What are the strategic capabilities at the organization where you work? Based on this list of capabilities, what are the key strategic positions?

What are the strategic capabilities at the organization where you work?  Based on this list of capabilities, what are the key strategic positions? Do your organization’s top managers understand the connection between strategic capabilities and strategic positions?

 

In your reply to your classmates, identify similarities or differences in workforce strategy at the two organizations.

 

 

 

JWI520 People Management

 

Week 2 Discussion

 

Leveraging Diversity

 

Organizations often discuss the benefits of diversity; however, in many instances, these organizations simply hire a more diverse workforce and then expect the benefits to follow.  Based on this week’s readings and your own professional experience, what is the difference between hiring for diversity and leveraging diversity?

 

 

 

JWI520 People Management

 

Week 3 Discussion

 

Working in a Virtual Team

 

Increasingly, employee teams involve collaboration with people working in different business locations or from their homes. Describe an experience of working in a virtual team that you have had in the workplace. If you have not experienced this, describe a virtual team that you have heard about from a colleague or friend. What were the challenges of the virtual working relationship? How did the organization respond to those challenges? What could they have done to make the team function better?

 

 

 

JWI520 People Management

 

Week 4 Discussion

 

Hiring New Players

 

Two types of questions that job seekers often encounter are behavioral and scenario questions. A behavioral question relates to how you approached some situation in the past. A scenario question relates to how you would deal with an imaginary future situation. From the hiring manager’s perspective, which type of question do you think reveals more about the candidate? Why?

 

 

 

JWI520 People Management

 

Week 5 Discussion

 

Differentiation

 

Use the Wall Street Journal menu link to find an article related to assessment and differentiation of employees. Explain the approach described in the article. As a manager, would you use this approach to assess and differentiate your employees? Why or why not?

 

 

 

JWI520 People Management

 

Week 6 Discussion

 

Managing Talent

 

According to Jack Welch, it’s a best practice to devote a lot of time, energy, and money to your A and A-minus players, and to let your C players go. However, Bock argues that management can improve the capabilities of their C players significantly through coaching and training.

 

What approach do managers in your organization take to talent management? What are the results

 

 

 

JWI520 People Management

 

Week 7 Discussion

 

Performance Reviews

 

Consider the performance review process at your organization. Is it simply an exercise, or is it valuable for managers and employees?

 

Assess the performance review system, using the prompts below:

 

Does the review have a self-assessment component?

 

Does the process lead to an individual development plan?

 

Does the financial and performance discussion happen in the same review?

 

Are the outcomes of the review tied to any talent management opportunities?

 

What two changes would you advise the CEO to make in your organization’s performance review process?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JWI520 People Management

 

Week 8 Discussion

 

Employee Development

 

Describe your best experience in terms of employee development and explain why it was so effective. Then describe your worst experience in terms of employee development and explain why it was so unproductive.

 

 

 

JWI520 People Management

 

Week 9 Discussion

 

Layoffs

 

Have you ever been involved in a layoff or involuntarily separated from an organization, either as a manager or as an employee, or do you know someone who has had this experience? How was it handled? How could it have been managed better?

 

 

 

JWI520 People Management

 

Week 10 Discussion

 

People Management Skills

 

People management is complex and involves a wide range of skills. Based on your learning in this class, what do you think are the key skills of an effective manager? Pick 3 to 5 key skills and explain why these skills are the most important, in your opinion.