Human Relations Reflection

1936 Words4 Pages

I have found this course, Human Relations in Administration, to be extremely relevant to my career. It has allowed me to reflect on both my strengths and weaknesses as it relates to leadership. Further it has allowed me to expand the purview of my personality and its impact on others. As a result of the many self-assessments taken throughout the course, I believe my personality displays characteristics that are highly representative of a leader in whom subordinates can trust. Further, my strengths far outweigh the weaker aspects of my personality because it is with an attitude of improvement, evolution and growth that I approach them. Moreover, I view these inevitable weaknesses, which as a human we are all encumbered with, as opportunities …show more content…

A sender may strive to deliver a message clearly. But the receiver’s ability to listen effectively is equally vital to successful communication (Bauer & Erdogan, 2016). Active listening takes discipline and practice. It can be difficult to put aside one’s thoughts in order to fully comprehend what another individual is saying. In particular, in today’s world of smart phones, emails, notifications, text messages and open concept work spaces we all struggle to put outside distractions aside in order to fully engage with each other. With that being said, active listening is, in my opinion, an essential skill to possess in order to be a successful leader. Employees who do not feel their manager listens to them will lack morale and filter information. A recent experience comes to mind regarding a supervisor that reports to me directly. She was finding that there was one particular individual on her team who was not being forthcoming with information. The supervisor was telling me she was asking the questions but not getting answers. I suggested that she listen for messages embedded between what was being stated overtly. For example, “Well, there’s definitely a lot work and boy, everyone keeps coming to be for answers. But, I’m catching up”. I would suggest my supervisor ask a follow-up question. Okay, so what are you not caught up on? This would lead to a more authentic answer. Taking note of these …show more content…

Action steps: Anticipate issues. Plan more long term. Refrain from procrastinating.
Potential obstacles: There is limited time in each day – hot issues and interruptions tend to reprioritize my schedule. I am not always involved in succession planning or business deals being made out in the field. Opening a can of worms.
Action steps: Look for patterns of issues and set aside specific times each week for creative thought about these issues. Actively participate in retrieving information myself from senior management by asking questions that affect my job rather than assuming the answers will come to me. Be consistent and have a backup plan for uncovering an issue that is greater than anticipated.
Goal 3: My third goal is to inspire others.
Action steps: Involve others in the decision making process. Always make others feel valued. Lead by example.
Potential obstacles: Earning respect for what I do and not just as a result of my title. Trying to find a balance between my own needs, the company’s needs and the needs of the staff. Motivating myself to stay the course when there are

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