Farewell to MGT3120

Farewell Management3120
I've had a blast
listening to Professor Kurpis
lecture of Management's past.

The numerous theories
of Porter and Potter
of Likert and House
of Fiedler and Kotter...
What were these theories again?

I'll never forget
the cool things we've done
the group activities
and the bonus points won.

Most memorable will be
that inspiring dvd:
which taught us all
to toss starfish into the sea.

Goodbye center right section
and the rest of you all
I truly enjoyed each moment
See you guys next fall?
:)

I approve of Blogging.

Besides taking pressure away from test grades, blogging is a great way to share ideas outside of class.  In a classroom that large, some of us don't get too many opportunities to share our ideas (esp. when we have to compete with the Dominant-type people) 

I don't raise my hand very often unless I have a question, but even when I do, I tend to ask neighboring students for help.  During class discussions, when there is something i strongly disagree with, instead of voicing my opinions, I rant/share my ideas with those around me. Because of blogging, I can share my ideas without having private conversations during class. 

I really enjoyed the blog assignments because unlike most homework assignments, there is no right answer. Through blogging, we can almost write anything we want and it'll never be wrong. (Unless you're blogging about something completely off topic, but that's your problem.)

This is the only class that I've had (other than Freshman Orientation, but does that even count?) where blogging is considered homework and I am glad for this because it is a stress-less activity and can even be fun sometimes.  

I have a blog other than this one and have used it since freshman or sophomore year of high school.  However, I stopped sometime around freshman year of College because the few friends I shared it with stopped visiting and as a result, I stopped blogging.  Maybe I'll resume and instead of viewing it as a place to rant, I'll treat it like a not-so-personalized Diary/Journal.  A high school substitute teacher once told me that she kept a Diary when she was younger and with every page she read, she recalled clear images and  minute details of each log recorded.

For these reasons, Blogging should definitely remain the only 'homework' assignments for MGT3120.  :-)

Embarasing myself at MickyDs (Ordering a McGangBang)

A variation of the McGangBang (Same ingredients, different  assembling order)

      

As I walk through the doors of the small McDonalds restaurant of my neighborhood, I think, ‘It’s alright Susan, the worst they can do is say no.’ Luckily, it is nearly dinnertime and the place is not too packed so I can get the job done without drawing much attention. 

            There are two ringers occupying the three cashier machines available.  As I line up, I think about what to say to appear as normal as possible and to speed the process of my order.  When I get to the front of the counter, I wait, unsure of whether it is my turn to order.  The people in front appear to have already paid but the cashier is avoiding eye contact with me.  I step up and say, “Hi, this may be an odd request but I would like to order a McGangbang with a signed receipt by your manager” but my cashier, Elma, does not hear my second request.  “McGangbang? What? Mc-Gang-Bang?” Elma says enunciating each syllable.  “Yes, a McGangbang,” I repeat in answer to her rhetorical question.  Elma turns to the other cashier, Danielle, and laughingly informs her of my order.  A woman in a blue uniform shirt, who I suspect to be middle-manager, steps up to the counter.  I ask her if she knows what a McGangbang is.  She smiles and nods and I think, “Great! I don’t have to explain myself.”  I wait for her to defend my strange order but she continues to smile without a word, which meant either she did not quite hear me or is nodding in confusion.  Moments later, the manager, Miguel, conveniently appears in front of the counter, and Elma directs my order to him by pointing a sluggish finger, “Talk to him.”  I repeat the order to Miguel but this time I am quick to explain the contents of a McGangbang to avoid wasting more time.  I say to him, “I would like to order a McGangbang, which is a McChicken inside the meats of a double cheeseburger.”  Miguel is puzzled at first but agrees to do it as long as I pay for it.  I assure him that I will and he directs Danielle to ring up the order.  “Just don’t get me in trouble,” he says chuckling.  He goes to the back where the burgers are assembled and gives directions to the food preparer.  However, he returns twice—once to ask if I want the breads of the McChicken and again to ask if I prefer it wrapped or boxed.  After about 10 minutes, including wait time, a paper bag with my order is handed to me.  I carefully take out the big-mac box and flip open the cover to take a picture with the glorious sandwich.  I see the chicken patty at the very center, the slice of American cheese, the mayo oozing out, the thin hamburger patties (upon careful inspection)….but it wasn’t quite a McGangbang.  The buns were at the ends with the mayonnaise and lettuce, but the chicken patty was alone at the center.  “You have to make sure if it’s right?” asks Miguel with a half-smile, hopeful that there would be no trouble.  I smile, pose for a quick photo, thank him and his cashiers, and leave, feeling satisfied that I have nearly fulfilled the task. 

            If the store had been deserted that day, I might have asked for my order to be corrected but it was enough that the manager went through the trouble of taking my request.  He was patient, listened to what I had to say and gave instructions almost immediately.

            While the McDonald’s staff was friendly enough and carried out my order without much trouble, it was clear that their management process was flawed.  It took longer than it should have just to ring up my order.  One of the major problems was the lack of a process for special orders other than ‘no pickles’ or ‘extra ketchup’.  My cashier did not handle the situation very well, in that she neither asked me to explain my bizarre order nor did she immediately transfer me to upper management.  The other cashier was also confused and looked around puzzled until the woman in the blue uniform approached us.  Unfortunately, she could not help me and had less to say than the cashiers.  It wasn’t until the manager came up at the counter that things started moving along.  The first cashier should have either tried to take matters in her own hands or looked to higher management for help instead of standing there dumbfounded.  The middle manager wasn’t very helpful in that she couldn’t understand me and failed to ask me what I had wanted.   

It is necessary for the staff to be prepared for unexpected events and in order to tackle extra-special orders, there should be a process followed.  If the cashier can, she should try to resolve the problem herself.  If she cannot, she should ask the customer to wait and refer the problem to the middle manager.  If the middle manager cannot resolve this problem, she will then contact the manager.  The staff should try to deal with problems as professionally and efficiently as possible.  Although the McDonald’s staff did follow a similar process of referral, it wasn’t as efficient and smooth as it could have been.  Time was wasted by standing around and communication was poor.  For instance, the cashiers and the middle manager were slow to react and stood around idly instead of taking actions.   

The only leader was the manager, a person with power, who was able to help by giving directions and moving the line along.  He did not question my order but listened patiently and said that it could be done.  He took my order to the back, guided the food assembler, and made sure that the cashier rang my order.  Leadership is essential in any job because even in McDonalds, there are problems presented that are not so ordinary.

Opening the Big Mac Case at the counter

Am I am an "Is"? (DISC Personality Test)

An Influential person "shapes the environment by influencing or persuading others."

Reading over the descriptions for this personality type, I feel like it doesn't fully describe me.  Unlike the Influential-type-person, I feel that I am not that much of a people-person.  I have been called gullible multiple times and I feel others influence me easily rather than the opposite.  In fact, I am more of a shy person who hesitates before doing something.

Based on this and the descriptions of each personality profile, I feel like I fit the Steadiness type the most, at least in most environments (with strangers/unfamiliar-type setting).  I prefer comfortable settings where I can predict what will occur.  I am definitely the type that can't react quickly/make decisions quickly so I am dependent on those who can direct/give clear directions to me.

I think the test is pretty accurate, but got one thing wrong. I am more steady than influential.  I think I am supposed to have an "Si" personality because while I enjoy the company of others, I am not that outgoing of a person.  However, if I am in a comfortable setting, I fit the Influential type more.  The test result was probably inaccurate because I was envisioning a more casual situation (one which I am with close friends).

I wish I were more of a D (Dominant) type because most of my personality traits are the exact opposites of those who are dominant.  (It can be difficult for me to make decisions, I am slow to act, etc).

I think it is possible to become another type since everyone is a little bit of each type.  I think if someone truly wants to become a different person or if an extraordinary event occurs, it can happen. But of course, people can't just change within a day and most people won't unless they have good reason to.

Of course it is better to understand a person's management type so that you can somewhat expect how a future interaction will take place.  For instance, if you know that the person is a D-type, you might expect him or her to cut you off while you are speaking.  By being aware of a person's personality, you can gauge how a person will act and will not be caught off guard.
___________

The Power of Vision

While the "Power of Vision" video was dramatized, I think the message is agreeable with--that if you put effort into something you're passionate about, you can create change.  

While the message is meaningful, it may have taken a too-optimistic outlook on life.  We can't expect things to go our way and sometimes, we can't get what we want because we lack the ability to attain certain things.

For instance, when I was younger, I wanted to be a nurse or a pediatrician but after taking biology, I decided that I should avoid the medical fields because I was quite deficient in bio.

Perhaps my dream wasn't strong enough which caused me to back down easily...Perhaps if I wanted something enough, I would keep going at it no matter what.

Currently, I don't think I have any dreams that I have that I would approach in such a manner but maybe if I were to take some baby-steps and if I were to cross the midpoint of that stream, then maybe I would continue until i reach my destination.

Some faint dreams/goals I have:
1. To speak/read/write Chinese (both mandarin/cantonese) proficiently and to use this as a medium to become closer with my family & Culture.
Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I was born here and have difficulty recognizing Chinese characters, let alone speaking it.  I think it's important that I don't lose this momentous piece of me.  I know that with the ability to read and write Chinese, I would be able to communicate with my parents better and actually understand the anecdotes and stories that my grandparents tell me.
-->To accomplish this, I could purchase a Chinese-English dictionary and self-teach myself, take some Chinese courses, ask my parents for assistance, watch Chinese dramas regularly (not sure if this last one is a good idea because I might get addicted)
2. To become a more outspoken and bold person who will speak up/act without hesitation
I'm usually the quiet person in class who will never raise her hand because I'm either unsure of my answer or am worried what others will think of my answer.  Too often, I hesitate to do something and end up regretting not acting when I had the chance.  Too often, I let others tell me what is right and what is wrong even though I know I believe differently.
-->To accomplish this, I will record all instances where I hesitate to speak or do something even though deep down, I was dying to do whatever it was I had wanted to do.  I will also record instances when I do act despite my insecurities/doubts holding me back.
3.  To become more fit and run a marathon
This third goal is more of a filler goal. Honestly I don't think I can run a marathon nor do I really want to but I do want to regularly exercise (jogging/running would be ideal, I don't like weight training) and to get fresh air regularly.
-->To accomplish this, I will jog every day that I have off and I will begin with 15-30 minutes of walking and slow jogging.  Within 1-2 weeks, I will no longer walk and only jog (slow jogging is fine).  Within a month, I will be running.
If I can accomplish this, I will reward myself with a dog and go running with him/her. ^_^

Essay or no Essay. That is the Question.

Wow. Should've known that the exercise was all part of a bigger plan.  The first sign of suspicion was when the Professor stepped back after just a few words.

Looking back on that day, I feel that we, as a group, didn't do too poorly in terms of reaching a final decision. Reaching a consensus is difficult to do when there are many members with different wants.  The main issue at hand was whether there should be an essay on the next exam and how much it should be worth.  I think the class was too focused on the details of the next exam that we failed to think of a way to help those that scored poorly.  I myself didn't do too hot so I was thinking of ways to boost my own grade: I had the idea that we lower the worth of the first exam and increase the worth of the second.  However, the idea was shot down by those who scored high.  After that, there wasn't much discussion about the first exam because we had already decided as a group that we wanted both a curve and extra credit.  I was much happier just with the curve and wasn't too focused on methods to boost it even higher.  

I fall into the category of a "compromiser" because of what was at stake (the curve and extra credit).  I felt that if we had a lot of dissonance, we might lose everything and I couldn't afford that.  Most of us couldn't anyway...

I feel that the discussion was led by those that scored high because when the suggestion was bought up to lower the worth of the first exam, it was immediately rejected... I'm surprised that no one spoke up for it seeing that the class average was so low in the first place. But increasing the worth of the second exam would mean studying/pressure for the 2nd exam. 

I think the most people fell in the avoidance category because it seemed that there were only a handful of people that spoke up constantly (and those were mostly the compete-to-win type).  I saw a lot of people clicking away on their laptops/cellphones and others commenting on how pointless this activity was and how they wanted to go home.

The idea of splitting the class into groups did come to mind but I dismissed it because if two groups of people had completely polar ideas, there would be even more chaos than we had that day.  An argument between two people is better than a war between two groups of people.  I do see where the professor is coming from though, because if we were split into groups, more people would have been involved and more ideas would have been discussed.  But like many said, we didn't have much time to discuss anyway.  

I am just glad that we agreed on something and that the class voted unanimously on the final proposal.  The reason we were so focused on the essay is because many of us lost a lot of points on the essay portion alone.  I myself lost the most points on that portion.  For this reason, this was the main topic of discussion.  Personally I'm opened to an essay as long as I know the topic beforehand... but I guess we didn't agree on that provision.

Eggin' the basket. And by basket, I mean the garbage bin.

My group was called "Eggin' the basket" because our idea was to wrap half of the egg and then add a  final loop creating a "basket" for our egg.

What led to our final design was the fact that if you squeezed an egg from the tips, it will not break, so we thought that if we created a heavy bottom, it would fall on its end and still be in one piece.  So based on this, we wrapped the straws on the bottom of the egg so that it would be heavier on the bottom and would straight down.  Or so we thought.

Let's see what went wrong with our Planning Process.

Step 1: Defining Goals & Objectives

I think we achieved this.  We wrote down our objective--to keep the egg from breaking and to do so without breaking any of the rules (drafting a design within 10 minutes, covering less than half of the egg etc.)

Step 2: Evaluating resources- identify skills/weaknesses

I think we were overconfident with our plan that we neglected to see the weaknesses to our plans.  Yes, it is true that if you squeeze an egg from both ends, it will be difficult to break.  However, I don't think its impossible to crack it provided that there is enough pressure.  What's more is that half of our egg is exposed and that our egg might not have fallen straight.  It could have tipped over (I think it did actually).  

Step 3:Developing alternative strategies

Like I said, we were too focused on this one plan that we were confident that we would succeed.  Even though one teammate objected to this plan, we as a group decided to stick to it because we had already come so far with the idea.  That teammate didn't exactly offer an alternative idea though; he was just skeptical of our plan. 

Step 4: Creating a tactical plan-what actions were made?

We decided that one person (the group member with the original idea) will mainly be in charge of creating the device for our egg so that it would be handled carefully.  The rest of us helped out in creating the "basket".  Because there were flaws with our idea to begin with, no course of action could have saved our egg.  However, I feel that the actions we took to execute our plans were as good as we expected.  We were able to build the device on time, had excess tape & straws, and it appeared as we had envisioned it to be.

Step 5: Implementing the plan, Measuring progress, revising the plan.   

After we saw so many groups fail, we were pretty certain that our plan would fail too.  Of course, at that point, we couldn't make any changes.  But I think many groups had the similar idea that the straws would provide a cushion for the egg but apparently this was not that case.  

To sum up our planning progress, I feel we did a good job in creating a plan and executing it but we lacked back up plans & alternative ideas.  What we could have done differently was consider everyone's opinions/ideas and reason with each other which would be the best thing to do rather than just agreeing with the majority.