Mapping Mindsets of the Class by Jacob Campbell

Always Asking How Does This Work in Practice

jacobrcampbell — 2026-06-26 20:42:08 UTC

Whenever I'm confronted by a task or an idea, I am always wondering how it will be implemented. This is generally positive, but I will also say that sometimes it is negative, as I will see an activity and discard the idea because I think it will be hard to do.

Looking for More Direct Practice in Policy Analysis

jacobrcampbell — 2026-06-26 20:47:55 UTC

I have some experience in advocacy and a solid foundation in policy analysis, but I lack sufficient real-world experience to be considered highly competent in this domain of practice.

Building Thicker Skin

jacobrcampbell — 2026-06-26 20:51:25 UTC

I can sometimes get flustered and disheartened by defeat or by strong opposition. I need to build up the muscle to fight for things rather than easily giving way when I have strong opinions.

Stubbornness

2026-06-27 19:38:39 UTC

There are times when my coworker and I have a different perspective on our patient and the best way forward. Sometimes, I get too caught up in my right vs her wrong and it takes time for me to recognize that we are on the same team. I need to work on being more open- minded

Being self aware of Biases

2026-06-27 19:39:21 UTC

I am always trying to self-reflect on my own and in supervision of my existing biases. It is important to remind myself that I don't know everything and I can continue to learn, even from those I am helping

A Way You'd Like to grow in the mindset or apply it in your future policy practice

2026-06-27 19:39:23 UTC

I want to grow in the tough-minded mindset, as this relates to self-confidence, and while I can be confident, I would like to grow in this particular area. Confidence can come naturally to me in situations, but again, it's situational.

2026-06-27 19:39:41 UTC

I believe I am tough-minded because I can overcome many obstacles without becoming completely overwhelmed. I know life will not always be easy, and things will not always go as planned, but I trust myself to work through the challenges. It may not be a perfect ride, but I know I will manage and learn from the experience instead of beating myself up over mistakes or setbacks.

Before making decisions

2026-06-27 19:39:51 UTC

When I am making decisions or trying to solve an issue, I weigh different options and consider possible outcomes.

2026-06-27 19:40:01 UTC

One example of a critical thinker mindset is when I work with students who have attendance or behavior concerns. Instead of assuming a student is skipping school because they do not care about their education, I try to understand what is happening in their life. I ask questions, review attendance patterns, talk with teachers, and, when appropriate, involve the student’s family. I consider factors such as mental health, family responsibilities, transportation issues, or fear related to immigration. Looking at the whole picture helps me avoid making assumptions and allows me to identify the root cause of the problem before deciding on the best way to support the student.

2026-06-27 19:40:21 UTC

I connect with the service-oriented mindset because I naturally enjoy helping and supporting others. In both academic and personal settings, I often find myself listening to people’s concerns and trying to help them find solutions or resources. I feel that being service-oriented allows me to build trust and meaningful relationships because people feel heard and supported. This mindset has become one of my strengths because I value empathy and helping others reach their goals.

Overthink everything

2026-06-27 19:40:24 UTC

I overthink everything, good and bad.

Always Learning

2026-06-27 19:40:32 UTC

I am fairly new at my agency, and I know I need to continuously learn. I often collaborate with other SW's to see what options are or to figure out a game plan for my patient.

Strength

2026-06-27 19:40:52 UTC

Critical thinking is something I think I have incorporated into my life but particularly professionally. I am love to learn and embrace learning for those around me. Fact checking is also something I value and do as well.

2026-06-27 19:42:30 UTC

One situation where a critical thinker mindset is difficult for me to apply is when someone criticizes my work. My first reaction is sometimes to feel defensive or take the feedback personally. In those moments, it can be challenging to separate my emotions from the information being shared. I have learned to pause, reflect on the feedback, and ask myself whether there is evidence that can help me improve

Get curious

2026-06-27 19:42:34 UTC

Ask more questions

2026-06-27 19:42:56 UTC

I have a hard time when it comes to accepting different perspectives when they involve injustices. An example is agreeing to disagree, I want the other person to care about the issue.

Detective

2026-06-27 19:43:03 UTC

I always look into all the fine details and map out all of my options before choosing a game plan. I collaborate with my patient and their system and ensure to include their preferences or needs to ensure that the patient's needs are being met.

Self-aware

2026-06-27 19:43:34 UTC

I make an effort to reflect on decisions I've made throughout the day and evaluate where I could've done better. Working in different environments has helped me be more aware of my word choice, emotions, and attitude.

2026-06-27 19:43:43 UTC

I would like to grow in this area by becoming more comfortable separating my emotions from my decision-making, especially when discussing topics that are personally meaningful to me. My goal is to pause before reacting, consider multiple perspectives, and rely on evidence to guide my conclusions. I also want to become more open to feedback and view it as an opportunity for growth rather than criticism.

Challenge

2026-06-27 19:43:48 UTC

This is something I struggle with because I want to help many. At times, I think of unrealistic concepts or solutions when I should be focused on pragmatic thinking and approach. I should focus on changes I have influence over rather than a fantasy approach.

2026-06-27 19:43:57 UTC

It is a challenge because it depends on the person. It can be difficult to stand my ground. If I'm comfortable with the person or group, I can be confident and state my opinion. However, if I'm not, then I tend to step back or stay quiet.

Strength

2026-06-27 19:44:04 UTC

Being aware of bias and not making assumptions when working with clients or the community.

A challenge or situation where this mindset is difficult to apply

2026-06-27 19:44:04 UTC

I feel like I do decently well with applying self-awareness to many things I do. I would almost say I'm hypervigilant in being self-aware at times, but sometimes during arguments with my parents on significant others, it can be difficult for me to take a step back and truly embrace what they are sharing.

2026-06-27 19:44:12 UTC

Being tough minded all the time can be hard if people disagree often

Challenge

2026-06-27 19:44:18 UTC

I have a hard time embracing real-world context of policy analysis; making connections regarding policy

Yellow Building Thicker skin

2026-06-27 19:44:23 UTC

I tend to react before thinking, this is a negative way of handling my fustration with strong opposition. I need to work on a tougher mind set.

Challenging others with respect

2026-06-27 19:44:45 UTC

I feel like I need to practice this mindset more within my professional career. I have found myself in situations where I am in a group meeting discussing topics and find that I might have an opposing view or implantation to an issue. However, I lack the confidence to speak up due to feeling intimidated or knowing that my opinion does not matter as a new employee to them. I would like to work in this area to be able speak up and stand my ground/challenge perspectives without sounding arrogant or unqualified.

Strength

2026-06-27 19:46:29 UTC

Being self-aware of one's biases and not making assumptions

Overthink

2026-06-27 19:46:30 UTC

I over think EVERYTHING

A personal example or strength related to this mindset

2026-06-27 19:46:36 UTC

Something that the mindset competent includes is being a team-player. We all just participated in being team players when contributing to answering the questions in our breakout rooms, and bouncing ideas off of each other.

cristinag1997 — 2026-06-27 19:46:41 UTC

I enjoy helping people and making a positive difference. I like finding a solution to problems it might be a perfect solution but focus what will work best.

How to Develop

2026-06-27 19:46:44 UTC

Being self-aware is an area I can always work on improving. For me, it is easy to lose sight of a reflexibility attitude and need to improve.

self-aware

2026-06-27 19:47:04 UTC

Sometimes I feel that I can only operate when there is pressure.

2026-06-27 19:47:10 UTC

Staying calm and focused.

2026-06-27 19:47:43 UTC

I have had issues in the past where I would bring up something during a discussion, not having enough information about it. For example, on religion. When somebody asked to provide examples, I couldn't provide. So, I learned that I need to be competent about a topic before stating any opinion.

Compotent

2026-06-27 19:50:28 UTC

In my career, I have felt component enough to discuss and add to conversations and goals within an organization. However, I sometimes feel like I don't have all the information to speak-up or give my perspective on such topic. I would like to work on this skill/mindset by preparing myself through reviewing material or cases related to the topic of discussion. This can look like looking what my position entails, what I can do, how we can approach a case, and what information we already have regarding the topic or client in some cases.