Roseroi Hendricks

THEMATIC ANALYSIS November 14, 2021

OGL 482
PRESENTATION Dr. McCain
INTRODUCT
ION
In this presentation I will be
presenting the running themes I
have encountered throughout my
time in the OGL program. I will be
using qualitative information drawn
from artifacts from my previous
courses. This personally
meaningful self data will help me
analyze value-based themes in my
life. The goal for this thematic
analysis is to develop an informed
perspective of myself that will help
me with future life and career
decisions.
 To help me collect meaningful qualitative personal
data, I first organized my artifacts by main topic
RESEARC starting with the artifacts from this class, OGL 482.
Unfortunately, I did not organize my assignments for
H other courses throughout the OGL program as
suggested, this was the most challenging part. Once I
PROCESS organized my computer files as much as I could I
started looking at some of the most substantial
AND assignments I completed. Next, I read through them
and looked for the most meaningful words or

METHODS sentences and highlighted them. I then went back and

found a running theme to categorize them under. I
found it easier to create a file outlining the themes and
under each copy pasting the codes I found.
MY DATA SOURCES
In this section I will be introducing the data sources I
found to provide the most meaningful personal data about
myself. I found these sources by analyzing and
examining the data I collected and determining topics that
were common and that were presented repeatedly. These
data sources were derived mostly from this course, OGL
482, but will also include other sources from other
courses such as assessments, reflections, or writings.
DATA SOURCES
• Values Checklist (VC): This assignment requires the completion of a checklist of values. This is intended as an assessment to determine
the values that are the most impactful in our lives. The assignment also requires us to reflect on our top five values.
• Kuder Career Interests Assessment (KCIA): This assessment involves rating statements to determine what type of career interests I
have. It is an important assessment because allows us to be self-aware of our interest patterns and themes.
• Kuder Skills Confidence Assessment (KSCA): This assessment measures skills confidence. The results help students blend this
information with their interest results in order to find possible career options.
• Super’s Work Values Inventory (SWVI): This assessment helps identify your top work values. It is important to analyze our work
values in order to determine the appropriateness of our career options.
• Motivation and Career Anchors Assessment (MCAA): This assessment helps you identify what you really want out of your career. This
is a questionnaire that helps you determine career anchor which is composed of your top areas of competence, motives and career
values.
• Holland Personality Traits (HPT): This assessment helps you identify which of Holland’s six personality type you are mostly like;
Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, or Conventional. This assessment helps you identify what are the careers that fit
you best.
• Self Assessment (SE): This is a reflection paper in which I used various self-assessment tools to gather data, reflect and analyze it to
determine my interest, strengths, values that motivate my leadership style and my life planning
DATA SOURCES CONT.
•Leader Identity Narrative (LIN): This is a self-reflection paper where I identify major turning points in my life since I was a child that
have helped shape me into the leader I am today.
•Leadership Practices Inventory Assessment (LPIA): This is an assessment that helped me identify any weaknesses or strengths I have
as a leader.
•Learning Style Inventory Assessment (LSIA): This is an assessment that helped me understand the best learning methods for me in
order to continue to grow as a leader.
•Still Life Exercise (SLE): This is an exercise for my OGL 360 class in which I was supposed to provide a visual of what leadership
means to me. I provided a picture of four items that represent my believes and values as a leader.
•Values Reflection (VR): This is an assignment from my OGL 360 class in which I was supposed to write a reflection about what I
consider to be my chore values. I determined that it is important to understand what are the motivations that drive our decisions.
•Feedback Reflection (FR): This is a writing assignment where I reflected on feedback I received. The purpose for this assignment was
to learn how to give and receive feedback.
•Sociogram Exercise (SE): This is an exercise in which I had to create a graphic where I showed my most meaningful network
connections. I also provided a reflection along with the graphic that explained in further detail how the people I chose impacted my
values.
In this section I will be introducing the ten themes that I found
mostly represented in my data collection. My themes are as
follows: Growth, Knowledge, Self-Awareness, Empathy, Helping
Others, Family, Motivate/Inspire, Principles, Analytical Skills,
Confidence. These are the most influential themes that will he
shape the decisions I make with my career, work-life balance
decisions. Additionally, I feel that these themes most appropriately
represent my perspective in life

MY 10 THEMES
GROWTH
Theme Statement: I understand that ongoing personal and professional growth is
necessary to ensure that I have the skills and discipline I need in order to succeed.
Supporting Data:
As a leader it is important to learn the skill of giving constructive feedback and being humble
enough to receive it. This allows you to guide your people to success and helps you
continuously learn about yourself and grow as a leader.(FR)
Learning Style Inventory Assessment, I took in my OGL 360 class enabled me to understand
that leaders need to be open to constant growth through learning. (LSIA)
According to the results of this assessment I am an Accommodative learner. This means that I
learn better by acting on the information because I am a hands-on learner. (LSIA)
I learned very fast that mistakes are sometimes very necessary for growth. Mistakes allow us to learn
better ways to do things and enables better decision-making skills. (LIN)
This assessment also pointed out my weaknesses and strengths when it comes to the way I
take in information. (LSIA)
GROWTH CONT.
Contradictory Evidence:
This stresses me out, I do not like to think about things that could go
wrong or how my current processes are going to affect me negatively. (FR)

Reflection:
Leaders need certain skills in order to lead effectively. Some of those skills
are communication skills, listening skills, interpersonal skills. These skills
not always come naturally to people some of those need to be learned.
Learning these skills allows us to continue to grow as leaders. Growth is an
ongoing process that never ends. It helps you understand not only yourself,
but others, and it helps you reach your highest potential.
KNOWLEDGE
Theme Statement: Knowledge can be seen as an intangible resource or intellectual capital of an
organization and important for employee's success.
Supporting Data:
I would like to think that I have shared a lot of my knowledge and values with them and that it has
inspired them to make good changes in their lives and careers. (CE)
I would like to share my knowledge and lead by example motivating others to share my values and
join my vision. (IR)
I believe knowledge management is vital to an organization’s success, it allows employees to have the
information they need to effectively perform their jobs. (KCIA)
I like helping my coworkers by sharing my knowledge and giving them advice. (SWVI)
With this assessment I learned that my strength as a leader is enabling others to act by providing them with all
the tools, they need to be effective at their jobs such as knowledge and support. (LPIA)
KNOWLEDGE CONT.
Contradictory Evidence:
I feel that this is because it is hard for me to give any sort of feedback pointing out
where people need improvement. (LPI)

Reflection: Knowledge is a valuable resource that needs to be shared among leaders and
employees. A leader must enable an environment where employees can rely on
management to provide them with the information, they need in order to succeed in their
jobs. Leadership should also foster an environment where people can have an opportunity
to learn from each other and develop systems that they can use to share the information.
These are called Knowledge management systems which include things such as internal
databases, document sharing systems or any system that stores and distributes
information. For me the most obvious way to share information is for leaders and
employees to have an open form of communication.
SELF-AWARENESS
Theme Statement: Self-Awareness helps you understand why you feel the way you feel and why you
make certain decisions.
Supporting Data:
As explained by Harrington & Hall self-awareness is critical for managing your career and ensuring that other
aspects of your life are integrated into your work (Harrington & Hall, 2007). (SE)
As explained by Drucker understanding oneself allows us to place ourselves where we can make the greatest
contribution (Drucker, 2005) (SE)
I have used self-assessment instruments in my previous courses that have allowed me to understand
my leadership strengths and weaknesses and better understand my decisions as a leader. (SE)
Another valuable assessment instrument I used in this same class was the Leadership Practices
Inventory Assessment. This assessment allowed me to understand my weaknesses and strengths a s a
leader. (LPIA)
This was a turning point in my life because it has really shaped the way I see the world and has
made me more self-aware. Now more than ever I understand the need for a value system and
understanding people’s perspectives. (LIN)
SELF-AWARENESS CONT.
Contradictory Evidence:
I grew up with a hyper focus on academics and very sheltered from any
other types of experiences in life. (LIN)

Reflection: I grew up without having the ability have self-awareness

because I never reflected about myself and why I made bad decisions.
This experience has allowed me to see the importance of learning about
myself in order to correct my mistakes. It also helped me be less afraid of
the world because it allowed me to grow by looking into my mistakes as a
life lesson. Self-Awareness also allowed me to understand how other
people see me and understand my strengths and weaknesses.
 Theme Statement: I believe empathy helps you understand
how others feel in order to tailor how we respond to
situations that affect them.
Supporting Data:
Without empathy you cannot understand why people
behave the way they do and how your decisions affect them.
(VC)

EMPATHY My Top five values are; Honesty, Respect, Humility,

Empathy, and Communication. (VR)
Empathy is also an important value to have because it
allows you to understand why people behave the way they
do and how they feel. (VR)
My best friend is so caring of others and so charitable,
which has taught me the importance of having empathy. (SE)
I know how it feels to not be confident in your potential.
(LIN)
 Contradictory Evidence: I was not able to find
any contradicting information, I believe these is
because understanding self-awareness has helped
me understand not only myself, but how my
decisions affect others’ feelings.
Reflection:

EMPATHY I believe understanding my own weaknesses has

helped me be more empathetic of others. It
allows me to see situations through others
CONT. perspective. I also value empathy as one of my
core values because it allows me to form
effective working relationships. This is extremely
important as a leader because it helps you
connect with employees, relate to them,
understand them better, and communicate more
effectively with them. Finally this value is what
motivates me to want to be a leader to help
others.
 Theme Statement: As a leader helping others my main goal. I believe
having this in mind also helps me achieve a higher purpose that can enable
me to live a happier life.
Supporting Data:
I like to support people so they can do their best either by helping train
them or showing them the processes that have worked best for me. (FR)

HELPING I think this is because I like to help people by giving them the
information and tools, they need in order to do their job correctly. (FR)

OTHERS I think I’m more as a directive leader where I can ensure people know
processes and the information they need, but I would love to be more of a
transformational leader that can help people reach their maximum
potential. (LPI)
As my results show I also have a Social interest that I demonstrate
through wanting to help people develop and succeed. (KCIA)
I understand that having a leader that dedicates time to help you succeed
by doing things like motivating you, building your confidence and
knowledge can help you feel successful at work and help you feel fulfilled
in your personal life. (KCIA)
 Contradictory Evidence: I was not able to find any
contradictory evidence for this. I believe the reason I
did not find any contradictory information is because
this is my main motivation for wanting to be in a
leadership position.
Reflection:
HELPING Helping others helps me feel accomplished, it gives me
a higher purpose at work. A lot of people do not like
OTHERS their job because they do not feel like they have a sense
of purpose there. I think having a higher purpose in life
than just going to work to make ends meet enables you
to have a better work life balance. To me helping others
at work is simple, all it requires is giving them your
time, energy and guidance. Finally, when employees
see that you are genuinely interested in helping them
they in turn give you their trust and loyalty.
 Theme Statement: Family provides people with a
foundation for life.
Supporting Data:
Family is so valuable because it is our support
system, it can be blood relatives, friends, even
coworkers and bosses. (VC)
As a leader, creating a positive environment at work
that is positive where people can trust you as if you
FAMILY are their family enables effective working
relationships. (VC)
This is not a surprise to me because I place my
family’s well being above everything else. (MCAA)
Not everyone is born in the same type of family or
environment, therefore they will have a different
perspective in life. (LIN)
My top five values are love and caring, economic security,
honesty, family, and freedom. (VC)
 Contradictory Evidence: Again, I did not find
any contradictory evidence for this theme. As
shown through my supporting data I place my
family above any other interest or motivation.
Reflection:
I understand how valuable family is because
it was my mother who helped shape me into
FAMILY CONT. the person I am today. My husband has
helped me grow into the adult I am now and
has helped me understand what it truly means
to be a leader. As an officer in the Marine
Corps he has demonstrated through his
sacrifices what being a leader entails. My
sister has helped me experience the benefit of
establishing effective relationships. I can talk
to her about anything and accept her advice.
MOTIVATE/INSPIRE
Theme Statement: I believe leaders that are inspirational have a strong sense of purpose. They have
conviction about their vision and know how to motivate others to join that vision.
Supporting Data:
I need to work on the ways I motivate others such as giving positive feedback, empowering and
rewarding my team. (LPI)
 I would like to think that I have shared a lot of my knowledge and values with them and that it has
inspired them to make good changes in their lives and careers. (CE)
 I will use my own experiences, especially my failures to inspire my followers, giving them the
autonomy and motivation, they need to succeed in my organization. (LIN)
I had to inspire her to think about the long-term implications about her current decisions and
motivate her to want to change directions. (LIN)
As a leader this helped me understand how enlisting people to share your vision and adopt the
organizational values is extremely important at keeping people committed and motivated. (LIN)
MOTIVATE/INSPIRE CONT.
Contradictory Evidence:
The trend I see in the feedback I received from my raters is that I am lacking in the
ability to inspire and motivate others. (FR)

Reflection: Although I have a lot of work to do when it comes to being able to inspire
and motivate others, I now have the awareness necessary to make the changes
required. I strive to enlist others towards a common vision by inspiring them through
communicating my purpose clearly. I will also be listening to them so that I may
understand their values and they can understand mine and what drives me. They can
learn about me and what motivates me, and I can learn what motivates them. This
will allow me to tailor my motivation methods in a way that they will be responsive.
PRINCIPLES
Theme Statement: Principles are those values that provide us with a foundation for our
behavior. They provide us with guidance that shapes our reasoning and decision making.
Supporting Data:

My values are important to me because these are the important principles that guide my
behavior, how I see the world, and impact my decision making. (VR)

Understanding our core values as leaders is extremely important in order to influence
others. (VC)

I chose my mom because she helped shape me into the person I am today by instilling
good values in me. The most important values she taught me were to be respectful, and
honest (SE)

I feel that my values as a leader will help me be known for being honest, respectful and
empathetic. I want to set an expectation in my organization for the way I would like my
employees to behave and this can be achieved by being true to myself and my values. (VR)

My Top five values are; Honesty, Respect, Humility, Empathy, and Communication. (VR)
PRINCIPLES CONT.
Contradictory Evidence: I did not find any contradictory evidence that
shows I do not take my principles serious. Understand that having
strong principles as a leader is important in order to successfully lead.
Reflection:
As a leader I want to be able to lead by example. In order to do this, I
need to live by strong principles. To accomplish this, I need to set high
standards for myself and constantly analyze my behaviors and decisions.
I can do this by understanding my core values and not swaying from
them. If I do fall short from abiding by my principles, I need to hold
myself accountable so that I may correct those behaviors.
 Theme Statement: Leaders that are analytical can analyze information
using their critical thinking skills. Analytical skills help leaders use rational
and logical reasoning.
Supporting Data:

ANALYTI Working through the Kuder Career Interests Assessment I realized that I
was a lot more comfortable with positively rating the questions that

CAL involved using logic and analytical skills. (KCIA)

I currently work in a unit at my job that is more technical and requires

SKILLS analyzing and evaluating a lot of data. (SE)

As a leader, ensuring that my employees have the right tools to succeed is
one of my main jobs, therefore I believe that my analytical skills are
correctly reflected in my career interest assessment. (KCIA)
These skills are reflected in my key competencies on my OGL 481 e-
Portfolio. I would categorize my conventional and investigative skills to fit
into the critical thinking competency that I listed in my portfolio. (KSCA)
My secondary anchor based on the results is Technical/Functional
Competence. Again, this is not surprising to me because as established by
my results in the previous Kuder assessments my skills and interest are
focused on logic and analytical capabilities. (MCAA)
 Contradictory Evidence:
Although I am currently in a position that benefits
from my analytical skills, I believe that I am ready to
move to a position that could also benefit from my
ANALYTI social interest

CAL Reflection: Having analytical skills helps me analyze

data, make logical sense of information and use it the
SKILLS best way possible. It is important to balance my
analytical mind by building on my ability to interpret
CONT. non-quantitative data. I often struggle with expressing
my support for others. I can benefit from working on
my communication and listening skills in order to
effectively express my intentions and my thoughts.
CONFIDENCE
Theme Statement: I am aware that leaders must build confidence in others so that others may see
what they are capable of.
Supporting Data:
When leaders allow employees the freedom to make important decisions and speak up, people
feel more confident and committed to the collective goal. (VC)
A leader should foster a culture of respect in order for people to feel comfortable and confident in sharing
their views and ideas. (VR)
I value an organization that ensures their employees feel secure and valued because as a leader I
understand that employees who are stressed and not confident in their job security tend to be less
loyal to an organization. (MCAA)
Confidence in our abilities is what pushes us to take risks. A leader must be brave enough to lead
people into the unknown by taking calculated risks. (LIN)
Empowering employees with positive feedback and trusting them enough to let them make
important decisions so that they feel confident and independent in order to take risks and not be
afraid to fail. (VR)
CONFIDENCE CONT.
Contradictory Evidence: I did not find any contradictory evidence
that would suggest I do not value a leader’s duty to build confidence
in others.
Reflection:
As a leader I want to ensure that my followers have the confidence to
make the best decisions. In order to do this, I need to empower them
by giving them autonomy so that they feel accountable for their
actions. This enables them to also feel trusted and have faith in their
abilities and take appropriate risk. When they take risks and share
their ideas, I can empower them further by encouraging them and
praising their efforts.
“Work for a company that aligns with my values where I can share
my knowledge and lead by example motivating others to share my
values and join my vision”.
Reflection:
I strive to do something for a living that gives me a sense of a
higher purpose. I believe this will help me reach work life balance
because when I go to work, I will not feel like I am simply
working. I want to feel like I am making a difference in the lives
of people around me.

MY PERSONAL VISION
STATEMENT
“My mission is to live by my convictions letting my principles and my core values
guide my decisions and hold myself accountable.”
Reflection: I believe in order to lead others as leaders we need to build trusting
relationships. We can accomplish this by being credible and the best way to do that is
by demonstrating consistency with our values and principles. I want to always be a
good role model for my followers so that they are inspired to join the collective goal.

MY PERSONAL
MISSION STATEMENT
CONCLUSIO
N
I’ve always struggled with finding
my passion in life, I felt that it was
something that would just come to
me out of the blue. I thought that I
was always going to be stuck doing
work that I did not enjoy. This
thematic analysis has helped me learn
that in order to understand what will
give us personal fulfillment we need
to deeply reflect on various aspects of
ourselves. We need to be self-aware
of our interest, values, motivators,
and many other aspects in our lives
that help guide our decision making.