December 07, 2006
Learning Goals and Action Steps
I have just finished writing and revising my learning plan for Management 250. This assignment has allowed me to spend a great deal of time reflecting about my values, learning behavior, aspirations and dreams. I enjoyed this assignment as it was a change of pace from the ordinary. I have defined two goals for myself to pursue in the coming year. I have defined a career related goal to find an internship for next summer and a personal goal to develop better scheduling skills in the hopes of balancing academics and leisure. To make sure that I will achieve these goals, I have set up checkpoints in which I will evaluate my progress and make necessary changes so that I do not lose sight of my overall motivation. This semester I have learned to better appreciate the fact that managers must be multidimensional. To get to where I want to go, I will work hard to develop as a person. Pursuing my Learning goals is a step in the right direction.
December 06, 2006
Debriefing the HR Simulation
Today, with the completion of the final annual report, marked the end of the HR simulation. My team V8.5 ended up as one of the leading firms in the industry despite many hurdles we needed to get past. I learned from the simulation I greater appreciation for teamwork and the understanding that managing an HR department in a company involves distributing resources across a wide spectrum of options. You can’t just throw money at a problem to fix it, but instead must evaluate each situation on a case by case basis. The HR simulation allowed me to gain a better appreciation of how strong business relationships are formed. I have gotten to know the members of my group better and have made new friends.
December 04, 2006
Self – Assessment
Today in Management 250 we filled out assessment forms in which it was a necessity to reflect back on the course and provide input as to how it was a success, and in what areas it was lacking. The forms filled out mirror a similar train of through that is gone through when a person self assesses there own like in response to career goals and aspirations. Self-assessment involves reflection and focus. It leads to personal development and improvement. Today I spent a few moments assessing myself. I realized I did not have a plan going into finals week, and thus through this realization decided to schedule out my next two weeks. The self-assessment is an important tool that can be used by anyone independent of career. There are nuisances in life that are sometimes overlooked, but when you take yourself back through the steps you traveled on, sometimes meaning is found and areas for improvement become clear.
November 28, 2006
Dismissal
Last class we discussed a case study pertaining to whether or not we would fire a worker for irresponsible and uncooperative behavior. The subject in question was a 17 year old boy who dropped out of high school early to support his large family. The job the boy attained was in the manufacturing industry. The job did not seem to fit the disposition and attitudes of the boy. After a month of working at one position, he asked to switch to another job, which he claimed that he desired more. After a month in the new position, the boy once again mentioned he was bored and wanted to switch back to his previous job. The fact was that the boy was not productive in either job and spent more time starting conversations with other employees and getting them on track rather than making sure his own work got done. This lack of productivity could clearly be seen as a trend from the first month of employment of the boy. The company had already given the boy a second chance by moving him to another position. The question placed upon the reader is what action should now be taken with the boy.
My response to this dilemma is that the boy should be fired. The manufacturing environment clearly isn’t a logical fit for this boy. He is harming productivity not only by his own lack of focus, but has as well decreased the productivity of those around him. Given the tough situation the boy finds himself in, I would try and sympathize a little bit by promising to write him a positive recommendation for a future job he may pursue as well as give him two weeks of pay to aid him in his transition. In situations such as these where the employee is clearly not helping the company even after a significant amount of money was spent on training, there comes a time when you just have to cut your losses and change the situation so that it benefits both parties. The dismissal of this boy would be justified under the reason of lack of productivity. In reality, the boy probably just lacks maturity due to his young age and this experience will hopefully allow him to grow as a person when future situations occur.
November 26, 2006
Leadership Goals II
This entry serves as a continuation of my discussion about goals leaders should strive for.
- Confrontation - As a leader I must have the courage to confront whatever comes my way. I must be honest the parents of the cub scouts as well as the scouts themselves. Confrontation helps build problem resolution skills.
- Finding a way - All leaders should strive to gain enough experience such that they would have the know-how to get themselves out of any situation properly. I strive to see situations as they are and not hope for too much to happen on its own. Finding a way means discovering a method to reach out and connect with the audience.
- Enhanced morale through involvement - Sitting and failing to participate detriments personal growth. Scouting shares the same philosophy as Management 250 in the respect that morale and benefit increase when everyone is involved. Such action leads to higher creativity as more ideas are shared.
- Turning individuals into a winning team - This is the long term goal for all leaders. Everyone wants to succeed. Achieving this goal takes time. My personal experience tends to show that my Cub Scout pack is not quite yet a perfect team. The important fact is small steps are being taken so that great things may be achieved. The success of this goal directly correlates with each members’ faithfulness to the Scout Law.
November 09, 2006
Leadership Goals
This week time in class was devoted to discussing different strategies that aid in goal setting. Leafing through a text that I received in the scout leadership conference I recently attended I noticed an interesting article. This article described eight goals that motivating, encouraging leaders accomplish. Being a Cub Scout leader, one of my primary objectives is to be a source of inspiration for my pack. Below are my personal reflections towards the goals described.
- Communication – Effective communication is a necessity for a leader. Ideas such as context, tone, setting and sophistication must be considered. Communication must be adaptive and performed with confidence.
- Team Building – The concept of striving for the development of effective teams can be applied in many business situations. To accomplish this goal one must be open and willing to reach a consensus. Team building revolves around the development of relationships.
- Giving Meaning and Purpose – No one likes busywork. Tasks that are delegated should have significance. Achieving the goal of giving meaning requires the formulation of a rationale.
- Winning Team Feeling – A motivating leader’s primary concern is the well being of the team. By showing confidence in the team’s efforts and decisions the individual members will gain a feeling of importance and belonging in forthcoming achievements.
(To Be Continued: Goals 5-8)
November 08, 2006
The Power of Feedback
Today in class we discussed how important it is to be both open to feedback and at the same time be willing to aid others. Such ends can be met by a variety of methods spanning from the structured SAFE method to simply patting a friend on the back. This afternoon I witnessed two such instances of feedback.
First I went into a record store to look and see if a particular video game I was interested in was in stock. The cashier worker was meticulous, but took extra care to check the id of the customer in front of me to see if the name on the person’s credit card matched their license. The customer complimented the clerk by saying, “Thank you, no one checks ids anymore. Thank you for protecting me.” The customer was a young person and someone who I would have never expected to say anything let alone compliment the employee. I could see the worker was pleasantly surprised by this compliment.
Next I drove to a grocery store to pick out my lunches for the next couple of days. There I overheard a conversation a manager was having with one of his employees. He was explaining how the chosen layout for an end cap containing children’s puzzles and pop tarts was not setup to cater to children. Little kids reaching for the toys apparently had knocked over the towers of pop tarts trying to get at the toys. The manager told the employee to in the future think more logically about how to set up displays.
In both of these cases, giving feedback provided benefit. These examples of feedback were both beneficial to the careers of the employees I observed. There are people in the world that are brave enough to contribute. Today’s class made me more attune to it.