Grad 701 Week 1

Grad 701-week 1.

With this classes' pre-work assignments, the readings and papers that are due gave me an immense wake-up call in what I am doing wrong in the office, and the things I am doing right. (but maybe just need to be tweaked a bit). The obvious item that comes to mind is time-management! It makes me ask "where does all the time go!" After laying out a time log and reflecting upon that, I feel that only half of my day (if that) is productive. Even though I feel I am successful in my line-of-work, the potential room for improvement is immense. I am hoping Franklin's program will provide guidance in doing just that and teach me how to apply what I have learned in the workplace.
When it comes to initial discussion points with my coach, I would like to get a very good understanding of how my coach was able to take all of his/her knowledge from the workplace and come to a happy median between work and family. With my exposure within my career, I feel that in many instances, one of the two has to suffer. Is that true, or how can I be respected at both work and on the homefront for the majority of my working life? Next, what is weighing most heavily on my mind is an upcoming job promotion along with going for an MBA. I could use some guidance on whether or not this is taking on too much in my life to get a new job AND pursue an MBA. I am probably the only person who can answer that question, but any guidance from someone that has gone through such decision-making would be extremely helpful. Getting my MBA is at the highest priority for the next 17 months, and I have always pushed myself to the max within my career, but should I maybe take it down a notch at the office to give all spare brain-power to my graduate degree. This question arose in my head after reading "Balance is Bunk" by Keith Hammonds, when he wrote "Lower your standards-nobody will notice". I have a big dilemma in acting upon that, but I'm sure there is some truth in the comment. Also, how were you able to progress in your company throughout the years and keep everyone happy? Since I am currently looking at a job change within my organization, I feel as though I could be burning bridges that I worked so hard for in my current role. These questions are at the top of my list, but others I'm sure will follow.
What I would like to include and bring to this class and the MBA program is my knowledge and experience of change within the organization. Sure- all companies change to keep up with this global economy, but going through one of the biggest acquisitions in retail financial services history has given me a unique perspective on adaptation within core organizational decisions, and I hope that exposure is helpful for both myself and my peers. Personally, it has prepared me for many potential curveballs that can be thown at me in life. Professionally, it has been impossible to work a complacent schedule. I have to be prepared for change everyday at the office. Whereas job security does not appear to be a concern in my industry, getting "burnt out" does, and I need to be able to stay ahead of the curve to stay at the top of my game.