During our first class of Health Management and Policy 722, which revolves around management techniques, our professor assigned us two personality tests to determine the type of person we actually are. The first test that I took was the 16 personality traits test. This test took me by surprise because I had never completed it before and it made me open my eyes to the personality I had developed over the span of my lifetime. The test gave me the role of "the adventurer" with the strategy of constant improvement. I agree with this placement because I'm always excited to try new things and try to improve on them due to the fact that I tend to be a perfectionist at times. This test showed me many strengths and weaknesses that I have and what I should really focus on to improve my behaviors. The test labeled me as introverted, which is spot on in my opinion. I definitely need to improve on this personality trait because I tend to shy away from social interactions when it comes down to group projects or assignments. If I want to have a successful career in health management than I need to learn how to work better with my peers. I always get along with my group members and contribute to the projects but I would much rather do it all on my own. Having more than one mind trying to complete a project can be beneficial because it allows many ideas to come together to form a complete answer to the problem being addressed. The other weakness I observed through this test was that I tend to be a turbulent person. I agree with this to an extent because I do get stressed out very easily, but would not label myself as self-conscious. Throughout my whole life I have always been very confident with my abilities to be successful, no matter what the situation is. This includes communicating with people, performing well in school, and any other situation that is thrown my way. This test made me realize that I have to learn how to deal with stress in a healthy way rather than bottling the emotions in, leading to sleep deprivation. The strengths that this test showed me that I have are that I'm good at improvising, spotting good opportunities, empathetic, regard other peoples feelings, and tend to have a strong focus on what is going on around me. These strengths really make me feel like I belong in the Health Management and Policy field. Having the ability to improvise when a situation goes obscure is key. Situations are not always written down in fine text and improvising allows myself to find an alternative way to solve different problems. I also believe that having regard for other peoples feelings can become very crucial in the work force. Personally, I love when people seem to care about what I have to say about a certain topic because it makes it feel like it is truly important. No one wants to feel like their irrelevant or not contributing to the task at hand. Overall I was very impressed on how accurate the 16 personality traits test was and it opened my eyes on the true weaknesses and strengths that I bring to the tables day in and day out.
The second test that I took was the Big five personality test. I have taken this test before, around three times for previous classes and it usually gives me the same results. As mentioned before the test stated that I enjoy spending time alone. In this case I didn't agree with the test because I like to be social with peers outside of school. The only time I tend to be antisocial is when it comes to group projects. The test also showed that I tend to become anxious and stressed more often than others. Again, I already knew this from the previous test and it didn't go into as much depth as the 16 Personality Trait survey. The one placement that really stood out to me was that I'm neither organized or disorganized. I disagree with this statement because I always have everything organized whether it revolves around my school work or personal belongings. Also, I was intrigued when I scored very low in the openness to experience/intellect category. The test states that low scores tend to be conventional, down to earth, and uncreative. Thinking about this made me realize I do tend to lack the skill of being creative and that I'm usually down to do whatever. Overall, this test was correct for the most part but I thought that the 16 Personality Trait survey was more accurate.
As I review these test placements I realize what I have to continue to do and work on to be successful in the management field. I have to learn how to enjoy working with my peers on projects and being able to have the ability to brief audiences even when I feel anxious. I also cant be down to earth about everything and voice my opinion when the time is necessary. Regarding other peoples feelings, and focusing on the task in hand can be beneficial traits that I can bring to the field. Working hard has never been a downfall of mine which I am thankful for. Overall I was extremely satisfied with these two tests because it opened my mind on the person that I truly am.
