connections post #3

In chapter 12 we learned about about managing conflict, stress, and, time. In this chapter it talks about the difference between important tasks and urgent tasks. This relates to my life because before I learned about this I was a big procrastinator and always waited till the last minit to do evern the important things. I let them become urgent things to do. This caused me to be very stressful about these things. but after i learned about this subject I learned that. If I do the important things before they get urgent then it saves me alot of stress.

Connections Post 3

Another connection I make with my ranch is the inverted pyramid style of management. I work at the horse corral at my ranch, and while we all interact with the guests (it is a resort style ranch) face to face, each of us plays our own roles in the business. When I am home for the summer, and I see something I want changed at the corral, I change it. As long as the change is noted to my dad and reasonable it is an acceptable change. As I interact not only with the horses but the people who come to ride them on a daily basis, it is assumed that I know more of what is needed and what will work at the corral. The same goes for the pool, the cookouts, and really every aspect of work at the ranch. We are each associated with a certain aspect of the ranch and therefore we have some control over how ours runs. Barring ridiculous or cost inefficient ideas, the different aspects of the business are shaped around who works them, creating a diverse and entertaining experience for vacationing. It has worked very well for a long time and I believe that people come back because of it

Connections Post 2

At my job back home on my ranch, I get to see situational leadership used on a day by day basis. My dad is the CEO of a company which has 10 other owners including himself. They are all his siblings. What this situation creates is basically a tribe with too many chiefs and not enough indians. Therefore, careful management must be used with each owner to assure each of them that they have equal say and also equal responsibility. Convincing each of them to do certain jobs that are generally not associated with owning a business is a tricky job, and each person requires a different strategy. Some need to be told what to do, and others must be coaxed. My dad's relationship with each of his siblings is friendly, yet having him as a CEO means something different to each of them

Connections Post 1

Very recently the Denver Broncos fired head coach Josh McDaniels. This is the third midseason firing in the NFL this year, which is not a common occurance. The Josh McDaniels firing, in particular, was caused by people in power (McDaniels) gaining too much control over the organization. He had complete control over personel changes and decision, and very quickly displayed his inexperience with that aspect of the job. His mismanagement of his superstars and the lack of communication displayed between Coach McDaniels and the Owner ultimately led to his firing. They attempted to make the organization centralized, however they gave the power to someone who did not know how to use it, which led to the poor performance this season and a change in the way that the organization does things.

connections post #2

In chapter 11 we learned about the fundamentals of coaching. In this chpater it talks about the Johari window of disclosure. This is a chart that shows how to open things up between coach and student. I have seen this in my life. I have played soccer my intire life last year I played for the University of cental Arkansas. My coach was very hard on some players and some of them didnt respond well the the harsh things he said. but one day one of the teammates went and talked about the way hos coaching effected his play. By getting this feed back the coach learned more about the player and learned how to work with him better.

Connections 3

One of the things that has rang true to me this semester is when we talked about stressors. I knew that there are many things that cause stress in everyone's life, form genetic makeup to the simple fact they may just feel bad. I have come to realize that the only real cause for stress in my life is my poor time management skills. i have never been good with this but it has definitely gotten worse over the past year. I feel that this is due to the fact I have become a little burnout on school and just have not put forth the effort I should be. After coming ot realize this though I know feel like I can make the steps to get my life back on track.

connections post #1

Chapter 2 is about the Fundimentals of planning. In the chapter we learned about the vicious cylcle of not planning. It says that that if the superviser spends little time planning which leads to unforseen problems and the superviser has to spend time putting out fires. I saw this happen one time when I worked at a coffe shop. The main reason people came to the coffe shop was to get on thier computers and do home work. One time the wirless internet stopped working and because the manager had not spent time planning on this he had no back up plan. many customers left to go to other places with internet. If the manager had spent time planning this would not have been a problem.

Connections 2

In my last job i got to experience a lot of freedom in the way I went about getting my job done. I worked at a small bar and grill and it meant that my boss delegated to us a lot. We did not have many employees so the ones that stayed were trained in most if not all the positions of the restaurant. The fact that I had to be accountable for many different aspects of the business while on the clock it allowed me to grow in my skills and become confident in the everyday tasks of the business. By the time i quit the restaurant my boss would trust me with pretty much anything in the store and that is a great feeling.

Connections 1

Management is a thing that relies on many different skills to be effective. One of the skills that i have learned is very crucial to a manager is a skill that I need to work on very hard because it is definitely one of my weaknesses. This skill I need to improve is being prepared. This is pretty broad but from what I have learned, a prepared manager always has a plan, has great time management, and is organized. A manager who posses all these things can benefit because it will allow them to be less stressed and also have more time to do other tasks. I have realized that I need to work on these things for these benefits and so I can be a productive individual.

Reflections 4

Since the last test we have had thanksgiving break. WE have been covering chapters 13, 15 and 16. I found the lecture over chapter 15, "selecting, appraising, and disciplining employees," the most interesting. It caught my interest because I never knew so many things went into how managers deal with employees. Effective managers use these different process to evaluate each employee and make sure that they are the best person for the job. This chapter also talked about how the managers use evaluations and other tests to evaluate how the current employees are performing their jobs and can use this to decide to train an employee that is lacking in vital skills or even used to promote employees who are overqualified for a job.

Connections Post 3

When we were learning about the various employment laws one question I had that wasn't answered was whether or not there was a law that determined a minimum age for certain positions. I'm fairly certain that there is not a law but that it is most companies policy to only let people over a certain age to do things like run local deliveries. I know that commercial drivers licenses are required to do some things and that there is a minimum age for that but I'm not sure if there is a similar regulation for running deliveries locally in a company vehicle.

Connections Post 2

When I worked at autozone I was delegated the responsibility to close out the cash registers even though that was supposed to be a managerial job. I was initially watched over by the managers but after the third or fourth time I was free to close out by myself while the managers on duty finished the rest of the closing duties. I think they were ok with me doing this because I was very accurate with my drawer and expressed interest in closing out because I knew it would help with giving me the opportunity to transfers stores when I moved and possibly get a promotion and raise very quickly.

Connections Post 1

I saw an example of collaboration to try and solve a conflict when there was a deal worked out between the republicans and the democrats having to do with the tax structure that will be in place next year. The reps wanted to extend the tax rates for everyone while the dems only wanted to extend them for people making under $250,000 a year. But the dems also wanted to extend unemployment benefits while the reps thought this was a bad idea. They came up with a deal where tax cuts would be extended for everyone and extend unemployment benefits for 13 more months. Both groups got something important to them and can consider it a win.

Final Post

Management is only effective due to the five functions that make it up, and while all are important for the management of a business to be effective, I feel one is more crucial than the rest. The one I feel is the most important to a business is leading. The reason I feel this way is because that the whole point of management is to get others to do a job that is for the greater good of the business. This task falls to on leading to get this accomplished. With leading, a effective manager can communicate the greater goal of the business to the employees and then inspire them to carry out the task that they are wanting done.

Final Post

Management is much more than people skills, as many may think. In order to be an effective manager you need many skills like those of the five basic functions of management and much more. We can look at ourselves and other managers around us to evaluate each other and make each other better. Being a good manager directly relates to achieving goals and moving forward as a business and in a persons career.

Connections Post 3

Chapter 15 discusses selecting employees, including the preliminary interview. I can see why companies would use many more steps in the selection process than just this. I have seen people come into a preliminary interview, at previous jobs, looking and sounding the part but never last long or are hard workers. Selecting a good employee is not just about a good first impression but much more. Selection tests, applications, and interviews give a far better look into how an employee will perform and last in a specific job or position.

Connections Post 2

When it comes to management and everyday life I can see how closely related controlling and planning are. When it comes to management you have to plan ahead in order to set goals and measure performance. In everyday life you also have to plan ahead to control things around you as well. In comparing a successful life to a successful business I suppose you can say that both planning and controlling (certain aspects at least) are also essential and necessary to be productive and motivated.

Scribe Post

When it comes to the functions of management I believe that planning is the most important aspect towards a business. Without planning a manager is continually just dealing with the "here and now", putting out fires and dealing with what is happening at the moment. You can not set goals and have progress without planning. Moving forward and expanding is a very important aspect of business growth, and without planning this could be very difficult or next to impossible.

Final Post Connections 3

I reviwed all day for our final exam tomorrow and in chapeter 16 I ran across an act that my families farm has had much trouble with. The Immigration Reform and Control act of 1986 has effected employment on the farm in the past and most likely will in the future. Throughout the years it has seemed as though the majority of dependable agricultural labor on the texas gulf coast has been illegal immigrants from mexico. This act when passed caused a lot of turmoil on the farm including an audit and caused my father to become extremely critical about the criteria met in this act.

Connections 2

In chapter 11 I stumbled across coaching and thinking back to watching my father work and teach the labor of the farm to new workers i grasped just how important of an attribute coaching is. Coaching I learned is much more than just teaching, its confronting and counseling also. This is important if you know the iceberg model. You only know the tip of the iceberg.

Connection Post 3

I think that I Leader and a team that communicates and work well with each other are very important to accomplishing of a task or goal. I see this many times and Sport teams you have all the best players all the all starts but if they don’t have the correct leader and don’t work efficiently together they can fail to come out with victory’s. Were when I see underdog teams that because they work so good with each other they can perform to beat other teams.

Reflection Post 4

I think that diversity is good in a business or a group. I think that it is an advantage because you can gather different types of ideas that could help some a problem or create a idea material. Diversity can lead to agreements among a group but if managed right I believe it could be beneficial to the ultimate goal or task a group is trying to accomplish.

Connections

Reading through chapter 7 I soaked up much knowledge of motivators and how they can effect a work environment. I found the explanation of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation quite interesting. I believe that if i could choose i would much rather my work force to be driven by intrinsic motivators. I think this would bring about the greatest effeciency within the company.

Reflections 3

Today I was further reviewing when it struck me how odd our classes jeopardy review is. Yet the more I studied it I found it helped me to absorb the material much better, like flashcards. Between the review and the slide show I finally have the legal issues within relation to labor down pat. I am looking forward to acing our Final Exam tomorrow.

Connections Post 3

Motivation is something that I think anyone can relate too. I know that motivation in many forms help me continue working towards goals or dreams. I have to maintain my motivation towards school mainly because it is the hardest to stay focused on. I can understand how important it is in the business world as well because work is not always the most fun so having motivation toward the goals of the business is something that must be maintained.

Connections Post 2

I have gone through many different kinds of interviews and can relate to the entire selection process except actually getting the job. I was applying to a very nice golf course and had to go through many different processes that we have learned about. I had to fill out the application and wait for the course to respong. When I was first contacted it was by email and they had asked me to take a few little personality test and things to help them make a decision. This was through a community HR manager not the golf course. After this i had three different interviews for two different positions. So I am very familiar with the interview and selection process.

Connection 2

My connection through the selective process of choosing employees was not the most traditional interview. My boss pretty much hired me on the spot. She did not ask me my age, education, or anything you would normally be asked in a job interview. Even though i was pretty happy that i did not have to sit through a long interview, it made me think of what would have happened if i was a bum who never did anything when i was told to. My boss made a risky decision just hiring me like she did, but in the end it was not a bad choice because of my hard work ethic.

Connections Post 1

Chapter 9 Group development is very easy for me to relate to because of the numerous amounts sports that I have played and been around over the years and seen teams come together through many of the stages that we learned about. From growing together and the rough beginnings for the team, then the team beginning to believe in eachother and perform. (In most cases). Performing was either the team winning the game or getting stronger after a lose. Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing were all a part of the team as it is in the business world with new groups or teams.

Connection

When we talked about coaching in the management world it reminded me of when i played little league baseball. When you were younger your baseball coach would teach you tips and tricks on how to be a better player. Just as in the working world managers coach their employees on how to find the most productive way of handling tasks.

Final post- Caleb

Leading is the most important to me because I believe without a good leader then the business will not function as well as it should. Leading is very important because you need someone that will take hold of the reins and steer into whatever direction you need to go. And if there is an obstacle a good leader can think on his feet quickly to get around the obstacle.

Connection Post #3

In chapter 13 we learned about control and the 4 steps of the control process. At my job we are supposed to have reviews for everyone at their 90 day, 6 month, and then an annual review for every employee. It has a list of different job descriptions that everyone should know and do, and we are supposed to give everyone a letter grade ranging from A to F. I have worked there now for almost 4 years, and have received only 3 performance reviews. We do not keep up with this very well, therefore employees do not know what they really need to work on. Even if someone isn't doing something right, they just let them do it until someone has to come and actually tell the person that they aren't doing it right. I feel that people would perform better if we did the reviews in a more timely fashion.

Connection Post #2

In Chapter 12 we learned about stress, and to me more importantly, burn out. I feel extemely burnt out by my job all the time. I am plain just sick and tired of bartending all the time. I don't like dealing with people who think they know my job better than I do, I don't like the hours that I have to work, and we never have enough people there, so I am tired of never being able to get off a weekend to go and do anything with my girlfriend and friends that don't work at the bar. I feel that everytime I walk into that place I just want to put in my two weeks and go and find another job.

Connection Post #1

Chapter 7 is all about motivation and the two types, intrinsic and extrensic. My job has a lot of extrinsic rewards. At the end of the year we have a christmas party and every employee receives a bonus of one percent of their total ring for the year. So say you ring $100,000 dollars for the year, then your bonus check is for $1,000. But, we hardly ever get commended on what a great job we are doing or that we are actually appreciated at work besides these few extrinsic rewards. It is nice to get that bonus at the end of the year, but I would also like to feel a sense of accomplishment for doing a good job.

Connection Post 3

In ch. 11 we learned about coaching. We learned that a message from a coach must always be pinpointed. That really reminds me of when I played baseball for many years. We had several coaches on the team. We had the general practices where we practiced as a team. We also had coaches taking us aside to help us with our footwork on defense, pitching coaches helped us correct our mistakes on where your arm should be at a certain point in the pitch, and our hitting coach would help us with hand placement and where we could put our elbow so it could take less time for us to get through our swinging motion. All of those were based on performance and that is exactly what a coach needs to be looking to improve out of everyone. You can still improve an undefeated team since no one is perfect.

Connection Post 2

In ch. 12 we learned about stress and time management. At this time of year with all the most important test of the semester coming up it can be very stressful if a person has bad time management. For these finals I have been working to improve my time management skills so that all these tests can be much less stressful. I am staying relaxed, studying for one test at a time in order that I take them, and making sure not to have any task become an urgent one.

Connection Post 1

In Ch. 7 we learned about the expectancy theory. It states that a person is motivated if they believe: 1. they are able to complete the task 2. the task will be rewarded 3. they value the reward. A good example of that is Lebron James. When he made his decision to go to Miami his goal was to win multiple championships. According to this theory he should be very motivated. He went there to win the championships so he obviously believes he can complete the task. If it were about money he would have stayed in Cleveland. The task would be rewarding to anyone. Who wouldn't want to have several championship rings? He would value the reward because he knows the only way for anyone to seriously compare him to the greatest players who have ever played the game is if he wins a few rings.

Connections Post 1

In chapter 7 we learned about the Equity Theory, which I can relate to. At my old job my input was not equaling my output. I had worked there for many years and I had begun to do more work for less money and not much better treatment from management. I tried getting more involved, decreasing my input, but eventually realized that it was not worth it and quit. Since my input and output could not be equaled thus the result of quitting.

Scribe, Final Post Brett B

I think that planning is the most important part of running a business. All management functions are important but without planning you will not be able to run your business smoothly and without major problems. Without planning you set yourself up for failure. It allows small problems to turn into major problems and this is obviously a major issue. Planning is the most important function and without it the other management functions could be rendered useless.

Cooper's Final Post

Planning is the most important functon of management. Planning is determinig resources needed, setting daily, weekly, monthly performance objectives, developing work schedules, and anticipating and preparing for problems before they occur. This is most important because all managerial functions depend on planning because it is unlikely that they will be successfully carried out without sound and continuous planning.

Reflections 4

In Chapter 13 over Exercising Control, we learned about the steps to the control process, having effective control, and the different types of control. I found learning effective control techniques very interesting and insightful. The different steps to effective control are focusing on the right activities, doing them in a timely and cost-effective manner, checking for accuracy and conciseness, and making sure they are accepted by those affected. The most confusing chapter of late has been chapter 15 : Selecting, Appraising, and Disciplining Employees. This chapter's difficult because of the selection process. The different steps are hard to memorize.

Connections post 3

Communication is one of the most important things to have in a business. I have tried to make my communication skills better in order to get my instructions or messages to be more understood and so that they are more precise. Without communication people could go about doing what they normally do without knowing that they should be doing something else.

Connections Post 2

In ch. 8 we discussed Leadership. I often go into starbucks on my way to class. While I am there I always pay attention to how the employees are going about their jobs. Not to mention some of the insider information we have gotten from someone ;). Some of the things that we have been told about the way starbucks works have come apparent to me. I have noticed the different levels of leaderships within the 5-6 employees that are there on a daily basis.

Connections post 1

In ch. 7 we learned about the Expectancy theory. This theory states that a person is motivated if they believe 3 things.

1. They are able to complete the task.

-I have used this first step during the semester while having to complete school work or study for test. I set goal for myself and if i accomplished this goal then I knew i would feel good about my efforts

2. The Task will be rewarded.

- You have to reward yourself every once in a while in order to keep from goin crazy

3. They value the reward.

-The reward has to be something that will actually make you feel good about what you have done. In my case, I would stop by and grab myself a 6 pack on the way back from school and relax and have a couple before I had to start the journey all over again.

Final Post!!! Gaukhar Smailova

I think planning is the most important part in business because without planning you are not be able to create a right business. In my opinion you can achieve a success when you will arrange everything according to your plan. You should set a right schedule, you should hire employees according to your specific interview plan, you should make perfect business plan and etc.

Reflection Post 3

In chapter 9 we discussed the stages of Group development. I believe that people use these steps in everyday life more than they realize. When studying for a test a few fellow classmates might get together, this being the first step of forming. The next thing the group may do is decide a way to study for a test, which would be storming. The third thing the group may do is begin to agree with one another on a way to prepare for the test, this being the Norming step. The final thing the group may do is help each other with certain things that one person may not understand, this being the Performing step.

Connections

Chapter 13 talks about exercising control. When i worked for the West Corporation they followed the Steps of Control Process almost to a T. When i was hired they gave me an extra large packet explaining the standards of the company. Along those lines, the first 3 months of working there i was in a training class where they repeatedly enforced the standards of the company and their expectations. After the 3 month period we were moved to the "floor" where we began taking phone calls. Each employee had a coach who monitored there performance in things such as productivity and customer service. Roughly every two weeks or so we would have a meeting with our coach to discuss our stats and give us feedback. At this time they would then take corrective action by pinpointing your weaknesses and/or firing you. I believe the way they had the company set up was not a bad way to run things, but because of the ridiculously high expectations of the company and the little experience required to get the job, there was a very high turnover rate. Eventually about 6 months ago the branch closed.

Connections

In class on Monday we discussed discrimination in the work place. There are many instances i can think of in my work environments that have involved discrimination. One example involves discrimination because of Religion. I used to work for West Corporation and while i was employed there there was an employee who would have scheduled payed breaks to pray. In his Religion, at certain times of the day, he would have to face a certain direction and say a prayer. This is an accommodation that the corporation allowed him to do. Employers have an obligation to accommodate religious practices as long as the accommodation does not create more than a minimum cost to the employer. In this case the employee was using his own scheduled breaks to pray and it did not have a negative impact on the company.

Final post

From my point of view I feel that planning is the most important part of management. One of the first management concepts that I learned was that planning and controlling are "siamese twins."They go hand in hand with each other. The first step to controlling is to PLAN. There are two cycles to planning; planning and NOT planning. The key to planning is to put out "fires" before they happen or as fast as possible. If there is a plan in place, and a problem or "fire" happens there are measures in place to keep the damage at a minimum. Thats why I believe planning is most important. If you have a good plan of action and a problem arises you wont be hindered.

Final Post!!! Reflection Post 4 - Gaukhar Smailova

We have learned chapters 13,15 and 16. In chapter 13 we have learned all about control. We discussed different ways to control, characteristics of effectiveness and etc. In chapter 15 we discussed :Selecting, Apprising and Disciplining. This chapter tells us how to select employees, how to disciplining employees and apprising employees. Chapter 16 tells us about diversity of people, everybody have an equal rights. It is also tells us about different types of discrimination.

Final Post!!!!Reflection Post 3 - Gaukhar Smailova

We have discussed chapters 9,11 and 12. In chapter 9 i have learned about team building. It tells us about group stages, Effectiveness and difference between group and individuals. In chapter 11 we have discussed about coaching. How to be a good coach a different way to rich it. In chapter 12 we discussed conflict, stress and time. We have learned reasons of stress and conflicts. Also we discussed how to spend your time correct.

Final Post!!!!Reflection Post 2 - Gaukhar Smailova

We have discussed 4 chapters: 5,6,7 and 8. Chapter 5 was about delegation and Empowerment. We have learn what is delegation means. Sources of authority, what the difference between power and leadership. Also we have learned what Empowerment means and benefit of delegation. In chapter 6 we have learned all about communication: different types of communication and how communicate with people in right way. In chapter 7 we discussed the motivation: how to motivate people and different theories. Chapter 8 tells us about leadership. What does leadership mean,difference between leader and manager, power and leadership.

Reflections

In chapter 16 we learned allot about business law. The immigration reform and control act really grabbed my attention. I didn't know that the employer was responsible for for making sure an employee was legal to work. This really made me think about all the people that use immigrants for work on there farms and ranches and how much trouble they could get in.

Connections #3

In this class I have really learned allot. I think every manager should take some of Bethany's classes before they are put in there positions. Because, most managers I have had in my working life have turned in to some "manager skill lacking dudes". The reason I probably quit most of the 10 different jobs that I have formally quit would be due to the people above me. I never really minded the work in the oil field, operating heavy equipment, driving an 18 wheeler across the country or even retail store work. The way my bosses at all those jobs operated is what really bothered me. After this class I now know what was wrong with most of those managers.

Connections post #2

Since I graduated high school in 2005 I have held 2 management positions. In the first one working for an oil company I think I express an authority compliance type of leader ship like we discussed in chapter 8. I never really gave much concern to what the people under me had going on in their lives. When one of them would ask me for a day off or needed to go some were I was always thinking about how much that would increase mine and others work load just because there were so few of us and so much to take care of. I really felt bad one day when one of my guys quit and I called him to ask why and he said because he would rather quit than ask me for a day off.

Connections post #1

In 2007 I was in between jobs and started working for a guy in my home town. He owned a small business doing random construction projects. The 3 months I worked for this guy I saw everything opposite of what we learned in chapter 2. He was always starting projects and leaving them uncompleted. This guy seemed to start a job just to get a draw check then move to a new one. He never planned on how he was going to get all the jobs he started done. Well after a while I noticed that we were never finishing anything so I quit. I heard some months later a “fire started” all of the people he had started jobs for started filing law suits against him. I think he should have defiantly taken a few Bethany’s classes before he started a business.

Cooper's scribe post

Planning is the most important functon of management. Planning is determinig resources needed, setting daily, weekly, monthly performance objectives, developing work schedules, and anticipating and preparing for problems before they occur. This is most important because all managerial functions depend on planning because it is unlikely that they will be successfully carried out without sound and continuous planning.

Connections #3

I have held two part-time jobs in the last 3 years, and the interview processes were were very different from each other. My first job was straight out of high school at a small flower shop. A girl from my hometown had worked there for a year, and even though she loved it she was moving on to another job, so she recommended me. When I walked into the flower shop, we didn't even sit down to talk. The owner was so nice, and she basically just talked to me about what hours I could work, and since no experience was required I was a good fit for the job. She hired me because I presented myself well, and I started work the next week. My next job, however, had an extensive interview process. I was applying at a restaurant (along with at least 15 other people), but made it past the initial interview simply because I mentioned that my brother was a manager at the Tyler location of the restaurant. I was then interviewed by a second manager, who asked all about my brother, what hours I could work, what experience I had, whether I would be willing to work holidays, etc. I was to come back in a couple of days to be interviewed by the owner. Luckily, I didn't realize she was the owner or else I would have been a lot more tense. But I answered everything honestly, and in the end I was hired, even though I was a bit intimidated by the rigorous interview process.

Reflection

The selection of employees in chapter 15 suprised me. When i applied for my job at the sandwich shop, there was not a traditional interview involved. My soon to be boss practically told me to come back in a week to start working. She never asked me about my work background, experiences or anything. My boss took a big risk in doing that because i could of been a lousy worker and not know how to do or handle anything. The selection of employees is one of the biggest risk in hiring new workers. People can lie or make things up about themselves in interviews and in other aspects. The manager responsible for hiring needs to have a keen sense in seeing through people to make the best decisions.

Reflections

When we were covering the selections process I thought about the worst selection process that I had ever been a part of which was when I got hired at a bar and was on the schedule before I ever met a manager. I later realized that this was how everyone was hired and that was why half of the girls that worked there didn't make it a week and why no one ever really got along. The most important aspect of a possible hire at a bar should be how they fit in socially (or maybe it's that they wont steal) but those are the top two and no one ever tried to control that aspect of things.

To Earn Scribe Post Points

If you have not been chosen as a scribe yet this semester, to earn your Scribe Post points (50 points possible) you will need to create a new post on the blog with your response to the following question:

• Which function of management (planning, organizing, staffing, leading, controlling) do you consider the MOST IMPORTANT to the business and why? 

All final posts will be due Thursday, December 9th.  All posts must include the label "Final Post" - NOT the label "Scribe Post".  Your post must also be labeled with your name.  Like all other posts, if your post is not labeled correctly, you will not receive credit!

Reflections 4

Chapter 15 showed us the many steps that are followed in the hiring process. But we also got to learn what happens when an employer doesnt follow these steps and has to deal with the complications. Negligent hiring can not only threaten your reputation, it can cost you dearly. Employers are held responsible for an employees actions. This helped me to see that every action that you do has a consequence and choices should be chosen carefully.

Connections post

I could connect most with chapter 13. I have noticed that I have more control in actions.I now consider the consequences of my actions well before I act. I believe that this is a direct result of more planning. When I saw that planning is the first step to control I began to see the link between planning and controlling. I measured my performance and compared it to my past years. These steps have now been used with corrective action to help me find control in life.

Reflections #4

The chapter on selecting, appraising, and disciplining employees was interesting to me because it showed just how lengthy and detailed the hiring process actually is. It was definitely enough to make me nervous about applying for jobs in the future. If I am ever in the position of hiring employees for a business, I think it would be something I would really struggle with. It seems like it would be an extremely difficult decision to make, because a person can present him or herself as the perfect employee during an interview, and be a horrible employee in reality. In a restaurant, for example, it is such a disappointment when someone is hired on, and goes through several days of training (following other servers around, studying the menu, taking tests, and getting paid) then fails to show up for their first shift. Or they work a couple of shifts, do a well enough job, then quit. Not only does it cost the company money, but so much time as well. People are so inconsistent sometimes, and I think that most interview processes cannot dig up who a person truly is beneath their first impressions.

Connections #2

When we covered the chapter on motivation, I considered what motivates me to do my job. There is definitely a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors that help me do my job well. I wait tables, and have done so at the same restaurant for over a year now. Some extrinsic motivation in my job include my working conditions, and the good tips I (usually) receive when I am doing everything I can to make a table happy. When I say working conditions, I mean that I know what I am doing and the restaurant has become a comfort zone. I like my job, because it pays well, and it pays immediately. I come home with money after every shift. It is also a very appealing job for me, as a college student, because the schedule is so flexible. There are so many employees, all with such different schedules, that it is nearly always possible to get a shift covered. I think my intrinsic motivation comes from the satisfaction I feel when a table is truly gracious because of the way I treated them. I am always pleasant, but not everyone appreciates it. It's those that do appreciate it, and take the time to learn a little bit about me, that motivates me to continue being pleasant to all my tables.

Connection 3

I can relate to the discipline chapter through my years of playing baseball. A coach must always discipline every player the same. If the best player on the team and the worst player on the team show up late for a morning workout then they both need to get the same punishment. By doing this the Coach lets the players know that everyone is held accountable for their actions and nobody is above punishment. In my experience if this approach is not taken it can lead to resentment among teammates and poor morale. This can be a huge problem with achieving day to day goals as well as more long term goals.

Connection 2

I have never had a job so I have never gone through a traditional interview process but I can relate to that topic through my baseball career. I was drafted three different years by three different professional baseball teams. Each team had extremely similar "interview" processes. They scout you throughout the season and decide if you are worthy of being drafted. Once they draft you they can enter into contract negotiations. Most of the time they like to see you play more during the summer before they offer a bonus and contract. This can last up to three months, which is a lot longer than usual job interviews, but are very necessary when talking about the kind of money being offered in exchange for employment.

Reflection 4

I found the chater over discipline interesting. I know someone who has never been fired or been turned down by employer that recently got fired. This person has always been a very good employee and has great references from every former employee but she broke the company late policy three times in a month and was let go. I think it is very important to enforce the same consequences on everyone in the work place.

Will scribe

This monday the 29th of November our class covered chapter 13 which is over excercising control. I learned that in order to control one has to establish a "regular". Basically measuring performance against the determined standards and taking corrective actions. Which does make complete sense. To achieve the most effective control the regulator must focus attention on appropriate activities while being timely, cost-effective, accurate, concise and accepted as controlled group. These characteristics should become quite important to remember if becoming a boss of sorts ever happens.

Connections #3

Over the thanksgiving holiday I displayed several characterictics that chapter 12 managing conflict, stress, and time tought me how to use. It was very stressful to me and everyone else cooking because my whole family was in town and there were numerous platters and plates we had to prepare and organize. I displayed numerous time management skills placing the different objectives I had to accomplish into different categories so we could get everyone situated and fed in a timely manner. Placing my objectives in an important, not important category, then in a urgent, not urgent category made it easier for me to pick and choose how I wanted to cook and marinade everything so that all the dishes would come out of the oven at the same time. Following the time wasters guide I Set Priorities, Did not procrastinate, Managed the phone effectively, Made meetings effectively, Delegated, Closed my door, was decisive, Organized, Stayed on top of paperwork/ingredients, and Avoided distractions, these were key elements to making Thanksgiving dinner successful and enjoyable for everyone. Thanks chapter 12 for helping me manage conflict, stress, and time!

Happy Thanksgiving.... Next Scribe

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

The next scribe for Monday, November 29th is Will!!

Reflections #3

I found the chapter on Coaching to be the most interesting out of the chapters we've studied lately. Normally I automatically relate coaching to sports, but it's intriguing to think of it as something that happens in every day jobs. I believe that coaching is so important as a manager. I can see that here in a college town especially, where most college students view their jobs as ONLY a means to make money. A lot of times, I think college kids working part-time do their jobs only as well as necessary. Without managers that are willing to coach, a lot of businesses would be unsuccessful. Since I work in a restaurant, I know for a fact that my place of work would be much worse off if my managers didn't take the time to help their employees be better at their job. I think that the benefits of a manager that coaches far outweigh the reasons that managers neglect their coaching role. A good manager should realize that even though coaching takes a great amount of confidence and a large amount of time, it is worth the effort.

Reflection 3

The last three chapters we've covered have shown the keys to affective management. Of the chapters, Coaching is the one i can reflect on. Not only has my boss been my coach in making the right kind of sandwich, but my own dad has been my coach. Like learning the norms in a business, i had to learn the norms in everyday life. From riding a bike, to learning business lingo my dad has took me through each. Just like taking steps in a business, my dad gave me steps to take. Coaching is the key to good work ethics, because if the employee does not have a guide the work does not get done.

Reflections 3

Since the last test we have been going over chapters 9, 11, and 12. With this semester getting closer and closer to ending I haven't been as focused as I should be on my school. With this being said it seemed that the lesson the other day was tailor made for me. I found it interesting because I have always been a procrastinator but here lately it has been worse and I definitely feel like I am suffering a little bit form burnout. I really enjoyed the lesson on time management because it really made me realize how I have been lacking, and it has given me some techniques to work with to help me get my life back on track.

Reflections 3

In chapter 9 we learned about group development, chapter 11 we learned about coaching, and in chapter 12 we learned about managing conflict, stress, and time. Chapter 9 was easy because growing up in Houston I was able to watch the Texans just start out as an expansion team then get to where they are today. I was able to watch them go through all the stages of grouping and right now they are stuck between norming and performance. When comparing football to these chapters, to me chapter 11 and chapter 12 go together. The coach needs to pinpoint each problem that the players can fix in order to get better performance out of them. The coach also has to manage conflict, stress, and time. If a player gets injured he has the conflict of making sure the backup is ready to play in the next game. The coach has to handle all the stress that comes with the job, especially if they are losing the media will attack you. The coach also has to manage the time during the week for the team. He will come up with schedules for workouts, practices, and days off after a win.

Reflection 3

The last couple of chapters have been quite different than the chapters we have covered. One of the chapters we covered was about Coaching. I believe coaching is a very important in business. In order to be a good manager you have to be able to build your employees up in order for them to succeed.

Reflections #3

These recent chapters have really hit home for me. I have had a little difficulty understanding and memorizing the Core Skills of Coaching in Chapter 11, which deals with certain aspects such as attending, affirming, pinpointing, resourcing, and summarizing. Chapter 12 has helped me in other aspects of life than business such as dealing with stress and managing conflict. I have found that avoiding confrontation is not an effective way to deal with conflicts that are not trivial, while other approaches such as collaborating can be much more beneficial to all parties involved. Also, I have learned that stress is sometimes necessary to accomplish your goals. Some stressors can give energy and focus in completing tasks, which in turn can raise individual health and increase productivity.

Reflections #3 Ryan

I decided to post mostly on chapter 12, because stress relief I believe is key to success in both school and life in general. The ability to manage stress will lead to improved efficiency in work and performance in general. I generally do not have a problems with stress the majority of the time, however, I do have things seem to build up and overwhelm me and I believe that if I took care of the important, non urgent stuff more often I would be able to better manage stress. Also, I liked chapter 11 on coaching because that is one thing that has always made sense to me. Having a good coach can produce better results and create good habits for the person being coached.

Last week there was a very interesting lecture on coaching and techniques. This particular lecture proved my suspicion of having extremely bad coaches throughout highschool. Now I better understand why no players respected or wanted to follow our coaches leadership. This week in chapter 12 our class discussed conflict, stress and time management. There was a conflict in class for me where I had to hold a pencil above my head for half of class and I will say I became slightly stressed.

Reflections

Im choosing to reflect upon chapter 12. I can relate to this chapter most. The topics of stress and time management really struck a chord with me. The past few years have been really stressful. I have come to find out that that college is a place for some serious reality checks. The idea that college is all fun and games got over-turned really fast. Stress can effectively managed with some good time management skills. Nothing should ever be labeled as urgent. Important problems should be addressed before they become urgent.

Connection

One the biggest stresses I encountered throughout my college career was managing time between sports and school. I used to play baseball for Texas Tech and during the season I had to miss class often and most of my time was consumed by baseball. This is similar to working a full time job and going to school except you don't get to pick your work hours. To help keep my grades up I was given tutors several days out of the week to catch me up on what I had been missing in classes and to help me complete assignments on time. It can also be difficult to manage the stress of being a Division-1 athlete and a full time student. The ability to perform on the field while being stressed about a school matter or vice versa. These things can all take a toll mentally and it is very important to be able to manage these stresses in order to be successful in both areas.

Brett B Relections 3

I found Chapter 12 to interesting because it is used in everday life. People are faced with minor and major stresses each day, from finding to time to complete assignments or personal problems that need to be addressed. One can greatly benefit from learning the best way to manage these stresses and overcome them.

Scribe post 11-8-10

In class 11-8-2010 we discussed chapter 12 Managing Conflict, Stress and Time. First Bethany gave a Caleb, Joe, Will and Justin something to hold over their heads throughout the lecture to symbolize stress. First we learned what causes conflict: Examples: Different views, Personal goals, non ability to understand the actions of others. Second we discussed conflict management styles, forcing, avoiding, compromising, accommodating and collaborating. Based on concern for others and concern for self we found the best way to manage conflict was through collaborating. Then we talked about principled negotiation and how it worked well when resolving conflict about goals, structure and change. After that we learned about interpersonal conflict and the three steps: 1 Evaluate conflict style, 2 identify conflict behavior, 3 learn confrontational reduction skills. Then we discussed stress and how there is positive and negative stress, and we went over the three major causes of stress (Life events) (Personal Psychological Makeup) (work). Next we learned how to cope with stress and four ways to do so. (Physical Exercise) (Relax) (Sense of control or plan) (Good interpersonal relationships). The point in the guys with the objects they had to hold over their heads was to show how stress is different according to how much you have to deal with some tasks are more or less stressful than others. The last topic of the day was time management, and how to manage tasks that are important or urgent or even important and urgent. Bethany had us make a to-do list of everything we had this week then we separated important from urgent stuff and important and urgent stuff. We discovered the best way to manage time was to always get the important stuff done then it would never become urgent.

The next scribe will be Will.

connections #2

While reading chapter 8 Leadership it really changed the way I look at leadership in business, it gave me several ways to improve  my leadership skills as a servant leader and this is very beneficial if your managing or own a business. Characteristics of a servant leader are listening, empathy, healing, persuasion, awareness, foresight, conceptualization, commitment to the growth of people, stewardship, and building community. By practicing these simple every day tasks you will for sure improve on your leadership role in this society and become more powerful and understanding then people who never display these characteristics and will greatly impact your success as a small business owner, supervisor, or manager.

Connections Post 2

One thing that stresses me out the most is a co-worker that does not pull their own weight at work. Specially when it’s only the co-worker and myself in our department and we are closing together because there is a list of task that has to get done. And my co-worker is moving slow and not wanting to do anything to help get the work list done. Although I get stress I know that if the task are not carried out I cannot leave until they are. Because avoiding the problem would not help me I have went to my manager so he could take care of the problem. After speaking with my manager he took action toward the worker.

Reflection Post 3

I’m a fan of TCU Horned Frogs Football and like any football team it involves team skills. In chapter 9 it talks about team building skills which I have found to be impressive this season in this TCU football team. The team has its leader and its member know their norms that have establish a great team that is concentrated on taking care of what they can control and not what is out of their hands. I have seen that this team works efficiently together to achieve the goals they have set out that have earned them the number 3 spot in the BCS at this point.

Reflections

Today in class we went over managing conflict, conflict management style, interpersonal conflict, stress, major causes of stress, and how to deal with stress. Everyday I am faced with some kind of stress whether it be what clothes to put on, what time I'm supposed to be at work, how much bills are, how to avoid traffic so I make it to class on time, every day it's something new and I have to learn how to cope with these minor and serious stresses I endure throughout the day. Knowing the major causes of stress and whether you are a type A : lack of patience, try to accomplish too much in short time, or type B : calm, more realistic about time needed to complete tasks, will give you a better chance of overcoming these stresses because you are educated on the kind of person you are and what it takes to achieve positive results. Some ways to cope with stress are physical excersise, the way you relax, sense of control, and good interpersonal relationships, everyone has some kind of stress throughout the day and knowing how to overcome them will give you a major advantage in life and you will come off as having more control and a well centered life.

Reflections 3

In chapter 12 we learned about conflict stress and time management. I was very interested in this chapter to learn how to manage conflict sense it seems to be a every day occurrence. The skills we learned about were very helpful to me i found out that i was using the forcing method more so than the one i should be using compromising. Being assertive and cooperative is defiantly the way to go in my line of work just to get every thing on the table.

reflections post

Today in class we talked about stress, conflict and how to deal with those things in your life. This lesson was especially important to me because I often find myself very stressed out. I am a big procrastinator often waiting until just before an assignment is due to begin working on it. While I often complete the assignment without problems, it only adds to the level of stress that i experience along with my stress from my job. I also have alot of conflict at my work as a have one or two coworkers who dont pull their own weight to say the least. However, I cannot just blow up on them and dealing with conflict in a mature way has helped me to become more successful in the workplace.

Reflections

By taking this course i feel like i have learned a lot about being in a business environment. Though i am not a manager i feel like this information can still be useful in my career. We have learned how to fight through stressful situations and that can help in everyday life. As technology is constantly changing and advancing consumers have a higher demand for better things. With that knowledge and what i have learned in this class i feel like i am much closer to my goal.

Connections

In chapter 8 we discussed leadership. Leaders and managers are seen in everyday life. Certain roles we fill require us to be leaders. I work at a real estate company and my manager is also the property manager. She has to balance managing an office and over 1,000 properties at the same time. In some aspects she is a heroic leader due to the amount of work she puts in. When something happens at a property she is the first person to be there to make sure it is taken care of properly. Even though she feels she should take on the responsibility herself she does not always succeed. I have noticed with working with her for the past year that she needs to work more on managing herself and allow others to pick up the slack. She needs to work on being more developmental and teach us how to take care of the office or a situation for her. She cant be everywhere at once.

Scribe Post

In class on wensday November the 3rd we took notes on chapter 11 Coaching for Higher Performance. We talked about the four functions of coaching which are tutoring, mentoring, confronting, and counseling.


the next scribe will be sean

Scribe Post

In class on Monday November 1st we split up into three groups and had 20 min. to build a tower out of marshmallows and spaghetti noodles. Team 1 had the tallest standing tower followed by team 3 and then team 2. Each team got candy at the end. Then we started lecture on Chapter 9 (Team Building) and talked about the four stages of group development (Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing).

Scribe post. Gaukhar Smailova

During class time we saw 4 presentations: Friday night light, Shawshank, Fantastic 4, and Saving private Rayan. They were very interesting. Also we went over review and discussed different questions.

Refleciton 2 Brett B

Talking about motivation and different types of work in Chapter 7 was interesting to me. I have played sports my entire life all the way to the professional level until recently and there is nothing greater than seeing your hard work come to life in front of you. The greatest motivation for me is being able to see how you have benefited from the work you have put in and having success from it.

Missing Scribe Posts

So, it seems we have a few missing scribe posts from last week.  To keep us on track, I will pick the next scribe...

The next scribe for Monday, 10/25 will be Gaukhar!

Reflections 2

The last couple of chapters have been pretty interesting. In chapter 7 we discussed motivation in the work environment. If you have a job that isnt exciting or interesting then you are more likely to not be motivated to do your best. I can attest to this from personal experience. I have had jobs where all I was doing was sitting in an office doing paperwork. I couldnt stand it, I was bored all day everyday. Im an outdoors kind of guy, being born and raised on a ranch all I have ever known is working outside using my hands to fix fences, feed livestock, or plant fields. Sitting in an office and counting the number of ceiling tiles doesnt really appeal to me. I need some scenery to look at. I like to work up a sweat and get dirty and be able to see my accomplishments at the end of the day. Because of all of the things that interested me I was able to keep my motivation very high while on the ranch.

Reflections 2

I'm still thinking about the Ch7 motivation stuff we covered. I'm of the opinion that making decisions because of emotions never ends well in the long run. What makes people happy is always changing and eventually people will run out of emotionally satisfying things that they can do to make a living and wish that they had made decisions for other reasons. Very few people that are higher up in management positions started working hard for promotions because of the title they would receive, they did it to have a more comfortable life style. The ones that did do it for reasons like title and power over others are not going to be deserving and are not going to perform well when they get to the highest position they wanted to achieve. However, if you are doing your work for the tangible benefits then you are likely to keep working hard to continue to receive bonuses and raises and commissions and benefits, because as long as you continue to perform better there is always more you can do at your current spot to get the tangible benefits that can be used to do anything you want.

Reflections 2

In the past few chapters the two things I found most interesting were chapter 6 and 7. In chapter six we went over communication. I started to think what it was like when all people could do is write letters to one another. To think that people had to travel on sail boats just to trade items a long time ago would really be horrible. Now people can set up web cam conferences from all around the world, and have the items just shipped to that person. Then ebay also gives you potential buyers from all around the world at just a click of the button. Chapter 7 was also interesting in learning the different ways to motivate people. I have always looked at it as if you just need to offer more money to the person doing a job if you really want them motivated. If I really think about it though I guess Albert Haynesworth of the Washington Redskins got that 100 million dollar contract but couldn't even show up to camp and be able to pass the conditioning test.

Reflections 2

Chapters 7 and 8 have been the most interesting chapters to me of the ones we have covered up to this point. In Chapter 7 we learned about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and how with intrinsic motivation you experience more satisfaction in the success of your work and a feeling of accomplishment than with extrinsic, where you are focusing more on the results of your work. In Chapter 8 on leadership, I enjoyed learning about the Situational Leadership Model which consists of four areas: Delegating, Participating, Selling, and Telling. The most confusing part so far in my opinion is in Chapter 6 where the book covers all the different types of communication, along with the different styles and techniques of verbal and non-verbal communication.

Reflection 2

In the section dealing with technology and communication, I started to think about how I use this new devices and I can say that I would not know what to do with out my cell phone. It is a way that I communicate with others no matter where they are at. Technology that allows us communicate with each other has changed us in some way either good or bad.

Reflections 2

In Chapter 6, we discussed Communication. Communication is a vital aspect of a managers role in leading others effectively. In my job at the sandwhich shop my manager would costantly communicate with each of her employees. She would ask about personal life, school, or task that she asked to be done in the store. In doing this she would keep a relationship with me and the other employees but also get answers to the task that she asked to be performed. For instance my manager would constantly ask if we had the meats, vegetables, soups, desserts, and any other ingredients stocked and ready for a lunch rush. The way she asked us to make sure wasn't blunt or aggressive, but instead she would say it calmly and repeat herself at any given time just to remind us to always make sure the ingredients were stocked. In being calm and collected, it made us employees not to stress about the ingredients being stocked right away, but it allowed us time to finish our tasks, then tend to the ingredients, but since she constantly repeated herself the thought of restocking always lingered in our heads, so we would restock on instinct right when we finished whatever we were doing before hand. I think communication is the most important aspect of managing because without effective communications tasks would not be done correctly or time appropriate.

Reflections 2

The last few chapters have been very interesting to me. In chapter 7 we learned about motivation. This is appealing to me because I have been in a lot of situations were employees lacked motivation and did a poor job. I now see the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. There are plenty of theory's for every situation. In chapter 5 we disscused delegation and empowerment. The process is very easy to understand. One very interesting thing from chapter 5 is the different types of power Reward, coercive, legitimate, control of information, reverent and expert. Chapter 6 communication was interesting as well the models of how communication flow made it allot easier to understand.

Reflections

One of the most critical aspects to maintaining a reputable business is good communication on every level of management. There are many different ways that are used to communicate effectively. Whether it be via email, phone call, newsletter, text or face to face communication is essential. Though 90% of communication is non verbal the it is still no substitute when the problem is personal. The "flow of communication" must be in every direction, downward:manager to employee; upward:employee to manager; and laterally:employee to employee. However, some information is passed "through the grapevine." This informal method of communicating can sometimes be distorted and therefore isn't always reliable. No matter who you are communication is a skill that must be mastered.

Reflections

I feel like I learned a lot about management throughout the last few chapters we covered, but especially in Chapter 8 when we covered the different styles of leadership. It's interesting how we have to adapt to each individual situation in order to decide which "leadership style" is best in a particular case. I think the most challenging part of being a leader is dealing with the unusual and unpredictable situations that arise. You have to decide for yourself--am I going to be a heroic leader, or a developmental leader? a transactional leader, or a transformational leader? etc.
I also think, after studying this chapter, there is a thick line between a manager and a leader. For example, in my opinion a transactional leader hardly stands up against a transformational leader. A transformational leader wants to build up his followers, while a transactional leader likes things they way they are and wants everyone to maintain their level of skill and knowledge. However, I realize that sometimes a transactional manager would be best for certain situations. Everything about leadership depends on the situation involved, and I find this to be the most challenging and interesting aspect of leadership itself.

Reflections 2

So in Management 1327 we have been going over the chapters for exam 2. They have all been fairly interesting but my favorite for this stretch would have to be the lecture on motivation we had on 10-13-10. I found it interesting because I often contemplate what the people I encounter through my days are thinking, but I never went the extra step and thought about the things that are most likely motivating them to act the way they do. Another lecture that kept me interested was the one we had over chapter 5 "delegation and empowerment." I really enjoyed it because it made me think about the different ways to interact with my coworkers in the future and how to make the best choices, especially if I ever find myself in a managerial position.

Reflections 2

The topics we have been discussing in class are very applicable to general management. I've always enjoyed my job since I moved to our location here in Brazos Valley from our Conroe store but I never really understood why. I work at a welding supply and sometimes the work is tedious and other times its not but it seemed that when I moved to this location things got alot better. After discussing the last few chapters in this class I began to understand why. Management is the reason my job now seems less like work and more like something i feel the need to accomplish. It is no longer just a task I complete to earn a paycheck but I feel more a part of something, more involved. My manager here is a great motivation, communicates effectively and leads by example. Although he is the boss, he is willing to get out of the office and do the grudge work as well from loading trucks, filling cylinders, helping customers and even cleaning the warehouse. He truely is a hard worker. Although he never attended college, I feel as if he is the most successful manager I have ever had the pleasure to work for. He appreciates the work his employees put in and rewards them both monetarily and with praise. He leads people by motivating them to want to do their job effectively and not just count out the hours. He will talk to people one on one and it usually very understanding when difficulties come up. For example, he allows me to work around my school schedule and take off when i have tests and projects coming up so i can be successful in my school as well as my job. He shows his employees utmost respect and treats them as equals rather than subordinates. It's been very surprising to me to see that kind of managerial skill in a boss who never attended college and got to where he is by working his way up.

Cooper Reflections

Today while working at Texas Landscape creations I was thinking about chapter 7, Motivation. I read it before I went to bed last night therefore it was still fresh in my memory when I woke up at 7 a.m this morning. As I was driving to TLC I was thinking to myself, why am I even working here, what motivates me to continue waking up early and driving to work at 7 am in the morning every day. The dissatisfiers out weight the satisfiers 3:1. I make $8.00/hr, work outdoors in the heat, and the owners and supervisor could care less about the employees health and working conditions as long as the job gets done in a timely manner. The factor that does motivate me to show up to work every day is the challenging work I am faced with every time I clock in, each day is a new experience. Although the work is very challenging and in some cases somewhat dangerous I enjoy it. I've worked for many reatil stores and restaraunts in the cool A/C but I never got to see the results of all the long hours I put in, with landscaping each and every project you encounter is very difficult but is very rewarding in the end. Spending a whole day moving 1,000 base boulders for a water fall, digging a 4 by 4 hole, lining it with rubber lining, installing an electrical pump for water circulation, and watching all your hardwork finally come to life with an awesome 6 ft waterfall is a sense of self fullfillment, although it's not yours to enjoy every day, knowing the fact that you built this magnificant creation in somebodys front yard  in 1 day and will give the house owners years of happiness and delight every time they walk out the front door makes any person feel a sense of pride in the hardwork and long hours they've put in. I get bad pay, work in bad conditions, wake up at the crack of dawn, and have bad bosses so I guess the only thing that keeps me motivated everyday is the fact that my work is challenging, and tough, but at the end of the day knowing that I busted it for something that will last forever and make many people happy makes it all worth it and that's why I'm still here doing my thing. Challenge is the best motivator.

Scribe Post for 10/13

In class we discussed Chapter 7, Motivation. We define motivation as the willingness of individuals and groups, as influenced by various needs and perceptions, to strive towards a goal. There are two types of motivation, Intrinsic and Extrinsic. Intrinsic is the behavior that an individual produces because of the pleasant experiences associated with the behavior, while extrinsic is performed not for its own sake but rather for the consequences associated with it. We also discussed the different theories of motivation. Maslow's Hierarchy of needs theory says that people's needs can be arranged in a hierarchy and once a need has been satisfied it no longer serves as a primary motivator of behavior. Other theories discussed were Herzberg's theory, the Reinforcement theory, the Expectancy theory, the Equity theory and the Hawthorne studies. These theories are used by managers to help motivate employees. The following five actions are applied broadly to all types of organizations.

• Help make employees jobs intrinsically rewarding.
• Provide clear performance objectives.
• Support employees performance efforts.
• Provide timely performance feedback.
• Reward employees performance.

The next scribe will be Trey

Scribe Post 10/11

In class we went over Chapter 6 which covers communication- The process of information exchange. We talked about non-verbal communication and also the flow of communication - Downward, Upward, laterally, and Informal communication flow - Grapevine. We also Discussed the Managerial Communication Matrix and talked about how people want different things and some might want to talk to their boss as little as possible but most of the class seemed to agree that number 4 on the Matrix was the best - Offering High Disclosing and High receiving or maximum communication. We also went over Barriers to effective communication. Organizational which includes layers of Management, Authority or Status, And Jargon. Interpersonal includes our perceptions and stereotypes. As well as language and Linguistics. The main linguistics example was men to women and the PowerPoint gives a list of things things they do differently. We then went over technology and its affects on communication. How it has improved many things about communication but also how it has had a negative impact too. It has improved how we can do business with emails, video meeting, phone meeting and many other things that help improve efficiency and allowing us to do more and more. However its negative impact is that the technology is making communication less personable. We have text messages, instant messengers and things that make it more difficult to understand the emotions behind words and that can severely change the statement. Finally, we covered ways of improving communication which include,

• Set the Climate- Establish trust and minimize status barriers
• Plan - Anticipate Situations, Select proper channel, consider the receivers frame of mind.
• Reinforce through repetition
• Encourage Feedback
• Become a better listener

This is what we covered in class Monday, October 11.
The next scribe is Robert.

Scribe Post 10/6

In class we discussed Chapter 5, Delegation and Empowerment. Delegation is something that is outside your general job description that you might not do but will help your manager or company get ahead. The three aspects of delegation are responsibility, authority, and accountability. We also discussed the two views of authority. First was the formal view that states when someone gives you a task then the authority automatically becomes yours. Second was the acceptance view that states that you do not have authority over anyone until they accept that you do and actually start listening to you. After that we talked about the difference between power and leadership. The main goal of power is to get you to do what I want, and the leadership goal is to get you to want to do what I want. Next thing we talked about was the empowerment part of the chapter. Empowerment is the idea that you can get your employees and grant the authority to do more than just their assigned task which in return gets more done for the company. The last thing we talked about was how delegation affects the work place. Managers fail to delegate to their employees because of the fear of not having complete power, a lack of trust in their employees, a fear that employees will be better at their job, and the employees just do not have the right training. The employees want delegation because they will learn new skills, increase their power, and gives them a chance for a possible promotion in the future. The only down side to that is a fear of failure and the increased stress which might make them not want to be delegated to. The benefits to a company using delegation with their employees is employee development, improved control, improved time management, and enhanced power.

The next scribe will be Zach

Scribe Post 9/29

In class we discussed the different theories of leadership (CH. 8). We began by discussing four questions: (1) Is there a difference between a leader and a manager?, (2) What determines how successful a leader will be?, (3) Do leaders have power?, (4) What is the best way to lead?.

(1)We came to the conclusion that a leader works to achieve a goal through buy-in, and a manager works to achieve a goal through order and efficiency.
(2)The success of a leader depends on the emotional intelligence of the leader and the readiness of the followers.
(3)Power is the ability to influence, and leadership is the ability to influence towards a goal. So, yes, leaders do have power.
(4)There are several different theories on the best way to lead. These consist of the Leadership Grid, Situational Leadership, Heroic vs. Developmental, Transactional vs. Transformational, and Servant.

We ended class by learning that while there are many different opinions on the best way to lead, the best style of leadership will always depend on the leader, the follower, and the situation.

The next scribe will be Gary.

scribe post

the next scribe will be kristen

Scribe Post

Today in class we played a game to review. The review is posted on E Campus

Scribe Post September Monday 20th 2010

Today in class we got in groups and discussed our Articles and how they related to ; levels of management and skills needed, challenges faced by managers, planning, decision making and organizing. Then we came together as a class and discussed them all together.

The next scribe will be Justin

Will

So far this class has been quite interesting and useful as one day I aspire to run and manage my own business. It so happens that I am the only son of a farm/ranching family so naturally my major is ag business. So now that im learning the roles and challenges of management I am intrigued. The knowledge I have gained in the organization levels of management as well as the fundamentals of planning should prove crucial in my future. I have also been studying the importance of the values of an economist. Now I'll be studying for our test Monday.

Reflection

The past couple of weeks we have talked about a number of things. One of the things we did learn about were the roles of management. Growing up my parents owned my their own business. This allowed me to be in charge of certain things around the business. I never knew that what my parents had put me in was a management position. After going over the roles of management in Ch. 1 I was able to look back and see exactly what I was responsible for. The role my parents had given me was a Supervisory management role. My father would task me out with certain jobs and I would take 3-4 workers with me to complete these tasks. I wish I could have taken this class a long time ago so I would know exactly what my role entailed.

Reflections: Rachel

I am not titled as a "manager" at my job, but with all what we have learned in these past couple of weeks I have management responsibilities. This class has helped improve my skills with my job at Country Inn & Suites as the Sales and Hiring associate. A lot of topics we have covered just here in the first few chapters relate precisely. In chapter 4 we discussed organizing. Being the sales associate, I meet with quite a few patrons to increase business. I've learned to adequately use a plan to review and sell accomodations to future attendants. I would say our company uses the Inverted Pyramid perspective. Here at the hotel we come close in contact to our guests daily and make sure the guest has what the need to be comfortable and to have a perfect stay. Otherwise, ratings will go down and Country Inn and Suites will be just part of the 50% statistic of failing in their first year of establishment. We have the "line" role of relationships. Most of the employees all have the same responsibility, other than the sales and hiring and top management. One thing that I learned in class that was a little discouraging, is that top managers are brought in externally. It makes sense, but it makes me work that much harder to get to that goal of Top management.

Reflections Post

In chapter one we learned about the roles and challenges of management. In chapter two we learned about planning and how important it is to plan things ahead of time. In chapter three we learned about the decision makings, problem solving, and ethics of people doing business. In chapter four we learned about choosing the different forms of business ownerships. The thing I found to be most interesting and significant up to this point is that company that doesn't have the normal triangle for company operations. They actually listen to what customers want instead of just seeing the ways they spend the money. That reminds me of small family owned businesses that care about customers and know them by their first names. As a customer of a company like that you actually feel like the company is going to listen to anything you have to say instead of feeling like they just care about taking your money. The most confusing would be all the decisions you have to make when starting a new company. You have to figure out what kind of company you want to be and in which direction you want the company to go in the future.

Reflection Post - Evan

The most interesting thing i have learned throughout chapters 1,2,3, and 4 is the Inverted Pyramid in chapter 4. I used to work at a sandwich shop called Earl of Sandwich back in my hometown and whenever a customer came to order and asked for something that wasn't on the menu my manager would require us to write down the customers suggestion and when suggestions would repeat we would make orders for ingredients to make new sandwiches so that the returning customers would have something to their favor. This is very helpful for the company because instead of losing the customer we make decisions to order specific ingredients so the customer returns and spends their money toward the company instead of a competitor.

Reflections Post

This class thus far has been really fun. The topics we have covered so far have been very intresting. For me the most intesting topic has been planing. I had no idea planning could go into so much detail. With all the diffrent types of plans that can be used to be affective, such as strategic plans, tactical plans, and even operational plans it can even get very confusing. If you are able to use all of these types of plans it is almost a straight road to success. For me the most sucnificant thing we have learned so far has been the stages of growth in organization. Im not the most organized person so learning about diffrent ways to be organized was very cool to me.

Reflection Post

In chapter 1 i have learned how to work with people and different management skills. In chapter 2 we discussed the basic planning steps like: strategic plans, tactical plans and operational plans. Chapter 3 tells us about decision making , we watched the short videos Apollo 13. In this chapter i liked problem solving puzzles it was very interesting. In chapter 4 we covered fundamentals of organizing.

Reflections post

In chapter one we discussed the different roles of management. Every manager has to have four different skills administrative, technical, conceptual and human relations. In the experience I have had the most help full skill I have used would be conceptual, the ability to acquire , analyze, and interpret information. In chapter 2 we discovered the basic steps to planing. With out a plan we have no direction. In chapter 3 we looked in to decision making, how a manager directs his/her employee's directly effects the manager. Finally in chapter 4 we went over the fundamentals of organizing, all the different ways businesses organize are to create the highest form of production.

Reflections Post

Chapter 3 on Decision making, problem solving was very significant. As a manager you don’t have to do some much hand on work. You’re the manager and you are judge on how much you can make other get accomplished. But something that is mainly the responsibility of a manager is taking on problem that occurs. Having back up plans is important. Especially when it is a common problem. For example knowing what to do when employee does not show up to work, you would need to know what to do so that there is coverage on what that employee task was. Also dealing with unsatisfied customers complaints and problems with in employees. Decisions have to be made and sometimes there is not a whole lot of time problem solving techniques are very significant for a manager.

Connections Post

What I have found most interesting throughout these chapters is the topic of the Inverted Pyramid. This really stood out to me because I have been on a sales floor and interacting with customers and have heard there wants and demands. I work for Lowes Home Improvement and I worked in the Seasonal department and I was specialized in outdoor power equipment. Many customers came to me asking for certain brands that the store did not carry and sometimes I knew that, that product was much more efficient than the one we carry. Because I was very knowledgeable of the products I could sometime match it with one of our own and was the same or better. But many times I had to direct customers on where to find certain product that the store did not have. This is why I like the idea of the Inverted Pyramid because the people up front can pass down to their manager what the customer wants so they can see about getting the product on the shelves.

Reflection post

The concept in the lecture than I can relate to most are the cycles of planning. I have been a victim of the vicious cycle of not planning many times. I felt that I didn't have enough time to make a plan so I tried to remember everything that needed to be done. Needless to say I was blindsided by unforeseen obstacles and I didn't have the tools to put out my "fires." Through many trials, I finally began to plan things out and write down. Now when a "fire" happens I can put it out with a solution and complete other tasks. I stopped using short term operational plans and started to use long term strategic plans. I made a set of contingency plans so I could be prepared for emergencies. The cycles of planning are used for all walks of life not just in the business world.

Reflection Post

Departmentalization was interesting to me because it shows how different businesses are run through different organizational structures. Knowing the advantages of the different types of organization will be helpful to me when I open a business of my own one day or take over our family business. Learning that encouringing your employees rather than disciplining them and how to communicate with your employees and motivate them through idea's like the inverted pyramid and team structure used by Google and Nordstroms is interesting as well. It allows your employees who are directly related to the customers to be creative and in a way be their own boss. This individualism makes for a more prideful and enjoyable workplace because the employees are their own boss in a way and they are more secure with their job. Being on the same level as employees from a manager's perspective allows the manager to learn from others ideas and creates a more diverse and generally more efficient work place.

Reflections

I think the most interesting topic we have discussed thus far is the idea of the inverted pyramid. This may not work for all companies, but for companies such as Google and Nordstrom this consept has expanded their company on a large scale. I think that by having the people closest to the customers make key decisions in organization is fantastic. It not only encourages the employees to interact with customers at a more personal level but to enjoy there job more as well. Learning about this has boosted my anxiety to work for a corporation to see first hand how these decisions impact a company.

Reflection

The chapter 2 discussion about planning was interesting to me. It is something that I have never been good at or ever really wanted to do. I am generally an unorganized person who just handles things as they come. After reading the chapter I realized that planning could definatley prevent a lot of stressful situations as well as increase productiveness in everyday life.

Reflection Post

One of the more interesting things was on chapter 3 with the decision process and problems. It relates to me a lot in we have problems come up at my work all the time that we must solve. It seems as if nothing can ever go right there sometimes. I really liked how we had the riddles and had to try them by ourselves, then with half the class, then with all of the class, and that when we all worked on them together we got the answers pretty quickly.

Reflections

The most interesting concept we've covered so far, simply because I'm by nature a planner and list-maker, is planning. The cycles of planning (and not planning) made a lot of sense to me. It reminded me that staying on top of things doesn't necessarily mean that there will be no "fires," only that they are easily extinguished when you have a plan. I think this applies to life in general, not only business. If you have an idea of where you're going, or at least know what you're living for, it's easier to deal with the day to day things. I feel like I do better with day to day planning, as opposed to long-term plans. It's easy for me to lose sight of something that is far off; if I'm only thinking of today and tomorrow, I stay more focused.

Reflections #1 Ryan

This course has been interesting to me so far, not only with the information given, but also with the way it is taught. I was particularly interested in the planning and organization aspects we have covered so far, as I would consider myself a very creative person but sometimes I have issues with organizing my ideas and putting them into action. The S.M.A.R.T. goals acronym was interesting because when you think about it, it makes complete sense to set your goals progressively instead of just one main end to aim for. For the organizing aspect, I liked thinking about what each business could do if it used each type of departmentalization and what that could to to help or hurt the business. I also think the inverted Pyramid scheme is very significant because if companies who heavily rely on customer satisfaction switch to this style, I cannot see how it would hurt them.

Scribe Post for Wednesday, September 15th

In class on Wednesday we finalized our groups and movie selections, as well as go over Chapter 4 on Organizing. This involved the four different stages of growth in a business, from a one person (you do it all yourself), to assistants (you hire a few people to help with the work), to Line Organization (each member has a role and a direct supervisor), to Line and Staff Organization (you add experts to the equation, who have no direct role in production). We also went over Departmentalization, which could be functional (common functions are grouped together), product (functions are associated with common prodcut together), or matrix (a blend of the two, as we said in essence having two bosses). We went over the advantages and disadvantages of each style as well. We then discussed an Inverted Pyramid style of business which involved having the Sales representatives make the decisions as they are the closest to the customers. We also watched a video on Google, who uses this Inverted Pyramid style, and we saw what their office looked like as well as the decisions they are able to make on a daily basis that can affect the company.

The next scribe will be Marcos

Reflections #1 Cooper

While reading through chapters 1-4 I have come across several topics that interests me, not only because it's new information, but because I can use and apply this information in my future career. When I graduate from A&M and open up my own business out here in college station  I am going to refer back to my Supervisory management book and use those materials to ensure my company will be very successful. Although I will be reading numerous text books on my mission to get a degree from A&M I will always think back to the first Business class I took at Blinn because this course has given me the motive to achieve my goals. Chapter 2 discusses the steps for planning which is (1) setting an objective or goal (2) identifying and assessing present and future conditions affecting the goal (3) developing a systematic approach to achieving the goal. Knowing these simple steps will help me accomplish the four functions of organzing, leading, staffing, and controlling. Before I read this chapter my life was very unorganized, I never had a plan for anything, and I kind of just lived life on the edge. When I wake up now, I create a plan for the day,  go over how I am going to complete the task, then proceed to achieve my goal, I will not go to bed until I am successful at doing so. This makes my life so much more organized and I actually feel a lot less stressed out about the day since I have it in a perfectly organized plan. When I own my own business I will use this technique to organize my day so that I can get everything that I want to accomplish for the day in a minute to minute schedule so there will never be any confusion about what needs to be done. Applying this process to my lifestyle has changed my day to day activities and has made me a more responsible person with my job, school, and extra curicullar activities. I'm excited to learn more about Business management in the future chapters so I can ensure I'm going to have a successful business and faculty.

Cooper (reflections post #1)