Reflective Journal - Managerial Roles - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1283 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? Unit 3 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Assignment #2 Reflective Journal Unit1 The Managerial Roles Gap Analysis survey proved to be very insightful for measuring my current managerial style, skillset and role profile. In my current role as Finance Manager, my core competencies are more informational and interpersonal and less decisional in nature. The role of the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Decisional Managerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Minztberg, 1973) in my opinion is the most important role for managing in a complex, changing workplace environment. These business environments that are ever changing are best suited for managers that are accepting of change and innovation. Entrepreneurial managers, as described by Yukl (1973) are better suited for à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“initiatingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“planningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  change so it is structured rather than disruptive. In fast paced changing environments, there are also many unforeseen events which involve constant re-alloca tion of resources and negotiations involving quick but rational calculated decision making. My current managerial duties are more administrative support based and less operational. Nonetheless, upon self-reflection, it is evident that my role provides both financial and operational support through disseminating information and being a liaison between operations and finance. Before moving to my finance role, I was a retail operations manager so I should seek to leverage my knowledge more in this area to provide more value added support. Furthermore, the core competencies of my role in the form of budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting can strongly influence decision making at all levels. In order to progress and become a more competent manager, I could use more of these decisional skillsets to initiate change, provide innovation and entrepreneurship by improving financial efficiencies. Unit 2 Being an effective manager and leader requires having good communication s kills. Feedback is an important tool that should be used to improve efficiency, development and collaboration in the workplace. There are many benefits to giving positive feedback rather than just an evaluation. Feedback in the workplace is the process of evaluating and discussing employee/manager performance as described by Harms Roebuck, (2010: 413). Evaluations normally include an element of critique and instinctively this causes people to become defensive. The benefit to me of giving strength based positive feedback is that it removes this innate defensive threat and enables both parties to achieve their goals in the interaction. Gallagher (2007) described one strength based model named the CANDID approach that removes the emotion from the interaction of difficult conversations and allows for collaboration rather than confrontation. To become a more effective leader, I need to work on my listening skills in particular when I ask questions. There are times that I will ask lea ding questions, in somewhat interrogation style to get to the answers that I feel are correct. The better approach would be to ask questions, listen, understand and then ask further relevant questions for more clarification. There is no one size fits all approach to effective leadership especially in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ever changing international marketplace. In order to work more effectively in multi-cultural environments, I need to work on understanding different cultural traits and adjusting my leadership style appropriately. With the onset of todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“global villageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  as described by Jogulu (2010: 706), leadership styles are becoming more and more culturally linked. Nonetheless, in a country like Canada where it is very multicultural, one can argue that leadership styles must be somewhat universal and not biased towards any particular culture. In my life and along my career journey, I have experienced events that have tran sformed me as a manager and as a leader. My transformational story illustrated some of these key life events and how I have learned through self-narrating the story of my life in a way that makes sense to me. At first I was hesitant about writing and sharing some of my personal life events but ironically, as I started to write the script through deep reflection I discovered more about my true self than I knew before. Writing my story was emotional but in a way I also found it to also be therapeutic. Through reflection I began to understand more about how my resilience and ability to adapt to my environment has enabled me to be a stronger leader especially in times of crisis. The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“everyman theoryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  of leadership described by Charan (2008) explains this notion that anyone can become a leader by escaping the handicaps of their personal history and the constraints of their environmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Unit3 This notion that authentic leaderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â €ž ¢s stories involved à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“overcoming difficult experiences and using these events to give meaning to their livesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  George, Sims, McLean Mayer (2007, 130) exemplifies my transformational story. Writing my transformational story helped me authenticate where I came from, who I am today and where on my journey I am going. The definition of an authentic leader as described by Avolio, Luthans, and Walumbwa (2004: 4) are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“leaders who are deeply aware of how they think and behave and are perceived by others as being aware of their own and others values/moral perspectives, knowledge, and strengths; aware of the context in which they operate; and who are confident, hopeful, optimistic, resilient, and of high moral characterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Although writing and sharing my transformational story was emotional, it was the sheer emotion that helped me to reflect and find connections between my life events and my à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“self-narrativesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã ‚  as described by Shamir Eliam (2005: 405). Throughout my life journey, I learned some critical skills from my transformational experiences. The most important skills I learned was adaptability, resilience, control and the power of positive thinking. Through positive thinking I was able to learn from negative events and to use these learnings to overcome adversity. I have learned that by using positive thinking, it helps to overcome fear and anxiety which diminish creative and innovation. Through my transformational experiences, I have also learned that I am in control. Control as described by Margolis Stoltz (2010: 90) is how we react to stressful situations based on the degree of control we believe we have over the situation. I have learned through my experiences that I am in control of my destiny and that my environment does not control me. Nonetheless, the most important skills I have learned is to be able to adapt and be resilient in stressful situations. I learned this in my early years through growing up in a neighborhood of violence and crime and not succumbing to becoming another so called statistic. This skill of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“adaptive capacityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  described by Bennis Thomas, (2002: 45) is critical as it bestows à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the ability to transcend adversity, with all its attendant stresses, and to emerge stronger than beforeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Through overcoming difficult situations in my life and upon reflection of these events, I now feel that I am stronger than ever before to tackle and lead through future difficult situations should they arise. References Avolio, B. J., Luthans, F., Walumba, F. O. (2004). Authentic leadership: Theory building for veritable sustained performance. Working paper: Gallup Leadership Institute, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Bennis, W. R. Thomas, (2002) Crucibles of Leadership, Harvard Business Review, 80 (9) pp.39-45. Charam, R., (2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Leaders at All Levelsà ¢ â‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Jossey-Bass Gallagher, R., (2007) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"How to Give Strength-Based Feedbackà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Harms, P. D. Roebuck, (2010) Teaching the art and Craft of Giving and Receiving Feedback, Business Communication Quarterly, 73 (4) pp.413-431. Jogulu, U., (2010) Culturally-Linked Leadership Styles, Leadership Organization Development Journal, 31 (8) pp.705-719. Lunenburg, F., (2011) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Leadership versus Management: A Key Distinction-At Least in Theoryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, International Journal of Management, Business and Administration, volume 14, number 1, 2011 Margolis, J. D. P. G. Stoltz, (2010) How to Bounce Back from Adversity, Harvard Business Review 88 (1-2) pp.86-92. Mintzberg, (1973) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The Nature of Managerial Workà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. New York: Harper Row Shamir, B. G. Eilam, (2005) Whats Your Story? A Life-Stories Approach to Authentic Leadership Development, The Leadership Quarterly, 16 (3) pp.395-417. Y ukl, G., (2001) The Nature of Managerial Work, in Leadership in Organizations, 5th ed., Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Page 1 of 3 Don’t waste time! 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All Quiet On The Western Front Animalism Analysis

Everyone who fights in the war has to have animal instincts and basically shut off their emotions. Many moments of being animalistic are shown in All Quiet On the Western Front. One big moment in the book where Paul had to act animalistically is when he killed Gerard Duvall, Paul even says â€Å"I do not think at all, I make no decision-I strike madly at home, and feel only how the body suddenly convulses then becomes limp, and collapses† (Remarque 216). Paul did not even have to think about killing a man at this point, it was his instinct to immediately attack him. That is something that is animalistic and not totally humane. Also, when they make an attack earlier on, Paul says â€Å"No longer do we lie helpless, waiting on the scaffold, we can†¦show more content†¦Kropp does not really feel he has many reasons to keep living, so he decided that if he will have to suffer from the war even more, by losing an entire limb, he doesnt really need to live. The war has rea lly messed with him, because he is ready to kill himself if he feel he needs to. But not everyone who had been affected by the war ends up like how Kropp is. Detering went through something totally different compared to what Kropp went through. On page 275 Detering saw a cherry tree, which reminded him of his home and farm, and he started to want to leave, and on page 276, Paul noticed he was being a little strange and in the book it said â€Å"In order to turn him away from his thoughts, I asked for a piece of bread. He gave it to me without a murmur. That was suspicious, for he is usually tight fisted† (Remarque 276). Detering had been reminded of his home, and he started to miss it. That began to change him, and soon after Paul got suspicious of what he was doing, Detering left. He was captured soon after he fled from the war, and we can only assume he was killed. Remarque wrote the book for a reason, and even explained part of the reason why he wrote the book in a paragraph before chapter one. In the end of that paragraph, he wrote, â€Å"It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who †¦ were destroyed by the war† (Remarque). Remarque wrote the book in order to share how the war had changed the soldiers. This idea is clearer

Career Preparedness Survey Outcomes of Food Science

Question: Discuss An analysis of skills and Knowledge required to undertake degree studies in Computer Science and follow a future career path in Information technology? Answer: Introduction The students of the computer science generally progress with careers in the IT industry. The students have to develop range of skills so that they can work and survive in the IT industry. A student with computer science background can pursue his career in diverse fields. There are various options available like working as a software development professional, working as a network analyst etc. The individual can also pursue higher studies in the subject. There is enough opportunity for research work in information technology (Bohlscheid and Clark, 2012). Definition of the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in this field The various career options and skills that are required to succeed in the field of computer science are as follows. Application development The student with computer science degree can pursue his career in the software field. The skills that are necessary to pursue a career as a soft developer are the capability to solve problems. This is the prima facie skills that are critical for any software developer. The software developer should have knowledge of the various programming languages. The personnel have to be proficient in the various technologies (Gewin, 2009). Animation and design of graphics A degree in computer science also provides the student the opportunity to work as an animation and graphic designer. A graphic designer has to be creative so that he can come up with innovative and creative ideas. They have to use the complex tools of graphics in order to manipulate the colour, images and the animations. A computer science student can have an additional degree in graphic design in order to pursue the career in the field. Software testing A computer science graduate can pursue a career as a software tester. The software tester must have strong skills of analysis and strong skills of solving the problem. The skills are mandatory to test the projects. A sound knowledge of the various software programs and the phases of development of software are necessary to develop a career as a software tester (Olson, 2013). Cyber security A bachelors degree in computer science is necessary to develop a career as a cyber security professional. The experts in the field will work as network and administrators of the computer systems. They also work as analysts of information security. The computer networks are monitored by the professionals. A sound knowledge of the software and hardware system of the computer. Product design A bachelors degree in computer science can pursue a career as a software designer. The individual should have sound domain knowledge (Homer and Selman, 2011). Ways of developing skills and knowledge in this area A graduate in computer science must have strong domain knowledge. He should be logical. A sound logic is necessary to develop a software using codes. A computer science graduate must have a good foundation in logic. The skill is necessary for the development of the algorithm and in case of coding. The strong foundation knowledge of mathematics is required to pursue a career as software professional. This will help in developing oneself in the various programming functions. The various commands of computer can be understood in a better way. Thus a string base of mathematics is necessary to develop the career in the field of information technology. A computer science graduate must be challenging enough to develop the technical skills (Ye, 2014). A software professional must be patient. The individual must be calm even in an environment which is stressful. The professional must have a natural passion to work in the field. The computer expert must be flexible and possess the ability to w ork in diverse field of computer. He must be aware of the various programming languages. The various technological applications must be known to a computer science graduate. A lot of reading and writing about the codes for software programming is necessary to have a sound knowledge in the field. The professional has to update himself on a continuous basis to remain competitive in the field. A degree in computer science does not prepare the candidate to be productive on an immediate basis. The practical application of the theoretical knowledge will be required at work place. But the candidate has to be sincere throughout the learning process so that he can grasp the practical application of the theoretical knowledge quickly. Computer science is a foundational science like mathematics. Thus every educated individual in the modern society must possess knowledge in this subject (Nwachukwu and Nnennaya, 2008). Apart from strong domain knowledge a computer science graduate must have good communication skills. This will be helpful during interaction with the clients. In order to succeed in the subject the computer science graduates must be able to think in a careful and systematic manner. The computer science graduates have great career options and they can have wonderful lifestyle choice (Matousek, 2009). The domain knowledge can be developed by studying the various aspects of the subjects on a regular basis. The students must have sound knowledge of the technical aspect of the subject. The communication skills will be developed via regular practice of presentations, public speaking. Listening to news will develop the communication skills. This will help the candidate in future during presentations and interviews (Motta and Wu, 2014). Conclusion The skills and knowledge that is required for a computer science graduate has been discussed in the paper. A computer science graduate has an array of opportunities opened for him on completion of his graduation. In order to get hold of the opportunities it is important for a computer graduate to develop the requisite skills and knowledge. This will help a computer science graduate to prosper in his career. Apart from strong domain knowledge a computer science graduate must have strong communication and interpersonal skills. This will develop the confidence of the individual and help him face the interviews. A skilful computer science graduates has numerous opportunities opened for him. In order to achieve the desired goal strong analytical skills are required. References Bohlscheid, J. and Clark, S. (2012). Career Preparedness Survey Outcomes of Food Science Graduates-A Follow-Up Assessment. Journal of Food Science Education, 11(2), pp.8-15. Gewin, V. (2009). Transferring Skills into Career Options. Science. Homer, S. and Selman, A. (2011). Computability and Complexity Theory. Dordrecht: Springer. Matousek, J. (2009). Geometric discrepancy. New York: Springer. Matousek, J. (2009). Geometric discrepancy. New York: Springer. Motta, G. and Wu, B. (2014). Software Engineering Education for a Global E-Service Economy. Dordrecht: Springer. Nwachukwu, I. and Nnennaya, I. (2008). Analysis Of Career Aspirations Of Agricultural Science Graduates From Nigerian Universities. Global Approaches to Extension Practice: A Journal of Agricultural Extension, 4(1). Olson, J. (2013). Opportunities, Obstacles, and Options: First-Generation College Graduates and Social Cognitive Career Theory. Journal of Career Development, 41(3), pp.199-217. Ye, Y. (2014). ROLE OF CAREER DECISION-MAKING SELF-EFFICACY AND RISK OF CAREER OPTIONS ON CAREER DECISION-MAKING OF CHINESE GRADUATES 1 , 2.Psychological Reports, 114(2), pp.625-634.