4-6 sentences!
After reviewing my results, I believe that my greatest strength is working with others. All four of my results are related to how I interact with those around me, and how that in turn influences my decisions and actions. Comparing these results along with my prior work experience, I thought that the underlying attributes of being cooperative and always seeking justice when it comes to my relationship management in a profressional setting is very accurate. I am very effective in a group setting, and enjoy listening to others to not only learn and grow personally, but to hear how I can help further their growth and development.
I work best in a group envrionment that is well structured and ordered. I like having clear expectations as it helps to keep me focused and clear on alignment with those around me. In turn, I strive to provide the same when working with others and I find that upfront open communication is beneficial for everyone. I do best when collaborating with others as talking through concepts, sharing insights, and debating possible solutions is the most impactful learning tool for myself.
Speaking up. I have known this about myself, and I think the Pairin results highlighted the "why" behind why I sometimes have difficulties speaking up. I am movitated by my loyalty to others and by doing the right thing, but in a way that is respectful and harmonious to the greater community. However, when I see an injustice or strongly believe that something is not right, I can at times be timid in speaking up. This has been an area for improvement that I worked on recently professionally in my last job, and I found that I was able to grow and become more comfortable in doing so by practicing with others before sharing my thoughts in a larger group setting. I truly believe in my ability to have impactful change in my community by challenging the status-quo, but to do so I need to continue to work on developing my confidence in speaking up.
I hope to maximize my strengths in my new career by becoming more confident in my ability to be an impactful team player. So much of the software development world is collaborative, and knowing that my unique strengths specifically in being cooperative and a team player can allow me to be a leader. When working with others, I can listen and readily respond to the group's and individual's needs, and making sure that everyone feels heard and has a part in the final outcome. Additionally, building off of where I want to improve most, I hope that by focusing on becoming more confident in speaking up, I can utilize my passion for justice to make sure that the software we are developing is unbiased, fair, and accessible for all.
5. How might knowing about your strengths and working preferences benefit you as a software developer?
I think that it is very helpful to know about my strengths and working preferences as a software developer because it will allow me to feel more confident in the decisions that I make for my own development. This awareness is impactful when reflecting on why a situation is maybe not as effective as it should be. By taking time to reflect and ask myself some questions, such as "am I not personally being efficient?" or "is the group having difficulties with a project?" and digging into the why I can then see if I am personally leaning on my strengths to help the situation. If not, how can I adjust to bring my unique strengths to the table to enable everyone to succeed? If I feel I'm not personally being efficient, how can I adjust my working environment to become closer to my ideal environment in which I know I will be most productive. Overall, having this awareness allows me to reflect on situations to see what, if any, adjustments are needed, and if so, what I can personally do to better the situation.
4-6 sentences!
1. What efforts do you make to manage your learning process? Are these efforts successful? What challenges have inhibited your ability to manage your learning process effectively?
The most effective tool I use to manage my learning process is blocking out my schedule. I have found this to be a successful tool for me, because it allows me an opportunity to prioritize my day and focus on the tasks that are most important. This also allows me to take tasks/to-dos out of my head and block off time to focus on them, which leaves me the space to focus on what I really need to in that moment. This is also very helpful for me because it allows for me to set clear expectations with others as to my availability. I have encountered challenges in the past where I realize I haven't blocked off enough time to complete a task, which can throw off a lot of other things. I have learned that I need to be flexible when setting my schedule and be okay with changes, because they will happen and it's okay to adjust when needed.
Additionally, I make an effort to stay mentally flexible and keep an open mind. This doesn't just apply to concepts, but more importantly to the mindset that I bring to the learning process. When I approach new concepts with an mindset that is open to growth, I have found that I do not get as easily frustrated when challenges inevitably come up. I know that I will likely get stuck, or get confused by something new that I am learning, but instead of allowing that challenge to defeat me, I take a moment to reframe the issue as an opportunity to work harder and learn something totally new. I remind myself that while I may be stuck right now, I won't be forever. In the past, I haven't allowed myself space to take a step back when I'm faced with a challenge, and I have learned that it leads to frustration. Instead, when I feel myself getting stressed or anxious about an issue, I let myself have a moment to recognize that it's just a new challenge and I have the ability to overcome it, but to do so I need to stay optimistic.
Sierra's speech reinforced why I have found blocking out my schedule to be so effective because it helps me have better management over my cognitive resources. With scheduling I am deciding what I want to spend time doing, and address the items that I cannot do at this time.
Coate's article was a great reminder that struggle is the norm, especially when learning. Every day I need to practice becoming more and more comfortable with sucking at something. The highs will come, but you have to deal with the inevitable lows and recognize that feeling, facing it head on and dealing with it instead of just letting it consume you.
3. What role does your emotional state of mind play in your learning? How do your successes and failures at learning affect your emotional state?
I know that my emotional state of mind plays a big role in my ability to learn. My failures can cause a lot of doubt and anxiety, but instead of letting negative self-talk take over, I remind myself that I can learn from this failure and grow from it. I have the power to decide how I want to react and in turn, how I want to grow.
I see my successes as a reminder that I can do anything I set my mind to and work hard at, and I try to reflect back on the struggles I went through to reach that success and acknowledge the hardwork and growth it took to get there.
Becoming aware of the impact my emotional state of mind has on my ability to learn has been one of my biggest areas of growth. This awareness has allowed me to practice my ability to shift my mindset from being fixed and negative, to growth oriented and positive.
During Module 0 I have had the opportunity to practice my learning process. Specifically in regards to scheduling my time and staying mentally flexible. I found scheduling was an effective way to managing my time and also ensure that I was completing all the tasks that I needed to in a timely manner. I was also challenged during Module 0 and definitely encountered moments where I either got stuck, couldn't get something to work, or maybe didn't understand the concept the first time. I didn't let myself get frustrated or stressed out by this, but instead reframed the situation in my head as a new challenge. I also learned how helpful it is to take breaks and sometimes you will figure out your issue while walking the dogs.
I think it will be very important to remind myself of this experience during Module 0 when moving forward with my career at Turing (and beyond). I know the journey will be challenging, but I also know that I can do it with discipline, hardwork, and a growth mindset.