Task 1.
Part A
Self-assessment is a key aspect and critical in identifying your talent strength. According to CliftonStrengths’ self-assessment, I could identify some themes that reinforce my talent’s strengths. These themes include and are limited to positivity, achiever, Learner, harmony, and responsible. These themes have significant impacts on talent decision-wise and behavioral-wise.
My ability to be an achiever has helped me prioritize difficult areas of my career and positively impact my life. This helps me make appropriate, thoughtful, and critical decisions about needs. Positivity will help me make positive decisions in life, and responsibility will help me make decisions with appropriate behavior while dealing with a client who kindly requires my data analysis technical skills.
The assessment has helped me understand my strengths as a data analyst. These themes will help stand out now and in the future. The theme of positivity has helped me focus on areas that appear difficult without giving up until I achieve them. This has helped me to focus on the difficult concept of data analysis such as pipeline and visualizations, which requires continuous development and helps others mold their skills. Therefore, my passion for Learning will positively impact others who might need to venture into data analysis.
Learning is also one of my strongest talents. The ability to handle complex concepts to enhance proper data analysis has been met despite the strong requirements that has to be implemented. I could learn certain concepts easily and develop make analysis efficiently. This not only added value to myself but also to my team members. Proper and efficient development of certain concepts makes the work for your colleagues easier once they become stuck. You will be there for them.
From the assessment, I could have identified my theme of achiever as a data analyst, one who ought to put intense effort into common emerging technologies continuously. This will help currently and eventually in the future.
The harmonious nature helps me find a neutral ground among common members in case there is discord between the members. The practical aspects of harmony I exhibit and my ability to solve problems help me lead a group of developers in developing group work projects. This resilience scale helps someone to be sufficient and objective for the analysis process, even if they are out of class.
I have also demonstrated some level of responsibility as I could lead a group of students to perform tasks provided in the class. Therefore, this demonstrated my strength in taking some level of ownership in the project and steering the group so that we could have better grades afterward. This is a critical aspect in the future, even after school. Not only in data analysis does the level of ownership need to be exhibited, but in all aspects of the activities, all need to be implemented effectively to enhance and ensure that appropriate steps and value additions have been made and implemented in entirety.
Part B: Create one SMART (i.e., specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely) goal for developing influential leadership skills.
Part B1. Identification of the smart goal.
Goal. To enhance my expertise in the emerging domain of data analysis and big data, especially in machine learning. The many iterative projects normally address current challenges by incorporating emergent technologies. This will enhance my skills effectively through continuous development.
S: The analysis of the requirements for data analysis can be simple to achieve. They need to be simplified so that developing them will be smooth for the team of data analyst. This starts with the kind of data that is implemented or collected effectively. The data needs to be collected effectively, which will inform the query to visualized by the data. This will address the customer’s needs during the data analysis process.
M: I will dedicate 3 hours daily to sharpen my programming skills to ensure continuous improvement to enhance my expertise. This will also encompass the research objectives of the project requirements, which are attainable in terms of functionalities.
A: The project delivery will be premised on the customers’ requirements. I will use my skills to deliver concrete solutions confidently.
R: The project deliverable for all the projects I developed must be attainable and will address the customer’s challenges completely. The number of requirements should address the research objectives and research question. They should be achievable with the Fourth phase of implementation.
T: The project I will be developing must have a time frame of one month for completion. This enhances the development of analysis skills in working on tight and fixed deadlines.
Part B2: Explain how your smart goal supports the development of leadership skills.
Time-to-time-bound will enhance leadership skills, ensuring the project is delivered on time. The team member will attempt to emulate their team lead to finish their project on time. This makes the client happy because the project has been delivered as agreed. Realistic requirements were implemented, and a functional system was given to them.
Realistic goals enhance the development of your leadership skills. Realistic goals help to achieve all that a person requires without becoming a failure. For instance, in data analysis, proper visualization will be premised on well normalized data. This will ensure that analysis data analysis is achievable as the requirements set are realistic.
Part B3: Explain how the identified content will help achieve the smart goals.
To develop a system will require one to have a high level of learnability. Technology keeps changing; therefore, you must be passionate about learning to develop a system based on the requirements and integrate new technology.
Analysis of voluminous data this will require critical analysis, which requires achievement and responsibility. Achievers will require a lot of effort to complete all the relevant modules. I am responsible because I will take customer’s project as my own project. This will also enhance positivity in the teams. This will ensure that all the requirements are achieved within a definite time frame.
Task 2.
Part A: Explain the outcome of the meeting.
The meeting agenda was scheduled to start with the status update. Then, Li will produce the report, which will be discussed. This would adjourn the meeting by deciding which team would pilot the upgrade role. The report and status report were undertaken completely successfully. However, the last item on the agenda was piloting upgrade rollout, which still needs to be completed successfully.
The conflict emerged as different teams had different opinions on which team deserved to pilot the upgrade rollout. The main conflict was centered around Diego, Team A lead, Mei and team B lead. These teams all had the mentality that their respective teams were well-suited for the upgrade rollout plans. The issue ensues between Diego and Mei. Mei believed the data presented by the Li data analyst needed to be more accurate in representing the correct team. The data presented was different from the reality expected from different team’s teams. According Diego opinion is that, the data was accurate and that they should continue with the agenda by selecting which team would pilot the upgrade rollout.
Each member responded differently in this conflict. Mei was most aggressive in how he communicated his grievances; that is, the data presented did not represent the abilities of her team. Diego’s calm nature could manifest. He suggested that the conflict ought to be solved amicably. From the statement, he was less aggressive as compared to Mei. The conflict was resolved, and Li took sides to support Mei. Kamal appeared to be a neutral mediator. It was evident that Li and Mei communicated using the same voice. They wanted the meeting to discuss fair data, which was actual representations of the teams. Kamal was the informal leader, calm, collected, and the voice of reason. He appeared to be the mediator who would bring solutions to the antagonizing group. Ultimately, Kamal encouraged the selection of the team will be based on merit and all members should be satisfied as all the team served the same company.
Part 2: Evaluate the effectiveness of communication strategies demonstrated in the meeting.
Mei’s communication was more effective than Diego’s. It can be inferred that Mei was very negative. It can be identified that she interjected Kamal and made comments that the delay was specifically affecting her team. She dominated the conversation, trying to show how they were skewed and data could not fairly represent her team. The number of verbal cues Li exhibited fully demonstrated her displeasure with the data. Diego exhibited the aspects of assertiveness and a strong, convincing statement aspect anytime he spoke. He communicated his mind, showing his displeasure about their delayed decision. There was a lot of displeasure with what he wanted; he needed more interest and passive aggressiveness in communication.
Diego’s attempts to demonstrate how deserving his team is so that they can be chosen for the upgrade further upsets Mei. This added more time as this becomes a challenge to meet the expectations of the meetings. Kamal’s communication strategy could be identified as solid, firm, and results-oriented. Kamal was results-oriented in that he decided to choose the best teams according to previous expectations. He later decided on the need for more data and the essence of making an appropriate decision. He ensured that he ended the meeting well. Mei could also convince Li to collect more data for appropriate decisions.
According to the agenda, a pilot team should have been selected before the conclusion of the meeting. This is because if his happened team was not selected there before.Although her strategy seemed to work in her favor, it was because of Mei’s aggressive communication approach that a decision needed to be made.
Part C: Identify the informal leader of the meeting and analyze their approach to leadership.
Kamal is the informal leader. He did things professionally. How he approached things was more involving and particularly ensured that it was participatory. He valued the concerns of each of his employees and wanted to make sure that their contribution was well meaning. Kamal was not quick to give up on the issue of choosing the pilot team at the end of the meeting. Kamal spoke when it was necessary; he spoke at the start and the end of the meeting, having achieved the agenda of the meeting. It could be identified he styled himself as chair of the meeting. He introduced the meeting and finally helped in the making of the final decisions.
Mei and Lei wanted to delay the meeting. Kamal maintains the focus of having a team for piloting rollout upgrades by pointing out that they are already behind the schedule and the head will not appreciate any further delay for a week. Additionally, Kamal maintains focus on the meeting by utilizing his listening skills. Continuous engagement of the members and listening to their views made the meeting a success. The meeting was recorded to demonstrate the transparency and seriousness of the matter they have at hand.
He finally convinces the team leads and Li. He concluded the meeting and told everyone to meet in a week to choose the team to pilot the upgrade.
In my opinion, Kamal was the leader because of his administrative and persuasive skills to mediate the conflicts between the teams. Mei and Li were in for fair data, which represents each group fairly. Diego wanted to make a quick decision. Kamal was the embodiment and voice of reason in the entire group. He urged the members that their interest should not supersede that of the company.
Part D: Explain the overall interpersonal dynamics of the team.
Non-verbal cues play a significant role when interpersonal dynamics are mentioned. Kamal can be described as calm, organized, and decisive for the entire meeting. Kamal’s aspects, as decisive in this scenario, can be underrated as the best interpersonal skills in the entire team. He was the ultimate decision maker as to when to choose the pilot team. He was decisive in deciding to delay the meeting till next week so that appropriate data with equality and fairness could be presented to the team members. Additionally, he constantly reminded the members that if there is a continuous delay, it will bring issues to the heads of the departments.
Diego and Mei appeared aggressive as they defended their team to be chosen for the piloting process. Their comments demonstrate their unwillingness to cooperate. Mei’s facial expression demonstrated his dynamicity that she was a smiling person. She wanted her data to be as useful as possible to make this decision. Diego and Mei also enjoyed working for the interests of their teams.
To demonstrate his gratitude to Kamal and acknowledge her willingness for him to control decisions. Although he did not agree that the delay was appropriate, when Kamal decided to postpone, Kabir argued nothing against it. Within one week of choosing a pilot team. However, Mei defended her team and its challenges. The primary reason why the final decision was postponed for a week is that, had she not stood up for her team, Diego’s team definitely would have won the bid for rollout. Diego also fought, arguing that they had visible projects and were diligent. Yet, he appeared to diminish Mei’s team and their weaknesses, which prompted Li to repeat once more and he didn’t like it, making a decision followed by incomplete data. Li and Kamal were less biased parties. They had no any vested interest in which team won or lost the rollout and therefore, they contributed to mediating whether or not delaying it was a good idea.
Part E: Plan a follow-up meeting in response to Kamal’s email to facilitate agreement on prioritizing one of the two teams.
Teams’ members attend
Kamal: The team lead and the supervisor.
Myself: Team lead.
Li: Person to do data presentations.
Mei: From team B.
Diego: From team A.
Omar: The person to scribe the meetings.
Questions to be asked.
(vi) What is the possible skewness of the data resulting from dynamics teams fixing issues such as the size, solving issues without assistance, and their reliance on personal equipment?
(vi) What are the general interpretations of the data by different teams
Goals and expectations for the meeting
The goals of the meeting are to ensure a piloting team is chosen for the upgrade roll and can be completed on time, as that is the legitimate expectation. This helps in implementing upgrades promptly. To prevent conflict, it was discussed that there should be respect for each other, and the expectation was that compliments would be made after Li’s presentation.
How you will facilitate the meeting and lead the team to a consensus
The organization of the meeting needs to be done. I will ensure that all relevant issues are addressed. I will encourage everyone’s ideas and decisions to be considered, and no one should interject his colleagues while contributing on the same matter.
Recalling the previous agenda meeting was important because it will help solve all the matters effectively. This will achieve the satisfaction of every member of the group. The next aspect is to lay down the agenda of what will be discussed by the attendees. Consider listening to all meeting members and making decisions based on facts. Encourage all of them to make decisions based on the company’s interest, not on individuals. Once the decision is made on the factors, vote on every issue to ensure that all teams are satisfied; this will help them reach a consensus. Additionally, no discussion and comments are to be made until and after Li presents the data to prevent tangents and keep everyone on topic.
Part E1: Justifications.
All the questions and compliments after Li had presented the team. Voting for every issue would bring satisfaction to every person. To fully ensure that the problem has been solved, a transformational approach shall be taken to ensure all queries by different team members have been addressed. I will ensure all member’s queries and concerns have been listened to and considerable thought given to all member’s suggestions.
All the members ought to make decisions based on the company’s interests instead of individual members’ interests. In doing this, the decision that is made will be in the best interest of the company. This will improve the morale of the companies’ staff by ensuring they work towards achieving the best for the company. Proper consensus helps the company to soar to great heights if all the members in the company speak with one voice, lack of unity is detriment to the customers and business in essence. This will derail the growth of the company.
It could also be identified that the reason why most businesses thrive is by ensuring that the business has been fully enhanced through proper guidance and enhancements. First, I will ask a question to understand what this can mean for the company overall. I do not want to select a team if that would greatly affect the company. I also want to learn whether each of the teams is comfortable with this decision. The second question is more of a logistical issue. Is anyone team in need of an enormous improvement than the other?. I want to ensure that the upgrade is in sync with life and within an acceptable period.
The objective of this meeting is to choose either Team A or Team B as the pilot group for upgrading equipment. We are supposed to listen to Li’s data report and implement the decision that generally makes the most sense logistically for the company while also staying as optimistic about both team’s morale.
After Li makes a full presentation, members present in the meeting will be invited to contribute based on the presentations. All the questions asked after the presentation must be consistent with the agenda of the day and based on the data. The future meeting being established with the chosen pilot team will ensure the upgrade is done as swift as possible.
