Monday, November 16, 2009
Final Reflections
I must say, in the beginning when we started blogging i was kinda worried. That i might not be suitable for all this blogging, but after all the blogging post that I have done. I realized blogging is actually kinda fun and interesting. I must say even after the class is over i might continue to blog about certain things that fulfill my interest. I understand why so many people like to blog, it gives you a chance to express your ideas on subject and let the public and rest of the world know how you really feel about an issue. Some individuals even get paid, big bucks to blog which has to be nice. In end i must say, i hope i get an A out of this class. This whole class has been a wonderfully and learning experience. From the many reading assignments to all the project and books. Peaks and Valleys is a top ten book in my booklist club.. Maybe if i blog long enough I can have a book club that has a big following like Oprah`s book club. But i must admit say in the end, i`m glad to have had the opportunity to learn from a great professor. Until the next blog, "keep ya head up and Always believe in God"
PowerPoint (Final Project)
I must say, after finishing the powerpoint assignment. I feel my skills working with powerpoint have been enhanced. I have learned how to do more with the program then just the regular basis which is just make slides. I`ve learned how to enhance my slides and add different things to my slides to make them more attractive and flashy. This is one powerpoint project assignment that i won`t forget about. But in the end, i`m glad that I completed the assignment and had the opportunity to do it. Especially since I have gained more experience from it.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Revised - Blogging Is Different
I must admit that blogging is a whole new world to me. Don't get me wrong I'm used to going to websites and giving my opinion on subjects, but when it comes to updating something that comes from your idea and thoughts, this is something completely different. I'm just thankful we have a professor who we can get in touch with. When I first started blogging, I was blogging at two different URL addresses, so in return I knew something was wrong. Thankfully, after discussing the problem with Dr.Roberts, she helped me get the situation taken care of.
Revised - Review: Peaks and Valleys
Ever so often I read a book that makes me step back and analyze my current situation. In my opinion, this book is timeless. I wish I had been given the chance to read this book a year ago when I was in my undergraduate program. It would have been perfect for the times when I felt complacent and thought my valley was endless.
The book was about a young man who wondered if his life could be better. He lived in a valley and did not like the way his life had been going or treating him. Everyday he wondered if the peak he dreamed of climbing would be better then his current valley. After venturing to the peak, he ran into an old man who spoke with him about his problems with work, family, friends, and the girl he cared for. Before the old man bestowed his knowledge of peaks and valleys upon the young man, he made him promise that if it was helpful to him he would share the knowledge with others.
Without giving away the whole plot, the young man learned about the peak and valleys methods from the old man so that he could apply it to his life. After learning the methods, he still ventured back into his valley. The methods worked, but his peak ended abruptly leaving the young man in a valley. He wondered what he was doing wrong, so he traveled back to see the old man. This time he kept a notebook with him to document everything he learned. The old man welcomed him with open arms and bestowed more wisdom on him.
The young man wondered what it looked like at the even higher peak in the distance. So, he set out to scale it. After this, the young man applied everything he learned to his life in the valley. He later became successful by managing his good times wisely. The young man eventually took the place of the old man, and spread his knowledge of peaks and valleys to the young lady who was mentioned in the prelude. She in return shared with the young man who was also from the prelude of the book, and the cycle continued spreading as he told others.
After reading this book, I must say the author did a substantial job in developing the theme and storyline. He was also creative in his establishment of the prelude with the man and women conversing in the coffee shop. This well-organized prelude helped to setup the main theme. When it comes to understanding the author’s intent for this book, I believe it was written to help individuals who feel the trials and tribulations they go through can be overcome. It is all about how you look at the situations you are in as well as how you prepare for them. I relate to the quote, “You change your Valley into a Peak, when you find and use the good, that is hidden in the bad time” in a personal way. After hurricane Katrina hit my life changed forever. My family lost everything, and all that remained was the frame of our house. This showed me that anything you work for could be taken away in the blink of an eye. Yet, adversity made me stronger, because I realized that I needed to cherish my life and follow my dreams. After this disaster, I have never taken anything for granted. This difficult time is something I will always remember. Though my family has now rebuilt our house, I will always remember all the hard work that had to be contributed. The other parable I relate to is “The path out of the Valley appears, when you choose to see things differently.” After graduation I applied to a couple of graduate programs. Each school I applied to complimented my GPA, my letters of recommendation, and my resume. The resume showcased different aspects of the business field in which I had experience, and by getting an MBA degree my chances to achieve success later in life would increase. My package was flawless with the exception of my GMAT score. Without much preparation, I took the test and did not score incredibly well. I enlisted a tutor and studied harder for the next test. While I performed better than the first time, I still did not reach my high expectation. At this point, schools that had constantly kept me informed via email stop returning my emails. I asked every graduate advisor what I could do to raise my score. I continued to get the answer “study more”. Then my valley turned into a peak. While talking to a childhood friend, she mentioned that a graduate faculty member suggested she attend a Kaplan class. She later informed me that Kaplan taught GMAT classes. After researching the class and realizing the expenses, I made the decision to enroll. I took out the necessary amount out of my savings to sign up for the course knowing it would help me reach my goal, and it did.
Reading this intuitive book was an eye opening experience. It makes one realize the situations that he’s going through can get better, because it just depends on how you look at it. As I read this book it showed me that the valley I had been going through was in fact not a valley at all. In actuality it was all about how I was looking at the situation. Once I stepped back to look at my situation positively rather than in a negative light my valley turned into a peak.I realized that the valley I was in was not really a setback but a comeback. This in turn helped me to realize, that a certain person was not who I originally thought they were. When I thought about it like this it I became elated. Since I learned and experienced this now rather than later on in the friendship my valley turned into a peak instantly. “You can have fewer bad times when you appreciate and manage your good times wisely.” This statement in my opinion implies to a wide audience that if you stay humble while you are happy and having success then you can better appreciate and manage your good times. Yet, the same way you came into your happiness, your success, and your peak you can lose it just as quickly.
Ultimately, this book was superbly written. The way the author compared normal problems in a person’s life such as work, family, relationships and friends to peaks and valleys led me to believe that the author spent time developing the concept. This book is a success in a variety of categories including writing style methods, themes, creativity, and ability to relate to everyday problems typical people go through. It is a book that could and should be used as a self-help guide for individuals struggling to reach their peaks and overcome their valleys.This book really touched me in a way, because it caused me to self reflect on all the valleys I went through in life. Then, I thought about how many of these I could have turned into peaks. If I had managed “my good times wisely” and if “I had turned my bad times into good times” then the valleys I was in would have turned into peaks.
The book was about a young man who wondered if his life could be better. He lived in a valley and did not like the way his life had been going or treating him. Everyday he wondered if the peak he dreamed of climbing would be better then his current valley. After venturing to the peak, he ran into an old man who spoke with him about his problems with work, family, friends, and the girl he cared for. Before the old man bestowed his knowledge of peaks and valleys upon the young man, he made him promise that if it was helpful to him he would share the knowledge with others.
Without giving away the whole plot, the young man learned about the peak and valleys methods from the old man so that he could apply it to his life. After learning the methods, he still ventured back into his valley. The methods worked, but his peak ended abruptly leaving the young man in a valley. He wondered what he was doing wrong, so he traveled back to see the old man. This time he kept a notebook with him to document everything he learned. The old man welcomed him with open arms and bestowed more wisdom on him.
The young man wondered what it looked like at the even higher peak in the distance. So, he set out to scale it. After this, the young man applied everything he learned to his life in the valley. He later became successful by managing his good times wisely. The young man eventually took the place of the old man, and spread his knowledge of peaks and valleys to the young lady who was mentioned in the prelude. She in return shared with the young man who was also from the prelude of the book, and the cycle continued spreading as he told others.
After reading this book, I must say the author did a substantial job in developing the theme and storyline. He was also creative in his establishment of the prelude with the man and women conversing in the coffee shop. This well-organized prelude helped to setup the main theme. When it comes to understanding the author’s intent for this book, I believe it was written to help individuals who feel the trials and tribulations they go through can be overcome. It is all about how you look at the situations you are in as well as how you prepare for them. I relate to the quote, “You change your Valley into a Peak, when you find and use the good, that is hidden in the bad time” in a personal way. After hurricane Katrina hit my life changed forever. My family lost everything, and all that remained was the frame of our house. This showed me that anything you work for could be taken away in the blink of an eye. Yet, adversity made me stronger, because I realized that I needed to cherish my life and follow my dreams. After this disaster, I have never taken anything for granted. This difficult time is something I will always remember. Though my family has now rebuilt our house, I will always remember all the hard work that had to be contributed. The other parable I relate to is “The path out of the Valley appears, when you choose to see things differently.” After graduation I applied to a couple of graduate programs. Each school I applied to complimented my GPA, my letters of recommendation, and my resume. The resume showcased different aspects of the business field in which I had experience, and by getting an MBA degree my chances to achieve success later in life would increase. My package was flawless with the exception of my GMAT score. Without much preparation, I took the test and did not score incredibly well. I enlisted a tutor and studied harder for the next test. While I performed better than the first time, I still did not reach my high expectation. At this point, schools that had constantly kept me informed via email stop returning my emails. I asked every graduate advisor what I could do to raise my score. I continued to get the answer “study more”. Then my valley turned into a peak. While talking to a childhood friend, she mentioned that a graduate faculty member suggested she attend a Kaplan class. She later informed me that Kaplan taught GMAT classes. After researching the class and realizing the expenses, I made the decision to enroll. I took out the necessary amount out of my savings to sign up for the course knowing it would help me reach my goal, and it did.
Reading this intuitive book was an eye opening experience. It makes one realize the situations that he’s going through can get better, because it just depends on how you look at it. As I read this book it showed me that the valley I had been going through was in fact not a valley at all. In actuality it was all about how I was looking at the situation. Once I stepped back to look at my situation positively rather than in a negative light my valley turned into a peak.I realized that the valley I was in was not really a setback but a comeback. This in turn helped me to realize, that a certain person was not who I originally thought they were. When I thought about it like this it I became elated. Since I learned and experienced this now rather than later on in the friendship my valley turned into a peak instantly. “You can have fewer bad times when you appreciate and manage your good times wisely.” This statement in my opinion implies to a wide audience that if you stay humble while you are happy and having success then you can better appreciate and manage your good times. Yet, the same way you came into your happiness, your success, and your peak you can lose it just as quickly.
Ultimately, this book was superbly written. The way the author compared normal problems in a person’s life such as work, family, relationships and friends to peaks and valleys led me to believe that the author spent time developing the concept. This book is a success in a variety of categories including writing style methods, themes, creativity, and ability to relate to everyday problems typical people go through. It is a book that could and should be used as a self-help guide for individuals struggling to reach their peaks and overcome their valleys.This book really touched me in a way, because it caused me to self reflect on all the valleys I went through in life. Then, I thought about how many of these I could have turned into peaks. If I had managed “my good times wisely” and if “I had turned my bad times into good times” then the valleys I was in would have turned into peaks.
Revised - Jerry Maguire: My Analysis
“Fewer clients. Less Money.” In a business arena this statement is taboo, especially in the world of a sports agent. But in the 1996 film Jerry Maguire, this statement served as the premise for all business conclusions drawn by sports agent Jerry Maguire, played by Tom Cruise. Before reaching this point in the plot, Jerry Maguire was a typical money hungry businessman who had overwhelmed himself with numerous clients making it impossible to insert quality into his career. It was at the point of an epiphany that he realized the kind of advice he gave to his clients and the quality of the relationships with his clients were more important than the number of clients he had. Maguire worked for a company named SMI: Sports Management International. The trends of the company leaned towards qualities that favored business only – work hard, play hard, and tell the client anything and everything so they will sign with the company. When Maguire reached a point of frustration with these business behaviors he decided to take a step towards change by writing a mission statement outlining a new way of business based on his new sense of morality. After being fired from SMI for publishing his thoughts, the new Jerry Maguire used his leadership skills, values, and behaviors to help him reach his new business objective – to become a successful sports agent with a close, quality relationship with each client.
Leadership skills are an important quality for any businessman to possess as he ventures out on his own. Jerry Maguire’s leadership skills, especially his organizational communication and his ability to sell anything, played a role in helping him achieve his objective. His organizational communication skills allowed him to see through the false images presented to him that would have hindered his success had he not addressed the issues. When his number one client began to make deals with other sports agents, Maguire’s knowledge of communication helped him realize that what he could have taken as a strong word was not a promising aspect at all. The client’s father would not sign a contract with him, but gave him his word. Later they signed with someone else, but Maguire was able to pick up on this information through communication. Maguire’s ability to sell also helped him reach his goal. As a leader in his business, he had acquired the ability to sell his ideas, which helped him to keep a number of people on his team. His only client as a new business man was a football player named Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) who had an egotistical attitude. Despite his arrogance and stubbornness, Maguire needed Tidwell; their individual successes were dependent upon the other’s success. Thus, it was important for Maguire to convince Tidwell to change his personality. It was his ability to sell anything that helped him sell this new image to Tidwell. These are two times when leadership skills helped this business man reach his goal of becoming a success.
Leadership values also play an important role in the business world. Jerry Maguire’s move towards an individual business man came from a spur of the moment change in leadership values. He had developed new morals and ideas that he would use to create a quality business. One of those values was respect. Often times at SMI, Maguire found himself showing little respect to the people who worked with him as business partners and as clients. However, as an individual business man he changed that. Once he began to value his team, he became more and more successful. For example, Dorothy Boyd was the only person who believed in Maguire’s mission at SMI. When she decided to join his team, Maguire made sure that she was respected by him. When she thought things weren’t going so well for the business and wanted to leave, Maguire assured her that the company would take care of her. He showed her great respect because he understood the importance of her to his company, as he did his clients. As a leader, Maguire also valued the motivation that kept him striving to reach his goal. He never once took disregard for the one thing that motivated him the most. He could not fail. If he was to fail as a business man the many eyes that watched him walk out the front door of SMI and watched his every move afterwards, would look at him with false pity and cast a stare of humiliation his way. By valuing his motivation, he was able to bring his team together, make changes for the better of the business, and reach his goal of becoming successful.
Lastly, leadership behaviors influence a businessman’s success greater than anything. Leadership behaviors are the actual actions that the business man takes based on his leadership values and using his leadership skills. In the end the ultimate cause of Jerry Maguire’s success was his behavior. His leadership behaviors were most apparent in the relationships he built. In each relationship, whether with Dorothy Boyd his only co-worker or with Avery Cushman the backstabbing client, he thought not only about what the other person could do for him, but he paid close attention to what it was he could do for that person in order to help them do what he needed them to do. For example, Rod Tidwell, his only client for the majority of the movie, had the ability to make Maguire a complete success. He started off as a wide receiver that nobody paid any attention. For him to have become a star football player would have placed Maguire at the top of the sports agent totem pole. Maguire saw this, however, not as his ticket to fame. He needed to change Tidwell’s attitude, but he didn’t want to do it only for his personal gain. He had built the type of relationship with Tidwell where he wanted to make Tidwell a better person and player, as he did.
Jerry Maguire kept his team together and moving towards ultimately achieving the goal of becoming a successful independent business man in the world of sports agencies by combining his leadership skills and values to create a leadership behavior that had quality. Without these influences, Maguire would not have come out of his situation on top. Dorothy Boyd would not have stayed with him through the hardships had he not built a quality relationship with her. Rod Tidwell would not have respected him had he not treated him as a friend before a client. By choosing to take on fewer clients and less money, Jerry Maguire built a quality career with a reputation that would attract quality clients.
Leadership skills are an important quality for any businessman to possess as he ventures out on his own. Jerry Maguire’s leadership skills, especially his organizational communication and his ability to sell anything, played a role in helping him achieve his objective. His organizational communication skills allowed him to see through the false images presented to him that would have hindered his success had he not addressed the issues. When his number one client began to make deals with other sports agents, Maguire’s knowledge of communication helped him realize that what he could have taken as a strong word was not a promising aspect at all. The client’s father would not sign a contract with him, but gave him his word. Later they signed with someone else, but Maguire was able to pick up on this information through communication. Maguire’s ability to sell also helped him reach his goal. As a leader in his business, he had acquired the ability to sell his ideas, which helped him to keep a number of people on his team. His only client as a new business man was a football player named Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) who had an egotistical attitude. Despite his arrogance and stubbornness, Maguire needed Tidwell; their individual successes were dependent upon the other’s success. Thus, it was important for Maguire to convince Tidwell to change his personality. It was his ability to sell anything that helped him sell this new image to Tidwell. These are two times when leadership skills helped this business man reach his goal of becoming a success.
Leadership values also play an important role in the business world. Jerry Maguire’s move towards an individual business man came from a spur of the moment change in leadership values. He had developed new morals and ideas that he would use to create a quality business. One of those values was respect. Often times at SMI, Maguire found himself showing little respect to the people who worked with him as business partners and as clients. However, as an individual business man he changed that. Once he began to value his team, he became more and more successful. For example, Dorothy Boyd was the only person who believed in Maguire’s mission at SMI. When she decided to join his team, Maguire made sure that she was respected by him. When she thought things weren’t going so well for the business and wanted to leave, Maguire assured her that the company would take care of her. He showed her great respect because he understood the importance of her to his company, as he did his clients. As a leader, Maguire also valued the motivation that kept him striving to reach his goal. He never once took disregard for the one thing that motivated him the most. He could not fail. If he was to fail as a business man the many eyes that watched him walk out the front door of SMI and watched his every move afterwards, would look at him with false pity and cast a stare of humiliation his way. By valuing his motivation, he was able to bring his team together, make changes for the better of the business, and reach his goal of becoming successful.
Lastly, leadership behaviors influence a businessman’s success greater than anything. Leadership behaviors are the actual actions that the business man takes based on his leadership values and using his leadership skills. In the end the ultimate cause of Jerry Maguire’s success was his behavior. His leadership behaviors were most apparent in the relationships he built. In each relationship, whether with Dorothy Boyd his only co-worker or with Avery Cushman the backstabbing client, he thought not only about what the other person could do for him, but he paid close attention to what it was he could do for that person in order to help them do what he needed them to do. For example, Rod Tidwell, his only client for the majority of the movie, had the ability to make Maguire a complete success. He started off as a wide receiver that nobody paid any attention. For him to have become a star football player would have placed Maguire at the top of the sports agent totem pole. Maguire saw this, however, not as his ticket to fame. He needed to change Tidwell’s attitude, but he didn’t want to do it only for his personal gain. He had built the type of relationship with Tidwell where he wanted to make Tidwell a better person and player, as he did.
Jerry Maguire kept his team together and moving towards ultimately achieving the goal of becoming a successful independent business man in the world of sports agencies by combining his leadership skills and values to create a leadership behavior that had quality. Without these influences, Maguire would not have come out of his situation on top. Dorothy Boyd would not have stayed with him through the hardships had he not built a quality relationship with her. Rod Tidwell would not have respected him had he not treated him as a friend before a client. By choosing to take on fewer clients and less money, Jerry Maguire built a quality career with a reputation that would attract quality clients.
Revised Overview of Jerry Maguire
After watching the movie Jerry Maguire, I realize why so many people in the business get confused on what their goals and aspirations are. Money and power can make any individual forget who they once were and turn into something they dont want to be. I sometimes think and believe that when it comes to an atmosphere of money and power, you always need people around you to keep you grounded. Some individuals arent lucky enough to have an epiphany and realize what they have done wrong like Jerry was able to. It takes some years after making bad mistakes and bad moves to realize what they have done wrong.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Overview of Jerry Maguire
After watching the movie, Jerry Maguire it made me realize why so many people in the business get confused on what their goals and aspirations are. Because money and power can make any individual forget who they once were and make them turn into something they dont want to be. I just sometimes think and believe, when it comes to be around money and power you always need people around you to keep you grounded. Some individuals arent lucky enough like jerry to have an epiphany and realize what they have done wrong. It takes some years after bad mistakes and bad moves to realize what they have done wrong.
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