MBA FPX 5910 Assessment 5

Introduction

My personal goals are on the development aspect, both personally and professionally. I have learned so much through this MBA journey that has helped me grow as a business leader in my organization and the industry. This assessment will look at the skills that I have learned while teaching and coaching through this journey and how those skills have built up my professional resolve. Besides, in this paper, I will examine how I applied the acquired skills for the first time while undertaking my capstone project as an example of what the results of the MBA program were. Further, how these leadership skills facilitated the implementation of effective actions in suggested actions within the capstone project. Finally, a strategic plan will be presented to achieve three of my personal and professional goals for future development. This will be followed by an overview of how this program has equipped me to mentor and lead others to achieve their objectives.

MBA FPX 5910 Assessment 5:Reflection

The MBA program has allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. Individually, it made me more assertive in trusting my ability to think logically and make sense out of things and situations in dealing with problems at work or in everyday life. It is through undertaking individual SWOT analyses and having good risk management strategies. Through the process of coaching from BetterUp, its impact helped unveil my own inherent talents and strengths through rigorous inquiry and scrutiny. These have proven to be very important, as they identified areas to work on in my development objectives.

The experience of the capstone project provided real-life application of problem-solving in my chosen organization, Tesla, Inc. I wanted to determine if Tesla would be successful in the electric vehicle (EV) market without the sale of automobiles. This project allowed me to hone my research abilities and improve as a professional writer. Some of the topics that I discovered were most beneficial in the capstone project included developing an annotated outline, something that I hadn’t done for years but needed to do now in my industry, and graphing business plans. The learnings from various analysis tools, i.e., VRIO, PESTEL, and Porter’s Five Forces, will come in handy in my current job. Apart from that, I have also applied some of the Six Sigma skills through process analysis. The project also provided an opportunity to showcase my education by applying the skills to the outcomes of the program.

MBA FPX 5910 Assessments 5 Reflection and Goal Setting

The leadership competencies I applied to complete the capstone project were derived from the BetterUp assessment. Some of the most important leadership competencies highlighted in the assessment include a sense of control, relationship building, participation, open communication, and problem-solving (BetterUp, 2019). The ability to establish a sense of control and build relationships assisted in collaborating with cross-functional teams at Tesla, Inc., to facilitate effective teamwork across departmental and divisional boundaries. Problem-solving, the most sought-after leadership skill, helped me problem-solve effectively and strategically through the collection of data and setting the most suitable line of action (BetterUp, 2019). The integration of these skills helped me to analyze data, set solutions, and represent the solutions effectively and professionally to stakeholders through the capstone project recommendations.

Looking back on how these leadership skills and traits helped to validate the results of the MBA program, I could observe that the essential knowledge and understanding of business systems, processes, and technology were exemplified by utilizing various processes and analytical techniques like PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces. Further, I integrated information from disciplines and perspectives by comparing financial statements, production shipments, and global performance to estimate the company’s viability without the EV industry.

My critical and analytical skills were employed to provide evidence-based solutions for business challenges and opportunities through analyzing recent problems, figures, and questionnaires to provide suggestions including all the stakeholders and functional units. In addition, I practiced innovative, strategic, and eco-friendly business practices in describing varied innovation and methodologies led by Tesla across all its product segments and market divisions. I analyzed how the company operates internally to address challenges and considered several government and cultural factors to boost its image. I also assessed the use of moral values and integrity in business decision-making by observing the company’s decision-making processes and its previous performance in terms of ethical issues.

Applying My Strengths

In the capstone project, I suggested two primary suggestions: Tesla, Inc., needs to battle its losses within the EV sector and recover from failures. In order to survive without the sale of electric cars, Tesla needs to enhance its standalone product lines to sell subassemblies of the EV separately. Implementing these suggestions involves applying my strengths in different manners. Battling losses necessitates gathering cross-functional groups to foster an environment of camaraderie.

I can accomplish this by open communication, building relationships, and involvement. It is achievable for a leader like me to inspire employees to collaborate well. Such managers, who can drive their teams and align activities into the organizational strategic context, are not typical (Kunnanatt, 2016). It requires a feeling of control and problem-solving abilities to make teamwork work. Good leaders create an environment in which employees can fulfill their potential (Kunnanatt, 2016). Drawing the team members in to fix issues collectively instills open communication and participation for everyone.

MBA FPX 5910 Assessments 5 Reflection and Goal Setting

My leadership ability will also enable diversification of individual product lines, albeit similar for every representative team. Following consideration of the BetterUp analysis, I have no fresh recommendations for Tesla, Inc. solutions. However, I recognized three areas in which I aspire to develop and enhance in the next six months: emotional management, ownership mentality, and stimulation. Enhanced emotional control will prevent me from breaking down under stress in meetings and design sessions even during extreme pressures. Additionally, through the provision of an ownership culture, other people will feel empowered to make decisions and plan their processes. Last but not least, I must enhance my motivational skills so that I would teach less and inspire passion towards projects or assignments.

Empowering these three, in addition to my existing capabilities from the BetterUp assessment (sense of control, relationship building, participation engagement, open communication, and problem-solving), will make me a good leader and allow me to leverage my strengths in proposing the proposed solutions for Tesla, Inc. My open communication and problem-solving capabilities will also allow me to propose and implement new solutions whenever challenges arise.

Future Goals Moving Forward

I have discovered three concrete personal and professional objectives that I would prefer to accomplish.

The MBA program and the BetterUp test have prepared me well to attain these objectives. Personally, I plan to have earned my PhD by the age of 50. Professionally, I plan to be Vice President of Operations at my current firm and have a reputation as a subject matter expert (SME) in leadership and project management in my industry. This program has provided me with the tools and expertise for research and applying real-world solutions to real issues. With a “never say die” spirit and commitment to continuous development, I am able to utilize the skills I have acquired—such as risk management, finance, and problem-solving—and my natural abilities indicated in the BetterUp assessment to craft and implement a strategic plan. This plan will provide an overarching roadmap to the achievement of my goals. Having finished the MBA program, I am prepared to enter a doctoral program of my choice to earn my PhD.

I will complete this in around two years, utilizing the program design to monitor my progress and move past any potential setbacks. I hope that continued education and leadership opportunities will equip me with the necessary tools and recognition to secure a promotion to Vice President of Operations or Chief Operating Officer (COO) within my company. As the current Director of Operations, this transition is not overly ambitious. Pursuing my PhD in project management and leadership will further make me an SME, as I will be able to impart the knowledge I have gained to others and help them advance their skill levels. To attain these goals, I will employ easily accessible resources such as student loans and tuition reimbursement to finance my PhD studies. Once I get the vice president or COO position, my pay will suffice in terms of repaying the loans.

I will evaluate myself at the end of each semester by grades and at the end of each year in terms of my progress. As my career goals are based on achieving the PhD, within a two-year period becoming a reality is crucial so that the following goals can become a reality. After these three goals are met, I will set other goals for ongoing growth as a professional and as a person.

Conclusion

Overall, this capstone project and MBA degree have enabled me to integrate business methods and leadership into an applied problem-solving framework. Being able to reflect upon the lessons that were learned while going through the program and project provided me with effective tools in research and analysis required in an effort to realize my personal ambition of obtaining a PhD.

Furthermore, the project also gave me a platform to implement my strengths in solving an actual problem for a Fortune 500 company, giving me the opportunity to hone my leadership skills to prepare myself for my future career as COO.

Finally, this strategic plan provides the means and guidance to accomplish my goals of obtaining a PhD, becoming a COO, and positioning myself as an SME in my current field.

Though this plan charts the course, my inner drive will be the force that propels me to success. Persistence and consistency will enable me to climb the heights of my success.