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
Monday, November 18, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
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.
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.
Monday, November 11, 2013
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:
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
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
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
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
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
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
Friday, November 1, 2013
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!
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!
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