1)Go online and take one of the personality tests available such as http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/ (Links to an external site.).
Come back to this discussion and share how you feel about the outcomes
and what you think it says about you or how you think it could be
important for managers in a workplace environment. (150) words

2) Do a comprehensive response to these posts:

My
OCEAN score was very interesting. For Open-mindedness I scored in the
83rd percentile meaning I am very open to new things and learning. For
Conscientiousness I scored in the 92nd percentile meaning I am very
likely to be organized and reliable. For Extraversion I scored in the
90th percentile meaning I am very sociable and outgoing. For
Agreeableness I scored in the 74th percentile meaning I am likely to be
courteous and forgiving. For Negative Emotionality I scored in the 7th
percentile meaning I am very unlikely to be stressed, worried or
insecure. I enjoyed this test, and I can see the merit of understanding
one’s personality and the personalities of others. However, I believe
the best way to do so is by getting to know the person. At the same
time, I can see how taking a test may be the best option when trying to
get quick results. (50 words)

Emotional
intelligence is important in two scenarios: reading peoples’ emotions
and communicating yours. In the workplace, being able to understand how
your coworkers/employees are feeling is essential to effective
communication/teamwork. If a coworker is frustrated with something it
would serve you well to know that. This allows you to act accordingly,
and possibly attempt to quell their frustration. This concept can be
applied for a variety of emotions such as alleviating stress, dispelling
anger, etc. Emotional intelligence also allows you to be able to
effectively communicate to coworkers how you are feeling.
Again, this is crucial to effective teamwork as all team members will
benefit from knowing how all those involved are feeling/thinking. Just
this morning, while at work, I was able to utilize emotional
intelligence by observing that a new hire was becoming stressed under
the pressure of a mid-morning rush. I was able to speak to her, and
communicate to her that she was doing just fine. She felt much better
following our conversation, and our teamwork for that shift improved as
we both had a sort of understanding of each other.( 50 words)

I have been on both sides of EI. The first instance was with a
manager, he wears in emotions on his sleeve and even more so on his
face. It was a common thing within the department to determine his mood
when getting coffee in the mornings to determine if it was a good day
to discuss any issues, ideas, or any other work-related points. This
inability to control his emotions made it quite difficult for effective
communication to take place in the department.
The second case of this is much more recent. I have a
subordinate/peer who is dealing with an impending family death. Prior
to learning this information, I began to notice a slight change in his
work quality and even his speed. When I noticed these issues, I began
to pay attention to the mood he was in to see if something had changed.
Sure enough, his mood was different, more depressed. I pulled the
gentlemen into a conference to chat and find out what was going on.
When we start chatting, he revealed the issues and we were able to
discuss what he needed to help him. After having the chat his attitude
at the office began to improve, even though the family situation hadn’t,
and his work also improved. This experience helped me to truly
understand how important IE is toward the efficiency of an office and how a manager helping as much as they can, can improve things.(50 words)

3) Consider the concept of Emotional Intelligence (as defined in Chapter 4)
and discuss how EI might impact communication in your workplace. Offer
some specific and/or unique examples. (150 word)

4)

1. In your experience, do younger individuals differ from older
individuals in terms of how long they plan to remain with a given
employer?

2. Do you think you should feel free to “job surf” – purposely move
from job to job as soon as the desire strikes? Do you think employers
have a right to ask about “job surfing” plans when they interview you?

3. If you had an interview with Foster or someone with his views of Millennials, how might you combat his preconceptions?