BIZ102 Reflective Journal 2: Clifton Strengths Finder by Gallup

This assignment is a reflective journal based on the Clifton Strengths Finder assessment, exploring the importance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence. The student analyzes the impact of these factors on professional competencies, outlining strategies for effective interaction in a diverse workplace. The journal identifies and reflects upon the student's strengths – Analytical, Achiever, Focus, Connectedness, and Discipline – and their application within a business context. It further reflects on feedback received to pinpoint opportunities for self-improvement and professional development, drawing upon personal experiences and observations to support the analysis. The assignment culminates in a conclusion that reinforces the significance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence, emphasizing the utility of the Clifton Strengths survey for identifying and leveraging individual strengths effectively. The student also provides a list of references used to complete the assignment.

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Understanding People and
Organisations: Reflective Journal 2:
Clifton Strengths Finder by Gallup

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
a) Explain the importance of self- awareness and emotional intelligence, and analyse its
impact on professional competencies.....................................................................................4
b) Integrate strategies to effectively interact with others in a diverse professional context. .5
c) Identify and reflect on own strengths and their application in the business context.........6
d) Reflect on feedback to identify opportunities for self-improvement and professional
development...........................................................................................................................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................8
Reference List............................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
This assignment includes the importance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence. It also
includes strategies for effective communication process. Lastly, through Clifton Strength
Survey a reflection of identification of my strengths and my future employment opportunities
from them.
a)
Self-awareness is important because an individual can experience a better understanding of
oneself. This helps in knowing oneself as a separate and unique individual. Self-awareness
allows identifying the areas of strength within a person along with the areas where
improvement is required. In a competitive world self-awareness plays an important role in
enhancing an individual and making him or her competition ready (Howard, 2011).
The significance of emotional intelligence is that it can help an individual to live a happy life
by providing a framework with the help of which an individual can apply appropriate
intelligence to the emotional responses that can be logically consistent or inconsistent.
Emotional intelligence allows an individual to adjust with an evolving workplace (Nelson &
Low, 2011). It is experienced that when a workplace evolves many individuals face problems
in adjusting with the workplace. In this case emotional intelligence helps the individuals to
manage stress effectively, cooperate with the new team members and efficiently pursue the
business goals and objectives.
b)
The strategies for effective interaction with others in a diverse workplace are described
below:
1) Strategy 1: Listen
Good listening skills are important as it allows a person to overcome the barriers to
effective communication. A person with effective listening skills will always listen
and understand the meaning and check back with the speaker to make sure that
whatever he or she has heard and understood is correct. An effective listening skill
helps in the achieving a proper communication process in the long run.

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2) Strategy 2: Effectively communicate:
Effectively communication includes factors like responding with appropriate words,
providing a balanced feedback; modify the present ideas by connecting between two
ideas. It is necessary to compliments or credits to others for performing exceptionally
well in any task (Skinner & Rampersad, 2014). This will also help to increase the
productivity of the company.
3) Strategy 3: Avoiding ambiguity:
Avoiding ambiguity refers to avoid unnecessary situations, which can sometimes lead
to hindering one’s ability to communicate effectively. To minimise ambiguity having
proper knowledge of other cultures will be useful.
c)
After completing the group coaching sessions, I could understand and learn about my
strengths along with weaknesses and ways of improving them by applying Clifton strengths
survey. During the classes I was provided with some tasks, mainly to interview people, and
after each task was completed I had written an essay on them. From all the essays I could
identify 5 strengths of mine, which are Analytical, Achiever, Focus, Connectedness and
Discipline.
In have always been analytical towards all the tough situations that I faced in my life, I
gathered information and evaluated them to deal with those situations, and at the end I could
easily solve those problems.
I always work hard for the things I want to achieve in life. I have always practiced hard for
my academics, which has helped to achieve good grades. Similarly, I have been a good
observer. I barely get distracted while working. It allows me to do the work more efficiently
and complete it on time.
As per my best friend’s statement on me I am a very friendly person and I maintain
connection with all my friends. This makes me connectedness, and builds up my strength.
This is true as I like keeping in touch with my friends, it makes me feel good to talk and meet
my old as well as new friends, I consider them to be an important part of my life.
I recently interviewed one of my high school teachers, and according to her I am very much
disciplined. I maintain a proper routine in my life. She has observed me how well I use to

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perform me in exams and did my homework daily. She also stated that I used to have my
lunch in proper time.
d)
My analytical side will be beneficial in enhancing my employability skills as I can become a
good problem solver and will find innovative ways to solve any kind of problems within the
organisation. As an achiever I will be able to work productively and achieve the
organisation’s goals and targets. I am so focused that I can perform the tasks efficiently and
complete them on time. My connectedness nature will help me to work cooperatively with
my colleagues and maintain a proper teamwork. By being discipline I can follow the
organisational culture in an efficient manner.
Conclusion
Self-awareness is important for being unique in this competitive world and emotional
intelligence helps to tackle every situation effectively. Clifton strengths survey is useful to
identify the strengths and use them appropriately.

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Reference List
Howard, V. (2011). The importance of pleasure reading in the lives of young teens: Self-
identification, self-construction and self-awareness. Journal of Librarianship and
Information Science, 43(1), 46-55.
Nelson, D. B., & Low, G. R. (2011). Emotional intelligence. Boston, MA: Pearson
Education.
Skinner, C., & Rampersad, R. (2014). A revision of communication strategies for effective
disaster risk reduction: A case study of the South Durban basin, KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa. Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 6(1), 1-10.