Leadership Assessment and Career Enhancement

SYLLABUS MBA 704 LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT AND CAREER ENHANCEMENT FALL 2010

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." — John Quincy Adams

“I want my identity back. I don't want to be known as the CEO of AOL Time Warner... I'm my own person. I have strong moral convictions. I'm not just a suit. I want poetry back in my life.”- Gerald Levin, former CEO of AOL Time Warner (the world's largest media company)

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION: Professor of Practice: Ronnie S. Grabon Phone (cell): 336-706-1621 Email: [email protected] Office Location: Bryan 375 Office Hours: Mondays 2:00 – 3:15 Tuesdays 5:30 – 6:15 and by appointment

PLACE/TIME: Day Students Monday 3:30 to 6:20 Room 110 Evening Students Tuesday 6:30 to 9:20 Room 110

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Through assessment and feedback, leadership strengths and developmental needs are identified to enhance career strategies and competencies. There are no prerequisites for this course.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of the course students will:  Demonstrate enhanced self-awareness regarding personality, cognitive style, conflict style, interpersonal orientation, and use of leadership skills in the workplace;  Be able to describe the challenges of managing diversity in terms of individual differences in personality, cognitive style, conflict style, & interpersonal orientation;  Be able to develop an individualized career strategy, to include a networking plan;  Be able to identify goals and strategies for managing the next stage of their careers.

E VALUATION AND GRADING: This course will be graded S/U. Criteria for passing:  Attendance - miss no more than 2 classes, make-up work and contact me if you do miss class  Complete all assessment instruments and assignments by due date.  Demonstrate comprehension of assigned readings and contribute to class activities.  Satisfactory grade requires 85% of classes attended, clear classroom contribution, all assessments taken and all assignments completed. Total point score of at least 210 points out of 250 possible.

POLICIES: Attached are links for several important policies: Faculty/Student Guidelines: http://www.uncg.edu/bae/faculty_student_guidelines_sp07.pdf Academic Integrity Policy: http://academicintegrity.uncg.edu/complete/ Inclement Weather: http://www.uncg.edu/cap/commuter/weather.php

ASSIGNMENTS: Most weeks students will submit a short (1 page) ‘reflection’ relating class materials to your life and/or leadership/career situations that you have experienced (you may use examples in current news/politics where you have not encountered similar situations). (10 points each) Sample questions below:  How did this week’s assessment/discussion relate personally to you and your experience? o What ideas did you value, what skills will you try, what questions do you have?  What material or article did you read; include a specific example of how the material applies in an external situation?  Describe a specific leadership challenge and explain how that week’s material relates to the handling of that situation.  Choose a leadership or career blog and relate the materials to the ideas expressed in the blog.

Attend three Bryan Graduate Career Services & Internship Programs or University Career Services events (such as Career Fairs, Schmooza Palooza Networking, Federal Government workshops, etc.) or other local networking events and discuss attendance and learning in weekly reflection paper. (30 points – 10 each)

Read one popular book on leadership or career. Work with a group to make a 15 - 30 minute in-class presentation on the most important ideas in the book, their application in real world settings and the relationship to what we have been discussing in class. Individually, write a 2 page report on the most important ideas and how you will put them into action. (40 points – 20 each for presentation and report)

Goal setting/development plan (30 points)

Cover letter and resume (20 points)

Other assignments as outlined in syllabus and on blackboard

REQUIRED ASSESSMENTS:

Course Materials include: Personal learning journal Book chosen from list or approved by instructor

Course Assessments include: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Materials FIRO–B and Materials Change Style Indicator and PDF on Blackboard CareerLeader Assessment and materials on website Thomas Killman Conflict Instrument

Useful Links

Lists of professional organizations: http://www.uncg.edu/bae/gcs/postings/organizations.html

Lists of local employers: http://www.uncg.edu/bae/gcs/postings/triad.html

Lists of industry online resources: http://www.uncg.edu/bae/gcs/postings/joblinks.html

Online job board: http://www.careershift.com/?sc=uncgbryan

CareerBeam: http://www.uncg.edu/bae/gcs/exploration/login.html

Wall Street JournalManagement/articles: http://online.wsj.com/public/page/management.html

New York Times Corner office: http://projects.nytimes.com/corner-office?scp=1-spot&sq=corner%20office&st=cse

Fast Company Leadership: http://www.fastcompany.com/topics/leadership COURSE OUTLINE

Topic Tools Assignments

Pre-work Create a Linkedin profile, join the LACE group on linkedin, place your Resume and a picture on discussion board (10) Wk. 1 Introductions, peer group coaching Small group 8/22 & 23 Propose model for interpersonal learning – Assessment & lecture growth – assessment/challenge/support Write reflection paper (10) Contact 2 business people and arrange for informational interviews. Focus on career development and business environment. Summarize in 1 -2 pg. paper due 10/23. (10)

Wk. 2 Developing your job hunting toolkit. Review principles of Complete linkedin profile, re- 8/29 & 30 Networking, resumes, references, cover resumes, networking and write resume, upload your letters, e-mails and marketing yourself marketing strategies ‘elevator speech’. (10) Choose book to read – paper due 11/6 (20) Presentations will be spread out starting 10/3 (20)

Wk 3 Networking & Elevator Speech, Networking event Plan to attend 3 career or 9/6 attendance, discuss networking events and write one 6:30 – 9:20 strategies reflection paper on your Speaker: Sam Funchess – experience. Due 11/20 (30) President, Nussbaum Center Combined Diversity/Globalization – Leading in a Reflection paper on class, what Day & World of Difference did you learn, what is important Night about this topic, what other Classes points of view do you think were not represented. (10)

Wk. 4 Values Value card sort Research a company that 9/12 & 13 espouses values important to you. Submit reflection paper that shows evidence. (10) Definition of leadership/ Qualities of a Class Exercise Interview two people, map their leader careers and major life events Update strengths chart Write reflection paper (10)

Wk. 5 Work/life – how do life choices change Discuss homework Write reflection paper (10) 9/19 & 20 career choices and the reverse? The New Career In class exercise – Complete MBTI, FIRO-B work/life vision statements

Wk. 6 MBTI – Personality Type MBTI results, lecture, Read MBTI materials 9/26 & 27 exercises Update strengths chart Find material related to your type. Reflection paper.(10) Wk. 7 FIRO-B – Interpersonal Orientation FIRO results – lecture, Read Firo materials 10/3 & 4 exercises Update strengths chart Write reflection paper (10)

Book Presentations Begin Complete CSI

Wk. 8 CSI - Problem Solving Style Change and learning Read CSI materials 10/17 & tactics results, lecture, Update Strengths Chart 10/18 exercises Write reflection paper (10)

Book Presentation Complete CareerLeader

Wk. 9 Career Leader Instrument – Career Skills Career Leader Update Strengths Chart 10/24 & and Interests Write reflection paper. (10) 10/25 Review business interview papers Small Group Book Presentation

Wk. 10 Goal Setting – Development Plans Form & Lecture Submit draft of developmental 10/31 & Feedback – Giving and Receiving goals. 11/1 Book Presentation

Wk.11 Peer group coaching Small group work Complete Development Plan. 11/7 & 8 Discuss Book Reports (30) Book Presentation Complete Thomas Killman instrument.

Wk. 12 Conflict/Stress/Resilience Instrument and small Reflection paper (10) 11/14 & 15 group work Book Presentation Choose an advertised position that interests you and bring a resume and cover letter targeted to that position. Research websites and develop 5 possible interview questions that you think will be difficult to answer. (10)

Wk. 13 Resumes (redux) and Interviewing Skills Role playing Reflection paper on what you 11/21 & 22 Review networking events Review networking events learned from interviewing practice. (10) Book Presentation

Wk. 14 Wrapping it all up – Reassessing – Discussion Outcomes: increased self- 11/28 & 29 Resetting Goals awareness, improved network, resume, development plan, Final Reflection paper (10) Book Presentation