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                                Module 8

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                                Module 8

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This analysis can be applied anywhere in life, not just your business. It can help you identify if you are wasting your funds on something that brings nothing to the table.

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                                 Module 8

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                                 Module 8

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Many problems arise in the workforce, and managers need to solve them before upper management gets wind of the issue.

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One of a manager's most important responsibilities is to solve problems. Finding the answers to difficult questions that are sometimes a source of great perplexity and distress for the organization often falls to an organization's leaders.

Here's the deal:

A company's success depends on managerial problem-solvers. Issues arrive in all sizes, ranging from daily nuisances to organizational crises.

Managers who have the ability to systematically think through the facts, diagnose the situation, and find an accurate and workable solution will help the business thrive and prosper.

Effective problem-solvers are able to guide teams towards the achievement of goals by eliminating frustration, confusion, and misunderstandings before they become unmanageable.

They build cooperation and collaboration between individuals, eliminate the need for rework, and foster continuous improvement.

The best managers can often sense problems with keen insight.

They may notice a deviation from standard team performance, such as a missed deadline or an unmet sales goal-and when the team's plans go off the rails, these managers automatically begin the problem-solving process.

Fortunately, all managers can learn to solve problems more effectively by using this four-step process:

1. Identify and Define the Problem

Alert managers constantly watch for signals, symptoms, and signs that problems may exist. Once they see a potential issue, they think through whether this is a problem they can solve and whether it will make a critical impact on the team or organization.

Once the problem has been defined as a priority, they create a clear, quantitative problem statement and describe the situation in specific, objective terms without making assumptions or jumping to conclusions.

2. Analyze the Problem

The best problem-solvers analyze patterns and ask questions about what, who, when, where, and how much the problem has affected the business.

They are able to isolate and define the root cause of the issue so that once it's been resolved, it's unlikely to recur.

3. Develop Solutions

While problems sometimes come with easy answers, managerial problem-solving cannot be impulsive, risking the mistake of making snap decisions.

Instead, they use techniques like brainstorming ideas, creating prioritized lists, and evaluating the time, cost, and technology involved to assess the situation and design a long-term solution.

4. Plan and Act

Once the best solution has been identified, a good manager develops a solid implementation plan. This plan should include steps that will be taken to move forward, as well as contingency plans that will help the manager handle potential roadblocks.

He or she must also secure the commitment of others, mobilize them to act, and hold them accountable for their responsibilities.

The managerial problem-solving process is a never-ending cycle of planning, doing, checking, and acting, while also monitoring the situation and the outcomes. As needed, managers make adjustments to their plans so that the team can continue to move towards the solution that will lead them to better business results.

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Managers Must Be Effective Problem-Solvers

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One of a manager's most important responsibilities is to solve problems. Finding the answers to difficult questions that are sometimes a source of great perplexity and distress for the organization often falls to an organization's leaders. Here's the deal: A company's success depends on managerial problem-solvers.

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The equity theory caught my attention because it is often addressed when someone is laid off from a company they worked at for years and the individual feels betrayed.

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Extrinsic motivation is the type I receive every month from work. I receive a commission for every appointment I set up, which motivates me to pick up the phone every time it rings.

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                                       Module 6

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                                       Module 6

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Human Resources is still a part of the company and are still their employees.

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Like any other career, there are some pros and cons of working in Human Resources (HR). When I ask folks why they want to work in HR, the number one reason is that they want to help others. The craziest response was that they want to "know the tea", aka the gossip and deep secrets.

While knowing what it is that we want to do, we have to remember that there are going to be times that you may be a part of things that you don't want to do, that you don't agree with, or that you simply don't like. There are tons of pros and cons to working in Human Resources.

If you want to work in Human Resources for the tea, I promise you, this ain't it!
The pros of working in Human Resources
After working in Human Resources for over 10 years, having a master's degree in Human Resources, and having the highest level SHRM certification, SHRM-SCP, it's obvious that I've found TONS of pros of working in Human Resources.

Some of my TOP pros are:

Helping others

Long-term career growth

Having profound impact

Being the middle person between the employEE & employER

Every time you're an advocate for a candidate, current employee, past employee, or people manager, then you've helped others. Helping others truly becomes nearly an everyday part of your career as a Human Resources professional. The urge to help even more people motivated me to create my YouTube Channel, Heyyy HR.

As time passes, especially since COVID-19, new and an increasing volume of Human Resources (HR) positions are emerging. This opens a lot more career growth for Human Resources professionals than what existed prior to COVID-19. The range of Human Resources positions that are now available are discussed here in "Easiest Way to Start Your HR Career". There are many ways to grow your Human Resources career and I discussed them in "Human Resources Career Ladder/Growing Your Career" on my YouTube Channel, Heyyy HR.

As more companies realize Human Resources is a strategic partner in the business, HR is open to being more creative and proactive using various Human Resource tactics. As a result, Human Resources now has a great impact on the organization that seems to grow more and more.

Sometimes, you can hardly get the employ EE and the employ ER to agree. Naturally, there will be times when an employee simply doesn't agree with the company's policies or their manager's management style. In those instances, it seems that a tyird-party or neutral person can come in handy. Human Resources professionals are just that. Being the middle person between the employ EE and the employ ER can be very rewarding, particularly when you're able to create a resolution that both parties are happy with.
The CONS of working in Human Resources
Regardless of how excited we get about starting our Human Resources career, and getting that burst of energy when we get the job offer, we must remember that there simply will be times when we just don't like our jobs. There may be parts of our job as HR professionals that annoy us.

Below are some CONS of the Human Resources career:

Sometimes it's difficult helping others

Business strategies that include terminations & reduction in force (RIFs)

Companies that don't think of Human Resources as a strategic partner for the business

Unpredictable workloads/Difficulty in sticking to your plan of action

People not understanding that Human Resources (HR) is a neutral party in the organization

Many times you want to help an employee, but they may have a difficult time understanding the business justification for not granting their wishes or an alternative plan to get to their resolution. On the other side, you may have a new manager that is completely excited to jump into their management plan but does not realize how this may negatively impact the business or employees. Those are the most common instances where it becomes difficult to help others.

For nearly 10 years I've either been a part of or led in terminations. In most instances, employees should be made aware of their actions that may result in termination. In those instances, I don't find it as hard to process terminations. In instances where the company needs an immediate reduction in force (aka layoff), then it becomes very difficult. In those instances, employees are not expecting the termination. In other instances, employers are not generous in their separation agreements which can present a huge hurdle for employees. That makes it difficult to continue in your career as a Human Resources professional.

Typically, smaller companies operate for many years without a dedicated HR professional or HR department. Over time, small things like recruiting or unemployment claims become the issues that make them incorporate HR. As a result, they do not understand the value of HR and that can be draining to seasoned HR professionals.

Many days you may create a plan, but other emergencies are presented during the launch of your plan that need immediate attention. As a result, you are forced to de-prioritize your plan. If you prefer sticking to a plan or prefer to be organized and proactive, then this can be a heavy load for an HR professional.

Many times people think that Human Resources' entire job is to "hire and fire" employees. It is not until they are an employee or people manager who needs Human Resource's guidance to complete their goal, that they realize that HR is a neutral party in the organization.

These are very small parts that impact the PROS and CONS of being a Human Resources professional or working in HR. Please tell me some things that you realize you LOVE (PROS) or HATE (CONS) about being an HR professional or from working with HR.
You May Also Like...

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9 PROS & CONS of Working in Human Resources

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Like any other career, there are some pros and cons of working in Human Resources (HR). When I ask folks why they want to work in HR

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                                                       Module 6

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                                                       Module 6

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People working in human resources must be patient and professional at all times. They set examples to other employees on how to behave at work.

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https://www.indeed.com/hire/c/info/flat-vs-hierarchical-pros-and-cons-for-your-organization

The way a business is organized can be its strength or weakness. More decision-making power given to employees can create a faster product turnover and higher morale.

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Your Ray ID for this request is 8e69103d8fe97c84

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                                       Module 5

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                                       Module 5

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FWA otherwise known as flexible work arrangements is a very interesting idea. After all when company moral is up production and customer satisfaction are also high.

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                                          Module 4

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                                          Module 4

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Swot analysis is something all companies have to do for not just themselves but running one on a competitor to see what their weaknesses are and how to do what they can't

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                                          Module 4

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                                          Module 4

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An Introduction to Prospect Theory is an indepth article on how humans make dicision. Understanding how humans think can help in making cutting edge business dicisions.

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An Introduction to Prospect Theory on JSTOR

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Jack S. Levy, An Introduction to Prospect Theory, Political Psychology, Vol. 13, No. 2, Special Issue: Prospect Theory and Political Psychology (Jun., 1992), pp. 171-186

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Globalization is the next step in spreading products to the masses.

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Image

Photograph by Bloomberg

Globalization is a term used to describe how trade and technology have made the world into a more connected and interdependent place. Globalization also captures in its scope the economic and social changes that have come about as a result. It may be pictured as the threads of an immense spider web formed over millennia, with the number and reach of these threads increasing over time. People, money, material goods, ideas, and even disease and devastation have traveled these silken strands, and have done so in greater numbers and with greater speed than ever in the present age.

When did globalization begin? The Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes across China, Central Asia, and the Mediterranean used between 50 B.C.E. and 250 C.E., is perhaps the most well-known early example of exchanging ideas, products, and customs. As with future globalizing booms, new technologies played a key role in the Silk Road trade. Advances in metallurgy led to the creation of coins; advances in transportation led to the building of roads connecting the major empires of the day; and increased agricultural production meant more food could be trafficked between locales. Along with Chinese silk, Roman glass, and Arabian spices, ideas such as Buddhist beliefs and the secrets of paper-making also spread via these tendrils of trade.

Unquestionably, these types of exchanges were accelerated in the Age of Exploration, when European explorers seeking new sea routes to the spices and silks of Asia bumped into the Americas instead. Again, technology played an important role in the maritime trade routes that flourished between old and newly discovered continents. New ship designs and the creation of the magnetic compass were key to the explorers' successes. Trade and idea exchange now extended to a previously unconnected part of the world, where ships carrying plants, animals, and Spanish silver between the Old World and the New also carried Christian missionaries.

The web of globalization continued to spin out through the Age of Revolution, when ideas about liberty, equality, and fraternity spread like fire from America to France to Latin America and beyond. It rode the waves of industrialization, colonization, and war through the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries, powered by the invention of factories, railways, steamboats, cars, and planes.

With the Information Age, globalization went into overdrive. Advances in computer and communications technology launched a new global era and redefined what it meant to be "connected." Modern communications satellites meant the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo could be watched in the United States for the first time. The World Wide Web and the Internet allowed someone in Germany to read about a breaking news story in Bolivia in real time. Someone wishing to travel from Boston, Massachusetts, to London, England, could do so in hours rather than the week or more it would have taken a hundred years ago. This digital revolution massively impacted economies across the world as well: they became more information-based and more interdependent. In the modern era, economic success or failure at one focal point of the global web can be felt in every major world economy.

The benefits and disadvantages of globalization are the subject of ongoing debate. The downside to globalization can be seen in the increased risk for the transmission of diseases like ebola or severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), or in the kind of environmental harm that scientist Paul R. Furumo has studied in microcosm in palm oil plantations in the tropics. Globalization has of course led to great good, too. Richer nations now can-and do-come to the aid of poorer nations in crisis. Increasing diversity in many countries has meant more opportunity to learn about and celebrate other cultures. The sense that there is a global village, a worldwide "us," has emerged.

Media Credits

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Director

Tyson Brown, National Geographic Society

Author

National Geographic Society

Production Managers

Gina Borgia, National Geographic Society

Jeanna Sullivan, National Geographic Society

Program Specialists

Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society, National Geographic Society

Margot Willis, National Geographic Society

Specialist, Content Production

Producer

André Gabrielli, National Geographic Society

other

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Globalization is a term used to describe the increasing connectedness and interdependence of world cultures and economies.

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This image depicts countries around the globe connected through globalization.

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                                        Module 2

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                                        Module 2

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To me, cultural diversity is a little more specific than diversity. Not only does it mean different, but different backgrounds, religions, and ways of life.

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This image stuck out to me while going over the diversity module. It reminds me of my workplace where I see more women in the field of automotive.

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Reading about a middle manager has made clear how many responsibilities they have.

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You're taking your company in a radical new direction, lining up managers essential to transform your vision into reality. You want your most entrepreneurial, productive, and flexible performers.

So whom should you call on? Surprisingly, your middle managers!

The phrase "middle managers" may evoke images of mediocre, unimaginative types who stonewall every new idea. But recent research reveals that these leaders-two levels below CEO and one level above line workers-actually constitute your most effective allies during major change. They know how to get things done, communicate calmly, and delicately balance change with continuity.

Maligning middle managers puts your toughest transformation efforts at risk; enlisting them virtually guarantees success.

The Idea in Practice

Here's what effective middle managers look like in action:

Identifying Effective Middle Managers

To spot your most effective middle managers, look for:

Early volunteers eager to participate in change initiatives.

Positive critics who can spot an initiative's potential problems and suggest solutions.

People whom others seek out informally for advice and help.

Versatile individuals who have previously adapted to major change.

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For years, middle managers have gotten a bad rap as inflexible, unimaginative bureaucrats. But a new study shows that when it comes to implementing radical change, middle managers are your best bet for success.

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Vertical Management

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-vertical-organizational-design-19024.html

After reading a little about vertical management, I wanted to know its benefits and disadvantages.

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Organizational structure plays a critical role for both a company and its employees. Many factors influence how a business develops and the style and culture ultimately implemented by management. The product, scope and nature of the business play important roles, and the business's organizational structure can make the difference between success and failure. Many organizations choose to implement the vertical organizational design model, and this type of business structure offers advantages and disadvantages to the organization.

Vertical vs. Horizontal Structure

The vertical, tall or centralized design implements an organizational hierarchy with strong management and subordinate employees. Employees and management recognize the chain of command and reporting relationships within the company. Centralized management with a CEO at the top holds the position of power and delegates authority to lower-level managers who in turn manage employees through clear lines of authority. Horizontal or decentralized structure means an organization has few or no layers between managers and staff. In a flat structure, there exists almost no middle management, and high-level managers handle everyday tasks and interact directly with customers and staff.

Advantages

Vertically structured companies have uniform standards and excel at designating tasks to employees or departments. Generally, managers have an easier time managing vertical organizations. The staff in a vertical organization has well-defined roles and responsibilities. This centralized model encourages efficiency, promotes collaboration and provides opportunities for further development of professional expertise and a path for growth within the organization. However, horizontally structured companies tend to have better employee morale because employees have more decision-making authority. Additionally, running a horizontal company generally costs less because managers cost more than regular employees.

Disadvantages

The vertical model requires considerable effort to maintain the power and balance. Therefore, this organizational structure rarely works without strong leadership at the top. Further, departments in vertical organizations often develop a narrow view of the organization and consider singular goals of the department more important than the company's goals. Additionally, vertical companies lack the transparency of a horizontal company with many levels of management. On the other hand, organizations typically find the horizontal structure much harder to implement, especially as the business grows. Employees in horizontal organizations can become less sure about individual and group responsibilities, and project managers can become frustrated by their lack of authority.

Significance

Many new companies opt for a horizontal structure, especially if the company has a limited number of employees. In horizontal organizations, the management style remains less formal without the middle management layer. Although small businesses commonly start off with a horizontal structure, as a business grows it often implements more of a vertical structure to compete in the global market. Ideally, a business should have neither a strictly horizontal nor vertical structure but a combination of the two.

References

"Organizational Design"; Richard M. Burton, Gerardine DeSanctis and Børge Obel; 2006

"Organization Theory and Design"; Richard L. Daft; 2009

Photo Credits

Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

About the Author

Brian Bass has written about accountancy-related topics and accounting trends for "Account Today." He works as a senior auditor specializing in manufacturing and financial services companies for one of the Big 5 accounting firms. Bass hold a master's degree in accounting from the University of Utah.

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Advantages & Disadvantages of Vertical Organizational Design

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Advantages & Disadvantages of Vertical Organizational Design. Organizational structure plays a critical role for both a company and its employees. Many factors influence how a business develops and the style and culture ultimately implemented by management. The product, scope and nature of the business play ...