Responses U5

Response 1 W:

The    success of any organization depends on the people who are a part of    the organization. The leaders of the organization must have goals    that motivate employees to perform at their best while upholding the    values of the team.  There were several topics that were    introduced in this course that will lead to a rewarding career if    followed as advised. Three topics that related to my current    professional role are the use of decision making techniques,    conflicts of interest, and communication and collaboration. In my    current role as a tech support agent, I am empowered to make    decisions that will be satisfactory for my customers while ensuring    the decision is wise for the business. Going forward, instead of    primarily using intuition as my method, I will rely on using the    rational model follow a six-step process to arrive at the best    solution (Editorial Board, 2015). 

Another    topic that appears often in a call center environment are conflicts    of interest. It is not unusual to be assigned to manage or work on    the same team as friends, family, or even neighbors. In my current    organization, we are required to make any relationship known to our    organization that may be viewed as unethical. My sister worked at    the same company with me for a few years, and we always worked in a    different department. Another topic that relates to my current field    is communication and collaboration. In any organization, teamwork is    key to success. In a call center environment, it is imperative to    communicate with others to ensure the productivity and efficiency of    the business. In my experience, in an environment that is always    changing, it is best to keep all employees informed about the plans    of the organization. Employees tend to feel valued, and want to    contribute to the progression of the organization when they are    aware of the transformation of the organization. 

Using    the rational method to make decisions going forward will ensure that    I am making the best decision for my team, my customer, and the    organization. In the past, using prior experience has led to making    decisions that had positive outcomes. On the other hand, when a    decision is made in haste, one tends to look back and explore how    the situation could have been handled differently. By using the    rational model, I will no longer have to worry if I have made the    best decision. The other change that I plan to implement going    forward is increasing awareness of the code of conduct that is in    place. Code of conduct training is provided at the time of hire, and    for other employees it is provided once a year. I believe that this    training should be provided quarterly or at least twice a year. This    will ensure that employees are aware of the expectations of the    organization and will hopefully decrease any unethical behaviors or    actions due to the increased awareness. 

Response 2 S:

Unit 5    Discussion Board

          I have enjoyed this course even though the name of      the course is misleading compared to the content. The course is mainly about ethics, code      of conduct, and change management. I      believed at the beginning of the course that we would be      discussing leadership traits and principles. It also appeared that we would cover the decision making        process. Even still, this has been a      great course.

          Anytime that I can learn about ethics in business and      learn another way to apply what I have learned is a benefit. I plan to apply more of what I have      learned in this course to managing conflicts of interest in the        future. I also am going to ask my      current company for their code of conduct. I want to hold my leadership accountable for our        company. We all own shares of our        company. I want it to be successful.      I want to help build a code of conduct and a change management      plan in real life. I think leading a      change within an organization will be a new challenge to tackle.

          I have seen Kotter’s change management model in      action within a couple of organizations.   (Editorial Board, 2015)  When the process is applied      correctly, the system works extremely well. Working toward the change as a team is extremely        satisfying. Watching employees of a      company grow together towards a common goal is not something you      see every day. It is amazing to watch      a company grow together like that.

          I have been a fan of total quality management since I      first learned about W. Edwards Deming in my first college. Later on when I was serving in the      Marines, we implemented a total quality management program called        AIRspeed.   (NAVAIR)  It involved streamlining the aviation      maintenance using Six Sigma, LEAN, and 5S.   (NAVAIR)  I believe that removing error and      wasted effort from a process will be what helps a company stay      competitive in today’s market. I      try and find ways to apply total quality management and its      principles every day.