I am in need of 100 word responses

Help me study for my Writing class. I’m stuck and don’t understand.

Discussion 1

Organizations depend upon qualified talent to be successful. Without it, stakeholders’ needs cannot be met and they fail to grow to cause a negative impact and crippling backlash. (Hobbs, n.d.). A high level of talent leads to positive strategies with preferred outcomes from the company and its employees (Kokemuller, 2019, August 1). Finding such talent demands the dedication of time and effort, but is necessary for achieving and maintaining standards (Ulrich, 2019, October 31).

Talent Management Responsibilities of the Stakeholders

Employees Since employees have always been a vital part of any business and how they profit, the company has a duty to them as Stakeholders. It is a must for employees to have a safe place to work and to have fair labor laws so there is no discrimination in the hiring process or employment (Kokemuller, 2019, August 1). A company’s culture should show the diversity of its employees while showing tolerance and acceptance to everyone. The firm needs to show how much they appreciate their employees. (Kokemuller, 2019, August 1). Without the employee’s skills and knowledge of their jobs and the desire to improve in those areas, the company would suffer financial loss. They must be recognized (Mayhew, n.d.).

Customers of any business are considered stakeholders. An organization will profit when services and goods are enjoyed by the customer. When a firm has competent and skilled employees the customer will reap the rewards of this type of service and will return which will make the company money (Mayhew, n.d.). To put together a deep-seated customer base, those customers will expect a company with integrity that fulfills promises and expectations and allows the customer to experience honest and fair treatment (Kokemuller, 2019, August 1). A business should keep in mind that great customer-employee interactions will reflect well or negatively on a business. Making sure that interaction is a positive one is a powerful statement to customers (Ulrich, 2019, October 31).

Discussion 2

Introduction

In the military we use a popular phrase, “Fake it till you make it.” This refers to the ever-evolving idea of shifting personnel into different duties in order to develop a breadth of experience, and how most people are never trained how to do the job. Take for instance my current position as Resource Advisor. There are actual military careers that focus on the financial aspects of budget analysis. I am an electrician by trade, so I am forced to fake it till I make it, or have the confidence that I know what I am doing until I actually know what I am doing. I bring this up, because a lot is riding on my shoulders when it comes to the Squadron budget. If I fail, the unit fails. In other words, there are a lot of stakeholders invested in my success.

Squadron Commander

As a stakeholder, my Commander often remarks, “Act with the authority that you THINK you have until someone tells you otherwise.” In other words, he uses empowerment to encourage me to take risks, but also trusts that I will be a good steward of unit resources. Additionally, while the Commander expects results, he does not make this a metric of success. By removing that pressure, it allows those in my section to focus on improving programs and refining data. This focus on climate encourages Airmen to invest in themselves and their areas of responsibility. In fact, Hamby (2020) cited a direct reflection of higher rates of profitability where employees report a more positive environment (p. 57). Finally, the position I am currently filling is considered a springboard for promotion. I was chosen for this job based upon performance in my primary duties with the understanding that it will be used to groom me for a higher position. This investment in my talent is a testament to the Commander’s faith in me and the future of the unit. Do not mistake this for vanity. This is simply how it was sold to me. I have no desire to get promoted since I am retiring from the military in a few short years.

Customers

Customers, for the most part, expect an exchange-oriented relationship with my department. They have a need they expect to get filled, and we provide the means to achieve that need. To that end, as stakeholders, customers must provide critical feedback on performance, grasp a limited understanding on how appropriated funding works, and advocate for the most qualified personnel to fill this position, based upon the exchange-oriented relationship and perceived relationship, i.e. willingness to help and empathize with their needs. Leung, Kim and Tse (2020) demonstrate this theory in a study that showed “When consumers perceive a service employee to be warm, they will likely expect that the employee will be cooperative, have other-profitable (rather than self-profitable) intentions, and show genuine concern for consumers’ needs (p. 109).

Conclusion

When viewed separately, each stakeholder has a vested interest in the talent of the person filling the Resource Advisor role. Commander’s empower those members and shape an environment that best encourages engagement. Alternatively, customers expect a level of service and professionalism befitting the position. In both cases, if the member filling the position fails to fulfil the stakeholder’s expectations, he/she can be removed. This is why “Fake it till you make it” is such a fitting phrase for this position.

Discussion 3

The Birkman Method

The Birkman Method is an assessment that will put together an applicant’s behavior using 250 true/false questions and 48 multiple-choice questions. The assessment is designed to show an applicant or employee’s strengths and the way they behave, what motivates them, and how they will respond to stress on different levels. Ultimately, this assessment was intended to help applicants and employees become more self-aware and with the understanding that improving relationships and finally assist with finding their ideal job (Admin, 2020).

The Pros and Cons

A proof using a personality test such as The Birkman Method is these assessments are intended to give the employer and/or applicant a glimpse into the cultural fit that is best for them and finding the right job position that gives them satisfaction and the ability to grow. A con to online assessments such as personality assessments is individuals will answer the question how they think the business wants them to answer or if they think it will make them look better to the employer, instead of answering honestly (Bika, n.d.). Another pro would be this assessment will help the employer put together a career development program for the employee to keep them motivated and moving upwards within the company. A con to this would be the assessment if not used wisely can be seen as unintentionally discriminating against individuals and this could keep them from performing their best (Jang, n.d.). Having the assessments online makes it more convenient and simple for the applicant or employee to get to the assessment, however, the con to that is the time it takes to set aside to complete the assessment can be frustrating (Sandberg, 2014).

What Type of Jobs Would Best be Measured by This Assessment

It would seem that The Birkman Method could be used for any position openings within any company. Some employers that do require an applicant to take this assessment are JP Morgan, Coca-Cola, Shell, AT&T, IBM, Philips, Procter & Gamble, Walmart, Duracell, Chevron, and Goodwill to name a few (WikiJob, 2020, August 11).

Linda Cleven

Discussion 4

The Four Lenses

The Four Lenses personality test claims that it “helps individuals and organizations establish a common language and value system for diverse perspectives and unique talent in the workplace, in the classroom, or simply in life (Shipley, n.d.). I have taken this assessment many times in my career. The biggest gain teams earn from this training is the ability to understand each member’s value system. It can be beneficial when working closely with other people, and helps categorize people by learning style.

How it Works

Every time I have taken the Four Lenses course, it begins with a series of pictures. These pictures depict things like sporting goods, people holding hands, a baby, a dog or cat, etc. Each member scores the picture on a weighted scale on how he/she feels about the picture. For example, when I see a picture of a family enjoying a picnic, I scored it low, but a dog or football I scored high. Based upon the results, each member is categorized into one of four colors. The corresponding color represents your dominant personality. I cannot recall what each color represents, but I remember I was an orange and a gold. Orange was more of a wildcard, and gold was organized. Not sure how that works, but that is what I got.

After each member is categorized, there are team activities that further reinforce each group’s personality, and material designed to help each group empathize and understand the viewpoint of the other groups. It is a fun exercise, but we rarely used it for anything more than an icebreaker for professional development events.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The Four Lenses course claims to offer practitioners the ability to reduce stress and conflict, understand anyone in the world, motivate reluctant people and succeed in your occupation. There are advantages to this system, absolutely, but the claims made on the program website are almost certainly unsubstantiated. I found this system to work best in small team forums where each member is aware of the other’s values (color). When you try to use the system on your own, without prior knowledge of the other person’s information, however, you run the risk of misdiagnosing values, which can work against you. Additionally, it does cost money to use the Four Lenses System. I am sure it is the same with most personality testing, but the cost can distract from the perceived advantage. A final advantage of the Four Lenses test, much like most personality tests is the evidence of a lower turnover rate within firms where employees have similar traits as the rest of the workforce (Bell, 2015).