Insights Report Management Essay Research Coursework

The purpose of the Executive Insights Report is to provide you an opportunity to articulate what you have learned throughout this semester of In the Executive’s Chair from our many executive speakers. The completed report is due promptly at the beginning of our Final class session on May 5. This assignment is given in lieu of a final exam (this isn’t exactly a final exam type of course). The specific guidelines for the report (50 points possible) are detailed below.

 Purpose and Objectives The inspiration for this course came from the Bravo cable television series “Inside the Actors Studio.” That show’s host, James Lipton, provides the students in a New York-based actors college with consistent opportunities to learn from the best in their profession. We intend to do the same for you by bringing in top business leaders to talk about their careers, their companies, and the critical business decisions with which they are commonly faced. Our primary purpose for exposing you to these successful executives is to better prepare you for your own business careers. To achieve this general purpose, specific objectives of the Executive’s Chair course include: 1. Providing you with a set of successful role models from which you may glean nuggets of wisdom to use in your future business decisions. 2. Learning how the careers of effective business executives have evolved over time and obtaining tips for enhancing your own career success. 3. Gaining a better understanding of the types of challenges faced by executives, of how those leaders solve critical problems, and of how they manage change. 4. Improving oral and written communication skills (particularly the ability to ask good questions), skills that are critical to just about any professional business endeavor. 5. Discovering common attributes of successful business executives (such as values, behaviors, and skills). 6. Understanding the importance of developing a professional network and acquiring specific suggestions on how executives have actually created and used such networks. Required Executive’s Chair Materials  Sinek, Simon (2014) Leaders Eat Last (LEL) Penguin Group.  Executive bios (posted on Cougar Courses) and materials available via the Internet.  A clear, open and inquisitive mind set to truly grasp the opportunities of participating in this special 2 course 3 About Your Hosts Dr. Raj Pillai is a Professor of Management at CSUSM. She received her doctorate in 1994 from the State University of New York at Buffalo in Organizational Behavior. Her areas of teaching and research interest are leadership and cross-cultural management and she teaches in our undergraduate and graduate programs. Dr. Pillai has her MBA from the University of Bombay, India and has held management positions in the banking industry in India. She has published several research articles on charismatic and transformational leadership and cross-cultural management in the leading journals in the field. She was also chief editor of a volume entitled, Teaching Leadership: Innovative Approaches for the 21st Century, in the Leadership Horizon series. She has consulted with several service organizations in the U.S. on leadership effectiveness and has received awards for excellence in teaching and research including the College of Business Outstanding Professor Award, the Western Academy of Management Ascendant Scholar Award, the President’s Award for Scholarship and Creative Activity, and the Harry E. Brakebill Distinguished Professor Award. She has offered leadership workshops for organizations such as the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Pillai is also Executive Director and founding member of the Center for Leadership Innovation and Mentorship Building (CLIMB) at CSUSM which hosts the “In the Executive’s Chair” class. Miguel de Jesús is a highly accomplished, results-oriented C-level leader with more than 35+years’ experience leading business management, global sales/marketing, with two Fortune 500 companies. A Leader in running a $200MSales organization as a VP, Sales, and most currently providing Leadership and Sales Training to professionals as a Transformational Leadership Consultant and Coach. He is a Digital Marketing professional helping business leaders, authors, speakers, coaches and other professionals to improve their Marketing efforts to gain more visitors, leads, and client conversions. As a Keynote speaker, and Transformational change agent, Miguel brings his insights, and wisdom to public and corporate audiences. He is a Certified Trainer with the TalentSmart organization in La Jolla, CA and trains on the subject of Emotional Intelligence and Leadership. Miguel is on the faculty of Cal State University, San Marcos, College of Business Administration and teaches Sales and Sales Management and International Marketing and Sales. He also serves as volunteer faculty for The Honor Foundation (www.honor.org).Miguel has authored multiple books, “Success Leaves Clues”, “So, What Do You Do”, and “Let Your Emotional Intelligence Do The Talking!” are in release through Amazon: His most recent release is a compilation book, Build To Grow: 14 Thought Leaders Deliver Engagement Strategies For The C-Suite” Executive’s Chair Expectations The learning environment of In the Executive’s Chair is dependent upon three sets of stakeholders: future executives in training (you and your classmates), the hosts (Dr. Raj Pillai and Professor De Jesus), and the guest executives (11-12 per semester with whom we will interact and from whom we will learn). To hold up my end of this collaborative endeavor, the expectations that I have of myself is:  thorough preparation to facilitate the Executive’s Chair sessions and to draw out valuable insights from our invited executives  creativity, professionalism, and attention to detail (especially with feedback on your work)  accessibility to you for personal feedback and coaching. Our expectation of you as an Executive’s Chair participant are:  attendance at all class sessions (you never know what insights you might miss)  punctuality, preparation, and professionalism (be ON TIME and read/research assigned materials)  participation in class discussions and audience Q & A portions of the Executive’s Chair  integrity and fairness with other participants and with your Executive’s Chair host. 4 Executive’s Chair Format To help you gain more from each executive’s visit and insights, you will be expected to conduct some research in the preceding week related to that individual, as well as his or her organization and industry. Each Executive’s Chair session involving a guest executive will follow a similar format:  9:50 – 10:15 Assigned Teams meet informally with the Executive in MH 421  10:00 – 10:20 Administration and LEL (Leaders Eat Last) discussion with class  10:20 – 11:35 Executive Interview 10:20 – 11:00 Faculty Interview (Dr. Pillai and Professor De Jesus)  11:00 – 11:30 Student Team Interview  11:35 – 11:50 Audience Q & A with the Executive Participation and Attendance: Your attendance and active participation are necessary to derive the maximum benefit and learning from the Executive’s Chair course. More than one absence will negatively impact your performance for this component. The diversity of class activities requires that you arrive on time and you must attend class in order to participate. The most discourteous service we can show our guest executives is to walk in the classroom when they are speaking. This means mandatory attendance and being on time. Attendance is recorded every week for each team and it is the responsibility of the team leader or a member of the team to turn in attendance to the instructors. The form can be printed from Cougar Courses. The added value that you bring to class in participation will greatly affect your grade. Participation can take the form of discussions relating to the assigned text and Q & A with the executive guest. Executive Team Interview & Analysis: Teams will be formed and each team will be assigned to a specific executive. For your team’s assigned executive, you will have the responsibility to do the following:  develop a set of 12-15 quality interview questions based upon your research of the executive  interview the executive for 15 minutes as part of the normal class session  complete a team analysis (2 pages, single-spaced) of the key insights provided by the executive to be submitted one week after the interview is completed.  complete peer evaluations of your team members’ contributions to this team activity. Please note that poor peer evaluation ratings will serve to reduce your final participation score in class.  see attachment for specific guidelines for this deliverable. Executive Insights Quiz: There will be a comprehensive quiz of the executives, their key points, and assigned readings covered through the quiz date, March 10. It will consist of 25 multiple-choice questions worth one point each. Executive Readings Analysis: You are expected to complete a 3-page (typed 1.5 spaced, Times Roman) paper that analyzes and applies key points from the book Leaders Eat Last. This analysis paper must be turned in on March 17. It is worth 50 points toward your evaluation. See attachment for specific guidelines for this deliverable. Executive Insights Report: There is no Final Exam for this course. The true test of your learning will take place over the duration of your career. However, you are expected to complete a 3-page (typed 1.5 spaced, Times Roman) report that integrates what you have learned during In the Executive’s Chair as those insights relate to the course objectives. The report will be delivered to your host at the beginning of class on May 5. The report will count 50 points towards your overall evaluation. Please see attachment for specific guidelines for this deliverable. 5 Executive Scorecard MILESTONE Attendance & Participation (ongoing) Executive Team Interview & Analysis (varies) Executive Readings Analysis Executive Insights Quiz Executive Insights Report TOTAL POINT VALUE 25 50 50 25 50 200 Grading for this course is as follows: A = 186 pts; A- = 180 pts; B+ = 174 pts; B = 166 pts; B- = 160 pts; C+ = 154 pts; C = 146 pts; C- = 140 pts; D+ = 134 pts; D = 126 pts; D- = 120 pts; F = below 120 pts. Executive’s Chair Bylaws CSUSM has established a 2500-word writing requirement for each course. To meet this requirement, each participant will complete the writing assignments described in this Executive’s Chair syllabus. Your Executive’s Chair hosts reserve the right to discipline all course participants for academic dishonesty in accordance with the general rules and regulations of the university. Disciplinary action may include the lowering of grades and/or assignment of a failing grade, or complete dismissal from the course. The prerequisites for this course are listed in the course catalogue. The Executive’s Chair hosts reserve the right to administratively drop, at any point, any participant who has not met the prerequisites. Participants choosing to withdraw from this course are responsible for doing so according to university procedures and deadlines. Academic Dishonesty: For details on CSUSM's Academic Honesty policy, please see: http://lynx.csusm.edu/policies/policy_online.asp?ID=25 Executive Chair MANDATORY Rules 1. ALL cell telephones are to be TURNED OFF 2. You must be in your seat by 10 am in order to respect the speakers time 3. If you are using a lap top, it is to be used for class material ONLY IF ANY OF THE ABOVE ARE VIOLATED, IT COULD MEAN A REDUCTION IN GRADE AND/ OR DISQUALIFICATION FROM CLASS 6 IN THE EXECUTIVE’S CHAIR SCHEDULE SPRING 2020 SESSION EXECUTIVE SPEAKER TASKS (to be completed before class) 1 Jan 21 History & Purpose of Executive’s Chair Executive Teams Formation Introduction of Participants & Hosts Format & Deliverables none Assn: Participant Info Sheet (in class) 2 Jan 28 Peter McLaughlin, Executive in Residence and Co-founder, Pyxis Corp. Read: LEL*, Chapters 1-4 3 Feb 4 Carleen Kreider, Former President, Global Market Development, Aptar Beauty + Home Read: LEL, Chapters 5-8 4 Feb 11 Robert Hill, Principal at Deloitte Read: LEL, Chapters 9-12 5 Feb 18 Erik Mueller, President and CEO, Grasp Technologies Read: LEL, Chapters 13-16 6 Feb 25 Ellen Neufeldt, President CSUSM Read: LEL, Chapters 17-19 7 Mar 3 Joe Musselman, Co-Founder, Honor Foundation Read: LEL, Chapters 20-21 8 Mar 10 QUIZ Read: LEL, Chapters 22-24 9 Mar 17 Claude Jones, Sr. Director of Engineering XT, WalMart Labs Read: LEL, Chapters 25-27 Assn: Executive Readings Analysis 10 Mar 24 Pam Ferris, President and CEO, Seacrest Village 11 Apr 7 A.J. Van de Ven, President, Calsense 12 Apr 14 Brian Rott, President and CEO, CartMart 13 Apr 21 Erica Hausheer, Sr. VP, CIO & Global Procurement, 3D Systems 14 Apr 28 Mark Bottini, Sr. VP-Sales, Paychex 15 May 5 Class discussion Assn: Executive Insights Report *Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek 7 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What are your guiding principles and what are you passionate about professionally? 2. What was the most valuable lesson you learned from your formal education, and what was missing from it that would have better prepared you for your career? 3. What do you like the most about your job? What is the most frustrating part of your job right now? 4. As the leader of your company (or organization), how do you influence the company’s culture? How would you describe your own leadership approach? 5. What role do you think humility plays in effective leadership? 6. What is the worst decision you have made in your career and what did you learn from that decision? 7. What are the toughest challenges facing organizations today? 8. Given recent business events, what steps have you taken to more fully ensure that ethical business practices are followed in your organization? 9. What have you done to better prepare yourself and your organization for business on a global scale? 10. What TWO qualities or skills do you think will be most important for our students to have if they want successful careers? 11. What role has networking and/or mentoring played in your career? 12. How have you tried to balance the professional and personal demands of your life? 13. As you look back over your career to this point, what are you most proud of? Personal Favorites Favorite CEO/living leader: Favorite movie: Favorite restaurant: Favorite quote: Favorite alternative career: Favorite book: Favorite vacation spot: Favorite leisure activity/hobby: 8 IN THE EXECUTIVE’S CHAIR Team Analysis Guidelines INSTRUCTIONS After completing the interview portion of the Executive Team Interview and Analysis, you will need to develop a written analysis of the key points from your executive. This analysis is due in class one week following your team interview. Along with a copy of the team analysis you also need to deliver a copy of your prepared interview questions. Each team member must turn in the Team Member Evaluation form that will be provided separately on the course website. The specific guidelines for the analysis (50 points possible) are detailed below. REQUIRED COMPONENTS Your team must create a 2-page, single-spaced memo* (use memo format in Word) that summarizes important points from your assigned executive. The memo must have the following three components (each of which is worth 10 points): Key Points Summarize three major points emphasized by the executive during the interview. Provide a brief rationale (supportive quotes or examples) that defines and clarifies the importance of each key point. Evaluation Provide a critical evaluation of the executive’s interview in terms of two aspects— quality of responses and presentation style. How effectively did the Executive respond to the interview questions and with what responses did you disagree? How would you describe the executive’s presentation style (both verbal and nonverbal characteristics)? Reflections Ponder upon and then briefly describe the implications of what you have learned as a team about the executive, the executive’s industry or company, and business organizations in general that you expect to take with you and use in the future. Describe these three implications in this final section of the analysis memo. The final 20 points will be awarded based upon the Written Quality of the analysis memo. I will look for grammatical quality (spelling, flow, and grammar), and for written appearance (format, section headings, professional look). Memo Format: * Date: To: Dr. Raj Pillai and Prof. De Jesus From: (list of all team members) Subject: Executive Interview Team Analysis 9 IN THE EXECUTIVE’S CHAIR Executive Readings Analysis Guidelines INSTRUCTIONS The purpose of the Executive Readings Analysis is to provide you an opportunity to articulate what you have learned from reading the Leaders Eat Last book by Simon Sinek. It also reinforces the importance of applying what we read and learn to our own circumstances. The completed analysis paper must be turned in on or before March 17. The specific guidelines for the analysis (50 points possible) are detailed below. REQUIRED COMPONENTS You must complete a 3-page (typed in 1.5 spaced 12-point Times Roman font) paper (To be fair and consistent, we won’t read beyond three pages). The 3-page limit excludes the title page. The analysis paper must have the following components (point values for each component are given in parentheses): Title Page Provide a creative title page; the title itself should also be creative. (4 points) Key Insights Discuss and analyze the three most important ideas that you learned from the book. For each of these key insights, provide your rationale (including direct quotes from the book). (12 points) Critical Analysis Provide a critical analysis of the Leaders Eat Last book. With what points did you disagree? What was missing from the book? If you were an editor at Penguin (the book’s publisher), what one suggestion would you make to the author to improve the book? (12 points) Applications Identify and discuss three applications from the ideas in this book, related to either your professional or personal circumstances. How will you use the ideas presented in Leaders Eat Last to improve your leadership or aspects of your career or life? (12 points) Written Quality Includes grammatical quality (spelling, organization, punctuation), and written appearance (professional format, section headings) of the paper. (10 points) 10 IN THE EXECUTIVE’S CHAIR Executive Insights Report Guidelines INSTRUCTIONS The purpose of the Executive Insights Report is to provide you an opportunity to articulate what you have learned throughout this semester of In the Executive’s Chair from our many executive speakers. The completed report is due promptly at the beginning of our Final class session on May 5. This assignment is given in lieu of a final exam (this isn’t exactly a final exam type of course). The specific guidelines for the report (50 points possible) are detailed below. REQUIRED COMPONENTS You must complete a 3-page (typed 1.5 spaced in 12-point Times Roman font) report (To be fair and consistent, we won’t read beyond three pages) that demonstrates the insights you have learned from our invited executives this semester. The 3-page limit excludes the title page. The report must have the following components (point values for each component are given in parentheses): Title Page Provide a creative title page; the title itself should also be creative. (4 points) Common Themes Discuss and analyze three specific common themes touched upon by our executives. The themes need to be SPECIFIC. So, don’t just write that networking was a common theme. What was a common insight about networking shared by all or a majority of the executives? For each of the selected themes, provide evidence (quotes or examples from the executives) that supports your assertion. (12 points) Differences Provide a critical analysis of any two contradictory messages provided by our executives. What factors (e.g., backgrounds or industry characteristics) might have influenced their diverse perspectives? (12 points) MVE/MVI Reconsider the insights provided by each of our guest executives. In your opinion, who gets your vote as Most Valuable Executive (MVE) and why? What was the Most Valuable Insight (MVI) that you gained from the course and why? Briefly describe one personal implication of that insight—this is the major takeaway from the course. (12 points) Written Quality Includes grammatical quality (spelling, organization, punctuation), and written appearance (professional format, section headings) of the report. (10 points)