A521.1.4.RB_Stories in Your Organization

The stories I am going to examine are from a different perspective. Due to the nature of the organization I work for I am heavily influenced by both faculty and students. The culture of my organization is centered around educational excellence and the experiences we can provide as an institution of higher learning. What we do now to help students will only further the foundation and culture of the institution.

I have worked in higher education going on 5 years now and I think I have heard every excuse from students that can be told (and some of the stories can be rather entertaining and others are heart wrenching). There are not too many stories that go on in my field of work asides from the excuses we hear from students. The jobs completed by the faculty and staff are heavily influences by our students. I can sympathize with students but I don’t necessarily agree with what they are saying. My journey in my career field started when I was student so I have the ability to understand where the student is coming which enables me with ability to have the student think of the same story they were sharing in different ways.

More commonly than not the story always started with, “I cannot return to school because…” Right there I find myself stopping the student in mid-sentence and I ask them to think about what they are saying; do they really believe that to be true? After I do that I am given a list of reasons why they feel it is a true statement. Believe me I have heard all the stories in the book about how they cannot afford to go to school or they have time constraints but their stories lack many different elements. I understand that finding additional time for school is hard especially when you are a parent returning to school and trying to raise a family but excuses do not fix the overall problem. I find some of the stories to be cop-outs or an escape goat. Life is full of challenges but if you are going to tell me a story giving me meaning. I have a tendency to think students who know they are going to want to withdrawal from school because of time, money or level of difficulty have these situations mapped out in their minds but when it comes time to execute their plan they look like little puppy dogs with their tails between their legs.

Working in education I know that as an organization we want to provide as many avenues as possible to help students get the best education money can offer. I think of our students as customers and we are the service they are seeking. I focus on keeping things simple and customer focused. If we allowed every student to tell their story and let them leave without addressing the situation then we are failing the student and I don’t mean academically. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has a reputation for educational excellence; we would not still a leading competitor in higher education learning if we didn’t want to help our students succeed. With that being said we cannot save every student and at times we have to listen to the stories being told, provide the student options and allow the student to make the final decision.

I think smaller stories that go on within our organization stem from the moments where we can save a student from leaving and see them finish their goal. Those pivotal moments in a student’s educational career is what helps show others they can do it too. At one point in my career I answered the Information Center phone line and I can vividly remember a student who wanted to leave because he was frustrated with the system. As an institution we were able to see to it that they student received everything they needed for success and ultimately that student graduated which goes to show if we stick to what we know and execute our jobs correctly we can success stories and those stories can go on to inspire others.

Whether we are able to help a student or lose a student the stories that spawn from those situations are what helps to bring the organization closer. I like to think of those stories as the building blocks because each time we learn something new or make a process easier we are laying a newer and better framework for the organization. Stories are born on a daily basis as the start from a certain situation taking place; what we do with those stories (or how we use them) ultimately influences our organizational culture.

A520.9.5.RB_Power

Power = a possession of control (organizationally based), authority (manager or leader), or influence over others (hierarchy). This small word packs a heavy punch when it is used incorrectly or abusively. When I started my career I wanted to be powerful and I thought it would be hard for me being a woman in this cut-throat dog-eat-dog world but I quickly realized that my personal ability to stay calm under pressure, reframe from jumping to conclusions and addressing the problem (not the people involved) has enabled me to establish a small sense of power in the position I am in now. It is a nice feeling when people come and open up to you because they trust you and know that you are there to help not just listen. I think having trust and the ability to influence people is important when properly executing power but it has to be done correctly. Business Ethics was a class I really enjoyed and I still try to read books and articles designed around what is changing in the business ethics world and what I have noticed if you treat your employees and colleagues like people you are more likely to get a better response from them. I am from the south and my mother used to always tell me, “You will catch more flies with honey rather than vinegar.”

Table 5.4 Characteristics of Likeable People is almost designed specifically for me. I feel that in order to be a good, strong and successful leader you need to embody the characteristics depicted in the table.

1.      Support an open, honest and loyal relationship

    Trust is formed and maintained when both people feel a sense of support, honesty and loyalty.

2.      Foster intimacy by being emotionally accessible

    Others want to feel as though you are emotionally available to them when they need you.

3.      Provide unconditional, positive regard and acceptance

    Being positive attracts people, negativity detracts people

4.      Endure some sacrifices if the relationship should demand them

    A give and take relationship shows flexibility; leaders must be flexible

5.      Provide social reinforcement in the form of sympathy

    Although you may not always understand what is the other person is going through, reinforce their decisions with a sense of sympathy; this will help establish a bond

6.      Engage in the social exchanges necessary to sustain a relationships

    Continuing a constant exchange of communication helps to continue the growth process in a relationship; maintenance

Managing a relationship with your boss is not always an easy task but it is necessary. I have worked for a few bosses who were almost impossible to get along with and there were days where tears were shed out of pure frustration. According to Table 5.5, Managing the Relationship with Your Boss, making sure you understand and apply the following will ensure a better working environment and relationship.

Make sure you understand your boss, including:

1.      Your boss’s goals and objectives

    Enables both people to understand the purpose of the working relationship

2.      The pressures on him or her

    Respect their pulls and restraints for others and be respectful of it

3.      Your boss’s strengths and weaknesses, blind spots

    Understanding your boss, where can you help and what areas you should always let them lead

4.      His or her preferred work style

    Sets expectations of what is expected from their subordinates

Asses yourself, including:

5.      You own strengths and weaknesses

    How can your own strengths and weakness assist in daily tasks and projects for your position and your boss

6.      Your personal style

    Know your style and be self-aware

7.      Your predisposition toward dependence on authority figures

    Understand you role in the organization and know the boundaries

Develop and maintain a relationship that:

8.      Fits the needs and styles of you both

    Establish a relationship that plays on both strengths and weaknesses

9.      Is characterized by mutual expectations

    Know what is expected from you as the subordinate and your supervisor

10.  Keeps your boss informed

    Never leave your boss out of the dark it will eliminate conflict and friction

11.  Is based on dependability and honesty

    Continue to build on the relationship and maintain a good disposition within the organization

12.  Selectively uses your boss’s time and resources

    Do not waste your boss’s time and never abuse resources that are provided to you

I believe that power can be used and abused but when it is used properly and effectively it has the ability to evoke change and growth in any organization. The bond and relationship between boss and subordinate is essential, once the foundation is in place it will need to be maintained, never abused or misused.