Erin E O’Brien

April 2021
TheThemes
OGL 482
Dr. McCain
of My Life
Introduction
Within the Organizational Leadership program at Arizona State University, I have had
many opportunities for self-assessment and personal discovery. I did not realize how
little I knew about myself when I began this journey three years ago. Vaguely, I had
labeled personal and professional growth as my initial goals. I have now become more
confident in knowing who I am, what I want out of life, what I believe in and value,
and what makes me do the things that I do. This thematic analysis will demonstrate
what I have learned about myself. The analysis allowed me to discover themes that
have been consistent throughout my life. These different themes have guided me
through various situations even before I realized it.
Research Methods and Process
The type of data collected for this thematic analysis was qualitative in that it came
from assessments, observations, and personal narrative. The sources of data came
from coursework of the Organizational Leadership program. It focuses strongly on my
personal narrative but pulls supporting information from many other sources as well.
My personal narrative was re-examined to uncover themes that I’ve experienced
through my life. In order to bring all of the information together to develop my life
themes, I followed “three-cycle” coding. This method starts by examining the data for
meaningful statements, developing codes or categories, and then condensing that
information into themes. One difficulty getting started with this method is to not
have too many statements that cannot be condensed. A thorough review will help to
narrow the information down well.
My Data Sources
The data sources that I have selected for my thematic analysis have come from
various coursework I have completed within the Organizational Leadership program.
The information has been carefully evaluated to include many aspects of behavior and
development as it relates to me personally, professionally, and as a leader. Some of
the sources are self-evaluations and others include input from external sources. The
sources provided a well-rounded wealth of information about me and my life, how I
became the person I am today!
 Data Sources
Three Questions (3Q)
Using this method developed by Reverend Michael Himes, I’ve taken time to evaluate my responses to the
following questions he proposed:
• Is this something that brings me joy?
• Is this something that engages my abilities and talents?
• Is this role a service to people around me?

Personal Narrative (PN)

This method is a reflection of the story of my life from birth to present day. I created a timeline of events
and experiences that had a significant impact on my personal growth and development. I evaluated how
these evens helped shape who I am today. Using this method, I was able to identify themes that have been
consistent throughout my life.

Kruder Assessments (KA)

Using a series of questions in these assessments, I identified how strongly I agreed or disagreed with various
interests relating to career options and personal values affected by my career choice. This helped me
consider and discover what is important to me in various career options and see what opportunities I may
have the fit within my values.
 Data Sources Cont’d
Myers-Briggs Personality Test (MBPT)
In this personality assessment, I answered questions about lifestyle preferences, situations that I would
enjoy or not enjoy, and how I respond in various situations. I was able to develop a deeper understanding of
why I do some of the things that I do or the meaning behind the choices that I make in my life.

Work Style Preference (WSP)

A questionnaire was developed by The McFletcher Corp. to help gain a better understanding about how you
prefer to do your work and the type of environment you prefer to work in. This was useful because I could
see why certain aspects of my job were unsatisfying. I also learned how interacting with other people with
different preferences impacted my own performance.

Personal Interviews (PI)

I developed interview questions for some of the people in my life to respond to about my personality and
attitude. I selected people who were close to me of that I interacted with frequently. I also selected them
based on who I felt would be most honest in their feedback to promote my personal development. I was
able to learn a lot about myself based on how others perceived me.
 My 5 Themes 1. Planning My Life
2. Knowing Myself
The next section of this presentation 3. Serving Others
will detail the overarching themes I
have developed for my life based on 4. Staying Strong
analysis of my past experiences. I am
also looking forward to how I will
5. Exploring New Opportunities
continue to grow from what I’ve
learned in these areas.
 Planning My Life
Theme Statement

Planning is very important to me; I like structure, I like to know what is going to happen next. I am always planning out
specific details to keep things in order and on track. I feel at ease when I know all of the steps and where they will lead
me.

 Something that I have been planning on for most of my life is to get married and have children. My strong family
orientation instilled this desire in me from a young age as I watched my mother and wanted to be like her. (PN)

 Preparing to go to college after graduating from high school meant having a lot of independence. Mom and Dad wouldn’t
be there telling me what to do so I was able to make my own plans. This involved my course schedule and study times as
well as my weekend fun. I also had to plan my budget because my finances drastically changed at this time too. (PN)

 When it comes to the career path that I will take, I first determined that the hours are crucial. I don’t want to work
nights or weekends, and I would prefer not to be salaried, working endless hours for the same pay. I think my time is
more valuable than that. I do enjoy working and want to be able to have a career and family, so the balance is
extremely important. (KA)

 Two of my strengths I’ve discovered are problem-solving and being organized. These skills are helpful in leadership
because when things don’t go as planned, additional action has to be taken to redirect the situation. These are skills
that have been noticed by some of my colleagues from times when I was able to help the team out. (PI)
 Planning My Life cont’d
 When making plans for my future, I keep trying to find something that will bring value to my own life and the lives of
others. If I am unable to see the value of the work, it is hard for me to find motivation to do it. With that value also
comes joy. (3Q)

 In the workplace, I like to be involved in decision-making and leading group projects because I like the process of
planning it out as well as overseeing the process. Discussing decisions keeps me informed and then I know what actions
to take to stay on track for the tasks. (WSP)

 When I was 24 years old, for probably the first time in my life, I made a major life-changing decision without planning it
out. I packed up what fit in my car and moved 2000 miles away from home with only a few days notice. Although it was
completely out of character for me, it still had an excellent outcome in the long wrong. Sometimes unplanned events
are just as important as those that I have planned out! (PN – contradiction)

Reflection

My Personal Narrative wraps up by stating how I am now 30 years old and many of the things I had planned haven’t
happened, but also many unplanned experiences became major blessings and turning points for me. Planning is very
important to me and flexibility is something I am continuously working on. Sometimes I have to just laugh and plan on
being flexible. Even in my project management courses I practiced contingency planning and realizing that things often do
not go as planned.
 Knowing Myself
Theme Statement
Understanding who I am is what guides me every day through life. What am I doing here? What do I want? I will
continue to do self-assessments in my own way even after I graduate so that I can see where I am strong and where
I can grow. Knowing myself will benefit me in personal and professional relationships because I can be confident
and independent.
 As an ISFJ personality type, I enjoy learning about things that I can use practically. Professionally, this includes
investigative techniques for my current role and criminal justice studies that I will put into practice down the
road. Personally, I read a lot about cooking and exercise because I can put that knowledge into action. (MBPT)
 I became aware that I hold back my thoughts and feelings and can be easily misunderstood in doing so. I have
been learning over time to better express my emotions. I am a sensitive person, so I have to be tactful in my
response to situations and expression as to not let my emotions run the show. (MBPT)
 I have been aware for most of my life that I am a very independent person. I like to do things on my own and not
be told what to do. This led me to moving out as soon as I turned 18 and being able to explore the world in my
own way. My independence from others challenges me to continuously learn new things. (PN)
 A great deal of self-discovery came for me after my parents' divorce. So much of my identity, maybe even all of
it, revolved around who I was within the family. I started to find out what was important to me as an individual.
I started to explore what I wanted to do in my life besides take care of my family. I found that the pain from
their divorce initially unraveled me, but ultimately helped me become who I am now. (PN)
 Knowing Myself cont’d
 In the workplace, it is important to me to be able to work independently but know who and what my
resources are when I need guidance. I am confident enough to work alone and humble enough to ask
questions when I don’t know something or have made a mistake. (WSP)

 My older sister shared with me that she believes I am “confident in who I am because I am able to make
my own decisions.” She described being jealous that I was ready to move out before her while she was
still trying to figure out her own ways about life. (PI)

 Contradictory Evidence - a recent conversation with my mentor revealed a trait that I did not realize I had
and had been displaying for quite some time. This allows me to see that there is always more to discover
about myself.

Reflection

I can confidently say that I know myself better now than I have at any other point in my life. I have assessed
my values and goals and behaviors many times and from many different aspects. When discovering strengths,
I continue to grow them. With my weaknesses, I journal through what causes me to struggle in that area and
how I can overcome it. I look for opportunities to challenge my weaknesses to overcome them. Knowing who
I am, I am better able to speak up for myself for my needs as well as be assertive in chasing my dreams.
 Serving Others
Theme Statement

I find a great sense of fulfillment when I am able to help someone along in their own journey through life. This can come
from community service, friendship, team development, and many other ways. I strive to show others that I care about
them using acts of service. Frequently, I even place the needs of others before my own.

 One of the biggest ways I have served others is through being an encouraging big sister to ten younger siblings and a
helpful daughter to my parents as they raised us all. I found great satisfaction to be able to help out whether it was
laundry, dishes, bedtime stories, packing lunch, braiding hair, and even babysitting as I got a bit older. This role made
me feel very useful and happy that I had the ability to do something meaningful for others. (PN)

 An exciting part of my job as a fraud investigator at PNC Bank is that I regularly assist our customers in resolving
fraudulent activity that has occurred on their account. Even though I am in the back office and don’t directly interact
with the customer as a banker would, I find meaning in my work every day that I am helping someone in need. Knowing
the value of my work is one of the reasons I enjoy this role. (WSP)

 On the Kuder Career Interest Assessment, my second highest score was in the “Social” category, which comes as no
surprise because it includes “informing, developing, healing, and teaching other people.” (KA) These are all ways that I
would find fulfillment in a career if they were present, regardless of the specific job title.

 As an ISFJ Personality type on the Myers-Briggs Test, I easily identified with “a desire to serve others.” Some of the
questions relating to this were about how I felt if I had to help someone with a task or about care-giving roles. (MBPT)
 Serving Others cont’d

 The third key question asked by Rev. Himes is “is this role something that is a service to people around you?” Instead of
looking at my role to determine yes or no, I would rather look at the people around me and determine what I can do to
be a service to them. (3Q)

 In past personal interviews, my boyfriend noticed how I always make time to help friends in need. There were 2 friends
that needed help moving, another who I regularly babysat for, and one who I spent a lot of quality time with while she
was dealing with family struggles. (PI)

 A slight contradiction to my desire to serve others comes in the form of self-care. There have been times that I have
realized some of my own important needs weren’t being addressed and it was becoming a problem for me. I’ve had
instances where I learned to say “no” when it is healthy and not feel guilty for taking care of myself too. (PN)

Reflection

I believe that I will always find value in serving others. As part of my upbringing to help out and take care of the family, a
lot of the time jumping in to help comes naturally to me. I like to volunteer for activities that need to be done instead of
being asked to do them. I try to be aware of others needs. This helps in my leadership development as well because I am
paying attention to the team and how each person has different needs.
 Staying Strong
Theme Statement

I have been presented with many challenges throughout my life. There has always been a deep source of strength within me to press
on forward, focusing on the light at the end of the tunnel. I now embrace challenge and use it for personal growth.

 When my Aunt Rita passed away in 2010, I realized that I had never faced such a painful time before. I learned through the
grieving process how to remain strong. I reflected on all of the wonderful memories I had with her and how much I learned from
her and it inspired me to push forward. I thought about the things she would be excited for me to accomplish instead of being
overcome by sorrow. This helped me a lot later in life as well. (PN)

 When I moved from IL to OH in 2015, there was a lot a hurt in my life from the broken relationship I was leaving behind and from
the family problems I was avoiding. When I arrived in OH, I had to press on. I had to find a new job and new apartment and make
new friends. Although I had some family just an hour away, I had to be strong through these changes in my life. (PN)

 I grew up in a rather stressful home, so I suppose I learned to be strong at a young age. I really dove into my schoolwork as a
distraction. I learned to study while under stress. One of the findings in the Myers-Briggs test for ISFJ is that they have a “high
degree of tolerance to high levels of learning related stress.” I can now attribute my perseverance in difficult college courses to
this behavior development. When the going gets tough… (MBPT)

 It stood out to me that I rated high on “challenge” being an important work value to me. If I am not being challenged to learn or
grow in some way, I get bored quickly and lose motivation. I still work hard for my own moral reasons, but the excitement is
gone. I believe that having a challenge to work through builds up my confidence and character. (KA)
 Staying Strong cont’d
 In reflecting about how my abilities and talents can be used to bring me joy, I think about being strong and able
to help others. I have volunteered in prayer groups at my church for others who are suffering. It can be easy for
me to feel or sometimes relate to what they are going through but I remind my self that I am there to support
them and share my strength with them, so they do not have to face difficulty alone. (3Q)

 A friend of mine told me a few years ago that she “was very impressed by my resiliency through the situations I
face.” She was responding to a question about how I was managing being diagnosed with an illness, family
problems, financial struggles, and still keeping up with my homework. (PI)

 I will admit that I am not always strong. Sometimes it can be very tiring to stay strong if not managed well. Also, I am
human. A few years ago, I became too overwhelmed at work and had to take a short-term leave of absence while I
rested and recollected myself. A lot of grace was needed during this time to allow myself to actually rest and not get
upset about it.

Reflection

It has taken a rough road to get me here, but I believe that I can handle just about anything that comes my way. I have
developed a network of resources and personal strategies for handling difficulty. One of the ways that I continue to be
strong is through prayer and meditation. I am certainly not making it on my own strength! Facing struggles has helped me
become a more empathetic person. I used to not be at all. Then times came about that I was shown compassion and
empathy and I realized just how important that really is for someone to experience.
 Exploring New Opportunities
Theme Statement
There is always something more to learn and discover. My mind is so curious, and I love asking questions.
Continuing to explore new opportunities in life and what I can learn from them is important to me to keep a
sharp mind and vivid imagination.
 To start off, a good friend of mine shared with me in one of my personal interviews that he “admired my
curiosity about the world and my desire to continue to learn; not just in formal education, but on [my]
own through reading and adventuring to new places.” I can never get enough new information! (PI)
 When I was in my early twenties, I decided I was done working nights and weekends. I just didn’t like it. I
set out to find a new job and my first requirement was that it was “banker’s hours.” And that is how I
ended up in banking for the last ten years. Within the banking industry, there are countless opportunities.
I have explored quite a few of them. I’ve networked with recruiters and arranged time to shadow other
departments to see if anything piqued my interest. I have landed in the fraud investigations department
where I think I will hang tight and develop my skills for a while. (PN)
 Exploring options can be the cause of career advancement, but it can also be driven by negative
environments. I experienced this in my previous role. I took some time to reflect on my needs and what
was important to me and decided it was time to move on. This wasn’t too difficult which I found was
because of my proactive response to workplace stressors to find something that is a better fit for me. It’s
something to embrace rather then be fearful of or avoid. (WSP)
 Exploring New Opportunities cont’d
 I rated very highly in the category of “variety” in Super’s Work Values Inventory. I know this is because I like to try new
things and see what other avenues there are. I am focusing on a certain path right now, but I do keep an open mind to
other possibilities. (KA)
 The category I rated highest for Career Interests is “investigative.” I find this funny because I am currently a check
fraud investigator at the bank and intend to pursue my master’s degree in financial crimes investigations. My mind is
very curious, always wanting to know more and to know details. (KA)
 I do have to note that in my attempts to engage my curious mind in new studies, I have become overwhelmed at times.
When I first started college, I was so excited to be there, I wanted to do it all! I am an intelligent person and quick
learner so I felt optimistic that I could do whatever I set my mind to. In an attempt to set my mind to everything, I
ended up changing my major three times before dropping out altogether. (Contradictory Evidence – PN)
Reflection
More than anything, I have found through my leadership development and experience in the Organizational Leadership
program that growth is endless. You can never learn everything. That excites me! I will continue learning as much as
possible. I do like to focus on specific things at a time as to not overwhelm myself. For example, I have been with the same
company now for 5 years, but I have held 4 different positions already. I am finally settled into one that I thoroughly enjoy,
and I am thankful for regular biweekly coaching sessions that focus on my knowledge of the department. I have found an
area where I can really dive into learning about it and learning it well. There are many avenues here, so I am sure I won’t
get bored. I have also decided that after a moment of catching my breath after graduation, I will go on to pursue my
master’s degree.
 “I am committed to embracing challenges to find
the lesson within them that will allow me to grow
as a person. I will keep my head up and keep
moving forward through each step of life, whether
My Personal there is sunshine or rain, and never give up.”

Vision Statement Reflection: I was able to develop my personal

vision statement based on what I have walked
through in my own life and considering my attitude
to persevere at all costs. This is also based on
personal growth which is a strong value of mine.
 “I will strive for continuous personal growth
through formal and informal education methods,
enjoying each new piece of knowledge obtained,
and using it to help others in need as well.”

My Personal
Reflection: One of the tools I used to develop my
Mission Statement personal mission statement is a values assessment
from another OGL course that narrows down what
is important to you, what you can do with or for
those things, and how you can do it.
Conclusion
Being able to evaluate my own life and discover these overarching themes of
planning, identity, service, strength, and exploration has been very beneficial for my
development. Although I have taken many assessments and studied the results in
great detail, I now have a clearer picture of the interconnectedness of my
experiences from this thematic analysis. It is cliché to say that everything happens for
a reason, but I whole heartedly believe this and can see those reasons displayed in my
story. When I set out on my journey to obtain my bachelor’s degree in Organizational
Leadership, I anticipated being informed of all the behaviors a great leader should
portray and then putting them into practice. While I did receive much learning about
this, what I learned about myself was even greater. These themes in my life point to
the reasons I already possess many of strong leadership qualities.
 Kuder Assessments
Dashboard (kuder.com)

Myers-Brigs Personality Test results

http://www.humanmetrics.com/personalit
y/isfj
References “Three Key Questions” by Rev. Michael
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-
4lKCENdnw

WorkStyle Patterns Inventory – Full Report.

The McFletcher Corp. 20177 – 2018.