While you have presented the results of your own and your assessors'
assessments, there is very little critical reflection of these based on past experiences
with specific examples that show how you may lack some aspect of a competence as
well as strong areas. This is what requires more work, further reflection on the
results - you could do this by reflecting based on your past experiences but also
seeking further feedback from your assessors. This means trying to understand why
the similarities and differences exist, reflecting on the scores and relating it to your
personal experiences to understand the reasons and to gain insight. It would have
been good to link this process of reflection and gaining insights to the Johari window
and think about how you may have opened your hidden and blind windows. How
can you expand your open window by considering what the feedback tells you about
yourself? It would be good to show to the reader what the differences in assessments
are through some kind of a visual representation like a table or a graph to help the
reader understand what you are discussing and to provide support for your analysis.
You have clearly stated your motivations for working on your two chosen
competencies and supported this with research which is great. The aspect that
requires a lot more work is your development plan. It is unclear how these align with
your discussion of the reasons for choosing the two competences. For example, you
talk about emotional intelligence as an important aspect of both self-awareness and
self-improvement but you need to articulate clearly how the activities that you have
decided on will help build emotional intelligence. Activities like reading and
evaluating your goals and values are very general – need to be more specific and also
link back to the competence. Plans can be made more specific by thinking about the
context in which you may practice, for example, you may choose to practice within
your team context and become more self-aware of your emotions and how you deal
with them in that context. This is important because you can then develop a personal
project that you can monitor your progress on. Some good research done that needs
to be referenced correctly to meet APA conventions. Overall good work!
1
Self-Assessment
Discussion of Assessment Results
I believe that the survey results received from my friends were moderately accurate. In terms
of similarities, both surveys by Abdullah and Ahmad considered change management as one of my
strongest competence areas (see appendix). Moreover, I also ranked myself highly in the change
management aspect. From a personal perspective, I believe change allows me to gain new skills in an
ever-evolving global climate. Accepting change enables me to explore new opportunities while
overcoming challenges. Effective change management also allows me to exercise my creativity
through the exploration of new ideas. I also encourage others to accept change by communicating
achievements and successes resulting from the change. To deal with change resistance, I engage
critical stakeholders and develop appropriate strategies to overcome resistance. As such, from
personal interactions my friends seem to have observed my efforts in supporting, articulating, and
initiating change. This outcome reflects in the scores given for creativity and communication.
On the other hand, differences in the surveys emerged in terms of personal opinions on my
weakest areas. One friend recognizes that I am weak in collaboration and teamwork, and politics, and
decision making while the other thinks self-improvement is my weakness. Nonetheless, they both
agree that managing power and politics is my weak point. They believe that I do not gather information
about how people perceive me nor act to dispel negative perceptions about me. Their suggestions on
areas that I need to improve on also differ from one another. However, some of the suggestions
overlap. As such, I agree with the recommendations that I need to improve on including selfawareness, self-improvement, conflict management, and motivation. These are the same areas I had
selected in my survey. The responses received from my friends seemed slightly different because the
2
two parties have known me for a varying number of years. This implies that they understand me in
different ways.
Focus and Motivation for Competence Development
I will seek to develop self-awareness and self-improvement competence areas this semester.
From the surveys conducted, these areas emerged as needing prioritization. The subsequent section
discusses the motivation behind each competence development.
Self-Awareness
In this case, I must improve on self-awareness to increase my social abilities, reflect on my
strengths or weaknesses, develop personal principles, and actively seek feedback. I understand that I
need to solicit feedback from people and recognize what they think about me as espoused by
Andersen, (2016). Moreover, Atuma and Agwu (2015) defines self-awareness as the ability to
recognize one’s emotions and their effects. I also believe that people thrive more in good relationships.
A such, having a higher level of self-awareness increases my chances of establishing strong social
bonds. According to Andersen (2016) self-awareness will give me a sense of my weaknesses and
strengths – an effective approach for improving my interaction with others.
Self-awareness will advance my knowledge of my natural response to change. This
consciousness will allow me to be more acceptable to feedback, opinions, and criticism from others
without being subjective. Self-awareness will also increase my productivity because I will be able to
understand myself and focus on challenges. I need to understand what is holding me back. Atuma and
Agwu (2015) also concur that self-awareness enables one to be more effective. Knowing myself better
will also eliminate internal fear to help me focus on important matters. Self-awareness also promotes
objectivity. I need to improve on my self-confidence to make decisions easily without the influence
of poor judgment.
3
Self-Improvement
Self-improvement refers to the process of understanding and developing oneself to reach full
potential. I believe self-improvement is critical for my personal growth, maturity, happiness, and
success. The concept also links directly to aspiration, which Andersen (2016) identifies as critical for
ambition and success development. Therefore, self-improvement arises as the foundation of my
physical and emotional wellbeing. The most significant contribution of self-improvement relates to
the fact that it will help increases my self-awareness. This observation links directly to the
instrumental self-regulatory function that leads to intended consequences identified by Higgins
(1996). Similarly, self-improvement will also enhance personal strengths. Here, self-improvement
will aid in the identification of personal strengths, which will allow me to work more on them to attain
success and move towards a happier and more productive life.
On the other hand, self-improvement will also enable me to overcome my weaknesses. It will
encourage me to step out of my comfort zone, improve my mental health, and make better decisions.
Good decisions result from clarity, self-awareness, and confidence is a direct result of selfimprovement. Self-improvement will also improve my emotional intelligence that aids in
understanding people better (Goleman, 2004) According to Goleman (2004) emotional intelligence
links directly to strong performance. The author also notes that emotional intelligence also improves
other aspects such as self-regulation, empathy, and motivation. Overall, improving my selfimprovement will promote my versatility and open-mindedness.
4
Steps Towards Developing Self-awareness
Meditation
One must invest patience and energy in developing self-awareness by engaging in a healing
practice. Being mindful will enable me to be more aware of my present inner and outer experiences.
One must practice healing to achieve self-awareness. Being present will enable me to get in touch
with what is going on within and around me. Meditation has over the years helped individuals combat
stress and anxiety. Mindful meditation will allow me to achieve peace and clarity in the present
moment of awareness. Even though there exist different forms of meditation, they all aim at
cultivating self-awareness and consciousness expansion. By meditating every morning, I will benefit
from it in physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual ways. According to Miller (2019), meditation
plays a significant role in self-awareness, self-improvement, and any other kind of growth.
Self-reflection
Self-reflection plays a vital part in building self-awareness. This process will require me to set
aside time every day to honestly assess myself in relation to my goals. For a successful self-reflection,
I will need a journal to write down my thoughts and dedication of 20 minutes daily in a quiet
environment.
Steps Towards Self-improvement
Reading
Reading will not only help me in increasing my knowledge base but also expose me to words
constantly to keep my brain growing. Reading increases comprehension, vocabulary, and cultural
awareness (Whitten, Labby, and Sullivan, 2016). Regular reading helps to slow down declining brain
functions that decline with age.
5
Alignment of Priorities with Goals and Values
To improve myself, I must not compromise on my priorities. I need to rank the things that are
the most important and meaningful in my life currently. I must evaluate my goals and values and make
sure my priorities align with them to achieve the set goals. Misaligned priorities lead to time wastage.
I will need to draft a plan that will enable me to set in motion my alignment plan.
6
References
Andersen, E. (2016). Managing Yourself to Learn. Harvard Business Review.
https://hbr.org/2016/03/learning-to-learn.
Atuma, O., & Agwu, E. Self-Awareness and Organizational Performance in The Nigerian Banking
Sector. European Journal of Research and Reflection in Management Sciences, 3(1), 1-10.
Goleman, D. (2004). What Makes a Leader? Harvard Business Review.
https://hbr.org/2004/01/what-makes-a-leader.
Higgins, E. T. (1996). The" self digest": self-knowledge serving self-regulatory functions. Journal
of personality and social psychology, 71(6), 1062.
Miller, W. (2019). Keep a Journal for Self-Improvement. Medium. https://medium.com/swlh/keepa-journal-for-self-improvement-8b4474c2708b.
Whitten, C., Labby, S., S. (2016). The impact of Pleasure Reading on Academic Success. The
Journal of Multidisciplinary Graduate Research 2(4), 48-64.
Below is a summary of your
responses
Download PDF
We thank you for your time spent taking this survey.
Your response has been recorded.
This questionnaire was developed for the University of Melbourne's "MANAGEMENT
COMPETENCIES" course.
It contains questions about general management competencies and professional development.
The questionnaire is not used for evaluation. Its purpose is purely developmental.
All responses will be treated confidentially.
NOTE: Please answer this questionnaire on a PC or Mac, so that you can save a PDF summary of
your responses when you have completed the questionnaire (you will see a link to save the PDF on
the very last page of the questionnaire).
Who are you?
What is your first name?
I am a student, and I am completing the questionnaire as a self-assessment.
I am a friend, colleague, or family member of a student, and I am assessing that student.
Eyad
Appendix: Assessment Questionnaires
What is your family name?
What is your student ID number?
Which master program are you enrolled in?
Please tell us which stream of the MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES course you are registered for.
Alright, Eyad. Let's get started.
This questionnaire will take you about 30 minutes to complete. Don't try to rush it. You want to
give yourself some time to reflect on the questions, Eyad.
We'll begin with your career aspirations. Even if you do not have a perfectly formed plan in mind,
tell us what you are currently considering for your professional future.
Jalal
964218
Master of Management Master of Management (Human Resources)
Master of Management (Accounting) Master of Management (Marketing)
Master of Management (Accounting and Finance) Master of International Business
Master of Management (Finance) Other:
master of Engineering
Wednesday 3:15-6:15pm
Thursday 9:00am-12:00pm
Thursday 1:00-4pm
Monday 6:15pm-9:15pm
Friday 10:00am:1:00pm
tell us what you are currently considering for your professional future.
In which country are you planning to work when you graduate?
(If you are considering multiple countries, you can list those.)
In what industry or profession are you planning to work when you graduate?
(You can select multiple options.)
In what function are you planning to work when you graduate?
(You can select multiple options.)
Thank you for sharing your career aspirations, Eyad. Let's talk about how you want to turn
them into reality.
Saudi Arabia
Banking & Financial Services Professional Services (Consulting, Auditing, etc.)
IT, Internet, Software, etc. Retail
Consumer Goods, Fashion, etc. Health Care, Pharmaceuticals, etc.
Manufacturing, Automotive, etc. Other:
lecturer at University
Marketing Human Resources
Accounting / Finance Other:
education ,and engineering consulting
Operations, IT
them into reality.
Which personal qualities and characteristics do you think are going to be most important for you
to achieve your career goals in the next 3 years?
Which hurdles or challenges may prevent you from achieving your career goals in the next 3 years?
The Australian Government has developed a framework for generalist competencies. It's called
"Core Skills for Work". The framework describes 10 competencies (listed below) that are relevant
for all work contexts.
Which of these 10 competencies do you see as most important for your career success in the next 3
years. Please rank order them accordingly. (1=most important; 10= least important)
While you are at the University of Melbourne, what are the best opportunities for you to develop
the competencies you need for your career? Please rank order them accordingly. (1=most
organization in term of prioritising work that should be done first. since I am willing to do a PhD, I need to
improve my reading and writing and searching skills.
delaying of doing the work .
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Manage career and work life (decisions throughout life about how, when and
where to work, which skills to develop)
Work with roles, rights and protocols (understand how to work in a way that
meets workplace expectations, and ethical and legal responsibilities)
Communicate for work (listen, understand and get your messages across)
Connect and work with others (collaborate with others in order to get work done)
Recognise and utilise diverse perspectives (respect and build on the different
perspectives and behaviours)
Plan and organise (organise yourself, your activities and your workloads)
Make decisions (choose between different options and reflect on the process and
outcomes of decisions)
Identify and solve problems (anticipate, and avoid/solve potential problems)
Create and innovate (identify and develop new ideas, recognise the value of ideas
developed by others)
Work in a digital world (use technology, observe accepted conventions and
safeguards online
important; 10=least important)
(Check here to get an overview of what opportunities are offered.)
Beyond what is listed above, are there any activities do you pursue that you feel help you develop
important competences for your career.
(optional)
How satisfied are you overall with the opportunities offered by the University for developing
career-relevant competencies?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Core Subjects
Elective Subjects
"Personal Effectiveness Program" Workshops
"Creating Future Leaders" Series
Melbourne Business Practicum / Global Business Practicum
Student Clubs and Societies
Case / Startup / Social Entrepreneurship Competitions
Career Mentoring Program
Student Ambassador Program
Global Voices Scholarship
Extremely satisfied
Moderately satisfied
Slightly satisfied
Here comes the main part: You will assess your own management competencies, as they are
right now! This is the status quo.
You will get 6 statements for each of the 11 competence areas we cover in the course. You will
respond to each statement by indicating how much you agree with it (from "strongly disagree" to
"strongly agree").
All the statements are normatively desirable. That means if you respond to these statements
with “strongly agree”, you are giving yourself the highest possible self-evaluation for the respective
competence area. If you respond to them with "strongly disagree" you are giving yourself the
lowest possible self-evaluation.
Please read the statements carefully, Eyad, and respond honestly. Your responses are not used to
evaluate you in any way. The goal is to help you identify your relative strengths and weaknesses,
and to use that knowledge as an opportunity for your professional development.
1) SELF-AWARENESS
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Slightly dissatisfied
Moderately dissatisfied
Extremely dissatisfied
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
2) SELF-IMPROVEMENT
3a) RELATIONSHIPS + EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
I regularly reflects on my strengths and
weaknesses to identify opportunities for
self-improvement.
In order to improve my self-awareness, I
am willing to share my experiences, beliefs,
and feelings with others.
I am very aware of my preferred style for
gathering information and making
decisions.
I have a good sense of how well I cope with
situations that are ambiguous and
uncertain.
I have a well-developed set of personal
standards and principles that guide my
decisions and behavior.
I actively and regularly seek feedback from
the people I work with.
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
I am committed to learning and
systematically building my managerial
competences.
I use effective time-management methods
such as keeping track of my time, making
to—do lists and setting task priorities.
I frequently confirm my priorities so that
less important things do not drive out
more important things.
I maintain a program of regular exercise for
fitness.
I maintain an open, trusting relationship
with someone with whom I can share my
frustrations.
I know and practise relaxation techniques
that allow me to effectively manage my
stress level.
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
3b) NETWORKING
4) POWER + POLITICS
disagree Disagree disagree agree Agree agree
I easily recognize my emotions
(happiness, sadness, anger, anxiety, etc.)
as I experience them.
I am able to stand apart from my feelings
and analyze what caused them and what
effect they have on me.
I never lose my temper when I feel
frustrated or angry.
I find it easy to read other people's
emotions.
I generally try to see things from the other
person's point of view.
I know when to speak and when to listen.
I show personal concern for the people I
work with.
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
I find it easy to initiate conversations with
strangers.
I enjoy building a broad network of
relationships with people from all walks
of working life and backgrounds.
My contacts all clearly understand what I
can offer.
I make sure that I am as dependable and
helpful to my professional contacts as
they are to me.
I am someone who people turn to when
they need a useful contact or a referral.
I frequently reach out to people outside
my immediate circle of friends and
colleagues.
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
I keep up to date on who has power and
what factions exist in my group or
organization.
5) COMMUNICATION
6) PERSUASION
organization.
I always try to find out what the people I
work with want and what they value.
I gather information about how I am
perceived by others.
I make sure that others understand my
importance and influence in order to be
taken seriously by others.
I act swiftly and effectively to dispel
negative or untrue reputation traits,
rumors, and perceptions.
I cultivate relationships that allow me to
have more influence and impact.
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
I feel good about myself when I am
talking with others.
I try to anticipate possible causes of
confusion, and cultural barriers and
deal with them upfront.
I think about the best way to
communicate a message (in person,
over the phone, in a newsletter, via
memo, and so on).
If I don't understand something, I tend
to ask for clarification.
When others are talking, I show interest
in what they have to say.
I make a conscious effort to match my
tone and body language to the message
I want to convey.
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
I build a positive rapport with people I
want to persuade.
I appropriately establish my
qualifications and sound judgment
before I try to persuade.
7a) CREATIVITY
7b) DECISION MAKING
before I try to persuade.
I make an effort to understand how my
audience thinks, and adjust my
persuasion strategy accordingly.
I support my arguments with logic,
evidence, and emotion.
To highlight my key points, I use
metaphors, analogies, and stories that
resonate with my audience
I present my views in such a way that
people still feel like they are allowed to
disagree with me.
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
I feel comfortable questioning
common practices in an effort to
reinvent.
I make others feel welcome and safe to
volunteer new ideas and to contribute
their talents.
I identify parallels, patterns, variations,
and analogies to help analyse a
problem and generate fresh ideas.
I always look for opportunities to turn
ideas in action.
I share my ideas even if I am not
explicitly asked for them.
I keep trying to develop better
solutions even when good ones already
exit.
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
I always define clearly and explicitly
what the problem is.
I always use more than one source of
information, and more than one
approach to develop alternative
solutions.
I evaluate the merits and risks of each
8) MOTIVATION
9) COLLABORATION
I evaluate the merits and risks of each
alternative solution using a suitable
set of evaluation criteria.
I balance divergence (creative
thinking, exploring options, etc.), and
convergence (e.g. disciplined
evaluation, closure, etc.) in decision
making.
I am willing to reconsider and revise
my views and conclusions where
necessary.
I am honest in facing my own biases,
prejudices, assumptions, etc. and am
aware how they affect my judgment.
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
I always strive to understand what
motivates the people I work with.
I help people feel competent in their
work by recognising and celebrating
their accomplishments.
I set performance goals that are
challenging, specific, and time bound.
I give constructive feedback that is
specific and to the point, and helps
others develop.
I use a variety of rewards to reinforce
performance.
When somebody is underperforming, I
always determine if that person has
the necessary resources and support
to succeed in a task.
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
I help team members establish a
foundation of trust among one
another and between themselves and
me.
I help members learn to play roles
10) CONFLICT
11) CHANGE
I help members learn to play roles
that assist the team in accomplishing
its goals.
I always ensure that as a team we
establish clear expectations and
norms for how to work together.
I ensure that teamwork is wellorganised and is meeting set
deadlines.
I consistently discipline team
members when their effort is below
expectations and capabilities.
I am good at facilitating consensus
and encouraging commitment in the
team.
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
I see conflict as an opportunity, and
know that avoiding it is usually not a
good solution.
I convey flexibility and openness to
conflicting opinions, even when I feel
strongly about an issue.
Before trying to find a solution for a
conflict, I seek additional information
to understand the root causes.
To resolve conflicts, I identify issues
and areas on which everyone can
agree.
To resolve conflicts, I always generate
multiple alternatives solution as a
basis for discussion.
I make sure that everyone accepts the
solution to a conflict, and feels that it
has been determined in a fair manner.
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
I demonstrate that I am open to and
supportive of change that enables
Which of these 11 competence areas would you choose as priorities for your professional
development, Eyad?
(You can select multiple competence areas.)
Do you have any comments that you would like to share?
Thank you very much and congratulations for completing the questionnaire, Eyad.
supportive of change that enables
improvement and progress.
I am able to clearly explain to others
the reasons for a change effort, and its
expected outcomes and benefits.
I identify critical stakeholders and
work towards making them allies and
champions of the change effort.
I anticipate specific points of
resistance to change and develop
appropriate strategies to overcome
them.
I understand culture and values as
important determinants of a change
project's success.
I communicate achievements and
successes, so that everyone
understands the positive impact of a
change project.
Strongly
disagree Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Slightly
agree Agree
Strongly
agree
Self-Awareness
Self-Improvement
Professional Relationships & Networks
Managing Power & Politics
Communication
Persuasion
Creativity & Decision Making
Motivation
Collaboration & Teamwork
Conflict Management
Change Management