MCGC Laboratory
Continuing on our Myers-Briggs personality type exploration, in class this week we dove deeper into our personality types and learned about the best ways to communicate with each preference. My type is ISFJ, meaning that I prefer to work “behind the scenes,” I focus on details and specifics, I value harmony, and I like having a plan that I can stick to. There are different ways to talk to people with each preference to ensure effective communication on both sides of the conversation. You may need to adjust how you talk to someone if they have a different personality type than you. If you’re talking to an extrovert, you’ll want to talk about lots of different things to keep them engaged. For an introvert, you may have to ask for their input in order for them to share their thoughts, but when they do talk it’s important that you listen to them. When talking to sensors, you need to be direct and explain everything step-by-step, whereas an intuitive type would want you to be more general and explain the big picture. A thinker needs you to be logical and organized, and feelers want you to recognize the legitimacy and importance of feelings. Finally, judgers like to get to the point and don’t want you to waste their time, whereas perceivers need time to process and prefer having options to choose from. Knowing how to communicate with different personality types is important as it helps us to better explain ideas and understand what others are saying. For example, when I was trying to describe a design idea I had for a page in the yearbook to another member of the yearbook staff, she was having difficulty understanding what I was saying. I was talking about details and specifics of my idea, and all she needed to hear was the big picture. If I had known how to better communicate with her, it wouldn’t have taken us as long to understand each other, and we could have gotten more accomplished in the time I spent trying to clarify my idea. Moving forward, I can use what I’ve learned about communication to be more effective when talking and listening to people with other personality types. I could use these skills to better communicate with my teachers or fellow students when working on group projects together. I could also use these skills when communicating with my mentor in order to learn as much as I can and get the most out of this experience.
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This week in class we took a test to find out what our Myers-Briggs personality type is. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a personality test that breaks down patterns of behavior into four opposing preferences, each represented by a unique letter. These preferences are: extraversion (E) or introversion (I), sensing (S) or intuition (N), thinking (T) or feeling (F), and judging (J) or perceiving (P). My Myers-Briggs personality is ISFJ. The first letter, either E or I, represents whether people prefer to live in the outer world (extravert) or in their own inner world (introvert). I am an introvert, meaning I think before I act, and I prefer to work “behind the scenes.” Introverts possess strong concentration skills, and would rather work on one thing at a time. The second letter, either S or N, represents how people remember things. If they focus on just the given information, then they possess the sensing preference, but if they add meaning, then they possess the intuitive preference. I am a sensor, so I focus on details and specifics. Sensors remember facts (without any interpretation), and work at a steady pace to accomplish tasks step-by-step. The third letter, either F or T, represents how people make decisions. If they make decisions based on logic, then they are thinkers, but if they consider the people and circumstance, then they are feelers. I am a feeler, so I make decisions based on my values. Harmony is important to feelers, and they are very diplomatic and tactful. The fourth letter, either J or P, represents the type of environment people like to live in. If they have a plan for everything, then they possess the judging preference, but if they like to keep their options open and go with the flow, then they possess the perceiving preference. I am a judger, so I find comfort in having a schedule and a to-do list. Judgers take their responsibilities seriously, they stick to their plans, and they finish what they start. Based on my personality type, I would be the most successful in a career where I could plan on having roughly the same routine each day, but I wouldn’t necessarily need face-to-face contact with clients or patients. I believe that working in a hospital lab would be a good environment for me, as I would have the same procedures to follow for each test, but the tests may vary from day to day. Also, I would be helping patients without having direct contact with them, so this would be an environment in which my personality type could really thrive. This past week in class, we had a guest speaker, Lori Ludwig, come and talk to us about the secrets to success. She shared her story with us, and then we watched a video about Will Smith and how he became successful. We talked about how every successful person is like an iceberg; the tip represents what most people see, but underneath the water there is so much more. This is where the secrets to success come into play, things like time, hard work, dedication, and determination. These are what separate the good from the great. In order to reach your full potential, you must meet each level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. You cannot reach your full potential if you don’t have basic necessities like food, water, or shelter, and this hierarchy gives a visualization of which needs are the most important. The higher levels cannot be achieved without the lower levels, so you have to start at the bottom and work your way up. Mrs. Ludwig also talked about race car drivers, and how they never look at obstacles when they are driving. This is because they drive where they are looking, and if they look at the walls then they are bound to run into them. Instead, they keep their focus on the path in front of them, in the same way that we need to focus on our goals and not become distracted by obstacles like naysayers or other little tasks that aren’t as important. Personally, I want to focus on my goal of spending more time adventuring, especially during this summer after I graduate. I don’t mean hiking or exploring the great outdoors, but I want to gain more experience in areas where I don’t have any. For example, I want to have a real job, because as of right now, my only work experience is babysitting. Throughout my adventures—whether it be graduating this spring, getting a job in the summer, or starting college next fall—I’ll keep the secrets to success in mind, and with that I have no doubt that I can achieve any goal I set for myself. Happy New Year! To kick off the second semester of the Career Mentorship Program, we learned about Jon Gordon’s “One Word.” This is a word chosen by an individual to motivate and inspire them to improve something about their life throughout the course of that year. Each person’s word should be meaningful to them and what they want to accomplish in the coming year. There are three steps to choosing your one word, the first of which is to figure out what kind of person you want to become. For me, I want to work on being less of a perfectionist and more towards someone who is proud to learn from their mistakes. The second step is to identify the characteristics of the person you want to be. This person for me is someone who isn’t afraid to go beyond their comfort zone and try new things. The third and final step is choosing your word. My one word for 2019: adventure. To me, an adventure is stepping away from what is familiar in order to grow as an individual and become stronger and more independent than you were before. Adventures aren’t perfect, and while mistakes will be made along the way, they don’t take away from the beauty of the adventure or the experience that it provides. So, as I graduate high school this spring and begin college in the fall, I will keep my one word in mind, and remember to embrace every adventure the new year brings me. |
AuthorA high school senior exploring the field of medical laboratory science. Archives
April 2019
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