BLOG TOPIC #7 - POEM

MANAGEMENT WITH PROFESSOR KURPIS

Now bear with me here, I haven’t written one of these in quite some time.
We’ve learned so much about management so I wrote this little rhyme.
Beginning with the types of managers and different management skills.
To learning about various management theories, oh that was a thrill.
We have Frederick Taylor and his Scientific Management method.
To the Hawthorne Studies, where 21,000 people strong were tested.
Focusing on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
Physiological, Safety, Social, Esteem, Self-Actualization, you’re bound to succeed.
One of the most important things to remember is always have a plan.
It makes every decision more efficient, like a true businessman.
We all remember the survivor egg project in class.
Every group was well aware of the objective needed to surpass.
Time management was a skill that was lacking.
This weakness in the groups sent all but one packing.
After Test 1 no one was thrilled with their results.
We were given a task to act like adults.
Endless opportunities for the second exam to be picked with precision.
100% agreement amongst the class was needed for the decision.
It turned out to be a success in the end.
Extra Credit, A curve, our grades were sure to ascend.
I think everyone will remember to find their starfish at the beach.
Our vision and goals are something no one can teach.
I will admit ordering the McGangbang was a lot of fun.
Observing McDonald’s management until my sandwich was done.
We learned we are all motivated in many different ways.
In the end Professor Kurpis motivated us to come to class each and every day.

Michael Dellasperanza

Blog Topic #6 - MOTIVATION

Motivation is unique to the individual. Every student has different self-interests, this leads to different responses to motivating techniques. I benefited most from the way the class was designed. For myself, I think skill variety kept me motivated throughout the semester. This class was much different then any other class I have taken at Baruch College thus far, with respect to the direct student involvement in different group activities. Who would ever think an extra credit assignment would be to go to McDonald’s and order a “McGangbang” off the secret menu? A McGangbang? Secret Menu? This motivated me to learn more about the secret menu, while also giving McDonald’s some business. Every time I would walk into MGT 3120, I didn’t know what to expect, this excited me; I was motivated to learn. I felt the group activities definitely motivated not only me, but everyone in the class to be more involved in the lecture. I also appreciated the autonomy in the group activities; I am motivated by working independently. I feel that I work best without the constant supervision. Another important part of the class that motivated me was the feedback that we were allowed to give on various activities and exams. I always like to see my feedback make a difference in the classroom, or any other environment for that matter. I thought it was a great motivating technique to let the class decide how the second exam should be structured. At first, I thought it was strange that the professor didn’t offer any information regarding the task, but this really motivated everyone to work together as a team and agree 100% on the format of the next exam. The professor was able to turn the activity into a lecture on decision making, as well as, motivating the students to really study for the next exam since we were the ones designing the midterm. It worked for me, I know I did much better on the second exam then the first. Everyone appreciates seeing their opinions valued whether it be in the classroom or in the workplace.

I also felt the rewards aspect in the class motivated me to do the best as I could in the class. Focusing more on the extrinsic rewards, there were multiple opportunities to earn extra credit in the class. Looking back at the most recent communication activity I was motivated to listen as closely as possible, to earn the 5 points of extra credit. I must have drawn that same picture 10 times before I thought I had gotten it 100% correct. I knew that the 5 points on the final could be the different between a “B+” and an “A-” which could really come into play determining the final grade for the semester. Grades are always a major factor in the class for me, so any opportunity I have that can improve my grade, whether it be through an extra credit assignment or bonus points from an activity, motivates me.

As far as being more motivated in the class, I can’t really think of anything. I felt that the professor did a great job motivating me in the class. I felt that the skill variety really motivated me to come to class every day. I was excited because I knew not every class would be another lecture with no student involvement. I felt the professor offered a great combination of motivational techniques through autonomy and feedback. Independence in the classroom really allows each student to perform at the best of their abilities. The professor also used rewards as a motivational tactic by offering extra credit on exams which motivated me because grades are very important.

Overall, I was very motivated in MGT 3120 to perform. The professor proved to be a very effective leader throughout the semester through his varied motivational techniques.

McGanbang = SUCCESS!!

The extra credit assignment for MGT 3120 consisted of going to a McDonald’s restaurant and ordering the following: 1 McGangbang and a small fries with no salt. I waited to the last possible day to go, however I successfully ordered and received my McGangbang and small fries with no salt on the first try! I was unaware of the McDonald’s secret menu prior to this extra credit assignment, but I was willing to try it.

I chose to go to McDonald’s in the early afternoon, around 3:00, because I figured it wouldn’t be too busy and I would be able to order my food relatively easily. I was right. Before walking into the McDonald’s restaurant I practiced what I was going to say and honestly I was a little nervous because I didn’t know how the cashier and manager would react. More then anything, I didn’t want to burst out laughing when ordering because then the McDonald’s crew wouldn’t take me seriously. I walked up to the counter and said my order, my intention was to say it rather quickly and hopefully the cashier would take it as a legitimate order, but I was wrong. I said the word “McGangbang” and the cashier started laughing at me. This also made me laugh, which completely went against my earlier thought process of saying it as serious as possible. The cashier said “we don’t sell that here,” I then asked to speak to a manager. The manager was also unaware of the McGangbang. I hit the first problem with my order. I then proceeded to explain what was on it and pulled up a picture of a McGangbang on my phone. The cashier suddenly had a revelation and remembered seeing this on the internet. The manager was overseeing the whole situation, but she didn’t know how to enter it into the register. I suggested manually entering it into the register, but apparently this wasn’t an option. The manager asked if it would be okay if the cashier entered it as two separate menu items. I didn’t see a problem with this, however after the receipt was printed the McChicken came up as “plain” on the receipt. I didn’t see this as an issue for the assignment, but just to be sure, I made sure the manager was aware that it had to be the regular McChicken with the normal toppings. The manager went into the back to tell the crew to make sure the McChicken was normal and not “plain.” The small fries with no salt was not a problem. The cashier warned me that it would take a few extra minutes because they would have to make a new batch for me. Shortly after my order I received my food and took a picture of my McGangbang!

The communication between the employees was effective. There was only one cashier at the time because it was relatively slow. The cashier personally put the order of fries into the fryer herself because they had no salt. In this case, there wasn’t too much communication between the crew. Since McDonald’s has a closed kitchen, it was hard to observe what was going on in the back of the kitchen. There was effective communication between the manager and the cashier. They were conversing on how to enter the McGangbang into the register because it wasn’t an option to enter it into the register as one item. The manager took control and suggested entering the McGangbang into the register as two separate items. The communication between the cashier and the customer was rather ineffective. I don’t remember the cashier ever asking me, the customer, if I wanted the McChicken plain. However, the receipt listed the McChicken as plain. I then had to confirm with the manager that the McChicken had the normal toppings. As for suggestions, I would advise the cashier review the order with the customer. I know this was a relatively small order, however it can’t hurt. If the cashier would have reviewed the order and mentioned the word “plain” I would have corrected her before the order was put through the system.

The organization at the McDonald’s restaurant was lacking. When I was ordering my food, the manager seem rather flustered, along with the cashier, because no one had ever ordered the McGangbang. At first, they weren’t sure if they could make the McGangbang the way I wanted it. I wasn’t willing to take no for an answer. I was leaving with my McGangbang and small fries with no salt. They didn’t have a special option on the register so they had to enter it as two separate items. I understand that this wasn’t your typical order, but the manager could have handled the situation a little better. I would change the organizational structure by simply adding a special button on the register. At my old job, there was an “ask me” option where the crew would ask the cashier about the item. This was only used for special item orders, but it actually made the food preparation much more efficient. McDonald’s could also use an option to manually enter information in the register. In this case, the cashier would be able to enter my “McGangbang” on the receipt.

The manager of the McDonald’s displayed leadership. Once the cashier got confused with my order, the manager came over and asked me to clarify what exactly is a “McGangbang.” The manager also helped solved the predicament surrounding the issue of entering the McGangbang into the register. She was in charge of overseeing the order and making sure that it was prepared correctly. However, I don’t know if I can truly call this leadership. According to Kotter’s management grid, I think the manager displays more of the management role instead of leadership. The manager is in charge of producing results, not necessarily producing change. Next time, I would suggest the manager be more aware of the “secret menu.” It did not make the manager look good when you have your customer explain something to you at your own restaurant. Even if this may or may not ever happen again, it’s important for the manager to be prepared and handle the situation calmly and efficiently.

BLOG TOPIC #5 The ABCs of DISC

The Personal Profile System was an interesting way to measure the leadership/management behavior of each individual in class. I, myself, had never been exposed to these types of personality tests before, so it was interesting to see how it would turn out for me. While taking the diagnostic test I felt like my results were all over the place; I was trying to find a correlation with the letters which represented different characteristics of my personality. However, I wasn't able to find any relationship. Some characteristics were difficult to choose between because they were so similar.

My results we're in the high D and high C range, with the lowest results in I. This came a bit of a shock to me, because I don't tend to think of myself as such a dominant person. Some of the tendencies don't describe me at all. For example, some of the characteristics of a high D include "getting immediate results" and "making quick decisions." I am not the person to make quick decisions without weighing out the pros and cons, which is interesting because this characteristic is something that a person with a high D needs someone else to do. Also, I may or may not be one of the most indecisive people on this planet, so this characteristic of "making quick decisions" doesn't fall into my personality. That's actually something I would like to improve on, making a decision and sticking to it.

I do agree however with falling under the high C range because I do consider myself a conscientious person. Being an accounting major I am used to "attention to key directives and standards" and also "thinking analytically." "Emphasis is on working conscientiously with existing circumstances to ensure quality and accuracy," I feel like this statement describes me perfectly. I am not the type of person who likes change and I must make sure everything is as accurate and correct as possible. I would say the test got this result right. It almost seems like D and C are the opposite. This is interesting because how can one person be both?

After reading the interpretation sheet, I see myself falling more into the High C and High S category. Looking at the my results on the prior sheet, there wasn't much of a difference between the D and the S category. I see myself fitting into this category because this characteristic describes me, "performing in a consistent, predictable manner." I consider myself somewhat predictable, in a good way, and very consistent. I am not the person to make outlandish decisions. I consider myself to be a "good listener" and "desiring to help others." I take on more of a stable approach in life, nothing too exciting which would need me to make such spontaneous decisions which could impact the future. I am the type of person to weigh out my options and choose what's best based on my own expectations.

Can you become another type? This is interesting because as many people would say "your personality is your personality." I wouldn't try and change your personality, however as one matures I feel like their personality changes. As we get older, I think people are less likely to make those impulse decisions without weighing out their options. This also comes with experience; I feel that by observing others and their mistakes in management we can better ourselves and focus on the characteristics which matter the most.

I think this test is somewhat helpful in determining people's management "type," however I would leave room for self-interpretation. I, myself, am a perfect example. I didn't agree with the results from the personal profile system. I believe that observing an individual's management techniques is the best way to get a true feel for the individual's personality. Also you may be able to get a sense of the person's personality by just asking him/her a few questions.

I feel that a test like the personal profile system would be able to help you in few different ways. For example, if the person came up with results in the high I range, influence, you may think of this person as someone who is able to persuade people in decision making. On the other hand, if someone comes up with results in the high D range, you may want to keep an eye on that person that he/she doesn't make any detrimental decisions that could affect the company. Someone with a high S, should be put on a team because they are the people that show patience and work well with others.

Overall, this was a great experience. As I mentioned earlier, I have never been exposed to these types of personality tests before. It was interesting to see my results on how a test judges my personality and how I see myself. I feel these tests may be a good start to judging someone's personality, however I feel the best way to make conclusions about one's personality is to observe the person in a business-like setting. This test should not make or break someone's decision to hire a future employee.

Blog Topic #4 - VISION

Contrary to what other students may have thought about the video, yes it may have been corny at times and somewhat “brainwashing,” however, I thought the overall message was clear and it was a great film. I thought it was a great motivational tool. The narrator emphasized the importance of having vision, an idea of the future on an individual and communal basis. I thought it was interesting to see the correlation between students who have vision and their performance in school. Students with a vision tended to be more successful in the future, going to college, getting a job after they graduate etc. The video also spoke about vision in the workplace. Companies must have a strong vision on developing their business long term, which often requires planning and specific goal setting. I can relate the video to my own personal experience. I remember as far back as Elementary school we were asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” A baseball player! That was my dream, my vision, and at that time I willing to put in the effort by practicing and playing year-round. It may not have seemed imperative that we define a specific profession, but just the idea of having a vision helped us to develop into who we are.

“Vision without action is just a dream, Action without vision merely wastes time. Vision coupled with action can change the world!” If you think about it, this quote seems perfectly logical and easy to understand. It takes more then just vision to make something happen. As the quote says, “Vision without action is a just a dream,” the person must being willing to work for whatever he or she desires. It’s great to have a vision, but without taking the necessary steps to fulfill that vision, it is simply just a dream. One must take action towards achieving that goal. For example, I always wanted to be a starting pitcher in the MLB. This was my vision when I was younger. Obviously, it didn’t seem likely, considering the less then .01% who make it to the majors, but I was willing to work for it. I practiced every night and played baseball all through high school; I was taking the action necessary to fulfill my vision. The quote says, “Action without vision merely wastes time;” this part of the quote defines the importance of planning and goal setting. Knowing what you want to do from a young age can be difficult; however, it is essential to have some sort of direction. “Vision coupled with action can change the world,” this is a deadly combination, in a good way. The video tells the viewers that by having a vision and taking the action towards that vision can really make a difference in society.

MY VISION:
- Earning a Master’s Degree. I don’t know exactly know yet what I’m definitely going to study, but I know it will be in either tax or finance, possibly an MBA. I’m fortunate to have an internship which hopefully will offer me a full time position with the company once I graduate. If I was to join the company, they have a tuition assistance program which will help me pay for my schooling. Woo no student loans!

- Getting my CPA license. Ever since I was in high school, I knew this is what I wanted to do. Yes, it does sound lame, I will give you that. I’ve always been a numbers person and I’m not the best reader/writer, so this profession works for me! The necessary action I’m taking towards my vision includes, working at my internship, earning my bachelor’s degree in accounting, and going for my master’s degree.

- Owning my own place. Yes, moving out of my parents house! It seems kind of scary to think about it, I’ve been living there for the first 21 years of my life. I’m taking action by earning my degree, which will allow me to have a full-time job. That’s really what college is about right? With the money I earn from my job, I will be able to afford the daily expenses which come from owning your own house. Even though LI is quite expensive, I would like to continue living here under my own roof! I am taking the necessary action by going to school and earning a degree which will allow me to get a job once I graduate.

- Starting a Family. This is definitely too early to beginning thinking about, however it doesn’t hurt to have this vision in the back of your mind. I would like to have a family where I can watch my kids play sports and be a Dad. That is a scary thought. Haha. But, the time will eventually come and I’m looking forward to taking on that responsibility.

- Travelling the world. Okay, maybe not the entire world, but there are few places which I would like to see. I've never been out of the country and I would love to see what California looks like...I only get to see what they show me on TV. I work for a UK based company, maybe I will spend a few years after I graduate working over in Europe. That would be a blast!

I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make my vision a reality. I know there will be some tough obstacles in place, but I’m willing to work hard and achieve my goals. Confidence and Trust are two characters which are necessary to making your vision a reality.

I leave my fellow blog readers with this, go out and find your starfish. Never be afraid to take on an opportunity, which may benefit you in the future. With the right vision and the correct action towards achieving that goal, each one of us can make a difference, we can change the world.

Blog Topic #3

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions. I don't think anyone would have thought that the Professor would have given us options as to what to do with the first exam and the format to the second exam. There were only 2 requirements, there needed to be 100% agreement and the decision had to be made within the class time. From MGT 3120, we learned several ways people behave during decision making conflict: "Compete to Win," Avoidance, Compromise, Accommodation, and Collaboration. When the class was presented with this issue, I feel that it created tension amongst the group because everyone had their own self-interests. There was also a sense of excitement, the possibilities were endless, within reason.

I first started trying to compromise within the group, understanding everyone had their own self-interests. This was more important during the second-half of the decision concerning the format of the second exam. I feel one of my biggest contributions to the group was the decision to use the whiteboard to write down our options. I was one of the first people to realize that without writing down our options we wouldn't get very far. This gave the group a chance to visually see the ideas on the board and decide collectively which options they saw fit. Once the professor stepped away from the decision, everyone is equal in the class, therefore everyone deserves to have their voice heard.

As ideas started getting thrown up on the board, I took more of the accommodation approach. I wasn't 100% satisfied with the grade that I received, however it wasn't the worst case scenario. Once the professor showed us the curve he was going to use, I would have been satisfied with just that; anything over and above that was a bonus to me. I'm sure there were plenty of people who received a lower grade then I did, therefore this decision was much more important to them then it was to me. It's not that I was withdrawing from the decision, but I saw several people taking charge and I decided to let them come up with a solution. Looking back at it now, there was a certain risk involved with that decision. I was willing to trust my classmates because I knew that they would try and boost the grades as much as possible.

During the decision on the format of the second exam I saw the group taking more of a collaboration approach. There was bargaining and negotiation based primarily over the idea of the essay. Most of the class did not want an essay on the exam for one reason or another. I personally would have like the entire exam to be multiple choice, but that's just my opinion. There was this idea of an "extra credit essay," which I actually thought wasn't such a farfetched idea, however I don't think many people would have time to write it at the end of the exam. In the end, we left the decision up to the professor, which was the easiest solution if we wanted to achieve 100% agreement. I believe there was only one student who chose the avoidance approach, she decided to leave the class with or without the understanding that she wouldn't receive any of the benefits.

After knowing the patterns of communication, the reaction of classmates, and the results of decision making, I saw much room for improvement. There was major lack of communication within the group. At one point, it seemed whoever could yell the loudest would get to speak. I know for a fact that some people, like myself, who weren't going to yell over others and didn't get chance to present their ideas to the class. This is unfortunate because who knows if they had a better idea. I liked the idea that the professor had come up with, splitting us up into groups, however I don't know if this would have made the decision more difficult. Next time, I would like everyone to get the chance to speak to have their voice heard. Maybe it would be beneficial to create some sort of order to give the chance that everyone would be able to have their voice heard. Overall, I feel we did an "okay" job with the decision, I'm glad that we were able to achieve 100% agreement and I was happy with the options that were decided for the first exam, as well as the format for the second exam.

Decision Making Grade = B

Blog Topic #2: Planning

I felt our group did an “OK” job with the project, but there is much needed improvement in some areas. One of the greatest attributes of the group was the understanding of the goal and the task at hand. Our goal for the project was to develop an enclosure that would prevent the egg from cracking upon impact. We also understood the time constraints that we were faced with.

Our objective was to develop this structure with a limited amount of supplies. We had only 8 straws and 2 feet of tape, and of course the egg. Now came the strategy portion of the project. I personally feel this is what led to our group’s downfall and failure to meet our goal. During the 25 minutes of planning, there were so many ideas on how to develop this structure. Of course, we we’re trying to bounce ideas off each other, but I feel we spent too much time coming up with alternative ideas. There was no one idea that we could perfect.

At the end of the 25 minutes, we had agreed upon an idea we felt would be most sufficient. We hadn’t even gotten to the most difficult part of the project and I knew it wasn’t looking good from here. We had received the supplies from the professor and with only 10 minutes left to create the enclosure, it seemed as if our group completely ignored the previous ideas that we had come up with in the planning stage of the project. Now, don’t get me wrong, I was even feeling the pressure and I was only in charge of holding onto the egg. But, that’s beside the point; time management was a major issue within the group. I think the countdown on the projector led our group to panic and come up with an idea on the spot that we thought would work.

The egg did wind up cracking in the end. But, the effort was there! With the lack of planning and allotted time that we were given as a group I think we did the best we could. It was fun to see what the other groups had developed. I really liked the idea the one group had of attaching the tape to the egg to weaken the drop. If we had more time, our group had thought of filling the straws with water to lessen the impact. I would have liked to see if we would have been more successful that way.

Overall, this project was a great experience. Planning is by far one of the most important components to project management. Without a good plan, your project is sure to fail. One of the most important lessons I learned from this exercise was time management. Our group would have been much better off if we had a better understanding of how long the enclosure would take to complete. This would have prevented any panic from occurring and more of a focus on perfecting the egg structure, ultimately leading our group to a more successful outcome.