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Tanisha Chapman

April 1, 2024

OGL 482: Pro-Seminar II

Module 4: Thematic Analysis

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A thematic data analysis is defined by Harrington and Hall (2008) as a “thorough data

analysis that will help you find the underlying themes in your self-assessment” (p. 47). Throughout

the creation of this analysis, I learned that I my self-assessments, past work, and professional

projects do not reflect all aspects of the person I thought I was in fact, by looking into the actuality

of these projects, one can see an entirely different model of who I am. While putting this project

together, I have even had to remove themes, due to the lack of evidence I can find supporting them

in my own resources. It is an interesting thing to realize that one is lacking the pieces of evidence

to support the person whom one was assumed to be. The majority of my professional and academic

work can be found in my E-Portfolio created for my pro-seminar class; in addition to the required

portions of work from this pro-seminar, I added the E-portfolio, since it embodied the most

important aspects of my educational and professional career thus far. I believe that through this

process I have been able to accumulate all of the necessary pieces of data to support a thematic

data analysis about myself. I began with a list of all of these data sources. This list can be seen in

the grid below:

Data Source Data Source Citation Code

Career Anchors Assessment CAA
Three Questions 3Qs
Indigo Assessment IA
LMX Self-Assessment LMX
Leadership Traits Questionnaire LTQ
Leadership Strengths Questionnaire LSQ
Leadership Skills Questionnaire LSKQ
Leadership Vision Questionnaire LVQ
Life Story Personal Narrative LSPN
E-Portfolio: Pro-Seminar I EP
E-Portfolio: Professional Goals EPPG
Goal Orientation Survey GOS
Values Checklist VC
Personality Self-Assessment PSA
Skills Assessment SA
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Once I had listed all of these resources, I went through each and every one of them

diligently. I took note of every aspect that related to my personal profile. Multiple times throughout

my projects, I reflected on how an event impacted me; because I was so careful to do this in the

past, it made these resources much more compatible. I used an excel spreadsheet to document the

notes; I was able to use a different tab in this worksheet to separate the data sources. I also was

able to assign each data source a code for easy identification, per project guidelines.

Once I had gone through and noted every instance that I felt reflected my personal profile,

I decided upon themes that fit the patterns formed by these resources. The themes that I chose for

this project are as follows:

Themes

1. Independence

2. Family

3. Leadership

4. Growth

5. Organization

6. Autonomy

7. Fulfilment

8. Goal-Oriented

9. Mindfulness

10. Security and Stability

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As I read through my notes again, I began to mark each number in the cell next to the

paragraph that described my personal profile that corresponded to the aforementioned themes. This

was the way I was able to track my information, and then organize it accordingly. I believe that

the effort I put into this process will be reflected in the thematic data analysis below. Though there

are some aspects of myself that were proven wrong during the process, ultimately, I know that the

best leaders have a high level of emotional intelligence; it is crucial that one knows them self

accurately if they are to be an effective leader.

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Theme 1: Independence

• Watching my mom be a single parent, taught me how to be a strong and independent black

woman at an early age. (LSPN)

• I am attracted to jobs in which independence is possible: research and development, field

sales, data processing, financial analysis, etc. My current role as a Senior Human Resources

Coordinator is mostly data processing. And when I was in the financial industry for 20

years, my roles were geared towards financial analysis. (CAA)

• I seek roles that are considered to be individual contributors as it allows me the freedom of

independence when it comes to the work that I do. (CAA)

Contradictory Evidence

• Although I hold being independent as a badge of honor, I do well working as a team. I

enjoy collaborating and bouncing ideas off others while still being allowed to do my own

work how I best choice to deliver it. (IA)

• I scored high as an extravert, but I am an introvert through and through. (PSA)

Thoughts about the impact of this theme on my personal and professional life

My life has been mostly one of independent victories. I hope that through the entirety of

this thematic data analysis, I have been able to accurately reflect my desire for independent

success. When I am working, I enjoy being a part of a team environment for projects that require

round tabling a situation, however, I like to work on the project independently. As an adolescent,

I valued my independence from my family; my independence is the reason I grew up so quickly,

was able to start working and driving at the earliest age possible.
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Theme 2: Family

• My top five values are growth, having a family, independence, quality relationships, and

security. (VC)

• Growing up in a single parent household it showed me how important family was. We

relied on each other for support through everything. (LSPN)

• My family has been my support system through my on and off journey with school and my

trials and tribulations through divorce. (LSPN)

• Losing people that are close to me makes me scared to get too close to those that I love.

(LSPN)

Contradictory Evidence

• When making family a priority I began to lose focus on who I was and not prioritizing

myself. I’ve learned that there must be balance between the two. I cannot be who I need to

be for my family if I am not who I need to be for myself. You cannot pour from an empty

cup. (LSPN)

Thoughts about the impact of this theme on my personal and professional life

I did not realize that I was running on empty, emotionally, until it was almost too late. I

was literally at a breaking point to where I just wanted to run away and never come back. I wasn’t

happy in my marriage, I wasn’t happy with my job, I wasn’t happy with school, I wasn’t happy

that my family relied on me for everything. It was at that point that I realized it started with me.

Once I started making myself a priority by doing things that made me happy and setting boundaries

with my family, I began to see changes in every aspect in my life. I was genuinely happy, focused,
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engaged at work and with school, getting out and socializing more. I learned how important mental

health is and why it’s important to always make sure I am checking in on myself.
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Theme 3: Leadership

• Melanie Heymans was an influential leader in my life that helped direct me to get my

degree in Organizational Leadership. (LSPN)

• I value competent and confident leadership within the workplace. It allows me to trust their

direction and decision making. (IA)

• Strong leadership challenges me to be better from a leadership aspect. Strong leaders have

the capability to influence others and get buy in, if needed, to move strategic initiatives

forward. (IA)

• Articulate people communicate effectively with others. They can express themselves

precisely and assertively. (LTQ)

• Self-confident people believe in themselves and their abilities. They also tend to be less

defensive and can draw out the best in others. (LTQ)

• Trustworthy people are authentic and inspire confidence. (LTQ)

• Outgoing people talk freely and get along well with others. (LTQ)

Contradictory Evidence

• I am an introvert so being in a leadership position requires me to be upfront a lot of the

times which makes me nervous. (SA)

• Joining a Toastmasters group to work on my public speaking skills. (EPPG)

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Thoughts about the impact of this theme on my personal and professional life

In my personal life, I’ve assumed the leadership role within my family which can be a gift

and a curse at times. I’m thankful that my family knows they can depend on me to get things done

and that I am a person of my word. However, it can be overwhelming when all things falls on you

to do and that is the expectation. I’ve learned that sometimes leadership means that you must

delegate work to other people. At work, I tend to shy away from leading when in a large group

setting. I’m not as confident. I do better when it’s a small group of coworkers that I know.
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Theme 4: Growth

• I am proud of who I am, however, I am not done. I will continue to explore and evolve as

a person and a leader. I will continue to challenge myself to never stop moving forward.

(LSPN)

• Effective feedback and rewarding performance is important to you and your score indicates

that you reinforce good behavior by stressing the importance of rewards and feedback.

(LTQ)

• Ability Emphasis - This perspective suggests that anyone can be a leader in the right

situation if she or he has the desire and the determination to develop the necessary abilities

to be effective. Consequently, this approach stresses the importance of studying and

practicing the important abilities one needs to become the best leader possible. (PSA)

• I love to learn new things and I look for ways in which to help me grow as an individual.

(IA)

• Personal development and signs of growth are what gives me the most joy. Whether they

are shown in myself or people around me, I find it extremely powerful and joyful to see

someone or feel myself work on things to better themselves. (IA)

Contradictory Evidence

• No contradictory evidence.

Thoughts about the impact of this theme on my personal and professional life

My passion for growth has kept me on my path of continuing my education as I am always

learning something in each course that I take. The information that I learn can be implemented not

just in my work life but my personal life as well. Having a growth mindset has allowed me to
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remain open to different ideals that are different from my own. It’s allowed me to view situations

from more than just one perspective. All that I have learned and will continue to learn will be with

me forever.
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Theme 5: Organization

• Conscientious people are thorough, well-organized, and controlled. In addition, they are

perceived as dependable, decisive, neat, and systematic. They act on the basis of ethics or

principles and value doing the “right” thing. Often they are deliberative and goal-oriented.

They take their responsibilities seriously and follow through on them. (LTQ)

• I like planning things such as birthday dinners and vacations months to sometimes a year

in advance. I like to have everything planned out and organized. I feel that this has helped

me navigate a lot of different things in my life such as my career and school. (LSPN)

• Each of my personality-like tests always lead back to how I am an organized and

methodical person. (PSA)

• I am an organized, hard-working planner, and great with time management. These are all

things that continue to shape me as a person in my professional and personal life. (PSA)

• My results for conscientiousness are spot on with how I view myself because I am a very

organized, tidy, and an efficient person both in my professional and personal life. I do not

necessarily need to follow a plan because I can easily adapt, but I do need to-do lists and a

strong sense of motivation. (PSA)

• I am an extremely organized person and find joy in getting to organize something whether

it be tangible or my own thoughts. This organizational mindset opens my eyes to the

smallest of details which is crucial for working efficiently and effectively in any

environment, personal or professional. (3Qs)

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Contradictory Evidence

• Being organized and a planner takes time so at times I can procrastinate and allow things

to fall through the cracks when feeling overwhelmed. (PSA)

Thoughts about the impact of this theme on my personal and professional life

Being organized has helped me stay on track for several things such as my career path. I

plan out my career trajectory as far as what type of positions I want next, and I plan accordingly.

It’s also help me stay focused with school. Ensuring that I know which courses to take that will go

towards my degree and having a course map that I’m able to look at each semester. I tend to plan

pretty good vacations which are very well organized with an itinerary for the entire trip. This all

keeps me sane which is very important.

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Theme 6: Autonomy

• I am attracted to jobs in which independence is possible: research and development, field

sales, data processing, financial analysis, etc. My current role as a Senior Human Resources

Coordinator is mostly data processing. And when I was in the financial industry for 20

years, my roles were geared towards financial analysis. (CAA)

• I seek roles that are considered to be individual contributors as it allows me the freedom of

independence when it comes to the work that I do. (CAA)

• I enjoy the ability to be creative in my work life with how I an do my work. I also enjoy it

when my leader trusts me enough to allow me to have autonomy knowing that I will do the

work and to the best of my ability. (CAA)

Contradictory Evidence

• Having the freedom to be creative with my work tends to slow me down. I can have so

many ideas of how I want the work to get down that I sometimes spin my wheels on making

a decision on which direction I want to take the work. (CAA)

Thoughts about the impact of this theme on my personal and professional life

As a left-handed person, we like to use the creative side of our brains a lot so having

autonomy in the work I do is very valuable to me. It makes me feel like I am leaving a piece of

who I am in the work when it’s done and that’s something that no one can take away. When my

leader has trust in me to have autonomy in my work it builds my confidence in myself that I have

the skills and capabilities needed to be successful in anything that I do.

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Theme 7: Fulfilment

• Strongly identifies with the company and seeks the security of a long-term employment

relationship, regular wages, and a modest progression through the ranks. They show

loyalty, the willingness to change locations if the company and the job require it, and the

acceptance of whatever assignments come along. (CAA)

• Tanisha is the type of person who will accept challenges, and accept them seriously. She is

skilled at observing and collecting data on different subjects. If she has a real passion for a

given subject, she will read and listen to all the available information on the subject. She

uses data and facts to support the big decisions, because it makes her feel more confident

that her decisions are correct. She tends to make her decisions after deliberation and gives

weight to all the pros and cons. Tanisha feels tension when forced to make major decisions

quickly. She sees herself as factual, and "down-to-earth." She is more than casually

interested in "theory." When confronted with a problem she will look for a method, a

formula, a procedure or a system to solve it. She takes pride in her competence or her ability

to understand all the facts of a situation. She is good at concentrating on data while looking

for the best method of solving the problem. She, capable of making daily decisions

routinely, usually becomes cautious about the bigger decisions; she wants to be absolutely

certain her decision is correct. (IA)

• I have three god daughters, Kiya (22), Layla (20) and Jazmine (15). Over the years they

have taught me so much about myself. They taught me a sense of responsibility not only

for myself but for others which has translated to my professional career. (LSPN)

• My god daughters value my opinion when it comes to the things, they do in their own lives

same as work. (LSPN)

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Contradictory Evidence

• No contradictory evidence.

Thoughts about the impact of this theme on my personal and professional life

Fulfillment is something that I have only recently begun to contribute to my life, my

decisions, and my happiness. This concept goes for every aspect of life because if someone or

something does not strike joy and fulfillment within your core, it is not with your time or effort.

This idea ties in with positivity and growth because all three are necessary to create the feeling of

fulfillment.
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Theme 8: Goal-Oriented

• Persistent people stay fixed on their goals, despite interference. They are not deterred by

obstacles or challenges but are pulled forward by a desire to achieve a certain outcome.

(LTQ)

• Conscientious people are thorough, well-organized, and controlled. In addition, they are

perceived as dependable, decisive, neat, and systematic. They act on the basis of ethics or

principles and value doing the “right” thing. Often, they are deliberative and goal-oriented.

They take their responsibilities seriously and follow through on them. (LTQ)

• Furthering my education and getting my bachelor’s degree has been a twenty-five-year

personal goal for me. That is a long time for sure. I would start and take a couple of classes

then stop when I felt like the workload was too heavy. I would allow several years to go by

before I would try to do it again. It was a continued cycle of start then stop. But when I

really got serious about getting my degree, I was determined to see it through this time.

(LSPN)

Contradictory Evidence

• When the work is not a part of my personal goals or career trajectory, I don’t have the same

effort or interest as I would when it’s something that I’m passionate about. Therefore, the

end result may not be as fully thought through or vetted but it does get completed. (GOS)
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Thoughts about the impact of this theme on my personal and professional life

Having goals gives me something to work towards. I am a person who like to learn and

push myself so having goals is a key factor in my life. But once the goals are completed it makes

me have a sense of accomplishment knowing that I set out to do something and followed through.

This is an important aspect to have especially as I desire to continue to grow in my career as a

Human Resources professional.

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Theme 9: Mindfulness

• I realized that I must start making myself a priority. (LSPN)

• For most of my adult life I had always put other people and their needs first. I gave so much

of me to my family, my friends, my ex-husband, my job but didn’t have enough left to pour

into myself. (LSPN)

• Throughout this journey, I have been able to come to understand what interests me and

what sparks joy that will translate into my overall mindset. (3Qs)

• Every day I strive to reach each of these things by practicing mindfulness (3Qs)

Contradictory Evidence

• I can fall into the trap of allowing everyone to rely on me because I like to feel needed.

(LSPN)

Thoughts about the impact of this theme on my personal and professional life

The concept of mindfulness is extremely appealing to me and something that I am so

thankful for the OGL program brought into my life. Mindfulness is a concept that allows you to

be completely present, conscious of the moment, and engaged with the people around you. I used

to be the type of person that was often stuck in my own head. Whether it be overthinking, over

analyzing, dazed, day dreaming, etc., I was all of those things. Mindfulness has broadened my

understanding of what is truly going on around me and who the people are sitting next to me.

Mindfulness has also helped me to prioritize myself so that I can be always in the right mindset.
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Theme 10: Security & Stability

• I strongly identify with the company and seek the security of a long-term employment

relationship, regular wages, and a modest progression through the ranks. (CAA)

• I show loyalty, the willingness to change locations if the company and the job require it,

and the acceptance of whatever assignments come along. (CAA)

Contradictory Evidence

• Strongly rooted in the region, often have most of their family members in the same area,

are active in the community, and may sacrifice promotion and standard of living to avoid

moving from one location to another. (CAA)

Thoughts about the impact of this theme on my personal and professional life

These two have always gone hand and hand for me as an adult. As a kid we moved around

a lot between living with family members to having out our place. As I got older, it was important

to have stability and security in my life. I stay with organizations for a long time as long as I am

growing with the organization. And I don’t like moving so I can live in one place for a long time

if I like the area.

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Personal Vision and Mission Statement

Personal Vision Statement

“Keep Going. Never Stop.”

My personal vision statement incapsulates the mindset that I have had over the last five years. At

times it has been a struggle to continue with pushing through life’s difficulties in order to

accomplish the goals that I had for myself. Some would say that it’s easier to just give up and stop

and I would agree. But I’ve never been the one that liked taking the easy road. I like to create my

own trail and blaze away for others to follow.

Personal Mission Statement

“I am dedicated to leading, learning, and growing in all aspects of life.”

My personal mission statement is a commitment to me. For so long I’ve put others and their wants

and desires first but going forward, things will be different. I want to lead with confidence so that

I can inspire others who may be struggling with putting their priorities first. I am a forever leaner.

I want to continue to challenge and push myself to seek out new leanings no matter what level I

am at in life. And I want to always be mindful of my growth as a person. I feel I have grown and

learned a lot about myself over the last couple of years but that there’s always more growing to do.
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Reference

Harrington, B., & Hall, D. T. (2008). Career management & work-life integration: Using self-

assessment to navigate contemporary careers. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.