Obviously, you can make journal entries at any time you wish. At a minimum journal entries should be made at least twice a week. In general, it is a good practice to record some sort of insight analysis question at the beginning and end of each exercise. Application of the four skills we cover; self awareness, creativity, conflict resolution, and empowerment are the most important set of entries. The journal is the only place these activities are recorded for your assessment.

The journal is designed to be one of the most effective learning tools you have in this course. This makes sense, since the point of this course is for you to develop your own management skills. It is not about what I think you should learn or to hear about how others develop effective management skills. It is your agenda and the journal serves as your record. Since hopefully after this course the journal is yours so you can follow whatever format you wish. My expectation is that you make entries at least twice a week of a self - analytical nature . You may comment on the outcome of your PAMS or other self administered tests, insights picked up from reading the chapter , discussion , exercises etc. I will be looking forward to your applications exercise for creativity, conflict resolution and empowerment sections. Also the self assessment chapter at the begining of the course should give you lots of material....I'm not interested in thedetail of the tests...simply what you learnedfrom the tests.

The first set of journal entries concerns your initial assessment of your strengths and weakness as a manager. Take your time to assess this initially. Your activity with respect to the SSS Software In-Basket Exercise and the completing of the Self Awareness (Chapter 1) assessment tools should guide you with a sense of your skills as a manager.

After you have made a note as what you see as your strengths and weaknesses, decide upon what skills you want to develop during this course.

Set this as your personal outcome of the course by highlighting a headline, e.g. I want to develop my ability to................

Book: Developing management skills, 10e