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.