LESSON 3: PERSONAL GROWTH PLAN

Chapter 1: Know Yourself — Socrates

Lesson 3: Personal Growth Plan
LESSON 3: PERSONAL GROWTH

For example, all of us, at one time or
PLAN
another, have taken a trip and gotten lost.

What do you do? Do you stop and ask for
directions, look at a map, or call the person at
your destination? Regardless of the method
adaptability
you choose, you must first ascertain, “Where
are you now?” Only then can you discern how
assertion
to get where you are going. The Personal
change orientation
Skills Map offers a way to discover where
deference
you are now and shows you how to get to
emotional
where you want to go.
intelligence

intrapersonal
THE SUCCESS PROFILER
persistence


The Success Profiler is a systematic,

research-based assessment and skill-building
INTRODUCTION
system designed for the following purposes:



Do you want to make more money,
• Adapt to change
have better relationships, be the life of the
party, start a new career, or just lose a few
• Develop leadership skills
pounds? What do you need to do to
• Enhance ability to learn
accomplish your objective? You’ve probably
heard words to this affect: “If you don’t know
• Promote sensitivity/diversity
where you’re going, any road can lead you
• Build teamwork skills
there.” Likewise, if you don’t know where
you are, how do you know which road to
• Prevent violent behavior
choose?



Rather than attempting to address

Most of the success-oriented products
knowledge and skills, this approach focuses
being marketed today focus on the goal and
on the emotional intelligence needed for
tell you how to get there. These programs
success in key emotional skill areas. The
assume that if you “do as they do” you will
assessment will help you identify those skills
be successful, too. The problem with this
you need to develop, those that need
approach is that they don't know you. They
strengthening, and those that can use some
don’t know where you are today, so how can
enhancement.
they give you directions to where you want

to go?

You begin the process of identifying

where you are now by completing a four-part
THE PERSONAL SKILLS MAP
profiler assessment. Once completed, you will

transfer your results onto your personal map.

The Personal Skills Map will help you

identify where you are today and will show
you what you need to know in order to
accomplish your goals.

Unit 3: Foundations for Success

9

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Chapter 1: Know Yourself — Socrates

Lesson 3: Personal Growth Plan
5. Drive Strength/Motivation
The Drive Strength/Motivation scale indi-
cates motivation and goal-setting abilities.
Drive strength shows an ability to marshal
energy and motivation toward the accom-
plishment of personal goals.
6. Decision Making
The Decision Making scale indicates per-
ceived skill in formulating and initiating
effective problem-solving procedures. The

ability to make decisions is a key

ingredient of self-acceptance and positive

The personal map is divided into 14
self-regard.
critical areas — key emotional skills.

7. Time Management
1. Self-Esteem
The Time Management scale assesses
The Self Esteem scale indicates a self-
ability to organize and use time to further
perceived level of personal worth.
individual and career goals. Ability to
Research indicates that it is the most
manage time is an ingredient in self-
fundamental skill and it relates to major
regard, sensitivity to needs, and persever-
aspects of mental health and a healthy
ance in completing tasks.
personality.
8. Sales Orientation/Leadership
2. Interpersonal Assertion
The Sales Orientation/Leadership scale
The Interpersonal Assertion scale indi-
indicates perceived skill in positively
cates how effectively an individual uses
impacting and influencing the actions of
direct, honest, and appropriate expression
other people. The ability to influence
of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in
others in a positive way is an important
dealings with others. It indicates an ability
aspect of leadership/sales.
to be direct and honest in communicating
9. Commitment Ethic
with others without violating the rights of
The Commitment Ethic scale indicates
the other person.
perceived skill in completing projects and
3. Interpersonal Awareness
job assignments dependably and success-
This scale indicates an individual’s eval-
fully. Persons with strong commitment
uation of his or her ability for appropriate
ethic are usually perceived as dependable
social, emotional, and physical distance in
and committed by others, are inner-
verbal and non-verbal interactions with
directed, and persevere in completing
others.
projects regardless of difficulties
encountered.
4. Empathy
The Empathy scale indicates an individ-
10. Stress Management
ual’s ability to sense, understand, and
The Stress Management scale assesses
accept another person’s thoughts, feelings,
perceived skill in managing stress and
and behaviors. Empathy is a primary
anxiety. Persons with skills in managing
characteristic of a skilled communicator.
stress positively are competent managers
Persons with strong empathy tend to be
of time and are flexible, self-assured,
sociable and outgoing.
stable, and self-reliant.
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Unit 3: Foundations for Success

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Chapter 1: Know Yourself — Socrates

Lesson 3: Personal Growth Plan
11. Physical Wellness
The Physical Wellness scale reflects the
extent to which healthy attitudes and
living patterns that are important to
physical health and well-being have been
established. Physical wellness is highly
correlated to positive stress management
and high self-esteem. Persons with high
scores have developed high levels of self-
control over potentially harmful behavior
patterns.
12. Interpersonal Aggression (Anger

Management)

The Interpersonal Aggression scale

On the Personal Map, the 14 key
assesses the degree to which communica-
emotional skills are grouped into five skill
tion styles violate, overpower, dominate,
dimensions. These skill dimensions help you
or discredit another person’s rights,
identify your strengths and weakness in
thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. High
intrapersonal skills (those that occur by
interpersonal aggression is related to the
yourself), interpersonal skills (those that
personality characteristics of rebellious-
occur with others), any problematic behavior
ness, resentment, and oversensitive
that needs to be addressed, and your willing-
response to real or imagined affronts.
ness to change (adaptability).
13. Interpersonal Deference (Fear

Management)

The first skill dimension is Intra-
The Interpersonal
Deference scale
personal Skill and includes the Self Esteem
measures the degree to which communica-
emotional skill. This skill dimension is related
tion style is indirect, self-inhibiting, self-
to how you evaluate and accept yourself as a
denying, and ineffectual for the accurate
person.
expression of thoughts, feelings, and

behaviors. High interpersonal deference is

The second skill dimension is Inter-
related to the personality characteristics of
personal Skills and consists of the Assertion,
apprehensiveness, shyness, and over-
Awareness, and Empathy emotional skills.
sensitivity to threat or conflict.
This skill dimension is related to how you
interact with others and how you tend to
14. Change Orientation (Comfort Level)
communicate in stressful situations.
The Change Orientation scale indicates

the degree of motivation and readiness for

The third skill dimension is Career/
change in the skills measured by The
Life Skills and consists of the Drive Strength/
Personal Skills Map. A high score indi-
Motivation, Decision Making, Time Manage-
cates dissatisfaction with current skills
ment, Sales Orientation/Leadership, and
and a strong conviction of the need to
Commitment Ethic emotional skills. This skill
make personal changes.
dimension focuses on skills that are important

in effectively managing your daily environ-
ment and school demands.

Unit 3: Foundations for Success

11

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Chapter 1: Know Yourself — Socrates

Lesson 3: Personal Growth Plan

The fourth skill dimension is Personal
CONCLUSION
Wellness Skills and consists of the Stress

Management and Physical Wellness

Whether you are satisfied with your
emotional skills. This skill dimension is
current skill level or desire a change, knowing
extremely important in both emotional and
where you are today can help you map a plan
physical well-being.
that leads you toward your goals.



The fifth skill dimension is Problem-
It’s nice to know that our personal
atic Behavior and consists of the Interpersonal
skills are changeable and that we are capable
Aggression and Deference emotional skills.
of learning and growing throughout our life.
This skill dimension provides an indication of
If you are ready to strengthen or enhance your
behaviors that negatively affect personal
current skills, have persistence in your
mental health and career effectiveness.
efforts, and use the results of the assessment

to help guide you toward your personal goals,

At the bottom of the Personal Skills
you will become a better, well-rounded
Map is the Personal Change Orientation
individual.
category. This score indicates your motivation

and willingness to change behavior.


High scores on the Personal Skills
Map indicate that you are aware of a need to
improve your personal skills. It is possible
that this awareness has caused some increased
stress and anxiety in your life. Conversely, a
low score on the map indicates that you are
satisfied with your current interpersonal and
intrapersonal skills and behavior.

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Unit 3: Foundations for Success

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