Monday, March 31, 2008
Associations
Merchant Risk Council (MRC), Direct Response Forum (DRF), Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA), National Retail Federation (NRF), eTail, Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), shop.org
Intro
Results driven technical sales executive. Strategic business development manager motivated by innovative concepts that promote excitement to drive more business resulting in increased revenue.
I tend to base my ethical perspective on the results or consequences of choices and actions. I believe that conduct should be directed toward promoting the greatest good for the greatest number of persons. In judging if actions are ethical, I look for concrete evidence. It is not enough for an individual to "talk the talk." Results are needed to indicate that they are “walking the walk." In my opinion, what really counts in the end is the "bottom line." The factors that are most important are ultimately based on the overall revenue growth and prosperity of the company. My goal is to achieve the greatest possible good across all levels for the business.
I tend to base my ethical perspective on the results or consequences of choices and actions. I believe that conduct should be directed toward promoting the greatest good for the greatest number of persons. In judging if actions are ethical, I look for concrete evidence. It is not enough for an individual to "talk the talk." Results are needed to indicate that they are “walking the walk." In my opinion, what really counts in the end is the "bottom line." The factors that are most important are ultimately based on the overall revenue growth and prosperity of the company. My goal is to achieve the greatest possible good across all levels for the business.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Ethical Perspective
You tend to base your ethical perspective on the results or consequences of your actions. You believe that conduct should be directed toward promoting the greatest good for the greatest number of persons. In judging whether an individual's actions are ethical, you look for concrete evidence. It is not enough for an individual to "talk the talk." Results are needed to indicate that she/he is "walking the walk." In your opinion, what really counts in ethical debates is the "bottom line." Discussions about process and principles are not as important as what is ultimately achieved for the overall good of society. The goal of ethics is to achieve the greatest possible good for society as a whole. This category is most closely aligned in philosophy with a utilitarian theory of ethics (Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill). YOUR ETHICAL STYLE
You believe that we each have a moral right to experience the "good life." This "goodness" can be measured, in part, by the level of satisfaction expressed by the majority of the persons who make up our society. If most people are unhappy, something is morally wrong and needs to be fixed. Therefore, your approach to ethics is likely to focus on what could be done to improve the well-being of the greatest number of persons. One approach might be to develop rules of ethical conduct for people to follow, along with corresponding sanctions, in order to achieve what is best for society as a whole. Another quite different approach might be to improve overall satisfaction by creating a more pleasant environment in which people enjoy learning and working together for the betterment of society. With either approach, your ethical style demands that you achieve measurable results.FRUSTRATIONS YOU FACE IN ADDRESSING ETHICAL DILEMMAS The inability to adequately measure the far-reaching impacts of an ethical decision may compel you to focus your decision making on the immediate scope of the problem, thereby creating conflicts with those who are not results-oriented.You are frustrated by the wide variety of competing views regarding what is good for society as a whole and by the process used to determine whose view ultimately prevails.In attempting to maximize the general good, you will, at some point, need to decide whether your goal is to improve the total benefit to society as a whole (the aggregate) or the total benefit per person within society (the average). This definition will have a direct impact on your approach to ethical decision making.People who cling to the idealistic notion of protecting the interests of some minority of the population may stand in the way of achieving the good life for the majority.People you work with may not share your ethical approach, thereby interfering with your ability to achieve the desired results.What is best for the greater good of society may not be best for you.Remember to refer to the BLENDED CATEGORIES section if your second highest score is within one or two points of your highest score. The final step in the exploration of ETHICS AWARENESS using the inventory is a review of some of the pertinent questions associated with ethical decision making. No matter which ethical perspectives you were referred to by the results of the ETHICS AWARENESS INVENTORY and no matter what your ethical style, the important thing to understand is that we all face situations in which we must choose what we believe is "right." Contrary to recent attempts to present "value-neutral" research and education, when faced with an ethical decision, we all believe that there are "right" and "wrong" answers. This does not mean, however, that we will all arrive at the same answer. Therefore, it is critical to develop a process to guide our struggle in making ethical decisions—one that will allow us to consider a variety of aspects that affect not only our immediate decisions but its effect on other people. You may access pertinent questions associated with this process in the ETHICAL DECISION MAKING section.
You believe that we each have a moral right to experience the "good life." This "goodness" can be measured, in part, by the level of satisfaction expressed by the majority of the persons who make up our society. If most people are unhappy, something is morally wrong and needs to be fixed. Therefore, your approach to ethics is likely to focus on what could be done to improve the well-being of the greatest number of persons. One approach might be to develop rules of ethical conduct for people to follow, along with corresponding sanctions, in order to achieve what is best for society as a whole. Another quite different approach might be to improve overall satisfaction by creating a more pleasant environment in which people enjoy learning and working together for the betterment of society. With either approach, your ethical style demands that you achieve measurable results.FRUSTRATIONS YOU FACE IN ADDRESSING ETHICAL DILEMMAS The inability to adequately measure the far-reaching impacts of an ethical decision may compel you to focus your decision making on the immediate scope of the problem, thereby creating conflicts with those who are not results-oriented.You are frustrated by the wide variety of competing views regarding what is good for society as a whole and by the process used to determine whose view ultimately prevails.In attempting to maximize the general good, you will, at some point, need to decide whether your goal is to improve the total benefit to society as a whole (the aggregate) or the total benefit per person within society (the average). This definition will have a direct impact on your approach to ethical decision making.People who cling to the idealistic notion of protecting the interests of some minority of the population may stand in the way of achieving the good life for the majority.People you work with may not share your ethical approach, thereby interfering with your ability to achieve the desired results.What is best for the greater good of society may not be best for you.Remember to refer to the BLENDED CATEGORIES section if your second highest score is within one or two points of your highest score. The final step in the exploration of ETHICS AWARENESS using the inventory is a review of some of the pertinent questions associated with ethical decision making. No matter which ethical perspectives you were referred to by the results of the ETHICS AWARENESS INVENTORY and no matter what your ethical style, the important thing to understand is that we all face situations in which we must choose what we believe is "right." Contrary to recent attempts to present "value-neutral" research and education, when faced with an ethical decision, we all believe that there are "right" and "wrong" answers. This does not mean, however, that we will all arrive at the same answer. Therefore, it is critical to develop a process to guide our struggle in making ethical decisions—one that will allow us to consider a variety of aspects that affect not only our immediate decisions but its effect on other people. You may access pertinent questions associated with this process in the ETHICAL DECISION MAKING section.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Workplace Stress
What are the general causes of workplace stress?
I would put the loss of control as the major cause of stress in any workplace. In a typical week I have a lot of meetings and projects that are on a tight timeline. It seems like when I have my time management under control and I am able to create an effective strategy to accomplish everything that I need to get done in the week I feel like I am in control and I feel less stressed. On the other hand when time-management is out of whack it turns into a domino effect and one thing leads to another and I loss control of the weeks events. This is when I feel the most stress. Stress is something that can bring us down if we don’t learn how to manage it. I have seen people that have been stressed and they do things that are really unhealthy (like smoking or eating junk food) to suppress the stress they are feeling.
What can organizations do to manage workplace stress?
I think that one of the main things that an organization can do to manage stress is to understand what could cause stress in the employees and to things to reduce stress for employees. A local tech company that I have done work with does something that I think is really unique to help their employees feel less stress. This company brings in a massage therapist to give massages to the employees. The company also has a game room and regularly brings in lunches and other perks to makes the people that work there feel like they are valued.
One of the most powerful things that any organization can do to reduce stress in the workforce is to make sure that the workers feel like they are genuinely important and recognize the employees’ efforts. I really believe in positive reinforcement as a management tool.
How can an organization evaluate the impact that stress-prevention and stress management programs have on its performance.
I think that one of the best ways to track this is to keep in touch with the employees by giving the employees a confidential forum to provide honest feedback on how they are doing with their work. I feel like if I am recognized and rewarded for the work that I put into the business I feel a greater sense of pride and I work harder dedicate more to excellence.
I would put the loss of control as the major cause of stress in any workplace. In a typical week I have a lot of meetings and projects that are on a tight timeline. It seems like when I have my time management under control and I am able to create an effective strategy to accomplish everything that I need to get done in the week I feel like I am in control and I feel less stressed. On the other hand when time-management is out of whack it turns into a domino effect and one thing leads to another and I loss control of the weeks events. This is when I feel the most stress. Stress is something that can bring us down if we don’t learn how to manage it. I have seen people that have been stressed and they do things that are really unhealthy (like smoking or eating junk food) to suppress the stress they are feeling.
What can organizations do to manage workplace stress?
I think that one of the main things that an organization can do to manage stress is to understand what could cause stress in the employees and to things to reduce stress for employees. A local tech company that I have done work with does something that I think is really unique to help their employees feel less stress. This company brings in a massage therapist to give massages to the employees. The company also has a game room and regularly brings in lunches and other perks to makes the people that work there feel like they are valued.
One of the most powerful things that any organization can do to reduce stress in the workforce is to make sure that the workers feel like they are genuinely important and recognize the employees’ efforts. I really believe in positive reinforcement as a management tool.
How can an organization evaluate the impact that stress-prevention and stress management programs have on its performance.
I think that one of the best ways to track this is to keep in touch with the employees by giving the employees a confidential forum to provide honest feedback on how they are doing with their work. I feel like if I am recognized and rewarded for the work that I put into the business I feel a greater sense of pride and I work harder dedicate more to excellence.
Friday, March 21, 2008
The Impresser
Predominant Behavioral Style
The snapshot of my profile categorized my behavioral style as “The Impresser”. It is interesting to see that because, I don’t think of my behavioral style as being one that is always trying to impress others. It is great to have the assessment to enlighten my perspective on how I may be presenting my self.
The Impresser
The assessment states that the impresser’s primary goal is to win with flair. This is true in the fact that much of what I do in my work involves taking a concept and getting others excited about it to eventually drive more business resulting in increased revenue to the business. I can now see that perhaps the habits that I have developed in the way that I interact and work in the business blends into other areas in my lifestyle and behavior. The impresser is also known to have an attitude the winning is all or nothing. Yes, this is true for me as well. I tend to look at opportunities as a chance to win. I get energy from identifying an opportunity and taking that opportunity and applying action to it. Once the action is applied I cannot relent until the opportunity converts into actual business.
Make It Happen
One of the tendencies that the assessment identified is that my behavior type “Judges others by their ability to make things happen.” I would not say that this is exactly true for me. I am impressed with productive people, given their own individual capacity. But, I believe that I have a strong sense of respect for others. I don’t expect everyone to be mega achievers and I don’t put down or judge one for their own personal limitations. The assessment also mentions that the impresser is motivated to work harder at something when bigger risks or rewards are at stake. I can agree with this statement and I think that this would be true for most people. The bigger the risk the bigger the reward is always something that I have believed in and as I have been involved with high risk endeavors a much higher demand for commitment and time is required. This is something that I do. I do also prefer to work in a group or a team setting. Two (or more) heads are better that one. When I have an idea for something I always present the idea to the team and solicit their feedback to get additional ideas and perspective.
Appearance
The impresser never wants to look bad and, yes, I am definitely guilty of this trait. Decisions that I make many times are influenced by the way that I could be perceived by others. This can be a good and a bad thing. It is good in the sense that if I am concerned about how I look then I should be going about my business in a good way. It is bad in that, you cannot keep everyone happy all of the time and I catch myself trying to do exactly that. I try to accommodate everyone to the point that it can become counter-productive. I have focused on this attribute in the past year to become better at defining what my boundaries are limited to. I do also like things done the best way and much of what I do is find ways to improve operations to maximize performance.
Conclusion
The evaluation was a great tool to find out more about myself. The way that I am perceived by others is something that I often wonder about, but I have not taken the time to personally reflect on how I see who I am. Now that I have this information I can identify areas in which I can improve. It will also increase my awareness pertaining to my actions and how interactions with other people really define who you are and how others perceive you. One significant take away from this assessment is that my personality type tends to underestimate the amount of time that it will take to complete something. Understanding this about who I am will aid in my performance.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Force, Feelings, and Freebies
Joshua said “I have noticed at least three, maybe not so obvious, factors or elements that influence individual behavior. They are: Force, Feelings, and Freebies.”
It is interesting to see how these factors are essentially independent yet fundamentally related. Force in the sense that it is an applied mechanism to bring about an action or an expected outcome to produce a result. Feelings relate in that if there was no feeling associated with the force applied then the force could have no effect on the individual and therefore would be useless. And on the flip side, the sense of feeling is a motivation to change behavior. If the individual does something and is rewarded, they feel good and if they are a normal person they would want to reproduce the good feeling by repeating the act to promote more good feelings. Freebies are interesting because everyone wants to get something of value for hard work and their efforts. The thing that I have noticed about freebies is that something as simple as a freebie or reward for recognition creates happiness and motivation. I agree that these not so obvious elements do influence individual and even organizational behavior.
It is interesting to see how these factors are essentially independent yet fundamentally related. Force in the sense that it is an applied mechanism to bring about an action or an expected outcome to produce a result. Feelings relate in that if there was no feeling associated with the force applied then the force could have no effect on the individual and therefore would be useless. And on the flip side, the sense of feeling is a motivation to change behavior. If the individual does something and is rewarded, they feel good and if they are a normal person they would want to reproduce the good feeling by repeating the act to promote more good feelings. Freebies are interesting because everyone wants to get something of value for hard work and their efforts. The thing that I have noticed about freebies is that something as simple as a freebie or reward for recognition creates happiness and motivation. I agree that these not so obvious elements do influence individual and even organizational behavior.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Trust
Trust is everything in doing business. It seems to make or break companines and people. How can you build trust in your own abilities and in your company?
I think we all understand and agree that building and maintaining trust is one of the most fundamental components to building and a reputation of respect. If you are successful at the individual level of being trustworthy then you are opening many doors of opportunity.
This past week there was a huge and shocking story about Eloit Spitzer who held a position of power that commanded a lot of respect and trust - but he was caught in a scandal. Here is someone that was put into a position to stop corruption, but in the end gets caught committing it himself. I believe that he did do the right thing by stepping down and admitting that his personal affairs should not get in the way of what is better for the people. One wrong act can take everything that you work so hard to build up away in an instant. How can he ever gain his trust and reputation back?
In the reading this week there is a chapter on motivation. What drives us to do what we do and what is our reward? I think that there is an interesting relationship between trust and motivation. If we are motivated to accomplish and achieve then we instill a deeper sense of trust. This trust is not only magnified in our own perception of who we are and our abilities, but it is also something that our peers observe and know you as a person they can trust.
I think we all understand and agree that building and maintaining trust is one of the most fundamental components to building and a reputation of respect. If you are successful at the individual level of being trustworthy then you are opening many doors of opportunity.
This past week there was a huge and shocking story about Eloit Spitzer who held a position of power that commanded a lot of respect and trust - but he was caught in a scandal. Here is someone that was put into a position to stop corruption, but in the end gets caught committing it himself. I believe that he did do the right thing by stepping down and admitting that his personal affairs should not get in the way of what is better for the people. One wrong act can take everything that you work so hard to build up away in an instant. How can he ever gain his trust and reputation back?
In the reading this week there is a chapter on motivation. What drives us to do what we do and what is our reward? I think that there is an interesting relationship between trust and motivation. If we are motivated to accomplish and achieve then we instill a deeper sense of trust. This trust is not only magnified in our own perception of who we are and our abilities, but it is also something that our peers observe and know you as a person they can trust.
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