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Module 1 was an overview that challenged us to reflect on ourselves as managers or future managers. We discussed top managers, middle managers, first-line managers, and team leaders and the roles that they play in an organization. I have not yet become a manager, but some traits I think I possess that would make me a good manager are compassion, confidence, and the ability to take constructive criticism very well.

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We discussed upper management, middle management and lower management in this module and defined the important roles each of those managers play in an organization. We also established that managers need to have human skills, technical skills, and conceptual skills if they want to be successful. From my experience as an employee, I think human skills (or interpersonal skills) are the most important skills to have as a manager, especially a lower or middle level manager. Since upper management doesn't deal as directly with employees and makes a lot of the long term company decisions, I can understand how it would be extremely important for them to have conceptual and technical skills.

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Learn the traits every successful manager has

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Module 2 focused on Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility. These are 2 very important topics that managers and even employees of all levels need to understand. Business ethics include following laws and regulations as well as refraining from actions that aren't necessarily illegal but are unethical and will tarnish the reputation of the company.

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Module 3: Management Within a Global Organization

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Module 3: Management Within a Global Organization

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Module 3 covered management when it pertains to a global organization. I learned that international business can have a lot of positive aspects, but can also be very tricky. One downfall of international business is the task of navigating global trade policies. To do business on a global scale, you business needs to take other economies, trade agreements, and cultures into consideration.

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The biggest thing I learned in this module is that ethics aren't always directly related to laws. I just always assumed that business ethics was the same thing as lawful business practice, but that isn't always the case. Ethics are basically the beliefs and standards a company chooses to follow. It should absolutely include following business laws but many times it goes above and beyond that. Some examples could be making an effort to better their community with fundraisers or donate to climate change initiatives. Ethical intensity is another way to explain what a particular business holds as most important. Some companies may make a huge emphasis on diversity and inclusion, while another could be extremely environmentally focused.

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There are also positives associated with global business endeavors. One positive is lower labor costs. Another positive that we discussed was more access to materials and resources for a lower cost. Global organizations have the potential to set themselves up for a lot of success, as long as they know how to navigate the economical, political, and cultural differences of the other companies.

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Module 4 talked about planning and decision making within an organization. The biggest benefit I took away from planning was that planning allows a company to have a clear plan of action. If a company plans successfully, they should have no problem setting long-term goals and putting a clear plan in place to reach those goals. Having clear goals helps employees feel motivated and sets the performance standard for the company. At my current job, we set goals at the beginning of every year and do a mid-year review to discuss the progress of the goals. This helps me understand exactly what my company expects of me and gives the chance to ask questions or resolve problems that are hindering my progress.

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Decision making was also discussed in Module 4. The main steps we discussed in regards to decision making were determining the decision criteria, weighing the decision criteria, generating alternatives, and evaluating the alternatives. Understanding why the decision needs to be made and who the decision will affect will help managers make a more informed decision. Coming up with alternatives is very important to prevent a manager from making a hasty decision without really thinking through all of the options. We also discussed biases we all face. I am personally most prone to hindsight bias.

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Module 5: Organizational Structure and Processes

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Module 5: Organizational Structure and Processes

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This module taught us about organizational structures and processes. We discussed the four departmental structures which are: functional, product, customer, and geographic, or a matrix organizational structure. I work in healthcare, so I am most likely to come across customer based structures. This type of structure is able to cater to multiple types of customers and can separate different functions. In the example, it talks about how medical staff might report to a different manager than administrative staff since they perform different specialized work tasks.

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Module 5 also talked about team‑based structures, networks, and modular organizations. I personally really like the network structure because it focuses on distributing power and decision making to a large range of employees instead of only giving these privileges to upper managers. I believe that this is a great way to get varied opinions and allow for the most diverse perspective on any given issue.

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Human resources handles a large variety of things. These responsibilities include recruitment, orientation, training, performance evaluations, and employee termination. The first job I ever had was at a small, private company. They didn't have an official HR department and it showed. People were allowed to act inappropriately with no consequences and there was also no organized training or onboarding process. I now work for a large national company called Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics. Our company is extremely organized, and there are clear training materials, HR reporting processes, performance evaluations, etc. Having a good HR department makes such a difference in the employee experience.

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I think everyone has at least heard of HR or Human Resources. I personally have, but I didn't have an in-depth understanding of what they do. I remember in our class meeting, we debated whether HR was primarily in place to benefit the employee or to protect the company. I was surprised to hear that they are more focused on protecting the company. It does make sense now that I think about it, but I guess the name HUMAN resources always made me think they were humanitarians - haha.

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Module 7 explained that leadership and management go hand in hand, but are two separate things. This was interesting to me because I have always just grouped them together and used the words interchangeably. Leadership involves setting a path and inspiring others to follow it, while management focuses on efficiently handling the numerous intricate aspects of a business's activities. Leaders aim to instigate change and question the current norms, whereas managers aim to regulate and maintain stability within the present situation.

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Module 8: Controlling Performance and Operations

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Module 8: Controlling Performance and Operations

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In Module 8, we learned how managers properly handle and solve problems that arise within the workplace. First, you must identify the problem without focusing on just the symptoms of the problem. Next, you must decide on how to best solve the problem. Then you must quickly and efficiently solve the problem. Finally, you should schedule an analysis of the effectiveness of your solution.

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In Module 8 we also learned how to be an effective project manager. We learned different tools to gauge the effectiveness of the project such as the Gantt Charts as well as the Critical Path Methods. Both of these help a manager figure out what they did well and what they need to work on for the future. We also learned about auditing ourselves as a project manager. When you look at successful project managers, they are frequently auditing themselves and figuring out what changes need to be made in order to improve.

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Module 7 also covered motivation. There are two main types of motivation - intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation comes from factors inside an individual. This could be beliefs they have, things they naturally enjoy, social status, or pride. Extrinsic motivation comes from external factors like praise from others, bonuses, or raises. Almost everyone is motivated by some combination of the two - not one or the other.