A521.3.4.RB - Personal Reflection

Recall two or three situations from your childhood or early adulthood that had a formative impact on you. Describe the situations and relate how they impacted you. Pick situations that have affected how you act and feel in an organizational or team-based environment.

Looking back at my life when I was younger, there are many situations that have formed me to be the person I am today.  When I turned eleven, my father began to take me to work with him in his auto body shop.  At the time, I was too young to work and my mother wanted me out of the house doing something positive so I did not hang out with the bad elements in the neighborhood.  The auto body work my father used to do amazed me and I wanted to learn how to repair cars and make money like he did.  On many occasions, my father would explain to me that it was not as easy as it seemed and to become good, one must take small steps before taking on the major jobs.  Deep down, I thought I was good at fixing things with my hands.  When I arrived at the shop, the only thing my father would let me do was to clean and sweep the floors.  I did these taskings for about four weeks before I asked for other responsibility; always receiving the answer of no from my father.  Finally, my father sat me down and explained to me that the most important part of painting a vehicle was the prep work.  If there was any type of dust in the shops painting room, there would be damage to the wet paint and weeks of work would be ruined.  That lesson taught me that it not always the biggest things you do in life that make the biggest difference.  To this day, I have lived by thing motto in everything I do.  I find encouragement and prided in work that I produce no matter how miniscule.  I often use this story to motivate past and present employees.  I can truly testify that it has had a positive effect on every organization and team I have been in contact with.  This lesson has shaped me as a person, father, supervisor and leader. 

On the same note, another lesson came from this same situation which had a formative impact on me as person.  After I learned of completing all task with pride, my father started paying me.  I did not expect any pay and asked why he was giving me money.  He said anytime you are paid for doing something you become a professional; and with this title comes great expectation and responsibility.  My father was very clear in his point that with received pay comes the expectations that you will do the job correctly to the best of your ability.  Sometimes the pay would be good and sometime it was very small I monetary value.  I quickly had to learn that I get paid for the quality of my work product.  To this day, I find myself instilling the same values in everyone around me that I can influence; to include employees and my own children.  From a person perspective, both lessons have assisted me in the ability to clearly communicate expectations with my peers, supervisors, and students as it was explained to me.