Thanks Kevin, I appreciate your response very much. Please have a look at this one and let me know your comments.
Question: Describe a situation taken from school, business, civil or military life, where you did not meet your personal objectives, and discuss briefly the effect. (250 words approx.)
Answer: Three years ago I was assigned to train and supervise a student assistant in my division at Caltrans. Excited at this opportunity, I shared my knowledge and expertise with this undergraduate student and explained him my expectations. Unfortunately, he showed little interest and avoided independent assignments. To motivate him, I brought him out to collect field data where he showed some enthusiasm for the work. However, in his individual tasks, he was careless and did not invest sufficient time to do a diligent job. Even though I tried to present his assignments as a team effort between the two of us, I ended up doing most of the work myself. This resulted in lost productivity and frustrated me. Eventually, after six months, with deep regret, I reported his lack of commitment to my supervisor and he was reassigned due to poor performance.
Looking back on this incident, I have to admit that I failed in my objective of making this student a better performer. Stressed to meet deadlines and exasperated by his insincere and careless attitude, I rushed to get him out of my hair . Probably he needed more time than I could afford. Later, through self-reflection and feedback from my peers, I realized that a more diplomatic and patient approach could have been more appropriate. Following this incident, I have observed other leaders tackling similar situations. These observations helped me succeed in my current role as a lead worker. If I could go back with the experience I now have as a leader, I would handle the situation differently.
Question: Describe a situation taken from school, business, civil or military life, where you did not meet your personal objectives, and discuss briefly the effect. (250 words approx.)
Answer: Three years ago I was assigned to train and supervise a student assistant in my division at Caltrans. Excited at this opportunity, I shared my knowledge and expertise with this undergraduate student and explained him my expectations. Unfortunately, he showed little interest and avoided independent assignments. To motivate him, I brought him out to collect field data where he showed some enthusiasm for the work. However, in his individual tasks, he was careless and did not invest sufficient time to do a diligent job. Even though I tried to present his assignments as a team effort between the two of us, I ended up doing most of the work myself. This resulted in lost productivity and frustrated me. Eventually, after six months, with deep regret, I reported his lack of commitment to my supervisor and he was reassigned due to poor performance.
Looking back on this incident, I have to admit that I failed in my objective of making this student a better performer. Stressed to meet deadlines and exasperated by his insincere and careless attitude, I rushed to get him out of my hair . Probably he needed more time than I could afford. Later, through self-reflection and feedback from my peers, I realized that a more diplomatic and patient approach could have been more appropriate. Following this incident, I have observed other leaders tackling similar situations. These observations helped me succeed in my current role as a lead worker. If I could go back with the experience I now have as a leader, I would handle the situation differently.