Closer Look at the Council

For our final unit in Systems and Models, we studied I-O Psychology, specifically its history, relevance, systems dynamics, and an organization’s ability to attract and serve its employees. Psychology has been around since the 4th century but wasn't considered a legitimate science until the APA was formed in 1892. I enjoyed this unit because it made me think more about what is important to look for when getting a job and what types of places I may want to work for in the future. For our last action project we each chose a part of the school to focus on and then were assigned to create a SWOT based on that part. I’m proud of my final result because it was about a part of the school that I am a part of and think is very important, so I was glad I got to represent it.

AG . Examples of Maslow's hierarchy implemented by Student Council . 2016

For my SWOT I focused on the Student Council. As President of the Student Council, I have a great insight on how everything is run and what strengths and weaknesses there are. When thinking about this group, you must also think about the “Tragedy of the Commons,” which is the potential to abuse a shared opportunity and everyone shares the consequences. There are multiple different commons in my scenario. One of those would be time; the Student Council meets each Thursday during lunch, which is an hour long. However, Falcon Fiesta got added to the schedule making lunch 55 mins. We then allow the Council members 10 minutes to get lunch, cutting our time down to 45 minutes. If Falcon Fiesta runs longer, or if members take extra time getting lunch, that affects everyone else on the Council because we can’t fully start without all the members. It also interrupts the discussion every time someone walks in late. Another example of the commons would be the entire student body. The Student Council is the student body’s representation on any issues; if the representatives of the school aren’t doing their job, then the entire student body, and in turn the entire school, is impacted.

The way the Council solves problems reminded me of Six Sigma. They have two processes for improvement, DMAIC process consists of: define, measure, analyze, improve, and control; the DMADV process consists of: define, measure, analyze, design, and verify. The DMAIC is for existing processes that aren’t meeting expectations and the DMADV is to develop new processes or products. I compared this to the way we look at issues in Student Council and how we implement policies, we pretty much used the same steps. I also saw similarities to Total Quality. A part of the Total Quality Management definition is “In a TQM effort, all members of an organization participate in improving processes, products, services, and the culture in which they work,” this is what members of the Council do as well. I was glad to notice these comparisons because I feel that it validates how the Council works. If this is how these big, well known, companies run things, it must be effective.

When interviewing people about the Student Council, I got a lot of positive comments which reminded me of all the strengths the Council has. I wanted to get a range of feedback so I made sure to interview a student on the Council as well as one that is not on the Council. Similarly when interviewing the staff, I wanted to interview the teacher who is present at all Council meetings as well as someone who only sees the external effects of the Council. JM, the Student Council Vice-President, stated that “The Student Council is a really helpful tool for communicating with teachers. A lot of times there are issues in classes that have easy solutions but the class doesn’t feel comfortable telling the teacher because we don’t want to negatively affect the classroom dynamic. Through the Council, we’re able to respectfully let a teacher know about any issues and what solutions we have come up with.” BKJ said “I feel like it finally gives us a voice” which I was very glad to hear. Hiu told me that “Spirit week was awesome” but also suggested that “more events like that should be put on, not enough community action from the Student Council”. I thought her suggestion was really good and decided to get some more advice from people on how to improve the Council. Jamie who is present at all meetings suggested: “The Council should collaborate more frequently on projects that will directly engage students and staff to build community.” Eric also pointed out to me a really interesting opportunity I had never considered before, the opportunity to meet and talk with Student Councils at other schools in order to learn from each other.

I was thinking about possible solutions to the Council’s weaknesses and possible threats. I wanted a solution that related to systems thinking, so that we really solved the root of the problems. One of the issues that I thought was really important to think about more closely was the lack of communication between the Council and the rest of the student body. I thought a good solution that would actually solve the issue is a mandatory sort of exit slip at the end of every two weeks. This way everyone would get a chance to say what they think, and it would be anonymous so they would be able to tell us things that they might not have felt comfortable letting us know one on one. This would be really beneficial to the entire school because it will address more issues to the Council and give us the opportunity to help come up with solutions for these issues. Another issue I came up with a systems thinking solution for was not having a designated space, which causes confusion and some members to not show up due to not knowing where to go. A solution to this would be to have a set space in the new building where we are already scheduled to meet each week and cannot have the space taken from us. This will remove confusion and thanks to that more members will show up. The more members show up, the more insight the Council has on new issues and the more minds we have available to help brainstorm solutions.


Works Cited

• Koppes, Laura L. "What Is I-O?" A Brief History of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Inc.-. SIOP. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
• McLeod, Saul. "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs." Simply Psychology. 2007. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
• T.L. Brink. (2008) Psychology: A Student Friendly Approach. "Unit One: The Definition and History of Psychology." pp 9 Web. 18 Mar. 2016
• "Total Quality Management (TQM)." TQM. ASQ. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
• "What Is Six Sigma?" ISixSigma. ISixSigma. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.

Prohibition

For our second unit of Systems and Models, Groups, we looked at how ones’ behavior changes when in the presence of others and whether or not they are aware of this change. We looked at trends and group dynamics and what makes them work. My favorite part of this unit was the different team building activities we tried out, they were really fun and really helped us come together. For our action project we had to conduct an experiment for a research study. I’m proud of how my action project turned out, because it was a topic difficult for people to discuss sometimes, and I know my form made some people uncomfortable, so I’m really glad I was able to complete it and how it turned out.

Giving

For our first unit of Systems and Models, a STEAM class that studies people and their roles in society, we self-reflected by taking a range of personality assessments. Each of these assessments brought to light something new such as how we deal with conflict or what our motivations are. I very much enjoyed taking these tests because they made me realize things that I wouldn’t have otherwise. For our action project, we were assigned to create a self portrait using any type of art that shows how we see ourselves and reflects some of the information we gained from this unit. I’m proud of the things I’ve learned this unit because, after reflecting on them, I have been striving to be more conscious of my actions and reasonings.

Title: Giving
Medium: Video
Length of Video: 2 minutes and 9 seconds

With all the tests we took, I had results that reflected how social I am. One of the tests we took was the Enneagram test which tests your motivations. My result was a Six - Loyalist, which is someone who would do anything for their closest friends. I was also very close to being a Two - Helper, which is someone who strives to help people and be kind to everyone. Both of these are very true for me; I’m a very social person who always tried to help others and I definitely would do anything for those closest to me. Sixes are described as “reliable, hard-working, responsible, and trustworthy” and Twos are described as “friendly, generous, and self-sacrificing,” again all traits that the people in my life tend to describe me as. I care about helping others and making sure others are happy, because other people’s happiness leads to my own.

In the work setting, I got similar results: someone who is very social. The DiSC test, an assessment of how one interacts with others in a work environment, reinforced that. I got the result S/i a blend of Supportive and Inspiring traits, which describes me as people-oriented and as trying to solve conflict. At work, this is exactly how I am; in fact my actual job is basically that. Instead of having an exact role, I just help with everything around the office. Anything my boss and coworker need me to do, I do. Any issues that arrive, I solve. I have a number of roles depending on who needs what each day, and that just shows even more so, that I am someone who does all that I can to help others.

Another test we took in class was the Myers Briggs Test which tells you which personality type you are out of 16. My result was ENFP, which is Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Prospecting. Some of the terms used in a longer explanation of my personality were “compassionate”, “connect emotionally with others, giving them cherished insight into what motivates their friends and colleagues”, “empathy and sociability”, “ such strong people skills”, and “supportive”. Once again, the results showed that I am a social person who cares about the wellbeing of others. There were different categories that you could choose to look at deeper, I explored all of them to see how I related to others. It told me that outgoing types gravitate towards me but that I also strive to get to know more reserved people. It also stated that I am someone who knows how to be friends with all different types of people and all types of different groups and that I am someone who boosts moral in different types of settings.

One of the tests I that took outside of class, was What Divergent Faction Would You Be In? While this may not be as accurate as the ones assigned to us in class, it showed me similar results. I was put in the faction Candor, which revolves around Honesty above all else and doing the right thing. I don’t think I value this as seriously as those in the movie who can come off as cold and putting honesty before people’s well-being, but I do think honesty is important and that it is an important trait to have when it comes to others.

Aside from all the tests we took, we also looked at many different case studies. The one that grabbed my attention the most was the Stanford Prison Experiment because it showed that, in the right situation, everyone has an evil side. I tried to put myself in that scenario and I can’t imagine myself ever acting the way the guards did; I couldn’t even inflict any sort of psychological torture. I’m sure I’d enjoy being in power but I know my limit and what line not to cross and I don’t understand how some people don’t have that restraint or why anyone would want to act that way. Similarly, there was a study done at Yale, with a “teacher” and “learner” where the teacher is being told to shock the learner. I understand this one more because you assume that authoritative people know what they are talking about and we are taught to listen to them. However, I know myself and know that I wouldn’t be able to do that to anyone. I am a vegetarian because I can’t think of animals being hurt and if I can’t hurt animals I definitely couldn’t personally cause pain to any people either.

My self portrait is a video clip of my life: an action of service for the people around me. I decided to bake, wrap, and give my loved ones cookies, which I felt it perfectly represents my life, and all the results I got. I am someone who does things for others to try to make them happy and just to be nice. The reason I chose to give them to the few people that I did is because they are the people in my life closest to me and the people I care about the most; they are the people whose happiness I care about the most. As a Loyalist, it is hard to become someone who is very close to me, but once you are one of those people, I would do anything for you. While I have hundreds of friends, I didn’t go and give them all cookies because there are less than a handful of those friends who are a part of my close circle.

The purpose of my project was to show what kind of a person I am while at the same time making the people I love happy. I wanted to do something that wasn’t just ordinary art, and something that would allow me to go out into the world and do something positive. In an interview I conducted with an experienced artist, I was advised to create something with a purpose and make it clear why it is important to me. I might not have made a huge impact on the world with this project, but I know I made four people’s days a little bit brighter and that all I need to make me happy. I hope watching this video provokes people to think about their loved ones, and inspires them to take the time to go out and do something nice for those loved ones.


Works Cited

• Abel, A. (2015, March 05). Quiz Alert: What Divergent Faction Would You Be In? Retrieved February 09, 2016
• ENFP Personality (“The Campaigner”). (n.d.). Retrieved February 09, 2016
• Free DISC Test - DISC Personality Testing. (n.d.). Retrieved February 09, 2016
• Gregoire, C. (2013, October 18). 10 Psychological Studies That Will Change What You Think You Know About Yourself. Retrieved February 09, 2016
• RHETI Sampler - The Enneagram Institute. (n.d.). Retrieved February 09, 2016