Share your experiences taking the Personal Effectiveness Quotient (PEQ) questionnaire from last week and reflect on your results (especially in relation to Covey’s text).
The goal is to be critical, reflective, and specific (using concrete details).
DUE: Tu 3/22
When I started and completed the personal effectiveness quotient (PEQ) survey assigned as part of the ENG 3402 course, I felt that the questions were easy to comprehend. The survey was the moderate length, composed of sixty-five questions, and the answering system was simplistic. Upon completing the PEQ survey, I reviewed the grading scale and my results. My overall PEQ score is 77, my general survey level of effectiveness. The most effective in my survey; The highest level of being my think win-win (85), be proactive (83), my emotional bank account (83), seek first to understand, then to be understood (78), sharpen the saw (78), put first things first (71), synergize (70), begin with the end in mind (68). I have never actively expanded my skills or knowledge of the effectiveness, unintentionally through my personal and professional life experiences and interactions.
To relate my personal story to the theories described by Stephen R. Covey, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, before making the decisions that I made in my life, according to the maturity continuum, I was emotionally and intellectually dependent upon others. I believe that by improving this defect in my effectiveness, all other areas of the
PEQ survey would also improve significantly.
As I was completing the survey I felt as if these questions made me think about real life situations in my life and how I acted. It made me reflect and understand certain factors I wasn’t ready for. I feel as if surveys and assessments like these should be presented to individuals in the world because it’s a time where you get to reflect and understand certain factors that go hand and hand with self help. This survey is presented to make an assessment on those who are either less or more likely to effectively study and practice the 7 habits of highly effective people. There are six parts and each part is broken down into habits. I was less likely to study and practice the 7 habits and I wasn’t really surprised but I feel as I view and see life in a different way due to past experiences. My overall score was 54, for habit 1 was a (53), habit 2 was a (55) habit 3 was a (36), habit 4 was a (60), habit 5 was a (55), habit 6 was a (63), and lastly habit 7 was a (58). My highest score was habit 6 which was an accumulation of 63, in which it goes in depth with Synergize. I can see why this was my highest accumulation due to the fact that I am good with making plans and coming up with ideas in a group where others can also express their ideas and come up with the best work needed. This survey is important to the book because it’s a way in which individuals can see and acknowledge the effective factors presented and what they would be ranked in with the 7 habits and how. This survey was different for me and did help me do some self reflection in where I should better my views towards life and the great components that come with it. As I read the Coveys text this gave me a more clear understanding towards the habits and how they are presented in individuals lives according to him.
This survey to me felt kind of weird. Some of the questions were alright general and simple for me to answer and then there were some I just chose based on how it related to me based on my life. So my overall score I received was a 58 which is extremely lower than I thought. Being proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first were all 53. Emotional bank account was all the way up to 68, think win-win and seek first to understand, then to be understood were both 63. Synergize was a 53 and Sharpen the saw was a 65. Based on this survey results, one thing I took from this is that it makes me seems like I ain’t really a team person which I don’t believe so much because on the other survey teamwork was the fifth strength I have. This connects with 7 Habits by Covey because of how it shows I need to change my own mentally for the overall better outcome for more happiness and better success.
My experience taking the survey was vey interesting. I felt like the questions that was being asked seem so simple like I have done this survey before. However after reviewing the reading of 7 habits and my overall score I fell as I just learned something new about myself. My overall score is 56 ,which according to the effectiveness category is less effective. Habit 1: be proactive 45,Habit 2: begin with the end in mind 55,Habit 3 : put first things first 47, My emotional bank account 58,Habit 4 : think win-win 70, Habit 5: see first to understand then to be understood 63, Habit 6: synergize 53 and Habit 7: sharpen the saw 63. The most effective for me is habit 4 .
While taking the PEQ questionnaire, I was pleased with my results because it connects with my work ethic/ mindset accurately. For instance, the 7 Highly effective habits state the following “Their true, internal motivations will absolutely show up in their decisions and actions-if not immediately, then over time, and certainly under duress-no matter what they say or how they pose” (page 6). This connects to how taking the test was able to create reasoning as to why I do the things I do.
In terms of the result, my highest score overall was an 85, which I barely made it to the Highly effective by one point. I wanted to reflect on my score because it reflects how I can get a job done but there is something (that one point of detail) that doesn’t allow me to be in that constant ‘work energy’. For instance, the section that I scored the highest was on ‘Sharpen the Saw’ a score of 95. This is extremely accurate because I tend to pick up a variety of hobbies/interests for a long time. For example, I would play video games that were ranked based to climb up to be number 1. Not only do I still have that habit, but it connects with wanting to know everything and being the best at it in a short span. Thus, I end up putting a lot on my plate to be ‘prepared’. Covey best describes the ordeal of the matter as follows, “Go in earlier, stay later, be more efficient, live with the sacrifice for now’- but the truth is that balance and peace of mind are not produced by these;” (page 17). This mindset can be beneficial in being open to trying and making discoveries but when making it a priority to know more than the next person will only cause headaches.
My other scores were Synergize (90), Seek First to Understand, then to be understood (90), Think win-win (80), Emotional Bank Account (80), Put first things first (71), Begin with the end in mind (90), be proactive (93). I wanted to focus on my lowest which was the put first things first, I was surprised how it was the lowest but once I looked back on the questions I agreed with the results. In short, procrastination is something I struggle with whenever I put too much on my plate. On the other hand, whenever someone needs help or an emergency arises I usually put everything to the side to help.
Taking this survey made me feel like I was taking some test that I was unaware of. While the questions seemed basic, as I got to each section I felt more and more like I was being tested. Specifically on how I interacted with others. Making me feel more like they were asking “What are you doing wrong?”. There were definitely many questions that effected me, but it definitely felt like there were more that were how I effected others. As I saw the results it was confirmed why I would see it as a test because it graded each category. Where most surveys seem to look to get your answers just to tell you a broad basic understanding of yourself, this one seems more like there are wrong ways to answer things. While I can understand that this survey in relation to Convey is to show what we may improve upon in order to live a happier existence, I believe it could have given a pathway to do so instead of spouting out numbers. It felt more like a “You lack so much, but I am not going to tell you anything other than you failed this one and passed this one.” I don’t think it involves that people are in different stages of their lives or that there are other factors that should be involoved.
The PEQ questionnaire was a simple and easy process, I was asked 65 questions which honestly took less than 30 minutes. Based on how I rated my behavior within each of the 7 Habits, the PEQ reflected my judgment of my personal and interpersonal effectiveness. My overall PEQ score was 64, where many of the categories I was either less effective or mostly effective. The questions that were being asked stood out to me because I never really thought about my life that way, it wasn’t until after answering these question sphere it really hit me. Habit 5, Seek to first understand, then to be understood my overall score was 60, the questions being asked in this category I have difficulty in achieving those. This connects to Covey’s 7 Habits since it demonstrates how I need to adjust my own mentality for a better overall outcome of happiness and success.
One of 5 elements accomplishment is where habit 5 related most to each in my opinion, without trying to understand someone they won’t be able to understand you. Question 42-I am easy to approach with a concern, I answered somewhat disagree, which is something I need to work on, where I cane able to talk to others easily and not have a negative outcome towards it
My number one signature strength from taking the survey was humor followed by self-regulation, creativity, gratitude and bravery. I enjoyed taking the survey, but I feel as though this is just a reflection about myself, and that’s ok, but the problem is that even though I answered all the questions honestly it could be still wrong. I may think I’m certain way or act a certain way but someone being around me can think the opposite.my overall score I believe was a 68, this brought me to a statement a classmate said, “it’s like taking a test” and although there’s no right or wrong answers, they still find a way to tell you how you can improve or what our doing wrong and what u need to do more.
As I took the survey it was interesting because I have been asked these questions by different people who play a different role in my life. In the little chart on the assesment of what I scored on the PEQ survey was an overall score of 74. For the first habit of being proactive I scored an 75. For the secind habit Begin with the end in mind I scored an 80. For the third I scored a 60, for the emotional bank account I scored a 68, for the fourth i scored an 80, for the fifth a 75, for the sixth an 85, and for the seventh a 75. I was weird scrolling and looking through these scores because the first thing that came to mind while scrolling was basically having a score for the way you live life or the way you think about life and certain situations.
My result of the VIA survey seemed very accurate to me and Honesty came out as my first strength. Which means I present myself in a genuine way and act sincerely. People see me as real and what I is what I get. I stick to what I value and what I believe to be true. My second strength is humor which indicates I make other people smile. My 3rd was “love of learning”. Mt 4th is “fairness” which means I treat all people equally according to the notion of fairness and justice. My 5th strength is “perseverance” which means I take pleasure in completing task. I was satisfied with the results.
While taking this survey, It made me think a lot about who I am and how I operate things or interact with others in my life. After taking this survey, and looked at the result, I was almost disappointed. I mean, I know I wasn’t highly effective according to Covey from reading his text “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” but being told that you are not felt somewhat a bit disappointing. Most of my scores fell under mostly effective. My highest score was on emotional bank account, interesting!
CORRECTION
I was definitely surprised at the results that i was given. my overall score was a 62. i say this because we would normally look at them like “duh'” whereas to this survey throws that thought out the window, for example with 60 my results were “I don’t care enough for my physical wellbeing” that shocked me the most because if someone would ask me that question, I would say of course I do, but I understand that there is many other aspect that comes along with that and that is kind of what the survey shows just as the book.