Question

Wilson and Catley (2017) propose a model of five (5) dimensions of the self as explored in this course. Answer ALL questions in Section A in relation to this reading. Question 1 (a) List and explain the five (5) dimensions of self as discussed by Wilson and Catley (2017). You may use bullet points. Question 1 (b) Discuss which dimension of the self you feel is most important to understand when examining ‘teamwork’ and explain why with an example. Question 1 (c) Discuss which dimension of the self you feel is most important to understand when examining ‘leadership’ and explain why with an example.

Answer 1

(a)

Organisational self -
based around organisational roles/responsibilities, professional behaviours/expectations, domain knowledge.

Identity -
based around how you describe yourself, how others describe you.

Relational self -
based around how you engage with others, how others shape you

Emotional self -
based around emotional intelligence, emotional/value based reasoning, the unconscious, emotional labour

Developing self -
based around thinking about your self (reflexivity) and adopts practices of critical reflexivity/critical thinking.

(b)

When examining teamwork, I believe that the most important dimension of self to understand is the 'relational self' (based around how you describe yourself, and how others describe you). In teams, establishing effective relationships with your peers is crucial to achieving success. Constructive engagement and being willing to adapt to others are two very important aspects to account for when trying to get the most out of your teamwork experiences. In my recent team assignment for this class, I found that I had to establish relationships with my peers through constructive engagement toward our task, while also having to be willing to adapt to others if needed. This made me engage with my 'relational self' frequently throughout the teamwork process, and I believe that I became a better team member from applying this dimension of self to my ongoing experiences and recognizing the importance of this dimension.

(c)

When examining leadership, I take a slightly different approach toward what I believe to be the best dimension that needs to be understood. In leadership contexts (as opposed to teamwork) I believe that the 'organisational self' dimension is critical to have an understanding of, in order to achieve success in positions of leadership. I will refer to my most recent experience of undertaking leadership in my recent group project for this class. As a leader in the group, it became important for me to be aware of my roles/responsibilities in being a leader, maintain professional behaviour when engaging with teammates, and conveying a level of technical knowledge to deal with any issues that could arise. As I utilized these different aspects of the 'organisational self' dimension, I began to realize its importance in leadership contexts and how understanding the concept truly is important to examining leadership.

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