OL 125 Final Project ESSAY

OL 125 Final Project

Overview

With unstable economies becoming increasingly more common, businesses look to different aspects of their company to save money, improve performance, and boost their position amongst their competitors. One of the most important areas of focus is human relations, which directly influences productivity,

motivation, and employee retention. In order for you to succeed professionally, you will need to develop a special set of human relations skills that includes selfawareness,

strong leadership qualities, the ability to motivate, and the ability to facilitate communication.

Your final project in this course will be a reflection on yourself in your organization and at Southern New Hampshire University. You will analyze your own

strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats as they pertain to your own leadership skills as well as identify appropriate skills that contribute to influencing

workplace productivity, engagement, and motivation. The final deliverable will be a plan with three goals and action steps that you have determined are the best

fit for you as a leader.

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

? Explain how individual personality, perception, leadership styles, and self-concept influence human relations in informing the development of a personal

leadership philosophy

? Explain how the communications process in leadership situations affects positive human relations

? Illustrate how the relationship between motivation, stress, and time management influences workplace dynamics

? Identify appropriate human interaction skills necessary for managers to positively influence productivity

Prompt

Based on your knowledge of human relations, you will write a paper addressing the different factors that have influenced your leadership philosophy, including

personality, perception, leadership styles, and self-concept. In addition, you will examine how your leadership philosophy impacts your understanding of the

communications process, workplace dynamics, and management skills.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Personality and Self-Concept: In this section, you will devote one detailed paragraph to your identified strengths and weaknesses as you consider future

leadership opportunities. You may draw from your SWOT analysis in your responses. Please be sure to address the following in the two sections of your

paragraph:

A. Strengths: Discuss the aspects of your personality and self-concept that serve as a particular strength as you consider your future leadership

opportunities. Why are these important to you and to others you may be leading?

B. Areas of Improvement: Conversely, what aspects of your personality and self-concept may lead to difficulties in your future work as a leader?

What areas of improvement have you identified?

II. Human Interaction Skills: In two paragraphs, you will identify at least two skills—drawing from your course readings and your own experiences—that can

positively influence workplace productivity, engagement, and/or motivation. In your discussion of each skill, be sure to address the following questions underneath the skill:

A. Description of Skill: What is this skill, and how is it used in personnel management?

B. Engagement and Motivation: How specifically would this skill positively impact engagement or motivation?

C. Intended Impact: How specifically does this skill positively influence workplace productivity?

III. Personal Development Plan: Finally, you will bring together your reflections on personality, self-concept, and human interaction skills in order to create

actionable steps for your future as a leader. First, include a final paragraph answering the first prompt below. Then, identify three goals to enhance your

skills as a leader.

A. First, reflect on how this experience has helped shape your personal leadership philosophy. Be specific.

B. Next, using the provided plan template, identify relevant goals to enhance your skills as a leader, action steps to achieving those goals, potential

obstacles you may face, and a plan to overcome those obstacles.

Milestones

Milestone One: Personality and Self-Concept

In Module Two, you will provide an initial self-reflection that discusses your own strengths as well as areas you feel you may need to improve. You will consider

how these aspects of your personality and self-concept will allow you to improve your skills in a future leadership role. This milestone will be graded with the

Milestone One Rubric.

Milestone Two: SWOT Analysis

In Module Four, you will perform a SWOT analysis. The SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis will help you determine more information about where your additional strengths and weaknesses lie. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.

Final Submission: Personal Leadership Reflection

In Module Seven, you will describe your personal leadership philosophy and then examine how that leadership philosophy informs your use of the communications process, understanding of workplace dynamics, and management skills. Draw from the feedback you received from your completed assignments throughout this course, and use the provided Personal Leadership Reflection Template to complete the final project. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.

The Career Connection: Students are also encouraged to share their reflections with SNHU Career, both throughout the term and once they have completed their reflections. Our career advisors are aware of this assignment and are looking forward to working with you in using this plan to help you find your best career fit. You can reach SNHU Career by emailing cocecareer@snhu.edu, calling 888-672-1458, or utilizing their extensive online resources. Be sure to identify yourself as an OL 125 student.