Assignment 3-4

In reviewing the various change waves, I would have to say that I am most comfortable in the knowledge wave. I am mostly a knowledge based worker and feel the most useful in that area. Throughout my MBA, I’m hoping to move toward more of a judgment revolution person, but that will take some time. Part of the reason I’m more comfortable in the knowledge realm is that I work in an industry which is primarily industrial, bordering on knowledge revolution. Even though I perform work in the knowledge arena, the majority of the business we do is manufacturing/assembly line based. That may hold me back, in some ways, from advancing to the next revolution.

And with this, I’m wrapping up my first class. Definitely a challenge on my time and resources… but it will be worth it when I finish my degree. Next up is GRAD 702.

February 10, 2007 | Filed Under GRAD 701 | Leave a Comment 

Assignment 2-5

I survived the first two weeks. There’s a lot of reading, and for me, that’s a challenge. I’m a hands-on learner, so the reading takes a lot of time for comprehension. This week, we delved a lot further into “social capital” and how to utilize the concept. We also looked at the concept of a life cycle.
The first question to address is how I can expand my social capital network to include those who are quite different from me. This will be a challenge. In order to get those different from me, I will probably need to look at groups that I would not normally be a part of. While there still needs to be some common ground, there are groups out there that are different enough from my core. I need to identify those organizations and those who belong to them. Then I need to find ways to connect with them.

Second topic is a review of my personal lifecycle and personal learning styles. I mentioned earlier that I’m a kinesthetic learner. And I don’t think that has changed much over the years. I can recall always being a hands-on learner, needing to take things apart or have someone show me an example of how to do something. I doubt that it will ever change completely. I have learned to use the other styles simply out of necessity.
The final question posed to me was regarding my legacy. I don’t know that I can pinpoint this into any focused statement. I guess that the biggest legacy I want to leave is that I was very focused on helping my community. I’m a person who volunteers to a fault. I’m active in a lot of organizations, as well as very active in my church. I find a lot of satisfaction in helping others. I hope that I will convey this legacy to my kids and they will also want to be actively involved in helping out the community.

February 4, 2007 | Filed Under GRAD 701 | Leave a Comment 

Assignment 1-4

Week 1 of my first graduate class is ending and I’m supposed to reflect on things I’ve learned. Probably the biggest “new” thought that came out was transitioning my thought process from using the word networking and moving towards the phrase social capital. While one is not necessarily the same as the other, social capital entails a lot more. In our class discussions, it was likened to a bank account. You put capital into your social network, and at some point, you take capital out of that network. I also took an inventory of my current schedule. What I found was a need to become more structured if I am going to survive the next 17 months of pursuing my MBA.

In reviewing my notes from the week, I see a few areas already where I can apply my learnings. One is in my professional development. I really believe that I will be able to become more effective as a leader if I start organizing my life better. I’ve often thought that I have adult ADD, although never officially diagnosed. My brain never stays on one item very long. Forcing myself to capture more events into a structured format can only improve my ability to focus on what needs done.

I think that a lot of these changes I’m working on implementing will help my work environment as well. By using my time more effectively, I should be a better employee to my company. I can hopefully find ways to be more proactive so that when the reactive moments occur, my time is readily available to deal with the crisis at hand. Having to read a lot more in the business world periodicals is also expanding my knowledge base, which is a definite plus.

There’s also a “coach” element to my MBA program. I am currently working on getting someone who will work in a mentor role throughout my MBA journey. One of the questions I intend to ask my coach when we begin meeting is how he manages to keep everything in order. Maybe it’s a good administrative assistant? Maybe it’s just good time management. We’ll see.

I’m not sure if there’s anything I would add to my portfolio yet. Perhaps my new calendar plan. It’s a creation that I’m truly hoping will help me use my time wisely going forward.

That’s all for today. Hope to see you next time in my MBA journey.

January 25, 2007 | Filed Under GRAD 701 | Leave a Comment