10 things this class has taught me

Management II was definitely a new experience for a lot of us. I have never experienced a class like this, but thats not necessarily a bad thing. I feel like I have taken more skills from this class than most of my other courses in college. Skills that I can actually use in my life, not just facts from a text book.

1. Exit your comfort zone.
 Hop right in on the human pretzel game, play telephone to practice communication, state your opinion. This class taught me to be comfortable with myself and work as a team. In traditional classes, I feel like I get stuck sitting in the background and absorbing what goes on around me, but Management II forced me out of my comfort zone.

2. Don't be afraid to speak in front of people. 
I am a far better speaker and presenter because of this course. Teaching the classes made me more comfortable with the experience of public speaking.

3. Think Deeply
A lot of these topics we learned about were not easy issues. Things like ethics and crisis management really made me stop and think. Management is not going to be easy, and critical thinking is going to be an important skill.

4. Write more often 
Blogging has been a great way for me to reflect on things that I learned and let me relate them to things that I enjoy. I was able to tie together our topics with The Office, Greys Anatomy, Legally Blonde, and other favorite shows and movies. I realized that I love to write, especially about topics that relate to management.

5. Talk to people  
Contacting a mentor was kind of scary at first, I did not think that I was good at talking to strangers, but it was another learning experience where I could exit my comfort zone. My mentor is wonderful and I am so glad I got to meet her!

6. Assignments shouldn't be "disposable" 
Reading David Wiley's blog post on open pedagogy, I really enjoyed his discussion on assignments not being disposable. Leaving this class, I feel like my blog and the primer is something that we can be proud of. I hope to leave my future classes with something just as tangible.

7. Change is good 
Aside from learning a lot from Erin and Kyle's presentation about change, this whole course has been a change. It was something new we all learned from.

8. You can learn a lot from others 
From Jess's stories about Red Robin and Jason's Pirates Cove experiences, I think I learned a lot from everyone's past management/employee experiences.

9. Participation is key
Not only did I learn more from participating in others presentations, but I know as a presenter when others engage it makes my job so much easier.

10. Personality is important 
From our very first assignment, I saw everyones personality type very clearly. Having this in mind made working with others easier, because I could understand where they were coming from.

Workplace Environment

A study was published in the Proceedings of Healthy Buildings 2000, Vol 1 showing that factors such as temperature problems, stuffiness, job stress, and just an overall unsatisfactory indoor environment had a positive correlation with low levels of productivity. I think this is an important thing to take note as as a student soon to be entering the workforce. It is important to be aware of how your environment really can take a toll on you and your co workers. Also, the way that you and your co workers treat your space can make you more or less productive.

If there is any two people to show what not to do in an office space, its Dwight Schrute and Jim Halpert. They both negatively affect the work environment in these clips. Both contribute to a somewhat negative (although entertaining) workplace environment.

(No one likes feet, especially in their workplace)

Pranks are great but not in the office 

Study on workplace environment: http://www.senseair.se/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/31.pdf

Co Workers and Employees by Zodiac Sign

I was excited to find some more workplace zodiac signs! My previous post was related to your management style based on your star sign, but I found this article discussing what type of co-worker and employee you are based on your zodiac. I thought this tied in well with "Many" and whether you're a believer or not, its fun to see!

Mine was:
Cancer (June 21 - July 22)

Clock this sign in as the den mother of the office, even if he's a guy. They can make people feel so good with their natural tendency to nurture and be supportive. They're also highly intuitive and intelligent. However, their moods and emotions can seem to clock in and out as often as the office door swings open and closed during the day. 

I thought this was interesting considering my recent post on the quiz I took on what type of leader I am. My results for that was a Paternal leadership style. This lined up well with the traits of my star sign. 

This is the article where you can see what your sign means:

http://www.dailyhoroscope.com/horoscope-headlines/astrology-office-employees-horoscope 

One, Two, and Many as a Team

Today, Shayna and Logan presented on the topic of Teamwork. I noticed a lot of what they talked about lined up very well with the evolution of our class as Management II. We started off on the first day all really uncomfortable. No one wanted to volunteer to put on the blindfold and do the icebreaker. We all sort of looked at each other, waiting for someone to step forward, not wanting to make a fool of ourselves. I think that part of the course was our Forming stage. Our Storming stage, although not hostile as the diagram below shows, was confusing. We all had different ideas: how should we pick our mentors? how should we be graded? how many absences? I feel like after the first few presentations we reached Norming. You can tell the level of comfort we had with each other just by how much we participated. No one was afraid to ask questions or make comments. After that, we reached Performing. Now, as we assemble our primer, we are Adjourning. We are assessing what we have done, and looking at all the work we have done with pride. I think we make a great team.

What Kind of Leader Am I?

As part of Colleen and David's pre work, we were told to take a quiz on what type of leader we were. My results were:

"Paternalistic: You are a parent to your employees and show plenty of concern for them and their work. The relationships between your team members are strong and positive. You are constantly offering guidance and help to those who need it. However, you are known for playing favorites every now and then. "

I was a little shocked to hear this result at first, however looking back on my past leadership experience I can see how this may be true. At my past job, one of my employees jokingly would call me "mom" when she needed help or was in a sticky situation. I did feel like I was a emotional support system, as well as someone to go to for help during work hours. Although this was just a quiz, and my results could easily change as I grow in my career I did find some truth in these results. 

Makeup in the Workplace

I've always been a big fan of makeup. At age 13 I remember discovering the YouTube beauty tutorials and being fascinated by these people who had devoted careers to mastering the art of cosmetics. As much as I love a lazy no-makeup day, I can tell a difference in my confidence on days where I have makeup on, and I know I am not the only one.

I found this article by the New York Times explaining that studies have found that those who wear makeup in the workplace were perceived as more trustworthy and intelligent than their non-makeup wearing counterparts. At first, I thought that this was a shallow assumption, and I still fully believe that employees should be judged on the quality of their work and not their lipstick shade, but this quote by Daniel Hamermesh, an econ professor at the University of Texas made a lot of sense to me: 

“we conflate looks and a willingness to take care of yourself with a willingness to take care of people.”

I feel like this goes along with why we dress professionally. We want to express our position in an organization by the way we dress, and makeup can be a part of that. If we dress and look like a professional, then people will see us as that. However, I do think makeup is a personal preference. I feel more confident and put together while wearing it, especially when I work. Whether you want to go bare-faced without a drop of makeup or a smoky eye, your advancement in the workplace should be based upon your skills. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/fashion/makeup-makes-women-appear-more-competent-study.html

Ethics in Healthcare

Today, Caroline and I presented on the topic of Ethics in the workplace and in healthcare. My research while preparing for this lead me to the case concerning the Dr. Fata Case, and I wanted to look further into it. I remember hearing about this case and being completely mortified that someone that was entrusted to care for so many people could betray his patients like that. Personally, I feel most vulnerable when I am sick or being treated in a healthcare setting, and would listen to whatever the healthcare provider recommended. In this case, they put their trust in the hands of someone who was blinded by greed. This case made me think more about the Hippocratic Oath and what it actually entailed. The modern version states:

"I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:...

I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.

I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.

I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.

I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. Above all, I must not play at God.

I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.

I will prevent disease whenever I can but I will always look for a path to a cure for all diseases.

I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.

If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help."

While reading this, I realized that Dr. Fata violated almost all of these guidelines. As a future healthcare administrator, I think it is important to keep these points of ethics in mind. Although administration is not directly proving care person to person, they are still responsible for the quality of care and satisfaction of the patients.