I know myself, or so I thought.

I have a completely different

perspective of myself from the time I landed in Canada on
December 22, 2023. Nothing has been the same for me since
I embarked on a new journey as an international student in
Canada from Punjab. There are sides of me that are
surprisingly new to me, and there are things that I am still
learning. What surprised me the most is the extent of self-
awareness I have developed in just a month and a half
through this course and my experience living here. There are
things I already knew about myself, and there are things that I
have learned as I have acclimatized myself to a different
culture and lifestyle. My Self-Awareness and Self-
Management Capabilities Most importantly, I have enjoyed
doing the questionnaires from the Building Management
Skills book because, although not always right, some points
were just spot on. Let's take the Johari Window to enhance
Self-Awareness as an example. Based on the assessment
instrument in the text, my score for self-disclosure was 12
and 14 for soliciting feedback, which results in a little higher
in the Unknown (IV) quadrant of the Johari Window. Johari
Window is a tool that illustrates the value of soliciting
feedback and self-awareness for enhancing self-awareness
[CITATION Ric133 \p 86 \l 1033 ]. The Unknown (IV) quadrant
of the Johari Window tells us about our feelings, aptitudes,
experience, latent abilities, etc. that we do not know about
ourselves, and it is also not known by others [CITATION
PRO18 \p 2 \l 1033 ]. And that is true though. There are many
sides of me that I didn't know about. For example, I used to
think that I am a procrastinator. However, that is not the case.
And of course, how else would other people know that I am a
procrastinator? So that also relates to the Unknown (IV)
quadrant of the Johari window. According to the text,
procrastination refers to the delay in
completing or starting intended tasks or plan of action for
which the delay might lead to negative consequences
[CITATION Daf13 \p 128 \l 1033 ]. Since coming to Canada, I
have had excellent control of my time, and I have self-
managed myself reasonably well. Juggling between my
semester courses and the part-time job has been hectic, but I
have managed to cope well. I wasted no time finding a job
upon landing here. Through sheer determination and
persistence, I took upon a part-time job just two weeks after
landing. I knew in the back of my head that I cannot afford to
delay my course works as the number of assignments and
quizzes kept dropping on my shoulder in addition to a
shortened summer semester. I have clarity of mind and clarity
of my objectives. According to the text, clarity of mind tells us
that we cannot focus as much if we are carrying too much
around in our heads [CITATION Ric134 \p 124 \l 1033 ]. And I
have been able to achieve mental clarity by not overthinking
but thinking about one task at a time as it came by. I am clear
about my objectives. I know what I need to do to accomplish
my objectives. Of course, I had to verify my degree of
procrastination. So, I took the self- management
questionnaire and assessment in the text. Not surprisingly
though, I scored only 7 for procrastination, which is at the
bottom quartile, and scored 12 and 14 respectively for Meta
Cognition and Self-Reflection, and Higher Cognition, which
illustrates a higher level of self- management. Perhaps, the
most powerful learning moment in this course was when I
learned about the step- by-step guide to self-management
[CITATION Ric1311 \p 125 \l 1033 ]. Perhaps, it is what helped
me succeed in managing my time effectively. I knew about
the steps, but I never actually applied them in practice until
recently. In all honesty, it completely changed how I manage
my time with lesser stress. I empty my head and collect all
the things I need or want to do. Then I
decide which tasks should I defer or do based on their
priorities and urgency. I keep an organized schedule of my
commitments on google calendar and notepad on my cell
phone. I use my phone because it is easier to access through
the phone. Finally, I decide the correct time to complete the
tasks ahead of time so that I can save my energy on that
specific day or time for the required task. My Personality Not
surprisingly, the stress assessment in the text revealed what I
was already expecting. My comparative data for conscious
stress level was 7 which is at the bottom quartile. It reflects
the level of stress I consciously experience. To corroborate,
my score from the assessment also revealed that I am a Type
B personality person, which means I am a more placid and
relaxed type of person. However, there is one major thing
that contributed to my lower level of stress and nonchalance.
It is the level of support I received from my friends and
relatives after landing in Canada. Expectedly, the assessment
also revealed I have a high level of support (14-top quartile).
Starting from getting my Sim card to getting my Presto and
Bank accounts and even groceries, my friends were there by
either giving me crucial information or even giving me rides
whenever I needed them. I couldn't be more grateful. My
Problem-Solving Style Other findings were also spot on, and I
could relate very well. The creative problem-solving style
assessment revealed that I am a balanced innovator and
adaptor style person. In the innovator style, people like to
discover new alternatives by challenging basic assumptions.
The adaptor style likes to try out and improve on something
that already exists. This style depends on using
creativity to improve a work method or technology that is
already in use [CITATION Ric135 \p 168-169 \l 1033 ].
Surprisingly, my previous job title is called Creative Marketer,
where I frequently used both approaches to either solve a
problem, complete a project, or even train new onboarding
members. My Motivations Speaking of my previous job,
another theory I learned in this course that I can relate to
professionally and personally level is Maslow's Hierarchy of
Needs Theory. According to the need motivation assessment,
my scores are very high in every dimension of this theory,
which means my needs are being met as I progressed
towards addressing more secondary needs higher up the
pyramid. Abraham Maslow propounded the theory of human
needs in the human environment in the society [CITATION
DrE17 \p 15 \l 1033 ]. Currently, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
focuses on the motivation of people by seven levels of needs
namely: Physiological needs, Safety needs, Love and
belongingness needs, Esteem needs, Self-Actualization needs,
Understanding needs, and Aesthetic needs [CITATION
DrE171 \p 17 \l 1033 ]. An IT firm called M2SYS Technology,
where I have worked for almost two years, served my basic
needs to the fullest. I was provided with subsidized breakfast,
lunch as well as snacks during my office hour. Water was
available, air-conditioning was good, and the seating
arrangements gave me enough comfort to help me focus on
my actual tasks [CITATION Riy22 \l 1033 ]. This was fulfilling
my physiological needs, human basic needs that are critical
for human living, such as food, water, clothing, shelter, etc.
[CITATION DrE172 \p 19 \l 1033 ]. Next, my organization also
required me to sign a bond that stated I would be
permanently employed as a full-time. This provided me with
job stability and security. And the remuneration
package was also very attractive. Hence, safety needs were
met [ CITATION Riy22 \l 1033 ]. On the job, safety needs can
be referred to safe work, fringe benefits, and job security
[CITATION Ric136 \p 271-272 \l 1033 ]. In addition to working
at M2SYS, I have also worked at one of the biggest
telecommunication service providers in Bangladesh, called
Banglalink. Both companies gave me the feeling that I belong
there. My coworkers were friendly, cooperative, and caring.
When I was emotionally content, I was motivated to work
more productively. And yes, I was quite upset when I left
these companies to pursue other goals as I thought maybe I
wouldn't receive such treatment in other places. This is an
example of belongingness[ CITATION Riy22 \l 1033 ]. And of
course, my works were appreciated and valued. My
coworkers and even the top management valued my
presence and respected me and my work to the extent that
they would provide me with certain job flexibilities like
working from home when I felt ill or sick, hence satisfying my
self-esteem needs[ CITATION Riy22 \l 1033 ]. And finally
comes self-actualization needs. After I felt that my needs at
the bottom of the pyramid have been satisfied, I am now
motivated to fulfill my need to continue higher education and
seek personal growth, as well as gain more experience as I
travel across the world. Hence, I have taken on a journey to
come to Canada as an international student in the pursuit of
better education and lifestyle. It is also fulfilling my need to
understand as I was always curious about what it feels like
living in Canada. Understanding need refers to the desire of
people to know the human environment[CITATION DrE173 \p
23 \l 1033 ]. In addition, the theory also mentions aesthetic
needs, and I couldn't relate any better. I love fashion. I keep
up with the trend. I love good sneakers and fashionable
clothing[ CITATION Riy22 \l 1033 ].
My Soft Power Another theory that piqued my interest is Soft
power. I believe I exert more of the referent power, which
stems from an individual's personality characteristics that
command others' identification, respect, and admiration so
much that people want to emulate that individual [CITATION
Ric137 \p 312 \l 1033 ]. Maybe it is because I used to feel that
my colleagues in my previous job used to like me and wanted
to learn from me. My Coaching and Delegation Capabilities
With that being said, I would like to improve my coaching and
delegation skills. I believe that coaching skills are essential to
becoming an effective manager. I would like to improve my
non- directive coaching skills and follow the coaching model
to enhance my managerial capabilities. However, the findings
from the delegation and perfectionism assessment were
shocking. Because I believe that I generally delegate tasks
well. Whether it's a course group task or a workgroup, I find it
easy to direct and delegate tasks to my members. Usually, I
play the team leader role. But I remember my professor
telling me during the class that perfectionists generally do
delegate tasks well. I scored 14 for delegation where the
mean score is 14.9 and scored 13 for perfectionism where the
mean score is 12.9. Well, of course, I set a high standard for
myself and that might explain the high score in perfectionism.
As a future manager, I would like to try the non-directive
coaching style and the coaching model in practice. The non-
directive coaching style involves people learning for
themselves to improve performance and mitigate any
weaknesses that hinder them from becoming outstanding
employees [CITATION Ric138 \p 341 \l 1033 ]. The coaching
model has five simple steps starting with preparing mentally
to reaching a coaching agreement, setting broad goals,
gathering information, and finally ending
with collecting and providing useful feedback. I believe these
two concepts can be critical if I want to become an effective
manager one day. Delivering Bad News Another concept that
I like and would like to try in practice is using the ITELS model
to deliver bad news. I am usually bad at delivering bad news.
I generally try to avoid a discussion where I must deliver the
bad news. As abovementioned, I try to avoid conflicts, and
therefore, I face difficulties when I have to deliver the bad
news. The ITELS model is simple. The first stage speaks about
introduction where I have to set the stage by presenting the
topic. The next step is talking. Here, it speaks about directly
delivering the bad news instead of beating around the bush,
which I normally tend do to. The next step is empathizing,
and I generally have the natural ability to understand how the
person is feeling. The next step is listening. The ability to
listen is essential. I have met a lot of people who get things
off their chest by just talking. And when I listened, they
appreciated it. The last step is solving, which speaks about
offering assistance if I can be of any help and by following
through with my commitment [CITATION Ric139 \p 380 \l
1033 ]. My Cultural Intelligence Finally, I will conclude my
paper by reflecting upon my cultural intelligence. As an
international student, it is essential that I understand this
topic very well. Cultural intelligence refers to a person's
ability to relate and work effectively in diverse cultural
situations [ CITATION Jan \l 1033 ]. I have never had any
problem communicating with others from a different culture.
I have traveled around the world and found it easy to
communicate with other people. Now that I am in Canada, I
am meeting more new people from different cultures.
Cultural intelligence includes
three components, namely cognitive, emotional, and
physical. These three components work hand in hand
[CITATION Ric1310 \p 522 \l 1033 ]. A high cultural
intelligence quotient (CQ) requires people to be open and
receptive to new ideas and approaches[CITATION Ric139 \p
522 \l 1033 ]. I know that I am very open to new ideas and
approaches, which can also be linked to openness to new
experiences from the Big Five Model of Personality [CITATION
Ric1312 \p 88 \l 1033 ]. Speaking of new experience, I
volunteered for the Trent Convocation yesterday and it was
very new experience for me. Expectedly, I scored high on the
cultural intelligence assessment, with 11 and 12 respectively l
points for Head or Cognitive CQ and Heart or Emotional CQ.
However, I scored less for Body or Behavioral CQ. That is
because I believe that I have my own identity. I wouldn't want
to change my behavior just to tune in with people from
different cultures. With all being said, developing my cultural
intelligence further is essential as I continue to strive for
success in a foreign land. Nonetheless, this course has taught
me more than I expected. I hope the concepts I have learned
in this course stay with me for as long as I apply them in
practice. To my surprise I am now more aware of my
strengths and weaknesses. Or am I? That remains to be seen.
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