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Student name: _________________________________ Date: _______________
MODULE 19
List and explain the occupational and leadership
requirements to maintain and improve employment on the job.
Objectives:
A. Identify value limitations and describe how they
affect performance on the job.
B. Define "natural strengths" and "personal characteristics" in relationship to employment success.
C. Explain how self-image is developed and its affect
on job performance.
D. Explain how physical and mental health affect
job success.
E. List the components of a positive attitude.
F. Describe management practices of effective leaders.
G.
Explain the skills and personal qualities needed
by workers in the workplace.
MODULE 19: INFORMATION SHEET
TO THE STUDENT: Read and
study this information sheet and then complete the student activities at the
end of this module.
What personal characteristics are needed to maintain and improve employment?
Successfully employed people have identified their personal limitations for their jobs. It is OK to have limitations, but it is necessary to be aware of them. Also, you need to know your personal strengths and weaknesses to be able to perform successfully on the job.
Recognizing your limitations
There are many types of limitations. A limitation is defined as an attitude, or value, or physical or mental factor that works against success on the job.
Sometimes
these factors can be controlled. An example of an attitude or value that may be
a limiting factor in job success might be found in a person who hates cold
weather, but who works as a lineman for a power company. Another example might
be a vegetarian who works in a meat market. Some people learn to accept or
modify these conflicts in attitudes or values; others change jobs.
Some
factors, such as physical and mental limitations, cannot be overcome, but
sometimes can be controlled. People with physical and mental handicaps have
been trained to adjust to and succeed at specific jobs. Job skills can be
developed in spite of limitations.
Too
often we make the mistake of avoiding our own true feelings about the things we
do. Even though we may be fully qualified for a job, we may have other
limitations that will mean that the job at hand will be poorly done. Employers
usually promote workers that have a positive attitude and job skills.
There
are many ways to examine your attitude and determine your weaknesses. You might
start by looking at your schoolwork. What subjects did you find difficult? What
is your attitude about difficult subjects or firm teachers? In these
situations, try to recall your feelings. As you think about them, ask yourself
how well you conducted yourself as a student during these difficult times and
how they changed your decision-making in the school setting.
Natural
Strengths
We have all seen people who can run farther or leap higher than anyone else around them. Their "natural strengths" are obvious to everyone. For the rest of us, our natural strengths might be more subtle, but they are there. You might be very slow to get angry, or very slow to get discouraged. Therefore, when other people are emotional, you may be relied on to think clearly.
Some
people develop these natural strengths to the extent that they are like a
signature. Jane is the class clown; Jeff is the class scholar. You might ask
yourself, "What is my 'signature'?" Or better yet, "What is the
strength that I see in myself that I would like others to see more
clearly?"
These
questions give you important knowledge about yourself. You will use this
knowledge to learn more about you. It will give you a mental picture that you
can use to improve your performance on your job.
Personal
Characteristics
Individuals need to set goals for employment success. To do this you need to be sure that your general occupation and specific job match your skills, aptitudes, personality, values and interest. All of these can be called your personal characteristics. Knowing your personal characteristics will provide greater opportunity for success.
Personal characteristics, natural abilities, and readiness to do certain things are defined as a person's aptitude. Aptitude tests determine what kinds of work a person has the ability to learn. Aptitudes or personal characteristics are more than talents. They include interests that can be developed.
Some
examples of personal characteristics are: neatness and organization,
creativity, being good with figuring or budgeting money, liking to take things
apart and put them together again, etc.
Self-Esteem
All
of your personal characteristics are related to your self-esteem. When you
understand that everyone has personal characteristics (some more obvious than
others), you can more clearly see yourself being successful at a particular
job.
Self-image
is the way you see yourself. It's made up of all the things people have said
about you, the way you've been treated, all the experiences you've had (bad and
good), and your own personal characteristics.
How
you look and feel about yourself influences how you act. As a teenager, your
self-image will change constantly. This is normal because as you grow, so does
your self-image. It's important to learn about your personal characteristics so
that you will make choices about work that will help you become satisfied and
successful. Nothing builds self-esteem like success.
What health and attitudes are needed to maintain
and improve employment?
As a worker and member of a work team, you need to know that your physical and mental health affects both you and others on the job. Also, a positive attitude helps workers get along well with each other and accomplish more on the job. Job success depends upon having both good health habits and a positive attitude.
Health
There
are many ways physical health affects your job performance. Simply being sick
will reduce the amount of quality work you do. Sometimes a sick worker can make
another worker sick, too. An example of this is having a bad cold and coughing
near a fellow worker, who in turn catches your cold.
Mental
health is as important as physical health. If you are depressed, it will affect
your job. It will also negatively affect how others relate to you.
Health
and physical fitness depend upon four basic rules:
1. Eat well-balanced,
nutritious meals.
2. Get enough
sleep and rest.
3. Follow a
regular exercise routine.
4. Don't contaminate
your body with addictive drugs or excessive alcohol.
Employers need alert, energetic workers so it is important that you follow these rules. Remember, you need play, as well as work, to stay refreshed.
Some
employers are trying to help workers stay healthy. They know how poor physical
and mental health affects job performance. Employers sometimes provide special
programs to keep their workers physically and mentally fit. They may include
exercise clubs and spas, sports tournaments, counseling services, stop-smoking
groups or educational seminars.
Attitude
Developing
a positive, winning attitude starts when you are quite young. Parents, teachers
and friends help by being interested in you, encouraging you, praising and
rewarding you, helping you learn from failures and asking you to do jobs at
which you'll succeed more often than fail.
Some
young people have a difficult time just because of fear and discouragement.
They may get in the habit of believing that they can't do anything well. But
others who learn to approach new experiences, new people, and new ideas with
curiosity, enthusiasm and confidence will do more and learn more.
Two
parts of a positive attitude include:
1. Seeing the
opportunities, rather than the difficulties about your job.
2. Looking
at the good side of things, rather than the unfairness of things.
It's
been found that workers who have a good attitude will get along well with their
co-workers, are happy people because they are well liked, will have greater job
success, and usually will earn higher salaries than those with a poor attitude.
There are certain behaviors that you will notice about people with a positive attitude. They smile easily; they are willing to change ideas and behavior when it is appropriate; they can see the other person's point of view; they rarely complain; they admit their mistakes; they are not critical of others; they want to help others; they look directly at people when talking with them; they respect and listen to others; they don't make up excuses; they're interested in many things.
It
may sound impossible. Naturally, no one is perfect! However, if you will try
working on one or two of those behaviors, you will notice a change from a
negative attitude to a more desirable outlook on life. You will also see that
people will start to like you better and you will like them better, too.
Attitude is a key to success, both at work and outside of work.
What leadership requirements are needed to
maintain and improve employment?
Some workers possess certain human relations qualities that make them leaders whether or not they have a "position" or "title" after their name. Working citizens need to identify leadership qualities and different styles to be successful and promotable employees. We need leaders in the world of work. These leaders set examples and provide direction to employees.
One
theory of leadership is that motivation must come from within workers who have
goals to achieve. This theory is based on the following assumptions:
1. Work is
a natural portion of one's life cycle.
2. People will
work to accomplish goals without threats or punishment.
3. Workers
feel self-fulfillment by achieving a goal and workers usually accept as well
as look for responsibility.
4. Effective
leaders practice good communication skills.
5. Workers
feel comfortable using their imagination and creativity to solve work-related
problems that they view as a challenge.
Many employees feel that some people are born to
be natural leaders. Others believe that some workers have greater natural
leadership ability than others. The truth is, leaders are not born. Leadership
abilities are learned, developed, practiced and refined with working
experience. Almost anyone can develop into an effective leader.
Managerial practices of effective leaders*
Planning
and Organizing: Determining
long-term objectives and strategies, allocating resources according to
priorities, determining how to use personnel and resources to accomplish a task
efficiently, and determining how to improve coordination, productivity, and the
effectiveness of the organizational unit.
Problem
Solving: Identifying work-related
problems, analyzing problems in a timely but systematic manner to identify
causes and find solutions, and acting decisively to implement solutions to
resolve important problems or crises.
Clarifying
Roles and Objectives: Assigning
tasks, providing direction in how to do the work, and communicating a clear
understanding of job responsibilities, task objectives, deadlines, and
performance expectations.
Informing: Disseminating relevant information about
decisions, plans, and activities to people that need it to do their work,
providing written materials and documents, and answering requests for technical
information.
Monitoring: Gathering information about work activities and
external conditions affecting the work, checking on the progress and quality of
the work, evaluating the performance of individuals and the organizational
unit, analyzing trends, and forecasting external events.
Motivating
and Inspiring: Using influence
techniques that appeal to emotion or logic to generate enthusiasm for the work,
commitment to task objectives, and compliance with requests for cooperation,
assistance, support, or resources; setting an example of appropriate behavior.
Consulting: Checking with people before making changes that affect them,
encouraging suggestions for improvement, inviting participation in
decision-making and incorporating the ideas and suggestions of others in
decisions.
Delegating: Allowing subordinates to have substantial
responsibility and discretion in carrying out work activities, handling
problems, and making important decisions.
Supporting: Acting friendly and considerate, being patient
and helpful, showing sympathy and support when someone is upset or anxious,
listening to complaints and problems, looking out for someone's interests.
Developing
and Mentoring: Providing coaching
and helpful career advice, and doing things to facilitate a person's skill
acquisition, professional development, and career advancement.
Managing
Conflict and Team Building:
Facilitating the constructive resolution of conflict, and encouraging
cooperation, teamwork, and identification with the work unit.
Networking: Socializing informally, developing contacts with
people who are a source of information and support, and maintaining contacts
through periodic interaction, including visits, telephone calls,
correspondence, and attendance at meetings and social events.
Recognizing: Providing praise and recognition for effective
performance, significant achievements, and special contributions; expressing
appreciation for someone's contributions and special efforts.
Rewarding: Providing or recommending tangible rewards such
as a pay increase or promotion for effective performance, significant
achievements, and demonstrated competence.
(* Definitions
of the Managerial Practices, Gary Yukl, from Leadership in
Organizations, 1994, Prentice Hall.)
Secretary's Commission on
Achieving Necessary Skills
(SCANS Report)*
The SCANS report identifies the
following basic skills and
personal qualities needed in the
workplace:
Resources: Allocating
time, money, materials, space and staff
Interpersonal
Working on teams, teaching others, serving
Skills customers, leading, negotiating and working well
with people from culturally diverse backgrounds
Information: Acquiring
and evaluating data, organizing and maintaining files, interpreting and
communicating, using computers to process information
Systems: Understanding
social organizational and technological systems, monitoring and correcting
performance and designing or improving systems
Technology: Selecting
equipment and tools, applying technology to specific tasks, and maintaining and
troubleshooting technologies
Basic
Skills: Reading, writing, arithmetic and mathematics, speaking and
listening
Thinking
Skills: Thinking creatively, making decisions, solving problems, seeing
things in the mind's eye, knowing how to learn and reason
Personal
Qualities: Individual responsibility, self-esteem, sociability,
self-management, and integrity
* (Secretary's Commission on Achieving Needed
Skills, U.S. Dept. of Labor, 1991)
MODULE 19: STUDENT ACTIVITIES
TO THE STUDENT:
After reading and studying the information sheet, complete the following
activities.
Activity 1: Answer the following questions:
1. Identify
one of your own value limitations and describe how it might affect your
performance on the job.
2. Describe
"natural strengths" and "personal characteristics" as they
relate to your employment success.
3. Identify
one personal characteristic needed for success in each of the jobs listed
below.
a. heavy equipment operator -
b. cosmetologist -
c. nurse assistant -
d. lawyer -
e. mail carrier -
f. sales person -
4. Identify
one of your strongest personal characteristics and describe how it relates to
your present job.
5. Explain
how your self-image was developed and how it affects you on the job.
6. Explain
why, in some situations, it is not a good practice to come to work when you are
physically ill.
7. State
three reasons why employers try to keep workers physically and mentally fit.
a.
b.
c.
8. List two
parts of a positive attitude.
a.
b.
9. List six
behavior characteristics that demonstrate a positive attitude.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
10. Describe a time in your own life when you did not keep a positive attitude. Tell how being positive might have changed the situation.
11. Choose four of the skills and qualities listed by the SCANS Report,
page 9. Describe how you must use each of these skills in your job today.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Activity 2: Complete this bonus activity.
Choose
one of the management practices of an effective leader on pages 6, 7 & 8
and describe, in a complete paragraph, someone you know who demonstrates that
quality.
MODULE 19: STANDARDS ADDRESSED IN
THIS MODULE
Pennsylvania’s Academic
Standards for Career Education and Work
13.3.11. Career
Retention (Keeping a Job)
A.
Analyze work
habits needed to advance within a career.
B. Evaluate conflict resolution skills:
·
Constructive
criticism
·
Group dynamics
·
Managing
·
Mediation
·
Negotiation
·
Problem solving
Pennsylvania’s Academic
Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening (RWSL)
1.1.11.
Learning to Read Independently
E.
Establish
a reading vocabulary by identifying and correctly using new words acquired
through the study of their relationships to other words. Use a dictionary
or related reference.
1.4.11. Types of Writing
C.
Write persuasive
pieces.
·
Include
a clearly stated position or opinion.
·
Include
convincing, elaborated and properly cited evidence.
·
Develop
reader interest.
·
Anticipate
and counter reader concerns and arguments.
·
Include
a variety of methods to advance the argument or position.
1.5.11. Quality of Writing
A.
Write with
a sharp, distinct focus.
·
Identify
topic, task and audience.
·
Establish
and maintain a single point of view.
B.
Write using
well-developed content appropriate for the topic.
·
Gather,
determine validity and reliability of, analyze and organize information.
·
Employ
the most effective format for purpose and audience.
·
Write
fully developed paragraphs that have details and information specific to the
topic and relevant to the focus.
F.
Edit writing using the conventions
of language.
·
Spell
all words correctly.
·
Use
capital letters correctly.
·
Punctuate
correctly (periods, exclamation points, question marks, commas, quotation
marks, apostrophes, colons, semicolons, parentheses, hyphens, brackets,
ellipses).
·
Use
nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions and
interjections properly.
·
Use
complete sentences (simple, compound, complex, declarative, interrogative,
exclamatory and imperative).
Secretary’s Commission on Achieving
Necessary Skills (SCANS)
PERSONAL QUALITIES
Self-Esteem: Believes in own self-worth and maintains a
positive view.
Self-Management: Assesses own knowledge, skills, and abilities
accurately; sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; self-starter.
COMPETENCIES
Information: Acquires and uses information orally and in
writing, as the need arises.
| ©
2003. The Professional Personnel Development Center , Penn State University. |
| To return to the Table of Contents click here. To print copies of the CAPS materials click here. |