Joseph Tichar's Online Journal

Learning Plan, Again

Tue, 29 Nov 2005 23:12:01 EST

I have spent an awful lot of time on my learning plan and I am worried about my overall grade. After the first part, I made corrections and fixed up some minor errors. However, the length of the paper just keeps increasing, and with the second part of the paper still to wrap up, I am worried I have written too much. After Professor Powely said the paper will be graded on brevity I began to worry even more. I had just finished correcting all the errors and adding vital information that was requested by our T.A. and the length of the paper increased by 4 four pages – now well over 20 pages total.

Overall, the learning plan has been a great exercise in regards to personal growth and future goals. I am glad I have taken the time to think about myself and where I am going; I know I have benefited from doing all this. However, it just seems that behind all of this great personal growth and satisfaction with examining myself and setting goals, there lies a grade. I understand that this is an assignment, but grading someone’s learning plan seems to be very subjective. I think I will do OK in regards to the grade, but whatever I get for a grade will not reflect the value the learning plan has added to my personal growth and development. Grading someone’s individuality and career goals seems a little silly to me.

That's Teamwork

Fri, 18 Nov 2005 00:34:40 EST

This evening, our HR simulation team had our weekly meeting to take care of business. We made decisions regarding inputs and incidents for the 3rd quarter of year 2. When the simulation began, our meetings lasted anywhere from 1 - 2 hours. We had trouble figuring out specifically what we had to do, and we were still getting to know each other and what responsibilities each person would take care of. However, this evening was the most efficient meeting we have had yet. We accomplished everything within 30 minutes and the quality of our work was far better than anything we did in the fist year. We work well as a team and we utilize everyone's talents to get the work done in the most efficient fashion. I am happy with the progress our team has made over the past 7 weeks or so. Good work Four Seasons Hotels!

What About Us?

Fri, 18 Nov 2005 00:21:02 EST

In today's class, we talked about our grades on the learning plans and more importantly our grades in general. The thing I found ironic about all of this was that we just finished discussion about feedback and its importance, and now we as students are not receiving the type of feedback we need in order to excel in the classroom. Many of us feel that we are in jeopardy as far as our grades go, and we are unclear about where we stand. As students we are constantly doing school work and trying our best to get good grades and when we do not get any feedback about how we are doing, that can build stress and concern. It is vital that we have a ballpark estimate of where were stand in regards to our grades. We need to get feedback, not just talk about.

Who Really Cares?

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 15:30:16 EST

In today’s class we discussed performance appraisals and more specifically appraisals for professors and instructors at the end of the semester. Some of the problems involved with the manner in which these appraisals are conducted and put together were brought up in class. However, one problem that I see with the appraisals after thinking about it some more is that students do not feel there is any personal value or benefit of doing the performance appraisals. In addition to just completing the appraisal as fast as you can to leave the class early, students do not particularly care about the performance appraisals because there is no direct benefit to the students who fill them out. By critiquing a professor at the END of the semester, the students will add NO value to their personal learning experience because the class is over and done with. Therefore, there is no incentive for the student to take time and fill out the performance appraisal with diligence because they will not benefit from them whatsoever.

Got Feedback?

Thu, 10 Nov 2005 14:07:31 EST

In today’s class we talked about feedback. One aspect we focused on is the manner of giving feedback and the means of doing so. As I sat in class I began to think about the Learning Style Inventories we took, and my outcome as an accommodator. As an accommodator, I am the type of person that needs feedback in my learning process. We discussed the types of feedback and the ways to give it; for me I just need to know how I am doing whether good or bad. In my experiences with sports and coaches, I have always been subject to both positive and negative feedback. What I have noticed is that everyone responses differently to positive and negative feedback and other people respond the same no matter positive or negative. I think I am the type of person that responds equally to either type as long as I respect the person evaluating me. The reason for this is because I want to make by coaches or boss happy and as a result I do whatever it takes to do so. Everyone responds differently and everyone needs different amounts of feedback and it is important to realize this.

Dream Big

Wed, 09 Nov 2005 09:38:42 EST

Yesterday’s class was by far the most enjoyable class for me thus far in MGMT250. I have always enjoyed talking about goals and strategies to set them. A couple things really caught my attention during class when we talked about Everest goals and SMART goals. The Everest goals and the quotes from the men who climbed Mount Everest were very valuable and motivational. Many times we set goals and soon feel that they are out of reach, however, we need to constantly be reminded of why we set the goal and be motivated to achieve them even if we must go beyond the call of duty. Each day we should outer perform ourselves from the previous day. And by using the strategy of SMART goals we can have a path or step by step process of eventually accomplishing our goals - similar to the steps the men climbing Mount Everest had to take one at a time.

I have always enjoyed quotes of motivation and setting goals for myself, so that is why yesterday's class was so enjoyable. I now have a better strategy to use in order to attain my goals. Even though the learning plan seems so tedious and boring at times, every professional I have spoke with whether through relationships or interviews has said that it is a very powerful tool. So after all it should pay off!

Ethics In Search For A Job

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 17:40:19 EST

In today's class, we focused on the ethical side of business including the interviewing and job search side of business. One of the unethical aspects of the job search process posted in the slides today was that you should never interview with another company once you have accepted a job. I understand that it would be a waste of time for the interviewer of the other company in which you will not be working with to interview you; however, it is a great way to practice one’s interviewing skills and network with other company's for future endeavors. And if you do get another offer, even though you have accepted the position form another company, you can always turn it down. It just seems that it is a good way to continue to broaden your horizons and learn more about the industry you wish to build a career in. This "unethical" act was one that I struggled to grasp in today’s presentation from the career center representative.

Lesson Learned

Sun, 30 Oct 2005 16:32:14 EST

So far, the HR simulation has been a great way to learn about the importance of human capital in all businesses and the aspects of it that one must pay close attention to. Each week I am surprised with the results of my team's decisions for each quarter. When we go over the situation we are faced with each quarter we try to think of every possible outcome that can come from our decisions. It is hard to really get a good idea of the morale of the company just from reading about it through a survey. Moreover, it is difficult to pinpoint what is really making the employees unhappy, and without direct feedback from the employees themselves, it is hard to know what they want or what they need to make their working experience better or more enjoyable. Furthermore, when making decisions for the incident reports, it is a challenge to hire someone when the only thing available for critique is a paragraph about the person. Obviously we can't physically meet the people that we are looking to hire, but it is made clear why employers put so much emphasis on hiring. Also, the incident reports are very vague and that forces us to use some intuition and really try to think of what is best for the company even with limited knowledge. And that is what I think the greatest lesson of the HR simulation really is - that in running a business there is imperfect information and as a manager you must trust yourself and be confident in your decisions even when you don't have all the information or knowledge or time you may need to make the very best decision.

HR Team

Sun, 30 Oct 2005 16:17:18 EST

After completing one full fiscal year of the HR simulation, I have noticed a few major differences in our team's dynamics. When the simulation began, there was a lot of what seemed to be ambiguity in regards to how we were supposed to complete the tasks for each quarter. As a team we were a little worried and unsure about how things would turn out for us. Our fist meeting was very lengthy and inefficient, and we wondered if every meeting would be like this. Also, there was concern of who will complete which tasks and will we get things done. However, as the weeks went on our meetings became much more efficient with more input from each group member and a lot of great discussion on strategies and goals. Everyone has taken care of what they have been expected to do and as a result I feel that we are working fairly well as a team. Now that we have completed one full fiscal year, we have a better idea of what to do and the best way of going about it. It took some time for us to become a team and develop some team chemistry, and while we are still working on it, I really think we are heading in the right direction.

Training

Wed, 19 Oct 2005 14:36:28 EST

Today in class we discussed the topic of training and all the different aspects of it. We talked about the type of learning styles that are involved, the benefits, the drawbacks, etc. Two separate types of training that were discussed were "on the job training" and "coach/understudy". It seems to me that these are both the same type of training. In both cases there is a mentor/coach that is taking time away from their everyday job to train another individual. I was trying to figure out what the difference between these two types of training are.

Anyways, I think that it was interesting to look at all the different types of training and how differently people will respond to each method because of their learning preferences. More and more I am amazed at how psychological the business world really is. With so much interaction with other people and human capital being so important, businesses must make large investments in understanding human capital in order to tap into all of its potentials.

Managerial Maze

Sun, 16 Oct 2005 21:54:43 EST

In our last class, there was a question Prof Powley presented to us. The question about a managerial maze was rather vague, but I think what he was asking was whether young professionals would rather go along with the "political" aspect of a new job or of they would rather do their own thing. The answers to this question were rather vague, like the question. However, what really underlies in this question is whether young professionals want to work for a big corporate firm, or a small independent firm. In a corporate firm, there will be expectations of the "new guy/gal" to work there way up and only have certain privileges with no autonomy whatsoever - basically worked like a dog. However, in a small firm I believe there will be much more autonomy and opportunities. In a small firm a young professional might not be looked down on as much and valued much more. I really think the managerial maze has to refer to whether or not a young professional wants to be a big corporate slave, or an independent firm’s asset.

Motivated by...?

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 16:37:13 EST

In today’s class we focused on motivation in the work place. I began to think about any time I have done something whether in school, sports, volunteering, etc and why I did it. What motivated me to do it? Often, there is an incentive that motivates us to do something, even if that incentive is not tangible. Whether we do something to gain recognition, grades, and status or just to do it because we love it, there is an incentive to do it. Do we go to Case because we love the school or because we want a good education and future career? Everyone will have their own preference and opinion, but either way there is some type of reward or incentive, either tangible or intangible, that we are striving for. So incentives essentially do motivate us.

Shift Gears

Sat, 08 Oct 2005 15:11:53 EST

We have had a lot of discussion in regards to interviewing this semester. We have mostly focused on the aspect of how to do well when getting interviewed. However, with the Learning Plan coming up, we will shift gears and give the interview. As such, what makes for a good interview? With the mock interview, the more I spoke with classmates about the interview, the main aspect that mattered when it came down to “how did the interview go” was who they got interviewed by. Some people are good at giving interviews, asking questions, creating a good environment for discussion, and being personable, while others do not facilitate these qualities. What are some tips on being a good interviewer? We have learned all the tricks of getting interviewed, now what do we do when we give the interview in order to make it worth the interviewee’s time and energy and ensure that we get all the information we need during the interview?

5:1

Thu, 06 Oct 2005 23:13:40 EST

I have always heard that working in teams is an essential aspect of the business profession, but I guess I never realized how integrated teams are in the business world. In the past week we have spent a large amount of class time discussing team dynamics and the aspects of highly effective teams. The one fact/point that has stuck with me about “highest performing teams” is the ratio of positive comments to negative comments (5:1). In my experiences with teams, especially in sports, this has always been the most crucial aspect of our success. From coaches to captains to the rest of the team, attitude almost always determined the success of our team. It seems like such an easy and practical thing to do, however it can be one of the most challenging things to accomplish in a competitive and high stress situation.

HR Simulation

Wed, 05 Oct 2005 20:46:41 EST

So far the HR simulation has been a lot more work than I and the rest of my team had expected. We have already had two meetings to discuss the first quarter and what we will do as far as our team plan goes. The hardest part of the HR simulation thus far has been trying to understand what we are supposed to be doing exactly. It seems that there is a lot of ambiguity in the directions. What I am starting to realize from this is that the future and success of the company is all up to our team. When you run your own company, you are the boss. As such, there is no one there to tell what to do each step along the way. This is definitely good lesson to learn for us management students because we will have an immense amount of autonomy in making decisions as managers.