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Week 2

How would you rate the managers in your company based on the 5 functions of Management. How would you rate yourself on these Functions?

As I think of my direct manager I would love to give him a high rating, I simply cannot due to stated functions of manager. I would rate him below average at best.

Planning: We have never been given goals to accomplish from him for our current position. We have always come up with own objective and goals and we are required to follow and complete those. We are not checked up throughout the year to see if we have met or not met these said objective or goals.

Organizing, Leading, Staffing, Controlling: I think that since our manager does not have any means of creating a concrete foundation to manage his staff, these other functions will never work or be accomplished since the planning stages were neglected from the beginning. His current staff has little to no respect for him and only sees him as the “cool” manager to chit chat with. He has been with the company for 20 years and only speak of retiring and hoping we get “One more good contract so he that he can ride it out”.

I would rate myself rather low as well, due to not knowing the correct way to even begin advising or leading a team. I have not been encouraged to initiate, plan or engage in any process to build a more cohesive team. We work independently and are only responsible for what we are given by our District Manager who is based in San Diego.

 

What management skills do you now possess and which skills do you need to study and understand?

I think that I currently possess excellent Human Skills. I can speak well and confidently to anyone. I have always felt the need to encourage and develop others which is what I would like to start doing. If someone does a good job, I am the first one to let them know. I also can constructively critique others when they are going down the wrong path or need someone to guide them. I would live to improve upon my conceptual and technical skills.

Week 3

What are the Social Responsibilities of a company and the management? Do they conflict with the responsibilities the organization has to the owners (in corporations the stockholders), their employees, and their business partners such as suppliers and marketing intermediaries? 

The three approaches by businesses to social responsibility are resistance, being reactive, and being proactive. In the resistance approach, an organization fights to eliminate, delay, or fend off the demands being made on it. In the reactive approach, organizations wait for demands to be made and then respond to them by evaluating their alternatives. The proactive approach leads organizations to actively seek ways to be socially responsible. They continually look at their operations for ways in which to make them more environmentally friendly. They encourage their employees to be active in community causes. They look at the needs of constituents constantly staying in touch, sensing their needs, and trying to find ways to meet them. An emerging trend, called strategic philanthropy or financially sound goodwill, encourages businesses to get something in return for what they give.  

Organizational qualities that promote “change” are important. Think of the ways “change” has affected your personal and professional life and how you handled it. Also, have you managed “change” to improve yourself or your organization, or to eliminate undesirable consequences? 

Ways in which my personal life has been affected due to a change is when I made the decision to divorce my husband. I just moved to an area in which I was not familiar with anything and had no family nearby. I could have went back home to live with my parents, but I decided to stay strong and to make it on my own. I refused to be seen as a failure. I was able to establish myself within a year and believe me it was hard but my growth from that situation made me so much stronger and willing and able to take on different situations. Recently my company SAIC decided to split into two companies (The New SAIC and Leidos). There were major downsizing and I feared that I would be one of them. Thankfully I was not. This changed, made me aware that things happen daily for no reason and that you have to be prepared for whatever life has in store for you.

Week 4

My responsibilities as a sender when communicating is to ensure that what is being stated is to be clear of the intent of the message. I must also be cognizant of the intended received and construct the message accordingly. The sender will need to know the receivers experience, perceptions and needs. The sender must be aware of the barriers of different cultures, native languages, etc. The sender must be conscience in selecting the proper medium to carry out the message. If it contains confidential information or require praise, in person would be the best way to communicate this. If the receiver is remote or if a paper trail needs to be established then sending via an electronic medium would be appropriate. The send has primary responsibility to make certain that his or her message is has been received and understood. Seeking and giving feedback is the one way to ensure everyone is on the same page. Engage the receiver to ensure they have received the data sent to them. If the sender is uneasy, it would be best for them to ask questions of the receiver to ensure they are on the right page.

My best encounter with motivating supervisor was at a part time job in which I had to make a decision regarding a missing order for customer. It was a cupcake order for a wedding reception and it was misplaced in a different order folder and was forgotten. I came to work that day and was the only cake decorator and was greeted with this missing order and disgruntled employee. I rushed to ensure it was done properly and even made extra cupcakes to appease the customer for her having to wait. The customer was excited by the effort that was taken she wrote an astounding thank you letter to our corporate office and I in turn received a letter from our Owner-Danny Wegmans and cash reward. I was encouraged to continue going over and beyond for our customers and to do it to the best of my abilities.

Week 5

My greatest strengths as a leader are the ability to make quick insightful decisions. I feel that a leader is put in that role because they are willing to make sound decisions and stick by them to ensure they are executed properly. I also feel that I am a motivator. I think that motivating other ensures that they do their best for you as they do not want to let you down. It lets them know that you are there to support them and encourage them to their best. 

Initially I thought that I was a task oriented leader but bur realize by reading that my manager is more of the task oriented person on our team. He is focused on getting tasks completed by using the autocratic style of leadership and ensures that guidelines and instructions are clearly followed. I tend to focus on what employees need succeed. I ensure that they know that they are needed and valuable assets to the team.