Reflection On Human Behavior In Public Organization

Introduction As a first-year MPA student who just graduated from undergrad less than three months ago, I feel immensely grateful that Human Behavior in Public Organizations was one of the first official that I’ve taken for my graduate degree. Coming in, I was nervous that my lack of professional experience would put me at a learning disadvantaged compared to many of my classmates who have been in their careers for years. However, I ended up being glad that I began my graduate education so early because this class has allowed me to learn so many lessons that I have not yet encountered in my career, but feel much more confident to take on. Through this course, a few of the key take-aways that were especially imbued upon my perspective are sensemaking

While office politics are certainly prevalent and undeniably exist, most matters improve with diplomatic, considerate approaches. From the scenario that we went over in class regarding someone who was passed over for a promotion and felt that they were treated unjustly, I learned that being open and communicative resolved much misunderstanding from the get-go. From the scenario about work dress code and cultural sensitivity, I learned that there were so many ways to pitch new ideas and implement cultural change within organizations. From the scenario about the boss who was so culturally insensitive to his protégé that the protégé resigned, I learned that having high emotional intelligence is a far under-valued skill. From the scenario about a new manager that tries to hire a valuable new employee to change a toxic culture, I learned that it is possible to be firm without being rude. For all of these conflict scenarios to be worked out, at least one party had to be communicative, innovative, and open-minded about their approach to the situation at