Paulina Beautiovia

Contemporary HRM Practices Week 5 Assgn2PLopez

2012-11-29T20:28:00.001-08:00

This assignment has as its focus, an unfamiliar Human Resource Management Practice (HRMP). Not that the HRMP is foreign or totally strange, expect maybe to me, however, my task is to research, learn and report about a contemporary trend that is paving a new road and giving HR professionals tools to use when breaking from the traditional and comfortable methods used when managing HRMP.

Cantrell and Foster (2006) stated that HR must look for ways to manage their workforce and "[i]nstead of managing a workforce as a single homogeneous entity” that the workforce should be viewed as a “…workforce of one” (p. 1). The word that Cantrell and Foster use quite frequently to describe the workforce of one, is the “talent multiplier”, or recognizing employees as individuals, which is a way to “…empower[]” employees because the traditional way of management, or the “…one-size-fits-all management practices do not suit the realities of today’s organizations” (p. 2).

Talent multipliers are the opposite of traditional approaches where management controls from the top down. Rather, a contemporary approach embraces employee value, respecting individually, talent, encourages opinions and fully utilizes an employee's potential. This is not a chaotic environment where employees run free from the establishment, but this environment teaches, trains and nurtures talented employees because the organization knows employee value.

In addition, managers are encouraged to “…harness the natural strengths of their employees by catering to individual attributes” (Cantrell and Foster, 2006, p. 3). In fact, the United States Army is examining its traditional employee management practices by advancing technology that links those in charge with his or her solders, giving and sharing information and new capabilities between forces. Osborn (2011) stated that traditional tactics need to change, and these changes come from testing and feedback on how a program is working, what its weaknesses are and overall soldier feedback on the performance of what is being tested. This is total shift from blind obedience, where opinions are not encouraged or asked for, to seeing service personnel as having valuable input into the mission and strategy. The same can be said for HRMP.

Whether it is a new way to measure performance, expand globally or when redesigning a workflow, the communication that the United States Army is utilizing can be used by private organizations as well and is really a good idea. Managers partner with their employees and also with each other. The days of do as you’re told and just follow the rules, may work for some managers, and is useful in select situations, however, best practices would suggest that it is an engaged partnership that will symbolically lead the team into battle or give the organization, the competitive edge is the way to encourage best practices.

References

Cantrell, S., & Foster, N. (2006, October). Workforce of one: A new approach to human capital management. Accenture. Retrieved from http://www.accenture.com/us-en/Pages/insight-workforce-of-one-new-approach-human-capital

Osborn, K. (2011, August 3). [Web log message]. Retrieved from:
http://asc.army.mil/web/building-the-army-network-%E2%80%98a- revolutionary-new-approach%E2%80%99

2012-11-17T14:06:00.000-08:00

Unit 3

Ethical Concerns in Human Resource Management

Pauline R. Lopez

Walden University

Ethical Concerns in Human Resource Management

Most if not all work environments have dissatisfied employees. Employees that have ideas for change, but those ideas are not met with consideration. Abraham Lincoln stated that “[y]ou can [please] some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never [please] all of the people all of the time.” (Monqur, 2012). Of course, President Lincoln originally used this quote to address fooling people instead of pleasing people, however, for this assignment, the word has been changed to pleasing people, but specifically, how to manage change, in an ethical manner, in an environment that is resistant to changing the status quo.

Human Resource (HR) as a profession has been evolving into an organization partner, but as professionals, they will have to confront the fear of change, not only in themselves, but also the fear or resistance of their stakeholders, who are their employers and herein rests the dilemma. How does HR remain true to its values while asserting its strategic presence, without fear of job loss, verses the fine line that can occur between connecting with an organization and alienating the stakeholders that employee them.

Patrick (2001) stated that for change to occur, there must be stakeholder and employee “…cooperation, collaboration, and co ownership of others” (p. 1). Change is a combined effort that creates an environment that is open to best practices in creative thinking and communication. Resistance to change is manifested in those who will not agree on a plan for change, yet have no alternatives, or those that cannot visualize the change and so discredit it.

The dilemma between adding value and confronting the resistance discussed above can cause ethical concerns for HR professionals especially with high unemployment rates and corporate downsizing. Fear of being disconnected, people pleasing or getting so frustrated with stakeholder and employee resistance, is a sure way not to add value. HR professionals cannot work for change if they are not educated and trained to know all the factors that occur with change, such as how to meet resistance and the fear that comes with change. Last, without a strategy to understand resistance, HR will not achieve its goals and will try and please all of the people all of the time and this will create an ethical dilemma that will add to the resistance itself. This translates to becoming part of the problem, and not a partner in the solution.

References

Monqur, M. (2012). Abraham Lincoln. The Quotation Page. Retrieved from: http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/27074

Patrick, F. (2001). Taking advantage of resistance to change (and the TOC thinking processes) to improve improvements. Retrieved from http://www.focusedperformance.com/articles/resistance

Walden Strategic HRM

2012-11-05T12:07:00.002-08:00

Hi Dr. Bill and Class:

We are on the road to Thanksgiving. This year has gone by so quickly that I am amazed that we are almost at the end of the year.
I welcome this class in Strategic HRM and look forward to the weeks ahead. Pauline Lopez aka Paulina Beautovia.

2012-10-12T15:51:00.002-07:00

A Performance Management Initiative

This blog post is to define and explain what a 360 degree performance feedback plan is. Is the 360 degree method a valid way to evaluate performance? This, and more will be answered by examining the pros and cons related to the value of multi-source evaluations and the effect on employee performance.

First, since this a blog posting and not a formal assignment, I must say that until now, I had not heard of the 360 degree multi-source evaluation and I am curious about what it is. Heathfied (n.d) stated in an article that examined the 360 degree performance plan, that it is a performance plan that allows for feedback from multiple persons instead of the traditional manager-employee, one on one evaluation. Instead, those that manage the employee, their coworkers, and others such as clients, evaluate the employee’s performance. Those that are selected are given a set of standardized, well defined set of questions and asked to evaluate a particular employee. The employees that will rate this person are selected because they work closely together with this employee and possibly see them at their best and worst. The overall purpose of this plan according to Heathfied is that when employees evaluate each other, good things happen. Teamwork is created, training is identified based on evaluation weakness in performance and whatever is revealed, positive or negative, an employee is responsible for his or her own growth and development and the work enviroment is able to support the training and growth (p. 1). Linman (n.d.) appeared to substantiate Healthfied, when she stated that the purpose of this feedback plan is to “assess[] personal development rather than [give an] evaluation (p. 1).

Based on the above stated introduction, the 360 degree performance plan seems logical and an exciting alternative to traditional review plans, which for the industry that I work in are routine and lack purpose other than to justify raises and or bonuses. However, there are several serious concerns about this plan and one in particular is that this type of plan cannot be implemented without serious preparation. The plan “…must be connected with the overall strategic aims of your organization” (p. 2). If it is linked to compensation as traditional apprasals are, the 360 degree plan is doomed because employees will be hesitant to rate each other for fear of retribution, with the subsequent result is the creation of a culture that lacks trust and communication. Linman also stated that the 360 degree plan is popular, but for companies such as IBM, this form of evaluation was stopped due to “[r]eviews had become politically charged and were no longer reliable” (p. 4). If used in a culture that is competitive or hostile, it cannot hope to work as this type of review process takes collaboration and trust so that the evaluation is impartial and fair.

Last, I am not sure that this type of performance evaluation would work in the legal industry as this environment is highly stressed and for the most part, is not supportive of employee growth. Paulina Beautovia.

References

Aguinis, H. (2013). Performance management (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Heathfield, S. (n.d.). 360 Degree Feedback: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. About.com-g Human Resources. Retrieved October 11, 2012, from http://human resources.about.com/od/360feedback/a/360degreefeedback_2

Linman, T. (n.d.). 360-degree Feedback: Weighing the Pros and Cons. Retrieved October 11, 2012, from http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/arossett/pie/Interventions/360_1

2012-09-16T16:15:00.002-07:00

MHRM6600-Week 2

Personal Blog

Pauline R. Lopez

September 16, 2012

Questions have been proposed that ask for a reflection of my past experiences working with teams, the advantages and disadvantages of doing so in an educational setting or otherwise. In contrast, how does this compare to working individually? What about evaluating team members?

In response:

I have had experience working individually and in teams and I have mixed feelings and thoughts about these experiences.

Before deciding to attend Walden, I was enrolled in a Master’s program at University of Phoenix, which is primarily team based. Feedback about the school was that the majority of my grades would be based on team assignments and in reviews about the college, other students complained that their grade was diminished due to problems with the team experience. I found this threatening and decided that this school was not for me. I am a very social and friendly person, but for many years, worked individually. Anyway, I enrolled at Walden and guess what, in my second and third course, I was asked to work in teams.

I am glad that I “had” to do this because so far it has been an enjoyable experience for me. What I discovered is that I can lead a group if need be, directing and coordinating the completion of the assignment or I can work for another team member, and relax once my part is done. The group eases tension and I learn from other group members.

Last, in my class on budget management, we had a team member that at first, I thought he was arrogant and a know it all. Half way through the assignment group experience, I realized that what I thought was arrogance, was competence and I changed my opinion of him completely.

Two areas that are difficult for me are not being able to visually see my classmates during team assignments, however, if I am in my sleep clothes and without makeup or my hair is in a mess, this environment is much better.

Second, is that I struggle with evaluations in that I believe that most if not all classmates work diligently and I do not want a negative review to reflect on their evaluation. It is not my place to have this type of influence. Regardless, I have given positive evaluations except for one woman who did not participate in our group project, did not communicate with the professor or her teammates and those that remained and participated, had to complete her part. Without communication by her, I could not give her a positive review. With love, Paulina Beautovia

2012-09-05T12:19:00.001-07:00

PERFORMANCE MANAGMENT Dated: 9-5-12

This is a new Blog for this course in performance management. My assignment is to create or begin a new blog for this class. I have decided to continue with an existing Blog and here it is. With love and blessings from the universe to you. Paulina Beautovia

Unit 7 Response to Data Management and Ethics

2012-04-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

Unit 7 Response to Data Management and Ethics

How would I handle being asked to be unethical by manipulating data? Well, this happened to me in my present position with a slight tweaking of the circumstances.

Here is my story. I worked for an attorney who the secretaries called “Evil Spawn”. I was not told about this attorney until my first day of employment. It was as if management was hiding something from me and this alone is not ethical or at least this is not good business practices and as a prior manager, I would not practice this form of deceptive management. However, I started working for the firm and had several other wonderful attorneys, so I dealt with having one bad one. I worked for this “bad” attorney for about three years, with very little conflict and thought his reputation was ill founded. In year four, his behavior changed and he came into the office less frequently and when he did, he was disorganized, curt in his behavior toward me and began asking me for answers to questions that he as an attorney should have known the answer to and or responded to others instead of me as go between. I could go on and on, rather, I will get to the point. He began to miss hearings and appointments and tried to blame me for not telling him, but I did and had documented when and how I told him (thank goodness). He asked me to cover for him and that “he would scratch my back, if I would scratch his.” I told him no, that I would not do this and that it was unethical for him as an attorney, nor was it ethical for me as a professional secretary and as you might imagine, he tried to retaliate against me. I refused to cover for him and told my boss that something was wrong with him and I suspected drug use or that medically he was ill.

One day, I called him at home because the court called me asking for him at a very important court appearance. He was at home sleeping and the client was waiting at the court for him. Bad, really bad.... He asked me to cover for this missed appearance and lie to the client and I couldn’t do this. Regardless of how I feel about my firm, of which I have shared about before, I had to protect its name, myself, the other attorneys in our firm, and of course we didn’t want to lose the client. This attorney was lying to the client and the client reported this to the manager. It was a very bad situation. This attorney also wanted me to sign his name on declarations under the penalty of perjury.

I was very worried that because he is an attorney and has much more clout and power then I do as a secretary that somehow he would manipulate the situations that had occurred and I would be held accountable. This occurs quite frequently in other firms I am sad to say.

My boss protected me from his retaliation and his employment with my firm was terminated.

If the situation was with a co-worker, it would depend on the situation; however, if asked to change or modify information or data, no I wouldn’t do that. I am not a saint, but don’t put me in a position that jeopardizes my job. This is an extreme form of selfishness.

Metrics-Blog 2 BUILDING TRUST

2012-04-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

In this Blog assignment, I want to look at trust and how it is very much integrated into the employment relationship. My first thought was what is trust...what is it really? I looked at Silzer and Dowell (2010) and read about trust, which is that trust "...must be real, pervasive and here and now" and that it is the foundation of the employment relationship (p. 133). Our stakeholders need to know that our agenda, whatever it is, is focused on the health and welfare of the corporation. No matter what our role is for our organization, the relationship that we have with those in charge and each other has to be based on our credibility and of course trust because we will be given confidences and we could be privy to confidential information (p. 727). "Without trust, you get shut out of critical discussions..." (p. 740). So, how do we build this trust? First is credibility and as I have mentioned before, speak their language. Know what I am talking about, speak clearly, get to the point, speak confidently and openly and if "...organizations do not know what difference their training makes," I had better know how and why my recommendations are going to make a difference (Griffin, 2010, p. 3).

I can also build trust by regular and/or frequent communication with those I am reporting to and give them measurable progress. What also comes to mind is that many stakeholders are men, or at least many of them are in my field and they don’t have time for indecision. As a woman, this means that I present my ideas, get to the point, have suggestions for solving the challenges that I present and ask for their input. This relationship of trust is built over time and by experiences. To overcome distrust, maybe it would be good to talk about the distrust instead of avoiding the topic. Start with little projects and build from there. Maybe mistrust will always be there because HR is seen as a “different kind of animal,” however, this is where persistence is important. Some stakeholders will be willing to trust and those relationships can be built as we work on building our relationships with managers and others.

Resources

Griffin, R. P. (2010). Means and ends: Effective training evaluation. Industrial and Commercial Training, 42(4), 220-225. doi:10.1108/00197851011048582

Silzer, R., & Dowell, B. E. (Eds.). (2010). Strategy-driven talent management: A leadership imperative. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Metrics-Blog 1

2012-03-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

I have been asked to assess whether HR is getting a “seat at the table” as strategic partner. If I use my company as an example, or my chosen company for research, Estee Lauder, I would say no. I see my HR as a transactional department; one that administers benefits, employee orientations and manages our anti-harassment/discrimination policies. I think that I am selling my HR department short and until I interview an HR employee, I won’t really know what their roles are. However, with this being said, it appears that my HR is a silent department. It is possible as Becker, Huselid and Ulrich (2007) state, that there is a great deal of frustration between departments and a lack of communication (p. 10-11). I think that HR, as it evolves, will need be more then it is. Companies are demanding more of their employees and you know, why wouldn’t HR want to grow? One of the problems is that those that want to grow strategically, don’t know how or don’t know how to talk to stakeholders.

In my master’s classes at Walden University, I know that I am being asked to look at HR from a broader prospective and I am glad for this. HR, to remain a viable unit in any organization needs to align itself as strategic partner, yet until there are those that understand this change, HR will not grow.

Historically, HR has been staffed with women, like my field is. Women working for men in support position. In my field, no matter how much education we have or experience, there are many attorneys that cannot look at their assistant as an integral part of their team. It is frustrating!

Resource

Becker, B., Huselid, M., & Ulrich, D. (2001). The HR Scorecard: Linking People, Strategy. Boston, MA. Harvard Business School Press.

Unit 8 Tuckman stages

2012-02-22T20:07:00.002-08:00

I am a member of group C and we had two group assignments to complete. One of our group members really took the lead in both assignments and I appreciate her taking the lead and mapping it all out for us. I had been thinking about doing it, but I decided to wait and see what would happen. Several of us got to work on our projects right away and others came in a day or two later. In the first assignment, I went with the flow and with the second, I wanted to check in with everyone early, just to connect. I got a response and felt connected. I am not sure that others feel connected, but also because there was no communication about the stages or where we are at and we haven’t processed our experiences, I don’t know.

I think that we are still in the forming stage. Working at getting to know each other, yet with these assignments, we are developing interdependence on each other.

In the first assignment, we were told that our project was good but had too many words, etc. Our grade was good, and the group member that prepared it felt bad that our grade went down. I don’t know what others said to him, but he apologized for this. During the second assignment, he gave us clear specific instructions for submitting our portions.

However, with all of this being said, I think that I have just entered the storming phase. As I said, I selected my topics early and they were confirmed by the group leader. As I was submitting my assignments to the person that was to prepare the power point presentation, I noticed that another group member, who got his assignments much later than I did, TOOK MY SECOND TOPIC. I email him right away and told him that he took my topic. This is the kind of thing that happens when we are under stress and know that the course is coming to an end or are in a hurry. However, I feel scared and angry because I don’t have the time to do another topic. Plus, I usually back down and am a people pleaser. Not this time, I did my part. I have earned an evening off to watch Twilight. Now I am stressed....

Update on 2-23-12: The team member that took my assignment has done another, which decrease my stress. I over reacted and he was gracious and apologized for his error. So, I have exited the storming phase and am back to working confidently and patiently with all.

Love Paulina Beautovia

Unit 6 Outsourcing

2012-02-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

My task for this blog, is to examine outsourcing, the pros and cons of using this platform.

Outsourcing is designed to:

1. To lower operating costs.
2. Allows HR to focus on complex areas such as strategy and talent.
3. Help the company adjust to the demands of corporate downsizing.
4. Assist HR, when there is not enough talent to carry out traditional HR tasks.
5. Companies want to outsource payroll due to the complexity of these kinds of tasks.
6. Assist HR, when there is no legal expertise when developing handbooks, contracts, sexual harassment policies, etc.

Stackpole (2006-2008) says that any task that involves employee knowledge should not be outsourced to outside vendors because they do not have the intimate knowledge of the business and its employees. Outside vendors have a specialty and singular focus, such as payroll, 401K retirement plans but not the company as a whole (p. 2). The current trend is to outsource as a cost reduction measure, so that HR can shift their focus from transactional tasks to complex corporate matters such as talent management and strategy. Traditional tasks include benefit packages, administration, payroll and even word processing functions. However, with that being said, employee satisfaction needs to be considered when using inadequate or poorly prepared companies for outsourceing.

As an example, our entire IT department was let go and the function of the help desk and systems management department was outsourced; employees taking their experience with them. There was a reorganization of those in leadership positions that remained, so in this way, not “everyone” was let go. A company was hired as an external help desk for us and this is where the problems began. Besides letting go and the sadness of saying farewell to well established relationships, the new technicians had not worked internally at our company, nor did they understand the software systems of our legal department. It was a very difficult transition for them and for us. It took about six months for the adjustment and now when we call the helpdesk, most of us can get the help we need when experiencing computer issues.

I am sure that my company saved money by outsourcing and not having to pay salaries, and expensive benefit packages, however, those that were let go took so much experience with them. In addition, the soft cost of employee frustration was seen as a small price to pay for the organizational savings. I think that outsourcing is good and is also a way to link a company with the community and outside businesses, because you never know when a link to the pipeline will be needed, but it must be used judicially and not as a catch all to replace experienced employees or an easy way to save money.

Resource

Stackpole, B. (2006-2008). HR functions: In-House or Outsource It? TalentPool Company. Retrieved from Http://www.talentpool.ru/ed/text/info/hr_funtion_in_house_or_outsource_it

Unit 4 Blog HR

2012-01-26T12:38:00.000-08:00

My Professor asked me if I believe that leadership development should be primarily a human resource function.

My answer to this is no. Why is my answer a resounding no? Because if human resources has total responsibility for leadership training and development, they will not be acting as part of a team, which could translate into a disconnect if there is a lack of communication when interacting with other organizational teams; separate does not mean that it will be better. As I see it, the problem with isolated responsibility is that it will operate in a vacuum. Whether a team will share information with other teams is in question here. I picture the best practices team as being made up of senior leaders, middle managers and line managers, human resources and others who have formed one unit and have a common goal, which is the present and future success of the company. Human resources, as talent managers have key roles, but are only a portion of what is needed and share a portion of the successes or failures that a company experiences. These failures or mistakes, and successes are not the “fault” of one person or group; it is usually a combination of processes that when critically evaluated, determine what happened. If one department has the weight of the future on its shoulders, this would be too much to carry. Also, if the responsibility is given to several, it is shared by all because collectively the “all” can do more than just one person.

Case in point: Recently, I heard a speech that talked about changing the status quo. It was about new ideas and he gave several specific ideas on how to go about making those changes. It was a grand speech at best and very inspiring. Whether I agree or disagree with the changes that were suggested, is immaterial to this post. What is important as I listened, is what I observed and thought about. What I observed in those that were listening was negative body language, which for me translates into resistance to trying something new. I began to think about our class in leadership development and what it might take to get the CEO and others to look at new ideas that challenge the old ways. If one person suggests change, that can be discounted, but when teams suggest change, there is more power in that suggestion. One person, with the best of ideas is only one person. However, I must challenge myself here, because in history, one person, did make a difference and that is Dr. Martin Luther King. He suggested a new way of thinking, and it was met with resistance, however, those that embraced his ideas, collectively helped change our country for the better.

To bring this post back to human resources as the primary leadership development, I think that it must be a team effort. Silzer and Dowell (2010), when discussing competencies, say that it is the “organizational processes” that create the most comprehensive experiences when building leadership programs (p. 324). Comprehensive means all-inclusive where many parts are included together to make something happen.

Reference
Silzer, R., & Dowell, B. E. (Eds.). (2010). Strategy-driven talent management: A leadership imperative. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Forever, Paulina Beautovia

Unit 3 side note

2012-01-19T19:28:00.000-08:00

I was reading Chapter 6 in our text about change and how it is imperative that our leaders communicate the business strategy to other leaders so that they can communicate what they know to their employees. If our leaders are only superficially invested in the company's success or have self centered ambition, critical information is will not passed on.
Second point that I want to discuss here is what happens when leaders are so embedded with other leaders that they collude and protect each other? This may be a bigger problem than the lack of corporate communication. In my last firm, those that were "in charge" had been with the company for at least 20 years and had 'grown" and supported each other over years of practicing law. One of the attorneys got promoted and even though she was a good lawyer, she was a horrible manager. Several reported her poor management skills, inaccurate performance reviews, favoritism and when one gal became courageous, she went outside of the chain of command and reported her. What happened is that this manager was asked to step down and the gal that reported her was given a severance package and signed a separation agreement. I had reported her as well when I was there, but I reported her to her manager and nothing was done.
Lastly, a very important thing to have, when developing talent, is an independent hot line or drop box that can be used to give suggestions or if there are problems, to report them. Love Paulina Beautovia.

Talent Managment Unit 2

2012-01-11T20:32:00.000-08:00

Referrals: An employee referral can be a good source of gaining talent, however, not always. At face value, this method seems an inexpensive and less stressful way to get new employees and the employee that refers, is referring a friend or past co-worker, so this can be a reliable reference, but again, not always.

Case in fact: I changed jobs. My new manager asked if I knew of anyone who was looking for a legal secretary position, as they had an opening. I contacted someone that I respected and asked her if she wanted to apply. Now, I was new to this firm and it was a completely different type of law that was practiced there and secondly, the culture was like a dry desert as compared to the firm she was at, however, she interviewed and got the job. She hated it from the start and her attorney was not happy with her performance either. My manager came to me and indirectly held me accountable for this hire. Whether it was right or wrong for her to do this, I felt bad and had to watch my friend, get written up basically terminated. Guess what? I will never do this again because it is just not worth it.

Another story, case in fact: About seven years ago, I worked in a law firm and managed two offices. I was looking for a receptionist. My sister had a best friend who was looking for work. I interviewed the gal and hired her, as she was intelligent and had great potential. Unfortunately, this hire fought with the other employees and told my sister, who of course told me. If she was mad at me for giving her a poor performance review, I heard about it from my sister. Her performance was so substandard that I had to terminate her employment with us and even though my sister understood, it was a very unfortunate situation for all. Hiring a previous colleague is just too uncomfortable based on having a prior relationship or connections with the referral. I have tried this twice, without success.

Bias toward the Unemployed: After reading an article about the unemployed, there is a belief that the unemployed are discriminated against by prospective employers who say that if a person is unemployed than maybe they are unemployable. With this being said, “[T]he basic flaw is this simple assumption: Companies never terminate qualified people. This just isn’t the case when companies are letting people go by the tens of thousands” Smith (2011). This bias exists among employers, regardless of the reality of the recession and the high unemployment rate. Personal and professional biases must be confronted before any interviews are conducted, otherwise we could miss a great hire. Acting on false assumptions is a missed opportunity and an act of prejudice against this group. Continuing education for human resources and or those involved in the interview process is needed; classes and education in workplace biases in employment hiring practices.

New Entrants: People that are entering the workplace are sometimes seen as inexperienced. In my office, those that have passed the bar and are newly appointed attorneys, are inexperienced in the practice of law. They are mentored by seasoned attorneys and their best buddy is their legal secretary, who knows procedure. Remember Della Street, the legal secretary that assisted Perry Mason on television? Well, most seasoned secretaries are like her and a new attorney, if he or she is smart, will cling to their secretary for assistance.

When looking for candidates, I would like to look for talent in the local colleges or even from paralegal internship programs or college graduates depending on the position, or those getting out of high school that will work while going to college. A new entrant could be a young mother who is entering the work force; it just depends on the position that needs to be filled.

Currently Employed: These workers are seen as vibrant and employable unless they have extensive jobs on their resumes, which could mean a lack of job stability or frequent layoffs. Case in point: I know a well-educated, very likeable woman, who has a great resume, however, she has been laid-off repeatedly, so much so, that I started to wonder about her. A human resource manager that I know said that when lay-offs occur, a lay-off could be seen as a “freebee” or not having to terminate a difficult employee. Now legally, there are boundaries, but I am sure that lay-offs are used to eliminate those that are costly to the company. When interviewing, I would want to know why they are changing jobs at this time and why so many positions within a short period of time. To note: with a poor economy, many employees want stability and even though change can be good, it can be suspect.

Talent can be found via social networks, a referral from a current employee, recruiters, Craigslist, word of mouth, colleges, etc. I have a recruiter call me frequently wanting to know if I am ready to change jobs. I say to her, “what do you have?” and we talk.

Reference

Smith, S., (2011, August 25). The Myths about Hiring the Unemployed. HR Examiner. Retrieved from http://www.hrexaminer.com/three-myths-about-hiring-the-unemployed

Talent Management

2012-01-06T09:40:00.000-08:00

Hi All: I am in my second course at Walden. The program is really good and I am excited and encouraged about what is ahead of me. The holidays are over and it seems like a blur already and today is January 6th. How did that happen?

One of my goals in 2012, is to find a position in HR. I am uncertain on how to accomplish this and sort of afraid as well due to the unstable economy, but this is what I want. I am also open to law office management, so let the unfolding of 2012 begin.

My dream job would be to work for a cosmetics giant in their HR dept. Love Paulina Beautovia.

MHRM 6100 Week 8

2011-12-20T20:19:00.000-08:00

I updated my Linkedin and Twitter accounts and when I had time, explored both sites. I updated my resume because one of my goals for 2012, is to get back into managing and/or HR. I have been at my company for six years and even though I don’t like the “culture,” this position has temporally met my needs both emotionally and intellectually. It is time to update my resume and begin the process of revamping myself. I will look at my wardrobe and shoes; get my hair cut and just look more professional, which is good for my self-confidence. (Side note here.)

Also, both websites are educational in and of themselves and for those of us that are not used to social networking, opening up accounts and navigating inside he sites is good practice for updating our computer skills and a step at beginning to social network.

Over the last eight weeks, we have been team building and comparing our progress against Tuckman’s model for team development.

I knew this week was coming....and I feel emotional as I write this. For me, I am in Tuckman’s last stage, which is the adjourning stage. (Chapman, 1995) states that this stage was added by Tuckman in approximately 1975. He added this stage as an “adjourning or mourning” stage. It is a final stage where the team has completed its collective goal and is ending its bond; a bond created since the beginning of the class. Team bonding will start fresh with the next course; however, if the same students that are in this course are in the next, we will have a very short forming phase. Based on what I have seen so far in my classmates discussion responses, most if not all students, including me, are very excited with our program at Walden.

I was able to apply Tuckman’s model for team development to our virtual team, but it was, a somewhat, hazy exercise for me to do. I assumed our class was in a particular phase because this virtual experience is not based on actually meeting and talking with people, and I never asked any of my teammates what they thought about our team.

I was thinking the following and wanted to write this down: what if I could not speak or hear, but had the written word as my only communication? I would have words that I could read and understand and reply to, like e-mails, discussion posts or blogs. I could communicate with some of my senses, but not my sense of hearing. This form of learning could work for someone with a disability verses sitting in a class if a person cannot hear or has lost sight. This virtual learning environment is the future for those that cannot be in a regular classroom.

Continuing with Tuckman’s team building; the forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning are all needed for a team to form, bond, produce and resolve. If one aspect of the team is not there, then it is possible that the team will not perform at its best and may fail. I think that our team continues to be built and this class was the first building block for all of our classes to come.

With that being said, I feel sad as I write this because in some ways I do not want this class to end because I have enjoyed it very much.

Love Paulina Beautovia

What stage of the Tuckman are we in?

2011-12-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

In examining my virtual learning environment, when compared against the Tuckman Team Stage Development model, I believe that we are in various phases of development. To be more specific, some of us are in the forming phase, where we continue to be focused on our professor, still learning the "rules" of being a student at Walden University. Chapman (2001-2009) Some of us are working at establishing ourselves, focusing of the goal of completing each week's discussion board (DB), writing the application assignments and getting good grades (p. 2). There are a few of us who see these assignments as fun and enjoy sharing with others on the DB, in this being the norming phase of Tuckman's team development. (p. 2) Lastly, Tuckman's stage 4 is all about performance. As we learn, we understand and grow. We are working toward a goal of competing this course at the end of week 8, yet are enjoying the journey along the way.

I must say that I can see myself in all of the phases that I have described above. I look to the professor for direction and approval; I am still learning the rules and have challenged them too. I answer my assignments on the DB and then fear that someone else has done a better job then I have and besides all of that emotional up and down, I really enjoy what I am learning.

Reference

Chapman, A. (2001-2009) tuckman forming storming norming performing model. Retrieved from http://www.businessballs.com/tuckmanformingstormingnormingperforming.htm.

Always, Paulina Beautovia.

My thoughts for this day, 12-8-11

2011-12-08T16:43:00.000-08:00

Hi Blog... I am looking forward to Christmas and relaxing some. I hope to go to church with my mom on Christmas eve. My husband is in good humor and our son is growing up to be a really interesting and intelligent man. We have 2 dogs as well and my husband will take them to the doggie barbershop next week.
There are many things I wish for but what I have is enough for me. I am enjoying my first master's class in HR and I am excited about what is next.
I have a blog assignment this week and will do this tonight. What stage is my group in using Tuckman's phases. Got to go, Love Paulina Beautovia.

Blog Post #4

2011-11-26T11:45:00.000-08:00

I updated my resume and personal data on Linkedin.com. I also did a search for fictitious employment positions on this site to see what types of responses I would get. I would use Linkedin for employment opportunities. I also have a Facebook account for my social relationships, but I do not believe that I will find employment opportunities on this site. This may be a negative assumption on my part, as I have not tried it for employment purposes. I have just begun instant messaging at work. I think that I have touched on what is available to me as far as networking opportunities.

To answer the last part of the blog question about Tuckman’s Team Stage Development, Tuckman describes the stages that teams go through, and states there are four stages for team development. Those stages are forming; storming; norming and performing. (Chapman 1999)

The “forming” stage focuses on the leader as teacher, director and mentor; as one who will give the goals for the team and who acts as a liaison to those in positions superior to the leader. The second stage is called “storming,” where there is conflict between the team members who try and vie for the leadership position in the team. One or more want to dominate the group. The leader will be challenged by team members. It is a time for power struggles. Stage three is a time of “norming,” where the team works together and there is less of a power struggle. Stage four has a “shared vision,” where group goals are being achieved. Tuckman added a fifth stage in the 1970s, called the “adjourning” phase, where group members resolve any residual issues; where goals have been met and the team partnership ends. (p. 1-8)

What stage is my virtual learning team in now? I think that we are in the first phase or forming stage. This is our first virtual class on our journey to obtain a Master’s in Human Resources at Walden University. Our Professor, as leader, gives direction, and acts as mentor, teacher and leader of the team. Since this is our first class, or at least my first class, our leader sets the norms for all of our studies at Walden University. She teaches us how to take our courses and format our papers using APA guidelines for many courses yet to come. I do not know if there is time for the second or third phase in this eight week course. There will be some form of Tuckman’s fifth phase, as we meet our goals at the end this eight week class.

Reference

Chapman, A. (1999-2011) Bruce Tuckman’s 1965 Forming Storming Norming Performing team-development model. Retrieved from http://www.businessballs.com

Tuesday, November 22nd

2011-11-22T12:47:00.000-08:00

Hi all. We are in week four of our class and I am learning about companies that use force ranking, which is a way to determine who the top, middle and bottom performers are in a company. Employee evaluations are necessary and part of best practices and those that are not performing should be identified and counseled and if there in little or no improvement in performance, let go. However, ranking people against each other and using this strategy to manipulate and eliminate the selected bottom 10% of performers, is just wrong. As a manager, I could have played favorites and manipulated my figures, but I didn't. What I really disliked from my last company was the political maneuvering that took place and the lies and manipulation. If my manager didn't like someone, they were doomed at that company. If I worked in HR for a company that did force ranking, I would either support it or not. If I didn't, what would I do? Could I work for a company that goes against my values?

Amost Friday

2011-11-17T20:35:00.000-08:00

Hi All: I am tired tonight, but thought I would write on my blog to document what I think and feel. I am feeling a little pressure because of the upcoming holiday, but tomorrow I will write out my list for what to buy for Turkey Day. Every year it all comes into place and all is done and the food is great and we all celebrate the season. I bought a red dress for the holiday and hope it fits. I put it in the closet and will try it on when I have the time and when I am alone. I enjoy my moments of privacy. Getting back to what I was saying...I enjoy the holidays and yet feel emotional at the same time. Today I was remembering when I was 17yo and had my first real young adult relationship. He was volunteering at a local hospital and I went to visit him. I was so glad to see him and when he was off work, he took me up to the top floor in a conference room (if I remember), and we looked out at the entire city at night. It was so beautiful and we were really in love. Many years have passed and I still remember him and that time we shared. We were best friends too. So, when this time of year comes around, I think of him. more than usual. We are both married other people and have grown kids and he has grand kids, but we had a special time together and I am glad of this.
I also like this time of year, for how it feels. I can't explain it other than it is a special warm feeling that smells like cloves and cinnamon and garlic and onions and love.

Sunday, another day closer to Thanksgiving

2011-11-13T11:32:00.000-08:00

Hi All my most devoted fans. I am enjoying my studies at Walden and I am very grateful to be here in this environment, in this HR program. I realize that this is the first of many courses but already I am learning and growing. I have new words that describe how I view my work environment and my understanding of HR. I am learning more about the dynamics of corporate structure and the strengths and weaknesses of our leaders and cultures are created. One of my most puzzling questions is if a culture is oppressive, how there be such longevity with employee retention within a company? I don't have answers for this yet, but will. If I was in a HR department of a company and could get approval, I would like to develop an employee survey to assess culture. What a great tool this would be to help HR understand the culture, while also working with management to improve performance/productivity and of course the bottom line. Could I be brave enough to discuss problems with a negative culture with "the top guy"?

Paulina Beautiovia: Bravo Paulina

2011-11-11T14:54:00.001-08:00

Paulina Beautiovia: Bravo Paulina

Bravo Paulina

2011-11-11T14:54:00.000-08:00

Hi All: This week I have had an epiphany about HR. I always viewed HR as a separate department and not as a member of a community or even part of the business strategy department. I just didn't know. I was a manager of two legal offices and had a relationship with HR, but this class is opening my eyes and I must say I am impressed. I like the idea of learning what my business goals are and being a credible activist for both the business and its employees. As a manager I gave my opinion and one of my strong points was my ability to assess employee needs and to help them succeed. I hope that I can obtain a position in HR in 2012 and this is one of my goals. Bravo Paulina

My frustration

2011-11-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

Hi All: I am frustrated as I read about human capital. At first I was offended by the term, but of course I had an assumption about what it meant. I now understand that the investment in an employee is a form of capital or time and money invested growing a person in the company. Investing in education and training, etc. For the past few years I have grown uneasy with how employees are treated at my company. Some say that the secretary at my work has a status that is a little higher then the binders because both the employee and the supplies are a cost to the company. Attorneys are an income/money maker for the company. I suggested during a meeting with the head (when he asked what the company could do to "make it better), that an investment in education for the secretary is needed. Some form of tuition reimbursement would be great. He said to me "why would we want to do this, when all you will do is get educated and leave?" I didn't know what to say to such an ignorant statement. Investing in human capital encourages loyalty and having an educated workforce is paramount in today's society. I now have a name to what I want...investment in human capital. I want to work for a company that invests in its people and I want to help make that happen.