http://blog.case.edu/lem/ My Thoughts on MGMT250 en-us Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:48:19 EST Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:48:19 EST beau.lem@case.edu beau.lem@case.edu http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Movable Type v3.121 http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/12/12/termination On November 22nd, our management class discussed termination. When the employee and the company have no contracts or unions, companies... http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/12/12/termination 250 MGMT MGMT 250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:48:19 EST On November 22nd, our management class discussed termination. When the employee and the company have no contracts or unions, companies have the right to terminate whenever they want. If there is a contract involved companies have to be very careful when terminating employees, because the employee can file a wrongful discharge. The company has to have clear evidence of certain conditions. The employee can be discharged without legal problems if there is misconduct, lack of qualifications, or elimination of the position. The contracts are there not to only protect the company, but the employee as well. If the company doesn’t have any evidence, it is most likely that the employee will win the wrongful discharge case. As a future employer this is good to know so that I can make smart decisions and not get the company I am working for into any trouble.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/12/12/final_hr_simulation_report On December 5th, our team finished our HR simulation annual report. We seemed to cooperate very well and efficiently. With... http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/12/12/final_hr_simulation_report 250 MGMT MGMT 250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 12 Dec 2006 22:57:24 EST On December 5th, our team finished our HR simulation annual report. We seemed to cooperate very well and efficiently. With our excellent team work came excellent company results. After listening to other team’s problems and downfalls, I believe our team was probably one of the best companies in the entire simulation. I think a lot of credit has to go to our team leader though. He really pulled us together in the beginning and kept us on track. He did everything a good leader would and we did everything good members would. When we had to evaluate our team members, I gave them all great scores knowing that they would do the same. I had fun during the course of the HR simulation and I hope there is another opportunity in the future to work with such a successful group.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/12/12/final_learning_plan When I first started the learning plan I thought it was just going to be a long paper that I... http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/12/12/final_learning_plan 250 MGMT MGMT 250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 12 Dec 2006 22:51:12 EST When I first started the learning plan I thought it was just going to be a long paper that I was required to write. I just finished writing my final copy of the learning plan and I have found that it has been more insightful than I thought it would be. To think about it I really never had any goals until I wrote them down. Now I have two goals and action plans to help see them through. The personal reflection has also shown me what I need to do for not only future classes, but for future choices. I have a lot more potential than I show and the learning plan has helped me see what I can really achieve.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/12/12/tom_mendola_case On November 27th, our class discussed the Tom Mendola Case. Tom was an employee that would work well for awhile... http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/12/12/tom_mendola_case 250 MGMT MGMT 250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 12 Dec 2006 22:43:14 EST On November 27th, our class discussed the Tom Mendola Case. Tom was an employee that would work well for awhile then lose interest in his work very quickly. His productivity and quality of his work would decrease as well. The company decided to give Tom a chance and not fire him, but to move him to another department so he could start over. Tom did very well until he started to lose interest again. The company now has two choices to either fire Tom or move him back to his old job that he has requested. I personally thought he should be fired and that his actions were not acceptable. He was given two chances and the company has spent too much time and money trying to accommodate Tom’s needs.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/12/12/last_class In the last Management 250 class, we wrapped up the semester with what we liked about the class and the... http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/12/12/last_class 250 MGMT MGMT 250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 12 Dec 2006 21:23:53 EST In the last Management 250 class, we wrapped up the semester with what we liked about the class and the expectations for Management 251. Everyone had their own opinion on what they thought was valuable. Some people thought the networking session was fun or that the learning plan was constructive, but what I thought was very helpful was the mock interview. It really explained to me what my positive and negative attributes are, which will definitely help me in the future. I absolutely underestimated the value that this course had to offer, but I still enjoyed it. All I can hope for is that Management 251 will be as beneficial.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/11/10/hr_simulation_progress Team Puma is looking really good up to now. We started off decent, but it seems our group has figured... http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/11/10/hr_simulation_progress case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 10 Nov 2006 23:49:32 EST Team Puma is looking really good up to now. We started off decent, but it seems our group has figured out how to improve all aspects of the company. Our company is doing really well with quality, productivity, and morale above industry average. The annual report came out to be pretty much what we expected. The goals we set are being reached at a respectable rate. Our team work has also improved to the point where our team meetings have become very efficient. Up too now I am enjoying the simulation process. I hope to see how our company in the next four quarters.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/11/10/job_search_ethics On October 30th our class discussed ethics in business. The most interesting ethical questions were asked about resumes. Should someone... http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/11/10/job_search_ethics MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 10 Nov 2006 23:47:27 EST On October 30th our class discussed ethics in business. The most interesting ethical questions were asked about resumes. Should someone make up information on their resume to get a job? It is obvious that it is unethical to lie on your resume, but I bet you would be surprised how many people cushion their resume and add things to their experiences that never happened. At first when I first started to use a resume I didn’t think there was problem in slightly making my self sound better, but I later discovered that being honest and having good ethics means more to an employer.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/11/10/smart_goals On November 6th our class talked about goal setting and action planning SMART goals. SMART goal system is about helping... http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/11/10/smart_goals MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 10 Nov 2006 23:46:24 EST On November 6th our class talked about goal setting and action planning SMART goals. SMART goal system is about helping identify these dreams into more specific goals. In class we did an exercise of converting dreams to goals. We had to take sticky notes and wrote a bunch of our dreams down and group them accordingly. The basic categories that I had were family, career, education, riches, and personal growth. Each category could be narrowed down to a more specific goal to achieve all those dreams. Some of my dreams were to get into a good grad school. A narrowed this dream down to getting good grades now, improving my resume, and getting internships. Now that I had my sub-goals to complete the bigger picture, I defined what was stopping me. I think my biggest task would have to be time management. I noticed if you put the obstacles that may stop you from achieving the goal helps guide you in accomplishing it.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/11/10/jonah_creighton On my grading contract my case write-up was on Jonah Creighton. To get the basic description, it’s about a Jonah... http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/11/10/jonah_creighton MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 10 Nov 2006 23:44:53 EST On my grading contract my case write-up was on Jonah Creighton. To get the basic description, it’s about a Jonah dealing with discrimination within his company. He makes an effort to change the discrimination by bringing it up to his supervisors, but they don’t think it is an issue. Jonah made many mistakes while trying to pursue the issue. Jonah ended up going from a star employee to endangering his job and hardly speaking terms with his supervisor. What Jonah should have done was investigate the case more closely with more information and more proof of discrimination to make a legitimate case out of it.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/11/10/feedback On November 8th our class talked about feedback and how it affects people. We talked about different forms of feedback... http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/11/10/feedback MGMT 250 MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 10 Nov 2006 23:42:42 EST On November 8th our class talked about feedback and how it affects people. We talked about different forms of feedback such as negative, positive, and the SAFE method. It is obvious that positive feedback is always better than negative feedback. In business, applying feedback is important to help improve employees’ productivity. There are many problems associated with giving feedback too, such as constant correction or winging the feedback. People don’t respond well to constant correction or nitpicking. You really don’t learn anything because you never get time to apply the feedback before you receive more. Also having a system, such as the SAFE method, is necessary to keep feedback productive. I thought this lesson was significant, because knowing how to give and receive feedback is very important in a successful life.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/10/13/networking I thought the networking class was actually a pretty good experience. I met some people I had never met and... http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/10/13/networking 250 MGMT MGMT 250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 13 Oct 2006 23:13:16 EST I thought the networking class was actually a pretty good experience. I met some people I had never met and got to know more about people I already knew. The experience I had was a little different than others, because I was basically the only one not prepared to network. I came to class dressed in shorts and a hoody with out any business cards. Being in the environment I felt unprofessional and less confident in meeting people. My conversations didn’t last very long and it seemed as if I was listening a lot more than talking. I believe if I came prepared I would have had a better experience and probably met a lot more people in my class. I learned that being prepared and confidence is very important to making good and useful networks.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/10/13/hr_simulation When I was first assigned the HR Simulation project, I didn’t enjoy it or thought it was very useful. Now... http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/10/13/hr_simulation 250 MGMT MGMT 250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 13 Oct 2006 23:09:05 EST When I was first assigned the HR Simulation project, I didn’t enjoy it or thought it was very useful. Now after three meetings with my group and two quarters, our group started to understand what tasks were required. All our group members are willing to contribute to the team, so things are starting to move more smoothly during the meetings. I am starting to have some fun seeing how good our group does compared to other groups. I am learning that teamwork really helps when making tough decisions that a company might actually have to face. I think the HR simulation will be a good experience and I am looking forward to seeing our company end up being the best out of all the groups.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/10/13/mbti The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is test that identifies a personality that describes you best. The MBTI answers four important... http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/10/13/mbti 250 MGMT MGMT 250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 13 Oct 2006 22:49:57 EST The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is test that identifies a personality that describes you best. The MBTI answers four important questions: where you focus your attention? The way you take in the information? The way you make decisions? How you deal with the outer world? I was very skeptical at first thinking how can a test tell something as complex as a personality. Even while taking the test I thought to myself that the questions seemed repetitive and impractical. After receiving the results I was very surprised to see how accurate the indicator actually was. Out of sixteen different personalities I was considered an ESTP. ESTP stands for extraversion, sensing, thinking, and perceiving. Extraversion means I focus my attention more on the outer world of people and things and not as much on the inner world of ideas and impressions. Sensing indicates that I take in information through the five senses and focus on the here and now and less on the future possibilities. Thinking implies that I make decisions based on logic and on objective analysis of cause and effect. Perceiving individuals tend to like a flexible and spontaneous approach to life and prefer to keep their options open. I liked taking the MBTI and I thought it was very accurate.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/10/13/learning_style_inventory According to the Learning Style Inventory (LSI), there are four different learning styles. The styles are diverger, assimilator, converger, and... http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/10/13/learning_style_inventory 250 MGMT MGMT 250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 13 Oct 2006 22:26:37 EST According to the Learning Style Inventory (LSI), there are four different learning styles. The styles are diverger, assimilator, converger, and accommodator. A diverger is someone that has strengths in imaginative ability, understanding people, recognizing problems, and brainstorming. Assimilators are strong in planning, creating models, defining problems, and developing theories. A converger’s strengths are problem solving, decision making, deductive reasoning, and defining problems. Finally accommodators are strong in getting things done, leadership, and risk taking. After filling out the LSI test I found out that my learning style was a diverger. Divergers focus mostly on concrete experience and reflective observation when trying to learn something. I learned that to develop my diverger learning skills I need to practice being more sensitive and gathering information with an open mind.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/10/13/mock_interview My mock interview was with Rockwell Automation on September 22. I felt that I actually didn’t perform well, but she... http://blog.case.edu/lem/2006/10/13/mock_interview 250 MGMT MGMT 250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 13 Oct 2006 22:12:10 EST My mock interview was with Rockwell Automation on September 22. I felt that I actually didn’t perform well, but she obvious saw different and I scored quite well. I liked that I got to have my mistakes and flaws pointed out so I wouldn’t do it on my next interview. I learned that all focus should be on the interviewer at all times with continuous eye contact. In general I thought the mock interview was a good experience not only for self reflection, but for great practice. Now I can feel confident, when applying for jobs knowing what to do on my next interview.

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