A631.9.2.RB - Video Debrief of Team MA

The Steve Jobs brainstorming video with his new team at NeXT Inc. was very interesting. The mood in the beginning of the video portrayed something that seemed to be appealing and encouraging to everyone to get the critical thinking juices flowing. In the first 30 days of the new launch of NeXT everyone is super excited to launch this new product and you can see it in their faces and hear it in their voices.  Ideas and grandiose goals are being set and it seems everyone is thrilled and ready to go. The scene moves ahead 90 days and we see a company that is not as excited and pumped up as they were at the start. The goal was to have a product to present in 18 months and yet 6 months in they still have nothing to show for it. Everyone is stressed even Steve Jobs. There is tension in the air and it seems that the finger pointing is getting under way as no one wants to take the responsibility for why there is no product yet.

Watching this video and reviewing my assessment I don’t think that I would have done very well with this type of environment in the long run as my assessment results show me being very much to the right side on the independence attributes. My aptitude to work autonomously is high so the part of the video where Jobs has everyone in the room and they throwing ideas out there I feel would probably make me crazy. I would have done well in that area but when Jobs begins to micro manage I would have bumped heads with him for sure. He seemed to become impatient and I would have felt that he didn’t want to take the time to break things down for me or hear me out on my ideas.

One of the things I noticed in the video is that Jobs seemed to interrupt people a lot when they were trying to get their ideas out.  As a leader it is important to be able to actively listen to your followers. My leadership style is diplomatic so one of my characteristics is to inform. Jobs didn’t seem to follow through in this area because he was too busy interrupting his followers to actually inform and inspire them. As the atmosphere changes the communication drops off and Jobs and the others don’t seem to have the same excitement they did in the beginning of the video.

An area that I think we would have done well with was the fact that Jobs had high goals for himself and his company. I scored highly in this area of goal ambition and goal setting as I like to set high goals for myself as it applies to my job. His drive to meet any challenge also would have worked in my favor and I would have done well in that regard. His motivation to get things done and not accept excuses is something that I feel strongly about as well so that is another level I would have fit in.  I like to motivate others as well as myself and seeing people who get excited about learning new things and adapting to change pushes me to want to go further.  

Because Jobs was starting up a company and I scored highly in the large rapid growth company, I would not have lasted very long as there would have been too many rapid changes for me to be become a vital part of his company. Though Jobs was a transformational leader his overbearing ways and need to micro mange would not have made for a work relationship in the long run for either of us.  While this environment would be good in the short term I need to be in an organization where achievement is recognized, realistic goals are set, people are empowered and inspired.

A631.8.4.RB - Reflective Analysis

I have taken the MBTI test a few times over the years and interestingly enough the only thing that has changed for the most part was the last letter Judging (J) or Perceiving (P). It would be interesting for people to take this test when they first enter college, again when they graduate and then again once they are in the workforce in order to see how much we change in how we look at people, ourselves and the way we think about both. My results this time around were ENFP which is described as:

Ø  Extroverted: enthusiastic, gregarious, sociable, and expressive

Ø  Intuitive: creative, imaginative, unconventional, and forward-thinking

Ø  Feeling: passionate, empathetic, supportive and warm

Ø  Perceiving: open-minded, spontaneous, adaptable and whimsical

This pretty much nailed my personality! Being an extrovert has really helped me to overcome my shyness as a teenager to the point where I am not shy to speak to strangers, engage them in conversation just to learn more about who they are and what makes them tick. Getting up in front a group of people large or small makes me nervous and excited not filled with dread like it does to most people.

            Over the course of this program I have become more in tune as I have learned more about whom I am as a person and how I relate to others. At one time I was more on the thinking end where I would try to suppress my feelings and stayed focused on be rational and objective. As I have gotten older I have gone more to the feeling side where I am more focused on finding cooperation and harmony and I have no fear about following my heart and being sensitive to others needs. As one who takes pride in trying not to judge others when I took this test earlier this year I earned a small percentage in Judging which I didn’t understand.  It wasn’t until I realized that I was on the border of perceiving and judging that I realized that judging was not about how you view others but in how you like to stay committed to deadlines and having clear rules and guidelines.  As I have gone through the program I have become more relaxed about deadlines (though I still like to turn things in within the deadline), and I am more willing to be open to all options understanding that the most obvious one is not always the right one.

            So how does this help me relate to others? There are not too many people that I don’t get along with and even those that I don’t relate to every well I find something in common with so that I can engage them in conversation. One of the biggest things that has helped me being an ENFP is that I tend to value each person for who they are not what group they belong to. I have no problems accepting a person’s unique characteristics and I am a pretty tolerant person. My perceptive nature makes it easy for me to understand where someone is coming from and I am able to connect with most people in some way. My friends joke that I have a story for everything meaning I find a way to relate to what I am hearing from others.

            Having this type of personality will help me out in most situations as I tend to mot be shy and I do my best to make others feel more comfortable. As a leader I know that I have to be able to adapt to other types of personalities and knowing how to work with other types will help me understand them better and for them to understand me better as well. On one website I went on to read up on the ENFP found this statement to be very true for me. “People with the ENFP personality type seem to be everywhere, even though they only form around 5 percent of the population – furthermore, they can easily get along with nearly all other personality types, which makes them ideal co-workers” (16 personalities website). A smart move for me as a leader would be to have everyone take this test so that we can all understand how to better interact with each other. Everyone learns differently and responds to their work environment differently. This doesn’t mean that I have to baby each employee but if I can figure out how each one ticks I can make sure that I am getting the best results out of my employees by making them feel more comfortable in their daily job.

            After years of working with the same group of people and trying to figure out why I had a hard time getting along with one person, we both realized that we respond completely opposite in situations. She is very introverted and I am very extroverted so right away we are on different ends of the spectrum. After learning that I have to change my approach with her and her with me, we get along much better now.  There is no secret formula to getting along with everyone as I don’t think it is possible to do all the time but if you can figure out how each person works you and they can adapt to make for a more pleasant and productive work place.

Reference:                                                          

http://www.16personalities.com/enfps-at-work

A631.7.4.RB Future of OD

What do you see as the future of the OD discipline? Throughout MSLD 630 and 631, we have studied a lot about how organizations are changing, becoming more diverse, more global, transforming in different ways.  There is a need to grow and change as our workforce changes, becomes something different, something better.  Leaders see the need to make these changes as well to keep up with the ever changing environment in order to stay ahead in the business world. Almost every chapter in the Organization Development text book starts with phrases such as ‘change’, ‘globalization’ and ‘innovation’ just to name a few. The text has emphasized the need to be able to adapt and evolve with the ever changing market. We are no longer local, we are worldwide.  It is so simple to hold meetings with employees who are in England, Asia or Spain all from the comfort of your living room or the company conference room.

Organizations who do not change and adapt will be left behind and die out in the near future.  We are learning more ways to be able to communication with each other, to work together toward a common goal. This means that managers and leaders need to be on board with making these changes for the good of the organization and the people they employ. “Managers need to understand that OD interventions have the potential to make the biggest difference in human development and bottom line performance” (Brown, 2011, p 429).

The practice of OD is also changing as new techniques and approaches are being developed and this shows that even the practice of the different areas of OD are changing and adapting as new research is conducted. Is OD right for everyone? It depends on what an organization is looking to accomplish but one thing that I have learned over these last two classes is that it is important for organizations to recognize who their leaders are, who their employees are and how to get the two to work together as a collaborative team that share the same goals and values of the organization. What is important to understand is that the purpose of OD is that it is not a quick fix, it is a long term plan that must be monitored and changed as needed to continue to grow with the organization. Some leaders will jump on anything that seems to be good enough for the company without realizing that it is not something you put a band aid on and hope that fixes it. “Unless problems are identified and solutions are systemically thought out supported by the commitment of management, the “fixes” may become another fad in a long series of fads” (Brown, 2011, p 425).

One of the things that I have found in these courses is that change is a good thing. It is all in how one approaches it and gets their organizations on board with it. You can’t come into an organization and start making changes without observing first to see where the real issues are.  You don’t stick your nose in the spreadsheets and base your changes on that alone. You have to really truly understand the culture of the organization.  What are the issues?  Where is the breakdown in communication, technology, management?  How can it be fixed?  Just because a technique worked in one organization it is not ‘one size fits all’ you need feedback from everyone within the organization.  Start at the bottom and go up, don’t just rely on the top management because most of the time they have no clue what is going on in frontlines because they are not in it working it every day.

OD practitioners are at the forefront of change.  Some of the future trends of OD are Organization Transformation (OT), empowerment, learning organizations and organization architecture (Brown, 2011). OD practices are here to stay as they have made some great impacts to date.  With anything, the more it is studied and tweaked to fit in with the changes in the globalization the better it will become. Even the best companies have their issues from time to time and being able to recognize it and fix is the first step in the right direction. The future of OD as Brown explains, “The course of change anticipated for OD will predominately surround the issues of a changing workforce, global competence, and transformation within the organization” (Brown, 2011, p 429). I personally cannot wait to see what is in store for me when I am done with this program and how I can take what I learned and make a difference in the workforce.  I know it takes someone who can see the potential, the positive side and vision of where an organization can go.

Reference:

Brown, D.R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (8th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall

A631.6.4.RB - Transformational Strategies

Watching both of these gentlemen, Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale and Stanley McChrystal, I was inspired and motivated by what that they each had to say. They didn’t sit back and let changes overcome them, they took the change “by the horns” and did their best to adapt and get their followers on board as well.  In the first video I watched about Gallery furniture I was impressed with Jim’s drive to want to make changes the right way.  “I could do as much blubbering, cajoling, screaming, and hollering as I wanted to try to get my team to change behavior, but I knew it wouldn’t get us where we needed to go,” says McIngvale. “I was looking for a process that would get my people to want to change their behavior and act in ways that give the customers what they’re looking for” (McIngvale, VitalSmarts website).

When the housing market dropped drastically in 2008 Gallery Furniture was affected along with many other companies. In 2009 the company suffered another blow when their store had a fire that caused $30 million in damage. He knew he had to do something and do it quickly.  They needed innovation and they needed it now. After reading a review in the Wall Street Journal McIngvale knew that Influencer would be the one to help.  He wanted to be influenced on change and how he could do that with his employees. After getting training for him and management he made sure that everyone in his company from the furniture loaders, drivers and sales team got the same training.

One of the biggest challenges McIngvale faced was changing a 30 year sales process that involved two big changes in how they conducted business including changing the “how can I help you” to “I am disappointed you are not going to buy anything” and becoming prospectors instead of sales people so that they could follow up with the customers who didn’t buy right away.  This way they can touch base and hopefully bring them back in at a later date to purchase furniture. He also implemented a wellness program to bring a great work-life balance to the employees.  One of the things I thought was interesting was that McIngvale put a bell up so that each time a team member got a sale they could ring the bell and the other team members could encourage and congratulate them. He also made sure that all members were taught how to use technology as he felt it was important that everyone was brought up to date.

This ties into the chapter and showing the strength of corporate culture as well as figure 15.4 that reflects members’ commitment to values and shared values as being high (a good thing).  “The more members share the basic values and the greater their commitment to them, the stronger the culture” (Brown, 2011).  I was impressed that McIngvale was open to change and willing to do whatever it took to bring his company where it needed to be. It also goes along with figure 15.5 in the Manage the Change quadrant where change is important to the organization and they are compatible to the existing culture of the company which makes it easier to move forward with major changes using the power of the cultural acceptance (Brown, 2011).

In the video, Listen, Learn…then Lead, Stanley McChrystal did an amazing job of explaining how leadership has changed through his years in the military and what that meant to him as a leader and those that he led. McChrystal walked us through a jump touching on things he had been taught when he was first starting out and watching those young men and women around him performing the same skills exactly the way he himself had been taught. “And I realized that, if they had to go into combat, they would do what we had taught them and they would follow leaders. And I realized that, if they came out of combat, it would be because we led them well” (McChrystal, TedTalks 2011).

With so many changes in the way people communicate, he had to learn how to do this on many different levels.  Making sure all the key leaders are on the same page and understand what is at stake is not easy when your leaders are spread out in different parts of the country.  The thing that stuck out for me was that he mentioned how different it was not be able to look into the leaders eyes to build their confidence and get that trust back from them to know that they understood what they needed to do and that they would do it with success.  This required different techniques. “I've got to use video teleconferences, I've got to use chat, I've got to use email, I've got to use phone calls -- I've got to use everything I can, not just for communication, but for leadership” (McChrystal, TedTalks, 2011).

He realized that he was dealing with a new type of leadership here.  Not one of eye to eye contact, a hand on the shoulder for support, the ability to build that trust and confidence that is so vital for what they do.  Leadership, no matter the age or gender of the person leading change, must have a shared purpose. McChrystal pointed out that you have to become more transparent, be more willing to listen and to be “reverse-mentored” from the bottom.

One of the statements he made that really stood out for me was this, “I came to believe that a leader isn't good because they're right; they're good because they're willing to learn and to trust” (McChrystal, TedTalks, 2011). This is so important for leaders to keep in mind that being good doesn’t always mean you are right, it is about making mistakes and being able to learn from them and trusting your followers and them being able to trust you.  These also tie into both figures on the text when it comes to strategy and culture.  “Implementing strategic changes can be done more effectively when the culture of the organization is taken into consideration” (Brown, 2011).  This is a big part of what McChrystal was talking about, taking the culture (the leaders, location, and mission) into consideration when making changes. Both videos showed how leaders can make changes for the better during transformational change and I know that I have learned a lot from both of these videos.

References:

Brown, D.R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (8th ed.).Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall

http://www.vitalsmarts.com/casestudies/gallery-furniture/

http://www.ted.com/talks/stanley_mcchrystal.html

A631.5.4.RB - Leading System Wide Change

I have seen a few people who have ‘risen’ to positions of power and how much it changed them and not for the better.  People, who as the frontline workers were excited and willing to help others out, who wanted more ‘power for the people’ and who knew they could do something better for their department and organization if they were just given the chance to do so.  They had strong work ethic and still do however the power has gone to their head.  They treat their frontline people like morons who can’t be trusted with simple tasks and they do not hide it either. Instead of honing their skills by working with individuals and teams which benefits everyone they turned into the type of boss that they as frontline people didn’t like.  They lead like dictators where it is their way or no way, there is no room to ask questions or bring ideas to the table.

The Apple video, Think Differently, you hear words like, “rebels”, “trouble makers” and “ones who see things differently” all things that have led to change for the better.  Without these kinds of people we would not see, hear, or do all the amazing things we do in our personal lives as well as the business world.  This video made me think immediately of a person who has led change in a positive way.   This person, who started at the bottom and worked his way to the top while being able to adapt to his environment, never lost sight of continuing to learn from his surroundings and the people he worked with and for.  My former director is the type of person who has made me want to be a leader.  A truly great leader.   His compassion for others as well as being able to get along with everyone while exhibiting emotional intelligence speaks volumes for the type of person he is. He was able to bring our department from the bottom to the top within 5 years while making changes that has helped streamline our processes and turnaround times for most of what we do.

So what is required for a leader to be successful?  Thinking back to how my former director got to where he is now I have come up with a list.  This doesn’t include everything possible of course but I feel that it is a great start to making sure that I will be successful:

·         Open communication: being able to get your vision across to everyone in your department.  It may make perfect sense to you but if your subordinates don’t get it then you are not being clear and concise.

·         Honesty: holding yourself and your team to a higher standard, being ethical and true to yourself and others.  Being able to admit when you are wrong.  Lead by example, if you are leaving early every day your team will think that is ok to do as well so maintain value and integrity.

·         Don’t give yourself a label: a title doesn’t mean anything at the end of the day so why try to be better than everyone else.  You are still the same person when you walk out of the office so don’t throw your title around.  You need to be willing to roll up your sleeves and get dirty just like everyone else.

·         Positive attitude: when times get tough your team looks to you and if they see you fall apart so will they.  They want someone who will be level headed and steady when tensions are high.  Don’t berate your team but instead encourage them to new levels.

·         Have a sense of humor: make work a place that they want to come to.  It doesn’t need to be party central but if you can show your team that mistakes happen and find the humor in it by making light of your mistakes (minor of course major ones may not be a laughing matter) and not getting so upset by it you are showing them that we are all human.

·         Active listening: this I have found so very important.  Everyone can listen but it takes more effort to actively listen to what your team is saying.  Be ready to open your ears and shut your mouth.  You may learn a lot this way.

·         Commitment: not only to your team but to yourself and your job.  Lead by example by being the leader your followers want to be around and learn from.

·         Lead and follow: being able to lead as well as follow is vital to being a great leader.  A wise person once told me that a good leader is one who knows how to step back and let others shine.  Give your team credit always, don’t reserve it for yourself.

Being successful requires all these skills and then some.  I know that it is important to be open and willing to adapt and change as needed.  Not every day is going to go as planned, there will be good ones, there will be bad ones but learning from these days will help me become better not only as leader but as a person.

A631.4.4.RB - INSEAD Reflection

More and more organizations are starting to use self-managed teams as they become more flat.  This puts more emphasis on teams being more self-managing.  A self-manage work team is “autonomous group whose members decide how to handle their task” (Brown, 2011, p 349). There are many benefits of self-managed teams as such creating a sense of vision for the team and the organization.  It also creates a strong partnership between the team and management and encourages authority and accountability for the team members.  There is diversity among team members and they all bring something different to the table which reflects in their skill and knowledge for each member.  Team members feel empowered to make decisions that will positively the organization for the better. Being a part of a self-managed team means working together while encouraging and meeting the challenges as a team to work through any issues to create a stronger group effort. They share the same vision for the team and the organization and show strong commitment to the team.

There are also so drawbacks to self-managed teams especially if the team is not sure of their assigned roles because there is a lack of leadership in guiding the team in the right direction.  If there is a lack of training with self-managed teams they may very well fail because this training was not provided.  Another drawback is that there may not a need for teams because it is not appropriate to the task, people or context. Disagreements can be an issue if they are not worked through completely where everyone comes to an agreement.  Working as a team means able to work through problems and find a common ground to collaborate as one.

I prefer working on a self-managed team and actually do in my current job.  When you are given the authority to make decisions and work together for the same common goal it makes you feel like you are a part of something bigger. There is no one standing over your shoulder making sure you are doing your job.  Because we are all trained and understand our jobs we can perform with little or no supervision. We are starting to work on cross training so that we can all perform most of each other’s jobs. There is one drawback however and that has to do with the security assigned to certain screens in our system but we feel it is important that each team member understands all the roles within our department.  It also helps us to understand how all aspects of the jobs within financial aid work.  We all work at our own pace and decide what our priorities are for the day without having to run that past the director.  When we need help we rely on each other to work through the issues and come to a mutual consensus.  

To be an effective external manager of a self-managed work team I would want to make sure that I am there to help my team achieve their goals while continuing to build on their professional development and training. This will include motivating and coaching them while not micromanaging them.  I will be sure to encourage and empower them while providing all the needed tools to ensure their success.  Some things that are vital to this are to have open communication, filling in any skill gaps, and having a plan to keep it simple and clear. I know that I will need to be ready to listen, motivate and implement changes as needed.

Brown, D. R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (8th ed.). Boston: Prentice Hall

A631.3.4.RB - Feedback and Goals

In our text Brown stated, “In contrast, giving feedback on performance without having previously set goals does not lead to improved performance” (Brown, 2011, p 321). This made me think of when I was the cheerleading coach many years ago for Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. I was young and had never led a team before so I was learning as I went.  As the coach I had no formal training and had to figure it out along the way.  It was my second year of coaching and we were at the end of the season and I wrote up a survey to give out to the cheerleaders as I wanted to get some feedback on how I was doing, what was good, what was bad. 

That survey was a huge eye opener for me!  It was both positive and negative feedback but mostly negative.  I was shocked and taken aback by how they felt about me and my coaching style.  It was a hard lesson to learn but one that was needed.  They provided me with feedback as well as suggestions on how to make things better. I spent the summer thinking of ways to improve how I approached my cheerleaders and I also set some goals for us to obtain by the end of the next year.  It was obvious to the cheerleaders coming back that I took their suggestions and criticisms to heart to make the program so much better for both them and for me.  This was the start of really taking feedback both good and bad and learning from it.

I found Brown’s opinion on generational differences in the amount of feedback desired by employees to be interesting. He stated, “Eighty five percent of younger workers wanted frequent and candid performance feedback compared to only 50 percent for older workers” (Brown, 2011, p 322).  Part of this goes back to how much more interaction there is these days between managers and subordinates.  There is more communication from both sides and it is mostly encouraged.  In my department, our older employees seek feedback almost more than the younger employees.  A part of this I believe is that the younger employees grew up with these technologies such as the internet and smart devices so they have more confidence in that area whereas the older employees don’t have the same confidence so they want more feedback on how they are doing in certain areas.  They want this feedback from their managers and not so much from their coworkers.  The younger employees tend to ask how they are doing and what they can do better.  I like that they have the drive to want to improve their skills and they take criticism well for the most part.  

Giving feedback is important in order for one to improve and learn from these lessons.  The same goes for getting feedback, it is the only way to grow and understand how to be better.  In the article, 6 Steps to Setting Goals that Improve Performance, they explain 6 steps that can help one improve their performance by setting goals and these include 1) setting clear, reasonable goals, 2) identifies the behaviors that are critical for performance, 3) establishing potential rewards and discipline, 4) continuing to develop abilities to enhance performance, 5) getting accurate, timely feedback and 6) administering rewards as promised and celebrate a job well done.  When giving feedback these goals are good to keep in mind.  You can help your employees improve by getting them to set goals that they can attain that will push and challenge them as well. When I give feedback I try to put myself in the other person’s shoes and ask myself what I would to know.  So when I give feedback I take a positive approach.  What was done well?  How was the issue approached?  What could be done to improve?  Is there a better, easier, faster way to get the same or better results?  These questions are ones I keep in mind when giving my feedback.  This works for my professionally and personally.  

I know for me personally I like to have specific goals and getting feedback that will help me become more engaged, improve my performance and overall help me learn more about myself and how I can make changes for the better. I have to say that there are a few drawbacks to setting specific goals and that is personal disappointment.  What if I can’t reach my goal or I don’t do a good job in getting to my goals. This could cause unneeded stress that is not necessary.  From this I can take that I have to continue to set goals that will push me, challenge me and make me a better person.  I will not always reach my initial goals but when I don’t I know that I can learn from what kept me from those goals and move forward from it as a better person.

References:

Brown, D.R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (8th ed.).Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall

Shake off the grind (2010, September 9). 6 Steps to Setting Goals that Improve Performance | Shake Off the Grind. Retrieved from http://shakeoffthegrind.com/extraordinary-goals/6-steps-to-setting-goals-that-improve-performance

A631.2.5.RB - Cooperation and Competition

Over the course of this program I have learned a lot about working on teams.  At first, I groaned about this as I had my own assumptions as to how it work or not work.  Instead of looking at the positive I focused on the negative aspects of team work. For every team I have been a part of I had no real issues other than dealing with a very aggressive member in one class and a lack of participation from two members in another class.  These experiences have actually taught me about group dynamics and how to better work with teams. This is the first group where we have had 5 members. I feel that this could be an advantage but it could also hinder us. Too many members could cause more conflict; too few members could lack the needed cohesion for the team to succeed.

Most of us have worked together on the same team prior to this class so we knew from the start that we would be successful because we have learned to communicate well. One of the things that have helped us to complete our task is to be active in the group discussion board.  This means checking in every couple of days, asking questions, providing help where it is needed. This gives accountability to each member and if we have to nudge the other members we can do it in a constructive way. We all seem to have the same thoughts on expectations and what we expect from our learning experiences here. Of course there is advantage to having some of your team members in the same building!  I can walk over to the other members and throw out thoughts and get real time feedback from them.

With any group there will be times where someone doesn’t agree with what the lead person has in mind and even with communication on the discussion board, the message can get lost as tone cannot be conveyed through here. Everyone approaches decision-making or problem-solving differently so it is important that we try to avoid conflict if possible. However if that is not possible we must be able to manage conflict constructively by using compromising and integrating styles. The charter is pretty straight forward and there are not really any factors that inhibit the process or time needed to get it done.  Everyone submitted their parts pretty quickly as we have all done this in previous classes.

As a team we are all on the same page with how we share information which is mostly through the discussion board with email follow up as needed.  A few of us have already taken the lead on projects we want to do for the class so we are off to a great start.  At this point there are no real issues with authority or power that would affect our team.  It is possible that it may happen in some of the later projects however I feel confident that we will be able to work through those issues and remain cohesive.  As a team reading over the charter I can see that we will be able to collaborate well in order to influence a great outcome to our projects.  I do think that it would be interesting to ask these types of questions in some of the other projects that are more time consuming and more detail oriented where the chances of conflict and competition will most likely occur. This way we could get a better idea of different challenges there are and how we dealt with differences and still managed to get the project done in a timely manner.

A631.1.5.RB - EcoSeagate

After reading the OD Application: EcoSeagate and Team Development and watching both videos I was so pumped up by how well the teams managed to work together.  The power of teams collaborating and working together to reach a common goal outside of the work area showed with how enthusiastic they were and how into it they all were.    The singing and growling, the dancing…. they did it together!  No one was complaining or trying to take the credit they were like family.  They moved like one and I am sure that there were many friendships to come out of this exercise.  I definitely can see the value of the team development process with EcoSeagate especially when the CEO Bill Watkins came on board.  He could see that something needed to change.  People were fired all the time and the CEO had a grenade on his desk so what kind of message was he sending to his employees?  

Bringing people together has so many benefits when developing teams.  In the text they talk about sports teams and how well they must work together.  We must be able to work together similar to a basketball team or a dance troupe.  Everyone needs to know their part, when they must move, how their part interconnects with the other teammates or dancers and that when they practice (a form of communicating) by going through drills or with the music they can trust each other to be there.  When the dancers first come together they do not know the dance so they must watch the instructor so they know what they are doing.  They must listen to the music for their ques so that they know when to perform each step.  As they learn the dance, some will pick it up quickly while others will need more time.  This is where the other dancers AKA team members will come in handy.  They will assist and coach until everyone has it done perfectly.  They are working as a team to accomplish a task by solving problems (getting everyone on the same page with the dance) and improving to reach a common goal (win the basketball game or get high marks for a performance).

In the videos they talked about the importance of being able to get comfortable with conflict to not be afraid of it.  Working together can force teams to be able to get comfortable with conflict and being able to tell your teammate that an idea is not good and them not getting upset by it.  This will help to open up the channels of communication.  They also talked about how bringing people from different backgrounds helps one learn to appreciate each other’s differences.  This can work to a team’s advantage because you can use the diversity of the group to bring it together to get reach the common goal.

I definitely think my organization could benefit from a similar activity.  I also believe it would be a way to weed out those who are not team players and who are not interested in learning and growing with the organization.  While it may not seem like a big deal if everyone doesn’t want to be a part of a team or participate in team building exercises it really does hurt the organization as a whole.  Of course that is not the point of doing this kind of activity, to weed out the ones who don’t want to be team players but it will become apparent pretty quickly. We don’t have to do a zip line or brave the rapids but forcing people to step outside their comfort zone can get them to open up and become more comfortable with conflict and dealing with it in a better way.  We can even do something like a field day where we are teamed up randomly so that we can get the full learning experience and bond with people we may not have thought twice about talking to before.  My department will be doing a retreat in a few weeks and one of the main things we are going to do is take a self-defense class where we will learn not only self-defense but also the importance of team building.  We don’t get to go on many retreats and this one will be the first one where we actually have to be part of a team and I think it will really bring our department together and make us more cohesive.  Perhaps it can also help us in dealing with conflict in a more constructive way.

A630.9.4.RB - Hiring and Recruiting

In the video Schmidt talks about how important it is to develop the culture of your company and I think he is so right about this!  Proof of this is Google which has a great culture within their company and it shows in all the great things that they have created.  He talked about having passion and drive to do what you love to do.  When you walk into any kind of business you can see right away the people who are happy to be a part of that company and the ones who are only there to collect a pay check.  Throughout this course we have talked about culture and the importance of having it and Schmidt explains this when he talks about Google.

He mentions how time has been spent on passion, academic qualifications, commitment and intellectual flexibility and I agree that these are very important to the culture of a company. I will say that while I understand the academic qualifications, sometimes a book cannot teach us what happens in the real world so if that is the only thing that keeps a person from being hired and they have all the other aspects, they should be hired because you can mold them and teach them so much more than they could learn from a book.

When I first started at ERAU Worldwide I had no financial aid experience but I had everything else (drive, passion, and academic qualifications) so my old director took a chance on me and 5 years later I am a manager and I have learned so much more than I ever thought I would but there is so much more to learn as well and this is the drive and passion I have with my job.  I want to learn and grow and I feel that is something that is vital to the culture of any company.  People who want to learn to explore what their organization can give them and how far it can take them.  I continue to ask questions  as well as go to conferences and absorb everything I can not only on the regulations but how it affects our students and our counselors.

One of the things Schmidt mentioned that stuck out for me was hiring people who are compatible with other people.  I know from personal experiences when sitting in on the interview process we look for the type of people who will fit in with our department.  Are they outgoing?  Do they take criticism well?  Are they drama free?  We have many different types of personalities and if we drop in a person who creates friction and drama it would upset the balance we have. 

Now our department is not perfect but we do work well together and anyone who comes in has to be able to fit in and deal with the idiosyncrasies (people who hum and talk to themselves, people who like to keep to themselves for the most part, people who are very outspoken, etc.).   When we interview potential employees we will bring in the other counselors and let them ask questions.  I like to watch the nonverbal ques between the interviewee and the counselors to see how they interact.  This way I can see if there is potential for friction within our group.  It is wise to choose the right person who will add to the department not cause problems.

As a leader we may not always be able to make everyone happy and we must be aware of how our employees are feeling and truly listen to their concerns.  Making sure everyone works together is vital to the success of interpersonal relationships and as well as how your team works together.  If you have a great team who can get their work done and done well, jump in and help their coworkers and work through problems without having to go to the boss, there not much management needed because they are already doing it.  You are there to guide and encourage and challenge them to the next level.  For me a great leader is one who wants you to succeed and move to the next level whether it is in that department or somewhere else in the organization.

One point that Schmidt made that I thought was interesting was about discord at meetings.  I think it would be interesting but I feel that it could backfire if not done carefully.  If you are trying to get your employees to speak up at meetings especially if they are quiet or concerned about an issue they may not want to speak up at a meeting for fear of looking dumb or that they should already know the answer.  Maybe a round table where everyone can throw out their ideas so it can be bounced off of the group because this can bring out the best in the group.

 No this won’t always work but I think if you make everyone understand how it will help them grow and learn it is a step in the right direction.  I can definitely apply these things in my job now and feel that having a clear idea of what kind of culture you want in your organization is important not only in how you do this but how you support it.  We have a retreat coming up and I want to bring up to my director that we need to get everyone’s input on what they think the culture of our department is and how we can improve it.

A630.8.4.RB - Build a Tower, Build a Team

Watching the video on building the Marshmallow tower I was reminded of a similar project I was a part of at the ERAU Worldwide conference back in August.  We were put on random teams and the project was to build a tower using construction paper, tape and a plastic cup filled a quarter of the way with M&Ms.  The M&Ms had to be on top and the goal was to make the largest tower.  My group was a mix of faulty and directors from different campuses and the first thing that happened was we had to discuss our plan.  It was sketched out on a piece of paper and then two people decided who would do the building and then we got to do it.  Well I should say they got to it.  Two of the members took over and did most of the work.  I found it interesting how the dynamics played out with the team.

 We had a ‘CEO of M&M Towers’ and his way was the only way to do it.  Two of us tried to make suggestions but they were so involved in the process they really didn’t listen.  Looking around I saw other groups who were working together as a team to make their tower work.  I noticed a few tables had already taped their cup to the top and were working on building their structure on that.  In the video I can see why the kindergarteners performed better because they jumped in and worked around the marshmallow and continued to build on it instead of waiting until the end to see if it would work.

I think the kindergarteners performed better because they weren’t trying to fight for power.  They started building with the marshmallow on top and adjusted as they were going.  This is how they figured what was working and what was not working because they were getting instant feedback on what was working and what was not and they could adjust from there.  As the video went on Tom talked about how CEOs with executive assistants performed better than CEOs who did it alone.  I thought it was interesting and it made sense because the executive assistants tend to have to more specialized skills in facilitation, managing processes, and an eye for attention to detail.  This allows for the team to work together closely, to collaborate on the project so there is a greater chance for success.

If I were to facilitate a process intervention workshop I would keep the video in mind and watch how the teams worked together or didn’t work together.  We have a retreat coming up and I have suggested to the person putting together the different team building activities that we do the Marshmallow challenge as I think this would help us to figure how we work together, how we can improve on our communication skills and see where we are falling short in working as a team.  I can take away several things from this exercise and that is that I can’t always be the leader, I need to be able to follow so I can continue to learn.  Working on teams can be hard at times but it is important to keep in mind open communication has to be a major part of the success of any team.

A630.7.4.RB - Mastering the Art of Corporate Reinvention

In the video, Bonsignore talks about the importance of communication and how vital it is to be truthful on all levels of the organization.  This means being completely honest with your employees.  If you keep them involved in what is going on with the company they will deal with the hardships better if they know that management is being open and honest with them and that there is light at the end of the tunnel if things are not going well.  I believe that this is a big part of what will make Honeywell successful because he sees the importance of communicating what is going on with the company.  When you can motivate your employees by showing them that the success of your company depends on them they will feel that they are truly part of the process.  Employees who do not want to be a part of change will bring down motivation of an organization so they either need to get on board or be let go.

Companies have to be adaptable, have credibility and be able to communicate with employees as well as customers.  If a company cannot adapt to changes in technology, product growth will go nowhere.  With technological changes comes a depersonalization of the simple processes such as customer service.  Customers want to speak to a human being to get their questions answered.  So be sure you have a personal touch so that your customers know you care about them and that they are not just a number to you.  If you don’t get feedback from your customers you won’t know where you need to make improvements.  When you set expectations for your company and you can’t follow through with it, own up to that by being honest with your public as well as your employees.  If your company takes success for granted complacency can take over.  This is when mistakes can happen.  A swift kick in the rear will get you moving again.  The speed at which things are changing these days is ever increasing so you must be ready to change and adapt in order to grow.

Getting a good sense of what is expected of the company on all levels from the janitor to the CEO is by having strategic business plans in place that are both short term and long term. This way success is measurable.   It also gives the employees have a clear idea of how to get from point A to point B and how they can be a part of that.  This gives them a purpose and creates a corporate culture of being part of the solution.  One of the things Bonsignore talked about was thinking in terms of what is good for me and good for the company.  In other words you should think about the big picture, not only how it affects you but the company.

Listening to the video it was great to see that both Bethune and Bonsignore admit that mistakes happen and the best thing to do is to own up to those mistakes and move forward from it.  You have to be able to pick yourself up and dust yourself off and figure out where you went wrong and what you can do to try to avoid making the same mistakes again.  The best successes usually come from failing at something.  Set expectations and be sure to get feedback.  For me I can use all of these things in my job currently.  Because there are so many changes to regulations we always have to adapt to changes that are happening.  For example, I already know that there will be more changes to how we perform verifications for the next academic year.  I would like to get some forms together and have a committee of students who review them for usability to see where we may be missing the ball on communicating what is needed.  Are the forms understandable?  Does it make sense?  Do the awarding letters break down the important information such as terms financial aid is awarded, where to find information regarding policies and such?  I think it would be great to get a survey together to see how students feel about financial aid and what can be done to improve how we do business.  This I feel will help communication and how we work our processes.

A630.6.4.RB 50 Reasons Not to Change/The Tribes We Lead

“Why change its working ok”, “it’s too much trouble to change”, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, “I don’t like it”, “We have always done it this way”, “it’s too complicated”.  These are just some of the things I have heard when it was announced a couple of years ago that we would be switching to a new software system at my organization.  Change this big may understandably bring some of these comments because changing your habits of how you do things can be a scary thing. But what about small changes, how does that affect us.  Perhaps it’s a change in how we perform a task or when we do it or even not having to do it again.  When I hear these types of comments what I hear is fear.  Fear of the unknown, fear of not being able to keep up with the change and fear that one may not like the new changes. 

I have even heard some new reasons not to change; “we need to win the lottery so we don’t have to learn the new system”, “we will have just as many issues with the new system”.  These come from people who have been through a change before and saw the issues and problems it created.  Why do we fear change though?  Look around and you will see that things have changed, nothing stays the same and if it did there would be no progress made.  Ever.  No man on the moon, no cell phones, no internet, no modern modes of transportation.  Technology is evolving at a much faster pace these days so what worked just a year ago may be obsolete now.  Change is going to happen whether we want it to or not.

Change is inevitable and it is better to embrace it and learn to adapt to transform.  I don’t think I ever used any of these excuses when it comes to change.  For me I ask more questions about the change.  “How will this affect how I do things”, “how quickly can we get it up and running”, “will there be training on how to use all aspects of the new product”.  Asking questions and learning how changes will affect you, your work and your organization you can overcome any thoughts or fears of how you will manage with new processes.  We must understand that we must change in order to move forward.  It not only helps us to understand things better but with this change we may find a better way to do things, a way to improve the way we work.  Who doesn’t like that?

Seth Godin spoke about tribes and how we may be a part of one whether it is the people we work with, groups we belong to or ideals that we feel strongly about.  It takes one person to say this is what I think and this is what I am going to do about it, come along if you want to.  There was a YouTube video posted on the announcement board a couple of weeks ago showing one random man dancing by himself to the music at some outdoor festival.  There were plenty of people around him, many walked by, some stopped to watch his unique style of dancing.  Then something amazing happened.  Someone else joined him.  And then another and another, pretty soon people were running not walking to be a part of this man’s journey of dance.  He didn’t shout for people to join him but without doing anything else other than what he was enjoying he formed a tribe.

            Seth offered three questions about tribes and change. The first one, who exactly are you upsetting seems pretty clear.  You stand for something and you want to be heard.  If it is not a big deal to you it won’t be a big deal to anyone else either.  You have to make yourself heard because this is how you change things, make them better, bring attention to wrong doings.  The second one, who are you connecting, makes you think about who you want to connect to.  Why are you connecting?  What are you going to get out of it?  I have recently started to run 5ks with a coworker of mine.  It did because she asked me to go because she thought I would like it.  I have just completed my 4^th 5k in the last 3 months and I am beginning to see a lot of the same people.  I am making connections with this group, this tribe. These runs are more than just about beating my own time; they help different organizations and individuals. 

The third one, who are you leading, is to me the most important one.  The focus is on who we will lead as this is where change is going to happen.  We make people think and want to do more.  My daughter is now interested in doing a 5k with me because she sees how happy it makes me knowing that I did something for someone else.  This is bringing another person in to help push change.  It can be as small as getting out there and doing it.  It doesn’t matter what the time on the clock says it is about making a difference in someone else’s life.

In my department I maintain a positive outlook even when change may affect how I do my work.  I focus on how to make it better not dwell on how unfair it will be.  Recent events in my area would make some people mad or frustrated but for me I will continue to do what I do and strive to make lasting changes that will better my department as well as me as an individual.  That is what makes me a good leader and perhaps propel me into a great one.

A630.5.4.RB - NASA Culture Change

Why did NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe address NASA employees to describe the plan to bring about proposed changes to NASA's culture? After the tragedy with space shuttle Columbia, an assessment was done by BST to see what may have cause the accident.  Where were the weaknesses within the organization?  O’Keefe talked about the assessment that was done and how it applies to all of them and all that they do and every aspect of the organization.  The assessment brought to light that it wasn’t just one department, one area of the organization; it is much broader than that. 

He made it known that though there were many aspects of what NASA has done that adds to the culture of NASA but there were many areas that demanded improvement.  By addressing the employees directly and taking questions as well he is making a point that it involves everyone in the organization.  He even told them that it needed to start with leadership including him because it is not as good as it should be.  He said that it needs to be thought of as constructively about what can be done to strength the culture of NASA.

Was he believable? Is it important whether he appeared to be believable?  He appeared to be believable as he continued to talk.  I found it interesting that when he first started talking and the video scanned the audience one member was smirking and appeared to have a look that said he didn’t quite believe what O’Keefe was saying.  As the talk went on and the video scanned the same person again it appeared that he was actually listening to what O’Keefe had to say.  I think that it is very important that he appeared believable because if they don’t believe what he has to say they will be less likely to want to make the needed changes since leadership doesn’t believe it either.

Why did he talk about NASA values?  O’Keefe pointed out was that though NASA had many of the values already in place there was definitely room for improvement.  The assessment from BST made it clear that change was needed.  He touched on some interesting points that he thought were vital to the cultural change with NASA.  One of them was respect for each other professionally to carry out tasks.  He said this is an area that needs more work.  There has to be respect for one another and their views.  Another area was safety and that the view in concept that safety is not bad but it is not good enough.   He pointed out that “We don’t act it quite the same way we say it” in regards to safety. One can preach about safety all day but it is more than just talking the talk NASA must walk the walk.  There should be no fear to speak up about problems. He suggested that we get leadership up out of their offices and walking around.  This shows that they are committed to making the working environment a better place for everyone.

What I can take away from this exercise that that you will not know what is working or not working in your department if you don’t ask.  Right now my director has asked each of us to put together a list of things that we feel will increase the quality of our jobs.  Though she may not be able to give us a pay increase, she can make little changes that will improve the overall quality of how we do our jobs from larger monitors and more comfortable chairs to holding team building retreats to bring feel cohesiveness to our department.  

A630.4.4.RB - How Companies Can Make Better Decisions

Listening to the video, How Companies Can Make Better Decisions, Faster, everything Marcia had to say kind of made the light bulb go on for me as far as understanding a bit better on how some companies have great success whereas others not so much.  Employee engagement and how it relates to decision effectiveness can be as simple as decisions that are made that are sound and well thought out but not drawn out.  When leaders make clear and concise decisions employees will feel that leaders are making these decisions with them in mind and it makes for a better working environment as well.  Making decisions should be easier not harder and this in turn will make for a more interesting place to work. 

If you have a board or committee of leaders who make the decisions for the organization as a whole and they can’t seem to agree or be on the same page or they want to involve too many people, it slows down progress across the organization.  It makes you wonder what is going on.  I experienced this when I was on a board last year and we had 10 people on the committee and our job was to make the verification process smoother and the forms more user friendly.  The problem was that there were about 6 people too many on this committee and 4 of them had not done a verification in many years if at all, so the changes they wanted to implement would actually make the process harder for the employees and less user friendly for the students and parents.

In the end the employees were frustrated because they were not asked their thoughts on the forms and there should have been at least one counselor on the committee to help since they are on the front lines every day with students and parents answering questions.  If a decision is made quickly and effectively everyone will feel that they are being heard and processes can be implemented faster and the flow is smoother which leads to more productivity for everyone involved.

Some impediments to good decision making that Marcia listed in the video include not having the right talent in key decision roles and leadership behavior getting in the way because there is no open and constructive debates before the decision is made.  So if you have leaders who just want to implement decisions and do not take a little bit of time to actually think about how these decisions can affect the bottom line, there may end up being more talk after the decision has been implemented and doesn’t work. This cause more issues such as a possibility of going back to the drawing board, retracting that decision which may have customers, employees, board members, etc. questioning the leadership ability or the company’s strategy.  Marcia also pointed out that companies are becoming more complex with more companies evolving to reach more markets so they become more complicated.  Organization charts look more like road maps these days so it is hard to keep it simple sometimes.

            In addition to the 4 elements that Blenko suggests (quality, speed, yield and effort) I would add strategy, alternatives, reasoning, and feedback.  Strategy is important because as companies evolve and change, products improve or customer demands change it becomes important that your strategy is well thought out and you are prepared for changes that will happen.  Alternatives would be great to have in place if a decision is made and for some reason it doesn’t work or needs to be tweaked you have back up plan.  So if Plan A doesn’t work then Plan B can be put into play.  This would work well in the planning part of the decision making. Reasoning is important for the simple fact of asking ourselves why we are doing this.  What is the reason we need to make these decisions?  Why didn’t it work before?  Feedback would go well with Alternatives because if you can get feedback on what worked and what did not you can then make necessary changes that are needed in order to implement more effective decisions.

            What I can take away from this exercise is that decisions affect each department as well as the organization as a whole so these decisions need to contain the 4 elements that Blenko mentions such as quality, speed, yield, and effort as well as incorporating the ones I listed.  Our department is smaller and it is easier to have everyone involved to hear ideas and thoughts on how implementing new processes will affect the students as well as the counselors.  Some decisions are out of our control as they come from changes with Federal Regulations however we can be sure that we are getting that information out to our students and parents in a timely manner and that it is done in a way that makes sense and encourages them to ask questions.  

A630.3.3.RB - A Day in the Life of the Culture Committee

Southwest Airlines (SWA) is known as the low fare carrier that delivers more than just a ‘welcome aboard’ speech.  Ask most anyone who has flown Southwest and chances are you will find someone who has experienced their company culture.  From smiling faces and silly songs as you taxi to the gate, you don’t just feel like a number to them you feel like a part of their company.  A part of this always cheerful attitude is in how the employees are treated by each other and by management.  In the video one of the major comments that stuck out for me was the flight attendant explaining the Culture Committee.  She said it was employees appreciating employees.  How many employees can say that about where they work?  This statement is what makes SWA a great place to work because they are all about that culture.

Having the Culture Committee is a big part of establishing the cultural norms of SWA.  Giving the flight attendants a small break by cleaning the plane for them and giving them small snacks is just one way to say thanks for all the hard work.  It is a way to give back to make everyone feel appreciated in every way.  Their enthusiasm and positive attitude plays a big role in this.  You could tell in the video how surprised and happy the flight attendants were to see the Culture Committee greeting them when they opened the airplane door.

By focusing on making happy employees, SWA makes its customers happy as well.  It is like a domino where one piece falls into place and then the rest follow as well.  "They have to practice the golden rule every day - first with each other, and then with our passengers," Barrett said. "They have to serve because they want to. They have to smile because they want to, not because they have to" (CBS News, 2009).  So it is about how you feel and how you interact with each other as well as the customers.  When you love what you do and why you do it the rest is easy.  I feel this is a big part of why the Culture Committee does what it does.

Having the Culture Committee in place not only shows employees how much they are each appreciated by each other but how valuable team work is and perhaps a big reason employees stay and how SWA continues to stay successful.  Part of this success is the key difference in how employees treat each other.  “Kelly says the difference between his company and others is simple: "People working together, people lovin' each other, people respecting each other" (CBS News, 2009).

If I were to try to put together a Culture Committee for my department I would probably focus on the little things first like bringing in breakfast for everyone as small token of appreciation.  We function very well as a team and we all jump to help each other out so there isn’t one thing that one person does that another doesn’t.  If I had to start my list I would say picking two counselors and telling them that they don’t have to work their queue for a day that everyone else will work it for them.  Then pick something different for another counselor like returning phone calls, or answering tickets.  To be able to give each counselor a small break to be able to work on one area without having to worry about getting behind in another would be a huge help the department as a whole.

What I can take away from this exercise is that if you have to have the culture within your employees, make sure you find out what makes them happy while keeping with your standards of the company.  Planning retreats or enrichment seminars for the department to attend can help to shape that more positive culture.  As we saw on the video doing just one small thing for your fellow employee can go a long way and creating an environment that everyone wants to be a part of.  Changing the culture from one that is negative (be it employees or the organization) to positive takes hard work but it can be changed for the better.  It takes patience, understanding and the ability to bring out the best in everyone.

References:

Something Special About Southwest Airlines - CBS News. (2009, February 11). Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-3221531.html