A Thematic

Analysis of the
One and Only
Schwartz
Michael Kevin James Schwartz
April 8th, 2023
OGL482

Professor Kenneth J. Willmott

 Introduction
Who knew that my life would ever be evaluated
through a thematic analysis? I for sure didn't,
but here we are ready to dig deeper into some
themes that have been created and forged
throughout my life. These themes have
developed from a young age and will continue
to evolve during the rest of my life's journey.
 Research Process and
Methods
➢ First I identified the sources of data to be used
➢ Next I reviewed my data sources starting with my personal
narrative paper
➢ While reading the data I toke notes of areas I thought were
important using a method called coding
➢ Once all the data points were collected, I separated them
into groups according to their main themes
➢ From there I reduced the amount of themes to the ten that
will be reviewed in this analysis
My Data Sources
I created this thematic analysis using the data I
have collected during this class (OGL 482), other
OGL courses, and evaluations that I have received
in the Navy. Studying these data sources was
crucial to the development of this analysis. The
next two slides will list the data sources, a code
used to reference them throughout the analysis, a
brief description, and where they came from.
Data Sources
 OGL 482 Module 1:
-Three Questions (3Q) Father Michael Himes developed three questions that can be
used when deciding on what careers to explore. The questions had me think about
what gives me joy, what I am actually good at, and what the world needs from me.
-Values Checklist (VC) For this checklist, I had to select my top 10 values from a
provided list. Then I had to further cut that list down to my top 5 values. Finally, it had
me cross off the values I chose one at a time until I got down to my most important
value. This gave me a good luck at what I truly valued.
-Identities Exercise (IE) This exercise asked me to identify the roles I fill in all
aspects of my life. After identifying the roles, it had me further breakdown into three
columns that asks me how the role defines my self-concept, influences my priorities,
and which of my core values align with the identity.
-Dreams and Desires Worksheet (DDW) The worksheet had me list my dreams and
desires and then asked me why I wanted each one. It continued to then ask me why I
wanted that several times until I got to the core of why I want a given dream or
desire.
Data Sources
 OGL 482 Module 2:
-Personal Narrative (PN) For this paper, I had to reflect back on my life to tell a
story concentrating on the experiences and people that influenced me the most.
Reflecting back on my life in this manner helped me discover certain themes that
make me who I am.
 OGL 482 Module 3:
-Kuder Career Interests Assessment (KCIA) This assessment had me select how
much I would like or dislike listed career opportunities. It then provided results that
could be used to explore majors and occupations as well as provided person
matches that showed their career.
-Kuder Skills Confidence Assessment (KSCA) This one asked me on a scale of 1-5
how confident I was in completing certain tasks. The results provide me with
occupations and majors I should explore.
-Super's Work Values Inventory (SWVI) For this inventory, I had to rank how
important different work environment factors were to me on a scale of 1-5. The
results provided me with different occupations to explore.
Data Sources
 OGL 482 Module 3:
-Career Anchors Assessment (CAA) This assessment had me rank on a scale
from 1-10 what I valued most in a work environment. My primary and secondary
anchors were calculated by the two highest scoring factors.
-Big Five Personality Test (BFP) This test provided me with a look into my
Natural Reactions, Agreeableness, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and
Openness to Experiences. The scores furthest from either side of 50 were
considered my strongest personality traits.
-ASU Major and Career Quiz (AMC) This assessment was different than the
others because it repeatedly showed me pictures of two occupations that I had
to choose between. The result provided me with majors I could explore in
college.
-Jung Typology Test (JTT) By answering 64 questions, this assessment provided
me with my personality type in the form of four letters. These results can be
used to achieve better self-awareness an insight for ways to deal with other
personality types.
-Module 3 Prompts Post (3PP) This assignment involved me summarizing the
assessments I completed and breaking down the results.
Data Sources
 OGL 360 Module 6:
-12-Week Plan (12WP) As the names states, this is a 12-week plan I created to review
and deploy in the future. It is a reflection on the topics from the class that we
correlated with life experiences and contains weekly triggers to communicate with a
variety of people.
 OGL 321 Module 7:
-Module 7 Paper (M7P) This paper covers two classes worth of material and
address what I learned about project management, my approach to it, challenges
with it, and professional "takeaways".
OGL 350 Module 6:
-Module 6 Paper (M6P) This paper takes a look at diversity conflict in organizations,
ways to manage diversity, and my "takeaways" from the elephant and giraffe story.
OGL 345 Module 3:
-Module 3 Paper (M3P) Ethical leadership is the primary focus of this paper and
discusses why it is important for leaders to be ethical in all areas of their life.
 My 10 Themes
The ten themes that you will see in the
following section were developed from a
review of assignments completed in this class
as well as from some of my previous classes.
These 10 themes were chosen because they
stood out the most during the coding
process.
 Theme 1: Family

The most important thing in my life will always

be my family
 Supporting Data:
 "While she was receiving treatment in the hospital, I was trying to figure out the
best way to provide for her and her mom." (PN) This is when I joined the Navy to
provide for them.
 "Having a family and spending quality time with them is number one on my list for
what gives me joy." (3Q)
 My primary anchor was Life-Style Intergration and 12 points off was my secondary
anchor, Security, Stability, Organizational Identity. (CAA) These are my anchors
because spending time with and providing my family are important to me.
 Similar to the above assessment, my two highest values from Super's work value
inventory were income and lifestyle. That’s because I value providing for and
spending time with my family above everything else.
 "I have a family now and they are the most important thing in my life." (3PP)
 "With my wife Vicki came an energetic little stepdaughter named Riley. I was
happy, I had a little bit of a larger family again." (PN)
 Theme 1: Family con't

The most important thing in my life will always

be my family
 Contradictory Evidence:
 "Another part of my story with Shyla that makes me sad is my relationship with
her daughters" (PN). Partially because of the physical distance between us, I
haven't been able to connect with my two granddaughters like I want to. I plan
to do everything I can in the future to change this.

 Reflection:
 Growing up in a large family was fun and it was the only thing I knew. Looking
back, I think I took it for granted. With all of my grandparents, mother, and
father now gone, I am the oldest in my side of the family. It is my duty to keep
the remaining members of our family together. This starts with my wife and
daughters and the goes on from there. It brings me great pride to be there for
them, provide for them, and experience this crazy world with them. I pledge
to continue this for as long as I live.
 Theme 2: Navy Life

I have a love/hate relationship with the Navy

 Supporting Data:
 I could fill up a few pages with all the great places and great things we got to experience
or see. It was definitely the happiest I had ever been as a Sailor in the United States
Navy. (PN)
 "What I do like about the Navy is the different opportunities they give us to recognize
the Sailors we lead." (12WP)
 My experiences in the Navy, both good and bad, directly affected how I answered or
ranked the questions and statements from; (KCIA) (KSCA) (SWVI) (CAA)
 "In the Navy, we have a rite of passage that occurs when a ship transits across the
equator. This ceremony is called crossing the line.” (12WP)
 "In the Navy and the government in general, we have been expected to do more with less
for a very long time now. Unfortunately, it does not seem that it will get better anytime
soon." (M7P)
 "In the Navy, a poor evaluation sticks with you for five years which is why I haven't been
able to advance to the next rank." (PN)
 Theme 2: Navy Life con't

I have a love/hate relationship with the Navy

 Contradictory Evidence:
 Because I have a love/hate relationship with the Navy, it makes it hard to find
contradictory evidence. Love and hate already contradict each other, so for
this theme statement, I believe this prompt is not applicable.

 Reflection:
 Creating this theme brought up many great memories as well as some very sad
ones. I have had the opportunity to lead some amazing sailors and also work
for a few exceptional leaders. Staying on the positive side, I have also been
able to visit over 30 countries across six continents. On the hate side of
things, I have completed six ship deployments lasting at least six months each
and served 10 months in Kuwait. Even though there were good times that
occurred during the deployments, the biggest issue was spending so much time
away from my family. I know I did the right thing joining the Navy, though I
was able to provide for my family, I'll never get that missed time with family
back.
 Theme 3: Interpersonal Skills

I don't shy away from complicated or difficult

interpersonal situations
 Supporting Data:
 "I got on his schedule and let him know that everyone couldn’t stand working for him and that
things needed to change. He was very receptive to the feedback and actively made changes to
how he interacted with our team." (12WP)
 "He refused to refer to him by his new gender because it wasn’t yet medically official." (M6P) I
ended up talking with this Chief and helped him to realize what he was doing wasn't the best
way to deal with the situation.
 In Kuwait I was able to help two junior sailors come together and work through their
differences. They were able to successfully work together for the remainder of time we had
there. (M6P)
 "Me and the other petty officer, asked to speak to our senior chief on the side and let him know
that we felt he was micromanaging us. He was upset at first, but then listened to what we had
to say." (12WP)
 "I was terrified! Then after informing my parents, my next and greatest concern was how in the
world was I going to raise a baby right out of high school." (PN)
 So, being the oldest, I had to make the call to take her off the ventilator for good. I gave her
an extra week against her sister’s wishes, but it was my mom, and I wasn’t ready to lose her
yet. (PN)
 Theme 3: Interpersonal Skills con't

I don't shy away from complicated or difficult

interpersonal situations
 Contradictory Evidence:
 The way I answered a few of the questions on the career anchor assessment leads me to
believe that I may no longer care to address some interpersonal situations. I feel that in
my time as a leader, I have addressed many situations and at this point in time I might
want others to deal with the tough issues. (CAA)

 Reflection:
 For the last 15-years or so, I have been able to address important problems with senior
leadership as well as junior sailors. I was up for the challenge when others were not. I
learned early in the Navy that their leaders who can have those difficult conversations
and others that can't. We define the ones that run from conflict spineless. Once a leader
is considered spineless, their followers will question everything they do or say. Looking
back, I am proud that I accepted certain challenges when others didn’t and was able to
make things better for multiple sailors.
 Theme 4: The Journey

I understand and value that everyone has a

different life journey
 Supporting Data:
 "Finding out why they said what they said can help you to understand their mindset and
thinking." (12WP)
 "When communicating with your team, be mindful of their social norms, practices and
beliefs. Possessing this knowledge can help minimize unintentional miscommunication
that can lead to conflicts." (M6P)
 "Be the leader that doesn’t judge someone based on where they came from, instead
embrace it and use it to help inspire them." (12WP)
 "The giraffe basically asked the elephant to assimilate in order for them to be friends.
Instead of thinking of ways to accommodate his new friend, he asked him to exercise and
take dance lessons in order for him to fit into the house." (M6P)
 "Having a diverse team will help bring different perspectives or ideas and could help save
a project before it starts. This is a valuable tool every project manager should use for
their projects." (M7P)
 "One way that I could use them in the future is to have my Sailors complete them so I
can get a better understanding of how to lead each individual." (3PP)
 Theme 4: The Journey con't

I understand and value that everyone has a

different life journey
 Contradictory Evidence:
 The only contradictory evidence I could find was from a situation where another sailor
accused me of being passive aggressive. No one had ever called me that so it upset me
because in my mind his accusation made no sense to me. A few days later, the sailor and
I talked and he said that his father used to do something similar and his mom said that
he was being passive aggressive. During the conversation I never stopped to consider his
journey and why he felt that way. (12WP)

 Reflection:
 I think back to when I first joined the Navy and way I looked at the world. I didn’t really
care about other peoples stories or why they may have been doing things a certain way.
Not until I became a leader of a diverse team of individuals from across the U.S., was I
able to see why it was important to understand that everyone is different in many ways.
At times people consider skin color the big difference between people. But interestingly
enough, you will sometimes find more in common with another race than you might with
someone from your own race. I may have more in common with a Hispanic person who
went to a catholic church and played baseball then I would with a white person who was
Mormon and never played any sports.
 Theme 5: Leadership is a Fulltime Job

I am a leader at both home and work which

requires me to always be on my game
 Supporting Data:
 "Growing up, I was the oldest of four, essentially being born into a leadership
role." (12WP)
 "This way of living and the lessons that came with it helped forge how I would parent
my kids in the future." (PN) My parents were good leaders and I want to continue to lead
my family as they did.
 Leadership means a lot to me and in the values checklist, I had it listed as one of my top
five values. (VC)
 "I recently transferred from my ship and my sailors took me out to lunch. They
presented me with a going away gift and an award they created from scratch. The
award write-up was heartfelt with funny comments and statements about my positive
leadership." (M6P)
 "We had shirts made for events we did together and our unity helped our Sailors
outshine the ones from the other locations." (12WP)
 "Being a Chief in the navy means that the junior sailors are always looking at everything
we’re doing." (M3P)
 Theme 5: Leadership is a Fulltime Job con't

I am a leader at both home and work which

requires me to always be on my game
 Contradictory Evidence:
 When my mom passed away, I started caring less about things like leadership
and started making some questionable choices. I wasn’t a good example for
my daughter or my sailors at that point in time. I definitely wasn’t on my
game then, but thankfully I was able to get back to being a good
example. (PN)

 Reflection:
 As the theme states, leadership is a fulltime job. I leave for work in the
morning and when I get their, I am the leader. When I am amongst peers, I am
looked to for guidance and leadership. When I get home from work I am a
leader to my family. I take all of those roles serious, but it can also be
exhausting. There isn't much room for error, so I am constantly trying to do my
best. I believe overall I am doing a great job and I will continue to do my best
for everyone that counts on me.
 Theme 6: Self-awareness is Key

I am an overall self-aware person which

helps me to function well in life
 Supporting Data:
 "I believe that I have pretty good self-awareness and can adjust as needed." (3PP)
 Going through and labeling my roles and identities and providing the related
information for them was easy for me because I have good self-awareness. (IE)
 "Like the Johari Window tells us, there are things others know about us, that
we don’t know about ourselves." (12WP) Receiving feedback is a way that I try to
stay self-aware as possible.
 "I then polished my skills as a leader and father and was more prepared to take on
the challenge of starting a new family. " (12WP)
 "This assessment did not provide me with any “aha moments”. It only helped
reaffirm the things that I already knew about myself." (3PP)
 "This time I was able to tell her no because I had grown to expect more from
people and wasn’t going to allow myself to get hurt again." (PN)
 Theme 6: Self-awareness is Key con't

I am an overall self-aware person which

helps me to function well in life
 Contradictory Evidence:
 Looking back at my artifacts, I couldn't find anything to contradict my claims to having
good self-awareness. While I was in my rut participating in destructive behaviors, I was
completely aware that what I was doing wasn’t the best thing for me or my body. If I was
so aware, why didn’t I stop and make better choices. It's simple, I just didn’t care. At
that time, it was how I was dealing with loss and I wasn’t ready to face it.

 Reflection
 This is something that has been emphasized throughout my OGL journey and through
several Navy leadership courses I have been a part of. As a leader in both my home and
work environments, I need to be self-aware to ensure that I continue to be the best
leader I possibly can be. Leaders who don't poses good self-awareness can have a hard
time understanding their weaknesses which makes it harder for them to get better. Even
though I consider myself to do well with self-awareness, it is something that I need to
make sure that I am actively doing on a regular basis.
 Theme 7: Fill your Cup

Life is busy, I can't forget to make time to fill

my cup
 Supporting Data:
 "Now if we go back to the future, you will be able see that these life lessons resulted in
me playing for numerous work softball teams, playing for an adult baseball league in
London, England, and now joining a 45 and older San Diego adult baseball league." (PN)
 The lifestyle value was one of my top two values from the work values inventory. This is
partially because having a job that allows me freedom help fills my cup. (SWVI)
 Pleasure was one of the five values I chose as the most important to me. (VC)
 In the dreams and desires worksheet, I had multiple dreams listed that would fill my
cup. (DD)
 "Be creative and let them have input on the different ways to have fun. Make
celebrations part of the work environment." (12WP)
 "Another part of my story with Shyla that makes me sad is my relationship with her
daughters." (PN) I need to establish a better relationship to help fill my cup.
 Theme 7: Fill your Cup con't

Life is busy, I can't forget to make time to fill

my cup
 Contradictory Evidence:
 "I wasn’t okay after this and turned to alcohol to help make the pain go away. I know it
wasn’t the answer, but I didn’t care, I just wanted my mom back." (PN) This is from a
point in my life that I was filling my cup, but in a negative way. Instead of doing the
things that brought me joy, I gave into my demons and drank too much alcohol during
that hard period in my life. Positively filling my cup may have helped me get through
that rough patch a little better.

 Reflection:
 There have been several times in my life that I didn’t bother taking care of my needs
and spent more time on everyone and everything else. That does make me happy, but
from what I have learned over time is that it is healthy and recommended to also do
things that I personally enjoy. This year I joined an adult baseball league and had a blast.
It was a good work out and fun all at the same time. It helped to balance me from the
usual work, family, and school things I had been putting all my efforts into. For whoever
may read this, I want you to take they time to not only fill up you family cup, but also
make the time to fill your own personal cup.
 Theme 8: Honesty and Trust

Honesty and trust are two values that I hold

dear
 Supporting Data:
 "Being excellent to each other includes things like treating our teams with respect,
giving them our trust, and showing them that we genuinely care about their personal and
professional lives." (12WP)
 "I felt lost, abandoned, unable to trust anyone, and scared about what was next. (PN)
 "That created trust and helped us to become one of the most successful divisions on the
ship." (12WP)
 Honesty was at the top of my values list. (VC)
 "From that day on, the chief referred to him properly, but the sailor had already lost all
trust in the chief." (M6P) I talked to the sailor and help restore some trust in the Navy.
 "I think I might be starting to sound like a broken record, but this was another difficult
patch in my story. One that led me to trust people less, figure out how to deal with the
loss of a parent, try to still set the example for Shyla, and figure out how to move
forward past the painful situation." (PN)
 Theme 8: Honesty and Trust con't

Honesty and trust are two values that I hold

dear
 Contradictory Evidence:
 I could not find any contradictory evidence for this theme. From my parents instilling
honesty in us from a young age to being hurt by a couple of exes who broke my trust,
this is something that I have always valued. Of course, I am not perfect and may not be
fully honest at times to protect someone's feelings, but otherwise I don't stray from the
two values.

 Reflection
 Leading my family in sacrificial love, passing on the truths of the Christian faith to
my children, and making sure that I make decisions in life that honor the importance of
my wife and children is very important to me. Having grown up in a very broken home,
I have had to face many difficult situations and face tremendous heartache as a result
of the decisions of my family. It is my firm conviction that putting my family first
is absolutely essential. My professional life is important, however,
professional decisions should not conflict with the priorities of loving and honoring my
wife and children first. I hope to live up to this conviction throughout all my years.
 Theme 9: The Next Chapter

I want my next career to align with both

my wants and needs
 Supporting Data:
 The results from Super's work value inventory show that I value income and
lifestyle the most. I want to have a good work/life balance at my next job. (SWVI)
 "At this point in my life and career, there was nothing surprising with my results. I
have a family now and they are the most important thing in my life." (3PP)
 "I plan to research what it takes to work for the San Diego Padres." (12WP)
 One of my top three dreams for my next job involves working for the San Diego
Padres because of my love for baseball. (DD)
 Another one of my dreams involves creating and running a nonprofit. As long as I
can support my family, I would love a job that helps others. (DD)
 Economic security, pleasure, and family were three of my top five values listed in
the values checklist. These will all be factors when choosing my next career. (VC)
 Theme 9: My Next Chapter con't

I want my next career to align with both

my wants and needs
 Contradictory Evidence:
 While answering the work values assessment, I answered the questions more
based of what I consider my needs (income/lifestyle) and less about my actual
wants. Those are the two things I will value most, but it would also be nice to
like my job as well. (SWVI)

 Reflection:
 I joined the Navy to provide a better life for my family, serving my country
was great, but that was my primary motivation. For my next career, I want to
be able to both enjoy it and make enough to comfortably provide for my
family. I have grown up with baseball and would love to work for the San Diego
Padres after I retire. That would be a dream job, but they would have to pay
me enough to make it a reality. I am afraid that I might settle for a military
contracting job because the military is what I know and it will pay well.
 Theme 10: Caring

Just give a "care"!

 Supporting Data:
 "On my last ship, I had a Sailor come up to me and tell me “wow you actually care
about us and our opinions.” (12WP) Her previous chief only cared about himself.
 "I care about my sailor’s futures both at work and their personal lives." (M3P)
 "In my time as a Chief in the Navy and a coach of youth sports, I’ve seen first hand
how important it is to build people’s belief in themselves." (12WP)
 " This sailor did not feel like part of the team, lost faith in the navy and plans to
get out once their first enlistment ends." (M6P) I later was able to convince
them to stay in because there was people out there that cared about them.
 "She was able to help me see what I was doing and move past that part of my
life." (PN) She cared about me and it helped me to get my life back on track.
 "Caring about your employees and showing them compassion makes them want to
go the extra mile for you and the organization." (M3P)
 Theme 10: Caring con't

Just give a "care"!

 Contradictory Evidence:
 I couldn't find the paper I addressed it in, but in one of my OGL papers I wrote about
being better about giving people my undivided attention. I got into to a bad habit of
trying to multitask by typing and listening to someone. Even though I was pretty good at
it, I don't think people appreciated me not fully giving them my time. Since writing that
paper, I have been a lot better at stopping what I am doing and just listen.

 Reflection:
 This was our motto at one of my previous duty stations, except the word care was
replaced with one of two other words that’s not suitable for the readers. It sounds basic,
but that’s because it is. Just care! Of course this goes for my personal life as well, but I
wanted to concentrate more on leadership at work. Care about your followers, their
careers, and them as people. As long as I remember to continue to do this, my followers
will have faith in me as their leader or mentor. I have had leaders care about me in the
past and have had sailors thank me for my mentorship. In my limited time in the Navy, I
will keep caring and if my next career puts me in a leadership role, I will continue to do
the same.
 My Personal Vision
Statement
“Whether I am at home with my family, at work with
colleges, or out in the world, I will try to always live in the
moment by appreciating both the big and little things. We
don't know how long we will be on this planet, so I'm going to
make every minute count."

Reflection:
To create my vision statement, I focused on three main artifacts; my
12-weel plan, personal narrative, and thematic analysis. As I
browsed through my artifacts, I struggled to come up with the
perfect statement. Then it hit me, I have many stories and
experiences because I am now in my forties. What I wanted most
was to enjoy the time I had left on this planet. Then I wrote down a
few ways to do that and living in the moment is what resonated
with me most. After that, the rest just came to me.
 My Personal Mission
Statement
I am dedicated to giving my family and friends everything I
have, with no excuses, until I have nothing left. My life is
dedicated to them and always will be.

Reflection:
This time around, I didn’t need to reflect on any of my artifacts.
Creating the vision statement first made it easier for me to come
up with my mission statement. I thought about ways to ensure my
vision statement was able to be realized. I wrote down five mission
statements, got rid of three, and combined the last two. This
process helped me create my perfect mission statement.
 Conclusion
Creating this analysis helped remind me that I have
lived a pretty blessed life. Breaking my life down
into themes provided me with some insight on areas
that are important to me. Having to push through
being sick, I was still able to appreciate the process
developing this thematic analysis. It helped me to
realize what was really important in my life.
References
Himes, M. (2016, April 20) The 3 key questions. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/P-4lKCENdnw

Kuder Career Interests Assessment, Kuder Skills Confidence Assessment, and Super's Work Values
Inventory (n.d.) Retrieved from https://journey.kuder.com/home/dashboard

Career Anchors Assessment (n.d.)

Retrieved from https://asu.instructure.com/courses/147553/discussion_topics/4174677?module_item_id=1
0293720

Big five personality test. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.123test.com/personality-test/

ASU Major and Career Quiz (n.d.) Retrieved from https://yourfuture.asu.edu/me3

Jung Personality Test (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.humanmetrics.com/personality

All other documents were created by Michael Schwartz while enrolled in different classes at Arizona State
University.