A520.9.3.CM.HoyeJennifer

The text defines power as the "potential to influence behavior" (Whetton and Cameron, 2011, p. 286).  Power is a funny thing, I read an anonymous quote once that said, "The only way to predict the future is to have power to shape the future."   As a leader, this quote couldn't be MORE true!  As an effective leader, we have the power to change the future of our company!  Leadership is the ability to influence employees to voluntarily pursue organizational goals....very powerful indeed!  Leadership copes with change by setting a direction, aligning people to accomplish an agenda, and motivating and inspiring people.

 

Are you comfortable developing sources of personal influence to gain power?

I am comfortable developing sources of personal influence to gain power.  Let me explain a bit further about this:  I think it can be assumed that it is easy for someone with power to give commands rather than make requests.  Powerful people tend to get positive feedback from subordinates and they begin to care less about what subordinates say.   With this assumption in mind, I try to stay very grounded in my leadership/ power approach. 
In my experience, people prefer managers and leaders who have direct and cooperative power.  The most effective power tactics are rational argument, consultation and inspirational appeal.  These are the more socially acceptable tactics and are very useful in influencing situations!

Do you embody the characteristics of likable people depicted in Table 5.4 (p. 290)?
The characteristics of likable people are as follows:

Table 5.4 Characteristics of Likable People

We like people when we have reason to believe they will:

• Support an open, honest, and loyal relationship.
• Foster intimacy by being emotionally accessible.
• Provide unconditional, positive regard and acceptance.
• Endure some sacrifices if the relationship should demand them.
• Provide social reinforcement in the form of sympathy or empathy.
• Engage in the social exchanges necessary to sustain a relationship.

I think I definitely embody these characteristics.  The one place I could work on a little more, however, is showing a bit more sympathy and empathy.   The reason I don't often show these things to employees, is with the thought that,  "if I've done it in worse situations, you can do it now".   Yes, I indeed, should accept that not everybody is a super hero like myself and show more sympathy!  ha ha

Are you able to use influence both up and down your organization considering the information in Table 5.5 (p. 293)

I feel I am able to use influence rather interchangeably both up and down  considering the information.   I am always the manager which subordinates come to with problems, when they won't go to others managers.  They know I will listen to them, and they also know, I have the ability to influence change.  I don't take that lightly, I take is as a great compliment and try not to become complacent!

A520.7.3.RB.HoyeJennifer

I remember the day, I fell in love with the art of presentation. It was the first day of my freshman year. I attended my first high school assembly where Dr. Pheifer, the principle of the massive 5A Cooper High School in Abilene, TX (there were 500 people freshman in my class alone) was able to hold the ENTIRE student body attention for 45 minutes straight. I remember sitting on the edge of my seat because I couldn't wait for her next analogy. Dr. Pheifer, was a master at public speaking.

I was on speech and debate team throughout my entire high school years and always aspired to speak as eloquently as she did! During that time, Dr. Pheifer would step in to 'have a listen'. It was my Speech coach, Ms. Gary, that I consider to be my very first mentor. SHE was the one who actually TAUGHT you how to speak in front of people...'effortlessly'! Ms. Gary's lessons still ring in the back of my mind today, nearly two decades later!

The Significance of a Mentor
A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself. Mentoring requires a willingness to share, listen, and provide advice in a flexible relationship. One can’t get through all those challenges without a little help and a lot of internal strength. Thus, a mentor is someone who can show that internal strength that each person presumably has. And though small as it may seem, a glimpse of the potential greatness that resides within each person is enough for anyone to believe in the future and continue to persevere.

The Impact of Having a Mentor
My first mentor, Ms. Gary exposed me to educational and social opportunities, which opened my eyes to all the different possibilities. She motivated me to seek out new experiences, which I otherwise would not have done! I believe a mentor can motivate by helping protege's set achievable goals and realize personally relevant outcomes. This is extremely important and 'sticks', carrying over into other areas of life. Moreover, the impact of having a mentor is as vast as the ocean dropping into the horizon!

Get around people who have something of value to share with you. Their impact will continue to have a significant effect on your life long they have departed.

A520.6.5.RB.HoyeJennifer

What is a task-facilitating role?

A facilitator is an individual who's job is to help to manage a process of information exchange. While an expert's" role is to offer advice, particularly about the content of a discussion, the facilitator's role is to help with HOW the discussion is proceeding. In other words, facilitating main purpose is in the journey, not the destination!

In the Foreword to Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision Making by Sam Kaner, Michael Doyle presents two important lessons learned. "Lesson one: if people don’t participate in and ‘own’ the solution to the problems or agree to the decision, implementation will be half-hearted at best, probably misunderstood, and, more likely than not, fail. The second lesson is that the key differentiating factor in the success of an organization is not just the products and services, not just its technology or market share, but the organization’s ability to elicit, harness, and focus the vast intellectual capital and goodwill in their members, employees, and stakeholders. When these get energized and focused, the organization becomes a powerful force for positive change in today’s business and societal environments."

How does this role enhance team performance?

The role of facilitator enhances team performance by helping teams to operate more efficiently. A facilitator must know what questions to ask, when to ask them and how questions should be structured to get good answers without prompting defensiveness.

I tend to relate as a team-member to the team and facilitating by the following:

• Offer perspective and ideas
• Actively participate in team meetings
• Adhere to meeting ground rules
• Complete assignments on time
• Support implementation of recommendations

I am definitely an engaging person in a team setting. I believe it is essential to accomplish the mission. Engaging people in a team setting, helps them understand that their work is important. I tend to believe that people want to contribute, so engaging people fully in their work to enable them to use their talents and have a sense of fulfilment is top priority!

My facilitation style definitely aims to improve team cohesion and collaboration! The best efforts of teams usually produce better results than individual efforts. Increased participation within the group definitely increases productivity. Once the team realizes this fact, they become unstoppable!

What is a relationship-building role?
Building relationships is just as important within the project team as it is outside. Good relationships can be the difference between outstanding success and dismal failure because it's all about getting people to like and trust you so that they will deliver what you need them to deliver at the right time in the right way. As with anything that involves people, establishing processes to encourage good communication and relationships and make clear expectations, provides the cornerstone for success in any project.

How does this role enhance team performance?
Anytime, relationships are being built, the foundation of team performance is being strengthened. The team members not only share expectations for accomplishing group tasks, but trust and support one another and respect one another's individual differences.

I generally relate as a team-member openly to relationship-building! The type of relationship that comes from relationship-building is one that is open, respectful and motivating!

It is important to me to actively engage my team to accomplish its mission because it feels really great to be part of something that is successful!

I definitely work to improve team cohesion and collaboration! Teams that are not committed to each other or a common goal, do not experience cohesion and are much more like to leave the team or even the organization.


Reference:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/citizenship/DH7429.html

A520.5.3.RB.HoyeJennifer

Compare and contrast the concepts discussed in the article titled: “ Empowerment: Rejuvenating a potent idea” by Russ Forrester (2000), to those discussed in the text.

The textbook overviews 9 principles of developing empowerment in employees. Those 9 principles are as follows:

- Articulating a Clear Vision
- Fostering Personal Mastery Experiences
- Modeling
- Providing Support
- Emotional Arousal
- Providing Information
- Providing Resources
- Connect to Outcomes
- Creating Confidence

The textbook attests that helping others develop this feeling of empowerment is the very root of managerial effectiveness. Empowered people are trusting and therefore are confident.

Five attributes of empowerment are:

- Self-efficacy
- Self-determination
- Personal consequence
- Meaning
- Trust

"Empowered individuals are most inclined to empower other"(Whetton 2011).


The article lists 'short circuits' to organizational empowerment, whereas the book just tells of the power of empowerment and delegation! "The following are some of the ways that well-intentioned executives have drained the energy out of their own empowerment efforts"(Forrester 2000).

Six Short Circuits to Organizational Empowerment:

- Precipitous empowerment mandates
- Overreliance on a narrow psycological concept
- One-size-fits-all empowerment
- Negligence of the needs of power sharers
- Piecemeal approaches
- Distortions of accountability


In short, these six short-circuits show "the more power an employee has, the more accountability focuses unforgivingly on results produced. In their zeal to get on with empowerment, managers may not take the time to make other changes in their systems to enable empowerment to succeed."(Forrester 2000).The text doesn't just cover empowerment and how to empower employees, it goes a bit further stating that many manager, even when they are empowered, refuse to take the authority and run with it. The textbook list three reasons why managers have not been willing to empower employees.

- Attitudes About Subordinates
- Personal Insecurities
- Need for Control

All is not lost, however, "hope lies in the fact that there are strategies that managers can use to enlist the power of their employees while managing the dynamics of (empowerment)"(Forrester 2000). Lessons about the kinds of processes and pressures that have interfered with the acceptance and excercise of power by some emplyees are as follows:

- Above all, enlarge power
- Differentiate among employees
- Support power shares
- Build fitting systems
- Focus on results

The article caps empowerment off, as one size does NOT fit all! Managers must use the above lessons to learn from and fit each goal individually in order to be successfull! Empowerment is successful, buty only when applied correctly!



References

Forrester, R. (2000). Empowerment: Rejuvenating a potent idea. The Academy of Management Perspectives, 14(3), 67-78.
Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2011). Developing management skills (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall/Pearson.

A520.4.3.RB.HoyeJennifer

Motivation Beyond Money

Yes, we all like to be paid, but money is not among the three most important reason why we work. According to Andy Mulholland, "Good HR is a cultivator of good working attitude. Good working attitude is a cultivator of good leadership. I think we have to change this idea that somehow, we're not responsible for HR. HR 'does all the awkward bits' and we have to remember that it does certain processes, many of them legal, so we need that skill, but it doesn't take away the primary need for you to be the human manager."



Andy Mulholland further, shares his insights as to what motivattes engineers where he works; those three things are:
- Give Me Interesting Work
- Expand my skill set
- Recognize me (the most critical)


1. How To Give Them Interesting Work!
Every individual is different. What works well to keep one interested, might not work on the next. You may have to try some new tactics, but learning how to respond to an individual person instead of treating people all the same will yield the best results. As a leader, it is important to be yourself and be adaptable!


2. Expand My Skill Set!
According to a recent study of 3,000 American companies by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, investment in development and human capital pushes productivity up 8.5%. Businesses that invest in training and expanding the skill of their workforce not only avoid costly mistakes, but reach better goals, improve profitability and efficiency, and have a leg up on employee retention versus the ones that don’t(Billikopf, 2001). These businesses take the time to communicate frequently to employees about the importance of expanding their skills and learning, and about how development is important to the organization.
In order to expand and employee skill sets, one must identify the employees’ current skills, determine the skills needed, provide training to expand those skills, and coach to assure the new skills are incorporated in the work!


3. Recongnize Me!
According to Andy, "value me for what I can do, and how I can work. Overpaying someone to make them stay longer, won't work in the end! One of the best ways to motivate staff is to show appreciation and express approval, thanks and recognition for a job done well. Motivated employees are happier ones, and as a result, more productive!


Additionally, 3 motivators that have a major impact on me are as follows:

- Learn How I Learn
- Give Me Feedback
- Show How I Fit Into The Big Picture

1. Learn How I Learn
Every individual has unique characteristics as to how he/she learns and communicates. It is very important for organizations to help employees understand their learning and communication styles. This understanding helps employees utilize ways of learning that are more appealing and impactful for their development. You can tell me HOW to do something a million times, once I DO it, I'll never forget!

2. Give Me Feedback
Nothing is worse, than hearing you're not doing something correctly after MONTHS of doing it that way! Basically, feedback mechanisms are an intricate part of human systems; they are something we use daily to live our lives as best possible. Feedback is extremely important to me in the workplace, whether I am managing or a worker bee!

3. Show How I Fit Into The Big Picture
It is important for me to understand how the goals that I accomplish from day to day, contribute to the overall success of the company. If the company has a list of core values, I like to understand what they mean and how they relate back to my products and goals.


References:

Billikopf, Gregory Encina. Labor Management in AG: Cultivating Personnel Productivity. University of California, 2001.

A520.3.5.RB.HoyeJennifer

In order to be an effective manager in the work force today, one must have a very good understanding of the various ways in which people interact and communicate with each other. It is critical that good leaders display the ability to effectively communicate with their associates and subordinates, as well as train and encourage others to demonstrate those same communication skills. By effectively doing so, I have the ability to promote both a healthy and efficient work environment that everyone will benefit from. The perspectives of effective communication requires team members to meet the challenge of learning to effectively communicate and develop together for a common goal.

Supportive communication is the skill most linked with effective management. The text lists the eight principles of supportive communication are as follows:

- Supportive Communication is problem-oriented, not person-oriented.
- Supportive communication is based on congruence, not in congruence.
- Supportive communication is descriptive, not evaluative
- Supportive communication validates rather than invalidates individuals
- Supportive communication is specific (useful), not global (useless).
- Supportive communication is conjunctive, not disjunctive.
- Supportive communication is owned, not disowned
- Supportive communication requires listening, not one-way message delivery

As a result, supportive communication can empower, along with helping in collaboration and facilitation! Today, more organizations have adopted some kind of empowerment initiative for at least part of their workforce. To be successful in today’s business environment, companies need the knowledge, ideas, energy, and creativity of every employee, from front line workers o to the top level managers in the executive suite. The best companies accomplish this by empowering their employees to take initiative without prodding, to serve the collective interests of the company without being micro-managed, and to act like owners of the business.

Teamwork and cooperation greatly increase the efficiency of an organization, supportive communication is essential at a very basic level to creat this teamwork, or synergy! Synergy is a process in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Cooperation and teamwork facilitate communication by fostering an atmosphere of mutual support in which each member of the team feels supported by the others. This communication between team members increases feelings of solidarity as everyone begins to develop similar ideas about where their team is headed.

A520.3.1.RB.HoyeJennifer

Complex Decision Making

A few words that describe my decision-making style would be, well thought out, realistic, and non-wavering! While browsing the web, I came across a Ladies Home Journal Quiz titled : "What's Your Decision Making Style".

The questions were highly tailored to women (duh...it IS Ladies Home Journal), and according to the results, I am as follows:

You're Reasoned and Wise -- Atta Girl!

You know what you want, and you know how to get there. You have the ability to define your problems, and determine if the problem is real or merely a symptom of a larger dilemma. The secret of making good decisions comes from the knowledge of what you want to achieve, as well as a strong grasp of what you wish to avoid. You use a well-measured combination of information and intuition to develop a plan of action that usually leads to a good result.There are calculated risks in even the most reasoned decision. You are aware of the potential consequences of each path you choose, and often develop alternatives to create a "hybrid" solution. Once you have a clear understanding of what your goals are, you strive to maximize the probability that your decision will lead to the fulfillment of your dreams.

"Effective decision-makers reexamine all the information they have gathered before making a final decision. They also figure out how to implement their decision and make contingency plans just in case any risks materialize," say Daniel Wheeler and Irving Janis, authors of A Practical Guide For Making Decisions (The Free Press, 1980).Sometimes the decision you have to make is not your first choice, but you know that you also have to consider the long-term consequences. When something really matters, it can affect your life for far longer than the mere moment. "If we don't care a fig about the consequences, we don't have a real decision problem, but if we want to do better than just going along for the ride, we have to be able to say what we want, and how badly we want it." advises H.W. Lewis of the University of California at Santa Barbara and author of Why Flip A Coin? (John Wiley & Sons, 1997).Keep using your well-honed intuition skills; they are definitely helping you achieve the success you deserve!


This section asked me to describe the opposite of the words picked to describe my decision-making style. Those opposites, are listed below:

Well thought out: Impulsive, neglectful, dismissed

Realistic: Unrealistic, impractical, irrational

Non-wavering: Changeable, wavable, inconsistent

I could see a benefit to making a decision using an approach that is based on either the opposites or somewhere in-between in the sense that, sometimes decisions need to be flexible or changeable. I also believe that maybe an impulsive decision, is sometimes better than one that is over-planned!

A520.2.6.RB.HoyeJennifer

My father would say, “Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein!” When I asked a group of my peers what they thought about critical thinking and time management, the phrase that triumphed was this, “Life Skills”. Both seemed equally important during the conversation. The interesting thing most didn’t think the two were related.

Constant interruptions can significantly hinder effort, curtail creativity, and decrease productivity by disrupting thought processes and work flows, causing individuals to lose focus and take longer to complete tasks. Poor time management has been associated with high stress and strain emotional exhaustion (Peeters and Rutte, 2005), and health issues (Bond and Feather, 1988).

Assessing My Time Management Skills:
For one week, I kept a journal about the specific details of my day. I used a simple notepad as a way of tracking my activity throughout the days. Every detail was significant to the record. Doing so helped me become aware of how long I was taking to achieve goals. At the end of the week, I reviewed what I spent my time on; tracking exactly where time was being spent. This was an eye opener for me. I asked myself, where am I spending my time? Is the majority of my time spent on catch up activities? Could I have planned better? It was pretty obvious that my time could be managed significantly better. Personally, when I don’t manage my time well, it affects everything, particularly my critical thinking skills. Rather than being organized and devout, they turn to being rushed. Rushed thinking, is not critical thinking!

That being said planning ahead, planning on interruptions (rather than playing catch up when they happened), really played a role in increasing my time management skills!


An Evaluation of How These Skills Have Increased Locus of Control:

Time is the most precious resource in business and society. Unlike other resources, like people and capital, time is often considered fixed. Time management skills have increased my locus of control by allowing me to better plan which inevitably helps me take control!

Personally I am struggling with managing my time, because I am a single momma of am 11 year old and 5 month old. Though I am able to stay home with my baby, I am not lucky enough for him to be a good sleeper. I have tried EVERYTHING, but so far have been pretty unsuccessful at getting him to go down at certain times, for longer than 30 minutes at a time during the day (unless it is after 11pm, in which case he will finally sleep for a 6 hour stint of time). That being said, I have short periods of time in which I need to get everything done (homework, laundry, taking my daughter to and from school, etc.)

Constant interruptions can significantly hinder effort, curtail creativity, and decrease productivity by disrupting thought processes and work flows, causing individuals to lose focus and take longer to complete tasks.Increasing my locus of control in this sense, is planning on more interruptions than not, so that I CAN get things done, giving me more control!

Three Areas in Which Improved Time Management Skills Would Reduce Stress:

1. Planning of time and efforts
2. Measurement of time and efforts
3. Control of time and efforts


An action plan to integrate these areas into my daily routine is as follows:

I often know what I would like to accomplish for the week, but don’t plan when I will do it, before I know it, the week is over and I have that dreaded ‘rushed’ feeling. By identifying the unnecessary steps in my current activity, I could save a lot of wasted time and effort.

Often I will allot a certain block of time for something, without spending the time to first, realistically evaluate just how long it will take. Determining the scope, goals, and metrics for each activity you undertake. In this area, we the find most room for improvement (Lamendola, 2012). Precision here allows you to avoid waste on the one hand and falling short on the other. It also opens up time, which would otherwise be wasted, whereas I can spend more time thinking things through!



References:
Bond, M.J. and Feather, N.T. (1988), “Some correlates of structure and purpose in the use of time”,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 55, pp. 321-9.

Lamendola, M. (n.d.). Time Tips: The Elements of Time Management. Mindconnection Smart Products Store. Retrieved February 21, 2012, from http://www.mindconnection.com/main/timemanager

Peeters, M.G.A. and Rutte, C.G. (2005), “Time management behavior as a moderator for the job-demand-control interaction”, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Vol. 10, pp. 64-75.

A520.2.3.RB.HoyeJennifer

A successful conflict resolution that I participated in was in my last job function as a Merchandising Manager and Trainer with ULTA Salons, Cosmetics and Fragrance. We had just hired a new CEO, whom acquired feedback from several departments over the first few months in his job function.

One of the first 'orders of business' was to completely change the way in which weekly shipments were received, scanned, and unloaded. Before this change was implemented, each store was free to operate the shipment process as they wished, as long as the bill of lading was properly documented, filed and the boxes scanned. ULTA had 600 stores at that time, each with a shipment team ranging from 3 to 10 people.

The change was to standardize the process, eliminating a lot of repetitive motions. An example of this is boxes were unloaded from the pallet directly onto the sales floor prior to store opening. The boxes were sorted and items put away directly from that point. Previously, the pallets were unloaded in the back holding area, sorted, placed on carts and THEN put on the sales floor (a lot of extra work).


The conflict: Anytime, you have a group of people used to doing things a certain way, change is usually met with resistance. I knew I had to be creative as a trainer! The conflict arose in the way the change was brought up by top management. I remember hearing, 'shipment procedures are changing, they will be inspecting the process after implementation, to make sure each store is complying and 'good luck with that'.

This sort of mind-set seemed a bit toxic to me. So what, if it was changing, WHY is is it changing, is all I wanted to know. I knew if I could get to the bottom of 'why', that I could sell it to the teams a hell of a lot better than Corporate 'sold' it to me.

My Role: As stated above, anytime there is a group of people used to doing things a certain way, change is usually met with resistance. I knew I had to be creative! My role in this aspect was to be a master negotiator, though I joked at the time that I was just a con artist masquerading as a Manager at ULTA!

The key to my role being successful was to make sure the subordinates knew I was in it with them and that in the end, this process was going to equal less work for them. The key was being more efficient and eliminating extra steps.
Part of my negotiating process was showing the trainees that the new process would take them less time, and was actually less work in the end!

I bought pedometers and for the fun of it placed them on each employee during the last week of shipment using the 'old system'. Then again on the second week of the new, more efficient, system. Once they all SAW how much more productive they were, while doing less physical work they were SOLD!


The other participants in the negotiation were the Merchandising teams in the Midwest region (20 stores) responsible for shipment each week! (about 120 employees)


The result: I realize, as stated in the video, "Just because the subordinate agrees, does not mean they will do the work to the best of their abilities". This challenge was eliminated when members of the shipment teams pulled me aside, telling me they were initially leery of the new process, but now couldn't imagine any other way! They also said, "Why didn't WE think of that"? ha ha


The room fror improvement was definitely on the upper management side. It was completely up to me to get my teams excited for this change, because it was obvious that upper management wasn't excited about the change at all. I feel the change would have been accepted EVEN GREATER had the negotiating style been used from the very tip top, down to the very bottom.

ALSO, the 'inspection' statement was just a threatening measure to get the regions to comply (I never told my team there would be one)...there was never an inspection. Frustrating!

A520.1.6.RB.HoyeJennifer

The Five Core Aspects of Self-Awareness are as follows:
- Core Self-Evaluation
- Values
- Cognitive Style
- Attitudes Toward Change
- Emotional Intelligence

My level of self-awareness has changed since I began the MSLD program with respect to the "Five Core Aspects of Self-Awareness" by really forcing me to look at myself a little closer. Self-awareness helps me identify gaps in my management skills and leadership style, to help promotes skill development. Self-awareness also helps me find situations in which I am most effective, assists with intuitive decision making, and aids stress management and motivation of oneself and others.

When I can understand "what make me tick", I also have insight into what makes others tick! To the extent that other people are like you (and, of course, there are limits to the similarity), knowing how to motivate yourself is the beginning to knowing how to motivate others!

According to the February 2007 Harvard Business Review, there may be something to all this talk about self-awareness. Self-awareness has just been recognized as the most important capability for leaders to develop (Simms, 2007).



Reference:

Simms, Michelle. "Self-awareness important for capable leadership.(Personal Coach)." Bellingham Business Journal. Sound Publishing Inc. 2007. Retrieved March 25, 2012 from HighBeam Research: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-164949709.html

A520.1.2.RB_HoyeJennifer

A culture of continuous improvement depends on open and honest feedback. Effective leadership periodically puts performance under the microscope by surveying employees at different levels. For this weeks assignments, I completed the Diagnostics Surveys for Self-Awareness. putting myself 'under a microscope' per say, is important to evaluate areas in which I can improve upon!



Please see the following results for the different sections of the Diagnostic Surveys for Self-Awareness:

Self-Awareness Assessment:
For this portion of the diagnostics, I scored a 60, which places me above average in the top quartile. This score didn't surprise me. I know that self-awareness and confidence are two different things, but I am am definitely a very confident person. Self-awareness means having a sense of I am, my place in the world and what I am all about. It's values, principles, ethics and morals all combined. Knowing who I am as a person, makes me feel better about making choices.

Emotional Intelligence Assessment:
For this section, I scored a 70, placing me right on target with the mean score, but in the third quartile. For this section, I was splitting the fence on issues, which didn't show definite emotional control.

The following is a list of three items derived from areas that I scored '0' points:
- I often rely on the other person getting an indirect hint.
- I do not acknowledge the different emotional commitments.
- I am not sensitive to the emotional climate of the group and my behavior may be inappropriate.

These things do not come as a surprise, though I am direct most of the time, I do expect people to just 'get' it. I often don't see outside the box when it comes to other people's feelings, or emotional commitments. I've been told that I can come off as being insensitive and think this quality has a lot to do with it!

The Defining Issues Tests:
This test, I did wrong. I thought I was only suppose to mark the top four, making all the rest of the answers a '5'. When I redid the test, I found my top answers to be on par, but a lot of my other answers tended to be more lenient than the test allowed. I can define an issue. I make my own decision about the issue, but quickly rule out the items I don't find important. I found this test quite ambiguous, to be honest, as the scoring was merely a comparison to the authors choice decisions.

The Cognitive Style Indicator:
This portion of the test, had three sections: knowing, planning and creating. I scored the following for each section:
Knowing: 4 ( above average for young managers, but slightly below the mean for MBA students

Planning: 3.8 (slightly above mean for young managers and slightly below the mean for MBA students)
Creating: 4.3 (slightly above mean for MBA students and young managers)


Locus of Control Scale:
For this section, I scored a '4', putting me in the second quartile, or lower levels. The data suggests I have a low locus of control, meaning that I don't think I have that much control over the events that affect me. I was very surprised by this. I think I am primarily responsible for everything that affects me, not the other way around. hmmp.


Tolerance of Ambiguity Scale:
For this section. I scored a '55' meaning that I have a high tolerance for ambiguity. This quality and score, however places me in the second quartile. I have a lot of patience, and like to think outside the box. Though I appreciate when work is specific, it doesn't make me crazy if it is not. I take it as an opportunity to shine!


Core Self-Evaluation Scale:
For this section, I scored a '4.6', putting me in the top quartile. Individuals scoring high on this scale generally have a high self-esteem, and generalized self-efficacy, which for me is pretty dead-on.

MSLD500_Activity9.4_HoyeJennifer

The concepts of this course were priceless in many aspects. I entered this course for a bit more insight into the completion of my Management thesis. I initially completed MGMT605, finished the course with a 98 and submitted my Proposal. My proposal was swiftly ripped apart by the Instructor. I was overly frustrated and confused. How could I get a 98 in a course which was to prep me for MGMT690,just to have it thrown in my face, as though I'd done nothing at all?!

That being said, I believe the MGMT605 course could learn A LOT from this one. I felt I learned more that would help my Proposal than I did at the end of that course. I registered in MSLD500 to re-group and evaluate my proposal topic. The course helped me do exactly that! I enjoyed breaking down thinking critically. I also grew to love the Brain software, which I was initially wary of! It is extremely helpful to have a resource which can save links, photo's, data, and word documents into specific, easy-to-find folders. I will continue to use the software in my future research!

So, in short...thanks so much for the 'direction'. Sometimes that's all one needs!

MSLD500_Activity8.3_HoyeJennifer

The ART of good presentation design is truly an art because some try, but not all succeed!

I compiled a small list of qualities that I believe all presentations must have to leave a lasting impression on the audience and result in a good presentation!(aside from rehearse, since rehearse is not a 'quality')

A-Appeal,Awakening
R-Rehearse, Reveal
T-Tantalizing, Touching

To appeal to your audience, you must first know your audience. You must make sure you are on the same page as your audience, or you will loose them before you even start. I always try avoiding 'talking down', or 'at' the audience, which is easy to do if you are presenting difficult material, or information they do not already know about. In this case analogies are a must, to make the information relatable!

Awakening is something that happens within the audience as a good presentation takes place. You want to awaken something within them, to cause interest, change and excitement! This can be done with enthusiasm, a little emotion and a presentation that is effortless and not crammed with too much information...which will do the opposite and put your audience into 'zombie mode'(sleeping with their eyes open)!



Rehearsing may seem silly at first, but is necessary. Going into a presentation without practicing, is the equivalent of going on a road trip without a map, or trying to run a marathon without first training for it. I usually rehearse in an empty room, until I have the information basically memorized, so that it flows. I then will give my presentation to whomever is at my house. I pay attention to the non-verbal cues that I am loosing them as an audience and tweak the presentation. Tweaking the presentation is when I'll take out information that is possibly too wordy or not working, then add hooks and stories where they need be added.

Reveal- Revealing is sharing, or announcing something that was before unknown. Any time, the audience feels they are being let in on a secret, you can be assured they are engaged in the presentation....this is VERY important!

Tantalizing- Being tantalized by something, is when something is desired, but is just out of reach! Having a tantalizing presentation is to keep the interest of the audience!

Touching- People remember what they feel, before they remember what you say. A presentation that is touching, is lasting. As part of the module this week, I watched a PowerPoint about Presentations by Steve Jobs. In that presentation, it was stated that when emotion is triggered, the brain releases dopamine, which aids in memory! (I joke that this is why, when my boyfriend makes me mad...I definitely remember!-ha ha)



I am re-inter rating my discussion post here because I think it definitely applies!
Presentations and speaking in front of people are two of my absolute favorite things. My father was a preacher and I am little bit of an attention hog...it all helps! ha ha

I fell in love with the art of presentation after I attended my first high school assembly. Dr. Pheifer, the principle of the massive 5A Cooper High School in Abilene, TX (there were 500 freshman in my class) was able to hold the ENTIRE student body attention for 45 minutes straight. I remember sitting on the edge of my seat because I couldn't wait for her next analogy. Dr. Pheifer, was a master presenter. I was on speech and debate team throughout my entire high school years and always aspired to speak as eloquently as she did!

That being said, I've sat through a bazillion BORING PowerPoint presentations, many of them during my five year stint at RAF Mildenhall as Lead Travel Agent, ITT. The Air Force, in my opinion, has mastered the art of 'death by PowerPoint'. I feel there isn't much of a standard set, most people don't enjoy speaking in front of people and people don't practice!!!

I make my eleven year old practice her presentations every night for three nights prior to presenting. After each presentation, she comes home beaming with confidence and excitement, that HER presentation was one of the better ones. What's wrong with striving for the best?

We all should do so, our audiences will thank us!

MSLD500_Activity7.3_HoyeJennifer

Elements of quantitative research.

A quantitative researcher often seek to know what percentage of people do one thing or another, whereas a qualitative researcher pays more attention to individual cases and the human understandings in those cases.

Quantitative tools gather numerical and statistical data using experiments, measurements, fixed-response questionnaires, test scoring, and so on. The approach is underpinned by 'scientific' world views of cause and effect, belief in the objectivity of the researcher and the search for truth.

Surveys are the primary method of quantitative research – research with some claim to statistical accuracy.

A well-designed survey is critical to quantitative research. There are three ingredients to a well-designed questionnaire:

-A clear understanding of the research objectives and the product, concept, or issue.
-An ability to write clear, intelligent questions using language common to the surveys respondents.
-Attention to the surveys flow & logic so respondents are only asked appropriate questions and not asked those that do not pertain to their situation.


There are two types of survey errors: a) non-sampling error and b) sampling error. Both can be controlled. Non-sampling error results from poor questionnaire construction, low response rates, non coverage (missing a key part of the market), and processing weaknesses.

The other type of error is sampling error. Sampling is the process of deciding what portion(s) of your market you will survey, including who and how many. The goal of sampling techniques is to reduce (or eliminate) sampling error. In the ideal world, you wouldn’t need sampling, and there would be no sampling error. You would (and could) survey all customers (called a census), and they would all respond.

Proper sampling means reaching the right audience in large enough numbers to be confident that you know what your market feels and thinks.

MSLD500_Activity6.2_HoyeJennifer

For the record, I relly enjoyed the Ratcliffs explanation of qualitative Research...it was SO incredibly helpful! HERE is the link if you are finding yourself a bit confused when it comes to research data. The video's are a bit grainy and (at times) hard to hear, but they are FANTASTIC! I, for one, have had a hard time lately distinguishing the difference between qualitative and quantitative research. I understand that quantitative has to do with set data and numbers, but Ratcliff distiguishes between the two types of research. The differences are as follows:

Classic distinction between qualitative and quantitative. [from Cook & Reichardt (1979)]

Qualitative


•phenomenological
•inductive
•holistic
•subjective/insider centered
•process oriented
•anthropological worldview
•relative lack of control
•goal: understand actor's view
•dynamic reality assumed; "slice of life"
•discovery oriented
•explanatory


Quantitative


•positivistic
•hypothetico/deductive
•particularistic
•objective/outsider centered
•outcome oriented
•natural science worldview
•attempt to control variables
•goal: find facts & causes
•static reality assumed; relative constancy in life
•verification oriented
•confirmatory


What are the main elements of qualitative research?

Qualitative research seeks out the ‘why’, not the ‘how’ of its topic through the analysis of information and siuations – things like interview transcripts, survey responses, emails, notes, feedback forms, photos and videos. It doesn’t just rely on statistics or numbers, which are the domain of quantitative researchers.

Qualitative research is used to gain insight into people's attitudes, behaviours, value systems, concerns, motivations, aspirations, culture or lifestyles. It’s used to inform business decisions, policy formation, communication and research. Focus groups, in-depth interviews, content analysis, ethnography, evaluation and semiotics are among the many formal approaches that are used, but qualitative research also involves the analysis of any unstructured material, including customer feedback forms, reports or media clips.

Collecting and analyzing this unstructured information can be messy and time consuming using manual methods. When faced with volumes of materials, finding themes and extracting meaning can be a daunting task.

"Qualitative research is a loosely defined category of research designs or models, all of which elicit verbal, visual, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory data in the form of descriptive narratives like field notes, recordings, or other transcriptions from audio- and videotapes and other written records and pictures or films." --Judith Preissle


Reference:

http://qualitativeresearch.ratcliffs.net/1.htm

MSLD500_Activity5.3_HoyeJennifer

After taking some time to reflect on the current state of my critical thinking competencies, I found the following to be true:

In the begining of the course, I thought I was more versed in critical thinking than I actual was(the score on the initial quiz, pretty much showed THAT clear enough). I've never been a very close-minded person, therefore I considered myself to be a critical thinker. I know now, that doesn't mean I am a critical thinker!

I think that since this course began, I've started to reflect wider and broader than I was before. I've grown to appreciate the fact that some issues are not only complex, but broad in scope, and that these issues are often difficult, if not impossible, to settle definitely. I know that Critical thinkers have a broad perspective, and seek the most flexible and open-minded way of looking at a situation.


The concepts have enabled me to take charge of my thoughts, to recognize my values, and take action that contributes to the good of others and situations I come across.
I've learned to recognize all thinking has a purpose, objective, goal and
function.

Assumptions Americans Makes About Choosing

After watching the TED video by Sheena Iyengar on the art of choosing. Sheena suggests three assumptions that Americans make about choosing:
1. Make Your Own Choices
2. More options leads to better choices
3. Never say no to choice

I absolutely LOVED this video. I am linking it HERE for those of you who'd like to watch it!
http://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_choosing_what_to_choose.html

In her first point, Make Your Own Choices, Sheena says, we see making your own choices as, "Being true to yourself." and "The assumptions that we do best when the individual self chooses, only holds when that self is clearly divided from others. It is a mistake to assume that everyone thrives under the pressure of choosing alone."

An instance I can think of in my own life where I did not care to have a lot, or any choices are at the gym. In that setting I do best if someone tells me exactly what and how to do a workout. The gym, for me, is definitely an instance where having choices does not matter to me! However, generally speaking in life, I usually make important decisions based on some long term plan for myself. It is usually a quite personal decision that is based on what suites me. (Sounds a bit selfish, but I think if you really evaluate yourself and the choices made in your personal life...you'd agree).


In Sheena's second point, More Options Leads To Better Choices, she states, "Many choices are between things are not that much different", and "The value of choice is to perceive differences between options." The truth is, having too many choices people can make poor decisions. We are smart people, we can think rationally, and make decisions. But reality is often different. Prejudices, fears, doubts and pre-determined assumptions can cloud our judgement.

In Sheena's third point, Never Say No To Choice, she says, "Americans themselves are discovering that unlimited choice is more attractive in theory than in practice" and "When it comes to choice, we have far more to gain then to loose, If we speak to each other albeit through translation, then we can begin to see choice in all its strangeness, complexity, and compelling beauty."

I also watch a talk TED talk by Sheena called 'How to make choosing easier'. I am linking it HERE, because it is a fantastic end to the first subject of choice. In this video, Sheena speaks about choice overload and how to make better choices.

These videos are important to leadership because in leadership it is important to know how and why your choices are made, and how they affect the people you are leading.

MSLD500_Activity3.4_HoyeJennifer

The Hunt Library is Embry Riddle Aeronautical Universities library and database for scholarly articles. "The Hunt Library provides access to materials, information resources, services and facilities to students, faculty and staff in support of the University's commitment to excellence in teaching, learning and research. As an academic support unit, the library maintains flexibility and is proactive in meeting the changing information needs of its clientele. The Hunt Library is the primary information center for the Daytona Beach Campus as well as for Embry-Riddle Worldwide and Worldwide Online students. The library links the information needs of the University community with existing resources either locally or through sharing agreements and technological resources"

The Hunt Library as a resource is excellent because it has scholarly information, journals and news articles. You can find the most up-to-date information, as opposed to searching for any information written by anybody that has ever been written about a subject on the inter webs. Keep in mind also, a Google search may provide you toe top contenders for your search based on 'ad words' advertising, which is not necessarily the best return on your search! This fact is extremely important when finding data to suppose a scholarly paper or writing. I want information that I use to back my point to be of information of sustenance, not just filler that some Joe Schmoe decided to write about on a rainy day!

"Output can only be as good as the input"



Source:
About the Library | Worldwide | Hunt Library | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. (n.d.). Libraries | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Retrieved January 27, 2012, from http://library.erau.edu/worldwide/about/

MSLD500_Activity2.3_HoyeJennifer

For this post, I will be answering a few questions about myself. I am linking 100 Things About Me, from a couple of years ago, but I think it gives you a little insight to who I am and how I think!

"A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude and integrity can do a great deal to make a woman beautiful." -Jacqueline Bisset


•What are some standards that are most important in your life?

Integrity: If there is ONE thing people cannot say about me, it's that I am a liar, or someone who does not follow through. I strive to be a woman of integrity and honestly. I have little patience for those who do not act the same. Once of my BIGGEST pet peeves is when someone says he/she will do something, and then does not do it! You see, if there is even a slight chance that I think I won't be able to do something, I don't tell you I will do it! (even if it seems mean)

Reliability: Being reliable sort-of piggy backs on integrity. I feel that being a reliable person is priceless. I believe if you are reliable, you will go far in all aspect of life!

Fairness: The ability to consider the strengths and weaknesses of opposing points of view and then to imaginatively put myself in the place of others in order to genuinely understand them is super important to me, although I am told that I don't come off very understanding! That being said, I still think I am a super-fair person, that needs to work on SHOWING people I am listening!

Positive: I am definitely a 'glass is half full' type of person. I can see the best in almost any situation and person. I always got the sportsmanship ribbon when I was younger and as an adult I find that people love working with and for me because of this standard!

"Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation." -Michael Jordan


Popular Extrovert: I LOVE people and can literally talk to anybody. Though it's not important to me to be 'popular' by any means, I have lots of 'friends'! :)


•How did you acquire those standards?

When I was young...I was raised in a very strict religious and military family. I was the oldest of 4 and was/am very independent. My mom jokes, "That if I could have birthed myself, I would have". that being said, I've always been head-strong and fearless. Though I've grown to believe things a bit differently from the way that I was raised, I still respect where I came from. Being raised the way I was raised had a great deal in forming the way I think and act.

I was a very observant little girl and still posses this trait. I've always paid very close attention to people's verbal and non-verbal cues in situations and to people. I feel it has played a great role in the type of mother/partner/sibling/leader/manager I was and am.


•How have they changed over the years?

I used to care very much what people thought of me, when I turned 30, I no longer cared! I don't really know what it was about '30' particularly, but it was the magic year my 'give-a-damn' card got thrown out the window! I've always been fearless and not afraid of a challenge, but I feel like when I was younger I hesitated quite a bit more than I do now as an adult.

I am often not what people think I am at first glance. If they see me in business attire, they have no idea I am heavily tattooed, and witty. If they see me in my regular clothes, they make assumptions that I am un-approachable and not nealry as educated as I am! I love being a bit of a camelion, I think it makes me unique!

MSLD 500-Activity 1.6-HoyeJennifer

Intellectual Perseverance

Intellectual Perseverance: Willingness and consciousness of the need to pursue intellectual insights and truths in spite of difficulties, obstacles, and frustrations. It is also the firm adherence to rational principles despite the irrational opposition of others and having a sense of need to struggle with confusion and unsettled questions over an extended period of time to achieve deeper understanding or insight. In a more simplistic sense, Intellectual perseverance can be defined as the disposition to work one's way through intellectual complexities despite the frustration inherent in the task!

Critical thinking does not entail merely intellectual skills such as intellectual perseverance. It is a way of connecting oneself and approaching problems that differ significantly from that which is typical in life. People may have critical thinking skills and abilities, and yet still be unable to enter viewpoints with which they disagree, analyze beliefs that guide their behavior, distinguish between what they know and don’t know, persevere through difficult problems, think fair-mindedly, or stand alone against the crowd. Thus, in developing as a thinker, and fostering critical thinking abilities in others, it is important to develop intellectual traits or virtues. In saying this, you can see how important critical thinking skills are not only in studies...but in life!


In considering how intellectual perseverance relates to my concept of a good leader, there are many parallels! For instance to be a good leader, you must posses the ability to think outside of yourself when making decisions, much of the same considered to be intellectual perseverance!.

The saying, “Attitude determines altitude.” is fitting here! Although this saying is a bit cliche, it is still true! Attitude almost always determines your success rate! Not only will attitude determine your personal success,it will also determine how successful you are at leading others. A truly good leader will have a positive attitude about everything he/she does regardless of the 'enjoyment level' of the task at hand!

In order to apply intellectual perseverance to leadership, I've compiled a list. (I love lists, don't hate!)

- Make sure the information used to make a decision is relevant to the issue.
- Make sure the information is accurate.
- Make sure you have sufficient information to solve the problem.
- Make sure you haven't distorted the information or ignored information you don't want to see.
- Don't give up!
- Don't get personal
- Be positive
- Don't forget your vision, or the reason you are doing what you are doing!

I love this quote by David Harold Fink, "People are more easily led than driven." It helps me remember that in the end, we lead people...not things!