This petal is to help determine which type of work environment I thrive in. I will be analyzing all the places I have worked and their good and bad characteristics.
Places I Have Worked Thus Far in My Life
- California Tortilla
- Hampton Inn & Suites
- Temple University Bookstore
- Temple University Diamond Peer Teacher Program
- Temple University Department of Spanish & Portuguese
- Temple University Student Athlete Academic & Advising Center
- Main Street Diner
- Aflac
- WC Eagles Field Hockey
I Have Learned from the Past That My Effectiveness at Work is Decreased When I Have to Work Under These Conditions
- Long periods of standing in place
- Smell of work environment stays in clothes
- Uniform required
- Had to be at work too early
- Isolated environment
- Did not have full employee access to equipment and programs
- Very unstructured
- Not enough to do
- Small office without windows
- Distracting atmosphere
- Located in unsafe neighborhood
- Competitive environment
- Had to work on holidays
- Too cold in office
- Noisy while trying to use the phone
- Extremely busy followed by extremely dead
Characteristics of Work Environments That I Think Would Increase My Effectiveness
*This step is not in ‘What Color is Your Parachute? 2016’ but I felt like it needed to be included in my work environment assessment.
- Colorful and creative design
- Neat and clean
- Busy to make time pass quickly
- Convenient schedule
- Flexible schedule
- My own office
- Windows to let in light
- Updated computer systems and technology
- Paid vacation for holidays
- Busy, but not overwhelming
The next step to this exercise is to prioritize the order of importance for the working conditions that weren’t conducive to me using the grid below. However, I am going to prioritize the opposite of the aforementioned working conditions and add my list of traits that would increase my effectiveness above. The grid below is for ten items; I will be using another grid provided in the book for prioritizing 24 items or less.
I Believe My Effectiveness Would Be at an Absolute Maximum, If I Could Work Under These Conditions
- Paid holidays and vacations given
- Convenient schedule
- Busy, but not overwhelmingly busy
- Windows in the office
- Up-to-date technology
- Daily human interaction
- Relaxed dress code
- Neat and clean office
- Supportive work environment
- Non-distracting office atmosphere
*All images and notes are taken from “What Color Is Your Parachute? 2016” by Richard Bolles.
