GRAD 702 - Reflections on Module 5 Concepts

I enjoyed so many things about completing the PDP. I have looked at it over and over again and am really pleased with it. I liked it! My goal was to have it done by Friday so I could have it in to the SLC and meet with my coach to go over it in depth on Saturday. I stuck to the plan and boy did I have fun writing it and reviewing it. By putting all the assessments together in one clear matrix, I was able to really visualize my strengths and weaknesses. Reflecting on the past and planning for the future is always a great thing to do as well. Overall, I thought it was fun. My coach and I have been friends for a few years and of all the people I considered to be my coach, I thought she would be the best. She has been a professional and a manager with her company for more than 6 years now and I thought her experience would be advantageous to my program. I was never worried that the fact that we were friends first would get in the way. When I met with her on Saturday, I was proven right. We caught up on our personal lives as friends do and then I explained to her the assignment requirements (gave her the criteria and many of the handouts given to us in class) and showed her all of my assessments. We were together for a good 5 hours and I felt great about our coach/student relationship. She is enjoying this as much as I am. She is buying the books and taking some of the assessments for herself and really getting into the coaching aspect of things. The PDP has taught me so much about myself. By completing this assignment, I have learned that we never stop learning about ourselves and why we are who we are. I thought it was great and I can't wait for you, Maria to read it!

I wish I could say the most significant aspect of researching the external environmental segment actually had to do with the paper but it didn't. The most significant aspect was the storming part of teaming that came out of it. We had issues with communication, delegation, and personality conflicts. We actually met last night to have a conflict resolution meeting. Things were a little uncomfortable at first but once we starting "passing the stick" and opening up to one another, we started to really make progress. No one likes the storming phase of teaming but sometimes it is unavoidable. Actually avoiding it will cause more issues. We learned that in our team. I believe and I know Kyle and Tammy feel much better since our meeting. We have all expressed this and are anxious to press forward. I have always liked our team. We all individually have a lot to offer. Sometimes there are bumps in the road to performance but it's how you handle it. Because of our team dynamics, we were able to handle the issues with respect and professionalism. That has made and I am sure will continue to make all the difference.

I believe one of the most significant parts of completing the PDP will be how I work with others in the future. I have learned that you have to take a more wholistic point of view when completing tasks. Integrating others and fine-tuning this aspect of myself will help with the performance of myself and those I work with. I am eagerly looking forward to putting all the lessons learned in grad school to practice. I am already practicing with my team and have learned so much about myself and what makes a team so successful. Teaming will always be a work in progress but constant improvement and reflection will push each and every one of us to better and more effective leadership roles.

Wisdom can be defined in many ways. It can be achieved in many ways as well. I do not believe wisdom comes soley from education. It is defined in our life experiences, the relationships we have, and the way in which we apply or utilize our education equates to our personal wisdom.