Brittany McKinlay

September 24, 2007

Reading responses

 

·         I completely agree with Mingyou Bao when he says that globalization should be controlled like a screen over a window.   While globalization is a good thing left to develop on it’s own without guidance or limits it could end up causing more harm than progress.  A perfect example of what we must be careful of was given by Yanina Budkin when she referenced what happened to Argentina in 2002.  While globalization can cause economies to soar it can also turn around and just as abruptly leave a country in distress and chaos.  If this kind of disastrous turnaround were experienced in several countries at once, which could be a very real possibility in an unsupervised globalization, it could end up setting the world economy back not forward.

·         Reading the article on “Hit Men” was scary.  It seemed like it should have been in the Barnes and Noble’s fiction section next to 1984 and all the other Big Brother type stories.  The image of the octopus reaching out with its tentacles grasping for the world and its resources is now stuck in my mind.  After reading this I find myself thinking twice about globalization.  Not that it is itself bad, but it inadvertently further promote the success of these industries and their hit men.  I had no idea just how strongly government and corporations were tied together or of the drastic measures taken to achieve their goals.  The fact that they have “jackals” to assassinate those that resist is scary enough, but to know that if they fail there is further action to still be taken is enough to keep you up at night.

·         I found it interesting reading Globalization.  I never thought about the unsaid significance in the video released from Bin Laden after 9/11.  I wonder if Bin Laden ever thought about how the very thing he was denouncing was the thing that allowed him to broadcast his message to millions around the globe.  I could understand the symbolism of almost everything he wore except the watch.  I almost wonder if it was something he forgot to take off before filming.  Everything, the gun, the Arab clothing, the military fatigues, stood for something to help make his point, but the watch seemed to conflict with his message of a pure Islam.

 

Brittany McKinlay

10/8/07

Responses

#1           I agree with Felder when he says that the American job market is changing.  The hypothetical interview was a perfect example.   When I went on my first job interview one of the first questions I was asked was whether or not I spoke foreign languages.  In the developing job market more skills and flexibility are required to get that dream job now than 10 years ago.

 

#2           I agreed with  when they talk about shared leadership.  The old saying two heads are better than one has always been true, I’m just surprised it took this long for industry leaders to apply it to their management structures.  Whenever I’m in group I like to have a like to a leader  for delegation and organization, but I like all decisions and input to be made as a group.

 

#3           I really agree with A.G. Lafley when he talks about not being an e-mail person.  When I was doing my first internship I hated e-mail.  Any time I needed something and it was possible to meet face to face with the person I needed I went to them.  You can get so much more accomplished in a shorter time, plus you’re creating a connection.   With the leadership models changing communication is key to surviving in the new job markets.

 

Brittany Mckinlay

10/15/07

3 Responses

 

1. One point that I found during the reading of chapter 5 that stood out to me is the point about trust and how important it is. We mentioned in class the idea that once trust is lost it can never be recovered 100% fully.  I believe that this point extends beyond the workplace. This is one of those things that no matter how much a culture changes will remain intact. I have been at both ends of the argument here both causing someone to loose trust in me and no longer trusting someone. In both cases nothing every completely healed to 100%. Even if it got to about 99.99% healed, the lingering thought of one action that caused mistrust is still there and it’s that lingering thought that will drive many people decisions. The “what if” and “maybe” get boosted high in the sky with just a little mistrust. I find it is something rooted deeply in the mind that no matter what is done cannot be forgotten.

 

2. “It wasn’t just titles that were important to them anymore. Participating in the outing changed how the individuals respected each other and how they behaved with eachother”. This is a quote taken from chapter five regarding the trip to a swamp that one leader planed for a couple teams of associates. I think that every company should institute a similar program in order to build a team like mentality. The best teams are those in which you feel like you have some sort of connection with the members.  Conflict will always arise but when you have a good team of people working for the “greater good” any conflict encountered is used as fuel for growth. Conflict is what drives progression in the relationship aspect of teams as well as the physical progress of projects.

 

3. I agree with the book in that a cooperative leadership has its advantages I am a firm believer that having a guiding hand during the experience will only further help. I suppose this could be in the form of a manger or overall leader but sometimes these groups just get nothing accomplished as they are too busy discussing ideas.  A true leader must be able to realize when two heads are better than one.  Those who think they can do it best all by themselves are letting there pride get in the way.

Brittany McKinlay

10/22/07

3 Responses

1.       The article I remember most after doing the readings is the politics of global warming.  I can’t believe the HUGE difference in the political parties.  I was almost dumbfounded by how many republicans deny that global warming is mankind’s doing.  When I read the quote “It doesn’t matter…” I was left with my mouth hanging open.  I’m not surprised that there are people out there that are that ignorant, but it worries me that the politicians are.

2.       When reading Impact of Regional Climate Change on Human Health it got me to really start thinking.  We always hear about the effects of global warming on the planet, but personally I never thought of the effects on our health.  If the warming trend continues we may not see the extreme results here in central PA, but if you think of places like the South West US, Middle America, or the Mediterranean it will get pretty scary.  Even though we will all feel the effects it’s the infants and elderly that will suffer the greatest.  Heat related deaths will only continue to rise.  The other thing to consider is disease.  With warmer winters cold and flu viruses will flourish effecting more and more.  We all know global warming is serious I’m just not sure we all know HOW serious; I didn’t.

3.       I agreed with everything said in Making Decisions in Turbulent Times, but I didn’t really see a point in reading it.  Everything it covered seemed like common sense.  The only thing I think it should have covered was no single strategy will solve a problem or make a decision easier effectively.  I think a true leader will look to several if not all the strategies when faced with a tough decision. Each strategy has a weakness, but when combined they can help each other, balance each other out.

Brittany McKinlay

11/5/07

Reading Responses

·         When reading the Penn State Mission Statement I wondered when it was written.  Can a mission statement be changed and updated or is it tradition to keep with the original as a part of our heritage?  I think Penn State is everything described in the statement and a lot of the goals and equalities set forth would be excellent for any business to strive for. As a leader you should always have a mission statement whether for yourself, your team, or your business.

·         I’ve never heard of a vision statement before, but I really like the idea of it.  It is a great compliment to the mission statement.  The mission statement states what you are trying to do now, but the vision statement states what you want to do.  It keeps you looking to the future and always striving for the next step.  I think a big problem some operations have is they start out good, they have their mission statement, but they get stuck they do what they set out to do and never go past that.  The Vision statement will keep you from hitting that rut in turn giving you the cutting edge of looking to tomorrow when making today’s decisions.

·         I really liked the article from the Harvard Business Review.  When they talk about vision having two key components, core ideology and envisioned future, I thought they hit the nail on the head.  To reach your full potential you must have both.  The two go hand in hand complimenting each other neither working without the other. Core ideology is the glue that holds everything together.  An envisioned future is a unifying focal point, a catalyst for team spirit.  Leaders who can harness the potential power of these two will go far.