Reflection

Today we talked about high performing teams and how they are (or should be) the end goal of all HR programs. Though trainning and development, to hiring and firing, the goal should be to make the best teams possible. If we remember that no matter what jobs we have, what positions we take it will make our jobs more meaningful and a lot more fun.

chapter 16 High Performance Teams

CONCEPT:

It takes a lot to create an effective team and even more work to create high performance team. Some of the ways to do just that is: Ethical behavior is encouraged, teams perform the work, employees participate in the selection of team members and team project.

EMOTIONAL HOOK:

Jut think what it would be like to have to go to work every day to work with a team that you hated and they did not like you and work on a project that you thought was awful. That does not sound like a fun day to me at all.

KEY POINTS:

The main point is with teams you have to let them work together as a team, and reward them together as a team. Let them use their strengths to create the best team they can be.

FACILITATED QUESTION:

What are your strengths that would add to a high performing team?

CHAPTER 15

FACTORS AFFECTING HRM IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS

CONCEPT:

America dose not have the patent on having big or good companies. Business is everywhere, and if you are not preparing for a global market you will be left behind. In HR there are some factors that you need to think about in order to make the business work. Culture, education, economic systems, and political-legal systems.

EMOTIONAL HOOK:

Your company was just bought out by a company who's is based out of Germany. This is the first time they have moved into an american market. The now expect new things out of you but you don't know exactly what they want and they just expect you to catch on. This would be so frustrating.

KEY POINTS:

When working in international business you have to be considerate of other people and there culture, because lets face it, even in America, we have several cultures.

FACILITATED QUESTION:

Would you be willing to make you company international? Yes it might be more money, but it would also be a lot more work.

REFLECTION

In class we talked about the 4 benefits required by law, and boy are we glad for them. Can you imagine our lives without them. They are Social Security, Unemployment Insurance, Workers Comp, and Family and Medical leave. It's because of these laws that we are able to plan and being taken care of if we become disabled, unemployed or pregnant.

Ch. 14 Unions

CONCEPT:

Unions have been around for years. The helped change how America treats its employees. The helped protect the working class giving them fair wages and safe working conditions. Today they still have their place, they help negotiate contracts in a lot of areas, like the airlines and automotive industries.

EMOTIONAL HOOK:

Back in the day with the industrial revolution when kids were forced to work in factories with their parents in horrible conditions. Thats were unions can step in an help make the place where you work tolerable.

KEY POINTS:

Unions have their place today, but not as much as they did 30+ years ago. With each passing year the need for unions seems to be less and less. Unions are good and bad, they are not perfect and are not for everybody.

FACILITATED QUESTION:

Would you ever join a union?

Chapter 13

OPTIONAL BENEFITS

CONCEPT:

We all don't fit the mold for benefits, we all need different things in our benefits package. There are those employers out there that are willing to give different packages to make our lives better.

EMOTIONAL HOOK:

Imagine that you are living with you partner and you have health insurance and they don't. You are not married so the normal benefits package does not apply to you. What do you do?

KEY POINTS:

They are so many things that can be mixed and matched in a benefits package. Paid leave, workers comp, paid holidays, paid vacation, retirement plans.

FACILITATED QUESTION:

What would be your ideal mix and match be for benefits be?

Chapter 12, BONUS

CONCEPT:

The idea behind performance bonuses is to give an incentive for good performances by model employees.

EMOTIONAL HOOK:

Can you imagine working your butt off and finding out that someone else got a bonus?

KEY POINTS:

Bonuses is a good incentive without giving them an actual raise. It is usually based on performances.

FACILITATED QUESTION:

If you were the boss and only had so much money to give away in bonuses. Do you give it all away to your best employee, or do you divide it among all of the employees?

REFLECTION

In class we had our guest speaker who is with ancestry.com. We learned all about different benefits packages.