Fall

2019

Pearl Diving Assignment II

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
JOSÉ MOSQUERA ABELLÁS
Communication for Project Managers: ENCE424.
Dr. Shana Webster-Trotman
SECOND PEARL DIVING ASSIGNMENT

Introduction:
Last week we had a really interesting class in which we learnt how to know
ourselves as well as others. How to treat people depending on their personality type, and
the way they behave.
In this essay I will first conduct an analysis about how I manage conflict, with
the help of the Conflict Management Style Assessment. Then I will analyze the results I
obtained in the Jung Personality Assessment and discuss whether I agree or disagree
with them. Finally I will use the storytelling skills learned in Five Stars to craft two
stories: one about one personal story in which I demonstrated my ability to overcome
adversity and other about how I identified and fixed a problem that caused benefit to
others as well as myself.
Conflict management style:
According to the assessment, my preferred conflict management style is
Accommodating. According to the description they give, I value relationships over my
own goals, so if necessary, I will sacrifice my own goals to maintain the relationship
alive. It also says that I like to be liked by others and that I prefer to avoid conflict, so I
don’t damage existing relationships.
It is true that sometimes I will leave my own goals aside so I don’t damage an
existing relationship, but I wouldn’t say it is the norm in me. There are sometimes when
there is no other option than let the relationship get a little damage in order to achieve
my personal goals and what I really want for me.
It is true that I like to be liked by others, but I think that everyone does. I don’t
think that there are people out there who would prefer to be hated or not liked instead of
getting along well with others. It is a pretty generic statement, so I don’t believe it is a
main characteristic of my conflict management style.
I think my conflict management style is good at getting along well with others
and trying to encounter the best solution for others, but it has the shortcoming that it can
be harmful for myself. It is a moral conflict to decide where is the boundary between
pursuing what I really want for me and not letting others down. I think the key is found
in the middle point, as Aristotle said in The Nicomachean Ethics.
The conflict management style I would like to work on is Competing.
Sometimes I would like to focus more on me and not caring that much about what
others would say or think. It may sound a bit selfish, but I think that sometimes it is
okay to put ourselves first, and once we are satisfied with ourselves, we can handle the
rest. I think I can practice this conflict management style by being paying more
attention to my goals rather than to maintaining relationships with others.

Jung personality assessment:

According to the Jung personality assessment my personality type is Introvert-
Sensor-Thinker-Judger (ISTJ).
SECOND PEARL DIVING ASSIGNMENT

I agree that I’m and introvert kind of person, I am usually reserved and private
about me. I like to keep things to myself but sometimes I like to have long chats with
my friends to share them.
It is true that I handle practical matters well, better than theorical ones and I like
things to be concrete and measurable. A proof of that is that I’m studying a practical
major such as engineering, and not a pure science major such as physics or
mathematics.
In the assessment they say that thinkers make decisions using logical and
impersonal analysis, with the head rather than the heart. That can also apply to me in a
first approach. But I also take into account other factors such as emotions or feelings
involved (heart) afterwards.
Finally, they say that judgers prefer a planned and orderly lifestyle, which is also
true for me. I like to have things under control and know what is going on, so I can
respond quick if anything happens.
A surprising fact that I have never realized about before of my personality is that
I stay cool when others are losing control. I think having a person like that in a team is
really helpful to bring back calm when stakes are high. For example, if everyone on a
meeting starts to get furious and angry with each other, it would be difficult to discuss
the meeting topic, but if there is someone who is able to stay calm, the peace may be
restored.
Comparing this personality assessment with the one we did before (DISC) I
think that this one is more complete. It gives a list of strengths of my personality type
that can be useful in different situations (On a team, organization…). They both
coincide in the result given but one gives more complete information and details about
the personality type than the other.
Storytelling:
Personal experience:
September 2016. That is when I moved from my hometown, Vigo (a small city
in the northwest of Spain), to Madrid, the capital city of the country. I moved to Madrid
to go to University there, since the double major I wanted to study was not offered in
my hometown. I decided it was a good idea to join and live in a Colegio Mayor,
something really similar to a US fraternity, in order to get to know new people, since I
didn’t know anyone in Madrid.
The thing is that a Colegio Mayor has a thing called Novatadas (hazing). It is a
period of time, 2 months in my case, in which you have to obey the orders of your
veterans and participate in some integration games. Novatadas are meant to help new
members get to know each other better and build friendship relationships, but
sometimes they are a bit too hard. These integration games involved lots of alcohol (all
kind of individual and group drinking competitions), few hours of sleep (2-5 hours a
day) and in some cases punishments from veterans (hits in the chest, pushups with a
veteran on your back, ice cold showers in the middle of the night…). The most difficult
SECOND PEARL DIVING ASSIGNMENT

thing to put up with for me was not getting more than 2 hours of sleep some days, which
caused me to have a bad performance in my classes.
I needed to find a solution to this situation as soon as possible or I would fail all
my courses. The solution I found was to become friends with the most influential
veterans and by doing that I started receiving some privileges like getting 8 hours of
sleep a day and skipping most of the drinking games. It was really hard to become
friends with them since they treated new members like inferior persons and they barely
spoke with us. What I did was to observe and hear what things they spoke about to find
common interests between us and get them to speak with me about them. By doing this,
we eventually became friends and I started getting more sleep.

Identifying and fixing a problem:

It comes to my mind my last lecture of Transportation Engineering and
Planning. The teacher was solving a problem in the blackboard as an example, to show
us how to calculate traffic flows, speeds and densities of traffic. That example was
meant to be our guide to solve future problems of that type, so it was important that it
was clear and well solved.
When he finished solving it, something looked wrong to me, I thought that there
had to be something wrong with the solving procedure since one basic theorem of the
subject was not satisfied. If a basic theorem is not satisfied means that there is an error
somewhere for sure, so I started looking for it. I eventually found the error: we were
using an incorrect formula to solve the problem, so we were obtaining a misleading
result. I told this to the teacher, and he immediately apologized for his error and sent us
a corrected version of the example by email.
I think that this was really helpful for me as well as for my classmates since we have a
midterm on this topic next week. Not having noticed the problem would have caused all
of us to do bad in that exam and get a bad grade as well as not knowing how to properly
calculate traffic flows in the future.

Conclusion:
By doing this personality and conflict management assessments I got to know
myself a little bit better as well as knowing what things I’m good at and which are my
weaknesses. I think it is very important to know ourselves so we can give our best in
every different situation and knowing our limitations as well.
In fact, I recommended some of my friends to do these assessments so they can
also know themselves better and gain insights about their personalities. It may be really
helpful for them.
SECOND PEARL DIVING ASSIGNMENT

Works cited:

Gallo, Carmine. Five Stars the Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great. St.
Martin’s Press, 2018. Print.
Aristotle, et al. The Nicomachean Ethics. Oxford University Press, 2009.
 Conflict Management Styles Assessment
Please CIRCLE ONE response that best describes you. Be honest, this survey is designed to help you
learn about your conflict management style. There are no right or wrong answers!

Name ________________________ Date _____________________

Rarely Sometimes Often Always

1. I discuss issues with others to try to find solutions that meet everyone’s
1 2 3 4
needs.

2. I try to negotiate and use a give-and-take approach to problem situations. 1 2 3 4

3. I try to meet the expectations of others. 1 2 3 4

4. I would argue my case and insist on the advantages of my point of view. 1 2 3 4

5. When there is a disagreement, I gather as much information as I can and

1 2 3 4
keep the lines of communication open.
6. When I find myself in an argument, I usually say very little and try to leave
1 2 3 4
as soon as possible.
7. I try to see conflicts from both sides. What do I need? What does the other
1 2 3 4
person need? What are the issues involved?

8. I prefer to compromise when solving problems and just move on. 1 2 3 4

9. I find conflicts exhilarating; I enjoy the battle of wits that usually follows. 1 2 3 4

10. Being in a disagreement with other people makes me feel uncomfortable

1 2 3 4
and anxious.

11. I try to meet the wishes of my friends and family. 1 2 3 4

12. I can figure out what needs to be done and I am usually right. 1 2 3 4

13. To break deadlocks, I would meet people halfway. 1 2 3 4

14. I may not get what I want but it’s a small price to pay for keeping the
1 2 3 4
peace.

15. I avoid hard feelings by keeping my disagreements with others to myself. 1 2 3 4

Source: Reginald (Reg) Adkins, Ph.D., Elemental Truths. http://elementaltruths.blogspot.com/2006/11/conflict-

management-quiz.html
 Scoring the Conflict Management Styles Assessment

As stated, the 15 statements correspond to the five conflict management styles. To find your
most preferred style, total the points for each style. The style with the highest score indicates
your most commonly used strategy. The one with the lowest score indicates your least
preferred strategy. However, all styles have pros and cons, so it’s important that you can use
the most appropriate style for each conflict situation.

Style Corresponding Statements: Total:

Collaborating (questions 1, 5, 7): _______

Competing: (questions 4, 9, 12): _______

Avoiding: (questions 6, 10, 15): _______

Accommodating: (questions 3, 11, 14): _______

Compromising: (questions 2, 8, 13) _______

My preferred conflict management style is: _______________________________

The conflict management style I would like to work on is: ____________________

How can I practice this conflict management style?

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
 Brief Descriptions of the Five Conflict Management Styles
Keep in mind that one style of conflict management is not necessarily better than another; each
style has pros and cons, and each can be useful depending on the situation. This assessment is
intended to help you identify your typical response to conflict, with the goal that when you
encounter future conflicts, you will be aware of not only your instinctive reaction, but also the
pros and cons of that reaction for the specific situation. Furthermore, you will also be aware of
the other styles of conflict management that you could draw on to resolve the situation, if one
of the other styles is more appropriate for the current situation.

Owl Collaborating
Owls highly value both their goals and their relationships. They view conflict as a
problem to be solved and seek a solution that achieves both their goals and the goals
of the other person. Owls see conflicts as a means of improving relationships by reducing
tensions between two persons. They try to begin a discussion that identifies the conflict as a
problem, and strive to resolve tensions and maintain the relationship by seeking solutions that
satisfy both themselves and the other person.
Turtle Avoiding
Turtles tend to value avoiding confrontation more than either their goals or
relationships. They often find it easier to withdraw from a conflict than to face it. This might
even include completely giving up relationships or goals that are associated with the conflict.
Shark Competing
Sharks typically value their goals over relationships, meaning that if forced to
choose, they would seek to achieve their goals even at the cost of the relationship
involved. Sharks are typically more concerned with accomplishing their goals than with being
liked by others. They might try to force opponents to accept their solution to the conflict by
overpowering them.
Teddy Bear Accommodating
Teddy Bears typically value relationships over their own goals; if forced to choose,
Teddy Bears will often sacrifice their goals in order to maintain relationships. Teddy
Bears generally want to be liked by others, and prefer to avoid conflict because they believe
addressing it will damage relationships. Teddy Bears try to smooth over conflict to prevent
damage to the relationship.
Fox Compromising
Foxes are moderately concerned with both their goals and their relationships with
others. Foxes typically seek a compromise; they give up part of their goals and
persuade the other person in a conflict to give up part of their goals. They seek a conflict
solution in which both sides gain something; the middle ground between two extreme
positions. They are willing to sacrifice part of their goals in order to find agreement for the
common good.
Adapted from: Conflict Management Styles Descriptions. Docstoc, http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/47081621.png
REPORT
JUNG PERSONALITY
TEST

Email address: mosquera@umd.edu

Gender: Male

Age: 20

Test date: 2019-10-01 01:55:14

Report Jung Personality Test

Table of contents
Table of contents 1

Your Jung personality report 2

What makes you different? 2

Your Jung personality type 2

An ISTJ at-a-glance 3

Your probable contributions to an organization 4

On a team 5

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Your Jung personality
report
What makes you different?
This free report describes how you prefer to: deal with and relate to people, process
information, make decisions and organize your life. It gives you a good overview of your
personality and behavior. You can use this information to assess how well your personality
might fit a potential employer or type of job.

Your Jung personality type

The descriptions you chose about your behavior indicate that the Personality
Type that most accurately describes you is: Introvert-Sensor-Thinker-Judger

Introverts tend to be reflective, reserved and private. A popular

misconception is that Introverts are shy - this is not necessarily so.
They draw their energy from their own thoughts and the time they
spend alone. Introverts do not need people around them all the time.
Sensors live in the present. They rely on facts, handle practical matters
well and like things to be concrete and measurable.
Thinkers make decisions using logic and impersonal analysis. They
think with their heads rather than their hearts.
Judgers prefer a lifestyle that is decisive, planned and orderly. They like
a life that is organized and controlled.

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An ISTJ at-a-glance
You are a no nonsense type of person who is reserved, very responsible and dependable.
You say what you mean and mean what you say. With good reason, people rely on you.
You are conscientious and have traditional values. You have strong concentration skills
and focus on what's necessary to achieve the task at hand. You see a job through to the
end - with a great amount of commitment.

You are not threatened by constructive criticism and you stay cool when others are
loosing control.
Although you care about the feelings of others, you can remain utterly objective and make
the tough calls when necessary.

You are not very demonstrative and may nd it di cult to be spontaneous. Your reserved
nature may prevent you from broadcasting to others just how great you are! You may tend
to hide your strengths and dry sense of wit. However, on other occasions, you will surprise
and amuse people with your ideas and humorous view of life. Every Jung Personality type
has one or two speci c nicknames that concisely describe your Jung personality type, e.g.
Inventor, Strategist, Protector and others.

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Your probable contributions to an
organization
Each Personality Type has a di erent set of skills, talents and attributes that they bring to
an organization, group or relationship. Here is a list of those most commonly associated
with Personality Types like you - ISTJ.

Is hard working and prefers uninterrupted privacy.

Is thorough in everything he/she does.
Values ceremonies, rituals and celebrations.
Feels that logistics and getting material to the right place at the right time are
his/her forte.
Pays attention to systems, procedures and getting the job done.

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On a team
Some people work well on teams, others work best on their own. Understanding the
personality types of team members provides information about how individuals are likely
to carry out their work and interact with each other. Given your personality preferences,
the following are the strengths (and possible weaknesses!) you will most likely bring to a
team:

Works best on a team with established rules and procedures.

Runs meetings like clockwork - is efficient, focused, and impersonal.
Uses dependable common sense in tackling work and assigning tasks.
Likes to work with people whose attention is on facts, outcomes and ful lling
their responsibilities.
Quietly organizes and maintains team structure.

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