I'm having a hard time believing how much I'm actually enjoying the case studies. I think it might have something to do with the fact that I'm more of an analytical thinker. Well, that's what I do in my job everyday as a scientist, and I think I enjoy it because it's like troubleshooting an instrument that isn't working correctly. You have to find out what IS working correctly, and then slowly chip away at things methodically until you find the problem. Only then can you address it.
When troubleshooting an instrument or developing analytical methods, you change only one variable at a time. This allows you to pinpoint problems without creating new ones. I used to work with a fellow who would change 3 to 4 different instrument settings at a time when trying to figure out what was wrong with it. I used to try to tell him that the way he was going about things was only causing him him more headaches, but he never listened to me. He always refused help, and it always took him weeks to figure out issues with methods when it should have only taken a day or two. He was guilty of one of the deadly sins...Pride.
I don't have any real management experience, unless you count the job I had during college in a phonebook factory. I was temporarily promoted to Lead Loader a few times and I would have to lead a team of people to run the signature loaders for binding phonebooks. Well, that and I was a Residence Advisor during college. I was in charge of a full wing which encompassed about 60 students, mostly freshman and sophomores. The reason I bring this up is that I'm not sure management is as easy as troubleshooting methods and instrumentation. There are a lot more variables, some that you can't always control, and you also don't have the luxury of being able to change one at a time and see how things are affected. I think this is going to be the most challenging part of it for me, and one that I'm going to have to adapt to. That being said, I'm really looking forward to evolving...
Well said, Jeff. I really don't think that your lack of management experience is going to be that much of a limiting factor after reading your posts and listening to you in class.
ReplyDeleteThese studies are definitely interesting. I think the analytical experience is helpful with situations like these, but there are definitly a ton of things that need to be addressed at once as opposed to just one at a time. I started writing the Treadway Tire case yesterday, and it's definitely a more complex fix the more I keep thinking and writing about it.
Jeff,
ReplyDeleteI fit into a similar boat, with technical problem solving topping my list and the humanistic parts of managing at the other end. For a period of time, I'd just avoid the human element. On the web one day, I read an article about why do we invest so much time in learning about finance, job skill, and hobbies, but will invest nil in a personal interactions course.
Every so often I re-evaluate myself and see what's missing, and each time the ability to read people inter-personally comes up. The lack of a degree limits your job prospects, so does a lack on interpersonal and people management skills. As much as there are adults who don't get math, my suggestion is to just keep trying at it, the same can be applied to learning people skills.
Jeff, I can understand why you have the opinion you do about the case studies. As an analytical thinker myself, I tend to end up only changing one aspect of a problem at a time. However, I do find that in many management situations, more than one variable needs to change.
ReplyDeleteI feel that I also lack management experience and try and take in as much info as I can simply by watching managers actions. I think looking at how professors teach their classes and manage group discussions has helped me gain some insight into some different management types as well.
I'm in the same boat as you, Jeff. I really didn't think these would interest me in any way, but I found myself getting angry at the Tire Company for the things they were doing, as well as the things they WEREN'T doing. I really don't have any managerial experience, unless you count the summer I worked by myself in a snack stand, so I guess I was technically a manager there. I thought these cases would be tedious and boring, but as I said before, I surprised myself. I'm actually almost looking forward to the next one...almost.
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