Think You Can...

When you think you’re beaten, you are.
When you think you dare not, you don’t.
When you’d like to win, but think you can’t
It is a sure thing that you won’t.

When you think that you’ll lose, you’ve lost;
For out in the world you will find
Success begins with a ones will –
It’s all in the state of mind.

When you think you’re outclassed, you are.
You have got to think BIG to rise;
You have to FEEL sure of yourself
Before you can win a great prize.

Life’s battle does not always go
To the stronger or faster;
But sooner or later the one who wins
Is the one who THINKS he can.

Communicating via Blog

I think the blog has been a great communication tool for this class. I liked that we can communicate outside the classroom in a relaxed setting. It encourages social interaction between students in the class who otherwise would've never known or spoken to each other. It's definitely easier to approach someone in person the next day after you briefly introduced yourself to him/her on their blog. Students can learn about each others thoughts and lives through their blogs and relate to each other more closely that if their contact was limited to the classroom. Also I think it's very interesting to read about other people's thoughts and perspectives on different things. It's quite surprising to find that sometimes other people think so differently from you.

Asides from that I think it's a great way to improve my writing skills. Sometimes I liked to free write here for a few minutes without publishing it. Blogging forces me to think and reflect in order to write, so that what was just an idea in my mind becomes more concrete. It's definitely useful before starting a paper to get rid of the writers block. Of course it also lets me to reflect on the activities we did in class and what I learned from them.

It's a worthwhile component not just specifically for this class but for any other class as well. I highly recommend it.

The ABCs of DISC

I got a C-s for the diagnostic test that was conducted in class. I think it's pretty accurate in determining my management "type". "C" in the profile system emphasize on working conscientiously within existing circumstances to ensure quality and accuracy. I think it describes me very well. I'm really not a risk taker and I like to work in a environment with clearly defined performance expectations. Also I like it when I have the control over a work process and have the opportunity to improve it. I'm definitely very diplomatic with people. It's hard for me to be authoritative in a group setting. The "s" in my result represents my tendency to cooperate with others to carry out a certain task. This also describes me very well. I'm a very patient person and always try to help out those in need. Among my group of friends, I'm also a very good listener.

Sometimes I do wish I'm a "D" type. Those people shape the environment by overcoming opposition to accomplish results and most leaders falls under this category. I think "D" type people are the ones who brings about immediate change and have this influence over others. They are the hero during a crisis mode where a critical decision needs to be made. I'm not sure people can easily switch between different management types. It's not impossible but it will definitely take a long time for the change to take place. For instance, I'm working on being more authoritative during situations where clear instructions needs to be laid out and personally managing and solving problems. I think it's important to work on the weak areas so to become a great leader.

DISC profile is a very useful tool to determine people's management type so that companies can use it to realize their people's full potential. For example, if you have a "I" type person working for you then in order for this person to be more effective, he/she needs objectivity in decision-making and more appraisals of other. As a company you should provide this person with a environment that includes popularity, social recognition and freedom of expression. It would also explain why in personal interactions, some people won't get along no matter what. Probably a "D" person would not get along with a "C" person. Definitely something to consider.

Made for You?

I learned about McDonald's Made for You in my operation management class. The procedure, which McDonald's calls "Made for You," does away with its 43-year-old process of making sandwiches by the batch ahead of time and putting them in warming bins. Bigari's crews don't start filling an order until it's placed. "Made for You" also does away with McDonald's practice of discouraging special orders, lest they disrupt its fine-tuned assembly. If that's the case then my experience with placing a special order certainly was a huge disappointment.

So it was 2pm on Saturday when I arrived at McDonald's. It was packed with people and there were four people in line before me waiting to be serviced. It took approximately six minutes before they get to me. I noticed there were in total five staff working at the time. Two people works in the back responsible for food preparation while three people in the front taking orders for their own lines (there were three cash registers). Staff who takes orders also gives a hand to the kitchen crew to speed up the process when there are no one waiting on his/her line. When it was my turn to place the order, I told the person exactly what I want that is "1 small hamburger with 4 pickles and 1 small french fries well done with no salt". After that I requested that the exact order to be reflected on the receipt. However, the guy didn't get any of what I said because he was stuck on the four pickles part of my order. He had no idea how to register that kind of input so another staff came over and tried to help him but she had no idea as well. So she suggested that she will take my order again and correct the mistakes herself after the receipt is printed. As I was waiting for my order, a lady on the line next to me was requesting a special order for her son. I didn't quite remember what exactly was her requests but all I remember was the staff struggling with the order repeating the woman's order several times to make sure it was right.

When my order is done, the staff handed me the order as well as the receipt with corrections she made herself. However, when I open the bag to make sure everythings right. I noticed instantly there was something extra that I did not order in my bag. In the midst of trying to fulfill everyones order as fast as possible, the person who took my order accidentally included a part of someone else's order into mine and charged me for it. I know this because the customer next to me was asking for her McNuggets when it's in my bag. I paid for my order with my card so I didn't notice this mistake right away. On top of this, there are only two pickles on my hamburger when I specifically asked for four. The only part they got it right was the fries. I went back and told the person who took my order exactly what was wrong. She apologized right away to me and the other customer who's order ended up in my bag. Then she took the McNuggets from my bag and gave it to the other customer. In order to solve the problems with my order, she asked the kitchen to redo my hamburger this time with exactly four pickles and crossed out the extra McNuggets charge on my receipt as she return the extra dollar. As she handed my order the second time, she apologized several times for the mistakes.

I think the problem here with this management process is the inflexibility of the order taking process. This limits or discourage special orders which completely defeats the purpose of having a procedure called "Made for You". If the system does have inputs to accommodate special orders then that only goes to show that the employees are not well aware of it. If the staff who took my order are knowledgable in this area then the kitchen crew will get the exact order as I requested it and prepare it. Everyone should be prepared for special orders especially during rush hours. However I noticed that fast food restaurants are more willing to do special orders during off peak hours because everyone have more time on their hands. They focused too much on the speed that they sacrificed quality in the process.

As for the experience, I'm really not loving it.

My Life, My Vision

After watching The Power of Vision video in class, I learned how a positive vision can make a big difference. Vision is the result of dreams in action and a profound positive vision of the future leads us to success. For instance, psychologist Victor Franklin realized that all of those prisoners who survived the concentration camp had something in common; they had something they want to accomplish in the future. Vision can empower us to live and survive because it gives meaning to life. So I would like to share some of my visions for the future:

1) Gain the knowledge and skills to become a successful HR specialist in organizational development.
2) Give my parents what they always wanted (a spacious loft condominium)
3) To be firm and say no to people when situation asks for it.

My first vision would be to become a HR specialist either in recruiting or training and development. My short term goal is to get at least two internship in HR so I can explore the area even further. I was able to work as a HR intern last summer at a publishing firm and I learned a lot from that experience. All processes and projects I was involved in definitely will give me the advantage I need in the future when I apply for full time positions. I'm looking forward to improving my conceptual and technical skills as I take on another internship this summer. Asides from the hands on experience, I read a lot of books on organizational development to supplement the management classes I'm currently taking. For example, a great read for HR would be The Human Side of Enterprise by Douglas McGregor. It's a very entertaining read as the author talks about the ways in which managers can help employees reach their full potential by treating them as responsible, creative, motivated human beings. His theories and assumptions in the workplace focuses on the most valuable side of an enterprise-the human side. I also recommend The Goal by Goldratt which focuses more on operations management but nonetheless definitely improved my understanding of the processes involved with productions and operations management.

Another vision would be to buy the newly renovated loft condominium in Bayridge near the water with a great view of the city. My parents had their eyes on that condominium for awhile but they couldn't afford it right now because of all the bills and expenses they have to be responsible for. So my thought is that after I graduate and landed a full time position then I can help them with those expenses and at the same time save up for the condo. I'm not sure how long it will take but I know a good paying job will definitely get me there.

Lastly, I want to be able to say no to people. Some of you who doesn't have this problem would probably think this is a weird vision to have. One of my biggest problem is not being able to stand my ground and say to another person that they are wrong. I tried too hard to have everyone like me that sometimes I go along to what they're saying because I know disagreeing with them might make them dislike me. This can become a big problem because I lose myself and my beliefs in the process. Once someone said to me "Don't care about what others think of you. As long as you know what you want to accomplish, go for it. To be a effective leader you can't always have everyone as your friend." I think that person is right. Sometimes it's almost unavoidable to be disliked by some people but it's worth it because we're getting things done.

The Mess We Called Decision Making

The activity that took place on Monday was actually my first time engaging in a decision making process with a classroom of that many people. It was a whole new experience for me. My first thought was that we will never reach a agreement because everyone is pursuing their own interests and there were too many possibilities since the professor didn't specifically establish any restrictions. The goal differences among the group and the fact that we are doing this under time constraint definitely made the whole process difficult.

In my opinion I think the leader did a excellent job at facilitating the whole process because otherwise we probably wouldn't have reached a conclusion in a timely manner. As far as the leader and group interaction goes, she defined the problem and highlighted alternatives as suggested from the group while she had very low influence in considering the alternatives and in making the decision. Even though her opinions weren't involved in the process, she was able to come up with a system to help the group to reach a decision that everyone agreed on. For instance, she erased any suggestions that was rejected by at least one person in the group. So at the end, we were able to arrive with a conclusion that satisfies everyone.

In the beginning of the activity, I was using more of the avoidance approach in the decision making process. I had a feeling that there was almost no chance that we will all agree on something by the end of the class. Everyone was talking to the person sitting next to them while the clock was ticking. However, when someone stepped up to be the leader I changed my approach to accommodation. It was hard to make a decision since all the suggestions that was written on the board was tempting. I didn't raise my hand to eliminate any of the alternatives because I felt like some people needed this more than me and no matter which solution we ended up with, it will be better than getting nothing at all.

If we can do it over again, then I think a collaborating approach would have been more effective. When everyone form small groups, everyone's voice will be heard and the group can then compromise and come up with the best solution. Each individual group will then tell their decision to the group leader. As all the possibilities are laid out, the whole class can take a vote and pick the optimal solution.

Planning For Productivity

As an HR intern last summer, part of my job was to cover for the front desk and run the company's switchboard every Friday. It was probably one of the most challenging responsibilities due to the fact that the front desk clerk act as the gatekeeper or filter for the entire company. I'm not only accountable for outside visitors coming into the company as well the needs of the stakeholders within the company. Here's a list of duties the switchboard/front desk clerk are responsible for:

1) Greet and announce all visitors, answer the telephone and record the names of all who enter.
2) Receive and sign for all incoming packages and notify the department for pickup.
3) Greet delivery person and contact the person responsible for outgoing packages.
4) Log all incoming/outgoing delivery activities.
5) Switchboard duties include directing incoming calls to the correct department.
6) Take room reservations for staff meetings and post notifications on reserved rooms.

They are very simple tasks if you consider them individually but it can definitely become overwhelming if you imagine them happening simultaneously nonstop and there's only one of me. My first shift working at the front desk was frustrating. I tried my best to finish everything in a timely manner but the work just keeps piling up. Especially between 9am to 11am, when the phone won't stop ringing (usually I have five or six people on hold) including calls from staff to check room availability and to make reservations, at least five people standing waiting to be serviced (people here for interview, delivery person for pickup or drop off, people here to visit a friend that works at the company etc.). By then I was pretty much panicking. I don't know who I should service first so I decided to help the person who arrived first-First In First Out rule. It didn't really work out because the other people waiting on line started to get impatient and told me they have a very busy schedule and they can no longer wait. For instance, one of the UPS guy demanded I sign for his delivery first because he have other deliveries to make and he's already running late even though there are two people in front of him. In the midst of all of this, I completely forgot the people who were put on hold on the switchboard. Then sure and behold, people started calling my supervisor's extension telling her how that no one's picking up at the front desk. So my supervisor came out of her office to check on me and noticed that there's a mob of angry people around my desk. With her help I was able to clear the line and service the people on hold. After the crowd left, she told me that I need to figure out a system that will help me manage my time more efficiently and help me increase my productivity. I asked her to tell me what the system is but she told me it doesn't work that way because everyone have their own system that works especially for them. The only she advised me to do is to plan my system based on two goals: efficiency and effectiveness. Basically I should ask myself the question "how can I be more productive?”

When I come home that day, I came up with a plan. At that point I already know what my goal is but I still need to come up with objectives to reach my goals. So in order to become more effective and efficient at my work, my only alternative is to prioritize all the demands being placed on me. It's not realistically possible to service everyone all at once but it's possible to figure out the average service times for each task and which tasks are more important than others that need immediate attention. As a result, I came up with a diagram with four boxes. Each box represents a different category of tasks. The categories are most important & most time-consuming, less important & most time-consuming, most important & less time-consuming and less important & less time-consuming. I should always do the tasks grouped in the most important & less time-consuming category first because if it takes less time to finish them then I will have more time left to work with tasks that require more time but are just as important as well. For instance, the switchboard would be in included in the most important & less time consuming category because it takes less than two minutes to transfer a call. After I divided all the tasks into their appropriate category, I made a note to myself to work with them in the following order:

1) Most important & less time-consuming tasks
2) Most important & most time-consuming tasks
3) Less important & less time-consuming tasks
4) Less important & most time-consuming tasks

The second week working at the front desk, I tested out my system and it worked out great! I was able to save so much time and as a result get more things done. I can measure how my plan turned out just by checking how many people are in queue on the phone or on the line in the office. After I implemented my plan there are only one or two people waiting to be serviced during the usual rush hour (9-11am) and practically none the other times. I'm definitely being more productive!