness
and spur team building. Secondly, the other point of interest for me is how I can use this immense
hoard of information to create innovative ideas, come up with new projects, or help others achieve
their purpose. I will be an invaluable resource, influencer, and catalyst of positive change in my
academic and personal life by utilizing my input strength.

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Question 1.3
Depending on how we exhibit our strengths, we may cause some unintended negative consequences. To
effectively work with our weaknesses and not allow them to hinder our success, it is important to
identify what our weaknesses are so that we can address them appropriately.

Under each of your top 10 strengths, you will find a section summarizing blind spots associated with
your strengths. That is, weaknesses associated with that particular strength, which may hinder you from
reaching your full potential. Choose 2 of your top 10 strengths and summarize your understanding of
their potential blind spots and your plan to mitigate them.

Example: One of my strengths is that I am analytical. A blind spot I should watch out for is that I may
come off as “hard to work with” if I ask too many questions and challenge ideas as they come up during
discussions. To mitigate this perception of me, I intend to be mindful of how and when I raise my
questions to other people. When I ask questions, I should do so carefully, communicating professionally,
choosing the right words, and backing up my claims with solid reasoning so that others understand my
intentions.

There is no doubt that being positive about life is one of the qualities that people need to achieve
success. This positivity has a great impact on life, and it brings optimism, resilience, and hope.
Nevertheless, one layer of learning is left out and this is where it also has flaws in looking down or
ignoring the dark side of events. Though a positive outlook is a good thing to have, it is important to
avoid unrealistic optimism or the downplaying of real concerns. That’s not to say I plan on
surrendering to the “field of dream” mentality. I want to develop realistic optimism by looking at
hard facts and looking for potential as well as risk. Considering the vital importance of feedback in a
balanced perspective, I'll always seek help from others and try to show goodwill at all times. By
adopting a more comprehensive outlook of positivity, I will be able to utilize its potency but at the
same time, I will be able to keep feet on the ground.

Consistency is the other strength which gives success a bigger role by cementing stability, reliability,
and progress. On the one hand, humanize this. Yet, it is also worth considering its capability to hide
predefined blind spots, hence leading to inflexibility or even isolation. Although routines can give a
person structure and a sense of efficiency, their exclusive adherence to this concept can be a barrier
to adaptability and creativity. To battle this problem, I will come up with a defense strategy
comprising of a balanced perspective towards reliability. I plan to establish interruptions in order to
optimize flexibility, working to vary daily plans with new experiences and challenges. Furthermore, I
will continuously re-evaluate and adjust my strategies to conform to changing objectives and
conditions. Through the approach of incorporating flexibility into structure, I can stay on a well-
defined path while having a glimpse of the opportunities that come along the way.

Part 2 Instructions
Now, let us shift away from the CliftonStrengths 34 Assessment and focus on our own personal
reflection. On Day 2, you will be going into details about the following topics related to effective study
habits, growth versus fixed mindset, and teamwork. This part of the assessment will allow you to reflect
on your past experiences in light of your course learning outcomes. I would encourage you to watch the
videos linked in the assessment description before completing this part of the assessment.

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Question 2.1
Each one of us has a preferred method to study for our courses. We may have habits that we acquired
from a young age, and we may be adjusting our approaches as we grow older and understand our
preferences better.

Describe what your current, or usual, study habits are. Are you a note-taker? Do you like studying in a
group setting or individually? Are you a visual, auditory, or a tactile learner?

Examine the effectiveness of your current study habits. Have your study habits been effective at
allowing you to successfully complete your courses and achieve the intended learning outcomes? Are
there distractions that usually cause you to procrastinate, that you would like to address? Think about
what you would do to improve your study habits.

Discuss what you will do differently in the future when you are studying for a course or preparing for an
exam. What did you learn from this reflection? How would you apply it in the future to ensure that you
do not make the same mistakes again, and that you have healthy studying habits in place to ensure your
success moving forward?
My habit of studying has changed from time to time, and I have come to understand a few steps that
work very well for me. Primarily, I am a solo learner; I prefer to study in a peaceful place without
many distractions to make my own concentration easier. I have realized that I learn better when I can
focus perfectly without the interference of others.

I'm also a note-taker. I just realized that writing down the main points or concepts enables me to
recall them better. Many a time, I make sketches or summaries of the course material to simply cut it
down and have it in an easily digestible form. These notes turn out to be valuable resources when
you are revising for exams or working on projects.

With regards to my learning style, I am more inclined to be a visual learner. I find that infographics,
diagrams, charts, and graphs make the comprehension of difficult concepts easier for me. On the
other hand, I also use auditory learning by listening to lectures or educational podcasts while doing
tasks like commuting or exercising.

Regarding the efficiency of my study strategies, they have been largely beneficial to me. I successfully
mastered my lessons and set my learning goals. Nevertheless, there are still some aspects that need
to be developed. The obstacle that I am confronting most of the time is procrastination, especially
when I am studying alone for hours. Other times I get irresistible distractions from social media or
internet surfing.

In order to deal with this, I will be implementing more structured study schedules in the future.
Dividing study sessions into separate chunks with rest in between will help to avert study
disorganization and burnout. Besides this, I intend to establish particular goals for each study session
so as to remain directed and inspired.

In addition, I wish to introduce more active learning methods into my study routine. Instead of
passively reading the material or listening to it, I will actively take part in things like practice quizzes,
problem solving, or teaching concepts to others. This does not only help to remember the materials

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 but also makes the studying process more involving and interesting.

To sum up, this reflection has taught me the value of self-awareness and adaptability in creating
efficient study habits. My knowledge of my learning preferences and identification of areas that need
improvement will allow me to critically evaluate my study process and make good decisions that will
ensure success in future courses and exams.

Question 2.2
This question will help you recognize the type of mindset you tend to exhibit in tough situations, and
how you may want to adjust that mindset by learning from past experiences.

Describe an experience you had in the past where you failed at something, or received feedback from a
teacher, mentor, or a parent that targeted your performance, skills, or abilities in a certain area.

Examine how that experience affected you and how you reacted to it. Did you react to this experience
positively? Did it bring you down and make you less confident in your abilities? Did you feel resentment
towards yourself as well as the person who was involved in that experience? If you look back at this
experience, is there anything you would have done differently? If so, what is it? Summarize your
learning from this experience.

Explain how you might apply what you learned from this experience in future situations. You might want
to explain how you would behave in a similar situation if it were to happen in the future, or you might
want to consider a different situation where it might be relevant to apply your learning from this
experience.

In the past, the most significant failure has appeared when it happened to get the evaluation from a
teacher on a research project I have been working on for so long. The feedback was not what I had
expected; it was not praise for my efforts but rather constructive criticism, which pointed out many
flaws in my arguments and writing style. First of all, this literally destroyed me. The result of a whole
lot of my efforts was that I felt like I had actually failed because of the heavy criticism.

At first, I was against the feedback. I broke down and questioned whether I could write and research.
Resentment crept in on me, and I could not please myself or the teacher for what seemed at first like
harsh criticism. Even so, I realized that this feedback was an excellent opportunity for me to better
myself. Instead of going about the business, I took this criticism as a chance to learn and get better. I
did this very carefully by giving feedback on your overall weaknesses and how they can be improved
to help you in future assignments.

In the end, I should have been more positive about the feedback at the beginning. Instead of treating
it as a personal affront, I should consider it a chance to enhance myself and be a better version of
myself. If I had seen it in a different light, maybe the person could have been seen as essential for
improvement.

In the future, I will apply the knowledge I have gained from this experience in other situations. I shall
go for a growth mindset, knowing that obstacles and criticism are the usual components of the

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 learning process. Instead of letting my beliefs down, I will use those failures as motivation to work
harder and always achieve self-improvement. In every difficult situation, I will always remember to be
open-minded and ready to learn from and grow from it.

Question 2.3
Let us reflect on your teamwork skills and ability to work in a team setting. Teamwork is a very
important skill when it comes to applying to jobs, and employers always look for candidates who know
how to effectively work well in a team.

For this question, think about a time when you worked in a team setting. It could be in an academic
setting where you worked with other students on a group project, or it could be a personal project you
worked on at home with your siblings and parents.

Describe your experience working with your team by elaborating on what you did, how you did it, and
the results you achieved from it.

Examine your experience working on your group project. What worked well and what did not? If you
were to go back in time and re-live this experience, would you do anything differently? What lessons did
you learn from this experience that you could apply in similar future situations?

Discuss how you plan on applying what you learned from your past experience in a different situation.
Now that you have knowledge from class, and your past experience of what works well in a group
setting, summarize how you would apply this knowledge in the future.

A long time ago, I was an undergraduate student with a few of my group mates for the business
marketing class project. It was a task where we had to develop a marketing plan for a local startup.

We assigned tasks according to what we were good at. There were people who could do the market
research well; others were good at being creative; and some people were just perfect at making
presentations. Even I didn't realize that I took charge and made sure everyone stayed focused.

We conducted a lot of research, made ads, planned how to market the product, and then presented
it all to our class and teacher. As a whole, we worked diligently and got a good mark.

Eventually, the result was positive because we allocated the task prudently and talked frequently.
However, we could have managed our time better and had the presentation ready earlier.

The second time it happened, I would be more conscious of the dynamics of group tasks and
communicating, which would help in solving conflicts among friends and achieving harmony.

Next time, I'll make sure that I plan ahead and liaise with my team to avoid last-minute problems.

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