University of Maryland, College Park

Pearl Diving Assignment 2

Mario Henriquez
Communications for Project Managers: ENCE 424
Dr. Shana Webster-Trotman
October 05, 2019
Introduction
Understanding my leadership style is paramount in my development as a young
professional. Using online resources, such as JUNG personality assessment and the Conflict
Management Styles Assessment, I was able to personify myself and the traits that comprise my
leadership qualities. I was able to see how dynamic of a conflict resolver I am as well as how my
personality allows me to thrive in the workforce.
Conflict Management Styles
Based on the results of the survey, I’d say I am a well-rounded individual. My top
conflict management style was Compromising, accounting for 10 points. A very close runner-up
is Accommodating with 9 points. And finally, Collaborating and Competing tied for third with 8
points. This assessment of my conflict management style aligns well with how I would consider
myself to deal with conflict. The very last thing on my mind when confronted with an issue is to
avoid the situation, thus my low score on those questions. Avoiding confrontation leaves your
questions unanswered, when a similar situation arises, the same issues will occur. By
compromising, you are understanding another person’s point of view, while still holding value in
your own. You are able to weigh what is most important to you and consider the other party’s
opinion. I value my relationships with my team members. I believe it is important to have a bond
with the people you work with to create a stable work environment. This is also easier to
maintain creative informed thoughts similar to the discussions held in Crucial Conversations.
The more ideas I can get involved in a decision the more precise and accurate the result will be.
Creating a free forum to communicate is a technique I plan on utilizing. Transitioning from the
concept to the act, collaboration is key to transfer these ideas. Collaboration includes discussing
the issues at hand and working together to seek solutions while improving the relationship
between two parties. It is fitting that Collaboration and Competing are both ties for third in my
survey. I naturally am a competitive person; therefore, it does not surprise me to see this as a
management style. Competition in the sense of the survey has a negative connotation when
referring to communication as it is a style based on overpowering another person. However, I see
it as a way of encouraging others to pursue their aspirations if the competition is controlled.
Overall, I see my conflict helping effective communication because of the versatility it presents.
I believe each conflict is unique and requires a wide perspective. Each person you may encounter
will handle themselves and their conflict differently. It pays to have different ways to handle
these problems. As a project manager that is valuable.
JUNG Personality
Based on my JUNG personality report, I am persistent with what is important to me such
as my goals and aspirations. In addition, I rarely secede when faced with a problem. My
creativity and intuition lead me to find new ideas and solutions. However, I am reserved and
ambiguous, therefore it is perplexing to get to know me on a concrete level. I am reserved in
nature and sincere. I am also a good listener that people can confide in. I understand people’s
perspectives and enjoying mediating problems. I am an Introvert, which according to the JUNG
report, means I am philosophical in nature and I spend time being in my thoughts. I am Intuitive
which allows me to focus on my aspirations. I pay more attention to imaginative and unique
information. As a Feeler, my desire to helps others is driven by emotions. And finally as a
Perceiver, I enjoy a spontaneous changing lifestyle. Individually, as a worker, I tend to tackle
numerous tasks at a time. I feel I am successful with a heavier workload than most are able to
handle. Some may argue, myself included, that this character trait is both a blessing and a curse;
it fosters growth and responsibility however, on the contrary, it often leads to overexertion.
According to the JUNG personality report, perfectionism is one of my traits. I consider my
perfectionism traits to be my greatest attribute and my kryptonite. Due to me constantly being
fixated on putting my best work forward, I often spend a plethora of time on how to execute
perfection, which takes away time from me handling other tasks. Being a perfectionist, forces me
to think “outside of the box” and create thought-provoking solutions to the problems at hand. I
pay close attention to detail and prioritize quality over quantity. In reference to how I am as a
team-player, I play the role of motivating my peers on the tasks at hand. I am the force that
pushes them to strive towards ingenuity and genuine, solid concepts/ideas. I would consider
myself a leader, and as such, it is crucial for me and my team to push boundaries to find
solutions to issues in an efficient and effective way. I value solidarity in my team’s efforts and
understanding others’ perspectives and contributions.
Adversity Story
When entering college, I was fortunate to be that individual that knew what they wanted
to major in and pursue career wise, engineering. I entered the University of Maryland through
the Freshmen Connection program and although I was fortunate enough to be admitted, it
hindered me from taking particular classes and delayed me applying to the A. James Clark
School of Engineering. However, I did not let that deter me from achieving my goal of becoming
an engineer. Prior to applying to the engineering school, I took all the necessary steps to make
sure I would be admitted such as taking all the prerequisite courses, becoming Vice President of
the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and attaining an internship at an engineering
company. Unfortunately, I had a mishap with a course that wounded my GPA tremendously and
deterred me from having the required GPA for the engineering school. However, knowing my
self-worth and that I was not going to let this get in the way of my success, I applied to the
school anyways. As expected, I was denied admittance due to not having the desired
requirements. Instead of accepting this as my fate, I decided to not let my 3-year-long efforts
towards being admitted be for nothing. After being denied I sent out several emails, had
meetings with engineering school advisors, an appointment with the Dean of Admissions and
sold myself to the administration that I was not only worthy but deserving of becoming a student
of the A. James Clark School of Engineering. It was a long battle and took tremendous hard-
work and effort but in the long run, after various trials and tribulations, I was finally admitted to
the school of my dreams. This humbling experience made me fortunate and grateful and since
then I have been working towards making my dreams a reality.
Benefit Story
Aside from being a full-time student, I am also a member of a fraternity on campus
known as La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Incorporated. Upon being an
Hermano of my chapter, I was expected to take on an executive position to help the
undergraduate chapter perform successfully under the fraternity and the Department of Fraternity
and Sorority Life guidelines and expectations. I wanted to make an impact and uphold a legacy
within my chapter therefore prior to deciding which position I wanted to uphold, I assessed the
current state of my chapter and how I could make a change. A crucial issue we were facing was
recruitment and retention of our current interest group of young men who wanted to eventually
pursue our fraternity. Having unsuccessful recruitment and retention strategies can lead to the
detriment of our chapter because in order to keep it running, we must have intake so that when
the current members graduated, there would still be Hermanos to run the chapter efficiently.
Upon taking the position as recruitment chair of my chapter, I began to strategize ways to change
the current state. I was determined to change the never-ending routine. Each year we struggled
with saving our chapter from extinction. I found the key to solve the problem. It was hidden in a
different aspect of our everyday operations, the Marketing aspect. We struggled with awareness,
people had no idea what we were or that we even existed. Therefore, I focused on repeating
memorable marketing materials. We used consistent colors and marketed around the entire
campus. I was emphasizing the widening of our net by expanding to different forms of social
media and attending events on campus to raise awareness. By implementing these principles, we
have been able to consistently recruit over 30 people a semester. This is all due to a simple
change.
Conclusion
As a leader, my style of leadership must be flexible. Judging by the way I am built to
currently handle conflict; I am on the right path. My top conflict management style is
Compromising followed by Accommodating, and finally, Collaborating and Competing equally.
I rarely avoid situations. Based on my personality report, I myself am thoughtful in nature. My
relationship and dynamic with others are based heavily on an emotional response. However,
above all I live and enjoy a spontaneous lifestyle. My personality fits what am employer is
looking for because of my ability to handle heavy workloads and the thoughtfulness in my
solutions. My adversity is key to defining who I am. It helps me appreciate where I come from,
but also find where I am going. My experiences are similar in the benefit they have provided for
my fraternity.
 Works Cited
Faulkner, Michael, and Andrea Nierenberg. Networking for College Students and Graduates.
Pearson Learning Solutions, 2017. Print.
Gallo, Carmine. Five Stars the Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great. St. Martin’s
Press, 2018. Print.
O’Hair, Dan, and Hannah Rubenstein and Rob Stewart. A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking.
Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2019. Print.
Pachter, Barbara, and Denise Cowie. The Essentials of Business Etiquette: How to Greet, Eat,
and Tweet Your Way to Success. McGraw-Hill Education, 2013. Print
Patterson, Kerry, Greeny, Joseph, McMillian, Ron, and Al Switzler. Crucial Conversations:
Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, 2011. Print