California Miramar University

1. Scarves. The perfect way to dress up those lazy sweatpants and tee. Adding a scarf to your ensemble makes it look like you’ve made an effort to look decent, even if you haven’t. Plus they’re soft, warm and cozy; what’s not to love about them?

2. Cuff it. Cuffed up pants are definitely making their mark on the fashion scene. They give off a sophisticated vibe, only take ten seconds to complete and are free, which is their added bonus. Cuff it up to group meetings, library study sessions and even your weekend hangouts; people will be impressed. Plus, when it rains, you don’t have to worry about wet pant bottoms (which, as we all know, become very irritating).

Side Note: Cuffing is also the perfect way to show off those fun holiday socks!

3. The Sports Coat. This classic staple never gets old. Perfect for heading to class or for a Friday night out with friends, with sports coats you maintain a sophisticated edge, because we all know you don’t want to look like you are trying too hard. A nice sports coat adds the perfect balance between casual and dressy, lending itself an ideal fit for all occasions. If you’re heading to class in the morning, an interview in the afternoon and dinner with friends in the evening, simply adding a sports coat to your wardrobe means you don’t have to change all day.

4. University/College Hoodie. Slipping on that cozy hooded sweatshirt on a chilly Fall afternoon is something college students take for granted (because once you are in the professional work force, hoodies…. not so much). So bust out those hoodies while you can because Fall is the perfect time to rock that school spirit! They are ideal for all occasions and are great conversation starters, both with strangers and peers alike.

5. Find your bag. Bags, like shoes, are important because you take them everywhere. Finding the right bag that both complements and encompasses you is essential. It needs to reflect who you are and what you do, while also being simple and stylish to show people you mean business. J Crew makes some great bags perfectly equipped for smart devices like iPads, smartphones, other tablets, etc. You want people to look at how you compose yourself and say, “Wow! That guy knows where he’s going.” That, my friends, is what leaves lasting impressions that will only come back in your favor sometime down the road.

Abstract

This paper explores good mentoring practices within organizations and the positive impact of profitability within organizations that foster and encourage mentoring. Organizations with cultures of leadership development including mentoring are able to retain talented employees. Mentoring fosters improved leadership abilities and a range of skills that help both the individual and organization increase success and profits. Research by the Career Agent Tracking Study in the insurance industry (Nahorney, 1994), research by Lorinc on the accounting industry (2007) and other anecdotal examples supply evidence demonstrating the positive impact of mentoring. This paper also includes examples of organizations where mentoring is lacking and the void created on both the organization and the individual (Akande, 1993). Overall, the research supports the fact that mentoring is good for the bottom-line of organizations. Organizations become stronger, sustainable, and more profitable by encouraging and fostering mentoring.

Research Paper

For organizations to be successful, they must recruit and retain talented employees. Young employees come to new organizations with certain experience and skills, yet lack experience with the new organization and/or industry. Mentoring is the process of transferring knowledge, experience, and wisdom from one individual in the organization to another. Mentoring fulfills needs for the protégé, mentor, and organization as a whole. In Managers as Mentors, Chip Bell (2002) explains the influence that mentoring has on future CEOs: “When I was in graduate school in the early seventies, one of my professors distributed a research paper entitled ‘Much Ado About Mentors.”’ The thesis of this white paper was that four out of five Fortune 500 CEOs polled by the paper’s researcher reported that their upward mobility to mahogany row was due in part to the positive influence of a mentor” (p. Preface IX). Mentoring allows for leadership development. Talented employees benefit from mentoring to further their career: “Persons who have experienced extensive mentoring reported receiving more promotions, having higher incomes, and being more satisfied with pay and benefits” (Akande, 1993, 14). Organizations that do not encourage or support mentoring often suffer high turnover or the inability to compete on the global market. When mentoring is fostered and individuals develop new skills and abilities, employees, management and the organization as a whole can all benefit. Good mentoring in organizations should improve profitability.

Mentoring takes on many different forms, both formal and informal. It may be a formal union apprenticeship program in which an electrician will learn the skills from a more senior electrician. Or it may take the form of an insurance salesperson with 30 years of experience mentoring a brand new agent within her agency. Adebowale Akande (1993) found that: “Research on the nature of such relationships suggests that mentors may do many things for their protégés” (p. 14). Some mentors provide emotional support and confidence. A mentor might also help a protégé advance their career by helping point to opportunities where the protégé may demonstrate his abilities within the firm (Akande, 1993, 14). A mentor might teach best practices in garnering new clients in order to help a young accountant bring in new business or help the young insurance salesperson sell additional life insurance policies. The attention and guidance of the mentor can help bring the young protégé to the attention of upper levels of management. Mentors can often pass on advice and help the individual avoid the negative repercussions of mistakes they made while developing their careers or adjusting to a new organizational culture.

Akande’s research explains that that mentors: “Suggest useful strategies for achieving work objectives (that) ones protégés might not generate for themselves” (p. 14). One such example is the career of a young successful realtor in Orange County, California who shared his experience interviewing to join a real estate sales office. Most offices tried to recruit him by claiming that he will make a lot of money. Yet, the firm he chose stood out because the owner said, “that if I was accountable and teachable, I would be successful in this career” (I. Herring, personal communication, March 27, 2009). The young realtor took the job with the mentor who promised to teach him and he has since become extremely successful under his mentor’s council. Interestingly, the owner taught him a very traditional style of building a realtor business, which is to walk neighborhoods and knock on doors to meet local homeowners. This young realtor in Orange County, California specifically picked this real estate office so that he could benefit from being mentored by the owner. It has proven to be successful and profitable both for himself, the owner, and the agency as a whole. The young realtor credits his mentor’s advice and strategy of walking the neighborhood to be the tactic that has accelerated his career more than anything else.

There are distinct and common phases in the relationships experienced by most mentors and protégés. Akande (1993) addresses these in her research. The first phase is known as initiation during which time the mentoring relationship starts and takes on significance for both parties. This phase can last anywhere from four months to a year. The second phase is known as cultivation and can potentially last from two to five years, depending on the dynamics of the specific relationship. During the cultivation phase the young person makes excellent career strides because of the assistance she is receiving from her mentor. The third phase is separation and often begins with then protégé decides to assert some of her own independence and go out on her own. Or separation may begin if the mentor has a reason to separate due to illness or retirement etc. Separation may be stressful. Or, separation may develop into a final stage termed redefinition where both individuals perceive their relationship as one of friendship. Akande points out that they will now treat one another as equals and the old mentoring roles may fade away completely (p. 14-15). The typical stages of mentoring are measurable and noticeable in most mentor / protégé relationships.

Many organizations have come to recognize that a high rate of employee turnover in organizations is costly to the bottom line and that mentoring can help prevent high rates of turnover. Organizations invest in finding, hiring, and training individuals to work for the organization. Research has demonstrated that organizations that are concerned about retaining good employees ought to place a high value mentoring. Mentoring will help reduce turnover because employees will learn from others in the company and feel like they are part of the organization. Research by the Career Agent Tracking Study, or CATS, tracked more than 4,000 insurance agents for their first four years in the industry. Reporting on the CATS research, Daniel Nahorney (1994) explained the findings: “higher agent retention is directly tied to profitability” (p. 7). The top three criteria for higher agent retention include recruiting from personal sources, getting agents off to a fast start with quality training, and mentoring. In fact, “CATS clearly shows that mentoring does indeed boost life policy sales in the first contract year and does boost one-year survival rates” (p. 9). Survival rates of new insurance sales agents are the critical factor in profitability. If an organization trains a new agent and the new agent stops selling for the company, then there is no revenue for the company. On the other hand, if mentoring is included after recruiting and training the right people, the survival rate of the agent is much greater and thus the bottom line of the organization is improved. Thus good mentoring in insurance organizations should improve profitability.

The specific statistics from the CATS research demonstrate that good mentoring practices ought to be followed in order to garner the best results from mentoring. Simply having a mentor proved worthwhile for the bottom line. Nahorney reported “Those agents with no mentor averaged 26 life policy sales during their first year, while those agents who had an agent in the agency serve as their mentor averaged 35 life policy sales in their first year” (p. 9). This is dramatic evidence to support the need for a mentor and that the mentoring should start at the beginning of employment. Not surprisingly, having an experienced mentor proved to be more helpful than an inexperienced mentor. Yet, regardless of the experience of the mentor, having any mentor proved better than having no mentor at all (p. 9). Having an experienced mentor allowed agents to learn from the knowledge and wisdom that their mentor was able to offer to the new agent. Matching new agents with experienced mentors proved to be an important practice of good mentoring practices. In the absence of highly experienced mentors, it is advisable to have a mentor with less experience who is still willing to help guide and facilitate the learning curve for the new agent.

New agents feel the stress and pressure to sell policies and having a mentor was a key indicator of having success and choosing to stay with the insurance agency. The CATS research found that one reason that agents would leave an agency was in search of a mentor outside of the agency (p. 9). Perhaps the mentor they found was with a competing insurance agency. Loyalty and trust would be transferred from the home agency to the new agency and would eventually lead to the agent transferring to the agency where the mentor is employed. High turnover is costly to the agency. It is in their best interest to find a mentor within their agency who will help foster the potential of the new agents they seek to retain.

The long term health and profitability of an insurance agency also requires mentoring to facilitate growing a few select leaders who will eventually become managers and CEOs of companies. Industry veteran Larry Marsh, who founded the consulting firm Marsh, Berry, & Co. Inc. launched a program titled Leading Young Tigers to prepare young agents for management roles. Elisabeth Boone (2008) reported on Marsh’s efforts, and quoted Marsh as saying:
I want to recruit a dozen or so young apprentices who are absolutely driven to have a future in agency leadership. I want to work with them for three years, then mentor them for an additional two years. My goal is to get them much better equipped to become agency CEOs, and to shorten their time between being newly qualified and fully qualified (p. 76).

The profitability and revenue of an agency is dependant on having qualified new young agents who can grow into management positions. Marsh’s intense training and mentoring program is designed to fill this need and protect the long-term profitability of agencies. Without young leadership to take over, it is impossible for companies to survive the inevitable reality that older leaders and CEOs will eventually leave their positions. Apprenticeship and mentoring are the keys to survival. The coursework of the Marsh’s program is designed with this concern in mind :
MAPYLT coursework is structured so that apprentices learn agency management principles by looking through the eyes of a chief executive officer, chief operating officer, chief financial officer, sales manager, and IT manager. Formal classroom study is supplemented with opportunities for hands-on application of principles so that participants learn to use working tools to solve the problems an agency CEO routinely confronts (p. 77).

A company who would engage in putting their young recruits into Marsh’s program are clearly concerned with keeping young agents learning and productive. It serves the interest of both the agents and the agencies. This is congruent with the evidence of the CATS research which found that “high-retention companies have a more planned approach to mentoring” (p. 9). They recognize the impact of planning and implementing good mentoring practices, epitomized by Marsh’s plan to retain agents and build leaders who can carry the organization into the future.

Evidence from successful business people in financial organizations has demonstrated that nurturing talent has led to more successful and profitable careers. In an article discussing why some accountants become partner at a young age, John Lorinc (2007) points out that becoming partner at a young age is “no small accomplishment” (p. 26). Lorinc explains that “Those who have pulled it off attribute their success to a rage of factors – standout technical skills, maturity, poise, strong mentors and an opportunity to work in a high-growth practice area” (p. 26). Strong mentors can help bring out the latent potential of a young accountant, helping them recognize the talents and poise that they bring to their work. When a young accountant makes partner, they are in a position to increase their paycheck, and also the revenue of the firm. They are in the position to bring in more clients and contribute even more to the bottom line of the company. Lorinc explains that accountant Beth Wilson was assigned to a team with more experienced accountants and can point to the effect that mentoring had on her career: “They are thought leaders. I had some brilliant mentors in that group. The experience helped accelerate my career” (p. 26). Wilson is now a partner at her firm. As partner she makes more money, and the firm makes more money because she can bill at a higher rate and bring in more clients. Another article about the growth and potential of mentoring in the financial industry points out that high achieving corporation “nurture talent within the firm” (Selby, 1990, p. 70). Organizations ought to emphasize a culture of nurturing talent so that individuals are drawn to the organization. Such individuals will be drawn by the opportunity for mentoring, knowledge, and rewarding careers. Such individuals are likely to be the retained by the corporation after they become partner. Good mentoring creates good employees. When organizations invest in their employees, both the organization and the employee benefits financially.

Organizational behavior is interested in why organizations make the choices they do and the answer can often be found in the corporate culture of the organization. Organizations that value developing leaders will demonstrate this ethic by facilitating growth and learning opportunities for their people. Steve Arneson (2008) writes that these organizations “spend valuable time sponsoring, supporting, and leveraging Leadership Development because they make it a priority and ‘ground’ Leadership Development as a core element of their culture” (p. 8). Arneson goes on to recommend some of the best practices in Leadership Development. He suggests establishing a “CEO Leadership Lunch” (p. 8 ) where a few select mid-level leaders join the CEO for lunch. This will give the managers an opportunity for interaction and facilitating rapport. Arneson also recommends that organizations leverage leaders as teachers and mentors. Arneson asserts that: “A company wide commitment to Leadership Development is often sparked by leaders serving as teachers and mentors” (p. 8). The effect of such efforts can have considerable impact. He recommends, “document how they (leaders, CEOs etc) stay current, and let their enthusiasm and passion shine through” (p. 8). Leadership development ought to be part of the organizational culture in organizations that wish to nourish and enrich the careers of their management and employees.

Research on mentoring has demonstrated that structural barriers in the workplace culture prevent women and minorities from accessing mentors. This has negative consequences for the careers of women. It also has negative consequences for the bottom line of the companies who employ women. Akande (1993) points out: “Mentoring for women has not occurred to a sufficient degree in the workplace in part because women do not seek mentors or mentors may not like to select females” (p. 15). Akande explains that there are many reasons for the “glass ceiling”:

The barriers can be characterized as follows: women lack access to the network within organizations, women may be viewed as tokens who cannot reach top management stereotypes and misattribution about women’s abilities to manage may reduce the view of their performances, women may be seen as having been socialized to develop personalities alien to management success; cross-gender relationships may be viewed as taboo; and women may rely on ineffective sources of power, reducing their success (p. 15).

The glass ceiling which women face is a serious concern for organizations concerned with finding and retaining the best people for their organization. Whenever companies ignore the talent within their organizations, everyone looses. Since good mentoring should lead to increased profitability for companies, organizations who maintain a glass-ceiling forfeit profits: “Lawler believes that if today’s firms hope to meet the high-tech challenges of the modern world, they must be managed more effectively” (Akande, 1993, p. 17). Globalization and all of the challenges of the modern business world demand that companies seek to maximize talent and reduce waste. Unsatisfied employees will often leave and look for opportunity elsewhere, thus increasing a company’s rate of turnover. The negative consequences of ignoring talented employees because of the glass-ceiling will takes a toll on corporations profitability and performance: “Today’s employees (especially female employees) are unsatisfied with organizational structures that separate thinking from doing, that deny them autonomy and self-concept, and their dissatisfaction exacts a heavy toll on corporate profitability and performance” (Akande, 1993, 18). To compete effectively in highly competitive global markets, organizations must utilize all the talents and resources at their disposal. Thus, organizations ought to create mentoring programs that specifically address the barriers created by the glass ceiling and ought to work to create solutions that benefit individuals and the organization alike.

Mentoring for start-ups and entrepreneurs is common in the United States, but in much of the world, encouraging and helpful networks and mentors are rare. Research has demonstrated that lack of networks and mentors for entrepreneurs outside of concentrated locations like Silicon Valley make starting and building a successful business difficult. The Economist (2008) reported on a non-profit organization named Endeavor that was created to “promote entrepreneurship in emerging economies” (p. 68). The organization pairs emerging business leaders outside of the United States with successful business leaders in Silicon Valley and elsewhere: “The aim is to identify those who can succeed on a scale that will make them into national role modes, and then provide them with every possible support” (p. 68). The system of mentoring has been extremely successful in helping many start-up businesses succeed. In fact, Endeavor has created a “give back” program where successful entrepreneurs who have been assisted by Endeavor donate 2% of their equity to Endeavor to help them continue the organization’s work into the future (p. 69). The work and efforts of Endeavor demonstrate both the need and impact that mentoring has on helping business leaders to create successful, profitable, and sustainable businesses around the globe.

Mentoring is a continuous evolution for organizations. They will always have new talent getting started, older talent retiring, and the combination of skills and generations evolving within the organizational culture. Organizations ought to seek to maximize the talent of all individuals within the organization and encourage mentoring as part of the process of leadership development. This allows for retaining talented employees who contribute to the growth and success of the organization. Mentoring is useful in most all organizations, as evidenced by the insurance sales agents, accountants, real estate agents and others analyzed above. Without opportunities for growth and mentoring, talented employees will leave for better opportunities. Competing in today’s global marketplace requires retaining talent and encouraging leadership growth. This keeps the individual and company best able to maximize talent and profits. Companies in today’s global marketplace ought to continuously strive to encourage good mentoring, assured in the knowledge that they will be well equipped to chart a successful and profitable course into the future.

References

Akande, Adebowale. (1993). The glass ceiling: Women and mentoring in management and business. Equal Opportunities International, 12(4), 14-21.

Arneson, Steve. (2008, October). Developing Leaders. Leadership Excellence, 25(10), 8.
Bell, Chip (2002). Managers as mentors: Building partnerships for learning. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Boone, Elisabeth. (Nov 2008). Building Agency Leaders. Rough Notes, 151 (11), 76.
Business: Spreading the gospel; Entrepreneurship. (2008, August). The Economist, 388(8591), 68-69.

Lorinc, John. (2007, January). Invite to PARTNER. CA Magazine, 140(1), 24-26, 28, 30, 32.

Nahorney, Daniel J. (1994, September). Planning to succeed? Manager’s Magazine, 69(9), 7-9.

Selby, Beth. (1990, December). Wall Street: The Steve and Bob Show. Institutional Investor, 24(16), 68- 74.

Kathy Parker, M.A.

Librarian, California Miramar University

It is often difficult to know where to start when choosing a topic for a research paper. The first step is to make sure you understand the assignment. If you have any questions, you should ask the Instructor to clarify. There are several things you can do to make the process easier and ensure you choose an interesting topic that you will be able to cover adequately in the number of pages required.

First, it is best to choose a topic that interests you and that you are at least somewhat familiar with, since you will be spending a large amount of time researching and learning more about it. Look through your textbook to get ideas and then brainstorm and write down several possible topics.

Another way to get ideas is by searching databases for various topics you are interested in. A good place to start is by searching databases such as Business Source Premier and Academic Search Elite. By doing this, you can ensure there is an adequate amount of information available on the various topics you are interested in. The links to these databases are on the Library page on the California Miramar University website: go to http://www.calmu.edu and click on Student Center, then Library. Choose the database you wish to search and enter key words of subjects you are interested in. Your search may lead you to new topics that you had not originally thought of. Another good place to search for scholarly information on various topics is the Internet search engine, Google Scholar, which contains information from books, articles, and other publications. Since this is an ongoing process, your topic may change as you do your research.

Next, make sure your topic is not too broad for the number of pages required. Narrow it down to a manageable level. After you have an idea of what your topic might be, write out a sentence or two that explains the main purpose of your paper.

Finally, be aware that writing a good research paper takes time and thorough research.

The Internet has opened up new vistas for organizations in their recruiting efforts, and it has given the job candidates another vehicle to promote themselves to potential employers, yet there are some risks.

Recent Survey Results: Over 1/3 of Human Resources Executives indicate that electronic recruiting is the most effective way for them for find qualified candidates, followed by local newspapers, recruiters, job fairs, referrals, and walk-ins, in that order. Yet, HR Executives caution candidates not to rely only on the Internet.

8 Rules for the Job Candidate:

1. (+) Use the target organization’s web site to find out more about the specific organization, its core-values, its benefits, the jobs available, etc. as well as to submit your resume electronically. (-) However, appreciate that you might only find generalities about careers and jobs on the organization’s web site. (-) Additionally, understand that electronic resume submission/posting will most likely be scanned for “key code words,” and if your resume does not include those “key code words,” your resume is sent to the “trash.” To mitigate against this hazard, use words/phrases that exist in the particular job description you are applying for, as well as use words that seem to characterize the organization. But, do not misrepresent yourself!

2. Use your former college alumni web site for career job searches and industry information.

3. Use “niche boards” which are web sites of a particular industry, professional career, or desirable geographic location. For example, www.telecommcareers.net is for the telecommunications industry and www.CIO.com is the companion site to the CIO Magazine for chief information officers. Other web sites explain specific geographic locations, such as a particular state or city.

4. (+) Read about careers, jobs, industries, and organizations found in blogs. This gives the jobseeker informal comments written by others. (-) Disgruntled current/former employees, vendors, customers, etc. might have a biased view. (-) The organization has no way of editing the information.

5. (+) Post your resume on web site job boards specifically designed to attract job seekers such as LinkedIn, Career Builder, Monster, Job Central. (-) The same cautions apply that are mentioned in (1) above.

6. Privacy. (+) While using the Internet to post your resume, using social networking sites to discuss your background, career interests, and experiences, and using e-mail to communicate with others are ways to conduct a job/career search, it has dangers of invading your privacy. (-) Do not post or write anything electronically that you would not want made public. (-) Do not believe that “delete message” really permanently deletes the message… it does not.

7. (+) Create your own online resume using LinkedIn. Connect with classmates, colleagues, and potential jobs. You can search for people you know or university alumni from any year that work at a specific company you are interested in working at.

8. Since there are many small to medium size organizations that have excellent careers and work environments but that do not have the resources for electronic recruiting, do not solely rely on electronic posting of your resume. Use as many different tactics as possible.

It would be pretty difficult for business to survive without technology – we all know that. But what about the other side of the coin? Can technology exist without business? An MBA graduate should be able to understand and address the goals of their organization and how technology can be used as a means to meet and exceed them. It’s not just about understanding the technology itself, but understanding how it can be applied specifically to a business and how it can then help increase the bottom-line. These types of issues are what being an MBA student is all about.

This course is taught by Richard Swafford, M.B.A. He has garnered extensive knowledge and experience in online education, receiving his Bachelors of Information Systems, M.I.S./M, MaEd/AEDL, M.C./MFT. and M.B.A. all from the University of Phoenix. Richard’s specialization in technology makes this course packed with information very important to today’s business world.

Transcript of the Lesson

I taught a seminar on social media marketing on October 26 and it couldn’t have gone better. We had a great turn out of entrepreneurs from a range of industries who brought great questions and shared their experiences too. I was thrilled to share secrets and strategies for social media marketing that I have picked up over the past few years.

Let’s face it; in order for a business to survive, it has to go social. This is more than just Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Social networking also takes place on blogs, review sites and message boards. It has become such an integral part of our daily lives that we simply can’t function without it. And as more people log on to talk about their daily experiences, businesses ought to leverage this opportunity to start a conversation and attract new customers. Moreover, social media marketing is great for search engine optimization, so you get a double benefit.

Here’s the link for the PPT I created for the presentation. Definitely check it out and let me know what you think!

Best,
Ilana

Re-careering is one of the current “in-phrases.” It simply means changing your career, perhaps four to five times in your life. It is happening more frequently today than ever before. A recent survey indicates that the “quit rate” among employees in surveyed U. S. companies increased 13% over the past three years, and that more than half of 1,500 U. S. executives polled are “very seriously” to “seriously” considering changing their careers.

The plethora of models one can use to re-career all contain similar components, including my Five Sigma of Career Success. Yet, the one ingredient that is often missing is the Courage to re-career. This means having the mental and emotional fitness to put into action the model of choice and to withstand the ups and downs.

Given the fact that 80+% of New Year’s resolutions never make it into the month of February, we can begin to appreciate why re-careering often falls short of the intended goals. People simply give up early in the process because they have not planned and prepared themselves adequately to deal with the ups and downs of the endeavor.

Re-careering guarantees change, and for many people, change is frightening because of the uncertainty of the future. They wonder of their chances of success in the future; they wonder about a possible changed relationship with their family and friends; they wonder about developing new professional relationships; they wonder and wonder about the down-side of change that they forget why they want to re-career in the first place. These people are looking for certainty in the future and are uncomfortable with change.

Wishing and wanting changes nothing. Here are five tips to help you with your endeavor.

Tip 1: The future includes the unknown with benefits and risks, and yet it is not a frightening place. It is a place of limitless possibilities that offers options and choices. The power of choice makes changes a reality. The decisions we make today become the place we find ourselves in the future. When you change the way you look at the future, the future becomes a place of encouragement and hope. Therefore, form a vision on where you want to be or who you want to become in the future. Compare that vision with where you are today. Create a plan to get to where you want to be by focusing on the benefits of change and re-careering. Remember to write down your vision and goals. The mere act of writing something on a piece of paper reinforces the ideas. Engage others to help you. Life is a team sport.

Tip 2: Re-careering assures change. Some sort of individual adjustment is required. The adjustment might only be a tweak, but it might also mean a major overhaul. As you change your behavior and/or attitude during the re-careering endeavor, you might not like who you become at first, nor might others appreciate what you are doing. This means that change is not an isolated activity. It affects others around you, and thus requires a certain amount of change on their part as well. As you change something you have been doing for a few years, you might fall back into your old ways. Monitor your progress and stay focused towards your vision. Similarly, as you change something you have been doing for a few years others may not adjust to the new-you quickly or easily. Remind them and yourself why you are changing. Get their support.

Tip 3: Change has a price. What are you willing to pay to become the new-you? It often means giving up something in exchange for something else, such as exchanging watching nightly television in order to attend college. It might also mean forming new relationships and leaving other relationships. If you keep your written vision and goals in sight and focus on the benefits of the change you are more likely to stick with the change. Learn to politely yet firmly say no to others when their requests do not align with your vision and goals.

Tip 4: There is a probability for setbacks in your re-careering plan. Accept that fact, and make contingency plans to adjust your original plan if it is not working. Identify possible obstacles and ways to overcome them. Write this information on a piece of paper. But, above all, be prepared to pick yourself up and continue. Temporary setbacks are a part of life. However, if you find yourself in continuous setbacks and roadblocks, then it might be time to totally re-evaluate your re-careering vision and goals. Wise people admit when they have made mistakes and then make appropriate adjustments to correct them.

Tip 5: Every week make some positive movement towards your vision and goals. It might mean only a private self-congratulation or something more visible. Believe in and reward yourself on a regular basis after each success, regardless of how small the success is. Rewards give you encouragement and reinforce you to continue. Your vision and goal achievement most likely will not happen overnight. Mentally and emotionally prepare yourself for the long term. Be patient and persistent.

No business is the same. Each business has unique goals, values, norms, reach, size, and so forth, so each company therefore has a unique culture. Organizations can establish a culture that fits its ‘soul’, or culture can just develop over time. Successful businesses are all about their customers; but very successful business are also all about culture. Very successful companies promote a specific culture which enhances the workplace for employees and ultimately attracts more customers, making the study of organizational culture a required part of MBA curriculum.

This week’s MBA Mondays lesson is a video clip from ORG 6130:

Transcript of the Lesson

Some examples of organizational culture… When you walk into an organization, you’ll see certain their letterhead and the documents and how the place is laid out – whether they have open offices or they have glass offices, whether they have closed offices or corner offices; languages that people use – whether they have acronyms or jargon that’s specific to that organization; they have work ethics; whether they have people that are on flex-time because they have family concerns; also how people feel loyal and committed to the organization, and how much they are willing to work for the organization, do overtime, help do travel, help out other people; how it looks that there is some equity across who has the responsibilities – so that the work load is fair; and that people feel that the kind of work they do, whether it’s salary or benefits, is fair.

When you look at this particular slide, it kind of spells out organizational culture in different layers. Sometimes they show it as sort of an iceberg and the top of the iceberg, which is sort of the artifacts and creations, are the things that are very visible to people internally and even externally. They are very valid and not always people from the outside see it, but it’s well known.

So what kind of technologies do people use? How modern are they? What kind of behavior patterns are acceptable in the organization? When we go down to the next level that deal with values, we are looking at the awareness that people have in terms of how they care for other people, how they work in groups and teams, and so forth. And when we look at what is called basic assumptions on this particular slide, we are looking at things that are very, very deep rooted in an organization, and they are very invisible and they are almost at an unconscious level, but people sense them and how people work together.

A key aspect of organizational culture has to do with what values people have in terms of the difference between right and wrong; whether they cheat or not, or steal things from the organization; how they want to guide behavior in terms of integrity. We also look at how well the organization shares those values among employees: do some people feel a sense of integrity and responsibility and others don’t? That is part of organizational values.

If you are thinking about going back to school to pursue an MBA and are not sure which direction to turn, then perhaps a good start is to consider an online MBA program. The timing could not be better; even in tough economic times, businesses demand that you seek more education,develop new skills, enhance the skills that you already have and reinvent yourself with a change in career – all of which make you more marketable and certainly more attractive in any competitive job market. Online schooling has become increasing popular; there are even part time MBA programs for people who work full time or have other time commitments and need a flexible schedule that can be structured to meet their individual needs.

Businesses in San Diego Eyeing MBA Graduates