Assignment

You are a new supervisor at a large organization that develops technology for the military. You are retired military and just finished your Bachelor's Degree in Management from APUS. You are doing well so far, with one exception. There are three employees who work for you, that are not responsive to your tasking. You have to constantly remind them of due dates and their work is marginal. You decided to counsel each of them, in private. After the counseling sessions, you found that all three employees say that you use Positional Power too much and are not receptive to their ideas.

A. How will you handle this situation?

B. What is the difference between positional power and personal power? (in your own words)

C. Give an example, from your personal life, of situations where you have used (or had used on you) both positional and personal power. Submit your answer in this Forum by clicking "Post New Thread" above. (Do not enter your answer in the Assignments section of your e-classroom.)

3. Then respond to at least two of your peer's answers by clicking the "Reply" link. How could they have handled the situation better? Do not simply say what you did and recommend they do the same. Be tactful (they are your peers). [100-200 words per peer response]

For my views on Critical Thoughts and Analysis, please review: CTA

I will give everyone a chance to answer the question and begin grading your answer and responses toward the end of the week. I look forward to reading them!

Administrative Notes:

a. Remember to incorporate your classmate's name to personalize your response and clarify communications. For example, "Bob, I agree with all your points except - - - because - - -". Always justify your position.

b. Remember to respond to at least two classmates' answers. Of course, you may respond to more if you wish!

c. Remember to write your response in a courteous and respectful manner that enhances the learning process for everyone by using terms, models, theories, and concepts contained in the required readings.

d. Finally, I encourage you to insert your opinions and real world experiences. The real value in the online discussion comes from your application of the knowledge in the chapter and how you assess your classmate's perception of that knowledge.

Instructions:

What is the purpose of a forum?

Think of the forum as a classroom experience where you "meet" with your instructor and peers to discuss the weekly topic in terms of the readings, assignments and resources that have been assigned. The desired outcome is that you are able to (1) collaborate with peers and the instructor, (2) demonstrate your understanding of the material, and (3) participate as a member of an online community.

What are the responsibilities of the instructor?

The instructor's goal is to create an engaging and safe environment for students to learn. In addition, instructors should pose questions promoting deeper thought as well as encourage students to interact with their peers in the classroom. There should be an active instructor presence throughout the week.

What are the responsibilities of the student?

You are required to make a 250 word initial posting and respond to a minimum of 2 students. Responses should be a minimum of 100 words and include direct questions. Please review the forum grading rubrics in order to understand how your responses in the forum will be graded.
If you met the above-mentioned requirements, you will be graded at the proficient level. However, if your desire is to be graded at the exemplary level, please provide more than what is required. To receive 100% as a grade (the exemplary level) for the weekly forums, you should ensure that your responses meet the following criterion:

Critical Analysis - Discussion postings display an excellent understanding of the required readings and underlying concepts including correct use of terminology. Postings are made in time for others to read and respond as well as deliver information that is full of thought, insight, and analysis. The information presented makes connection to previous or current content or to real-life situations, and must contain rich and fully developed new ideas, connections, or applications. (It is important that you integrate the weekly readings in your response. One way to do that is to make position statements, then discuss supporting evidence (i.e. research and/or personal experience).

Participation as a Member of the Learning Community - Discussion postings actively stimulate and sustain further discussion by building on peers' responses including building a focused argument around a specific issue or asking a new related question or making an oppositional statement supported by personal experience or related research. (Please plan your time wisely. Your responses should encourage your peers to respond to your postings and build the foundation for the class to review and discuss your initial posting. It's important that you meet the Thursday deadline for your initial posting so that others can respond. Having all of your work in before Sunday afternoon allows your peers to provide comments to your feedback and strengthens your ability to participate as a member of the weekly learning community discussions.)

Professional Communication and Etiquette - Written interactions in the Forum show respect and sensitivity to peers' background and beliefs (Regardless of the position you are taking, please ensure that your participation comments are respectful to your peers' background and beliefs).

Writing Skills - Written responses are free of grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. The style of writing facilitates communication. (Make sure your work is free of errors. If there are any errors as outlined above, you will not receive 100% for the forum).