Archives for the Month of December 2006 on Brendan Walsh's Blog
HR Simulation Final Reflection
I noticed that my previous blog concerning the HR Simulation, though worthy, did not evaluate the simulation as a whole. I thought that the incident reports were an important and knowledgeable part of the simulation; nonetheless, I did not evaluate my entire outlook on the simulation. The fact that the activity was “hands on” benefited my learning style greatly. As mentioned before, I have an accommodating learning style and as a result, I learn better in active participation rather than lectures.
My primary dislike about the HR Simulation dealt with the allotted budget. Our group found that it was almost a task to allocate the entire budget because we were given too much. It felt as if we would budget the parts of the simulation that were most important and then we would just add the leftover budget randomly without a strategy. It seemed absurd to just be able to throw around an extra $100,000 that we did not even need. I felt that this was one of the biggest flaws of the simulation along with the incident reports which I spoke about in a previous blog.
Overall, I feel that the HR Simulation was the best management 250 activity, and I look forward to more “hands on” activities in future management courses.
Learning Plan II
After finishing the second part of my learning plan, I have some thoughts that I would like to reflect upon. Overall, the learning plan writing assignment was an excellent tool for self-evaluation and movement towards goal achievement. At times I find it hard to evaluate myself, yet this paper put everything into prospective for me. Activities such as Catch Your Dreams are great for identifying your goals; however, after the activity, a lot is forgotten. The paper helped to cement the ideas that we went over during that class activity and pushed me towards the first and hardest part of goal achievement. The learning plan part 2 allowed me to identify my most important goals and set a pathway towards them. Due to problems with procrastination, this part is always the hardest for me to achieve, yet this paper pushed me to complete this stage of goal achievement. I now feel more confident about completing the goals I have set forth, and I look forward to the ways that I will change as a person.
Mock Interview
An activity that I gained a lot of knowledge from was the mock interview. This activity was specifically helpful to me because I have never experienced a true interview. I had no idea what to expect and there is no better way than to experience this activity than in a mock setting.
In the future, I plan to improve my skills with behavioral based questions because I feel that they are one of the most important parts of an interview. If one can answer these questions with ease and confidence, a company will be extremely impressed.
Nonetheless, I feel that I will be able to go into an interview with more confidence and preparation due to the management mock interview activity.
HR Simulation Incidents Reflection
Now that the HR Simulation has come to a close, I would like to reflect upon my experiences. I found that one of the most interesting sections for the HR Simulation was the individual incidents. This part of the simulation allowed for an even more realistic outlook on management. HR managers need to address similar incidents on a daily basis and it allowed me to put myself in their shoes. This part of the simulation also increased our group interaction. Group members expressed different opinions, and we had to compromise weekly, which is another aspect of management.
On a side note, it felt as if the computer program did not always read the incidents correctly. This became a problem because our team’s enthusiasm to complete the incidents began to fall. After speaking with other groups that were participating in the HR Simulation, I found that they could relate to this problem as well. It felt as if our opinions did not matter and it was just busy work.
Overall, the HR Simulation was a great hands on activity that allowed students to gain a more realistic approach to management.
Goal Identification
Now that the end of the semester is coming to a close, I have begun to think on some of my upcoming goals. One of my specific goals focuses on an achievement in the relative future, whereas the other will be in future years. Due to the organizational skills that I have developed through the management 251 course, I am already reshaping my current identity in order to fully attain my career and life visions. More specifically, after participating in the class topic titled Catch your Dreams, I have begun to realize what is important to me and what steps I need to take in order to achieve these goals. The goals that I have decided to specifically focus on from the class activity were determined by self evaluation and life values.
I feel that the activity has made a big impact on my life because it has already pushed me closer to my goals, identification. I look forward to recognizing my progress and ultimately accomplishing my goals.