4Learning Points How do I:•Figure out my strengths and understand how they might guide me in personal and professional choices?•Know what motivates me in order to reach my potential?•Assess my limitations and develop a plan for improving in these areas?•Gain understanding and insight into my personality, attitudes, and behaviors?•Identify the biases I have that affect my understanding and appreciation of others?Jacob Morgan, age 22, was excited about his first job out of college. He had worked summer jobs and one internship, but never in an environment as professional as the bank for which he’d work upon graduation. After taking some time off in the summer, he began work in August. Eager to show he was worthy of having been hired, he worked hard the first six months on the job. He enjoyed his co-workers, got along well with his manager, and was even involved in a technology project through which he was able to meet people from other departments of the bank. The project objective was to develop a new system to handle customers. The present system barely met the needs of the bank’s customers and was inefficient and costly to run. Over a period of several weeks, Jacob and his project team members worked diligently to study the problem and develop a solution. The team consisted of Jacob plus five co-workers: two were about his age and the other three were considerably older. Four of the five were college educated and all but one team member had greater tenure than he had. Of the six-person team, three were Caucasian, two were African American, and one was Asian American. The team did not have an official leader. Things ran smoothly for several weeks, until the time came for decisions to be made. As soon as a deadline was imposed on the group, Jacob became aware of some significant personality differences within the project team. Two members who had always arrived late to meetings were procrastinating on their assignments for the project. Two others who had attended the meetings began to spend more time socializing than working. One person who had been reluctant to state her opinion about the data that had been collected now said she thought the group needed more time before it would be ready to make 1Journey into Self-awarenessdej11632_ch01_002-024.in dd 41/18/18 6:48 PM
1 / Journey into Self-awareness5a decision. Jacob had been very task oriented all along and was eager to finish the project and move on to other projects within the bank. He was very frustrated with the lack of progress being made by the group and was concerned about being part of a team that wasn’t going to meet its assigned deadline. Yet he was reluctant to speak up. He felt he was too young and hadn’t been at the bank long enough to have credibility with his team-mates and take charge of the project. He didn’t think he could approach his boss about the situation. He was perplexed about why the group was experiencing so many problems. Jacob thought to himself, “Why can’t they get along? Why can’t everyone on the team be more like me? I work hard and have pride in how this project is going to turn out. Why don’t the others?” He began to wonder if this was the right place for him.
1.Why is Jacob upset?
2.In what ways are the work styles of Jacob’s teammates different from his? What causes those differences?
3.Can these differences be resolved? Why or why not?
4.How would you handle the situation if you were Jacob?
