When you have to plan a task,
When you have to take an important decision,
When you have an anger problem,
When a conflict arises, think Management
When the love of your life leaves you,
When bill collectors are calling you,
When you inherit a fortune from your grandparents,
When money is tight and the economy is bad, think Management
When you think Management, you'll make your life easier
When you think Management, you can handle any situation
When you think Management, you will make your life much easier
When you think Management, you will learn from any situation
Monday, December 15, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Blogging
In term of extending communication through the blog, I used it for the most part to communicate with the students I seat with and who I usually work with on group projects, even though I sometimes go randomly through the list and read the postings.
When it comes to making us review the activities and class material, I think the blog is very effective, because for most of the assignment you have to relate not only to the activities themselves, but also to the steps in the course lecture slides.
I also agree with the fact that it allowed our professor to introduce some topics that are not related to our course like the monkey experiment that illustrates conformism and the framing effect experiment as well.
I felt very much that the blog was someway to give me control over 20% of my grade, and this definitely lightened the exams pressure. I felt like these are points I can not afford to not earn.
I do not think that I will continue posting or reading after our class, because for our class, I know that it is the professor and other students who are posting, while out their you just can not trust everyone and read what they write about.
When it comes to making us review the activities and class material, I think the blog is very effective, because for most of the assignment you have to relate not only to the activities themselves, but also to the steps in the course lecture slides.
I also agree with the fact that it allowed our professor to introduce some topics that are not related to our course like the monkey experiment that illustrates conformism and the framing effect experiment as well.
I felt very much that the blog was someway to give me control over 20% of my grade, and this definitely lightened the exams pressure. I felt like these are points I can not afford to not earn.
I do not think that I will continue posting or reading after our class, because for our class, I know that it is the professor and other students who are posting, while out their you just can not trust everyone and read what they write about.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
A special order…
On Saturday November 29, around 5pm, I entered the 3rd avenue and 85th street Mc Donald’s and joined the line. When one of the girls handling the registers said “Can I help the next guest?” looking at me, I felt a little nervous and excited about what is going to happen in the next minutes as I knew that I was going to ask for something unusual.
“I would like one hamburger with four pickles and a small French fries without salt please” i said. As I placed my order I was very much on the defensive, because I did not know how she would react to it. But at my big surprise her reaction was pretty normal and gave me the impression that they have heard more out of the ordinary orders than mine. At this point, she has handled my order on her own, she went and drop a new basket of French fries and went to get my hamburger at the end of the line. I heard her talking to the lady who was making the burger and they were speaking Spanish which I do not know but I heard her mention the word “quarto” and making the sign with her fingers. From what I understand the lady just made the burger with randomly extra pickles and my cashier was specifying her that she needs to make another one with exactly four pickles, which she did a couple minutes later. By the time the cashier got back to the register and was about to take another order, i had read my receipt and noticed that it only said extra pickles not 4 pickles as I specified. So I told her that I needed the receipt to match my order and exactly say 4 pickles and fries with no salt. There, she got confused and called her manager, still being calm and nice to me. When the manager arrived from the back, before I said anything, the cashier explained to her my order in Spanish. The manager also very nicely and in a calm way punched a few buttons in the register while talking to the other girl, after a few seconds, a receipt printed, she handed it to me and explained that the receipt can only say “extra pickles,” but not specify the exact number. But she made it clear to me that she could get the receipt to say “no salt” though. I took the receipt and thanked her as she went back inside. At this point, about 6minutes had elapsed, and my hamburger with 4 pickles was ready in the paper bag, I had my receipt and was waiting on the French fries. As the cashier was taking another order, the fries were ready, she went and pulled them, and by reflex I suppose put some salt on them and made a small one for my order. As she approached me, she remembered and shouted “Oh I’m sorry, no salt for you, can you wait? I have to drop another batch!” Since I had no choice I agreed and after another four minutes wait, I could get my unsalted French fries carefully served with the tongue I saw her take in the back to spray the salt off it. Because I had to wait for a second batch of fries, it took me a little less than 15 minutes to get my order completed, and three persons were involved in the process of making it: the cashier, the line cook and the manager.
At my big surprise, my special order was handled with no frustration by the Mc Donald’s employees. The only thing I deplored and would advise them to change is that while handling a special order, the employees (in this case the cashier and manager) should speak a language that the customer understands to include him in the process and make him feel more comfortable. Also since no salt on the fries is unusual in the process, the Mc Donald employee should have made a note or a reminder by the French fries station to remind herself not to salt the fries, which would have gotten me out of the restaurant five minutes earlier.
“I would like one hamburger with four pickles and a small French fries without salt please” i said. As I placed my order I was very much on the defensive, because I did not know how she would react to it. But at my big surprise her reaction was pretty normal and gave me the impression that they have heard more out of the ordinary orders than mine. At this point, she has handled my order on her own, she went and drop a new basket of French fries and went to get my hamburger at the end of the line. I heard her talking to the lady who was making the burger and they were speaking Spanish which I do not know but I heard her mention the word “quarto” and making the sign with her fingers. From what I understand the lady just made the burger with randomly extra pickles and my cashier was specifying her that she needs to make another one with exactly four pickles, which she did a couple minutes later. By the time the cashier got back to the register and was about to take another order, i had read my receipt and noticed that it only said extra pickles not 4 pickles as I specified. So I told her that I needed the receipt to match my order and exactly say 4 pickles and fries with no salt. There, she got confused and called her manager, still being calm and nice to me. When the manager arrived from the back, before I said anything, the cashier explained to her my order in Spanish. The manager also very nicely and in a calm way punched a few buttons in the register while talking to the other girl, after a few seconds, a receipt printed, she handed it to me and explained that the receipt can only say “extra pickles,” but not specify the exact number. But she made it clear to me that she could get the receipt to say “no salt” though. I took the receipt and thanked her as she went back inside. At this point, about 6minutes had elapsed, and my hamburger with 4 pickles was ready in the paper bag, I had my receipt and was waiting on the French fries. As the cashier was taking another order, the fries were ready, she went and pulled them, and by reflex I suppose put some salt on them and made a small one for my order. As she approached me, she remembered and shouted “Oh I’m sorry, no salt for you, can you wait? I have to drop another batch!” Since I had no choice I agreed and after another four minutes wait, I could get my unsalted French fries carefully served with the tongue I saw her take in the back to spray the salt off it. Because I had to wait for a second batch of fries, it took me a little less than 15 minutes to get my order completed, and three persons were involved in the process of making it: the cashier, the line cook and the manager.
At my big surprise, my special order was handled with no frustration by the Mc Donald’s employees. The only thing I deplored and would advise them to change is that while handling a special order, the employees (in this case the cashier and manager) should speak a language that the customer understands to include him in the process and make him feel more comfortable. Also since no salt on the fries is unusual in the process, the Mc Donald employee should have made a note or a reminder by the French fries station to remind herself not to salt the fries, which would have gotten me out of the restaurant five minutes earlier.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Custom Made Managers: brought to you by the DISC Test
The results of the management type test conducted in our class revealed that i am a type I manager. I think that overall the result of the test did not totally match with my personality. Infarct i don't see myself as a type of leader who has a priority of shaping and influencing the environment and other people. Rather i see myself more as a type C manager(conscientiousness.) Not that I think this is good, but i think I am more of a conservative, diplomatic and concentrating on standards and accuracy type of manager. So it would have made more sense to me if the test had revealed that i was a C, even though the result was not completely wrong as i fit some of the I type description.
I also think that i could be a type S, since I have been often said to be a patient, helping and loyal person. I would not mind working in a stable, consistent, or routine environment. I know a lot of people would say that it could be boring, but also this type of environment minimizes stress and conflicts.
I definitely think that it is important to have managers take this type of tests. This type of test is very helpful in terms of matching the future managers with their work environment and future subordinates. And not only this type of test can determine the type of manager one is, but also what type of person one is, because I think that this test in nothing but a personality test.
I also think that i could be a type S, since I have been often said to be a patient, helping and loyal person. I would not mind working in a stable, consistent, or routine environment. I know a lot of people would say that it could be boring, but also this type of environment minimizes stress and conflicts.
I definitely think that it is important to have managers take this type of tests. This type of test is very helpful in terms of matching the future managers with their work environment and future subordinates. And not only this type of test can determine the type of manager one is, but also what type of person one is, because I think that this test in nothing but a personality test.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Clear Visions
As we have seen in the film shown in class, it is very important to have a clear vision of our future. The goals I really want to reach in my life and have a clear vision for is to become a real estate developer and also teach mathematics in high school or college.
Infarct i have always been interested in architecture and home decoration. So I really want to become a real estate developer. I find it fascinating to transform an old building into a nicer modern one through renovation, or improve a parcel to make it more profitable. I am interested in real estate because it allows you to transform ideas and plans into real property.
So besides being a finance major which will help me understand how to get loans and attractive mortgages, I have been to several real estate seminars and plan on going to more in the near future. I also read a lot about it and work part time as a rental agent, which allows me to learn a lot about buildings an people's needs.
As i said earlier, I also have a passion for mathematics, and think it is a very interesting subject and the best mental exercise. So I want to also teach mathematics in the future, in high school or college. To reach that goal, I plan on taking some education courses, and also I plan on getting my PHD.
I also have in mind a personal goal of winning the NYC five borough marathon, which covers a distance of 26 miles. I have always been a running addict and love to run, but the five borough marathon is a very challenging one. I have participated a couple of times, but have never even been among the first 20 arrivals. To make possible that vision of winning that marathon some day, I train a lot and run six miles at least five times a week.
Infarct i have always been interested in architecture and home decoration. So I really want to become a real estate developer. I find it fascinating to transform an old building into a nicer modern one through renovation, or improve a parcel to make it more profitable. I am interested in real estate because it allows you to transform ideas and plans into real property.
So besides being a finance major which will help me understand how to get loans and attractive mortgages, I have been to several real estate seminars and plan on going to more in the near future. I also read a lot about it and work part time as a rental agent, which allows me to learn a lot about buildings an people's needs.
As i said earlier, I also have a passion for mathematics, and think it is a very interesting subject and the best mental exercise. So I want to also teach mathematics in the future, in high school or college. To reach that goal, I plan on taking some education courses, and also I plan on getting my PHD.
I also have in mind a personal goal of winning the NYC five borough marathon, which covers a distance of 26 miles. I have always been a running addict and love to run, but the five borough marathon is a very challenging one. I have participated a couple of times, but have never even been among the first 20 arrivals. To make possible that vision of winning that marathon some day, I train a lot and run six miles at least five times a week.
Friday, October 24, 2008
"Exam Format Battle"
The activity we completed in our class on decision making really reflected how people differ in regards to their personnality. I personnaly think that I unconsciously used the avoidance trategy even though I discussed the issue with my neighbours sitting next to me.
When the situation was getting anarchic and disorganized, I felt like everyone think they have the right idea and that there is no chance of wining here. thus any attempt to propose any idea would be a waste of energy, so I decided to withdraw and accomodate to whichever decision is made at the end.
knowing what I know now about decision making, I probably would switch to the collaborating strategy.
I think we should devide the class into several small groups like we did during the egg project, then each group will aggree to a clear decision. Each group will then have one member present and sell the group's decision and write on the board the group number and the decision's key terms, and at the very end we will have a final vote and chose which decision will be picked. It will be important to make it clear that for the final vote everyone will detach themselves to any loyality concern. For example I can be from group2 and realize that group5 has a better idea and naturally vote for group5.
I think that this collaborating strategy would be more efficient and less frustrating.
When the situation was getting anarchic and disorganized, I felt like everyone think they have the right idea and that there is no chance of wining here. thus any attempt to propose any idea would be a waste of energy, so I decided to withdraw and accomodate to whichever decision is made at the end.
knowing what I know now about decision making, I probably would switch to the collaborating strategy.
I think we should devide the class into several small groups like we did during the egg project, then each group will aggree to a clear decision. Each group will then have one member present and sell the group's decision and write on the board the group number and the decision's key terms, and at the very end we will have a final vote and chose which decision will be picked. It will be important to make it clear that for the final vote everyone will detach themselves to any loyality concern. For example I can be from group2 and realize that group5 has a better idea and naturally vote for group5.
I think that this collaborating strategy would be more efficient and less frustrating.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Who said you can't drop an egg without breaking it?
As we were asked by professor Kurpis, the goal of every group was to built a protection around the egg so that we can drop it without breaking it. We did take step 1 in our group: we decided to use the known trick that if you squeeze an egg lenghtwise even as hard as you can, it will never break. That in mind, our goal was clearly determined, and was to build our equipment in such way that our egg will be dropped lenghwise. So we started discussing our ideas and drawing them, while still keeping an eye on the time available for planning.
At some point of our planning, we realized that our main idea we have been working on may not allow us to reach our goal. In other words we did take step 2 as well by deciding to work on a backup idea in case we have hard time realizing our main idea, which was likely to occur based on critics some members of the group made of that idea.
We originally were not planning on taking step 3, but because we took step 2 by evaluating where we stand from our goal, we realized that we needed step 3. Thus we did work on a couple extra ideas in case we receive our material and had trouble realizing our main plan.
In our group, we did not take step 4 by assigning roles to each member. After we decided which planned idea we were going to put in action, we all got into it, going with the flow, some cutting tape, some running for the scissors, some holding the throws to be taped together, some occasionally looking at the clock and reminding us how much time we have left...
I can assume that we did take step 5, because after our work was done, we realized that we needed to reduce the tape we have used, and this in order to follow the important rule of the assignment that %50 of the egg must show. We also decided that we will send the shortest team member to throw the egg to minimize the chances of breaking the egg.
Finally and fortunately, after all that work, our group dropped the egg without breaking it and besides all the fun we have had while completing the experiment, we also earned 5 extra points.
At some point of our planning, we realized that our main idea we have been working on may not allow us to reach our goal. In other words we did take step 2 as well by deciding to work on a backup idea in case we have hard time realizing our main idea, which was likely to occur based on critics some members of the group made of that idea.
We originally were not planning on taking step 3, but because we took step 2 by evaluating where we stand from our goal, we realized that we needed step 3. Thus we did work on a couple extra ideas in case we receive our material and had trouble realizing our main plan.
In our group, we did not take step 4 by assigning roles to each member. After we decided which planned idea we were going to put in action, we all got into it, going with the flow, some cutting tape, some running for the scissors, some holding the throws to be taped together, some occasionally looking at the clock and reminding us how much time we have left...
I can assume that we did take step 5, because after our work was done, we realized that we needed to reduce the tape we have used, and this in order to follow the important rule of the assignment that %50 of the egg must show. We also decided that we will send the shortest team member to throw the egg to minimize the chances of breaking the egg.
Finally and fortunately, after all that work, our group dropped the egg without breaking it and besides all the fun we have had while completing the experiment, we also earned 5 extra points.
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