Chapter 9

Concept and Brief Discussion:

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: This is a popular psychological inventory assessment that tests individuals' preferences for source of energy, means of information gathering, way of decision making, and lifestyle. The assessment is more than 100 questions long and asks a variety of questions. Most of the questions deal with preferences and feelings about situations in the workplace and in your career.

The Hook:

You have been asked to do this test by your academic adviser. Once you take it, you see that your preferences on the test don't match what kind of work you plan on doing. How would you react to this and what questions might arise from this experience?

Key Points to Elicit in Discussion:

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator helps with employee development and helps employers understand the work style of their employees. Although this is a long and comprehensive test, it is still a self-assessment and can have problems. I don't think these tests really mean much and don't always point to accurate data.

Facilitative Questions:

Have you ever taken one of these tests? If so, how did your responses match up to your performance in the workplace?

Chapter 8

Concept and Brief Discussion:

Criteria for Effective Performance Management: There are many ways to predict performance of a potential employee, and likewise, there are also effective tools and ideas that will help to properly measure the performance of a current employee. In chapter 8, there are five criteria discussed that help us determine the effectiveness of performance measures:

• Fit with strategy--A performance management system should be aimed to see how well the employee is aiming with the overall goals and strategy of the company.
• Validity--This deals with the extent to which a measurement tool actually measures what it is intended to measure (p. 218).
• Reliability--The results of the measurement must be consistent and even tested over time to see if the employee has changed.
• Acceptability--The measurement tool must be acceptable to the people who use it. Employees must not believe that it is unfair or too time consuming.
• Specific Feedback--A performance measure should specifically tell employees what is expected of them and how they can meet those expectations (p218).

The Hook:

You go into a room with your supervisor to do a performance appraisal. He or she pushes through the official papers and reviews your numbers without allowing you to talk and set appropriate goals. This happens all the time in business. How do you feel when you are treated as a number in these situations?

Key Points to Elicit in Discussion:

In order to effectively evaluate performance of employees, there must be a concrete, effective measurement tool that will allow employees to set goals and understand expectations. I believe this is a good opportunity for employers to show how much they care individually about their employees. This should be a relationship building exercise that aligns boss and worker in a shared vision.

Facilitative Questions:

How have your past employers effectively measured your performance? How did it make you feel?

Reflection on Thursday's Class

On Thursday, we had a guest speaker come in from Tahitian Noni International. He talked to the class about training programs in business and the components needed to make it effective. Surprisingly, I think the biggest thing that I got out of the presentation was recognizing how well my current employer trains its employees.
One area of discussion that I particularly liked was when we talked about the process and not just the principle of training programs. I like what he said about being able to measure success from the trainings. This is a key principle, in my opinion, because like the speaker said, training is not cheap and unless you can show that your training is working or contributing to the overall bottom line, you will get cut off.
I love the trainings that happen at my current job. They remind me of the purpose of the company and keep me sharp at what I do. I believe all companies should invest in a training program.

Chapter 7

Concept and Brief Discussion:

Action Learning: This is, "training in which teams get an actual problem, work on solving it and commit to an action plan, and are accountable for carrying it out" (p. 197). In actuality, this is a form of group building and teaches employees how to solve problems as a group. The size of the team in training usually stays between 6 to 30 employees. The company will find a problem, usually one that affects multiple departments, and then organize these teams to figure it. The book suggests that the effectiveness of action learning has not been formally evaluated, however can deliver some obvious benefits to employees and employers. There is a lot of applied learning happening with this method and also teams are able to identify behaviors that interfere with problem solving.

The Hook:

Your employer offers you a position on a team that is assigned to resolve customer service problems in the organization. Your teammates include workers from from various departments. How will their contributions help to resolve the problem at hand, when they don't interact with customers on a daily basis like you do?

Key Points to Elicit in Discussion:

Action learning enables employees to get hands-on experience in problem solving. This could help employers develop future leaders in the organization and also give them job enrichment. One possible negative issue could be burnout. I feel there need to be limits to time spent on these action learning teams.

Facilitative Questions:

Has your company done anything like this? If so, did it amount to company savings or increased efficiency?

Reflection on yesterday's class

During Tuesday's class, we talked about recruiting tactics and how it affects an organization. There are many ways an organization can recruit new employees outside of just using referrals. Some of the ways include the following: advertisements in newspapers and magazines, electronic sources, public employment agencies, private employment agencies, and colleges and universities.

What I found interesting in this discussion was how much money some employers spend on "headhunters" to find employees. Basically, what I learned is that if you want a high profile employee, you may need to be willing to spend some money to get him or her.

Another thing that perked my interest was the talk about using temp. agencies and being involved with job fairs at universities. I got my first job off my mission using a temp. agency and ended up staying with the company for two years. I know this is a very useful tool for employers who need short term and even long term employees. Job fairs have been typically a negative experience for me. For example, the last internship and job fair I went to at UVU (last week) gave me nothing to look forward to. I went to the booth where Mountain Star Health Care was. The head of HR was there and represented the company very poorly. When I asked about internship opportunities, she was not helpful at all. In fact, not until I reminded her that there was an intern there, did she remember. Then she just looked frustrated and sent me off with an informational packet about the company.

If you are sent to represent at an internship and job fair, you should know about internships that are currently happening at your own hospital!!

Chapter 6

Concept and Brief Description:

Personality Inventories: Sometimes it is important for employers to know about candidates' personalities. For some jobs, such as the one I hold right now at Telos Residential Treatment Center, it is important that candidates 'fit' the position. There are ways to test potential employees, like giving them any of the commercial personality tests that are out there. As the book describes, there are the "Big Five" traits that are looked at: extroversion, adjustment, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and inquisitiveness.

The Hook:

There is a co-worker I have that is very uncomfortable with making the boys at Telos uncomfortable. This is a problem, since we are supposed to hold boundaries and help them in their treatment issues.

Key Points to Elicit in Discussion:

Personality Inventories can be a way for a company to assess candidates' personality traits. This is important when a company is looking for a certain type of person. Some jobs require various personality traits, however the most important trait to have according to research, is conscientiousness.

Facilitative Questions:

How does the 'fit' of employees in the workplace play a role in your company?

Reflection on Thursday's class

Last Thursday in class we talked a lot about downsizing and the alternatives that companies have in order to keep employment and morale higher. I have been at a job where my employers had to downsize because of the economy. Many guys were laid off, and everyone left working would constantly be making new rumors about who was going next. It was a terrible atmosphere and no one was happy.

One of the problems that was made clear to me on Thursday, was that my employer and the management at that company did not properly approach the strife. There was no clear communication about the state of the company, and no one knew what was going on. They also didn't use other methods like cutting hours, cutting pay, or anything else to help employees keep their jobs. They just caused a lot of fear and frustration. So, downsizing struck a chord with me during class on Thursday.