BUS 600 Foundation of Business Management Week 1 Assignment --My Business Vision

I would like to open a unique cafe lounge and it is called "Le Cafe de Chocolate". This cafe lounge is about 600~800 square feet and decorated with my oil painting art pieces on the wall, roses from my backyard on each table, cozy sofa, pleasant music from different countries, many books on the bookshelf and my collections brought from different countries.
This cafe lounge is located on the 2nd Floor of the building at Santana Row, San Jose. There is a great view of trees,blue sky and streets through windows. Enjoy the sunshine and the most delicious hand made organic Chocolate drinks,desserts and la fondue.
This Cafe lounge is partnership with two of my best friends. I am in charge with the sales and preparation of the supplies and decoration of the lounge. The other two friends are in charge of making the most delicious Chocolate desserts.
This unique cafe lounge is the place for customers to have fun, relax, chat, meet new friends and build network connections.

BUS 528 Project Management-----Chap 11 ideas

The most effective way of communication in the project is through meeting. Project team members need to know their responsibilities of the project with clear direction, coordination between team members in order to work together efficiently, keep up the status of the project, and know the decisions made by stakeholders. To make the project more productive and toward success, there are many meetings going on time to time. For instance, the kickoff meeting--bring all the stakeholders together and get to know each other and communicate for the project. The sponsor leads the meeting and introduce the customers, manager and team members. Then, the sponsor talks about the project's purpose and goal. Next, the project status meetings--regularly scheduled meetings which keep a project on track, present with facts, share information, identify problems,share solutions and make decisions. Moreover, status meetings usually are the only time the entire team gets together.
In a project, there might have some decisions do not need stakeholders approvals, so the project manager needs to separate changes into different catergories. For example, change thresholds--the lowest threshold does not affect cost and schedule, so the project team can approve. The second threshold affect cost, schedule or functionality, so it requries more formal approval. the last threshold will need higher level executives to decide because the changes are threaten the business care for the project. the configuration management prevents disasters happen and limiting the changes. Closeout reporting helps the whole team's reflections on the improvment and better communication for next time.
A project manager needs strong communication skills, coordination skills and people skills in order to make the project work smoothly, successfully and happily.

BUS 528 Project Management ----Chap 10 ideas

How to build a high-performance project team? This project team needs positive team environment and collaborative problem solving. A positive team environment is productive,respectful and honest. Also, it requires some elements which are the team's value--expectation of team memebers behavior, commitment to a goal--sponsor's support and devotion from team members, be able to listen--team members exchange ideas, and willing to listen and accept others suggestions and thoughts, manage meetings--held an effective meeting toward the goals. Collaborative problem solving project team is that team members need to learn how to work together to solve problems. therefore, it requires some abilities which are agree upon the problem-solving--team members have their specialties and they accept this process of problem solving, team memebers understand decision modes--decisions have been made by either project leaders or entire team, so team members should be able to adjust and follow through the decision, resolve conflict skills--accept and deal with conflicts in order to achieve the best decisions in the strong team relationship, improve performance through continuous learning--improve skills and performance by learning from both success and failure.
A project manager helps the team build a positive working environment daily and have team members work together to face problems and solve problems in order to make the project successful.

BUS 520 Organizational Behavior Reflection-Strengthen Others powerless,weak,insignificant

In 2002, I came to America with tour visa and tried to find a job here. Luckily, i found my current job in two month. I did the volunteer work for six months and then i became official employee. At the first two years, i was working very hard because i had no experience in this field. My lead teacher did not want to guide me or teach me. Moreover, she told me "you are on your own." I was so scared and did not know what to do. I told myself that i could not lose this job and there is no way out. At that time i felt so powerless and weak. Thanks to my boss, she noticed that i could not handle the classroom by myself and she hired an experienced teacher to support me. This experienced teacher was very resourceful and i learned many teaching techniques and conduct the classroom from her.

Another time i felt very powerless and weak moment was when the boss was doing the annual review with me. I told my boss if i could transfer to another position with less responsibilities. My boss told me "If you want that less responsible position, why should i hire you?" I was so down and speechless. Since then, i started to work harder and contributed my time in extend learning and prove myself that i can do better and meet my boss expectations. Now, i am a senior teacher and i think my boss is happy and appreciate my work.

BUS 520 Organizational Behavior Assignment Reflection--Strengthen Others(Powerful,strong and capable)

I was over protected by my parents for almost 20 years. At that time, i did not know anything even did not know how to go to post office and mailed a letter. I did not take things seriously and never set goals or make any plans for my future. I changed four jobs in one year. So, i decided to go abroad and studied. I have been in America almost 15 years, and i had been through ups and downs. I know i am a tough person and i want to fulfill my dream. Now, i have been working at the same job for eight years because i want to prove myself.

One famous leader--Carly Fiorina who was the CEO of HP, i read her book "Tough Choices", and she said on a speech:
"When people have stereotypes of what you can’t do, show them what you can do. When they have stereotypes of what you won’t do, show them what you will do. Every time you resist someone else’s smaller notion of who you really are, you test your courage and your endurance. Each time you endure, and stay true to yourself, you become stronger and better."

I really inspired by her speech because those words encourage me to prove my capability on my job. I accept every task my director gives to me and show how strong i am to accomplish the task. Moreover, i show my endurance to my boss that i am a hard worker. I know every task can be achieved if i put efforts in it.
Not only for my job,but i believe once i set a goal i want to fulfill it. There is a lot of challenges and experiences in life,and every challenge and experience makes you become stronger and better person.

BUS 528 Project Management Assignment Chap 7,8&9 ideas

A project plan needs a step by step process and that includes all of the essential parts to accomplished on time. Most managers are only concerned about two things which are cost and deadline. To produce a realistic schedule there are five steps: step one, we create a work breakdown structure. step two, identify task relationships by using work packages. step three, bottom-up estimating--build a cost and schedule estimate for each work package. for example, cost estimates come from labor,equipment,materials,and fixed-price bids. step four, initial schedule by using the network diagram to determine the start and finish dates for each task. Gantt charts shows the schedule and the work breakdown structure. Time-scaled networks combines many tasks on one line. step five, assign and level resources by using limited people and equipment and raw materials. Realistic scheduling is to ensure timely and efficient completion of the project and it will require pre-planning, clearly communicated schedules and time-line milestones.

It takes time and effort to produce accurate estimates and there are different types of estimating techniques. Phased estimating breaks down the full product life cycle into phases. Only look at one phase at a time and allows the project to be directed by many small, informed decisions. Apportioning--top-down estimating use work breakdown structure start with a total project estimate 100%, then assigns a percentage of that total to each of the phases and tasks. Parametric estimating use statistic of the relationship between historical data and other variables such as square footage. Bottom-up estimating is the most accurate, estimate cost and duration of the lowest level tasks then roll up low-level estimates to determine project cost and schedule. Use estimates techniques to scope, plan and constrain the project conditions can reduce the risks and increase the success of the project rate.

Balancing should be part of the every project definition and planning activity, and involves reconsidering the balance between the cost, schedule, and quality of the product. Sometimes we have to make changes to keep project on track for its original cost, schedule and quality objectives. If it can't meet the goal, then we have to reexamined these three factors. If both are balance, but the firm has to choose which project to go to, then it will be out of manager's authority and will become enterprise level which might be government agency. There are so many ways to balancing at project level such as re-estimate the project,moving people to critical path, add people to project to reduce the schedule, increase productivity by using experts inside or outside the firm, take some parts of project out and give it to outside firm to manage it and work overtime. If the cost-schedule-quality still can't be achieved. we have to re-evaluated the business care of the project. For example, we reduce the scope, reduce profit margin. The project must aware of the realistic expectations and balance the project scope to avoid cost,schedule, and quality constraints.

BUS 528 Project Management assignment--Ch5&Ch6 Ideas

Risk management is a business process for a business to manage uncertainty risk and reduce the possibility of a financial loss. Apply the risk management techniques help the project reduce risk and has a probability and a positive impact.
First, organizations must identify risks,getting information interviewing, learning from past project, investigating what happen on similar project in the past and evaluating cost and schedule. Known unknowns--know there's potential risks will damage the project and prepare for it. For example,overrun costs,not accurate analysis,unreliable team members,and inefficient manager. unknown unknowns--unexpected risks always happens. For instance, nature disaster. Second, analyze, record the result of the risks and deal with the high impact and high probability first. Third, develop best way to reduce risks. For instance, accepting, avoiding, monitor the risk, predict plans, transfer the risk which is to purchase insurance or use a contract for service,and work had to reduce the risk. Forth, set up contingency and reserve which is prepare additional contingency budget and is used only for overrun costs. Fifth, constant aware of the existing risk and check for new risks at regular basis, continuously eliminate risks before they become problems.
Risk management allows you to examine the risks that you or your organization face
and decide what actions to take in order to reduce the risks and prevent crisis.

The work breakdown structure is the tool for breaking down a project into small parts of tasks called work packages. This tool gives each part of project a different priority and matches its level of importance to its place for each project piece. WBS is the foundation of project planning. The purpose of WBS is the help the project more accurate,specific defined and organize the scope of the total project. Also, WBS helps to monitor,assign responsibilities,control budget,quality control,scheduling and resource allocate the project. So, the project team will have the clear idea of what has to be accomplished within each deliverable. It is very important to keep WBS as simple as possible.