A521.9.4.RB - Reflections on Leadership

I pride myself as one who works very well with others.  I am able to put differences of opinions, personalities, beliefs, or anything else aside for the sake of accomplishing a task.  Little did I realize, that all of these years I have been engaging in something very important to being a great leader.  Denning (2011) suggests the interactive leader is one who is different than the traditional command-and-control leader.  The major distinction of an interactive leader is an increased capability to make a connection to those following.   Picture a leader who tries to give direction from behind a desk.  Now, try to picture a leader giving direction while working together with those he leads.  Who is more likely to be an effective leader?  Denning (2011) discusses several dimensions regarding what it takes to be an interactive leader.  

• The interactive leader works with the world rather than against it.  I used to work alongside some managers who believed ruling with an iron fist was the most effective way to get their subordinates to perform.  I observed and cringed at this style because it never felt natural to me and seemed counterproductive.  Subordinates would despise these managers and do everything in their power to make things difficult.  They simply did not respect them or go out of their way to help.  I believe there is a time and a place for one-way communication and strict direction, however, I view it as the exception and not the rule.  
• Interactive leadership both adds and subtracts elements from the leadership pallette.  This validates what I have always believed about the importance of interaction.  It adds new capabilities of leading all while removing the negative techniques of manipulation and winning at all costs.  Interactive leadership naturally results in the leader to trust and be trusted.
• Interactive leadership builds on personal integrity and authenticity.  Respect and trust is earned through being honest, transparent, listening, and genuinely caring.  It is a simple formula really with a “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” mentality.  A leader’s actions, whether positive or negative, will eventually be reciprocated in the same fashion by his followers.  
• Interactive leadership doesn’t depend on the possession of hierarchical authority.  Anyone and everyone can be an interactive leader.  This applies to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or an intern fresh out of college.  The key is someone wanting to work with others to make things better.
• Interactive leadership benefits from an understanding of the different narrative patterns that can be used to get things done in the world.  Telling stories and understanding narrative theories will only help leaders achieve their goals.  Telling stories may seem easy and may even be easy for some, but that does not mean they are being told properly or effectively.  Learning how to be an effective storyteller simplifies the storytelling process.

I believe the key message Denning is trying to provide is that interactive leadership is not only different but vital and “entails active participation in the world rather than detached observation” (p. 271).  The three dimensions that jumped off the page and spoke to me were working with the world, building on personal integrity and authenticity, and hierarchical authority is not required.  Working with the world comes naturally to me.  I am fortunate to have a personality and desire to want to work with those around me.  Manipulation and control are methods I find uncomfortable and avoid at all costs.  Personal integrity and authenticity are essential to me because I believe you get what you give.  People eventually see through deception and someone trying to pretend to be something they are not.  So why not be me and speak the truth?  It is not only the right things to do, but it saves aggravation in the long run.  Finally, knowing hierarchical authority is not required to engage in interactive leadership is encouraging to read.  This is something I have believed for quite a long time.  I always try to interact and make improvements in my organization, regardless of where I stand in the chain of command.  I go to work every day looking for ways to improve myself and my organization.  Denning (2011) speaks to my way of thinking in saying “anyone and everyone who can help clarify the direction or improve the structure, or secure support for it, or offer coaching that improves performance is providing leadership” (p. 271).  These dimensions are important to me personally and I feel I can relate to them because I live them.  I truly believe in these dimensions and I was not even aware of them until this assignment.  So it is comforting to know that how I live and work, who I am as a person, how I treat others, are all important measurements of being a great leader.  

Denning, S. (2011).  The leader’s guide to storytelling: Mastering the art and discipline of business narrative.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

A521.8.4.RB - Making Contact

I was heavily involved in sports throughout my childhood and even into my early thirties.  I was essentially forced to make friends because my parents believed it was healthy to be outside playing with the neighborhood kids.  I either made friends or would be left playing in my yard by myself and that did not seem like a very entertaining option.  I believe these activities combined with my personality helped me become comfortable interacting with strangers.  I was shy at a very young age, but as my participation in sports increased, so did my ability to relate to new people.  I learned there was no reason to be afraid to talk to people.  McKay, Davis, and Fanning (2009) discusses how the fear of strangers comes from “outmoded nineteenth-century social restrictions and your own self-depreciating internal monologue” (p. 205).  Although I was not aware of the aforementioned social restrictions, I did experience a mild stint of self-depreciation.  Then I realized I cannot change how people think.  My personality has always been extremely laid back and genuine about respecting others.  However, I cannot change how they feel about themselves.  Maybe they are self-conscious or have low self-esteem.  It is their problem if they take issue with how I look, how I talk, or what I believe.  

I have a knack for being able to “fit in” anywhere.  I never felt comfortable limiting myself to a certain social group.  For example, in grade school, I hung out with the jocks and the nerds despite them having a distinct social separation from each other. I did not care.  I enjoyed hanging around people I felt were interesting and could care less about social status or labels.  Meeting someone new has always been fun because everyone has something unique to share.  It’s merely an opportunity to begin getting to know someone who interests me, I am curious but not worried about what will happen, and I never want anything from them; just offering time and interest (McKay, et al., 2009, p. 207).

Talking to people, including strangers, is something that I believe comes easier to me than the average person.  This is not because I feel I possess some special gift, but because I am an exceptional listener.  Genuinely caring about what someone tells me makes listening easy.  I want to listen and I want to provide feedback when necessary.  Having an outward rather than inward focus when first making contact with someone aides in creating a natural conversation.  McKay et al. (2009) suggest a basic rule to making contact is to “give what you would like to receive, which means that the attention, interest, respect, and liking that you want must also be something you offer to others” (p. 209).  I have had many people tell me very personal things despite barely knowing each other because I simply listened.

McKay, et al. (2009) mentions there are only three things required to make good conversation: “ask questions, listen actively, and disclose a little about yourself” (p. 213).  These requirements describe what comes naturally to me in any conversation.  I say they come naturally to me because I do not have to myself to think about applying them.  Whether meeting someone for the first time or an old friend, I engage in these requirements every day.  The most important lesson I learned from this assignment is the reminder how vital it is to stay true to myself.  I do not need to alter what I believe or change anything about who I am to gain acceptance.  As a matter of fact, “when you talk about your hopes, fears, preferences and beliefs, you become a unique individual rather than a cardboard character” (McKay et al., 2009, p. 216).  I want people to know the real me and not be concerned with how “revealing differences will undermine potential closeness” (McKay et al, 2009, p. 216).

McKay, M. Davis, M., & Fanning, P. (2009).  Messages: the communication skills book.  Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

A521.7.4.RB - Secret Structure

Nancy Duarte in her TedX Talk: The Secret Structure of Great Talks (Links to an external site.)describes a few different structures/outlines. She also describes techniques used by Steven Jobs and Martin Luther King, Jr.

In your Reflection Blog, discuss the structure and techniques shared and how you might use them.

Nancy Duarte (2011) suggests we have the most powerful tool in the world: ideas.  She believes these ideas can change the world when effectively communicated.  She discusses how the structure of a presentation can be the key in getting the audience to move from one thing to the idea the presenter is trying to communicate.  Duarte used an excellent illustration of comparing the presenter and the audience to Star Wars characters Luke Skywalker and Yoda.  More importantly, she made it clear that the presenter is more like a mentor like Yoda.  She goes even further past the basic characters in a story and delves into the possibility that every successful story has a basic structure.  This examination gives her the idea that if stories have successful structure, then presentations must also.  I can appreciate her analytical mind because I have a similar way of thinking.  Looking for patterns in most anything is something that comes naturally to me and is put to use every day at my job.  Duarte approached presentations in the same manner by looking for successful communication patterns.  She struck pay dirt when she used Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and Steve Jobs iPhone launch presentation to discover structure patterns.

Duarte found that the beginning of a presentation must establish the status quo and compare it with a heavy contrast of what could be.  The middle of the presentation continually traverses between those comparisons, moving back and forth between the establish quo and what could be.  Duarte (2011) suggests the end of the presentation should have a call to action and describe the world with a new bliss or a utopia by adopting the new idea.  She used her discovery as an analysis tool and broke down Steve Job’s speech by showing a structure of the beginning (what is), the middle (traversing), and the end (what could be) and by labeling all the different events that took place during the speech.  Duarte found similar structure in Dr. King’s speech, but she also found some unique qualities such as repetition, metaphors, songs, and scriptures.  Another key element of his speech was his ability to know his audience so well that he could pull from their experiences to communicate is idea, or dream in this case.

Dr. King and Steve Jobs more than likely experience some doubt as to whether or not they could make their idea reality.  Yet, they believed in their idea so passionately that they never gave up.  Everyone can learn from these men and their ideas.  Keeping faith in one’s ideas and structuring a presentation in a similar fashion can surely increase odds in getting an audience to an idea.  I constantly have new ideas.  Sometimes I do not think it is possible for them to come to fruition based on lack of confidence.  Sometimes I believe in an idea so religiously that I will share with anyone willing to listen.  However, knowing the structure and pattern to a successful presentation can only better my chances at making my ideas become reality.  

Duarte, N. (2011).  The Secret Structure of Great Talks.  Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_duarte_the_secret_structure_of_great_talks

A521.6.3.RB - High Performance Teams

According to Denning (2011) high-performance teams are comprised of the following elements:

• High-performance teams actively shape the expectations of those who use their output - and then exceed the resulting expectations.
• High-performance teams rapidly adjust their performance to the shifting needs of the situation.  They innovate on the fly, seizing opportunities and turning setbacks into good fortune.
• High-performance teams grow steadily stronger. Over time, members come to know one another's strengths and weaknesses and become highly skilled in coordinating their activities, anticipating each other's next move, and initiating appropriate responses as those moves are occurring.
• The members of a high-performance team grow individually. Mutual concern for each other's personal growth enables high-performance teams to develop interchangeable skills and hence greater flexibility.
• Fueled by interpersonal commitments, the purposes of high-performance team become nobler, team performance goals more urgent, and team approach more powerful.
• High-performance teams carry out their work with shared passion. The notion that “if one of us fails, we will fail” pervades the team.

I have been part of a handful of teams throughout my career. However, I would only consider one of those teams a high-performing team.  I say this because I can identify with the aforementioned elements through my experiences with this team.  It is possible we may have been considered a large team by average team standards, but compared to other US Air Force squadrons we were very small.  The uniqueness of our mission brought us together and created a shared passion of working together to accomplish this mission.  The team relied heavily on one another because each of us had our own skillset which helped team members feel a sense of purpose.  A sense that each team member was vital to the operation just as a machine needs every part to work perfectly.

Shared values can make a good team great or elevate a great team to a high-performing team.  Teams who lack shared values can work together and complete their tasks, but they will just not reap the rewards of full-fledged collaboration.  Nobody loves to work with others who do not share the same values.  It makes working together uncomfortable, unnatural, and possibly difficult.  However, a high-performance team is created through shared values of collaboration and operational values.  For example, our team lived our organization’s values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do.  Knowing and living these values put everyone on the same page and avoided any confusion concerning our team identity.  Despite a high-pressure environment, we enjoyed working together and continued to perform at a high level for an extended time.  On numerous occasions we had to rapidly adjust our performance to the shifting needs of the situation and innovate on the fly, seizing opportunities and turning setbacks into good fortune.

The four patterns of working together are within a work group, a team, a community and a network.  These patterns are similar in a way they are all comprised of people working together, yet they are different in how they work together.  For example, a work group may receive a team label, yet there are members working independently of each other.  This is not a true team since tasks can be completed successfully without collaboration.  Conversely, a genuine team requires a high degree of collaboration and interaction among members.  A community according to Denning (2011) is “groupings of people who don’t live or work in the same place but who share common interests, practices, and values” (p. 152).  A network is a “collection of people who maintain contact with each other because of a mutually perceived benefit of staying in touch for purposes that may or may not be explicit” (Denning, 2011, p. 152).  

I currently perform in a work group environment.  I initially considered it a team environment until I read the distinctions Denning provided.  Regardless of the correct label, my experience in this work group has been incredible.  I am able to work independently and yet still communicate with the rest of the group.  This communication is essential because we work with each other to come to a consensus on complex and unique problems.  On the other hand, I was part of a work group in my previous organization and it was a completely opposite experience.  Everyone only cared about themselves and were reluctant to help each other out.  These attitudes made working together extremely difficult and counterproductive.  The only thing I think I could have done differently was confront these individuals about not being a team player and how it essentially affected the organization.  Maybe I should not have assumed communicating my perception of their performance would have fallen on deaf ears.  Even better, maybe they would have listened and worked to change for the better of a more collaborative team effort.

         

Denning, S. (2011).  The leader’s guide to storytelling: Mastering the art and discipline of business narrative.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

A521.5.4.RB - Aligning Values

Based on the readings in the Denning text and the assessment you took in A521.5.1 identify in detail the process of developing and aligning organizational values. Identify the three basic components of an ethical community and discuss how they might be applied in your organization. Are there values that are missing from your organization?

Discuss how you might develop those values and also align them with the values of the individuals in the organization.

Value to an organization is a critical element to being successful.  However, values in an organization is also essential to company success.  So how does an organization incorporate values?  An organization must first identify the types of values it wishes to instill in order to develop and align them.  Denning (2011) states the four types of values at play in an organization today are: values of robber barons, values of hardball strategies, values of pragmatists, and genuinely ethical values (p. 127).  Robber barons are firms whose primary purpose is to “crush the competition by whatever means” (Denning, 2011, p. 127).  According to Denning (2011), “hardball strategists avoid illegality, but in all other respects they pursue a single-minded focus on winning” (p. 128).  Pragmatists are organizations who place a high degree of focus on values and make values “a central part of the organization’s business strategy” (p. 129).  Lastly, there are organizations who are driven explicitly by ethical values as their principal motivating force (Denning, 2011).  Whichever values an organization decides to focus on, it must create a culture that facilitates value development.  Furthermore, it must also ensure all organizational operations align with these values to avoid any confusion or the perception there are double standards.  

The three basic components of a genuinely ethical community are trust, loyalty, and solidarity (Denning, 2011).  Trust is the general expectation among members that they will behave ethically towards each other.  Loyalty is not breaching each other’s trust and fulfilling the duties by accepting trust.  Solidarity is taking other member’s interests into consideration before one’s own personal interests.  Trust is demonstrated throughout my organization on a daily basis.  There is no position in my organization that can operate independently.  Therefore, trust is required upward and downward to successfully accomplish our business practices.  My organization is structured by many departments who have different responsibilities.  Therefore, each department is like a team working together and must maintain a high degree of loyalty to each other.  A team can fall apart if one person breaks trust and loyalty.  Some organizations choose to make decisions without hearing its members opinions or input. Solidarity is applied in my organization by making many decisions together as a team as opposed to one person making them.  My organization prefers to discuss matters that will affect an entire group and find a consensus among team members.    

I took the workplace values assessment which revealed my five most important values I wish to have in my organization.  These include in no particular order of importance:  opportunity between work life and family life, stability and security, clear advancement tracks/opportunities for advancement, autonomy/independence/freedom, and integrity and truth.  All of these values are demonstrated throughout my organization with the exception of one; clear advancement tracks/opportunities for advancement.  The lack of advancement opportunities and succession planning in my organization is incredibly frustrating.  This could be remedied simply by instituting a program specifically focusing on career opportunities and career development.  This plan will add value to the organization while simultaneously increase employee loyalty and continuity since employees will not want to leave the organization.    

Denning, S. (2011). The leader’s guide to storytelling: Mastering the art and discipline of business narrative. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

A521.4.3.RB - Subtleties of Communication and Hidden Messages

As a young boy, my mother would tell me what time I needed to be home every evening when I went out to play with my friends.  I remember sometimes racing home on my bike because I knew I was late.  I would turn the street corner and be pedaling as fast as I could hoping that somehow she would not notice.  I was rarely that fortunate.  It was more common to see her standing in front of my house with her arms crossed as I pulled in the driveway.  The angry expression on her face becoming clearer as I approached.  She did not have to say a word because her body language spoke volumes. McKay, Davis, and Fanning (2009) suggests “understanding our body language is essential because over 50 percent of a message’s impact comes from body movements” (p. 59).  

I interviewed for a position in my organization about six months ago.  I felt I did very well on the interview; providing some great responses and really selling myself.  I also made a conscious effort to be aware of my body language (sit up straight, both feet on the floor, look at the interviewers I as speak).  I wanted my body language to be congruent to what I was telling them.  McKay et al. (2009) state that “the key to nonverbal communication is congruence” and “awareness of incongruence in your own nonverbal messages can make you a much more effective communicator” (p. 60).  Despite my efforts, I did not get the job.  However, I asked for feedback so I could better prepare myself for future interviews.  I only received a response from one of three interviewers, but I nearly fell off my chair when I read it.  Below is an excerpt from one area of the many questions.

Interviewer:  “For two of the questions, after the question was asked, you said, “I love these.” You then rolled your eyes and shook your head. You gave the impression that we were wasting your time with the questions”.  

My response:  “I feel awful that I came across that way because in no way did I feel you were wasting my time.  The unconscious eye roll must have been my frustration showing through because I thought the questions were difficult.  My “I love these” response was sarcasm directed at how much I really dislike those questions.  I’m glad you mentioned that because I need to practice better self-control and know my sarcasm may be misinterpreted”.  

Lesson learned.  An interview is not the place to assume people know me well enough to understand my lighthearted sarcasm.  Going forward, I must concentrate on sending congruent verbal and nonverbal messages.  My verbal language and body language must be consistent with each other.  

Sometimes my wife calls me and asks “Where are you?”  It used to be like nails on a chalkboard every time she would ask that question.  I would feel like a child responding to his mother and become defensive.  This reaction of course, led to some sort of, let’s just say tiff or minor disagreement.  McKay et al. (2009) discuss paralanguage and the elements involved.  Paralanguage is the verbal component of speech and the element applicable to my case is pitch.  The pitch of my wife’s question would sound like “Where are you?”; where’s pitch being emphasized.  I perceived the question as accusatory or as a metamessage.  The metamessage is the second level of meaning to a statement or question.  It often communicates the speaker’s attitudes and feelings.  McKay et al. (2009) suggest that “on the surface, a statement may seem reasonable and straightforward, but underneath, the metamessage communicates blame and hostility” (p. 75).   However, my wife consistently insisted that was never the case.  I learned to change my reaction when I hear her ask that question.  In turn, I provide her an answer and we simply move forward with the conversation; avoiding an argument.  

McKay, M., Davis, M., & Fanning, P.  (2009).  Messages the communication skills book.

Oakland, CA:  New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

A521.3.4.R.B. - Personal Reflection

In the early winter of the 1989 Pennsylvania deer hunting season, my grandpa and I became disoriented in the mountains.  I was 14 years old and excited to be hunting alongside my grandpa.  These mountains may be considered a joke when compared to the ranges out West, but were impressive to Eastern standards.  Darkness was quickly approaching and the snow seemed to be falling larger and harder with each passing minute.  I trusted my grandfather to get us off the mountain safely considering his many years of being an avid outdoorsman.  However, as a half hour of hiking in the snow turned into an hour, some fear and a hint of panic began to creep in.  I was a fairly soft spoken and timid teenager; one who lacked a bit of confidence when I thought of sharing an idea or suggestion.  I was always afraid of what people thought or of the possibility I may be ridiculed for voicing my opinion.  In this particular situation, I was more nervous about having to spend the night in the mountains in the freezing temperatures than what my grandpa thought of my opinion.  I eventually suggested we head down the mountain and when we find a creek we should follow it downstream.  I knew there were many creeks in the mountains and all of them eventually crossed a road.  To my surprise my grandpa actually listened to me and we did just as I had suggested.  My idea worked perfectly.  Granted it took another three hours to finally get our bearing on our location, but it worked.  In some ways, I think that experience helped me realize there was nothing wrong with speaking my mind.  I view it as the beginning of a growing confidence in myself.  I believe it also helped me in my career and organizational environments.  Now, when I am presented an opportunity to share my ideas I have no fears.  Am I right all the time?  No.  Do I always have the best ideas?  Of course not.  But now I realize that nobody is.  So why not at least speak my mind and try to be part of a solution instead of standing silently on the sidelines.

 

Another example that had a formative impact on me was an event that occurred in the summer of 1991.  I was entering my sophomore year in high school and we were a couple months into our summer session football practices and camps.  This was our preseason equivalent to college football or the NFL.  It was a time for the coaches to weed out the kids who didn’t want to take practice seriously.  I was not just an opportunity to improve our strength, knowledge, and ability, but a chance to test the dedication and work ethic of every member.  If someone wanted to be on our football team, they had no other choice but to be strong physically and mentally.  Let me just put it in perspective.  Air Force Basic training was much easier because of the demanding workouts and screaming coaches I endured during the four years playing football.  The Air Force Training Instructors (TI’s) had nothing on my head football coach.  We had many plays we had to study and a very complicated system to learn.  We finally had our first scrimmage against another high school and I was playing the running back position.  I remember the Quarterback calling the play and the entire offense clapping in unison as we broke the huddle to line up.  I lined up in my position and my mind went blank.  I knew it was a matter of seconds before the ball was snapped and I should be tracing the steps I have done countless times in practice.  My mind was still blank.  I quickly asked myself, “What am I supposed to do?” and I didn’t have the answer.  The ball was snapped and I improvised without success.  I did everything wrong and it was evident.  There was no hiding it from anyone, including my coaches.  And of course I got an earful.  The moment I received an intense tongue lashing from my head coach I vowed to always be as prepared as humanly possible going forward.  I never made another mistake running my plays the rest of my football career.  I worked and studied hard so I was prepared.  This event caused me to apply the same preparation techniques after high school and throughout my professional career.  I strive to always be prepared for anything whether in an organizational or team-based environment.  Of course nobody can prepare for the unknown, however, things are so much easier when we prepare for what is known. 

A521.2.3.RB - Danger of Stories

Chimamanda Adichie describes the danger of a single story in her 2009 TED video.  Right away, she paints a vivid picture of her childhood and how stories impacted the way she viewed the world.  Since she began reading American and British children’s books at an early age, stories consisting of characters who were white and blue-eyed, played in the snow, and ate apples (2009) was normal to her.  She instantly had my attention because she formed a connection that everyone has experienced: childhood.  I briefly escaped to memories of lying in bed reading children’s books and falling asleep to my mother’s soft voice reading them aloud.  Adichie secured my attention and I was eager to hear her story.  Whalen (2007) discusses that “when you work with sensory memory, you don’t have to become a master storyteller” (p. 36).  It is possible Adichie may already be considered a master storyteller when taking into account the opening remarks of her speech declaring “I’m a storyteller” (2009).  Regardless, she uses sensory memory stimulation wonderfully and had me wanting to hear more.

Some speakers cannot get away with just standing behind a podium to communicate their point effectively.  Adichie does not fall into this category.  She does not use many gestures or other nonverbals to keep her audience engaged.  No visual aids were used at all.  However, none of these were necessary.  She told her stories so well and mixed a bit of humor at the right times that all she needed was her voice.  She was herself, comfortable with her style, honest, and kept her stories simple and clear (Denning, 2011).  Adichie defines a single story and the dangers they pose throughout her presentation.  She is able to communicate her personal stories beautifully.  These stories reveal the dangers of buying into a single story.  For example, Adichie says, “the single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story” (2009).

Adichie is also no exception to being guilty of believing a single story.  Such was the case when she made immigration in the U.S. synonymous with Mexicans being abject immigrants.  Denning (2011) discusses how it is imperative to link the change idea to the story using phrases such as “What if…”, “Just imagine…” or “Just think…” (p. 77).  Adichie applies this technique numerous times (ten times to be exact) to link her change idea that single stories are dangerous.  One example to make the connection would have been good, but it is almost impossible not to make the connection to the audience with ten scenarios.  This technique invites the audience to dream and provides an invitation to imagine.  Denning (2011) states, “The listeners have to make the decision as to whether to dream and whether to decide to live that dream” (p. 78).  I can say without a doubt that I have decided to live it by not buying into a single story.

 

Adichie, C. N. (2009, July). Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The Danger of a Single Story. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story/transcript?language=en

Denning, S. (2011). The Leader's Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/A Wiley

Whalen, D. J., & Ricca, T. M. (2007). The Professional Communications Toolkit. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

A521.1.4.RB - Stories in Your Organization

Describe a common story in your organization and discuss its implications on the organization. Does this story promote the goals and ideals of the organization? Does it help describe "who we are and what we stand for?" What is the story's impact on the culture of the organization?

 

I first heard the phrase “if you’ve been to one VA, you’ve been to one VA” when I began my career with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs almost ten years ago.  I was working with a counterpart who worked at a different medical center than I worked.  We were trying to solve an issue and having some difficulty when he said the aforementioned phrase to me.  I responded to him with a puzzled look on my face because I had no idea what he meant.  He explained that despite all medical centers falling under the VA organization, each facility operated independently and had their own way of doing things.  I had trouble grasping that concept because I was used to the Air Force, my prior organization, where we operated in a very standardized manner.  This way it would be possible to work at an Air Force Base in one location and fit right into another Air Force Base on the other side of the world because the same systems, regulations, and procedures were used.  It is evident the lack of standardization across the VA creates an enormous barrier to successful collaboration and continuous improvement.    

The biggest implication of operating without standardization on the VA is inefficiency.  Granted, some medical centers figure out efficient ways to operate, but not all.  For example, when a new policy is published throughout the VA, each medical center institutes their unique procedures to follow it.  Or, if a VA has a process proven to be effective and efficient, it is not shared among other VA’s.  This results in some medical centers with highly efficient procedures and others who are extremely inefficient.  This can be very detrimental to a medical center when multiple inefficient procedures are compounded.  This equates to a lot of wasted time, energy, and taxpayer dollars.  It may even go as far as having an adverse effect on veteran patient care.  A perfect example of inefficiency affecting patient care was the highly publicized patient wait times for appointments.  Such inefficiency contributed to patient deaths and VA employees manipulating the wait times.  These actions directly and adversely affect the goals and ideals of the VA organization.  The VA core values are integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect, and excellence; none of which are demonstrated by trying to manipulate patient wait times.  The actions of a few VA’s do not represent “who we are and what we stand for” as an entire organization.  It is truly unfortunate what started out as a lack of efficiency resulted in a complete disregard of integrity and excellence.  It is also unfortunate that the action of a few VA’s resulted in an overall negative perception of the VA as a whole.    

I still hear the phrase "if you've been to one VA, you've been to one VA" fairly often from employees.  It seems to be the mantra when an employee becomes frustrated with a process.  That tells me the VA still has work to do addressing the standardization of processes.  However, the positive side of each VA medical center operating independently is that some are tremendously efficient and exceptional at providing care to the Nation’s veterans.  I am fortunate to be an employee at one such medical center.  I have personally witnessed the tireless efforts employees give to achieve such high standards and exemplify the VA’s core values.  Nonetheless, if best practices and standardization was shared across the entire organization, then all medical centers could be held in such high regard.  I only hope VA leaders can one day recognize that standardization would lead to all VA medical centers operating at the highest level of care in the industry. 

A634.9.4.RB - A Reflection of Our Learning

Reflect on the three key lessons you take away from the course. Reflect on your perceived value of this course

The MSLD 634 Leadership Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility opened my eyes and educated me on many things.  However, I will limit my value added lessons learned to the three that were among the top of my list:  living morally, ethics and technology, and three generations in the workplace. 

Living Morally

I had my interpretation of how to live morally before I began this course and believed I was doing a good job.  Additionally, I always felt I had an open mind when it came to others and their behavior and I took pride in my open-mindedness.  LaFollette (2007) strengthened how I can enhance my moral thought and avoid bias towards others through identifying five factors:

• knowledge of the morally relevant facts;
• knowledge of the effects of our actions;
• having a vivid moral imagination;
• caring about others;
• interpreting others’ behavior

These factors really helped me understand that I need to be more cognizant of how I think and act.  I realize I can accomplish this through persistent education, increased self-awareness, and thinking through the effects of my actions.  Furthermore, I can apply another key lesson I learned in the course to my actions, which is the Golden Rule.  I have always tried to live by this rule and it was refreshing to really see the value of a phrase that seems so simple, yet so powerful.  “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is a valuable tool which can and should be practiced throughout all areas of our lives.  Seeing this lesson incorporated into our curriculum validated how priceless this phrase truly is.  It makes me feel like I have been doing something right when serving in a leadership capacity because I have always believed that if I took care of my people, they would take care of me.  Also, we typically behave in a manner that will provide us personal gain.  However, if we change from selfish behavior to selfless behavior, we will automatically find ourselves avoiding these pitfalls.  I really want to act more selflessly and assist in creating a better society.  I believe LaFollette (2007) states it best in saying “the most significant way of shaping other people’s moral behavior is by what we do rather than what we say” (p. 209).      

Ethics and Technology

I have always been fascinated by technology, its evolving advancements, and the impact it has globally.  I never really viewed technology as relating to ethical issues because I had tunnel vision of only the positive aspects.  For example, technology helps improve communication, health, travel, and the list goes on.  However, it is a little scary how dependent we have become on technology as a society.  I have experienced on numerous occasions the crippling effect losing connectivity has on productivity in an organization.  I always tell people that technology can be our best friend at times and our worst enemy.  Also, I realized that technology also has an ugly side and can cross ethical boundaries.  My military experience exposed me to a lot of technology and I witnessed the benefit of having such advanced technology when used in a wartime environment.  Of course it was wonderful to be on the side possessing such technology because it gave us distinct advantages.  Drone technology was especially useful in such an environment.  Ironically, we are now seeing the evolution of drone technology in our country and ethical issues are arising because of it.  Our Fourth Amendment right to privacy is one such issue being threatened by increasing drone use.  The lesson I learned here is that ethics plays an enormous part in technology and its advancement.  I failed to see how important the correlation was before this course and will now take a more cautious approach relating to ethics.   

Three Generations in the Workplace

Another take away from this course was the eye-opening subject of generations in the workplace.  I consider myself a person who is extremely aware of my surroundings.  Yet, I never really made a connection to understanding the importance of the dynamics between different generations in the workplace.  I work in an organization which consists of a multi-generational workforce and frequently interact with such a workforce on a daily basis.  I have found at times I can become frustrated with the differences that each generation possesses.  For example, I am considered part of Generation X (born between 1965 and 1979) and work professionally with many Baby Boomers (born between (1945 and 1964) and Generation Yers or Millennials (born between 1980 and 1999).  I can relate to both generations in some ways and I can also at times see the strengths and weaknesses of each generation in how they work.  I tend to have computer technology related issues when dealing with a lot of Baby Boomers, but have come to the realization it is because they simply have not been exposed to such technology like other generations.  It is not that they are bad workers or do not care, it is just that they had different experience and training compared to younger generations.  Conversely, I have noticed a lot of Baby Boomers do not rely on technology so heavily.  The Generation X and Y employees would rather use email, whereas, Baby Boomers have no problem picking up the phone to communicate.  I saw the value in this straight to the point method years ago.  I have followed suit because sometimes simply talking to someone resolves issues much faster than sending misconstrued emails back and forth.  These are just a couple examples of the many differences between the generations in the workplace.  This course really helped me recognize the challenges and benefits of having such a diverse workforce and these exist because of the multi-generation employees.  I will someday find myself the older generation in the workforce with my own set of generational challenges and will remember that is not necessarily a bad thing.  Every generation will have their strengths and weaknesses.    

References:

LaFollette, H.  (2007).  The practice of ethics.  Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.