Part 1
1. What is your learning style?
2. How does your style compare with your prior intuition?
3. What target learning issue could you use to experiment with the gauge discover-reflect framework?
4. What does the acronym SMART refer to, in the context of goal setting?
5. What SMART goals could you apply to your target learning issue?
Part 2
1. Do you believe that your own happiness at work is in your hands? What have you done in the past to increase your own satisfaction with work?
2. Consider the most negative person you work or interact with. Why do you think they focus more on the negative side of life?
3. On the basis of what you have read in this chapter, can you think of ways in which you can improve your effectiveness in dealing with negative coworkers?
Part 3
1. What are the consequences of unethical behavior?
2. If you were writing a code of ethics for your company, what would you include?
3. In times of economic downturn, is ethical behavior a luxury?
4. How would you handle an ethical violation committed by one of your employees?
5. Nobel laureate economist Milton Friedman said that companies should focus on maximizing profits, not social responsibilities or purposes. Do you agree with this view? Why or why not?
6. What aspects of P-O-L-C would be most likely to change based on what you have learned in this section?
Part 4
1. How does a personal mission and vision statement differ from one created for an organization?
2. What time period should a personal mission and vision statement cover?
3. What are the five steps for creating a personal mission and vision statement?
4. What type of goals should you start thinking about in creating a personal mission and vision?
5. How are your strengths and weaknesses relevant to mission and vision?
6. What stakeholders seem relevant to your personal mission and vision?
Part 5
1. What are the five facets of the Hambrick and Fredrickson strategy diamond?
2. What is the relationship between arenas and differentiators if the strategy yields a positive economic logic?
3. If a firm is performing poorly financially, what might this say about the differentiators, arenas, or both?
4. Why is it important to consider vehicles as part of an organization's strategy?78
5. What is the difference between staging and pacing in terms of the strategy diamond?
6. What are some ways that you might apply staging and pacing to an organization's strategy?
Part 6
1. What can you achieve by applying the concept of a Balanced Scorecard to your personal situation?
2. How similar or different does the scorecard seem to function at an individual level asopposed to an organizational level?
3. What are key characteristics of effective objectives?
4. Why should personal objectives and measures of performance be specific?
5. What are some of the activities you can undertake to implement your scorecard?
6. When is the implementation of a personal Balanced Scorecard completed?
Part 7
1. What do you think are some key reasons why people resist change?
2. Do you think some people are more resistant to change regardless of what it is? Why do you think this is?
Part 8
1. What clues does your college or school give about its culture?
2. What are four things you could do today to learn more about an organization you are interested in?
3. Imagine that your good friend is starting a new job next week. What recommendations would you give your friend to help him or her do a great job onboarding into the organization?
Part 9
1. What is the connection between leadership and ethics?
2. Do you believe that ethical leaders are more successful in organizations?
3. Have you ever had an authentic leader? What did this person do that made you consider him or her to be authentic? How effective was his or her leadership?
Part 10
1. How might you use the premortem technique to be more effective within groups at school or work?
2. Imagine that your good friend is starting a new job next week as a manager. What recommendations would you give your friend to be successful with decision making at work?
Part 11
1. How can you assess if you are engaging in active listening?
2. How does it feel when someone does not seem to be listening to you?
3. Some companies have MySpace pages where employees can mingle and share ideas and information. Do you think this practice is a good idea? Why or why not?
4. What advice would you give to someone who is going to become a first time manager in terms of communication?
Part 12
1. Think of the most cohesive group you have ever been in. What factors made the group so close?
2. What are some challenges you see to creating a cohesive group?
3. How does team size affect cohesion?
Part 13
1. Why can discussing performance feedback with employees be so hard?
2. What barriers do you perceive in asking for feedback?
3. How would you react if one of your employees came to you for feedback?
4. Imagine that your good friend is starting a new job next week. What recommendations would you give to help your friend do a great job seeking feedback?
Part 14
1. What is a Balanced Scorecard? What is the difference between a Balanced Scorecard and a simple list of nonfinancial and financial controls?
2. What roles do vision, mission, and strategy play in the development of a Balanced Scorecard?
3. What might be some of the differences between an organization's Balanced Scorecard andyour personal Balanced Scorecard? What might be some of the similarities?
4. Under what circumstances should an organization's or an individual's Balanced Scorecard be revised?
Part 15
1. Define the Balanced Scorecard method.
2. List the elements of a Workforce Scorecard.
3. Discuss how human capital can be managed like a strategic asset.
4. Why is it important to align HR metrics with company strategy?
5. What kind of metrics would be most useful for HR to track?