IT Professional Practice - Essay Example

IT IT Professional Practice In order to succeed in starting up my own IT business, applying Covey's 7 Habits will be very beneficial. These are remarkable inspirational and aspirational standards for anyone who seeks to live a full, purposeful life, and they are applicable today more than ever, as the business world becomes more attuned to humanist concepts. These values are full of integrity and humanity, and contrast strongly with the process-based ideologies that characterized management thinking in the earlier times. All 7 habits coincide with each other for the best and most successful results. By being proactive the other six fall into place. Covey states, "Having a particular attitude of mind can make a huge and positive difference to almost everything we experience in life." (Covey, S.) In other words, if I think successful than I can be successful. It is the ability to control one's environment. It involves self-determination, choice, and the power to decide response to stimulus, conditions and circumstance. Beginning with the end in mind gives me the ambition to work towards what I envision as an end result. Going accordingly to "first things first" will help to prioritize my time to accomplish the "urgent" things versus the just "important" things to reach my success. By always thinking with a "win-win" attitude, I can keep focused on my solution so I don't give up. I'm also going to first seek to understand then to be understood. I'm going to hear out the other person's position before stating mine so we can relate on a problem or solution. This is simple and effective, and essential for developing and maintaining positive relationships in all aspects of life. I can then synergize by putting my head together with others to come up with a possible solution. This is the habit of creative co-operation which is the principle that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, which implicity lays down the challenge to see the good and potential in the other person's IT 2 contribution. Finally, I need to sharpen the saw. This is about self-renewal. This means that I got to be better, keener, and more effective in order to see my success in this business and to be and stay on top. This necessarily surrounds all the other habits, enabling and encouraging them to happen and grow. The self is interpreted into four parts: the spiritual, mental, physical and the social/emotional, which all need feeding and developing. As long as I stick to these 7 habits and keep a positive outlook in success of my business, things will work out for me in this and every other aspect in life. These 7 habits all focus on leadership as well as personal fulfillment. Tuckman's theory states, "These four to five stages occur when a group comes together and starts to operate. However, most of it's done subconsciously but it's good to know and understand the process." (Tuckman) These four to five stages are: forming, storming, norming, performing and later added, adjourning. Forming is the desire to be accepted by others, and avoid conflicts. Sensitive issues are avoided, and information and impressions are gathered. Team members are introduced, and they state why they were chosen or volunteered, and what they hope to accomplish. This is the test of the leader's guidance both formally or informally. In storming, niceness may end, issues are addressed, and patience breaks, and conflicts begin. This is the team's transition from the "As-Is" to the "To-Be". Members have little energy to spend on progressing towards the intended goal, and they begin to understand each other. Norming is where "Rules of engagement" are established. Tasks and responsibilities become clear, and you understand and appreciate each other better. After working out their differences, they have more time and energy to spend on the assigned project. Not everyone reaches the stage of performing. By now, everyone knows and trusts each other. The energy is directed towards the tasks. IT 3 The completion is adjourning, and everyone moves on. This last stage was added 10 years after the initial four stages. Great ideas are always welcome as well as distinguishing the goals, roles, procedures, internal relationships and external relationships. In Tuckman's theory, these stages don't discuss what would happen if and when a problem arises within the group and how they then respond and interact. Mainly, it discusses the initial process along with starting out, but what happens when problems come up How does the group then act subconsciously Do the rules still go accordingly In the theory, clauses need to be added in case of this situation arising. In the Belbin's profile, many different roles are involved. The advantages to these roles are you can put one of each of the described profiles of a person to form a group to ensure accurate completion of a project. There are three roles within the "Doing and Acting" category. These are the Implementer (the organized one), the Shaper (the energetic one), and the Completer (the one who sees things through until the end). In the "Thinking and Problem-Solving" category, there is the Plant (the creative one), the Evaluator (the careful thinker), and the Specialist has knowledge in key areas). The "People and feelings" category has the Coordinator (the leader), the Team Worker (cares for the team), and the Resource Investigator (explores new ideas and possibilities). Each person being assigned with one of these roles covers all areas covered within a task. All need to know their roles, work out all their strengths, and learn to manage their weaknesses. Things could get hectic and cause problems if there is more than one person with the same role. They could wind up butting heads, and causing problems within the group. IT 4 The team works best when there is a balance of primary roles and the members know their roles. In order to achieve this, there has to be one Co-ordinator for the leader, a Plant to stimulate ideas, a Monitor to maintain honesty and clarity, and one or more Implementer, Team worker, Completer to make things happen. Someone taking on their role along with other person's role could cause difficulties as well. Before handing out roles, the person's strengths needs to be evaluated in order to assign a role to receive proper and successful production. Within the BCS Code of Conduct, several areas are discussed such as the public interest, duty to relevant authority, duty to the profession, and professional competence and integrity. (BCS, www.bcs.org) These show regard within the rights of the government, public health and safety, and third parties, which are very important when conducting a business and succeeding within. The rest evaluate on the rights of others, and obeying all necessary rules and regulations to comply to. All of these applied together can and will end in complete success in any type of business. Works Cited BCS Code of Conduct. www.bcs.org Covey, Stephen. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Simon & Schuster. Read More