Blog 14: Independent Component 1

LITERAL

I, Regina Ongowarsito, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.

My sources are my class's textbook, Leadership in Organizations by Gary Yukl, and the host of the Small Business workshop I've attended, Robert Usher.

Link to Independent Component Log

For my independent component, I attended a college class called Leadership in Organization, where I learned the different types and aspects of leadership and which would work the most effectively in certain situations. In addition, I also attended a workshop for small businesses in Chino.

INTERPRETIVE

When I was in the workshop, I took notes along the presentation and gathered information by asking questions. I've covered my work in the workshop on my monthly blog post for October, linked here.

As for the college class, not only did I take notes, but I also did research into leadership styles and studied for the exams. This is a link to my dropbox folder for the class. This is to my transcript.

APPLIED

The college class and the workshop benefited me differently.

The college class helped me understand something about business that isn't so apparent: Business is not just a numbers industry; it's also a human industry. When most people work, regardless of the field, it's often with other people, and the importance dynamics between these people cannot be underestimated. It could make or break your work flow.

For example, as a leader, you might end up in a situation where you must influence your subordinates. In the case of a music store, perhaps you need to convince an employee to take up a shift he doesn't really want. There are different ways you could influence him: You could force him to take it, threatening to fire him if he doesn't. Or you could discuss with him what might convince him to take the shift. Maybe for his finals week, he can have more flexibility with his shift. Or he could get something from the music store for free.

My college class taught me not only the mentioned solutions, but also how while all of them might work, not all of them might create a good relationship between the leader and the follower. Bribing or threatening someone tend to increase compliance, while discussing the issue together with the worker tend to increase commitment. As a leader, it's better to have commitment from your followers than compliance.

As for the workshop, I decided to attend it as I felt that I need more knowledge concerning the business side of music store operations (at that time, I've only been covering instrument care). It proved to be fruitful, as I learned great tips for business strategies, regulations, and financing. For example, to successfully run a business, planning is key. Understand your demographics and create your advertisements accordingly. When picking a location for your store, be aware of local competition and the potentials of  a location. And do NOT start a business without a financial plan; if getting a loan, at least secure it first before getting the business running. There are many things to consider when running a business, and for the business to work, you must be able to keep up with everything.