Management Considered http://blog.case.edu/vib1/ Vejas' reflections on MGMT 250 en-us Thu, 07 Dec 2006 19:42:08 EST Thu, 07 Dec 2006 19:42:08 EST vejas.belzinskas@case.edu vejas.belzinskas@case.edu http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Movable Type v3.121 Learning Goals and Action Steps http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/12/07/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... http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/12/07/learning_goals_and_action_steps MGMT 250 MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 07 Dec 2006 19:42:08 EST 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.

]]> Debriefing the HR Simulation http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/12/06/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... http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/12/06/debriefing_the_hr_simulation MGMT 250 MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Wed, 06 Dec 2006 12:55:16 EST 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.

]]> Self – Assessment http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/12/04/self_a_assessment Today in Management 250 we filled out assessment forms in which it was a necessity to reflect back on the... http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/12/04/self_a_assessment MGMT 250 MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Mon, 04 Dec 2006 13:41:24 EST 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.

]]> Dismissal http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/11/28/dismissal Last class we discussed a case study pertaining to whether or not we would fire a worker for irresponsible... http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/11/28/dismissal MGMT 250 MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 28 Nov 2006 11:34:44 EST 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.

]]> Leadership Goals II http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/11/26/leadership_goals_ii This entry serves as a continuation of my discussion about goals leaders should strive for. - Confrontation - As a... http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/11/26/leadership_goals_ii MGMT 250 MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sun, 26 Nov 2006 16:14:25 EST 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.

]]> Leadership Goals http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/11/09/leadership_goals This week time in class was devoted to discussing different strategies that aid in goal setting. Leafing through a text... http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/11/09/leadership_goals MGMT 250 MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 09 Nov 2006 23:47:18 EST 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)

]]> The Power of Feedback http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/11/08/the_power_of_feedback Today in class we discussed how important it is to be both open to feedback and at the same time... http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/11/08/the_power_of_feedback MGMT 250 MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Wed, 08 Nov 2006 19:59:06 EST 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.

]]> Scouting and Management http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/11/05/scouting_and_management This past weekend I attended a scout leadership conference in which members flew and drove in from all corners of... http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/11/05/scouting_and_management MGMT 250 MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sun, 05 Nov 2006 22:44:23 EST This past weekend I attended a scout leadership conference in which members flew and drove in from all corners of the United States and Canada. In this conference the focus was to return “back to basics” and discuss the essence of scouting and how it can be best employed in patrol meetings and camps. One particular discussion led me to better understand how being a Cub Scout leader has helped me develop as a person. Scouting has allowed me to build up my confidence and has instilled within me a core set of values based on scout law. Parallels were described between skills developed growing up as a scout and those required in the corporate workplace. What I have come to realize is the basic skills that I instill through small activities in our den meetings help build the character of all affiliated in the organization. Understanding that the teamwork challenges that I create for my pack will allow those members to have an advantage in later education is rewarding. At the core the values of scouting and management in the real world are the same. Integrity, responsibility, honesty and respect are held in high regard. Scouting is a lifestyle that is very practical.

]]> An Ethical Dilemma http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/10/30/an_ethical_dilemma In class today a question was brought up about a possible decision that may need to be made during the... http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/10/30/an_ethical_dilemma MGMT 250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Mon, 30 Oct 2006 13:25:08 EST In class today a question was brought up about a possible decision that may need to be made during the job-search process. In this scenario, a person does not receive an offer from his first choice company and therefore signs a contract with a second choice company. One month into the job, the person receives an offer from his first choice company. The dilemma is should the person get the job. Half of the class responded that they would stay with the current job while the other half of the class said that they would at least look into the opportunity.

In such a situation, I see it advantageous to at least look into the other job. Taking the preferred job involves more than just weighing the benefits and disadvantages, but such should be looked into. Depending on the nature of varying industries, switching jobs may not always make sense, but it is always good to keep your options open. If no commitment contract was signed by the employee, looking at the other job will aid in better understanding the formation of the industry and areas for future development. Switching jobs would require a plausible rationale. If no legal obligations exist on the contrary and the industry in question in moderate in size, a decision where to work should be based on opportunity cost. If the preferred job was a lot closer to home, offered competitive wages and contained potential for career progression, switching jobs may be a logical career move. The reasons for switching jobs would not be to retaliate against a former employer, but to find which environment is best suited to the employee. The best strategy would be to not accept an offer until all options have been explored.

]]> Business Ethics http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/10/24/business_ethics In another chapter in the ongoing saga that was the collapse of Enron, former CEO Jeff Skilling was sentenced... http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/10/24/business_ethics MGMT 250 MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 24 Oct 2006 21:33:08 EST In another chapter in the ongoing saga that was the collapse of Enron, former CEO Jeff Skilling was sentenced to twenty-four years and 4 months in prison.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/BUSINESS/10/24/daynumbers.skilling/index.html

I felt tentative bringing Enron back up again for discussion given the fact that the collapse has been in the news almost every week for the past couple years. While changes have been made including Sarbanes Oxley to prevent such corporate fraud from occurring again, the people who were affected by the collapse received very little in exchange for what they lost. Skilling was ordered to pay $45 million dollars in restitution to investors. That sum is minute in comparison to his salary of $132 million a year. To me the punishments involved for these crimes do not justify the wrongs done. Thousands of people lost their jobs, their pensions, and their wealth.
In the future I may face similar situations that the management group at Enron came across. I must realize that while it is important to meet projections and make a business profitable, I must also play by the rules. CEO Jeff Skilling believes he is innocent on the basis that he did not know what went on in his own company and as well saw the loopholes taken as legal at the time. In searching for a competitive advantage there is a line that should not be crossed. The line crossed cost billions in losses to others. Such a crime is hard to reverse. I believe some better resolution should result from this which would grant more retribution to those who were affected. The question remains how?

]]> Plastic Paychecks http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/10/13/plastic_paychecks Elayne Robertson Demby wrote an article titled “Plastic Paychecks” for HR Magazine in 2003. In this article she describes a... http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/10/13/plastic_paychecks MGMT 250 MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 13 Oct 2006 13:20:41 EST Elayne Robertson Demby wrote an article titled “Plastic Paychecks” for HR Magazine in 2003. In this article she describes a new trend that is growing where payroll is being distributed through ACH direct deposits rather than paper checks. The author next mentions that people who do not have a bank account have an option of having their payroll distributed to a debit card. Several businesses that already have such a system in place are mentioned.

I do not believe having payroll linked to a debit card is a good idea. The problem is an issue of security. If a card is lost, there is a good chance the cardholder has in effect lost a great deal of money on the card. Many points of sale do not require pin codes to be inputted for card authorization. While debit limits exist, criminals could ‘test’ the card’s value through making purchases on the internet. MSNBC ran a report on debit card security this spring. It can be viewed here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11731365/ . This article is one piece of evidence that debit card fraud is prevalent. Calling in that a card is stolen is obviously important, but typically the user does not realize the card is missing until some time has passed. Getting money back from account tampering is not as easy as it sounds and is not always granted. Banks do get suspicious activity reports, but this information gets sent out after the card has been meddled with. I believe payroll should remain outside of debit accounts as the risk being taken is too great. Only when consumer security standards for debit cards are equal to those in place for credit cards will I be ok with plastic paychecks.

]]> Teamwork: Part 2 http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/10/05/teamwork_part_2 For the past couple days I have been pondering the question of whether it is necessary to take risks in... http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/10/05/teamwork_part_2 MGMT 250 MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 05 Oct 2006 22:08:32 EST For the past couple days I have been pondering the question of whether it is necessary to take risks in order for a high performing team to be built. According to Patrick Lencioni in his novel The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, effective teamwork is based on trust. This simple fact is one I have overlooked many times. When I am placed in a group with people I do not know, I typically feel pressured to do more work than necessary so as to overcome any potential shortcomings of the team. I feel that for teamwork to truly become effective, I must take a risk and believe that my team members will carry their own weight. This can be hard to do when I feel that there is a lot at stake. How can trust be built without taking such a risk? I understand that the best way to do this is by building relationships, but in certain situations not enough time is granted for such action to be taken. Are there other ways for me to approach such situations? Is some sort of leadership skill necessary?

]]> Teamwork http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/10/03/teamwork While preparing for career week, I wrote down a list of questions that I believed employee representatives could possibly ask... http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/10/03/teamwork MGMT 250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 03 Oct 2006 16:36:32 EST While preparing for career week, I wrote down a list of questions that I believed employee representatives could possibly ask me. My goal was to anticipate the ‘hard’ questions, and have prepared a reply that would accurately portray who I am. I found myself stuck on finding the answer to a question about what my weaknesses are. I initially thought my response to this question should not sound as if I am incompetent, but additionally must be true to my personality.

Last weekend I met with a school group to discuss what we wanted to do this week. Through our meeting I saw myself naturally acting in a way that was not fully beneficial to the group. I began taking charge of the meeting when that was not my role. I feel some of the opinions I may have had were spoken in a tone that was intended to slightly persuade others and that my way was the right way. Some benefits, however, resulted from me taking charge. I was able to move discussions along and allow for some progress to be made by trying to create order from slight disorder.

Knowing more about myself has allowed me to adapt to different situations not particularly by instinct, but by determining what would be the best choice for the situation. Knowing my weaknesses, I can work towards minimizing them. My actions would not have been so wrong if I had a leadership role, but at the time I did not. All things considered, this incident was probably so small in the scope of last week’s meeting that I am probably one of the few that noticed it. There are no internal problems within our group or anything of that sort. It just sort of struck me like an epiphany after the meeting that I knew I could have acted a little better. Now I know better and hope to not make that mistake again. One of my weaknesses is that I sometimes try and take control of situations. I will try and resolve these issues in the future by being conscious of my behavior and releasing my concerns through stating to others how I feel things are going.

]]> Business Writing http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/09/28/business_writing Yesterday’s class consisted of a business writing workshop. The guest lecturer from the writing center shared several principles of how... http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/09/28/business_writing MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 28 Sep 2006 19:13:47 EST Yesterday’s class consisted of a business writing workshop. The guest lecturer from the writing center shared several principles of how to write a business proposal. Two memos were distributed to the class. The first memo was more personal, but contained structural errors. The other was very structured, but felt distant in tone. I was a bit surprised that the essay with the passive and all-knowing tone was declared to be the one of highest quality. It seemed to me that a memo would be more effective if it spoke directly to the person it was intended for. This type of thinking got me in trouble when I had to write a memo earlier this year. Memos are typically read not only by those to whom they are addressed, but by others in the company. The tone and word choice must be neutral as to not offend anyone. The thesis of the memo should be made clear up front as to allow the reader to find and analyze it as easily as possible. I consider it a lesson learned that when writing a memo, I have to step outside my typical personal writing style, and streamline the content so that the facts are displayed in a structured format.

]]> Hiring a Bank Teller http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/09/25/hiring_a_bank_teller Today in Management 250 we discussed US Employment Law and how it states that all American corporations are required... http://blog.case.edu/vib1/2006/09/25/hiring_a_bank_teller MGMT 250 MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Mon, 25 Sep 2006 13:32:36 EST Today in Management 250 we discussed US Employment Law and how it states that all American corporations are required to provide an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to all job applicants. To demonstrate how the job application process should be structured so that everyone has an equal chance to be hired, a case study was presented in class.

In this case study, a bank location manager named David is pressured to fill an open teller position at his branch. He finds that the most qualified candidate for the opening is Anna, a pleasant hardworking person who is handicapped and suffers from multiple sclerosis. David sidesteps around Anna in an interview they share and in the end turns down Anna’s application and hires a seemingly less qualified candidate. The question posed to the reader is did discrimination take place?

This afternoon I have spent some time thinking back about this scenario in respect to what I would have done if I was David. David made a quick judgment not to hire Anna seemingly from the moment he noticed she was handicapped. If this indeed happen, discrimination would have taken place. It is possible, however, that other facts exist that were not included into the case. David may have been pressed by a limited budget and remodeling the work environment to make it suitable for Anna to work may not be feasible. Regardless David should have not snapped to a certain opinion as he did. When I think of myself in David’s place, I would find it difficult not to act as he did. When hiring for an open position, typically the company has a certain type of person in mind. When the most qualified candidate is not who you would expect it to be, or when potential applicants are members of protected categories under EEO, the job hiring situation seems to get tricky. The job should be given to the most qualified candidate, but I can see situations where a company would hire from a protected category just to demonstrate its affirmative action program. I see this from the standpoint of always being in a situation where you are afraid to be sued. In David’s case, I believe he should hire Anna unless he has proof that she cannot perform all the duties mentioned in the job description effectively. What do you think?

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