Management Skills for New Managers - Case Study Example

Reflective Essay Student Name: Student No: Course: Faculty: University: Lecturer: Date of Submission: Table of Contents Introduction 2 Lessons and Experiences Learnt in the Real world 3 The Relationship between Management Theories and Actual Practice through Self Directed Learning 4 Personal Strengths and Weaknesses in Beginning Management Professional Work 4 Helping Improve Society 5 Management Styles 5 Time Flexibility 6 Organization Behaviors 6 Conclusion 7 References 8 Introduction This reflective essay covers my internship in helping the teacher run “The Cooma Monaro Progress Association and the University of Canberra joint Work Integrated Learning Program End of Semester Event”. The internship was very enriching and taught me a range of experiences on the ability to be flexible in different cultural contexts, understand some of the rules used in the outside world, establish a strong relationship with people who are working in different capacities, and learn the weakness and strengths while undertaking different duties. Further, the essay reveals on some of the top management challenges that were encountered, time management despite the complexity of many events, and proposes ways of improving on the same in a future encounter. Further, the events I liked and those that I disliked are highlighted herein, alongside the things learnt in the real world and the organizational behaviors learnt. Lessons and Experiences Learnt in the Real world Working experience was more different from just being a student, and was therefore, full of several lessons. It presented a number of opportunities for me to learn how to work with other colleagues at work in offering different services. This included managing different events, organizing for meetings, and attending the meetings to make minutes. The array of activities involved at work educated me on how to perform projects and further evaluate them. The good thing about working was the fact that I learnt some efficient and appropriate management skills, especially networking with people of different cultures, breaking down the assignments, and meeting the expectations of customers. By performing different catering assignments at work that were assigned to me by seniors, it gave me a learning platform where I would interact with the management team; learn how duties are assigned across different management levels. This presented to me a diversity of experiences. My communication skills also increased, and my strategies and skills were greatly enhanced. In some situations, cold items were to be added in the catering menu. A decision had to be made on this by shopping for prices of different items. Wine packages would also be considered in the menu. I further leant how to make invitation lists, design thanks Gift Certicate, make some draft emails to students, and note when the dates for venues have changed so that banners would be rebooked. Further, I learnt that room cleaning up had to be done at the end of every event. This entailed asking for some cleaning materials from the administration department. Invitation maps are attached on the invitation cards so that guests do not get lost while on their way to the venue. Room organization was something I saw practically at workplace. This started with drawing the plan of the room for the next meeting, decorating the lecture rooms, preparing some ice water for speakers, ensuring that flowers are short and low and matching the colour with that of the UC logo which was yellow and blue. Further, two banners had to be set on the lectern side within the lecture room. However, small rooms do not require banners, and tables should be organized in squares. The Relationship between Management Theories and Actual Practice through Self Directed Learning Management has to focus on accountability for every action taken. This is reflected in the way duties are executed. The relationship that exists between management and other levels is the flow of instructions. Normally, instructions emanate from managers to other employees. Key decisions and conflicts are decided on by top management. Further, the management skills covered in internship expanded my professional network, demonstrated my initiative, and helped understand more about myself and work, enhanced my resume, improved my communication skills, and increased my confident in tackling the real world issues. Personal Strengths and Weaknesses in Beginning Management Professional Work I have learnt a lot from classwork on how to effectively manage time and this boosted my working experience. A time schedule was very useful in delivering tasks in time depending on the schedule. Worth noting is that effective management of time is key to planning. At some point, I attended crucial meetings where I learnt about attaching some nice certificates to thanks gifts. Once the contact lists for the guests is prepared, more things can be added in, such as the company name and category, and the list is sent to other level for checking. The internship meetings allowed me to learn how catering menu is decided using accurate prices. An appropriate budget for the menu has to be planned early enough by looking at some websites in order to find some stationary cost forms. Recruits wear their kind of cloth to differentiate them with the more experienced workers. Tasks would be completed in an easy way by use of consultations with experienced people such as the florists when it comes to flower organization. The weakness I had was mainly related to responding to tough realities. For example, in situations where colleagues would speak harsh to me, it started like a shock before I got used to absorbing harsh responses. Further, the workmates were from different cultures, and would, therefore, approach the tasks differently. In such a situation, we had to discuss on the conflicting aspects, give and take in the arguments and finally work on a unified approach. This required a lot of understanding and patience. My weakness of being impatient at times was exposed to tough realities and I had to improve. Helping Improve Society Unlike class work where the aim is to improve academic performance, working as an intern taught me how to improve the society in general. The customers and guests have to feel happy, and in order to achieve this, it required proper treatment of everyone. The rules for the society are a bit different it the sense that you got to respect and serve each other diligently. Satisfied customers will always come back another day, and this will increase the company returns in the long run. Therefore, regardless of different cultural contexts, everyone in the organization should be made to feel in the right place. Management Styles The real world is constantly competitive unlike class-work. The challenges in management are continually changing and never diminishing (Frederick, 2013). Therefore, management is constantly researching for new ways of solving the emerging problems. It is by understanding this business fact that I was able to endure the long queue of tasks that were always presented to me. Alternatives have to be sought whenever there were challenges. Time Flexibility As an intern, proper time management led to ultimate success. Several experts can agree with me that poor time management or time wastage are key causes of poor performance in any organization (Conor & Gabriel, 1995). Through work, I realized the countless advantages of appropriate time management. For example, this included prioritizing goals, meeting deadlines, and completing duties in an accurate and efficient way. Some of the techniques I found valuable in time management included putting my plan together. In other words, after the first meeting, I would start preparing for next meeting and try to perform what has been agreed on in the first meeting. In short, a plan is crucial and helpful in having all things done on time (Patrick, 2010). Besides, Internship has a lot of duties to be performed (Charles & Ann, 2007). In his book, John (2010) acknowledges that setting of priorities for the assignments is crucial. The duties are organized according to the level of importance. This was a similar experience to classroom work. Similar in the sense that I had to start with the easiest task and then proceed to the most complex, while laying emphasis or attention to the most appropriate balance among different events. Organization Behaviors Carol (2005) argues that organizations are normally goal oriented. The goals and events are decided during meetings and direction from the top management. Therefore, every participant at different levels had to work in order to achieve the goals in time. According to Beaumont (1993), hierarchy is a common aspect in any organization. The top management is key in decision making, the middle management is in charge of implementing the decisions whereas the low level management executes the decisions. Further, organizations have different approaches of scheduling events. Every worker has to be determined in working collectively with others towards accomplishing what has been agreed upon. Managers are under pressure to meet deadlines, and therefore, this pressure is felt even at the low levels. Conclusion Through the internship, a lot is covered towards attaining some professional experience. This reflective report covers the crucial and enriching experiences. This includes the range of experiences and working flexibilities, mastering the rules in the outside world, developing a good relationship with others from different cultural backgrounds, and understanding the weaknesses of each and every person. All this lessons contribute towards enriching my working experience. References Beaumont, PB 1993, Human Resource Management: Key Concepts and Skills, SAGE Publications Ltd, London. Charles, HS, & Ann, M 2007, Internships: Theory and Practice, Fitchburg State College Conor, H, & Gabriel, H 1995, The Management Skills Book, Gower Publishing Ltd, Hampshire. Carol, WE 2005, Management Skills for New Managers, AMACOM, New York. Frederick, SH 2013, The Successful Internship, Cengage Learning, London. John, A 2010, Effective Time Management: How to Save Time and Spend it Wisely, Pan Macmillan, New York. Patrick, F 2010, Successful Time Management, Kogan Page Publishers, Philadelphia, PA. Read More