Self Assessment: Self-Addressed Technique for Evaluating Personal SWOT in Life

By R. M.Onkar

The book is specifically written for students and serving personnel who are career-conscious, career-ambitious, career-motivated and career-seeking. It gives them self confidence and reference in self-addressed and self-interrogating mode for steering their career in the self-visionary direction. The book is also useful to those who wish to discover and improve all significant aspects of their inner personality as follows: Strengths and weaknesses of their personality for getting success. Aptitude and potential for selection in specific career and business. Attitude and temperament for accelerating growth in professional career. Ability for selection of suitable skill and trade for adoption and development. Motivation for adopting special management techniques for reaching top level posts and appointments. Will power and determination for overcoming depression, frustration and suicidal tendencies. Potential for assessing destiny on the basis of karmas and performance and mustering courage and boldness for crisis and risk management. Intense desire for achieving success in progressive promotions and creating self-image for winning friends and marketing activities

• Language: English
• Publisher: V&S Publishers
• Release date: Aug 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9789357942164

Book preview

Self-Assessment : Need and Compulsion

After completing their education at the graduate level students start to look for a suitable job based upon their academic qualifications or in any other vocational field such as engineering, medical, nursing, hospitalities, commerce, art, humanities etc. Here, some students may try to seek the career of their choice and wait for right opportunities while others may not be able to wait due to their dire need of living. As such these students are little bothered about their capabilities and are in a hurry to begin their job that they find easily available. In this respect, we observe the following lacuna:

(i) Persons per force limit their career in order to earn for livelihood and do not look beyond.

(ii) Such a situation lasts for some time thereafter they become disillusioned because of lack of involvement.

(iii) Their abilities and potential remain under-utilized and they fail to draw any material benefit from their inborn qualities.

(iv) They become liability to the employer when he finds that he has made a wrong choice of a person whose aptitude and interest lies elsewhere.

The job market is shrinking and the competition is becoming tough. Hence, the process of getting a job is becoming tougher by the day. So, we (job seeker) can’t approach an interview in a casual manner. We have to thoroughly prepare for an interview. We have to seriously consider the following factors:

(i) Job Qualitative Requirements (JQR) which lay down essential and desirable academic and professional qualifications, nature of job, experience if any and likely emoluments.

(ii) Our qualifications, skills and experience if any to match with the needs of the employer and our suitability for the job.

(iii) Our prospective employer’s profile, its market standing, product range and expectations from us as an employee.

(iv) Depth of competition for us to prepare ourselves accordingly

In this respect while preparing for the interview, we should take into account the employer’s expectations from his prospective employee on traits such as: hardworking, dedicated and dependable nature, obedient, polite, gentle, amicable, forward-looking, cooperative, accommodative, enthusiastic, consistent, goal-oriented, keen to learn and update, career conscious.

It should be noted that the employer looks preferably for the most of the above mentioned qualities in candidates apart from the required educational and professional qualifications. He expects that his employees will perform efficiently and they will demonstrate a high sense of responsibility and involvement in organizational matters. It is possible that all these qualities are not initially required in a candidate but their need is progressively felt in candidates when they get promotted to supervisory and executive roles in the organization. In case they do not possess these qualities, they will stagnate, remain disgruntled and dissatisfied and eventually become a liability for the organization.

Awareness

In this entire job market scenario, we as the candidates remain at the focal point to perform various roles in any organization during our short and long term service periods. Obviously, our prospective employer will critically and significantly try to assess us for performance oriented qualities in our personality during the interview. Here, the most pertinent question is -Should we wait for someone to do the assessment at the time of interview and in job or should we do that ourselves before facing them? There are certain benefits we positively derive from SELF-ASSESSMENT. Through self assessment we can:

(i) Ascertain our suitability for a particular job and get self-confidence to face tough interviews in a highly competitive market.

(ii) Express and conduct ourselves in a confident, self-assured and dignified manner.

(iii) Avoid later disappointment and despair at not being adequately prepared.

(iv) Carry out timely correction in advance if found lacking to possess important positive qualities while carrying out self-assessment.

(v) Strengthen weak areas of our personality and enhance their effectiveness so as to exploit them for betterment of our performance in different roles thereby improving chance for selection and promotion.

(vi) Become aware about our SELF-Image and Self-Value and its worthiness while negotiating for entitlement of suitable emoluments as and when become due.

(vii) Assess our career growth in the horizontal transfers as well as in a vertical domain in any organization.

Realizing that we can avail many direct and indirect benefits, we should carry out this self-practiced, self-addressed exercise honestly, thoughtfully and voluntarily. We can seek the guidance and advice from the competent persons about its conduct, so that it is executed in a professional and scientific manner so as to derive the realistic results and maximum benefits.

Time Factor

It is pointed out that Self-Assessment is a continuous process. While it may not be possible to do so, there are certain opportune times and stages when we should carry out this exercise and the results are really beneficial at that time. We may avoid set-back in our career growth as we can timely and promptly take self-corrective action. However, there are certain distinct and important stages of our service career such as:

(i) Initially at the time of facing an interview for a job.

(ii) During three to five years of service after seeking employment when the first promotion is due.

(iii) During six to ten years of service and thereafter as and when the next and subsequent promotions are due.

(iv) At a time when we are transferred to other departments or whenever we seek a change in our service role.

(v) At a time when we desire to change the organization and seek diversification in our jobs and higher emoluments.

(vi) At a time when we are selected as the leader and assigned an independent project for execution.

(vii) At a time when we have put in sufficient years in the organization and we are due for promotion to managerial ranks or to senior and high levels.

(viii) After the retirement if we wish to seek re-employment or else wish to lead a peaceful retired life while taking health and mental care.

It should be noted that while we carry out self-assessment at each different stage, there occurs different requirement of our personal attributes in different proportions. What may be required in good measure at one stage may not be required at a another stage and some other traits considered insignificant earlier may assume importance an another platform. Thus, we find variation in the pattern of qualities from essential to desirable and from desirable to optional qualities inclusive of essential and desirable according to job profile. Similarly, what qualities are required for doing service on the job, are not required when we do the sales/marketing jobs. Similarly, the qualities required for doing executive jobs are different from doing managerial jobs. Thus, conduct of Self-Assessment and results thereof can’t be universal but specific to a particular type of job.

It may appear that this exercise of Self-Assessment has a preventive role for avoiding set back and failure while working on the job or executing a project. We have the realistic assessment of our abilities and capabilities and are forewarned about our deficiencies which we can correct in time or ask for extra time and resources or decline the task as being out of our capability. Thus, we find that Self-Assessment is a highly useful exercise in our interest. In the process, we discover our own personality such that we can use it fruitfully to enhance our career.

Process

The process of Self-Assessment is basically addressed to ourselves. It is self-practiced and self-centric. We conduct it on ourselves thereby taking a deep look within ourselves and search for our inner strength, weakness, aptitude, interest areas, innate abilities and potential. As a result, we get to know our inner personality which primarily constitutes of our unseen, unknown and innate qualities of both positive and negative types. The process also involves interrogating ourselves and getting the answers of both positive and negative nature. Thus, it becomes our prime responsibility for conducting this process of self assessment. The responsibility for its validity, correctness and impartiality entirely rests on us. Hence, we have no reason to blame outside agencies if we fail in carrying out our mission in achieving our end objective, of wealth, fortune, power, recognition, etc.

In this process, we are able assess the presence of a quality and its corresponding strength. We are also able to classify them as per the requirements of different jobs as under:

(i) Essential

(ii) Desirable

(iii) Optional

In fact, what is considered essential becomes desirable and what is considered desirable becomes essential for the junior and senior level managerial jobs. The optional qualities become essential for the top level management jobs. Thus, the classification of our qualities become flexible and it these vary as per the nature of the job, rank and appointment.

Process to Discover X-Factor

This X-Factor is also referred as Power of the Plus – Factor of our inner personality. We find this factor emerging as the process of Self-Assessment continues progressively during our career. As a result, we observe that some people are more cheerful, bright-looking, smiling, confident, dignified and graceful in their conduct. They are healthy, mentally sound, strenuous, calm, composed, enthusiastic and at ease. Consequently, their personality appears to be remarkably impressive, eye-catching and prominent in public.

As a result these people have extra energy, vigour, vitality and power which is termed as X-Factor or Plus Factor of their inner personality. Thus, Self-Assessment reveals this inner force of our personality, deep seated within our self. It is invisible, intangible and unknown but really ever present and is integral part of our inner personality.

In this process, we find that this force is planted within us and it is activated by our strong positive qualities. In fact, our strong positive qualities and their strength are demonstrated through the above stated qualifying, behavioral and attitudinal visible parameters of our inner personality.

Now, if we want our inherent Plus Factor to be activated in our life and if we want extra energy to emerge from our strong positive qualities, we need to learn to think in a positive, active and self-assuring manner and act in a dynamic mode in the public eye. We need to concentrate and intently focus our attention and energy on our self. Take a deep breath and get into the meditation posture and remember the Divine Power for gifting the power of Plus Factor which will eventually get activated and commence its influence on our thoughts, action, behaviour, approach and attitude in a highly positive manner. Thus, Self-Assessment about our Plus-Factor will help us in times of difficulty, distress and enable us to fight and come out from the difficult situation as a winner with success, self-assurance and high morale.

Role of Self-Assessment

We are playing primary, pivotal role in the process of Self-Assessment. We will now observe in the following chapters its application to various areas of our activities and functions that take place in our professional career and even thereafter. We can see how we apply correction to the course of events and give positive direction to our service career for achieving success. These chapters are titled as under:

(i) Discovering personality

(ii) Improving our self image

(iii) Shaping our attitude and temperament

(iv) Giving specific direction to our service career

(v) Proper selection of suitable career

(vi) Winning success in performance for career advancement

(vii) Skill adoption and development

(viii) Overcoming depression and despair

(ix) Evaluating power of our destiny

Before we come to read these topics, it is essential to know about the technique for carrying out Self-Assessment and also know how to discover our personality and find out our positive and negative attributes which influence our nature, character, behaviour, attitude, potential, conduct and performance.

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Techniques for Conducting Self-Assessment and Self-Appraisal

Obviously, this process is self-addressed, introspective in nature and it is carried out on our self. It is undertaken by us to look deep within our self from all sides to carry out assessment about our abilities, potential and capabilities in a realistic and unbiased manner. Such a process of self-look, self-review, self-examination and self-evaluation is called INTROSPECTION. In this process, we turn our attention to search deep within our self to seek answers to questions as to why such an event of success or failure, or win or loss has occurred in performance during our career.

Today, introspection is a much talked about word. Whenever a failure occurs on political front or academic side or anywhere, high profile leaders advocate their parties or students or candidates to do introspection in order to find out the reasons for their failures. Usually, the leaders look for the results of their important advice given to their followers. Now, the confusion starts as to what exactly to do and how to do it in practice. They remember that the advice was limited to do introspection but nobody told them how to do it. Nobody has gone deep into its various aspects except making frequent references to this word. Nobody has even bothered to show them a way for actually doing introspection. Thus, the practical aspect is totally ignored. As a result, no benefit actually accurs. On the contrary, confused state of mind continues without anyone making serious efforts to definitely know about its practical aspects. This is a peculiar and strange situation where a lot of importance is given to introspection but unfortunately, it remains the least understood, practiced and followed advice because of ignorance and unawareness about its practical aspects.

It is observed that students and job-seeking candidates are blindly going for seeking careers and jobs whatever comes their way. There is no deliberate thinking and appraisal to find out what job or career will suit them best so as to become productive and prosperous. In fact, there is no proper mechanism which can be applied for ascertaining the suitability of a particular career. It is also found that the candidates are not aware about specific technique for carrying out such a study and appraisal by them. Besides, people are not aware about the potential advantages of introspection. In fact, they should realize that in the self-addressed mode, they invoke their total personal involvement in the entire process and remain at the centre stage as the main performing actor.

Blind Faith and Efforts

There is another aspect of introspection. People generally focus their attention on external factors for achievement of success. This may lead to failure. They believe that external forces and agencies primarily influence the outcome of their mission and career. They have very little to contribute except doing their job and complying with the instructions and orders. Unfortunately, they are not aware that they actually have to focal role in performance of their jobs and careers. As such, they alone are responsible for success or failure in their lifelong career.

Besides, it is observed that many people have misconceptions about their personal confidence and merit. They claim credit for success without trying to understand why it has come to their way. They are also the first persons to blame others for their failure or loss by saying that the result was due to the factors beyond their control. They also apportion the blame to their destiny without realizing their own faults and mistakes. They blindly believe that they personally have nothing to contribute towards their failure or loss in their mission but they are ever-ready to take credit for success without realizing their actual contribution.

This type of introspection must change. There is an urgent need to take up the subject of introspection and examine it for application to jobs and careers. On deep and deliberate consideration, it is observed that introspection has many functional domains, which have important bearing and influence on human life. Naturally, introspection becomes our valuable and highly useful means for steering the progress of our career because it substantially enhances the power and potential of our personality and performance. In this respect, introspection is found more useful to our young and middle aged people for fulfilling their aspirations than to the people of old age during their retirement stage.

Meaning of Introspection

Plainly speaking, introspection is a self-addressed exercise for carrying out our inner search in order to find out information about our qualities, potential, abilities, nature and character. Introspection is basically a process which enables us to look deep within ourselves and deliberate on our personal strengths weaknesses, talent and aptitude. We also take a look at our body features and health and ascertain our body movements, habits, conduct, look and endurance. It is simply a method in which we seriously and honestly consider about our self and critically examine various aspects of our inner and outer personality. Naturally, it becomes a self-practiced exercise of discovering our potential, power, nature, talent and personality.

Mechanism

How is introspection performed? How are we going to do it? Is it practical? These are natural questions which arise in our mind.

In fact, introspection pertains to the basic process of questioning our self and trying to seek honest and truthful answers. In a way, we pose questions to our self about our personal qualities of both positive and negative types and find out whether we possess them or not. We may ask certain introspective questions and find out their answers in terms of Yes or No. Thus, we are able to get an idea about our potential and abilities in the form of these answers which reflects traits representing our outer and inner features. It should be remembered that introspection seeks an interactive dialogue with our self for revealing its true information. Here, we are communicating with our self in an interrogative mode. So, we become responsible to our self for all our acts of commissions and omissions. Obviously, our honesty, sincerity and truthfulness to our self will bring out a very realistic picture about our self. Thus, Introspection offers us true, correct, pragmatic picture of our self. In this process, we are an actor, performer, thinker and judge. Thus, introspection has