The Kinds of Questions We’re Asking

• How can I extract the most value to me from the learning process?
• How can I apply what I’m learning about working in a group in taking leadership roles at work?
• How does value extraction happen regionally?
• How can we evaluate what cannot be measured in the traditional sense?
• If I am currently more of a “manager” can I grow into more of a “leader”? In what ways do I want, not want to do this?
• Does Tanasuk effectively align reward structures with strategy?
• Are we rewarding people for growth that benefits the company or for growth in the ability to ask for a raise?
• What are my assumptions about the people I work with, boss, clients, staff, service providers?
• How is this helping me/not helping me to be effective?

Yay for Lancaster for being a program that encourages meta cognition 🙂

and yes, I will work on sharing my thoughts as I try to answer these questions for myself…

Adrenaline

It was exciting to have the adrenaline rush of working on my paper down to the minute yesterday. I think it took me about 8 hours to read, analyze and write my 500 word paper for yesterday, so I better set aside 40 hours for my 2500 word paper due next month…

As always when I turn in a paper I felt that I could have thought more deeply about the topic and I’m looking forward to doing that in my upcoming paper. The topic of the most recent paper was the role of self reflection in leadership development.

I just wrote a long post and accidentally deleted it: arg.

So I’ll recreate it in bullets:

• Tanasuk team structured or boundary-less organization.
• I also like the concept of virtual organizations where almost everything is outsource (I think one of our clients is probably one)
• If organizations are forced to align with institutional standards (for example no one will do business with you unless you have someone with a title like president/ceo) How are Tanasuk and the companies of my classmates being impacted by regional institutional standards?

Since Tanasuk’s client base is mostly in N. America and Europe, it’s quite possible that we are more impacted by western institutional standards…

Comments on the impact of institutional standards welcome!

 

Metacognition

Yes, that was the main focus of discussion today, the first day of the MBA. In order to become Senior Strategic Leaders (sounds fun right 🙂 ) we have to be able to take a step back and analyze why and how we make every decision and take every action. What are we thinking about the information we’re receiving? What do we think about how the information is being presented?

Have we articulated our goals for the MBA program?

Dr Matheny used the analogy of a tread mill. How high will we choose to set the speed of our interaction with the program? Will we focus more on the grade achievement side, or the application side or both?

Aside from my long term MBA goals of being a more well rounded and developed manager who can grow with my company across the region or being part of beginning new ventures (already more of a goal since being in class today), what are my during-the-MBA-goals?

• Apply what I am learning to work situations in constructive ways
• Be able to track effectiveness of my applied ideas
• Make a positive impact on a company through the consulting assignment
• not worry to much about achieving high marks if above are accomplished

Being part of the class also made me think about some weakness that I’d like to work on articulating what I do and what our company does

making sure that work is done well. I feel like this is what I spend my whole life doing: checking work, but I still have this “it’s probably good enough attitude” I think in some ways this is a saving grace, but could also be a down fall.

Tonight’s assignment: Create my own model of management. Explain why this is unique to me. This is a little ridiculous since we spent several hours talking about how there’s nothing new under the sun, or at least not in the last 100 years, at least in terms of management theory, but here’s what I’m thinking:

As a manager, I try to set achievable goals. I work with people/dialogue about what their part in achieving that goal is at the end of the day I try to provide feedback and evaluate together if the goals could be better achieved in the future. I guess I’ll do the classic circle for graphical representation.

New Directions (yes I’m a Glee fan)

For those of you who’ve followed my patchwork blog…get ready for a new direction: I’m beginning an MBA program on Friday and I must keep a journal. So…for the next two years (!) tune in here to find out what I’m learning and thinking about on the MBA side of things. You are forgiven if you have no interest in reading about my MBA!

My goal is that there will still be the occasional  travel/craft/culture/shoes related post.

Scarecrow, Tin Man, Dorothy, Cowardly Lion

So our first writing assignment for the MBA is on, can leadership be learned? I wanted to take the Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz characters as inspiration for my answer in honor of my blog title, but then realized that my journal entry assignment is on a slightly different topic. More on leadership in a later post.

• Why are you doing an MBA and what would you like to gain from the programme?

As faithful readers will know, I’ve been living in Jordan for the past three years and working for Tanasuk Technologies, a software  development firm. I’ve really enjoyed working for a start up coming and would love to be part of the company as it grows and expands into new locations (we have a second office opening in Kenya this winter!) I like creating systems and strategic planning and there is so much I can learn about how to do my job better. I also like that an MBA allows me to stay eclectic and keep my options open…any time I want to start a business in one of my other fields of interest (fashion! food! birth! ruins!) I can transition easily.

• What can you contribute to other members of the cohort and what would you like to gain from others in the programme?

While I don’t have an extensive business background I’m excited to contribute what I have learned about the process of getting a new company off the ground and running. I also think I will make a good team member. I can contribute organization, critical thinking, planning and writing skills to any projects we undertake.

I’m really looking forward to learning from everyone’s experience in business and the structure/activities of their different organizations. I also have so much to learn about the business culture of the Middle East and on a personal level about Arab culture. I’m looking forward to getting to practice my arabic speaking and listening skills during discussion time 🙂

• What will your employer gain from your participation in the programme?

As Tanasuk expands I hope that my MBA experience will take me to the next level where I can really give insight into what directions the company takes and independently consult and advise on the opening of new branches across the region.

• What will be your biggest challenge in undertaking the programme and how do you think you will be able to overcome that challenge? I’m a procrastinator. I like to do things at the last minute. I like the rush of trying to beat a deadline. I think that could be a problem with the class times and deadlines being so spread out. I do better when I’m working with other people and I hope I can tap into the community support of others in the program to help me stay on top of things.

Peaches

After a long hiatus, my blog is returning. I’m excited about being better in touch with people again. I feel like I’ve been silent for a long time. I’ve been studying Arabic, working at Tanasuk Technologies, applying to grad school, grieving with friends who are leaving and trying to welcome new people, moving…

Which brings me to the peaches which grow outside the bedroom window in my new house.

Guest room window

A basket of peaches

The peach tree

I keep turning this picture around, but I can’t figure out which way is up.

I’m also borrowing my friend’s cat while they’re in the UK for the summer.

Shiffa

Shiffa attacking my stuffed animal

Stay posted for photos of people gearing up for Ramadan.

twilight

so glad I live in a neighborhood with trees!

minaret

OLD pines on my street 🙂

there’s also a man who sits on his steps playing his violin in the dusk.

and yes, I have THE twilight series on my mind. there is no excuse for me…i’m kind of obsessed!

Making “Stained Glass” Lanterns

I wanted to do something about light and how we carry God’s light with us for my birthday party and after some google-ing found this idea for making stained glass lanterns.

It was fun seeing all the creativity and color people used 🙂

People melted grated crayons between two pieces of wax paper with an iron:

melting the wax

Here’s what one lantern looked like after melting and before folding:

ready to fold

And there was a lantern shaped birthday cake, not sure how well you’ll be able to tell from the picture.

lantern cake

thank you to all my “models”…Several people asked for recipes. If you comment on my blog I will type out the one you want for you. Check facebook for more pictures of party attendees 🙂

Party Shoes

People told me they would have worn something fancier if they’d known they would be on the blog, but I thought these shoes were interesting enough to display 🙂

Thanks for coming everyone! Thank you for posing for me and making my birthday so special!

Photo of the Day: Sand Dune Climbing in Wadi Rum

East West Students Climbing a sand dune- not exactly a day at the beach

I stayed cool in the shade of the pick up

Here's a better idea of where we were

Picture of the Day

Here’s a photo from the East West Initiatives Forum. We were invited to hear a speaker at the King Hussein Mosque. There seems to always be a breeze there and plenty of angles for good photos.

Mosque arches