A631.9.2.RB_Video Debrief of Team MA

Steve Jobs is and always will be a visionary.  The desire to fight through defeat and come back stronger is what fueled Jobs to continue in his quest to produce the best and strongest technical advances for home computing.  Although Jobs is gone, his legacy and life’s work will forever live on for generations to come.  Many remember Job’s as the founder of Apple but most forget that he was let go from Apple which drove him to create NeXT which later was purchased by Apple.  These changes in the Job’s life and professional career are what fueled him to be one of the best creators of technology to date.

During my debriefing I learned a lot about myself that I might have otherwise thought about differently.  As much as I want to be a leader and change the way people understand and value academic technology, I know that I am not the type of person to create a new learn platform but instead I am the person who will test, break, provide feedback, and transform what is currently out on the market in order to help those who are the visionaries for design and production create a better product.  According to my management assessment profile I wouldn’t necessarily be the perfect fit for a startup company but instead I would be better suited to come in when the company it at its large and rapid growth stage(s).  Even though I am not perfect for this stage of the NeXT startup team, I do however have characteristics that would be great for this stage of their organization and could ultimately help to transform the organization.  Below I have captured 3 different characteristics from my assessment that I feel would fit great into this step of Job’s new organization:

Fiscally Conservative

• Starting up a new organization there are many areas where spending will be taking place.  Job’s discussed in the video that he has forgotten how much money and how many different things would need to take place in order to get the organization off the ground again.  I believe that because I am great with money I would have been able to assist Job’s with the design of the structure and responsibly allocate finances in order to ensure they were put the best use possible.

Structure

• I need structure and when structures (policy/procedures) are not in place I am the type of person to create them.  In the video it was clear that mostly those in the room were engineers who would rather do what they love then be bogged down with creating an organizational structure.  In this area I would come in and help to create the walls of the organization to allow the creators to do what they love.

Desire for a Challenge

• Start a new company is a challenge in and of itself and according to my management assessment I have a strong desire for a challenge.  In conjunction with my problem solving skills I believe that I would have been a great asset to the NeXT team during their startup phases because regardless of the problem or challenge I would have the skills to handle the issue.

Even though this startup organization is centered around technology, the root of the organization was focused on the needs of education and creating a tool that both students and staff/faculty can use.  Education is something that speaks to me in volumes and I understand what it takes to create a prosperous learning environment for students.  I feel as though many of my best qualities for this type of implementation would span across the area which focused on the needs of the students and staff/faculty.  I would need to understand what their needs are and how I can take those requests back to the person creating the tool.  I have found that nowadays we send out survey’s in order to request that type of information but its more than a survey when it comes to education, you have to be there in person with the client(s) to understand their needs, their wants, and their desires.  Many of the people in the room with Steve Jobs were engineers who don’t necessarily want to be with the client but instead want to be in a room filled with computers, writing code and reading through hundreds of lines of HTML.  I would have been the person in Job’s team that would have been sitting down with the client and finding out what their needs are, I would have been the face or the bridge between the two worlds.

Even though we lost Job’s, we will always continue to benefit from his hard work and determination.  Technology was forever changed by him and his team.

References:
Петренко, C. (2012, January 19). Steve Jobs Brainstorms with NeXT Team [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loQhufxiorM&feature=youtu.be
NextSteps, R. (2013). Management assessment profile: Katy Hendry.

A631.8.4.RB_Reflective Analysis

                                      “Hi, I am ENTJ” also known as “The Executive”

Jungian functional preference ordering:

• Dominant: Extraverted Thinking
• Auxiliary: Introverted Intuition
• Tertiary: Extraverted Sensing
• Inferior: Introverted Feeling

About 2 years ago the department I was working for offered the Myers Briggs test and at first many people didn’t take it seriously until we all lined up to see how each person in our department measured up to each other in relation to the number they scored in each section.  The most eye opening moment is when I realized that my boss and I were both scoring in the same areas at almost the same number which made me realize that I couldn’t be an assistant to an executive if both of us ranked in the same area (the area known as the executive).

According to the Myers site, “ENTJs are natural born leaders.  They live in a world of possibilities where they see all sorts’ challenges to be surmounted, and they want to be the ones responsible for surmounting them.  They have a drive for leadership, which is well-served by their quickness to grasp complexities, their ability to absorb a large amount of impersonal information, and their quick and decisive judgments.  They are ‘take charge’ people.”

Being an ENTJ I realized that I was born to lead to some capacity but I also know that I still need a few more years of experience and education to become more prepared for the type of leading I wish to do.  I think it is very important for all young professionals to take the MBTI once when they start their careers and a few more times at milestone points to see if they have changed or remained the same.  It is so important to know who you are and being self-aware so that you can be effective as a leader and to better understand those who you lead.

Once I took the test I became self-aware rather quickly that it was time to start making progress to change my career and within 6 months I had finished half of my master’s degree and had secured a new position within the university I am currently working for.  Now all results will vary but becoming self-aware helped to lay out a path for my professional success.  It has been sad that ENTJ people are very forceful and decisive people and I completely agree with that because I know that when I set my mind to something, I go for it full force and I don’t stop until I achieve it.  Asides from the attributes of being an ENTJ individual, there are some downsides that I have to keep in mind which I find is part of the self-awareness journey and that is I have to be more open-minded and understanding.  Often ENTJ people can be too aggressive in getting to where they want to be and I don’t want people to remember me that way although I am sure some think of me that way now.  I want to be a comfortable balance of driven and compassionate and that is what I try to work on each day through my studies and my career.

Taking the Meyers Briggs test is extremely important to me and I think others feel the way I do.  I know that if I was in a leadership position I would set aside both time and funds in order to have the MBTI test administered because I think it helps for a team of people to understand one another better and therefore ultimately work better which will promote a better working environment.

Reference:
Myers, B. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.personalitypage.com/ENTJ.html

A631.7.4.RB_Future of OD

I would never classify organizational development as a fad that would over time become irrelevant because development is not a fad but instead is a necessity of organizational change and growth.  The need to keep up with rapidly changing times is extremely important to organizations who want to stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive in their industry.  Taking into consideration ERAU as an example, the need to remain at the top for both education and our specialized field (aviation/aerospace) we have to constantly go through periods of organizational change in order to stay dynamic and not become static.  As thing change with in higher education and in the aviation/aerospace field, the organization will need to embrace OD as it takes shape in ERAU to ensure we stay prosperous and see steady growth.

In the area of organizational development as a disciple, I foresee constant changes taking place because the needs of OD will change as other variables become relevant.  Areas that will change how this disciple is seen or taught are (but are not limited to), the economy, demographics or location, industry, and politics. The future for OD will continue to grow especially with the changes of generations in the workplace.  What were once the needs of the Baby Boomers are now becoming the needs of Generation X, Y, and ME.  We often forget about that changes that are taking place right now in the workforce and how important it is to have the skills of organizational development as we embrace these changes.  I can only speak for myself but I think that I am at a slight advantage now because I have taken these two courses and understand how important OD is and how to apply it to my career.

Over the past two courses I have learned so much about not only myself as a leader but how my leadership skills help to promote organizational development and how I have been a part of organizational development.  I have found that these two courses helped to guide me to understanding how important it is to have both inside assistance and outside guidance when organizations are having difficulties or need to promote themselves over a plateau they could be having in their industry.  The need to understand how I play a role in this discipline is very important for me.  In order to change and mold myself, I have to understand the study of OD and how I aid in the OD process.

Although challenging, the study of OD was truly eye-opening and helped me grow so much.  I feel as though now I have a better perspective of understanding situations (case studies) from a broader perspective which has allowed me to become a better practitioner of the OD discipline.  My goals now are to continue to grow from my OD studies and apply these as I move forward but with the note that OD is a living thing and it will constantly be changing as other changes take place around it.

A631.6.4.RB_Transformational Strategies

Transformation change is taking place all around us all the time and at many times we are unaware of those who are leading those changes. But it is not always about what is changing but it is how it is changing and who is leading that change.  Everyone is a leader and anyone can effectively lead change but the difference between a successful mission and a failed operation is the structure or path in which you took to implement those changes.

Now I have never worked in a furniture company nor am I military but have watched what happens when the successful approaches that McIngvale and McChrystal took were not properly executed in order to save an organization from their demise.  The prompt states “how do you relate and make sense of these approaches” and for me it is simple, if you don’t apply these approaches you will have a harder time meeting the end results in a positive and effective manner. When I worked for a dancewear manufacturer based out of Hialeah Florida, I didn’t understand that I was coming into the organization as it was steadily declining. This organization was a family owned and operated company with more than 50 years of experience but they were lacking something and that thing was the ability to lead their employees (which ultimately lead to the organization closing). 

If we are two take both figure 15.4 and 15.5 we can see that the organization I was working for was in the Weak Culture quadrant for the “Relative Strength of Corporate Cultures” and we in the Change the Strategy for the “Strategy-Culture Matrix.”  Now moving from one quadrant takes time and effort and it cannot be done overnight.  I believe that if the company I worked for (we can call them SSDW) started to move step-by-step from one quadrant to another then they might have been able to keep their doors open longer.  I think some of key issues with SSDW were that they needed an overhaul of the organizational structure; they had been stagnant for years and it hurt the ability for change to take place.

Changing an organization is never an easy task especially when an organization has met so many hurdles that have negatively impacted the structure of the organization.  But in these types of situations, hurdles don’t necessarily enable an organization to rebound.  If an organization has the will power to change and can effectively introduce strategies for success into the corporate culture of an organization then there is a high possibility that the organization will make it; sometimes all we need is a little fate.

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

A631.5.4.RB_Leading System Wide Change

Being a leader is like being a teacher and teaching is an art and a science, the art is the ability to articulate the science of knowledge in which that person encapsulates.  They say that great leaders are born but I don’t necessary think that is true.  I think everyone has the ability to lead but only a select few allow themselves the ability to tap into that side of their personalities and allow it to take shape through education and professional experiences.

In the video you see many different leaders from different walks of life and experiences but what you don’t see is who they were before, they are just like you and I, they have interesting stories, and many didn’t aspire to be a great leader.  But they do all share many of the same foundations and of those foundational similarities; one is one I believe to be the biggest helping hand in becoming a successful leader…

I have met many leaders in my short life and some were amazing and others, well let’s just say I don’t know how they got to the top.  I often hear about the hoops people have to jump through to get where they are but maybe some of those hoops are relative to what the person (the leader) wants people to hear and maybe getting to the top wasn’t the best idea for them but they went there anyways and each day are trying too hard to maintain their momentum; maybe they are not designed to be a leader.

I worked for a person who thought and to this day still believes they are a successful leader but they are not.  Even though this person isn’t a leader in my book, they are not far from being one; they are only missing one thing, compassion.  Often time’s people get caught up in the hype of being a leader and they forget everything they have learned about people and communicating and one the common areas with people and communicating is compassion.  The only problem with this person not having this trait, compassion, it cannot be taught in a classroom or seminar, you cannot read on how to be compassionate, instead it must come from within.  I know speaking from experience that as we move up the corporate ladder we change and evolve but I have always made it a point to take the time and remember who I am as a person and why I got to the position I am in and it is not just because I am educated and hardworking but it is also because I can relate and understand people (those above, below, and on the lateral scale as me). I have found that this person never

There is no list of characteristics a person must have to be a leader but there is that one element they should always have, and that is compassion and they should execute this on a daily basis. Leaders should always take others into consideration and know their story, understand who you are working with, and how they ultimately keep you in the position you are in.  If you don’t know those who work for you, how can you serve them?

I am pretty sure I have deviated from the originally prompt for this blog entry but I think it’s because after watching that video I realized that all those people in the Apple commercial had a common dominator and that’s compassion; they knew what it took to be where they are and that meant relating to those who helped them reach their full potential and goals. These people didn’t know what type of system wide changes they would make on the world but they knew they loved what they did and they cared for others.

A631.4.4.RB_INSEAD Reflection

I think there are many benefits in self-managed work teams.  Brown (2011) defines a self-managed work team as am, “autonomous group whose members decide how to handle their tasks” (p.348), which I think allows for people to self-govern themselves and forces people to work through their problems as a team.  I have found when you put people on a team and allow them to work through their differences they are more likely to rely on each other to get the job done and feel less pressure as opposed to being on a team where the team leader might also be the department manager/supervisor.  Self-managed work teams in my opinion often have a more relaxed feeling which allow for creative ideas to flow more freely and more naturally.  Some of the potential drawback with these teams is the thought that those in team might clash completely and the need for management to step in would be present but I think the benefits completely outweigh the drawbacks.  The idea of self-managed work teams is more likely to be less embraced by those who are micromanagers than those who are progressive leaders.  Speaking from experience I have been on many teams and those that were formed by my direct supervisor and included her were more uncomfortable, stagnant, and ultimately dissolved without any true team collaboration taking place whereas teams developed by those on a lateral scale were more productive and successful.

I love working in self-managed work teams because I think that they allow each person to shine in their abilities.  Many of the reasons these teams are established is because each person is going to bring a different and unique attribute to the team which allows for the group to overall be more successful. Even though SMTs are great, there can often be times where situations of conflict can arise and as a group/team we are forced to resolve them.  I find that conflict is inevitable and these types or situations help to make each team member that much stronger than they were (individually) before.

Those who manage effective self-managed work teams are not micromanagers but instead they are the type of manager who trusts their employees and allows for their creativeness to show and grow with each new project. I also think the following characteristics need to be engrained in a competent manager of self-managed work teams:

• Trust
• Creativeness
• Openness
• Honesty
• Reliability
• Educated
• Hardworking
• Versatile
• Flexible
• Understanding

Being in a self-managed work team takes practice and often the first go round will be unsuccessful because it takes will power from the team to keep each other going but I do believe that when you allow employees to work together and manage themselves they often create a stronger working bond that ever before.

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

Tesluk, P. (2008, September 22). Self-managing teams; debunking the leadership paradox., Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBnR00qgGgM&feature=youtu.be

A631.3.4.RB_Feedback and Goals

I have always been a true believe that giving constructive feedback will help to improve employee performance.  Since I started working I have always received annual reviews and I think with each review I became a better employee for that organization.  As much as I like an annual review, I think as a leader/manager/supervisor you should be giving feedback to your employees throughout the year to keep positive momentum going in the workplace.  I would not like to go a whole year of doing something incorrectly just to be notified at my annual review that I wasn’t doing something right.  Instead I would like to be told when I am doing things right and wrong throughout the year in order to keep the workplace running smoothly and cohesively.

Generational differences will always be slightly represented in the workplace.  Currently, generational gaps are more visible in the workplace as the Baby Boomers begin to exit the workplace and Millennial’s enter.  I think the need for Millennial’s to get frequent employer feedback is because their generation is centered around the “here and now” and they want instant gratification (they have to get the job right from the start, know what they are doing, do it perfectly, and never fail; failure is not an option).  It is almost like they have to know they are doing good in order to continue because they don’t understand failure; they never had to work hard for anything before and if they are doing something incorrectly it might require effort to fix it something they are unaccustomed to.  This can be contrasted with the Baby Boomers who are used to hard work, most of them entered the workplace at a young age when wage was low and jobs were harder to find (variables such as segregation and a very low glass ceiling for women), and they are leaving the workplace at a later age which I don’t believe will be the same experience for the Millennials.

Since being in the workplace I have received and given feedback throughout my career and it isn’t on a schedule but sometimes it is just to say “you are doing a great job,” because I have found that those type of phases boost morale in the office and keep people wanting to come back.  If people make an effort to help others do better and achieve more, then they are more likely to have stronger team or department. 

With all of this being said, feedback doesn’t have to be directed to the person but it could be directed to the need to change (negative) and or mimic (positive) working environments.  In the journal article by Feeney (1982), performance standards do not have to be based on a person but can be based on the organization.  This takes into account the need to make organizational changes to help improve employee performance.  Low performance levels are often influenced by the environment and might not always be solely on the individual.

Reference
Feeney, E. J. (1982). Performance standards, feedback, and rewards: A performance improvement system. National Productivity Review (Pre-1986), 2(1), 36. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/236499926?accountid=27203

A631.2.5.RB_Cooperation and Competition

I have to be honest in this blog because I feel that my blog is a spot where I, as a graduate student, can be open about my thoughts or feelings, with that said, this blog response seems to be slightly delayed.  Taking into account that we have now done Team Charters in MSLD 630/631/632/634, I feel like these types of questions are things I have been through so much times already; maybe that is a good thing?

What behaviors seemed to help your team successfully complete its task?
I feel as though it wasn’t necessarily behaviors that helped complete this charter successfully it was instead a combination of behavioral traits and the fact that many of those in my group were already conditioned to these types of assignments from previous courses. Speaking strictly to the behavioral traits, I believe we all embody the following: considerate of the group/the assignments, assertive, ambitious, and we are creative.  All of these traits together helped us to equally divide the workload and complete the tasks quickly and efficiently.  In addition, we have all worked together either in another group or other courses so we knew that we had similar desires to get assignments completed ahead of time.

What factors inhibited decision-making or problem-solving?
As a group I don’t believe we had factors inhibiting us from making decisions or solving problems.  The only potential factors that could arise is the fact that we are 95% reliant on an online learning environment to communicate and complete our group activities which, although is mainly a reliable source, can have technical issues which would be out of our full control.

How much time was spent on decision-making and problem-solving?
I don’t believe any of my group members had to spend any time on decision-making and problem-solving.  For this assignment we got into the group, defined our roles, and filled in the charter quickly and accurately.

How was information shared among team members?
In this group all of our communications were shared through the Blackboard online learning environment and a few emails.  Technology was a critical component in the way we communicated but we all have each other’s contact information so if the learning management system was down, we would still have means to connect with one another.

How did issues of authority or power affect the team?
We had no issues of authority or power.  Each team member had the same idea that someone would naturally step up, take the first assignment, and then each person going forward would do the same.  I am very lucky to have true efficient leaders in my group and we don’t fight for authority or power but instead work together equally to have a cohesive and effect group/team experience.

How did collaboration and competition influence the outcome?
We are all great collaborators and enjoy helping each other.  There were some editing issues but we resolved those situations very quickly and I don’t believe that anyone felt like there was competition for this assignment nor do I think anyone will feel that way going forward.

Did team members make process interventions?
I think the team did make process interventions and there for shows that we are in an effective group and we work well in team building environments.

I am blessed to say I have a GREAT group and I love working with the people I got assigned to!  This is going to be another successful and effective learning environment!

A631.1.5.RB_Organization Task and Process

Speaking personally, I love the idea of Outdoor Laboratories and I think that they work on a multitude of levels for team building, team development, and creating team collaboration. Earlier this year, the department that I work for held our annual department retreat and on the last day we went and did a ropes and zip line course. It was amazing to say the least. Even though we did not necessarily need someone to help us get to the next station, we did have to watch “each other’s back” to make sure we didn’t hit them when we were coming in.  I don’t think I have heard so much laughter in a group before. We all had a good time and even though only 3 of us finished the entire course, everyone came out a winner. I find that being outside, working together, and being supportive of one another changes a team’s dynamics.

EcoSeagate is a very interesting organization and I think that they services they provide for the public is something that no one can take away. When you push a person or a group of people out of their comfort zones and ask them to work together to solve the problem, the participants don’t always see what they are working towards because it is not just one goal, it is a cluster of goals ranging from the task at hand, to working together as a unit, and trust. The value that I find for EcoSeagate is that they are not just providing a training tool for people but they are giving them skills that they can use both in and out of the workplace. Being in a team and being an effective team player is not a switch a person turns on in the morning but it is a tool they use all the time. I truly believe the EcoSeagate is helping to build on that in their team development processes.

Often high-performing organizations don’t take a minute to think about all the components of their organization. Work will get busy and people will stop valuing the time others put in to their jobs to help assist the whole organization.  Also I have found that in high-performance organizations they forget to have fun and working with their fellow colleagues in all departments can be fun. EcoSeagate forces the walls of organizational hierarchy to disappear and now the person isn’t the CEO, he/she is your teammate, your life line, and the person to support you through the mission. I have found that people become less approachable when they get new flashy titles. I can vividly remember telling my previous supervisor that because of whom she is and her job title that her department is afraid to joke with her as a person; her title made her unapproachable. If a high-performing organization wants to maintain their success I believe that it is pivotal that they become a person and not a title.

Embry-Riddle is such an interesting organization and although I think we could benefit from using a company like EcoSeagate I still feel as though we are slightly behind in the times in finding new and exciting ways to infuse team building into the organizational structure.  In order to have this type of experience with ERAU it would take a good sales pitch to our President who I think might be less inclined or open to the idea but I know the wave of the future is coming and this might be something to think of incorporating as it would force people to get to know each other.

This is the wave of the future is organizational development and team development.  I would love to see more qualitative and quantitative data from these types of organizations because this will change how we learn to trust and work as a team in any type of organization. What is great about this type of development is that it doesn’t require the organization to be huge and powerful; it just requires willing individuals who want to grow and learn from each other. As the generational changes take place in the workplace and more Baby Boomers retire, more Millennial’s will be taking over which (for me) mean more laziness and those who are less enthusiastic about working so if they could experience training opportunities like this it might begin to change how the workplace looks moving towards the future.

A630.9.4.RB_Hiring and Recruiting

This was such a great clip to watch and really interesting.  I think I learned more about what is important during the hiring/recruiting just by watching this video than I have in taking business classes.  From the information I have learned about in the video, I will be addressing and answering the following five (5) questions in this video blog.

Does Schmidt's description of the Google Culture make sense to you?
I found that the Schmidt’s description of Google’s culture did make sense and it is something to live by.  When you are designing a start-up company you want to pick the best people to be in the organization from the ground up and those people have to want to be there. Furthermore, you want to continue to influence the organization with people who continue to promote the organization from within.  I think that most hiring and recruiting personnel are always trying to achieve Google’s mindset in that they want to pick people who want to be in organization, who love their jobs, and don’t need to be managed because it’s known that they will do exactly what they are hired to do. 

Is this a reasonable way to view the work that most people are doing in your workplace?
Currently the way business runs at my workplace is not how Schmidt runs his organization but I would like to think that my department runs very similarly.  I am blessed to work in a small department that is filled with people who actually loves what they do and when we come to work we don’t need to be managed we just need to be left alone to do our craft.  My direct supervisor doesn’t believe in micromanaging.  He understands that we are all designers and he you want us to generate the best work we have to be given a task and then left to fulfill the requirements and then some.  I know that for me I manage a full university program (BS in Transportation), along with all the Campus Director Training modules and two smaller programs (Physics/Weather).  If my boss was constantly telling me how to do my job I would no longer be a designer I would be a robot doing what I was told with no creativity.  I find that for me and many other employees, when you allow for them to be creative, their productivity levels skyrocket and it in turn makes the working environment a better place for all.

As a leader, does it take courage to have and to implement this point of view?
I think making any type of change to a person or organizations point of view a reality takes a lot of courage.  Schmidt stated that most of the interview processes were up to 15 or more and even then that employee might not get hired which to me would scare me away from the organization even if I was selected (Schmidt, 2011).  So it takes courage from both sides; the new hire and the organization.  Organizations need to hire for a multitude of reasons but I think that a good way to screen out people is not by excessive interviews but instead to see how their personalities match with the others in that department or team they will be working it.  You don’t just want the best of the best who don’t talk to one another but you want and need the best who also like working with each other day in and day out.  I know that when I was hired for this job one of the questions during the interview was how would I get to know my fellow colleagues and how would I fit in and in short my answer was I would be me and slowly get to know each person.  I am not the type to throw myself at people because I have a strong personality so I like it when people warm up to me and then we can begin to build a working relationship.  Unfortunately with my team we are all individual designers so sometimes we don’t have time to socialize or see eye to eye so we implemented a Party Planning Committee to help with those times where we don’t have many interactions with one another.

Could this approach backfire?
Any approach could backfire; nothing is 100% fail proof.  I think that this type of environment works for Google and I think it could work for many organizations but it was take such a change that the culture shock alone could ruin the organization.  I believe if any organization wanted to implement this type of culture into their existing organization, the best way to go about making those changes would be to pilot this culture in a new department (possible a new department within organization that is in the beginning stages of hiring).  You don’t want to disrupt a successful organization with this type of culture change if it’s unnecessary.

What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?
There are many different things I can take away from this exercise. I believe that if I am ever on a hiring committee I would use what I have learned from this video in those situations.

References
Schmidt, E. (2011, May). [interview]. Eric schmidt on business culture, technology, and social issues., Retrieved from http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/strategy/eric_schmidt_on_business_culture_technology_and_social_issues

A630.8.4.RB_Build a Tower, Build a Team

Who would have thought that a simple experiment which included a marshmallow, pasta, string, and tape could tell so much about kindergarteners and recent graduates of businesses colleges? In this video blog analysis I will be answering and addressing the following five (5) questions below:

Do you agree with Tom Wujec's analysis of why kindergarteners perform better on the Spaghetti Challenge than MBA students?
I don’t think I could agree more with Wujec’s analysis.  I am currently in the College of Business (even though I am not studying to get my MBA) and I know that we are often taught the right way to do things and it can be hard to see things outside of the box whereas with kindergarteners, their minds haven’t been filled with rights and wrongs by other people’s standards.  Now I am not implying that all MBA students leave their programs with a sense of close-mindedness but I am saying that as adults we tend to lose the ability to see things for what they really are often leading to more complicated situations than are necessary.  Children have neither inhibitions nor are they trying to over analyze a project, instead they are trying to have fun with the tools given to them.  Each child brings a new idea to the table they also are not afraid to dive in continuously use the trial and error method regardless if their ideas look silly to others, to them its genius each time (Wujec, 2010).

Can you think of any other reasons why kids might perform better?
Children don’t over think things.  Children often jump right in and try whereas adults we want to sit back and think about the best way to approach the problem.  Where would we be if we always thought about what the right way to do something was and where would we be if we didn’t? The act of trying and experimenting is what has led to amazing inventions and allowed for the human race to evolve.  Children naturally have the ability to do that and for some reason we, adults, push children in the opposite direction.

In your view, why do CEOs with an executive assistant perform better than a group of CEOs alone?
Being on the top doesn’t mean you do all the dirty work but instead oversee the operations where as their assistants are in the “thick of things” working with others and seeing situations from many different perspectives.  I know that when I was an executive assistant I often knew more about what was going on than my boss and it was an interesting dynamic.  I also had the ability to slow her down when things got chaotic and she would come to be for those types of moments as well.  I think for this type of experiment, the assistants help to bring a sense of calmness to the situation for the CEOs which allows them to stop and look at the situation from a bigger perspective than just as a problem they have to fix right that very minute.

If you were asked to facilitate a process intervention workshop, how could you relate the video to process intervention skills?
I would definitely use this process in any intervention workshop because I think it forces people to get the creative juices flowing.  I don’t think the word, process, needs to be included, because although it is a process it is also a bridge that allows for people to think about situations differently and open up their minds to different possibilities and outcomes.  As adults we want to be the first person to find the right path from the start but it’s this type of intervention that forces us to put being first aside and instead enjoy the learning experiences along the way.

What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?
Stop trying to fix the problem but attack the problem, get my hands dirty, and learn from each failed attempt until I get it right.  The reason kindergarteners excel at this type of experiment is because they don’t think about it, they just start doing what they think is right and when it’s wrong they move on the next possible path.  At one point in my life I was the free-spirited person but like many I lost it along the way.  I think I need to stop being so hard on myself when I don’t get it right away but also not give up when I don’t get it either.  I should always set obtainable goals and when one path fails, I move on to the next and then to the next without stopping to think that way I can make sure I leave my inhibitions at the door and open my mind to something new and exciting.

References
Wujec, T. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/tom_wujec_build_a_tower.html

A630.7.4.RB_Mastering the Art of Corporate Reinvention

In this video blog analysis I will be answering and addressing the following four (4) questions below:

Michael Bonsignore, CEO of Honeywell, states that Honeywell will not be an extension of the old Honeywell or Allied Signal.  He is creating a new culture that blends the best of the merged companies of Honeywell and Allied Signal.  He says that Honeywell will compensate and reward people that look for best practices from both companies in creating a new corporate culture and punish those who do not.  Do you predict Honeywell will be successful?
Michael Bonsignore is going to test many boundaries with this approach but I believe the best way to obtain organizational change is make people feel uncomfortable.  During large organizational mergers, it can be very unsettling for employees because they are not sure of the new corporate culture and are still trying to establish the best means in which create new communities. In addition, many employees maybe unsure of how they fit into the new organization or if their positions will still be of value.  I have seen many mergers take place where people lose their jobs and so tasking both Honeywell and Allied Signal employees with job of creating best practices shows that he looking to unify the two organizations into one large family. With that being said, I don’t think Bonsignore should approach any new situation with the idea that those who do not look for best practices will be punished because that statement comes across as he knows all the employees and how they work and can equally task them with the job to do this mission. If I was in this position I would create teams of individuals from both Honeywell and Allied Signal which would help to bridge the gap from separate organizations to one organization and then have those groups create best practices and ways to create a new corporate culture therefore taking it away from being an individual project but instead an organizational initiative.

What barriers do you see based on what you observed in the video?
I think one barrier I noticed is communication and organizational structure.  Both organizations need to make sure they are communicating with their employees regardless of the size of the organization and that they are creating a structure that allows for upward and lateral growth and communication.

What critical success factors should Honeywell consider as it crafts its organizational strategies around a new culture?
In the Brown (2011) text, it is discussed that steam analysis is important during organizational changes because it is used in planning the implementation and analysis of behavior, structural and technological changes which is what Honeywell will be enduring as it embraces its organizational changes.  I believe that Honeywell needs to identify the strengths and weakness of both organizations and focus on correcting the weaknesses and building on the strengths.  Each organization will have different levels of their individual success factors but if they can create unified factors the organization should be able to maintain success.

What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?
I have found that both Bethune and Bonsignore have a strong understanding of what is important in running large successful organizations but it important to know what your strengths and weaknesses are.  I can take away different pieces of this video but I think what is most important is what Bethune said and that is happy employee’s aid immensely in boosting customer satisfaction. I work in a service industry and my direct customers are course developers and ultimately students so when everyone is happy that boosts enrollments and creates additional revenue for the university.

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

Organizational change [Web series episode]. (2011). In Mastering the art of corporate renivention. PBS. Retrieved from http://digital.films.com/play/GWEU7L

A630.6.4.RB_50 Reasons Not to Change/The Tribes We Lead

Change is inevitable and regardless if the change is good or bad, it often will happen when you least expect it.  What is interesting about change is that we are the creators of change but yet we are the first to label change with a negative connotation.  Instead of blaming change or giving it a negative connotation, instead we should embrace it and use it to our advantages which means we need to be the “tribe leaders” (Godin, 2009). In this video blog analysis I will be answering and addressing the following five (5) questions below:

How do you react when you hear colleagues using some of the excuses listed in the 50 Reasons Not to Change graphic?
In the 50 Reasons Not to Change presentation, the one that I hear often is, “It needs further investigation” which always seems to upset me immediately. I often wonder if people think that I haven’t done my own investigation and have weighed out the pros and cons.  Just because a person is not an employee with a flashy title, does not mean that their ideas for change are invalid.  In a previous job I had, I often tried to find my voice and find ways in which to change certain processes and I never was successful because the “investigation” word always appeared but no further actions were taken.  It took me leaving my previous position and starting my current position to get a voice and be heard.  It is so empowering for a person who desperately wants to make changes to an organization, who knows the risks, and is ready to lead to be given the ability to do so.  I am a big advocate for women leaders because I believe that women have a lot more to offer and it pains me because many of the excuses in the reasons to change are often coming from women who are afraid to “lean in” (Sandberg) and demand to be heard and make the changes that are necessary for success.

Do you ever use any of these excuses yourself?
I think anyone who says they do not use these excuses is point blank lying.  I have used many of these excuses in the past when I felt as though I didn’t have the support to enact change but as I have gotten older, had more professional experiences, and continued my educational journey, I feel more empowered to state when I feel as though things need to be changed.  It is my belief that if a person feels empowered in their position or their experiences than they are less likely to give excuses but will continue to try even if that means failing in the process.

How can you overcome the thinking that creates those responses to change efforts?
People need to have confidence and feel as though they are empowered by people around them.  More often than not, people will not raise their hand to ask the hard questions because they are afraid of upsetting others but as Seth Godin stated, you can’t make a change if you are not upsetting, connecting, or leading people (2009).  I think it is very important to start teaching our youth that you have to ask the questions, demand the answers, and stay persistent in this new globalized world in order to create changes and movements.  I am sure my teachers from my childhood would remember me as “that kid who wouldn’t stop asking why” because I always wanted to know more and push the limits; I suppose I am still that way today but I think it is making me a stronger leader.

Do you agree with Seth Godin’s concept that change is driven by tribes?
I agree 100% and I have to start off by saying I loved this TED video.  This TED video was very eye opening and made me want to create a movement and make a change especially when he spoke of the Sheep Walker example.  I know what I don’t want to be that person but instead I want to be the black sheep trying to get everyone together to connect and move towards changes and the betterment of a specific cause. I never thought of the fact that I am influenced and can influence others by tribes but all of the examples are pure examples of how tribes create change and that it’s not about shelf space and Neiman Marcus but it’s about reaching people all over the world through a pair of shoes at a time.

What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?
For most of my life I have been the person to say what is on my mind and standup for what is right even if that meant a longer and harder battle with opposition.  This exercise solidified that in order to create change and make a difference we have to stop making excuses and empower one another with the strength to move mountains.  What I plan to take away from this exercise is the example presented in the TED video which is Tell a Story > Connect a Tribe > Lead a Movement > Make a Change.

References
Godin, S. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/seth_godin_on_the_tribes_we_lead.html

A630.5.4.RB_NASA Culture Change

In situations of crisis, it is important to have a plan of action to address both the situation and the causes surrounding it.  NASA has been a public figure for over 80 years and when tragic events take place such as the Columbia, it was critical that NASA take a proactive step in addressing some of their weaknesses.  In the NASA video, O’Keefe states that the organization as a whole works together as a team but managerial interactions are low which can be a macro issue effecting many departments and ultimately uncover large gaps and weaknesses in the organizational structure (2004).  In this video blog analysis I will be answering and addressing the following four (4) questions below:

Why did NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe address NASA employees to describe the plan to bring about proposed changes to NASA's culture?
Sean O’Keefe addressed the employees of NASA because he wanted to gain their support for the changes that were to be implanted after the Columbia tragedy.  Successful leaders do not go into a meeting and say “We are making changes and this is what they are going to be” and then walk out.  Instead successful leaders create a town hall type of meeting where question and answers can be addressed and where upper management has the opportunity to gain supports for the changes that are coming.  I have found that it is important to gain the respect and commitment from other employees before jumping in and making substantial changes.

Was he believable?  Is it important whether he appeared to be believable?
Sean O’Keefe is believable but also very dry.  I have found that when leaders are enthusiastic about organizational change and rally everyone together the results tend to be slightly better than with a leader who is monotone.  The message is clear in that he wants to see the changes take place that will help to maintain team work and boost managerial/employee interactions.  In dealing with a large and dispersed organization such as NASA, it is very important for their leadership team to present themselves as believable.  You want your staff to get behind the changes and help to move things forward for the better but if the top leaders do not connect and or come off as unbelievable then the organization will struggle through times of change and often can have negative results.

Why did he talk about NASA values?
Connecting with your audience can make or break the message being presented by the speaker.  Due to the extensive changes being proposed, it was critical that O’Keefe reached his audience by connecting with them via NASA’s values.  In the Tips on How to Prepare Your Audience for a Big Change at your Company, leaders should take “baby steps” in order to connect with everyone and part of those steps is creating the connection and bond between employees values and those of the organization they are affiliated with.  O’Keefe was also setting a tone with the audience in that he was taking the situation and presenting in such a way that all employees felt as though they could help to make a difference.  When employees feel as though what they do does not affect the organization as a whole nor makes a difference they are less likely to put forth their efforts to evoke and promote positive changes within the organization.

What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?
The Columbia tragedy is something everyone can learn from because it shows how little areas of disconnect within an organization can have lasting results that trickle down to other areas/departments within an organization.  Communication is a key element in any organization and when employees feel as though they cannot communicate with others and or management there is an immediate red flag arises.  I am fortunate to work in an organization where we an open door policy meaning that we can communicate with anyone at any time making the work environment less tense and at times more collaborative.  The biggest lesson I learned in the video is that it is important to not wait until the last minute to say something but when problems arise they should be handled in order to prevent a domino effect.

References
C-span video library . (2004, April 13). Retrieved from http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/SACu

Tips on how to prepare your audience for a big change at your company. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/tips-on-how-to-prepare-your-audience-for-a-big-change-at-your-company/

A630.4.4.RB_How Companies Can Make Better Decisions

Having effective decision makers within an organization can be the difference between an organization being static and dynamic.  In the Blenko video, Maria states that making good decisions is similar to Goldilocks in that you can’t make too much or too little but instead it needs to be just the right amount (2013). In this video blog analysis I will be answering and addressing the following four (4) questions below.

Marcia Blenko argues that decision effectiveness correlates positively with employee engagement and organizational performance.  How do you think that employee engagement relates to decision effectiveness?
When organizations make large and impactful decisions, those decisions can change the dynamics of workplace in both positive and negative manners.  When leaders do not take into account how their decisions will affect their employees, they are being ineffective decision makers.  I understand that not all decisions will have a grace period in which decision makers can communicate with those who will be affected by the decision but there should be a period of time when leaders review the overall impact of the decisions they are making.  When decisions are made that positively change the working environment and help to create a feeling of culture and community, employee engagement will rise and people will feel as though they are receiving ROI for their hard work.  Organizations best assets are their employees and you want them to be a part of the decision making process as they can add insight into areas and topics that can and often do have positive and lasting impacts on the organization as a whole.

What are some impediments to good decision making?
Hindrances and obstacles can be found in any decision making process; no one is exempt from it.  Impediments such as making decisions too quickly (speed), not having all the information, leadership uncertainty, and not enough support from others can hinders a person’s ability to make strong decisions also trust can play a large role in how an organization accepts decision making. Leaders must be fully prepared before jumping in to make decisions that affect large groups of people or an organization as a whole.

Blenko suggests that there are four elements of good decisions: quality, speed, yield, and effort.  In your opinion, is there anything missing from this list?
I think those are strong areas and elements and I also think that those elements are greatly affected by different levels regarding the decision maker such as educational experience and industry experience.  People often think that elements work alone but they are not standalone items yet instead they are directly and indirectly affected by those making the decisions.  I often use the example of my previous supervisor, although this person has strong elements working in their favor, they don’t have certain educational, or job experiences to be an effective decision maker and would often make rash and sometimes unethical decisions and would not think about how those decisions affected others.  I think it another element to be added would be: strategy.

What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?
This topic resonates high with me because my job is centered on making effective decisions every day.  As an Instructional Designer I have to decision how the courses I build will look, feel, and function while at the same time ensuring the material flows for all students and instructions (effectiveness).  I know that reach time I change something or make a certain decision I have to make sure that it work well for everyone involved in the making and taking of that course.

References
Blenko, M. (2010, October 13). How Companies Can make better decisions, faster [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbxpg6D4Hk8&feature=player_embedded

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

A630.3.3.RB_A Day in the Life of the Culture Committee

Creating culture is so important to the success of an organization.  Having a foundation with your employees creates not only a family-feel but also creates a feeling of pride.  In the Southwest video, the Los Angeles team promoted a culture that they have created which helps and rewards both flight attendants and pilots.  Below I will be answering four (4) additional questions regarding the video in more detail.

Is the Culture Committee at Southwest effective in establishing cultural norms?
I have found that after watching this video, which includes employee feedback and testimony that yes, Southwest is effective in establishing cultural norms. According to the Brown (2011) text, I have found that Southwest is creating strong corporate culture as well. People often ask what does it mean to be “effective” and how to measure “effectiveness” and I have found that the best way to establish effectiveness is by feedback and employee engagement.  The only way to know if something is done right is to see how it stacks up with other people and also to see if you, the person creating the culture, would find these strategies effective.

From what you can tell, what is the purpose of the culture committee at Southwest?
The purpose of the culture committee at Southwest is to provide both pilots and flight attendants with a reward for all the hard work they put in day-after-day.  When you create a culture within an established organization you have to make sure the purpose is clear and positive to promote a sense of community from within.  Due to the large scale of employees Southwest has, it can be difficult to start a culture that affects everyone but from this video it is clear that this is just a part of the larger culture that spreads throughout each airport which in turn unifies the organization and the brand.

What would you see as a viable mission for a culture committee in your place of work (or your last place of work if you are not currently working)?
In my department at ERAU Worldwide we have the Party Planning Committee also known as the PPC which is a trio of individuals who create culture by planning and developing team building activities each quarter.  Because of the nature of our department we all often work different hours and can be swamped by the heavy workload so having a time when we can all get together and relax is very important.  I think before this committee was enacted there was a lot of disconnects between employees and now are mission is to work as a team and utilize each other’s strengths.

What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?
I love any organization that can showcase means in which they take to create culture in their organization as it helps to promote ideas I can use in my organization. The team I currently work for is always looking to find ways to bring the department closer together and any examples I can find only make it easier for the committee to build in new experiences as well as continue to build on the already established culture we have.

This video really struck home for me because I can relate to the video along with my fellow colleagues and I would love to see my department make something like this to showcase what we are doing to help other organizations create culture and community.

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

NutsAboutSouthwest (2008). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7P0T9IbYKU&feature=player_embedded

A630.2.4.RB_21st Century Enlightenment

In this reflection blog entry I will be reflecting on six (6) questions which were proposed in order to analyze the RSA Animate – 21st Century Enlightenment video. Throughout this reflection I will synthesize with the text, the video content, and personal experiences.

Why do you think the talk is titled 21st Century Enlightenment?
I found that through watching this video multiple times, it is clear the reason for the title is because to be enlightened about the future we have to be enlightened about the past. They often say we learn from the past and I found that this video captured that message. Each day becomes a part of history and the best way to grow and learn is to take into consideration all the events that took place and how those situations can and have changed the path going forward. In the Brown (2011) text, it talks about systems and how systems move together and interdependently but what we if thought about the past a series of systems and each one affected the other and then the next and so on which equals the term enlightenment?

What does Matthew Taylor mean when he says "to live differently, you have to think differently"?
People often then to say one thing and do another but the only way to be true to oneself is to think differently and live that that way.  I have a hard time locating a point in time in which we as a society stopped thinking for ourselves and in turn allowed others to live for us. We do not necessary want to live in the past but if we learn from the past and move towards the future we can only do so successfully if we think and live differently. Some of the best philosophers questioned the world which led to other thinking differently and then ultimately living differently.

At one point in the video (4:10), Taylor argues that we need "to resist our tendencies to make right or true that which is merely familiar and wrong or false that which is only strange". What is he talking about? Can you think of an example within your company or your life that supports this point?
In this part of the video, Taylor is expressing to the audience that just because sometime is familiar to you doesn’t make it true or a fact and that you should question and or test what you know to give more validity to the situation and or you rationale. In addition, what is strange or unknown doesn’t mean it is false and untrue.  There are many things I don’t know but that doesn’t make them wrong or less important than what I claim to be fact.  An example I can provide is that before I worked for ERAU I worked for a community college in Tampa and I always thought I would work for a public college because private universities were strange to me and therefore I thought would come with more regulations which couldn’t have been farther from the true. In conjunction with that statement, because I had worked for community college and that was what was familiar to me, I always thought that was the right place for students to start their college experience for a multitude of different reasons but it came to fruition that changing organizations I was able to learn the good, bad, and different of two different types of organizations within the same industry.

Taylor argues that our society should eschew elements of pop culture that degrade people and that we should spend more time looking into what develops empathetic citizens. Would this be possible?
Anything is possible as long as you can get people to buy into what you are selling. If people feel as though what they are doing and how they are changing is impacting the world in a positive way then more people will join in and begin to revolutionize society. Nothing is impossible and large changes can be done if you can gather enough people to start a movement.  I know that my parents were semi-nontraditional and instead of letting pop culture raise me, they raised me with their flower-power which I have found enables me to be more empathic, kind, and open-minded where as some people I know are closed off from anything that isn’t “right here right now.” I find society and the world is so different now and to me, it’s too cold, what happened to people understanding and relating to others? Why are we less likely to engage with our neighbors or coworkers? When did our culture being dominated by one (ourselves) and not many (as a unified group)?

At the end of the video, Taylor talks about atomizing people from collaborative environments and the destructive effect on their growth. What is the implication of these comments for organizational change efforts?Organizational change cannot only affect one or be led by one, in order to be effective it has to affect many (positively) and have the following of others. If everyone in an organization was solely out for themselves, where would that leave the organization, would it be a system of many “1’s”? I know that when change is taking place in my organization we have discussions and people have to brought into to change the minds and hearts of others so that things can go smoothly, we have to move together as one if not, organizations begin to look like opposing magnets, always trying to go together but never quite connecting.

What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?
There are many things I can take away from this exercise starting with the idea that I need to think of the past as a point of reference as I move forward and remember it is not always about me but about others.

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

Taylor, M. (2010). RSA animate - 21st century enlightenment [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC7ANGMy0yo&feature=youtu.be

A630.1.4.RB_Board of Directors

In any organization there will be periods of time where a “gap” forms between the present and the future and it is key to build a bridge in order to “bridge” both sides together.  This can also happen when an individual is looking to bridge the gap in their career within a particular organization. In this blog I will be discussing my journey from where I started to where I am not and how the YouTube video depicts exactly what I was going through in order to get to where I am today.

In 2010 I graduated the University of South Florida with a BA in Communications and was ready to embark on what has been tokened, “The Real World.”  Prior to graduating with my BA I had a few years of experience working in higher education and I knew that was where I wanted to be; I was ready to give up what I knew just yet for something different.  Luckily after college I was offered a job with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Worldwide (ERAU) and moved to Daytona Beach, FL which is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of Tampa, Florida.  The job I took at ERAU was not a position I planned to keep for long, I was offered an administrative position working directly for the Chief Technology Officer and although I loved my team I started to feel over qualified rather quickly.  Within 12 to 18 months I was ready to do something different but I wasn’t ready to give up ERAU.  I suppose this is where the two characters from the video sit down and give up because although I saw my future ahead, I didn’t know how to get there. The gap in my story was the uneasy feeling I got when I tried to look for other positions within the university.  I often felt that my current supervisor wasn’t helping me to get to where I wanted go and I felt trapped; I needed a job but at what cost?  Was being unhappy enough to stay?

Bridging the gap between my present and my future was a hard leap I had to make.  I can remember vivid conversations between my mother and I regarding how I would make the transition.  The first step was to start my MS degree in Leadership; obtaining another degree would make me more marketable and would help to begin building my bridge to my new future.  After start my MS everything began to fall into place.  Throughout my program I picked up on errors, typos, and other grammatical mistakes within the course which lead me to have many conversations with the Executive Director of the Instructional Design and Development Team. Those conversations are what finished the bridge for me.  I was able to start marketing myself and my skills to a potential supervisor.  I didn’t go into my MS program looking for these results but I am happy that this is what I ended up with.

I will openly admit that there was a point where I was the pessimist in the story.  After being in a position I was unhappy with, I tried to find ways to voice my concerns and research other avenues in order to gain grasp on what I wanted to do with the organization.  My previous supervisor, although talented, lacks the ability to help others when they are looking to move up and out of her department.  For a period of 6 months I felt like I was just sitting at the end of the present and my only future opinion would be to leave the university and move back to Tampa.  This is where the little “power players” and “visionary” came in and changed everything.  I will say that I don’t regret who I worked for nor did the job tasks I performed because I feel as though that job is what open the doors for my current job.  It was hard to leave my old team but I am much happier now which is a direct result of bridging my professional gap between what was my present and what was to become my future.  I was lucky to have a large crowd pushing me to get out of my old job and into my new which helped me but it was nonetheless scary and nerve racking.

In this blog I spoke of an individual tale of power and vision but this often happens in organizations as well.  Most organizations find themselves in situations like these when they are trying to grow, change, and create a new sense of organizational development.  I believe that in order for organizations to be successful in journeys like these, they have to have “crowds” supporting them and when their supports (aka employees) are not satisfied in their jobs, they will not likely be on board for these types of changes.  Leaders must remember to continuously work on their organizations from the inside out.  I believe I am a better employee now and I am more invested in the organization as a whole.

A634.9.5.RB_A Reflection of Our Learning

Key Lessons Learned

1. Everyone’s views on morals and ethics will be different
2. You are ultimately responsible for how people perceive you and your views
3. All of life’s choices have consequences

I don’t know if I knew what to expect going into this course but I think I saw it to be more focused on business ethics and morals instead of a combination of re-life issues/situations and how they affect how we are in the workplace. This change in events made the course more enjoyable and relatable. I find that ethics can be a tough and dry topic but this course wasn’t that way and the textbook made it very easy to understand how ethical topics can be understood in an application format.

I also found this course to be very rewarding and interesting. The topics covered in the textbook were different than what I had expected to learn about which really helped to change the learning experiences up. The only thing I didn’t like about this course was I found that the work was not evenly distributed in each module; this resulted in not being able to fully engage myself in each assignment. I also found that I didn’t get anything from the group project and I feel as though it should either be eliminated or revisited as it doesn’t fit into “ethics” as a subject.

How might the University or your instructor provide additional support for your learning?
I found that the interactions between the instructor and me were great and the instructor was present and available when students needed assistance. Being as this is an online course the interactions between instructors and students will be minimal and that is expected but I didn’t find there were any issues with the level of support provided.

Were there topics covered that seem particularly relevant or irrelevant to your experiences and to what you expect to come in future courses?
Relevant

• Ethical impulse
• Affirmative action
• Egoism

Irrelevant

• Gun control
• World Hunger

I understand that not all topics taught will be relevant to every person but I did find that most topics were interesting and something that I needed to learn more about for my current position and jobs that I would seek out in the future.

All in all I liked this course and I think it will offer a lot to students in the program going forward!

A634.8.3.RB_Gun Control: What is the Answer?

I believe that people do that have the right to bear arms as it is stated in the US Constitution but I do feel that there are additional responsibilities associated with owning and operating a firearm.

I personally do not have a strong opinion on the topic of guns or gun control because I feel that I see this topic from both a for and against perspective. It is my view point that if the US Constitution states we are allowed to bear arms then those who want to own a firearm should be allowed to but they should be of age and be educated on the gun they own, firearm safety and the laws. People need to be smart about their guns, where they buy them, how they operate them and where they keep them in their homes. Unfortunately too many terrible killings are taking place in the world due to guns getting into the hands of the wrong people and innocent lives are being taken.

It has been in the news a lot lately the idea of tightening gun laws and organizations like the NRA are appalled by this idea both those who have lost loved ones to guns are for it. This recent need to tighten gun laws is a direct result of the Colorado movie theater and the elementary school massacre. I believe that these two incidences were isolated and unfortunately people who shouldn’t have gotten a hold of firearms did and ended up killing innocent people but I don’t believe that people should no longer have the right to own a gun to protect themselves because of these two situations. The phrase “people kill people guns don’t kill people” is slightly true in that even though a person has a gun it doesn’t mean they are going to kill other people it just means that they have a firearm to protect themselves and their family in case of an emergency and or for hunting purposes (animals).

I understand why those who have lost loved ones to firearms would want tighten gun control laws and I see why members of the NRA and avid hunters do not want tighter gun control laws but the bottom line is, the laws would be implemented to protect everyone, those who want to or do currently own firearms and those who have lost loved ones. No one wants to take the rights away the people just to help ensure massacres like the ones stated above do not happen again.


Reference Information

• http://home.nra.org/
• http://www.independent.org/issues/guncontrol/?s=ga&gclid=CJqNysuorbgCFenm7AodjC8AAw
• http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/pro-gun-control-senators-revive-background-checks-article-1.1337986

A634.7.4.RB_Ethics and Behaviors

Video 1 – Keynote Speech Excerpts from the Ethics Guys
I found this video to be extremely moving and motivating. In this video the speaker discussed the “what you should do” or “what you haven’t done” which are two areas where people tend to be unethical in their actions. The speaker states that you should channel your anger and turn it into an action plan because when you do the right thing for others it makes you feel better therefore creating a win-win situation.

I find that this takes place often in my team at work. Because of the nature of our jobs we all do the same job but differently and that is 100% expected and encouraged by our leader. Due to the fact that we all do things differently when we want to show someone how do to something we approach the situation with a sense of ease to encourage the other person to learn and grow with the new skills they are learning. These types of actions becoming the win-win plan and ultimately leave both parties feeling good about themselves.

In addition to that example, my current job we are on tight deadlines and sometimes we do not get all the information needed from a Course Developer on time and therefore we, the Instructional Designers, become extremely angry. Because we cannot show that anger to the developer what many of us do is turn that anger is into something positive which in turns helps everyone. The anger turns into an action plan and when the action plan is executed the entire parties involved win.

Video 2 – Business Ethics Keynote Speaker – Chuck Gallagher – Shares Straight Talk about Ethics

Although this video was good I found it to be harder to get into than the first. Some of the key points that Gallagher spoke about were, choices and their consequences and The Unethical Continuum. I have found that we are always responsible for our actions and those actions will either have positive or negative consequences. In additional I find that the Unethical Continuum has been taking place the workplace for many years and can be difficult to end. Below are two examples of where these behaviors are portrayed in my organization.

In my department we have a slightly harder time with the Unethical Continuum because due to the nature of our job I find that we as the employees give me to the organization than we get in return so we seem to be better to the customer and company more so than the opposite. Because we have a very demanding type of career our leader will reward us but I don’t think anything he does is ever unethical, it all just balances out there for the choices we make to work harder and longer hour’s equals positive and great consequences.

I know I am biased but I have to say I work for the best team in my organization and we do things positively and ethically and our work and reputation show that.

A634.6.3.RB_What are Virtues?

Ben's 13 Virtues    

1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness. Drink not to elevation.
2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.
3. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.
4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.
5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e., Waste nothing.
6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes, or habitation.
11. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Results from the Virtue Quiz

How You Measure Up: You made some very virtuous choices. You chose the answers that closely reflected Ben's own self-improvement plan. Although Franklin gave up on his formal effort to be more virtuous, he devoted much of his life to self-improvement. You've made a good start on that yourself.

You might want to think about how you approach: Temperance: as a young man, Ben tried not drink too much. Maybe you should consider being the designated driver next time you go out partying.

Response

I find that most people tend to try to live by Ben’s virtues although many could and often are hard to live by. After taking the quiz I was shocked to see that “temperance” was something I should think about because in all reality I am such a light 1 beer/glass of wine type of girl. I would have thought that silence would be my area to work on because although I am a good listener, I have an opinion and often voice it when it is unnecessary.

I realize that these tests are not 100% correct but they do prove a point. The point(s) they show is/are that people do live in excess more often than they think and it is because we live in a world full of abundance and we don’t often take the time to think about what we have and how that plays into the bigger picture of life. We don’t always need to do things to the extreme and that live in moderation can teach us valuable life lessons. I can speak from experience that I try to live a life of moderation because I realize that I don’t need a ton of things and there people out there with nothing. It truly kills me when I see my friends living excessive lifestyles.  A good deal of my friends have extremely high car payment that they can barely make and have credit card debt out the ying-yang.  I know we all want to have nice things but when do “things” define who we are? Is it ethical for the youth to live to lavishly when others live without? Some answers to the questions I have will never be addressed but it is interesting to ponder how the world could be different if we tried to live a more Ben Franklin lifestyle.

A634.5.4.RB_Is Marketing Evil?

Marketing is an essential tool for the business world and without it, people wouldn’t know about different products and services.  People tend to think that marketing is just what we see in print or digital ads but word-of-mouth is a form of advertising which is a marketing tool as well in addition to mass emails and phone soliciting.  Some feel that organizations can be invasive in the way they market while some don’t feel as though certain companies do enough, so where is the balance?  There are many different ways to understand marketing but one way is not think of it is as evil but a means in which to promote goods and services.  There will always be an invisible line as to what is appropriate and what is not but to think of taking marketing away as a whole would lead to extreme detriment to the economy.

Do you feel ethical guidelines make a difference to marketers?
I would like to think that marketing agencies and marketing personnel respect ethical guidelines but I know not all do.  Some people and or agencies are pushed to have high numbers and when sales are down, the marketing tools become more aggressive.  For many years people have been fighting the phone solicitors to either take off their phone numbers or to not call at certain hours but because of outsourcing, the time differences make it harder to respect potential customer’s wishes.  If there were stricter ethical guidelines in place I do think that people would have to respect them in order to get and keep customers but there will be a fine line between what is considered ethical for marketers and who creates and enforces the rules.

How can companies balance the need to win with being ethical?
You are only as strong as the business you have and continue to bring in; your customers are what you base your organizational wealth on.  In order to be considered a winner you have to have happy repeat customers without overstepping ethical boundaries.  The means to stay balanced will be different for each organization and industry so the organization will have to find the balance and maintain it; having a good reputation and motto can be key to continued success.

Is it ethical to track your buying habits or web visits to target you for marketing purposes?
I personally do not find it to be unethical or an invasion of my privacy to track my buying habits for marketing purposes but that just means they will use my information to find me better deals on the items I buy most often or fall into categories that I purchase from.  I would rather a store tailor their sales for what I buy most than just pulling things out of the air. We have to have data for most jobs and tracking is how some organizations so it.  If people find it to be unethical then they need to think about everything they do and realized how tracked they are without even knowing.

As a leader, how will you manage the ethical aspects of your marketing efforts?
I will promote that we as an organization protect our customers but also strives to bring them the best products and services available. I will remain balanced and professional at all times.  I will also do what most organizations don’t do, I will listen to the consumer, the industry and the needs of society best run my marketing efforts.

A634.4.4.RB_Is Affirmative Action Ethical?

What is affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including race, color, religion, sex, or national origin into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group in areas of employment, education, and business; also can be referred to as reversed discrimination

I am the believer that we should treat everyone equally and there shouldn’t be any form of discrimination but as we know that is an almost in possible task to do.  LaFollette (2007) stated, “everyone except diehard racists now admit that systematic discrimination against blacks is wrong. It was wrong to deprive people of jobs, housing, health, public benefits, and legal and civil rights merely because of their race.  Affirmative action, they claim, is wrong for the same reason; these programs discriminate against whites simply because of their race. Two wrongs do not make a right” (p.87-88). Shifting who to be discriminated against doesn't change the future but solidifies hatred from the past.

In the idea of ethics playing a role in affirmative action, I don’t find it ethical to discriminate against any one and I find it ethical to allow for the best person, regardless of gender, race, creed, or any other signifier to win.

As I have stated before each person is going to see ethics differently so for me the only ethical way to see affirmative action is something in means of an explicit, aka bulls$*&.  Some believe that humans are a form of evolution, the idea of “survival of the fittest” and if that’s the case then affirmative action goes against evolutionary theory. You cannot give someone the right if they didn’t earn it.  People were and are designed to fight for what we believe in and taking that right away allows for state to come in and change nature.  Even if we were to look at affirmative action by means of a Biblical stance, there is nothing in the Bible that states we are to be given anything but yet we are to work for what we need, defend it and honor it; how can you honor a right given to you when you didn’t have to work for it?

I find that women are just as capable as men in almost all profession and regardless of race we are people and should be treated fairly. If you work hard for something it should be yours and not because the government says so.  Ethically the right thing to do is listen to the people and remove affirmative action and allow everyone to be equal regardless of the laws.  Some may feel that laws help create the culture and shape the future but that is only true if it is promoting something positive instead of inflicting pain or hardship through means of discrimination.

A634.3.5RB_The Harder They Fall

I never realized that the drive to get to the top could change a person so dramatically. According to Kramer (2003), “genius-to-folly syndrome -- a swift and steady rise by a brilliant, hard-driving, politically adept individual followed by surprising stints of miscalculation or recklessness” can take place in those who are fighting their way to the top and happened often during the creation and boom of Silicon Valley in the 1990s. It is common in those who so desperately want to make it to the highest position possible to lose who they are in the process and can often forget why they fought so hard to make it to the top; was it for personal gain or were they doing it in order to help others below them?

I find that it happens more times than people want to think or agree with me on but people do change each time they move up within an organization even if most people cannot tell the change; it is there. I know that speaking from experience when I graduated the University of South Florida and was hired at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University that I things were going to change but I didn’t think I would. It wasn’t until my relationship at that time started to fall apart that it was brought to my attention that I was changing for the negative. Now I will agree with my partner at that time that yes I had changed but my changes were not the reason of the end of the relationship; in the grander picture my job helped to show me a new side of me and opened my eyes to a new life I was just started to uncover. What was changing? I suppose that I was subconsciously realizing that I was no longer a child or a young woman in college but I was now an adult, with a college degree and a career. As powerful as these changes were, they were also very scary for me and I sure that is what may have changed the way I approached people as in the Kramer example in the text. I will never forget the day someone told me that I was acting better than them and that I was not the person they fell in love with. For those who know me I am relatively down the earth and slightly high strung at times but I never want those who I love and care for to think I am changing that much to the point where I am making people feel belittled in my presence. After 6 months of thinking about what was going on I knew that it was a combination of getting out of my relationship and surrounding myself with people who were more like me and also taking a big chunk of time to reflect on the changes that were taking where was I am able to balance myself out to a more respected place.

I think people are often in the dilemma to prove themselves to others; they have to make it to the top not for them but for someone else. When situations like these occur the person fighting their way to the top is less likely to think of the damage they are committing as the swiftly move to the top and will also do things that are not in their nature; by any means possible to get to the top.  During this process it has been my experience that the person changes both inside and outside of the workplace often losing compassion, sympathy and empathy for others and begins to only feel for themselves; to me it is the worst thing that could happen to a person.

It is important to always want more, they want better and the want to push yourself to the top but doing it for the right reasons and using the right path. We have to be grateful to those who get us where we are and continue to support those coming up behind us. I know that as I continue to grow in my career I will not forget those who helped me and I will lend a helping hand when I can because I don’t want to fall back into that “I am better than you” mindset again.

A634.2.3.RB_The Theories of Ethics

In this blog response I am going to first outline both Consequentialism and Deontology and then I will reply with my thoughts.

Consequentialism

• Is a claim that we are morally obligated to act in ways that produce the best consequences (p.23).
• Adequate consequentialist theory must specify (a) which consequences are morally relevant (i.e., which we should consider when morally deliberating; (b) how much we weight we should give them; and (c) how, precisely, we should use them in moral reasoning’s (p.23).
• Must explain which, weight and how we should use considerations when deliberating (p.25).
• Refers to the Results as the ending point  (the final answer).
• Key Words:
• Costs/Benefits
• Results
• Outcomes
• Consequences
• Ends

I find that I am the type of person who is more likely to evaluate the consequences before I evaluate the principles.  Growing up, my generation was and is about the “here and now” and the “end results.”  I like to know what the cost and benefits are for me and what I will gain once I have done the action. With that being said I also do feel that it is important to understand the morality of the situation.  I suppose it is safe to say that I like to look at things from all perspectives as it will help to come to a strong conclusion but I do lean more towards the consequentialism side of these two theories.

Deontology

• Content there are strict moral limits on what we can do to others; consequentialists do not (p.24).
• Deontologists think rules or principles are important independently of consequences, they disagree about what actions are right (or wrong) and just how right (or wrong) they are (p.24).
• Deontology has two marks in its favor; one, reflects the way most of us acquired and developed our moral beliefs and two, its main competitor is subject to seemingly serious criticisms (p.31).
• Refers to how you get to the results (the process).
• Key Words:
• Principles
• Rules
• Means

Principles and rules are extremely important but speaking for myself I am more likely to go down a path that I know what the end will be and worry about the path when I get on it.  I want to stay living a morally sound and ethical life but I know that in reality that isn’t always the easiest thing to do.  I would be more likely concerned with the end then how I get to the end but I  know I would not make a decision that was too far off the moral path that it would hinder my physical well-being or my moral/ethical presence.

Conclusion
As you can see my thoughts fluctuate between both consequentialism and deontology theories depending on the situation.  It has been my findings that those with a more Christian or religious background tend to lean more towards the deontology theory due to its principle/rules roots but I think that doesn’t play as big of a role in how I view the theory.  In addition it has been my findings that those who side more with the consequentialism are less concerned with the religion but I think that you can be both religious and or non-religious and appreciate both theories.  There are many reasons why people select different theories to live by but I find that it is best to address situations from an open-minded perspective but then apply these theories after an initial analysis.

LaFollette, H. (2007). The practice of ethics. (1 ed., pp. 1-296). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing