Entries in the Category "MGMT250"
MGMT251
I am looking forward to next semester's Management 251 sessions because I want to see my personal, career, and academic progress. I think that our Learning Plan assignment is a very useful tool that I will take into account when assessing my growth in all three areas.
In retrospect, I am very confident about the academic goals I have set for myself. The personal goal of joining a sorority and the career goal of obtaining an internship with the IRS still seem extraordinary to me. I find myself fighting the urge to change these into something more attainable. However, I know that if I back out now, I will not only lose confidence in my ability to set and achieve goals, but I will also lose the great opportunities for growth that I have chosen.
Next semester I will apply all I have learned in Management 250, from the Four Phase Model, to the SMART way of setting goals for myself, to get closer to my ultimate dreams.
Hiring and Firing
I was excited to be able to apply the lecture on recruiting, hiring, and firing to my personal experiences. My current work place is experiencing a change in management. Because of this, I am often confronted with mailings and phone calls about the executive director recruitment search. From what I learned in the lecture, I understand that the Cleveland Jewish Hillel Center recruits more through networking than through newspapers, websites, and "Help-Wanted" ads. I now see the importance of having a rich social network for a company from which it can draw potential employees.
HR Project
The year's HR Project has finally ended. It feels like a big relief to have turned in all the forms and quarterly reports. Although our group experienced quite a few problems with inaccurate budget allocation through typos, we learned a lot about money management and executive decisions.
Thinking back on the year's work, I can honestly say that, beyond the numbers, I have also learned a lot by working with a team. I am very happy that all of our team members stood by our original plans to have open communication. I think we all realized how important it is to be able to voice our opinions and concerns to each other and made it a priority to provide assertive feedback before a serious problem arose.
I am also proud of our final product because I know we all did an equal share of the work. I believe the reason why our team finished so strong in the end is because we did not allow free riders. Through constant monitoring and a mutual values system all group members felt like a part of a team.
Because of this positive experience I am excited for next semester's project.
Four Phase Model
Amy Sindelar, the Career Center representative, spoke to our class about the Four Phase Model. The Four Phase Model is a basic way of charting the progression of emotional intelligence clusters. I think it is interesting that there are four levels of competence that everyone experiences that can be applied to any job or skill.
The progression begins with unconscious incompetence, followed by conscious incompetence, then by conscious competence, and finally to unconscious competence. The best way to move from unconscious incompetence to unconscious competence is through self-directed change. Intent to change is the most important factor in mastering a new skill.
I believe that this model can be applied to emotional intelligence as well as to other skills needed to have a successful career. Emotional intelligence is socially learned, not inherited. It can lead from self-awareness to self-management and social awareness, and finally to relationship management.
I learned that through self-awareness I can change my unconscious incompetence to conscious incompetence. With this first step finished, I can start accumulating knowledge, information, and abilities to reach a level of competence. From that point it will take time and dedication to reach the unconscious level of efficiency.
Termination
On November 27th we discussed employee termination in class. We learned that there are four basic grounds for dismissal: unsatisfactory performance, misconduct, lack of qualification for the job, and changed requirements for the job.
Before this lecture I had not realized how important it is to take precautions when letting an employee go. The penalty for being responsible for a wrongful discharge could be a possible lawsuit by the employee that was terminated. To avoid this we learned that it is necessary to make a record of complaints against the employee as they occur, and to have rules and consequences clearly stated in the manual.
As an afterthought, I would also like to add that its important to get different sides of the story from all parties involved. This can make it easier to make a correct decision if there is a problem with a worker. This would be another way of making sure that an employee's termination is just and in accordance with the published guidelines.
Orientation
Previously we discussed the training and development process in class. The training and development process for companies must encompass an active orientation program, in my opinion, because it makes a new employee feel welcome, helps him or her to understand the organization and duties, and begins his or her socialization with other employees.
There are different ways of approaching orientation that accomodate the different learning styles, yet it seems to me that most of them favor the Converger and Accomodator. Its obvious that people that learn the best from active experimentation would be more likely to benefit from directly performing a few introductory tasks as they become familiar with the working environment.
I am not a Converger or an Accomodator, yet this summer I went through an orientation program that forced me to dive directly into the work I would be doing. From having that experience I would have to conclude that even though it did not suit my learning style, I learned exponentialy by going through it. I guess this shows that there is a reason why most accepted orientation programs lean towards the active experimentation style of learning.
SMART Everest Goals
Ever since this Monday I have been thinking about the next step of my Learning Plan. We discussed Everest Goals in class both for companies and for individuals. Everest Goals go beyond the normal goal setting. They are visionary and push for extraordinary accomplishment. They require effort, passion, commitment, authenticity, and self knowledge.
In restrospect I have always been prone to setting Everest Goals for myself. Mine, however, were never very realistic and were seldom reached. I can definitely see that this project will push me to rethink my goals. It is time that I reconcile my dreams and reality and construct goals that are more specific, measurable, attaineable, relevant, and time bound. I think that this will also make me more efficient and driven, and thus more likely to accomplish what I set out to do.
SAFE FASE
This Wednesday we discussed performance feedback in class. I felt that the methods of offering feedback would help me in the future. When we split up into groups to discuss our various vignettes, I realized that the SAFE method of offering feedback was out of order. SAFE is an acronym for what one should do when offering helpful suggestions for improvement to a coworker or a supervisor:
Summarize-specific behavoirs and their consequences
Ask-if person wants to improve
Formulate-a plan of action and desired consequences
Express-gratitude for effor, attention, time (with sincerity)
The four steps are helpful, yet I felt that it would be awkward if they were done in the order presented. Because of this I decided to reorganize them into FASE--the order that made the most sense to me:
Formulate-a plan of action and desired consequences
Ask-if the person wants to improve
Summarize-specific behaviors and consequences
Express-gratitude for effort, attention, time (with sincerity)
Ethics
When I read the Jonah Creighton case I noticed that the pertinent issues revolved around business ethics and making the right choices. Jonah Creighton found himself in a situation where he was uncomfortable working for his company unless some changes were made to their policies. He was upset that Coulding-Henson, the company he worked for, promised their workers equal opportunities and yet showed blatant bias against minority employees. I began to think that there are often choices that are unclear. In this instance, there were two choices and both could be argued as the right one if they were looked at in different ways.
In the Jonah Creighton reading there were two ways to see the way the company dealt with placing employees. Jonah's way would consider it unethical to place employees according to bias. Jonah's biggest complaint was that if this was done, it was clear that not everyone was getting the same opportunities. Dan Newell, Jonah's supervisor, argued for the company's current practices. He said that it was better to comply with the corporate culture of some branches and consider soft politics. This is because it would not disrupt the environment that was established before the worker was placed there. It would also assure that the worker being placed would not be thrown into a possibly uncomfortable or hostile work place.
Both views to me seem fairly strong. In a simplifed sense, Jonah is arguing for the moral standards of a society that condones racism and bias. In contrast, Dan's view supports the ethics and the responsibility of making as much money as possible that a business has to its shareholders. In other words, if a worker is placed in a potentially explosive situation, the efficiency of that business is likely to go down.
In considering this, I believe that I would support Jonah's view more than Dan's. This is because I believe that integrity and objectivity are the duties of any professional. That means that honesty, responsibility, and duty to the customers and employees are more important than making profit. I believe that if I was in Dan's shoes, I would be more willing to change the corporate culture that promotes biased behavior against minorities instead of simply complying with it. Unfortunately, difficult choices like this are never this clear, especially when the situation is so delicate.
My Expectations
My expectations for my HR Simulation group are very high. Our first results show that our decisions so far have been superior compared with the results of our class. My group works very well together. I think we are doing great though it is difficult to find a common time to meet outside of class since we are all busy. I am proud of my team's continuous effort and participation.
My expectations for the rest of the course are that we carry on meeting at least twice a week to make our HR Simulation decisions. I expect that we will contact each other when we are experiencing problems or dysfunctions within the group. I also would like to see a more positive attitude once we understand the process of making the decisions thoroughly. Finally, I expect that we learn respect, comradeship, self-confidence, and trust from each other
My Managerial Assets
If I was to go into business management as well as accounting, I would already have some of the skills needed in the field. I consider my assets to be my loyalty and my eagerness to help others grow as well as my passion for participating in groups, my clear communication skills, and my ability to motivate others.
From previous experiences I noticed I work well when working with groups where I can throw out my ideas and get feedback from other individuals. I am also a competent communicator and often like to teach others and offer advice for problems that individuals have.
My weaknesses lie in my inability to apply ideas practically. I also struggle with dealing with technical tasks and problems. I prefer interacting with people and talking through problems rather than performing the technicalities of the problem solving process. The biggest issue I am dealing with right now is my shyness when I am put in the leadership role. I think that conscious practice and self-confidence in my abilities will help me conquer this fear in the future.
Interview with Beverly
On October fifth I interviewed Beverly Hargrove, the Business Administrator of the Cleveland Hillel Jewish Center. I spent thirty minutes getting to know the woman behind the operations of the small non-profit organization that provides programs and religious services to the student community on the Case campus.
Beverly's answers to my questions have really made me think about my choice to become an accountant. When I asked her for advice about getting started in acconting I got an answer that I never expected. Beverly said that the best thing that an accounting major can do after graduation is not to have huge expectations. Although accounting is a growing field it is also very competitive. Bev had to put in a lot of time and work in order to succeed and she urged me to be prepared for the same. The big pay check all accounting students expect, myself included, is rare.
Despite this, I am still interested in this field. I am prepared to work hard in order to have financial authority. I am willing to wait to earn my big pay check if it means that my work will be validated. I am also going to pay attention to Bev's advice on dealing with the hardest parts about accounting. Most young accountants are not prepared to meet the time constraints of financial reporting or to respond quickly to outside demand. These issues are all one's I will have to tackle as I delve deeper into this field.
Interviewing for a Job
If a friend came up to me and asked me for advice for his upcoming interview I would give him a couple of suggestions. First of all, I would say that it is incredibly important to take care of one's external appearence. Second, I would suggest looking the company's financial position and employee benefits before interviewing. My third suggestion would be to begin the interview with a positive attitude and to practice marketing oneself and one's skills.
When interviewing for a job, one's appearence will inevitably create a first impression. Obviously a conservative business suit is a necessary item. There is more to creating the right first impression that goes beyond wearing the right suit. Proper posture, a solid handshake, and even remembering to smile is just as important to self-confidence as practicing the answers to the difficult questions. Showing a positive attitude and an eagerness to join the company will make a good impression on the interviewer.
Beyond appearences there is also the issue of being able to sell one's skills, one's experience, and one's other assets to the interviewer in a matter of several minutes. One must be able to recount instances that show one's initiative, one's teamwork, and one's leadership skills. Because it is impossible to prepare oneself for every possible question an interviewer may ask, one must be ready to think on one's feet. In those cases one's positive attitude is invaluable.
Why do we work in teams?
The big idea addressed in class on the second of October was why we work in teams. The most obvious reasons were decided right away. A lesser work load, specialization, and efficiency were all named as positive points of working in teams. Despite this, I think that the most important aspect of team work is the ability of groups to have diverse views and different ideas. I believe businesses must hire a variety of workers from different backgrounds so that their employees can provide numerous solutions and ideas to questions.
There are also specific problems related to team work. Conflict, miscommunication, and inefficiency all arise from dysfunctional teams. I believe that groups consisting of people with one opinion and one idea tend to be less efficient. Diversity is important for constructive team work because it forms an environment conducive to more dynamic solutions. Despite this, group work is a gratifying experience if it is with a well functioning team.
What do you think makes you a good accountant?
Accounting is a challenging subject because it uses a combination of different systems in its basic organization. There is always the math part, of course, but that is useless unless one can tie it together with what is going on in real life.
That is where the challenge comes in--because if accountants did not use a similar system of organizing financial transactions, the math would be completely useless to investors and share-holders. If one can't compare financial statements laterally or horizontally across the industry, then there is no other efficient way of gauging how a company is performing.
Besides this problem, one must also have a deep understanding of how the market, the company, and the industry works. One must be able to connect these areas together to be able to make future predictions of financial performance, and to plan expidentures accordingly.
I think that there are several things that make me suited for this career. First of all, I am constantly asking questions and stepping outside the box so that I can thoroughly understand how acconting works and why there are certain methods of doing things. The first problem that I had with understanding accounting was that it did not apply the math to any natural science or believable logic I've been used to seeing in my previous classes. Since my first Accounting 101 class, I have constantly put the concept of accounting to the test--and discovered new reasons for why it is useful and even secrets for how such an arbitrary system can hold itself up. I've finally grasped the balancing act that keeps accounting together as a functioning system.
Second of all, I am well suited for this profession because I am challenged by it. I never refuse to read the course book or any current news on the issues in the area because I know that there is still a lot to learn and a lot to discover. The math part of accounting is challenging to me as well, so I take extra time to make sure my work is not sloppy, and that I have not made any mistakes. These two things put together are the reason for why I take accounting so seriously and why I am so thorough in my work.
The third reason why I accounting is a suitable profession for my character is because I am imaginative and patient as well. It takes both to be a good accountant since punching in numbers does only half the job. A machine is perfectly capable of inputting data and organizing it in a database. An good accountant, however, is better because he or she can process the data, understand it, and even make projections for the future. Patience is a virtue in this case, not only because collecting and analyzing financial data is a tedious task, but also because it takes time to reap the benefits of strategic financial planning.
Accounting is a challenging subject because it is structured around math, yet uses language and arbitrary concepts to organize the numbers. I believe I am very well suited for this career because I think of it as a new realm to explore. I am also challenged by it, which makes me more thorough and serious about learning it. My imagination and my patience are the two characteristics that make this field perfect for me, since I know I will take accounting farther than just the basic numbers, and I will apply my knowledge for the common welfare.