The areas studied this week will form the basis for your journal entries. Some of the areas and concepts covered this week include: leadership traits and characteristics, the types and uses of power, team management and the management of conflict.

In your journaling, you are to think about the concepts and key phrases learned this week. Listed below are some thought provoking questions to stimulate your thinking. They are there to help you focus on the concepts and management tools you have studied. Use these questions as thought provokers, and journal thoughts that you have already formulated on the material covered up to this point in the course. (If you do not have direct experience in any of these areas you can use situations that you have been told about or observed).

1. What types of leadership traits have you encountered in your experience? What were some quality traits and also some that needed polishing?
2. What do you believe are your strengths as a leader? What plans do you have to become a better leader?
3. Have you seen positive and negative motivation, and how have you reacted to each?
4. Are you and your managers task or people oriented?
5. How would you handle situational leadership challenges?
6. Does your organization use the team concept? Have you been a member of a team?
7. What were some positive and negative experiences on a team?
8. Think about the four stages of team development and analyze how these unfolded in a team situation you know about.

Directions:

Choose two of the questions listed above and record your personal reflections (at least 1-2 paragraphs) in your journal for future use. Try to choose questions that you have a strong opinion on, or where your opinion has changed as a result of this weeks activities. As the course moves along you will see that the journal will evolve into a cohesive philosophy of management which you will use to complete this course and also use in your role as a manager.