The second component to UOP's cutting edge teaching method is working in teams to accomplish a good portion of the business problems the students are tasked to provide solutions for and give team prepared PowerPoint presentations of team proposed solutions to fellow classmates. The 2,500 word to 5,000 word business research, problem solving, and solution papers that accompany the team presentations are written as a team working together. Additionally, individual papers are assigned. The theory being that no matter what industry or company each student would end up working in the UOP MBA student would be ready to function within the company competently on individual tasks and in times when compiling and working in a team setting on company projects would be required. Skills needed to work together as a team working in unity to accomplish the particular company's vision, mission, and goals adding to the success of the business would already be in the recent MBA graduate's ability to apply without the company having to incur additional expense in training the newly hired MBA graduate.
MBA students at UOP are randomly placed in teams of five to eight by the class facilitator. The students are then required to write a team charter, which is a contract of sorts on who the team members are, their contact information, when the team is going to meet and how the team will meet -- in person, teleconference, via internet conference. The charter also outlined rules like each member committing to being ethical and respectable of one another, helping, encouraging, and motivating one another, procedures for handling a situation where a team member may drop the ball and the rest of the team needs to step up and complete the project on time. Student team members had to decide how to handle conflicts within in the team by listing the steps for conflict resolution.
Additionally, the team had to elect which team member would be Project Manager, Finance Manager, Production Manager, and any other position assignments needed to accomplish each project assigned. The Project Manager position rotated so each team member had a chance to be Project Manager a few times during the MBA program. Stress and pressure in accomplishing each project surfaced the same as a team would experience on any project within the business world because everyone on the team had to write a performance evaluation on each team member and how each followed through on assigned tasks. The student evaluations were to prepare students for corporate performance reviews. Each team would also be evaluated by the other teams in the class after giving the project team presentation to the teacher and the class. The team received one grade for the team project, team paper, and team presentation. In addition, individual projects, papers and presentations were required throughout the Master's Business program.
In the beginning of the program it was a definite challenge for students to learn how to write one paper in segmented parts as team members, then compile and edit those parts into one cohesive business research, problem solution paper and have the paper flow as if done by one author. The same was true of the business projects and formal team presentations. The finished product had to be cohesive and not disjointed. This teamwork concept was the ultimate learning experience and was very rewarding. The added benefits were when we finished our Master's program we were ready to jump in and do projects in a team setting in whatever company or industry we entered into upon graduation.
Now, back to why the University of Phoenix chose to switch to this innovative teaching method, which has become the benchmark that other universities are realizing the necessity to follow and implement. However, it is the University of Phoenix that blazed this new cutting edge teaching model path. The University took the risk of switching its teaching method to the hands-on (students working on real life business problems and scenarios) teamwork model of learning because of the results of feedback from corporations on what was lacking in MBA graduates' skill sets when being hired soon after graduation and what the corporate executives' would like to see changed in the MBA curriculum. Most of the feedback centered around the fact that companies had to train new MBA graduates in how to apply the knowledge learned to obtain the degree to real world business problems. Recent MBA graduates lacked how to apply their knowledge in practical hands-on application to a company project and the ability to work well within a team setting without slowing down the time-line of the company project(s). Corporate executives were upset that the additional on-the-job training was costly monetarily and in slowing down corporate projects while the MBA's were getting up to speed. Such additional on-the-job training should not be necessary when hiring an individual with a Master's degree.
The University of Phoenix recognized there was a missing component in MBA programs after evaluating the corporate feedback. So, the University of Phoenix made the bold decision to break with tradition and move to a new innovative teaching model to solve the problems corporate executives saw in MBA graduate practical skills. This model is a huge success and MBA graduates from the University of Phoenix receive high ratings from corporate executives all the time. I chose the University of Phoenix because of the hands-on application learning model coupled with the teamwork learning model. I am glad I did because I learned so much more than I have learned through the traditional lecture, memory, rote traditional teaching models.
I am a champion of teamwork -- servant leadership -- in business. In my opinion, businesses have for years wasted the ability to truly tap into one of their greatest assets -- the employees. As a business owner, I have always believed that employees and customers were my two greatest assets for business success and that happy employees make happy customers, which multiply referrals. To have happy employees you need to value them and treat them like they are the valued assets they are because without them there can be no successful business. Unhappy employees make unhappy disgruntled customers, which results in a dying customer base versus an expanding customer base needed for business growth and success.
As a Christian, I was always taught servant leadership -- service above self -- both in church leadership classes and in my Seminary classes after I was ordained. So, I implemented the principles of the Bible and my Christian faith of treating others as better than yourself and as a leader to be a servant as the model to run my businesses. When I started my MBA program and saw these principles applied to the secular business world I was excited because I know it works! Think about it, all of those employees are unique individuals that have a wealth of knowledge, creativity, talents, and gifts to benefit the growth and success of the business. Yet in my 30 plus years working in the business world, I have seen this goldmine of untapped wealth neglected. The usual mindset of the mid-management to senior management executives I have observed has been that the underlings are mere robots to do as they are told without being encouraged to provide input for solutions to company problems. A few businesses here and there have figured out the value of having open door executive management styles that encourage creativity and innovation and input from all employees. One of the best companies that has recognized employees as one of their greatest assets and has a successful business model geared towards making all employees feel they are valued members of the business is Google.
I have observed first-hand that the best and most successful businesses are those with an open-door policy for all management levels where employees are valued and encouraged to be creative using their gifts, talents, and skills to provide input and solutions to help the business solve problems guaranteeing company executives would evaluate and consider such input. The worst companies, many of which are now out of business, treated their employees the opposite creating low employee morale, high absenteeism and turnover, declining work ethic and quality leading to unhappy disgruntled customers and a dying customer base. The vital lifeline for business growth is an expanding customer database. Happy employees (organization team members) and satisfied customers are an organization's most valuable assets.
True Teamwork for business success requires committed and dedicated entrepreneurs or individuals of an organization coming together with other like minded business professionals and people who need a helping hand to get started in business. True dedicated teams decide to simply help each other achieve their personal and professional goals with a strong ethical conviction of truly being a part of the team setting self aside. In the Christian church this type of teamwork is called service above self -- truly valuing others as more important than yourself -- with an understanding knowledge that helping others achieve their goals and dreams helps you reach your own goals and dreams with the satisfaction that you got to the journey's end with integrity. One of my most favorite quotes by Emerson states it well, "It's one of the most beautiful compensations in life that no person can help another without helping themselves." Working with a team makes the journey to achieving your individual goals and dreams faster, more fun, and the greatest benefit of all is that you acquire dear strong (family type) close life-long friendships. You are achieving your goals and dreams of financial freedom and success, while building a true team of "people helping people" and making the best type of friendships one can acquire -- lifelong genuine friendships.
I belong to such a team and I want to introduce you to that team. The "Teamwork Makes The Dream Work" team is comprised of exceptional individuals that are dedicated to the teamwork ideals I have just written about above. The team members of the "Teamwork Makes The Dream Work" team bring to the table a wide variety of talents, gifts, and business experience and are impassioned, dedicated, and willing to use them to help each other achieve their individual goals and dreams. I am humbled and honored at the privilege of working with such a great group of people that mean it when they say they are willing to do whatever to help each other achieve success to benefit their personal and professional lives.
I have been in the business world for over 30 years. Years ago, there was a strong work ethic and integrity was paramount. A lot of that type of ideal in business has gone by the wayside as we now see companies imploding because of unethical actions and the top people in these companies not honoring the most valuable assets of each company -- the individual employees under them. I am here to announce to the world that there are still people in the business world with integrity and strong ethical values. There is an emerging "turning of the tide" back to those strong decent business ideals where everyone in the business structure is valued and appreciated and their collective valuable knowledge, gifts, and talents are tapped and encouraged to develop.
The "Teamwork Makes The Dream Work" team is such a group of individuals that has chosen WorkFor3Dollars as its primary business venture to help everyone on the team and future team members to achieve their dreams and goals through building a business that brings them financial freedom needed to realize those goals and dreams. The upline team members truly care about each and every team member growing their business and are there ready to help in any way they can. The upline members have an open door policy and respond in a timely manner with welcoming, encouraging motivational messages, and always answer questions. I have belonged to other online and off line business ventures where the upline actually thought it was beneath them to reach out and help their downlines. There was no genuine care even though it was espoused that there would be if you joined them. So, you need to find or put together a team that is committed and dedicated to everyone on the team and there is genuine cohesiveness among the team members all helping and encouraging one another. There can be no over inflated egos either for a true team to be successful and promises made and what is best for the team overall has to be the utmost goal of the whole team.
