Communicative

Practice effective oral and written communication by conveying complex ideas and information in a coherent and professional manner, utilizing technology as appropriate.

ARTIFACTS

REFLECTION

Included as an artifact for learning objective communication is homework assignment #1 which was a written analysis of several hypothesis. This assignment was part of the course work for IDS 802. IDS 802 Ways of Knowing is a core course within the MPS OL program. While this was not one of my favored courses the coursework was interesting and challenging.

I found the course fascinating as it involved so much analytical thinking, critical analysis, and logical approaches to questions, current events, and situations which I often find to be emotionally charged. Because I find this type of thinking and approach foreign the coursework was challenging and yet personally fulfilling as I made the effort to think about different situations in a more logical and scientific way.

Non-inferential knowledge, deductive inference, non-deductive inference, hypothetical logical reasoning, measurability of phenomena, constancy of numerical relationships, analogical arguments…the list can go on with the multitude of ways to logically approach conundrums. These differing approaches have improved my ability to communicate with improved clarity and engage more effectively in challenging conversations.

The second artifact included is the integration essay from IDS 805. As noted previously IDS 805 was an elective course with study on 21^st century global challenges. While I believe I successfully integrated the various course materials and my independent research on food as a scarce global resource I did miss the mark on this assignment by not clearly defining my thesis. The integration of so much research and so many resources was challenging and yet I believe my final product communicates the integration well.

The third artifact included for review is an article critique as part of coursework from LDRS 801. Being my first graduate level leadership course and the first article which required my critical analysis; I was nervous. I find myself struggling with conceptual ideas as I am a hands-on-learner; however, I was pleased with the result of this first of several critical analysis assignments. I have been blessed with a strong writing ability which has improved over the course of my educational pursuits.

The final artifact is a video presentation created as part of coursework in LDRS 670 Leadership and Personal Development. This course was the second cognate completed during my program experience. In considering an experience which I could create a video presentation on I decided upon the described experience which provided the catalyst for applying for my current position at BHSF. Following the interaction described I realized that the company, leaders, and department that I worked for was misaligned with my current personal beliefs (and learning from FHSU) regarding effective leadership. The disease within the organization was systemic and it was time for me to seek out an organization, leader, and team that more closely aligned with what I had learned in leadership studies at Fort Hays.

The experience outlined in the video was pivotal and defining. As a result of this experience on Christmas day of 2021 I applied for a leadership role within a new organization. The experience outlined in this video along with the knowledge gained from completed courses in the MPS OL program prepared me to successfully interview for the desired position. Additionally, I was able to smoothly and effectively move into the new organization, new department, and new team which more closely aligns with my new found knowledge of leader/leadership concepts, theories, approaches, and practices.

References

Carnegie, D. (1981). How to win friends and influence people. New York: Simon and Schuster.