Senior Project Reflection

1. Positive Statement
I'm proud of the dedication and time I devoted creating my final presentation and ensuring I knew what I was talking about and that my activity worked as I wanted it to. Personally, I found this final presentation the most "polished" compared to my Lesson 2; as such, I'm very much proud of that. I worked on each slide with the intent of explaining nearly everything on the slide -- I needed to demonstrate my knowledge of my research and topic itself and I feel that I was able to fulfill that.

2. Questions to Consider
a. What assessment would you give yourself on your Block Presentation (self-assessment)?

AE    P    AP    CR    NC

b. What assessment would you give yourself on your overall Senior Project (self-assessment)?

AE    P-    AP    CR    NC

3. What worked for you in your senior project?

What worked for me during my project was my research, my mentor, and an interview I conducted. "Communicating As a Manager" / "Leading and Motivating As a Manager" by Lynne Gaines and Adelaide Wilson; "Locke's Goal Setting Theory"; "Heron's Six Categories of Intervention"; Brice Cocjin; and my Interview #4 were all major sources that helped me not only proved beneficial in my project, but played a significant role in shaping my answers and final presentation.

4. What didn't work? 

If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Senior Project if you could go back in time?

I would have tried to implement an actual book dedicated to general management or a specific book on the behavioral aspect of motivation. If I were to have used any of these two sources, I feel that they would have served as a solid backbone for everything else to be built upon. Also, I would have liked to have been able to have better prepared myself for the preceding presentations. Sadly, hindsight is always 20/20.

5. Finding Value

How has the Senior Project been helpful to you in your future endeavors? Be specific and use examples.

As a whole, the Senior Project has definitely proven to me that spending an inordinate amount of time to something will surely yield results. There were a number of parts of this project that I procrastinated on, and as such, I had to hustle to find certain articles for an answer or so. Taking the time to do that, however, helped me better establish my answers and provide better understanding for my peers. 

An example of this is with my first answer; goal setting alone was vague and the initial sources I researched were often unfounded and biased. Coming across Locke's Goal Setting Theory helped me have a foundation for the importance of goal setting in management. 

Another part of senior project that I enjoyed and found fulfilling was creating my activity. The "test" (a double-sided paper with 20 statements) I issued worked cohesively with my second answer, effective communication. For this answer, I wanted to emphasize the importance of understanding the behaviors and personality types of employees -- no two employees were the same. I was able to look into the different personality types (appropriately categorized as Blues, Reds, Greens, and Hubs) and explain the specifics of each.

In spite of the rough patches I've had with this project (and there were many), I feel fulfilled for having gone the extra mile with designing my presentation and my activity. In terms of future endeavors, this project has definitely proved to me that I need to continue picking myself up regardless of how difficult I believe the situation has become.

Blog 16: Advisory Meeting #2

EQ:

How can an operations manager best motivate their employees to achieve a successful evaluation?

ANSWER #2

An operations manager can be motivate their employees to achieve a successful evaluation by being an effective communicator.

DETAIL 1

Communicating As a Manager

“Be a positive communicator.” A manager who can communicate with their employees in a positive manner tend to have teams that are positive and feel positive about their work. A positive communicator sets a positive tone, creates personal connections with employees, creates an atmosphere of open communication, and encourages people to be open and candid.

DETAIL 2

Why Is Effective Communication Important in Management?

A manager, which could be a manager in any field, understands that communication played an integral role in building alliances and productivity within the workplace.The ability to set a goal and provide direction promotes a collaborative atmosphere. Manager must clearly articulate strategies and plans; an operations manager should have a plan of action in this regard. Inability to properly articulate defeats the purpose of a “company vision”, which is the hope for a successful business.

DETAIL 3

Increasing Employee Productivity: The Strategic Role That HR Essentially Ignores

“Effective communications and feedback reduce errors and frustration.” A manager who doesn’t provide feedback severely hinders the success of their team as well as productivity. A manager should be able to identify the error made, assess it, and provide feedback for the employee. In this way, the employee can better avoid making the same mistake and promote productivity. Feedback mechanisms are an important component of effective communication.

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In conclusion, an operations manager should be an effective communicator in order to motivate their employees. Without positive communication a manager would be unable to build necessary connections with employees or create an atmosphere of open communication. Being a communicator helps to build teams and productivity; inability to articulate the “company vision” would become a defeated purpose should the manager be unable to clarify goals or ideas. Feedback mechanisms are a means of keeping employees in check and assessing errors. By spotting the problem sooner than later, the manager can better ensure that their employee doesn’t make the same mistake and improve efficiency.

Blog 13: Lesson 2 Reflection

1. Positive Statement

Of all the things to be proud of when the bulk of it went so sourly was the design of my keynote template. It was clean and simple, yet I did not present to the same degree as the design.

2. Questions to Consider

a. What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?

AE       P          AP -      CR       NC

b. Above all, I believe I deserve an AP-, despite knowing that wasn’t the grade I saw on the contract. I believe an AP- is adequate in terms of an Professionalism because I spoke at a relative volume, made eye contact with the audience, and asked for audience engagement. In terms of Organization & Creativity, I know I did not have the most stellar activity design—that’s on me and I take responsibility; however, I do believe that the activity itself did apply to my EQ. Audience Involvement is a given and I made sure I was able to complete that part.

3. What Worked 

Although I could have been more assertive with my activity, I appreciated that part of the class was able to understand the handout. When I chose certain people from groups, despite some not taking it seriously, it was nice to hear people try and apply what kind of motivation could be used (though, the vagueness of my answer is entirely on me.)

4. What Didn’t Work?

If I could go back (which I can’t), I would not have waited until the last minute to start this. A month’s time to complete this was more than enough. I admit that I was that person. I would have gotten what needed to be done, what needed to be emphasized, and made a much clearer representation. More importantly, I would have rehearsed what I planned to say so that delivery would have been much smoother. Additionally, If I’d used my time efficiently, without a doubt things would have been different.

5. Finding Value

I would definitely want to consult my mentor for further answers in regard to my EQ. What motivates employees is so vague, so I think the answer could be specific given it comes from an operations manager themselves.