MGT/521 February 27, 2010

Construct and Support an Argument Investing in one’s education is one of the smartest things a person can do. The more education one has, the more opportunities open up for that individual. Higher education, not to be limited to the MBA program, provides our knowledge to develop personal abilities and development within our careers. By pursuing my MBA, I believe it will provide the necessary tools to become a more effective leader and further my career within University of Phoenix. A major factor in effective business is Communication. Communication fosters motivation by clarifying to employees what is to be done, how well they are doing, and what can be done to improve performance…The formation of specific goals, feedback on progress, and reinforcement of desired behavior all stimulate motivation and require communication (Brooks & Judge, 2007). To communicate effectively one must first determine how people perceive them. People’s perceptions affect how well the message is coming across to others. So in order for anyone to become a more poised, lucid and comprehensible speaker they must first understand what type of personality they have. Without the knowledge of how people perceive me, I may not know if I am being an effective leader. The processes of perception routinely alter what humans see. When people view something with a preconceived concept about it, they tend to take those concepts and see them whether or not they are there. This problem stems from the fact that humans cannot understand new information, without the inherent bias of their previous knowledge. A person’s knowledge creates his or her reality as much as the truth because the human mind can only contemplate that to which it has been exposed. When objects are viewed without understanding, the mind will try to reach for something that it already recognizes, to process what it is viewing (Merleau-Ponty and Smith, 2002). By taking the “What’s My Jungian 16-type Personality” Self-Assessment provided by Prentice Hall, those results can be used to understand my type preferences, I can approach my own work in a manner that best suits my style including how I manage my time, solve problems, approach to decision making, and deal with stress(Briggs & Myers, MBTI). My test results reflected that I was an INFP type personality. This assessment means I am optimistic and loyal to my values and to people important to me. My curiosity and knack to see possibilities can be a method for implementing ideas. I seek to understand people and to help them fulfill their potential. I am adaptable, flexible, and accepting. However, when I believe my values are threatened I become defensive. My personality comes through in my workplace and I believe this assessment is true to form. However, I was a bit on the fence at first when I was taking this lengthy assessment, but I am glad I did. My perceptions of these types of surveys were that of skepticism. One can argue the validity of these tests. I think variables can alter these results. If I am tired or hungry, time of day, what mood I’m in, etc… For argument sake though, I believe the outcome of the test was very spot on. One line in my personality type stuck out, “ I seek to understand people and help them fulfill their potential.” I am currently an Academic Counselor for doctoral learners for The School of Advanced Studies and I encourage and motivate daily. That line encompasses my genuine interest in my learners’ experiences. Firsthand knowledge of what they endure each day, I believe has prepared me for this endeavor mentally. I felt like a hypocrite advising doctoral learners more educated than I in accountability, motivation, and time management. I can see in which there was some lack of understanding and empathy to how I was advising. I am not one to make excuses, either you do or you do not. Although some excuses do hold some merit, I believe they only fuel failure and most of the reasoning behind them falls on lack of preparation. Anything outside of health, family, or work related issues I do not think hold any validity. Having to practice what I preach on a daily, I am arriving at a better understanding of what my learners may be experiencing. I must admit asking myself this question ”Why am I pursuing my MBA?” has taken me some time to truly figure out my motivation behind it. Everyone is motivated, however; individually we all have our own reasons behind our motivation. I mainly have two reasons. Primarily, it is setting a good example for my eight-year-old daughter. Having taught 7th and 8th grade at-risk students at a Title one charter school has given me some incite on how some children fall through the cracks. Lack of a stable home life for most of those kids was prevalent. Who’s mother is on drugs, who’s father is in jail, who’s parent is never home to look after him or her…it is saddening. Being a divorced parent, I take immense pride in being there for my daughter. In raising her, I am big on manners, morals, and education and luckily, our divorce has not affected her too much. By me showing her father is going to school too and has homework to do, I believe it is setting a good role model for her. To encourage her to put forth her best effort in everything she does, and to have ambition in life is what I am trying to accomplish here. Show her that the pursuit of knowledge is never ending and can only open up more doors for her. In addition, I would also like to further along my career with the University. People at work who are supportive in my decision are all around me, especially my manager. He was a major catalyst in my decision to choose my MBA over the MAEd. Before becoming a counselor, I originally wanted to pursue my Master’s in Secondary Education to become a teacher and one-day progress into a district after obtaining my degree. That mindset has changed, I enjoy what I do very much and my career path will greatly benefit from my decision to go for the MBA degree. The Apollo Group, which is an S&P 500 Corporation, invests in their companies’ future by investing in the employees’ future. The more educated the employees are, the more value, and integrity it adds to the company. Happy employees equal a healthier work environment. Furthermore, being qualified for the higher positions in the company also comes along with the higher pay. According to The National Center for Education, data collected in 2007 showed that the average person with a Master’s degree earns a median income over $34,000 more then people with just their high school diplomas. Conclusion Since being perceived is the process by which individuals organize and interpret their impressions in order to give meaning to their environment (Brooks & Judge, 2007). Communication in business is a critical factor to a successful company on every level. Perception of my peers contributes directly to my ability or inability to communicate effectively. My rationale behind my decision to pursue the MBA along with the results from the Jung’s 16-Point assessment allowed me to acknowledge my weaknesses and recognizing my strengths as a first step in becoming a better student, a better leader, and a more effective communicator all around.

References Briggs, K., & Myers, I. (1962). The 16 MBTI Types. Retrieved from www.myersbriggs.org: http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/the-16-mbti-types.asp#INFP Brooks, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2007). Organizational Behavior (Twelfth Edition ed.). Prentice Hall. Merleau-Ponty, M., & Smith, C. (2002). Phenomenology of Perception (2 ed.). Routledge. National Center for Educational Statistics. (2007). Median Annual Incomes. Retrieved from National Center for Educational Statistics: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d08/tables/dt08_384.asp