MGF5992 Professional development ASSIGNMENT - Reflection on Personal Character Strengths ( VIA Survey + Tracker & Reflection)
ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Using an academic knowledge of character strengths, your tracker, and your own experiences, reflect on how an understanding of your character strengths can help you in your professional development.
Max 1500 words (exclusive of tracker).
This assignment consists of 2 parts
1)Tracker. This tracker is designed to help you gain self-awareness of your own character strengths (you will first need to complete an online strengths survey), so that you can reflect on yourself, your experiences, and think about how an understanding of your strengths can help your professional development. No word limit.
2)Reflection. You are to write a reflection piece of maximum 1500 words (excluding your tracker) on how understanding character strengths can help you in your professional development. In this reflection, you should draw upon an academic understanding of character strengths to analyze and integrate on your own experiences and reflect on how this understanding can help you in your professional development.
You must include
oA copy of your VIA Character Strengths Profile + a completed tracker + a reflection essay
o1-2 concrete, real-life examples to reflect upon from the student’s own life.
oa minimum of 8 relevant academic references, formatted APA 6th or 7th Style.
Part 1: VIA Survey + Tracker
Instructions:
• Register an account at https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/Register
• Complete the VIA Adult Survey. Take the time and space to complete the survey in a quiet, uninterrupted manner. There are 96 questions; answer them honestly and intuitively. There are no right or wrong answers.
• Your results should appear immediately after you complete the survey. Download your free VIA Character Strengths profile (under “Explore What's Best In You” section) in PDF form.
• Attach your Character Strengths Profile to the end of the reflection.
Think about:
After you complete the questionnaire and are given your list of 24, the top 5 are your Signature Strengths. This result does not in any way imply that you are skilled at using them. This is not about skill, talent, ability or necessarily what you do in your current or future profession. In the same way, lesser strengths are not weaknesses, they are qualities that don’t come to you as naturally or easily as your higher-ranked strengths. However, strengths use is like a muscle – you can build your lesser strengths with conscious attention and deliberate practice. Your signature strengths might be the easiest pathway to greater well-being, but when trying to reach certain goals, some of your lesser strengths may need to play a role.
With this mind, based on your results, choose 2 signature strengths and 2 lesser strengths to think about, and complete the tracker below. Use as many words as you’d like, there is no limit.
Part 2: Reflection
Using an academic knowledge of character strengths, your tracker, and your own experiences, reflect on how an understanding of your character strengths can help you in your professional development.
Max 1500 words (exclusive of tracker), with a minimum of 8 references, formatted APA 6th/7th style.
Think about:
What character strengths are and what does the literature say about it? What is professional development and what does it mean to you? How can you use research to help you understand, leverage, and draw on character strengths to help you develop a positive professional self?