Posts

Week 14 - Leading Teams

  This week’s chapter on Leading Teams connected a lot to what I see at the dealership. One of the main ideas in the chapter is that teams work better when there is trust, clear communication, and a leader who helps guide the group through the stages of forming, storming, norming, and performing. I realized that I’ve seen these stages in real life without even knowing it. When new people join our team, everyone is quiet at first (forming). Then small disagreements start happening about tasks or schedules (storming). After a while, we figure out how to work together better (norming), and eventually the team becomes smooth and productive (performing). A “management in action” moment I noticed is when our team had a conflict about how the car photos should be organized for online listings. At first, no one wanted to bring it up, and the problem kept happening. When the conversation finally happened, it started off tense, but once we talked through it, we actually created a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week 12 - Motivating Employees

  This week’s chapter on Motivating Employees connected a lot to what I see at my job. The book talks about how motivation isn’t just about money—it’s about meeting people’s needs so they actually want to work hard. One idea that stood out to me is that when employees feel recognized and supported, they naturally give more effort. I’ve seen that with myself. When my manager compliments my work or trusts me with more responsibility, it makes me want to do even better. I noticed that taking care of the people really does lead to better results, just like the Walmart example in the book. Another big concept from the chapter is understanding what motivates each person. Everyone is different. Some employees want recognition, some want growth, some want stability. As someone who works in a dealership, I see how people respond when their specific needs are met. For example, when I improved the dealership photos and my manager noticed, that small recognition pushed me to keep ge...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week 9 - Understanding Individual Behavior

  This week’s chapter focused on understanding individual behavior and how emotions, attitudes, and personality affect performance at work. I learned how important it is for managers to be self-aware and emotionally intelligent. The way a manager acts or communicates can strongly influence the mood and motivation of their team. It also showed me how staying positive and managing stress helps create a healthier workplace where people feel valued and do their best work. After reading the article “ Who Is Tim Cook ,” I saw how he’s a great example of a leader who understands individual behavior. He leads Apple with calmness, empathy, and focus, showing that being respectful and emotionally aware can still drive big results. Tim Cook doesn’t try to copy Steve Jobs’ style, he leads in his own way, which fits his personality. That reminded me that good leadership starts with knowing yourself and treating others with understanding and consistency.
Post a Comment
Read more

Week 7 - Managing Innovation and Change

  This week I learned that managing innovation and change is one of the most important parts of keeping a business growing. Change can be difficult, but it’s necessary when the company wants to stay competitive or improve the way things are done. The chapter showed that innovation doesn’t just come from big ideas — it also comes from listening to employees, encouraging creativity, and being open to new ways of doing things. At my workplace, I’ve seen how managers who explain the reasons for change and support their team through it make everything run smoother. It reminded me that good leadership is about helping people adjust, not forcing them to. I liked how the chapter connected change with motivation and teamwork — it made me realize how important it is to keep everyone involved when something new is introduced.
Post a Comment
Read more

Week 5 - Decision Making and Personal Style

  This week’s topic on decision making helped me understand how much thought and structure goes into the choices managers make every day. The chapter explained the steps of decision making, from recognizing a problem to finding solutions and then following through on them. I realized that good decisions don’t just happen—they come from clear thinking, planning, and learning from past experiences. When I did the “Take a Moment: Know Yourself” exercises, I learned that my decision style is mostly analytical . I like to gather facts, compare options, and think carefully before deciding. That made sense to me because even outside of work, I usually take my time before making big choices. But I also noticed that being too analytical can sometimes slow me down, especially when quick action is needed. The chapter also reminded me that no one decision style is perfect. A good manager should be flexible and know when to trust their instincts or rely on their team’s input. It showed...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week 4 - Planning & Strategy

  This week I learned how important planning is for managers. Planning helps set clear goals so everyone knows what the organization is working toward. I noticed that goals can be big, long-term ones or smaller, day to day ones, but both are needed to keep things moving in the right direction. I also realized that planning gives people direction, but it has to stay flexible because things can always change. Another key point was about strategy. Strategy is about finding the best way for a company to compete and succeed. I learned that managers look at both strengths inside the company and challenges outside, like competitors or changes in the market. Even the best strategy does not matter if it isn't put into action, so communication and teamwork are just as important as the plan itself. At my dealership job, I see small examples of this. managers set daily sales goals (short-term planning), but they also think about long-term strategy, like how to attract new customers and compete...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week 2 - The environment and Global Management

  This week I learned about how much the external environment affects managers. Things like customers, competitors, suppliers, and even the economy all play a big role in how companies make decisions. I realized managers have to be flexible, because the environment can change quickly and bring uncertainty. Another important point was about corporate culture inside a company. A strong culture can bring people together and guide their behavior, while a weak one can make things harder for managers. Symbols, stories, and values really shape how employees see their workplace. Chapter 4 also showed me the importance of global management. Companies today almost always deal with other countries, so managers need to understand different cultures and ways of doing business. I think having a global mindset is just as important as knowing the business itself. At my dealership job, I see some of these ideas in action. The way managers handle customers and motivate employees is sha...
Post a Comment
Read more