Chapter 6

Personal
Growth and
Development
Chapter Overview
 Personal development—receptiveness to change
 Making behavior modification work for you
 Understanding yourself
 Understanding others/Respecting differences
 Assessment of your strengths and areas for
improvement
 Developing your communication skills
 Leadership and Teamwork
 Mental and physical wellness
 Motivating Yourself
Personal Development
Receptiveness to Change

Personal Total Quality Management (TQM)

Strive to change, grow, and improve yourself
continuously in every area that impacts your
effectiveness

Student Development
Areas in which you need to grow, change, or
develop to achieve your goal of receiving
your B.S. degree in engineering
Value Judgments Applied
to Our Actions

Actions
Productive actions –
support the achievement
of our goals

Non-productive actions
– Interfere with or work
against the achievement of
our goals
Value Judgments Applied
to Our Thoughts

Thoughts
Positive thoughts - result in our choosing of
productive actions

Negative thoughts – result in our choosing of

non-productive actions
Value Judgments Applied
to Our Feelings

Feelings
Positive feelings – produce positive thoughts,
which in turn lead to productive actions
Negative feelings – produce negative
thoughts, which in turn lead to non-productive
actions
 Models for Change

Before Therapy
Negative Feeling Negative Thought Non-Productive Action

Does a poor
Very anxious “I’m a lousy
job when
prior to making public
making a
presentations speaker.”
presentation.
After Therapy
Positive Feeling Positive Thought Productive Action

Feel okay, even “Maybe I can do

Performs well
optimistic about a good job of
on subsequent
future speaking in
presentations
presentations public.”
Student Success Model
GOAL
(B.S. Degree)

Productive Non-Productive
Actions/Behaviors Change Actions/Behaviors

Positive Negative
Change Thoughts/Attitudes
Thoughts/Attitudes

Positive Negative
Change Feelings
Feelings
Making Behavior Modification Work
for You

Must successfully navigate three steps

Step 1. Knowledge – “You know what to do.”

Step 2. Commitment – “You want to do it.”

Step 3. Implementation – “You do it.”

Step 1. Knowledge
“You know what to do.”
 Devote significant time and energy to studying
 Master the material presented in each class period
 Study collaboratively with other students
 Review notes, read text, attempt problems prior to each
lecture
 Interact regularly with professors outside of classroom
 Immerse yourself in the academic environment of the
institution
 Participate actively in student organizations
…
 See Chapters 3, 4 and 5
Step 2. Commitment
“You want to do it.”

 Knowledge alone is no guarantee

– Smoking causes cancer, everybody knows it, but
why are some people still smoking?
 A commitment to do something is an attitude
 Become conscious of your attitudes
 Change negative attitudes that obstruct your
growth
Step 3. Implementation
“You do it.”

 Knowledge and commitment alone are no

guarantee
 You have to actually do it!
 This probably is the most difficult step  actual
change is hard, no matter how knowledgeable
or committed you are
Barriers to Choosing
Productive Actions

 Current behaviors satisfy some need or want

that you have
 Have difficulty choosing to do things you don’t
find easy or enjoyable
 Afraid to study because if you do and still fail, it
will reflect on your ability
 Prefer to blame your failure on people or
factors external to yourself
“The Common Denominator of
Success” – Albert E.N. Gray
 Successful [people] are influenced by the desire
for pleasing results. [They] have a purpose
strong enough to make them form the habit of
doing things they don’t like to do in order to
accomplish the purpose they want to accomplish.
 Failures are influenced by the desire for pleasing
methods and are inclined to be satisfied with
such results as can be obtained by doing things
they like to do.
Understanding Yourself

 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

 Satisfying Your Need for Self-Esteem

 Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
“Needs” vs. “Wants”

Needs are things that you must have, things that

are essential.

Wants are things that you desire.

Don’t let unnecessary wants

distract you from academic success.
Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is:
Appreciating my own worth and importance
and having the character to be accountable
for myself and to act responsibly toward others

Self-esteem is made up of two components:

 Self-efficacy – your sense of competence
 Self-respect – your sense of personal worth
Self-Esteem

 Itis important to have both self-efficacy and

self-respect.
– If you feel competent but not worthy, you may
accomplish a great deal, but you will lack the
capacity to enjoy it.
 Your college years provide a unique
opportunity for you to enhance your self-
esteem by building both your self-efficacy and
your self-respect.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

 E-Extrovert or I-Introvert
 S-Sensing or N-Intuiting
 T-Thinking or F-Feeling
 J-Judging or P-Perceiving

Most frequent types among engineering

students:
ISTJ followed by ESTJ, INTJ, INTP, and ENTJ
Benefits of Knowing Your
Personality Type and Learning Styles

 Guide you in creating your own learning

experience to meet your needs
 Guide you in selecting the engineering job
functions you are most suited for
 Assist you in appreciating your own
uniqueness
 Assist you in appreciating the uniqueness of
others
Understanding Others/Respecting
Differences
 Differences in personality types and learning styles
 Ethnic and gender differences

A stereotype is a fixed conception of a person or a group

that allows for no individuality

 Stereotyping is unnecessary and unfair

 Improving your effectiveness in cross-cultural
communication
Explicit and Implicit Bias
 A bias is a prejudice you hold against another person
 Explicit biases are prejudices you consciously hold, you
are aware of them
 Implicit biases are prejudices you unconsciously hold,
you are not aware of them
 Everybody holds unconscious biases as a result of our
upbringing, social environment, cultural exposure and
beliefs
 The good news is that implicit biases can be changed
– Become aware of your implicit biases, see resources in the
textbook
Silver Rule

What you would not want others to do unto you,

do not do unto them.

If we practiced this simple principle, we certainly

wouldn’t put others down, stereotype others,
resent others, or make others the butts of our
jokes, since we would not like to have these
things done to us.
Assessment of Your Strengths and
Areas for Improvement

 Assessment based on attributes model

 Assessment based on employment model
 Assessment based on Astin’s Student
Involvement Model

Rate yourself on a scale of 0 to 10

on each item listed
Personal Development
Plans

 Identify areas for improvement

 Prioritize them in order of importance
 Choose several items to work on
 Create a personal development (action) plan
Developing Your
Communication Skills

 Importance of communication skills in

engineering
 Employers want more
 Developing a positive attitude
 Developing a plan to improve your
communication skills
Writing Demands of an Engineer
 Letters, memoranda, and e-mail correspondence
 Design specifications
 Requests for proposals (RFPs)
 Proposals submitted in response to RFPs
 Contracts, patents, and other government documents
 Written progress reports
 Technical reports
 Publications in professional engineering journals
 Written performance evaluations of subordinates
…
Oral Communication Demands of
an Engineer
 Oral progress reports
 Formal presentations
 Project and committee meetings
 Team collaborations
 Short courses and training
seminars
 Guest lectures at engineering
schools or professional society
conferences
 Oral evaluations of subordinates
Employers Want More

National survey of over 1,000 engineering employers

revealed that industry’s #1 concern was:
To give engineering students more
instruction in written and oral
communication.
Most important attribute of an early-career engineering
professional:
To communicate effectively in a variety of
different ways, methods, and media.
Develop a Plan to Improve Your
Communication Skills

 Take courses in oral and written

communications
 Look for opportunities to write (keep a journal,
write a poem or short story, send e-mails)
 Read – anything and everything (newspaper,
magazines, technical journals, novels)
 Look for opportunities to speak (student
organizations, high school class, regular class)
Leadership and Teamwork
 Definition – Team is two or more people who
interact regularly and coordinate their work to
accomplish a mutual objective
 Nothing of significance is ever achieved by an
individual acting alone
Ability to function effectively on a team whose
member together provide leadership, create a
collaborative and inclusive environment,
establish goals, plan tasks, and meet
objectives.
Example of
Teamwork
Principles of Teamwork

Purpose Trust/Reliance
Synergy Discipline
Cooperation Focus
Roles Values
Difficulty Leadership
Motivation Morale
Weakest Link Planning and resources
Attitude Decision-making
Attributes of an Effective Team
Leader
 Willingness to lead and take charge
 Ability to keep the team focused on its purpose
 Ability to set goals, priorities, and standards of
performance
 Proficiency at being a team builder
 Ability to plan appropriately/accordingly
 Able to run productive meetings
 Ability to communicate effectively
 Ability to promote harmony and inspire trust
 Ability to foster high levels of performance by team
members
Leadership Styles

 Autocratic– Leader makes decisions

independently with little input from team
members.
 Democratic – Leader offers guidance but also
encourages strong participation from team
members.
 Laissez-Faire – Leaders offer little guidance
and leave decision-making up to team
members.
How Not to Lead
Characteristics of an Effective
Team Member
 Supports and helps the team leader succeed
 Understands and supports the team mission,
purpose, and goal
 Subordinates self-interest on behalf of the team’s
purpose
 Welcomes being a member of the team and works to
get to know and build trust with other team members
 Communicates openly and honestly
Characteristics of an Effective
Team Member, cont.
 Respects differences and diversity in team members
 Works to elicit the ideas of others; listens to
understand others’ points of view
 Views conflict as useful and necessary; works toward
consensus
 Is reliable; follows through on tasks; meets deadlines
 Is willing to work hard, often “beyond the call of duty,”
for the success of the team
Stages of Team Development

Stage 1 – Forming
Stage 2 – Storming
Stage 3 – Norming
Stage 4 – Performing
Stage 5 - Adjourning
Mental and Physical Wellness

 Tips for good health

 Balancing work and play
 Managing stress
Tips for Good Health

 Eat nutritionally
 Engage in regular aerobic exercise
 Get adequate sleep
 Avoid drugs
Balancing
Work and Play

Strike a balance between immediate and future

gratification
 Too much immediate gratification – Don’t get
work done; feel guilty
 Too much delayed gratification – feelings of
deprivation and resentment can sabotage your
commitment
Find a proper balance between work and
play that works for you!
Rethinking Stress
“The Upside of Stress” by McGonigal

If you believe stress is bad for you, it will be.

Rethink stress – view is as a good thing:
 Heart pounding  Strength and energy provided by
your heart for the task ahead
 Breathing heavier  More oxygen for your body
(and brain)
 People with stress in their lives tend to have more
meaning in their lives
 Embracing stress and anxiety can help your
performance
Managing Stress

 Eustress – Positive form of stress. Can

motivate individuals to attain high levels of
performance
 Distress – Negative form of stress. Can
distract you from being the best that you can
be.
Learn strategies for coping
with and managing stress
Motivating Yourself

 “No deposit, No return”

 Jesse Jackson’s “Excel”
Message
– Do your personal best!
 Inspirationaland
Motivational Quotes
 Power of Positive Thinking
Group Discussion Exercise
Positive Aspects of College

In your group, brainstorm a list of the positive

aspects of being a college student. Then discuss
each item.

Select a leader to keep the discussion on topic and a

recorder to write down and report out on what was
learned
Alternate Group Discussion
Importance of Attitude
"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to
me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than
education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes,
than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than
appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a
home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude
we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot
change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the
inevitable. The only thing we can do is play the one string we have, our
attitude.
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to
it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our Attitudes."
Select a leader to keep the discussion on topic and a recorder
to write down and report out on what was learned