Entries in the Category "MGMT250"
MGMT250 In The Real World
I was recently talking with my sister, a saleswoman for Lion Brand Yarn Company, about my MGMT250 class. The aspect she found most interesting was the MBTI and LSI. The last company she worked for had her take the MBTI and examine her results. I thought it was really inetersting that a company would its employees take the same test we took in class. She said she wishes she could take it again and reapply it to her current organization. I explained the LSI to her and she was very interested in that test, as well. This displays the importance of these tests in the real world. The very tests we took in class are tools used by big businesses to assess their employees and help them grow. The conversation I had with my sister strenghtened my enthusiasm for the test we took and our class in general. This shows that what we're learning in class really can be applied to our life-after-college and how we will interact in the workplace.
The MGMT250 Blog
I think our blog site is one of the most useful, helpful tools I have ever used for a class. I actually enjoyed writing blogs incorporating my opinions on the class and the subjects we discussed. I think the most positive aspect of blogging has been the opportunity to further examine what we discussed in class. Sometimes, while in class, I don't have enough time to fully think about what we have discussed and form an opinion regarding the topics. Having to write a blog several days afterwards, however, forced me to revisit the subject and relate it to other areas of my life. I think the tool is really great way to aid in students fully understanding and applying what we learned in class. I also really enjoy reading the opinions of my classmates, especially those who keep quieter in class.
Learning Plan
The Learning Plan is one of the most interesting assignments I've ever had. Part II, however, caused me a lot of stress. While I normally am a very organized, schedule-oriented person (shown through my Judging classification on the MBTI), it was rather difficult to develop specific, long-term goals. I think that my initial problems developing goals came from the fear the MBTI placed on me. It forced me to think about my future and realize how close I am to finding an internship this summer, graduating, going to grad school, finding a job, etc, and, quite frankly, that was kind of scary at first. The more I worked on my plan, though, the more comfortable I became with accepting that my future was approaching fast. After writing the Learning Plan, I feel relatively confident in my future and the paths I have chosen to take and will choose in the future.
MGMT 250 Wrap-Up
I found our MGMT 250 class to be extremely informative and inspiring. The presentations by the career center and our special sessions and guest speakers provided tons of useful information regarding practical skills that we should all develop such as: interviewing, networking, and resume writing. I especially enjoyed the hands on experiences we were able to partake in. In addition, I found several of the Xanedu articles to be very interesting as well, and they were a great supplement to the class. I also really enjoyed the open discussion atmosphere of the classroom. I felt comfortable expressing my ideas and enjoyed listening to others as well. While I already have credit for the 251 class, I almost wish I would have registered for it anyway. I am very interested in how it will act as a follow up to 250 and would love to continue developing what I learned this semester. Keep me updated on how 251 goes, everyone!!
HR Simulation Wrap-Up
The HR Simulation was one of my favorite aspects of this course. While I was nervous initially entering into the team environment, working with my team was an amazing learning experience. Especially being team leader, I felt the team atmosphere was an opportunity to practice some of the skills I have learned through manangement courses. I was able to practice the "art of feedback" we learned this year through developing a performance appraisal for with my team and also approaching team members who may not have been performing up to standard. Freshman year I took a class which focused partially on developing the skill of facilitating a meeting. I initially found myself putting those skills to practice automatically while conducting team meetings. After I recognized this, I was able to continue to develop those skills through team meetings. This was an amazing experience becuase it was one of the first times I was able to use those skills outside of the classroom.
Motivation and Management
The role motivation plays within the concept of management is crucial, however, it is also a fine line to walk. A manager's ability to motivate their workers stems from the influence they have over them which often comes from the types of power they hold. French and Raven identified five types of power: Coercive, Reward, Legitimate, Referent, and Expert. At the base level of their taxonomy is coercive power, which is power gained through the threat of punishment. This power that managers can hold motivates employees to do their job because they fear being fired. Another example of the connection between power and motivation is reward power. Managers often hold the power to reward their employees for a job well done through bonuses, etc. This power motivates employees to perform their job in the hopes they will receive a reward. I find it very interesting how the concept of motivation among employees stems from the power that managers hold over them. In this sense, managers must be trusted not to abuse the powers that they hold.
Social Responsibility
I thought the introduction in class of the concept of social responsibility among corporations was very interesting. I believe it is important for all organizations to be involved in their community, especially large corporations that are main players in the local communities in which they are located. Large corporations often have the resources and influence to make positive changes in their surrounding communities and should put those resources to good use. I think the idea of social responsibility is a vital part of maintaining good ethics within an organization. I believe that ethics is more than just "not doing the bad things." Ethics also incorporates the idea of knowing when to reach out and initiate the good things.
Jonah Creighton Case
After reading the Jonah Creighton Case that we will be discussing in class tomorrow, one main dilemma came to mind. While both the England and Australia locations of Coulding-Henson are obviously discriminating against African-American employees, would these plants be the "best fit" for African-American candidates? One of the main purposes of Jonah and Dan's position within the CHAMPS program was mentioned as finding the right job fitted for each candidate. While it was obviously wrong for the England and Australia locations to express and act on bigoted views, would it be fair to fight for Martin Banks’ position in the England location? If Jonah fought the case and Martin Banks was sent to England, would it be right to place him in an environment where he faced potential discrimination? Jonah and Dan were in charge of assigning the right recruit to the right job. Would placing a recruit in a position where they would face potential discrimination classify as "the right job”? I agree that discrimination is obviously a problem within the company, and I believe that something needs to be done about it, however, if Martin were to experience harassment while placed in the England job, is Jonah in the wrong for placing him somewhere "not fit”? I'm not sure what the right answer to this question is. I believe Jonah is right for fighting the discrimination he observes, but would he really be able to change people's minds in the England and Australia locations in the process?
HR Simulation - Ending Year 1
As a team leader, I have tried to pay close attention to the dynamics of my HR simulation group. During our first few meetings we all seemed confused about the simulation in general. We spent large amounts of time flipping through the manual trying to make sense of our options, what programs to implement, and how we should allocate our money. In addition, it was apparent that several group members were holding back expressing their opinions when they were different from the majority of the group's. As we enter the beginning of the second year, the group dynamic has completely changed. Our meetings run smoothly now. Each team member seems to express their feelings openly and seems comfortable disagreeing with the majority. Our general meeting time has also decreased. I believe this is due to the fact that we now know where in the manual we can find all the relevant information we need. The team seems comfortable with the simulation now and we have gotten into a "groove" when it comes to holding meetings. It has been really interesting to watch the team evolve and I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the simulation.
Training
I recently just completed a six week long introductory training session for my current job. The job involves mostly computer programming; however, the language used is unique to the company. To ensure the quality of each employee, the training the company provides is very involved. I found that training program incorporated techniques that all learning styles could benefit from. My learning style as a converger is based around observing, and the program provided many opportunities to observe the actions I would have to perform for my job. In addition, the program provided both lecture style training, hands-on training, and allowed us to explore the theories behind what we would be doing on the job.
The in-depth training program also served as a selection process for the job. We were given tests after each lesson we completed and in order to continue in the program, we needed to receive a 90% or higher on each test. There was also a cumulative final we also needed to achieve a 90% on as well. This is an innovative way the company can ensure the skill level, quality, and dedication of potential employees. Those in training could also engage in a process of self-selection, if they felt they were not qualified for the job or could not keep up with the training program, as was the case with one student in my training class.
I felt the training I underwent was very successful. The small class size (2-3 people) allowed for personalized attention and the hands-on experience we received provided me with a strong, confident base for when I began working. I also was impressed with the rigorous selection process, which I found was an accurate way of determining a potential employee's fit with the company.
First Team Meetings
When my group met for the first time, we exchanged personality types. My four teammates were introverts and I am an extrovert; however, I also can see myself as an introvert at certain times. I was very interested to see how the five of us would interact. During the first out of class group meeting, most of my teammates greatly displayed their introvert qualities, as the meeting started off slowly, but as the meeting progressed, our entire team was contributing and very active in the conversation. I had expected us to divide up the work and work on separate sections alone, because I assumed my teammates would be most comfortable working like that, however, we did most of the work together as a team. I was happily surprised to find this out. While debriefing the MBTI, I remember learning that, while we may be more inclined to act on our personality type, we can still think and act the same way other personalities do, it is just like using your left hand if you are right handed. Perhaps my teammates found it difficult to actively participate in the first group meeting, maybe not, but either way, we all worked very well together and contributed our thoughts and ideas clearly, both agreeing and disagreeing on different subjects. I think our process of forming, and getting comfortable with each other, is going very well.
Manager vs. Leader
In the first week of class, we discussed both what management is and what leadership is. While both concepts seem very similar, I believe there is a huge difference between the idea of being a manager and the idea of being a leader. Warren Benis states that "management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right thing." I agree completely with this distinction between the two. Being an effective manager relies upon getting your job done and getting your subordinates to do their job as well. One way of accomplishing this goal is to be an effective leader; however, a manager does not need to be a leader to accomplish these goals. They could rely solely on coercive power to make employees meet departmental goals, for example.
On the other hand, leadership is "doing the right thing." I take this as focusing on the broader realm of society, whereas management focuses on a specific organization/goal. I believe that leadership is a two-way street. Leaders are able to influence their followers because the followers truly feel their goal/cause is meaningful. Servant leadership, the idea that leaders must also serve their followers, contributes greatly to this. Leaders cannot just influence their followers for their own personal gain, they must truly care for and lead for the betterment of the group.
In contrast, group leaders are not always managers. While a manager may set production goals for a team within an organization, a team member may be the leader who motivates the team to accomplish those goals collectively.
I believe that management and leadership are greatly related, however, they are extremely different as well.
Trust in Teams
In class we discussed how we can earn others' trust within our teams. I believe that trust is a 'two way street' and the best way to earn another team member's trust is to trust them. When we display trust towards others, it is easier for them to trust us. In a team, the best way to show your other team members that you trust them is to communicate with them. By communicating your ideas and feelings with your team members, you are showing them that you trust them with these ideas and feelings.
Often times team members will keep thoughts and feelings to themselves to avoid having an opinion for fear that others will disagree with their opinion. In doing so, team members end up focusing more attention on being neutral than on accomplishing the team goal, in turn, hurting the team.
Team members must be open to trusting each other. Conflict is inevitable and at some point, a team member's trust will probably be broken, but starting off with a positive attitude about trusting each other will help the team overcome all of these obstacles in the future. By showing others that we trust them, it will be easier for them to trust us, which will help create strong team relationships, an important building block for all teams.
Building Team Relationships
In class, we discussed the 5 stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Of these five, I believe the first stage, the forming stage, is the most important. In the forming stage, a group of people is first transformed into a team. Through forming, the team sets the stage for the rest of their time together. We discussed that these stages do not have to be performed in order, however, I believe that it is important for the team to begin with the forming stage. If a team can build strong relationships, they can overcome any obstacle set in front of them. Through forming, the team can create a shared vision for accomplishing its goal and is able to give meaning to its project. The most important aspect of this is to build strong relationships between team members. While team members do not necessarily have to like each other, they need to gain respect and trust for one another and form a comfort leve with one another. In doing so, teams can easily discuss, disagree, and determine the best way to achieve their goal. Without this relationship and shared vision, I do not feel that the team can accomplish much of anything, which is why I believe the forming stage is most important for team development.
Interviewing
Last week I had an interview for my new job. The interviewing process went smoothly and I felt pretty confident in my performance. One interesting aspect that I noticed, however, was the fact that my interviewer seemed more nervous than I was. He was in his mid-twenties, so he may not have had much experience in interviewing, but I still couldn't understand why he seemed so nervous. He remained sitting stiffly through the entire interview and his sentences seemed very structured and rehearsed. He showed little emotion during the interview and stuttered frequently, but was very relaxed and energetic before and after the actual interview part. After our class last week on interviewing and also sharing my experience with Professor Powley, I drew some conclusions about why my interviewer seemed so nervous. In class, we learned the enormous amounts of preparation that goes into planning an interview. We also learned some potential interviewing problems, such as making snap judgements or being under pressure to hire new employees. All these thoughts are on the interviewer's mind during the interview. I can completely understand now why my interviewer seemed so nervous.