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Journal #4

Missy Daffron

I find it difficult to choose just one topic to journal about this week. Each chapter was so inspiring. Motivation, leadership and managing communication.

I would like to start with motivation. Motivation is the set of forces that initiates, directs and makes people persist in their efforts over time to accomplish a goal. I feel that this is something that I have success with when it comes to the work place. I take time to truly get to know my staff and spend quality time to find out what honestly motivates them, I like to say when I am training managers what makes you tic? The chapter on motivation highlighted basic motivation and what managers should do. The key to motivation success if communication. Asking people what they need. As simple as this direction sounds I don’t feel that all leaders do this. I always tell owners that we are not mind readers and in order to understand our staff we have to ask questions. We also have to expect people’s needs to change. I like to say that if you keep a pulse on all things happening this will help you stay two steps ahead of things instead of staying stagnate or behind.

Leadership is the process of influencing others to achieve group or organizational goals. I would consider myself a good leader. I do have the desire and drive to lead. I am self confident and have knowledge of the dance business. I find myself with the ability to adjust my leadership style. I have had many leaders in my life time and I have learned from all of them. The bad managers have been beneficial in showing me things I shouldn’t do and the good leaders have shown me the positive way to lead.

Managing communication is a topic I need to help improve on in both university and the dance business. In reading the chapter we I came to understand that we as leaders have to communicate in more ways than one. That the messages need to come from the top and be clear and to the point. I think our managers should utilize email more. The amount of communication that occurs via email is very little and by sending more email and being clear with our message we can elimate a lot of confusion. I also think that our university director could make herself available more often to answer questions and to also give feedback. This could benefit al departments and enhance staff moral.