26/1/2021

CRAFT PERSONAL
ENTREPRENEURIAL STRATEGY
(BSBSBM0012A)
ELEMENT 3: DEVELOP SELF-ASSESSMENT PROFILE
Adapted from HEART’s CPES (2003) Learner’s Guide

Instructor: Erica Bent Contact: Erica_Bent@heart-nta.org

• Explain the importance of self-

assessment
• Identify two (2) self-assessment tools

Objectives
At the end of this lesson trainees
should be able to:
3 Prepared by E. Bent
• Recall the steps for solving problems
• Discuss the importance of feedback
in identifying entrepreneurial
potential
• Apply creative solving problem
techniques
• Write a personal action plan
• Assess personal entrepreneurial
potential
• Value feedback to effectively
manage personal strengths and
weaknesses
4

SELF-ASSESSMENT SELF-ASSESSMENT CONT’D

Is an evaluation of your actions and attitudes. Self-
assessment tools help potential entrepreneurs determine
whether entrepreneurship is the right path for them; it may
also assist entrepreneurs better define the ideal size and
scope of the business before it even begins, by
integrating their personal financial, family and other
personal goals into the mix.
5 6
Taking on the challenge and responsibility of starting and
running your own business venture is a mammoth task that
involves, among other things:
 input of your personal financial resources
 time
 energy
You do not want to start something for which you do not have
the requisite skills, knowledge, resources or support. It is very
important that you are sure that you have what it takes to stand
a good chance of succeeding in the business before you start.

ES Wk 3 Notes
Prepared by: E Bent 1
 26/1/2021

SELF-ASSESSMENT CONT’D
Self-assessment tools provide feedback and feedback is any
comment made by the recipient of a message to the sender of
the message. Feedback from self-assessments:
 encourages introspection IDENTIFYING ENTREPRENEURIAL
 increases the individual’s chances of becoming a successful
entrepreneur
POTENTIAL
 Changes any existing negative perception of self
 Improves the individual’s work performance

7 8

FOUR CRITERIA FOR SELF-ASSESSMENT

Most self-assessment tools on four (4) main categories. Namely:

Real interests
Personal qualities/characteristics
Personal finance
Business skills, attitudes & experience

9 10

Personal Research shows that most

Real interests refer to activities
that you are passionate about
and willing to work long hours,
without knowing how much
money you will eventually
earn. It would be your
motivating force -an inner
drive that makes you willing to
exert high levels of effort in
order to reach specified goals
on the basis that you will
satisfy some individual need
Real
Interests
 What is your motivating force –
inner drive that makes you willing
to exert high levels of effort in order
to reach specified goals on the
basis that you will satisfy some
individual need.
11
Qualities & Traits, entrepreneurs share similar
personality traits - i.e.
Aptitude & distinguishing features or
Abilities characteristics of a person that
are genetically determined.
Being able to identify your personal and entrepreneurial
characteristics, helps in determining your strengths and weaknesses.
To determine your aptitude-natural ability, inclination or potential
that a person has, to perform certain tasks or activities well- and
ability-what you can do, as observed in your actual performance of
a task, job or skill-it is imperative that you examine your human
relations/people skills, self-concept, self-esteem, personality,
12
character, motivation & creativity.

ES Wk 3 Notes
Prepared by: E Bent 2

Personal Qualities & Traits,
Aptitude & Abilities Cont’d
Human Relations/People Skills – the art of understanding people
and their behaviour and dealing with them successfully.
“Process of dealing with people in such a way to accomplish
the goals of both the motivator and those being motivated”.
Do you have the interpersonal competence – the ability to work
well with others, understanding their needs, motivate them and
negotiate with them and delegate responsibilities to them?
13
Personal Qualities & Traits,
Aptitude & Abilities Cont’d
Self-esteem - the degree to which a person likes or dislikes
themselves; they perception of how they ‘measure up’ against
another person regarding their performance or capabilities.
Most successful entrepreneurs have a positive self-concept
and high self-esteem.
Ideal Self - how you would like other people to view you and
behave towards you; the things you would like to do; the
social, as well as career roles that you would like to perform.
15
Personal Qualities & Traits,
Aptitude & Abilities Cont’d
Motivation - refers to a person’s willingness to exert high
levels of effort to reach specified goals on the basis that
these will satisfy some individual need.
17
ES Wk 3 Notes
Prepared by: E Bent
26/1/2021
Personal Qualities & Traits,
Aptitude & Abilities Cont’d
Self-concept - refers to how we see ourselves physically, psychologically,
emotionally and socially. The term self may be defined as ‘the sum total of
your life experiences: past, present and future, positive and negative,
which you regard as uniquely you’ – Learner’s Guide.
The concept of ‘Self’ is influenced by the environment, heredity and culture;
which may be broken down in three dimensions:
 The physical or material self – this includes the individual’s physical
structure and the material possessions that they own.
 The psychological self - the inward feelings, thoughts, ideas, including
the individual’s self-concept, self-esteem and what motivates him/her to
pursue particular goals.
 The emotional self - how the person thinks and deals with their emotions. 14
Personal Qualities & Traits,
Aptitude & Abilities Cont’d
Personality: Encyclopedia Psychology defines personality as
individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling
and behaving.
In other words, our personality accounts for the distinctive manner
in which we behave, think and feel.
The five main factors which shape our personality are:
1. Character: moral & ethical codes by which you live by
2. Values: entrenched principles or standards
3. Morals: socially accepted set of principles and beliefs
4. Attitudes: tendency/position about something or someone
16
5. Temperament: way of thinking, feeling and behaving
Personal Qualities & Traits,
Aptitude & Abilities Cont’d
Creativity - the ability to bring something new into existence or
make improvements to something already in existence. People
who are creative/think creatively, think differently from the
norm/outside the box and are usually open to new experiences,
observant, curious and independent.
Creativity helps you to find novel solutions to problems, recognize
new needs and generate new business ideas.
Small business persons who are able to find creative solutions for
problems encountered in their business, will survive in business, 18
while others, less creative or flexible will be left behind.
3
 26/1/2021

Personal Qualities & Traits,

PERSONAL
Aptitude & Abilities Cont’d FINANCE

Creativity Continued - A problem is an opportunity and an
opportunity can become a business. Creative persons are usually:
• open to new experiences and will seek out and thoroughly
enjoy new activities
• observant, able to analyze things in unusual ways
• curious to know more about why things are the way they are
• independent in their way of thought, judgement and action
Persons who excel at creative thinking develop or generate new
ideas-which are the core of change and progress; they have the
ability to easily find workable solutions to problems in our everyday
lives. 19
As a prospective entrepreneur, you must also examine your personal
financial status and recognize the kind of lifestyle and family structure
that you wish to achieve and/or maintain. This means considering
questions such as:
 How thrifty am I?
 What is my credit rating?
 How much of my own money am I able to put into the venture?
 Do I have the support of my family? My spouse?
 Do I have alternative sources of income/savings to maintain my
standard of living until the business is established?
 Are my business goals compatible with my family and lifestyle goals?
 Is my personal house in order? 20

BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
(SKILLS, ATTITUDE,
EXPERIENCE)

As a prospective entrepreneur, you must also evaluate your ability to handle

the demands of running a business. Much of this ability relates to your attitude
towards work (i.e. your work ethic), and your work-related experiences. Ask
yourself:
 Have I worked in a business like the one I want to start? For how long? What were
my responsibilities? Was I good at it?
 Do I know the business environment in which my business will operate?
 Do I have, or know how to obtain, the basic survival skills needed to be successful?
 Can I communicate effectively with all types of people?
 Can I set realistic goals?
 Can I successfully balance risks with reality?
 How good a reader am I?
 How effectively do I manage time?
21 22
 Am I prepared to work long hours?

SELF-ASSESSMENT METHODS SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOLS

♦ One-to-one discussions done in a frank, honest and constructive
manner
♦ Group discussions with mature, sensitive individuals who know you
well and whom you trust.
♦ Personal checklists, quizzes, etc. for you to use and rate yourself in
different areas.
♦ Questionnaires given to persons (friends, family, boss customers) who
know you well.
You need to ask them to give you truthful feedback on questions
related to your personal qualities, characteristics, etc. and to indicate
to you their views regarding your strengths and weaknesses.
23
♦ Johari Window Model – psychological model developed to help
individuals understand their relationship with themselves and others. It
aims to develop trust with others by disclosing information about
themselves and also to know what others feel about them.
♦ Myers-Briggs Type Indicator – 16personalities.com
♦ Keirsey Temperament Sorter –
♦ BDC (Business Development Bank of Canada) – entrepreneurial
potential self-assessment questionnaire.
24

ES Wk 3 Notes
Prepared by: E Bent 4
 26/1/2021

JOHARI WINDOW MODEL TOOL

 Each person is represented by
the Johari model through four
know about yourself and which
quadrants or window pane.
Fold the sheet of paper in half and then
in half again. Label each quadrant:
Open, Blind Hidden, Unknown. Choose
OPEN QUADRANT
BLIND QUADRANT
Displays information that you who will go first and then each member
Includes information
of the group will state one thing they
others also know about you, in
known to others, but

regards to your behaviour,

 Each four window panes
signifies personal information,
feelings, motivation and
whether that information is
known or unknown to oneself
or others in four viewpoints.
motives, attitudes, knowledge &
skills.
HIDDEN QUADRANT
Shows information that we know,
but do not wish to share with
others (our secrets - you do not
have to note this on paper).
unrecognized by know about that person. The individual
ourselves. will note the information in the
corresponding quadrant. Game ends
FOR AN ACTIVITY when everyone has been in the ‘hot
UNKNOWN QUADRANT
Contains information seat’ and at least 3 quadrants have
unknown to ourselves information. 15 minutes
and unknown to others
25 26

OTHER SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOLS

Myers-Briggs - https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-
test
BDC- https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/entrepreneur-
toolkit/business-assessments/pages/self-assessment-test-your-
entrepreneurial-potential.aspx
Keirsey Temperament Sorter -
https://profile.keirsey.com/#/b2c/assessment/start

27 Created by E. Bent 28

BENEFITS OF FEEDBACK

Obtaining feedback is vital to assessments and readjustments;

whether the focus is on identifying personal strengths or
weaknesses or the efficacy of a decision made. APPLYING CREATIVE THINKING
Feedback: TECHNIQUES TO PROBLEM-SOLVING
 reinforce strengths
 change any existing negative self-perception
 increase your chances of becoming a successful entrepreneur

Created by E. Bent 29 Created by E. Bent 30

ES Wk 3 Notes
Prepared by: E Bent 5
 26/1/2021

 A problem is a situation
Small businesses are faced with in which business
problems of varying magnitudes on a ventures have failed to
regular basis, and so, entrepreneurs meet established goals
must know the steps to follow in or guidelines.
making and implementing decisions  Problem-solving is part
in response to the problems of the decision-making
How can knowing help solve process and the
purpose of making
your strengths and problems in a decisions is to
These decisions should be made in a
weaknesses creative way? timely and systematic way if the determine the best
financial health of the business is not alternative for solving a
to be jeopardized. particular problem.
31 32

PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS

It is generally agreed that the most effective problem-solving process
has seven (7) steps, namely: Brainstorming is a technique by
which a group attempts to find a
Monitor
solution(s) to a specific problem by
Implement
and amassing ideas spontaneously
evaluate
Develop a
chosen outcomes (Osborn, 1953); also ideal in
alternative
Decide plan of determining which solution is most
on/ select action
Develop best
effective.
possible alternative
Determine alternatives
possible /solutions
Identify/ causes of
define the problem
problem or
decision
required
Created by E. Bent 33 Created by E. Bent 34

Here are a few steps that you can follow:

With your knowledge of the positive characteristics and ● Identify the critical attitudes and behaviours which affect your
personal traits that are necessary for you to succeed in any performance
entrepreneurial venture, you can now examine how to go ● Set minimum standards for yourself
about making the adjustments that are necessary for you ● Analyze the factors that contribute to performance and their
to succeed with your ambition by applying some of the consequences
creativity and problem-solving techniques that you have
● Conduct your own self-assessment
learnt.
● Get others to assess you
Every individual needs to strive to be the best that he or she ● Compare your self-assessment with the assessment done by
can be in every area of life. This commitment towards self- others
improvement should be everybody’s goal. It pays great ● Take appropriate action
dividends, especially in business! Begin working on yourself. ● Ask yourself if you have the personal aptitude for business or
35 36
Created by E. Bent
entrepreneurial potential.
Created by E. Bent

ES Wk 3 Notes
Prepared by: E Bent 6
 26/1/2021

You may consider the following questions:

• am I a self-starter?
Special Assignment
• can I communicate effectively with others? Reflect on the questions below and then complete the
• can I take responsibility? Action plan.
• can I make sound decisions?  am I a self-starter?
• am I a good organizer?  can I communicate effectively with others?
• am I able to translate ideas into concrete tasks and  can I take responsibility?
outcomes?  can I make sound decisions?
• can I persist when faced with major obstacles?  am I a good organizer?
• am I willing to make sacrifices to gain long-term rewards?  am I able to translate ideas into concrete tasks and
• am I in good health outcomes?
• Complete the action plan template - adopted from ILO Start  can I persist when faced with major obstacles?
Your Business Manual  am I willing to make sacrifices to gain long-term rewards?
Created by E. Bent 37 38

Action Plan
Adopted from ILO Start Your Business Manual
My characteristics & situation What will I do to strengthen them?

My Skills What will I do to strengthen them?

Environmental Concerns What will I do to strengthen them?

Real Interests What will I do to strengthen them?

Created by E. Bent 39 40

Created by E. Bent 41

ES Wk 3 Notes
Prepared by: E Bent 7