Goals, Learning Styles, and GEM
Everybody learns in different ways and prefers to communicate in different ways. This is why, as people continue to learn as students in college or as employees in the work force, it is very important to understand the learning styles and preferences of ourselves and those of others. Tests like the Gilbert Work Preference Indicator Report (GEMS) help bring into focus many traits such as learning styles and flexibility, rating those areas where people are strong or weak. This helps people to decide what kind of career or work they will find most fulfilling. I found my own GEMS report to be very interesting and it confirmed things I know about myself as well as highlighted some areas I had not before considered.
I am seeking a college degree because I feel strongly about being well educated. However, besides my personal values, college degrees lead to higher lifetime earnings, as researchers from Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce confirmed in a study (Debusmann ¶ 2). Having a college degree is increasingly essential not only in acquiring a good job, but also in maintaining job stability. I envision myself in a management position in an innovative company, and a college degree is necessary for that.
My learning style has always been strongest when listening to instructors in class or to others in conversation. Although reading a textbook or class notes is helpful for me as well, I retain the most information simply by paying attention to a speaker. A study group where there is a lot of discussion is another way I enjoy learning and practicing skills. If I am in charge of a group for a project, I know when things are going as planned by listening to feedback from others in the group.
My Grand Type as described by the GEMS report is “Results Oriented Team Player – Team Captain.” Overall, I think the description of me provides an accurate representation of the type of person that I am. For example, I definitely prefer to work with a team of people, I am goal oriented, and I prefer to be in charge of situations. The two sections that I disagree with slightly are the Task Specificity (TASC) rating on which I scored 83% and the Flexible (FLEX) rating on which I scored 48%. TASC means I like having clear guidelines and knowing expectations, which is true, but more so when I am not in a position of leadership. I believe I scored high on TASC because more often as a student, I am not in a leadership position. As for FLEX, one of the reasons I enjoy leadership is because it offers me more flexibility in setting expectations for others and myself. All of the other categories describe me very accurately.
The GEMS survey provides a lot to think about in terms of my career goals. It confirms for me that my desire to be in a management position in an innovative company is a good decision. It also gave valuable examples of how I can use knowledge of learning styles in general to assist in my management career. For example, while I am an “Aural” learner and prefer listening to reading manuals, people I work with may be “Visual” learners and prefer reading in order to gain information. Therefore, as a manager, when I have a meeting I should also provide handouts or visual aids so that all employees have the best chance of retaining the necessary information. A final thought I had after reading all the information and contemplating it is that I might even prefer to own my own business rather than work for someone else.
References
Debusmann, Bernd Jr. (5 Aug 2011). Education Pays Off in Better Jobs, Higher Salaries. Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/05/us-education-earnings-idUSTRE7746CW20110805
