A511.1.3.RB - Leadership vs. Management

Management is a job position, however Leadership is a belief.  The guidelines Yukl sets out of managers all address the “how” and “what” of a job: Understand reasons for demands and constraints, expand the range of choice, determine what needs to be accomplished, analyze use of time, plan daily and weekly activities, avoid unnecessary activities, conquer procrastination, take advantage of reactive activities, make time for reflective planning, identify important problems that can be solved, look for connections among problems, experiment with innovative solutions (p40-44).  None of these guidelines answer the question of why.  Why do managers make great leaders, or is it why do leaders make great managers.  I would argue it is the later.  Most people can follow a job description if they want to keep their job, and if they enjoy their job they will probably do well at it, but to be a great manager one must be a great leader.  A good leader knows and understands why they are in the role they are in.

Leaders know how to inspire their passion in others.  They take the guidelines for managers and add a personal touch to them; they make others believe in what they believe in.  When setting a goal for a company they will explain why they are looking to achieve that goal and maybe open up a dialogue with the staff about why they are committed to the same goal.  This shows the staff they are committed to them and there ideas.  

Great leaders can make great managers.  When a leader brings their beliefs and passions to a job they can inspire and entire team.  Team members are more likely to follow a leader that can explain why they are doing what they do.  Anyone can give directions and delegate tasks, but a true leader can encourage many to follow and work together for a common goal.   

Yukl, G. (2012). Leadership in organizations (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc 

A500.9.4.RB - Course Reflections

Now that I have finished Leadership Foundations in Research I have a chance to reflect on what I have learned, what I feel I did well at and what I struggled with.  To start with the positive I both enjoyed and did very well with the action research paper and presentation.  I appreciated taking a look into myself and looking at what I may need to improve on.  In the end I learned a lot about my own procrastination as well as how to help others.  I felt the discussions were very helpful and interesting.  Being able to read what other people think and feel about a topic gave me the ability to look at my own thoughts and evaluate them.  I felt the critical thinking aspect of this course is something I will take with me throughout my education and my career.  

The one piece of this course I struggled with was “The Brain” activities.  Where I do understand the idea behind the assignments there were not within my learning style.  I have made “webs” before when brainstorming and from them I tend to create an outline.  I am not one to go into great detail when jotting down thoughts, I prefer short reminders that will trigger my mind into remembering.  I feel my “Brain” assignments served the purpose for my own use; I could have been more in depth with details to show my knowledge.  

All in all I think this course was a great starting point in my educational journey into Leadership.  From this class I have taken knowledge and skills that will help me to achieve my goals.  I also feel I still have a lot to learn and I am hoping my classes will continue to lead me down a path to greater understanding. 

A500.8.3.RB - Good Presentation Design

Most of us have gone to a conference or business meeting and thought “just another boring presentation”, but few of us have actually thought about why they are so uninteresting.  There could be many different reasons why a person perceives a presentation as dull, a few that come up repeatedly are the listener’s own lack of interest in the topic, the presenter’s lack of enthusiasm for the topic and bad media presentation.  

Overcoming a listeners lack of interest in a topic can be the most difficult as the speaker has to work to change a belief of another individual.  I believe however it can be done.  The reasons the listener has for being uninterested can range from distraction by other things in their lives to feeling they were forced to attend yet do not want to be there.  These reasoning’s may have nothing to do with the presenter themselves, but a personal feeling.  

The presenter who shows excitement and enthusiasm for the topic being presented can influence the entire crowd.  Most listeners can decide if they are going to enjoy a presentation within the first few minutes.  When a presenter comes on with energy and interacts with the audience they have a better chance of winning them over.  This is a good point to tell a story or ask questions of the audience, this can help to personalize the topic.  

The final piece of a presentation is any media or visuals the presenter will be using.  These materials should be used as an outline of the topic not a word-by-word transcript.  The purpose of media is to serve as a quick visual reference of the material the presenter is speaking about.  If the visual is too busy or hard to understand it will detract from the words being spoken.  In a presentation where statistics are being presented they should be simple and easy to follow as to not confuse the audience. 

The keys to a good presentation are keeping the audience engaged and interested, present material in an energetic and enthusiastic way, and only use media as an outline not a reading tool.  Interacting with the audience is also a good idea; this makes the topic more personal.  Even if the presenter isn’t comfortable in front of people they should try to not let it show.  A good presenter makes a good presentation.       

A500.7.3.RB - Quantitative Research Reflection

Quantitative research is empirical investigation using observable phenomena where results are given in mathematical terms.  The objective is to develop and apply math models to theories and hypothesis.  Quantitative studies are objective and independent of the researcher.  

In my eyes all research begins with quantitative analysis, one must first answer the “if and what” before jumping into the why.  Qualitative research answers the question “does such and such exist”?  In the case of my action research I needed to know if procrastination existed and if so among whom before I could look at why it happens and how a leader can help minimize it.  

With my background in Mathematics I find quantitative research fascinating.  I can appreciate the correlations that come out of studies and frustrations that come when the data does not meet the researchers expectations.  On the other hand I also have experience in the world of Psychology, which leans more towards explaining why things happen.  I believe that research that involves both quantitative and qualitative aspects is best.

Quantitative exploration lays the foundation for research by mathematically answering the question of if and what exists.  This can be done through surveys or experiments and reported as numerical data.  It’s these results that can then be used to draw a relationship between two factors or traits.  Once the relationship, or lack of, is found then the research can lead to answering why this occurred.     

A500.6.3.RB - Qualitative Research

Qualitative research follows the steps of the scientific method.  In elementary science class we learned the steps of the scientific method:

• • Ask a Question
• • Do Background Research
• • Construct a Hypothesis
• • Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment
• • Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion
• • Communicate Your Results (Steps of the Scientific Method, 2015)

In the Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector’s Field Guide qualitative research consists of an investigation that: 

• • Seeks answers to a question 
• • Systematically uses a predefined set of procedures to answer the question 
• • Collects evidence 
• • Produces findings that were not determined in advance 
• • Produces findings that are applicable beyond the immediate boundaries of the study 

Qualitative research seeks to explain how or why something occurs, in contrast to quantitative research that simply asks if something occurs.  Qualitative looks at the question through the lens of a certain group of people, it explores phenomena.   It can be flexible in its style or categories of questions and also in its methods of collection.  Some researchers use focus groups, in depth interviews or behavior monitoring.  

The questions asked by qualitative researchers are open-ended with the hope of explaining relationships, describe experiences and describe norms.   Qualitative research is used once a behavior or phenomenon is found to exist; it is used a lot in social sciences.  Researchers want to know why people behave the way they do, what cause them to respond in a certain way and how they make the decision to respond that way.  

In my research I want to find out why people procrastinate, we already know that some people put work off, I want to know why and can their behavior be changed.  Procrastination causes companies to lose money, are there ways to help workers stay on task?  The answer to this comes from answering the underlying question of why people procrastinate.  Is it that the task is one of low interest, or they have too many obligations, or is it a behavior they have had for as long as they can remember.  Once we can find a reason why the behavior happened then we could move on to how to change the behavior.  Changing the behavior might be something each person has to work on internally, or it might be something external, such as a reward, that will drive them to change.  Each person is different; they have different reasons for procrastination and therefore may have different way to achieve change. 

Qualitative research takes a behavior or occurrence and asks the questions why and how.  The answers to these questions may not be “black and white” they may have many different answers based on people’s different experiences.  Observation is a good tool used in qualitative research, stepping back and looking into a situation can sometimes obtain the most informative information.  People’s behaviors can tell you a lot of information about them.  

           

References:

Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector’s Field Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved 

February 21, 2015, from http://www.ccs.neu.edu/course/is4800sp12/resources/qualmethods.pdf

Steps of the Scientific Method. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2015, from

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/

project_scientific_method.shtml

A500.5.3.RB - Critical Thinking about Critical Thinking

When I started this course I never really thought about my thinking.  I knew that I had what I thought was a good system for making large complicated decisions.  I had never really looked at the process of my thinking closely.  After this class I know my thinking was flawed.  I realized a lot of my decisions were made out of emotion and that I needed to be able to step back and look at the entire picture not just the part that is blatantly obvious.

            The one process that stood out to me was SEE-I; State it, Elaborate, Exemplify and Illustrate.  The process of taking a concept or problem and applying the SEE-I technique is a helpful one.  I have used it at work, home and even in my personal life.  I have found when I have a large and complicated question I need a solution to I sit down and apply the SEE-I technique and it helps me to see the big picture. 

I have also found a way to use the technique for quick decisions as well, especially at work.  Many times throughout my shift I have to make decisions to issues that don’t have a perfect solution.  I have found that if I apply the SEE-I technique in my mind and walk through the steps I can find the best outcome with the resources I have. 

I realize I have a long way to go in regards to my critical thinking, but I also feel I have come a long way from where I started.  Critical thinking is an ever-evolving process, one that will only get better with time.  The more I think about my thinking the more I realize it will never be perfect.   

A500.4.3.RB Ballet Slippers or Adorable

I have always believed that making your own choices is best.  When you make a decision for yourself then it becomes personal and more meaningful.  Sometimes when decisions are made based on a desire to please others there is no internal connection to the choice.  This seems to be the Anglo-American way of thinking according to Iyengar's research that found they “did two and a half times more anagrams when they got to choose them, as compared to when it was chosen for them" (TEDTalks 5:01). Do theses results translate into the prospect of raising thinkers who can make choices for themselves when given a chance?  Maybe.  Sometimes making the right decision can be difficult and we end up asking other people for help which cannot always turn out well.  Other people have their own opinions, beliefs and experiences that can be different from our own.  While asking for help from others when making a decision can be helpful, it’s best to relay on your own instinct and feelings.

With that being said, when making a decision about something that will affect others it may be beneficial to have the opinions of those involved.  A leader makes decisions everyday that effects the team, some are made on their own, some with the input of others.  I don't necessarily feel that if a leader makes a decision on their own that it is selfish decision.  There is a distinction between making a decision alone and making a self centered decision.  If a leader has a good reading of their teams likes, dislikes and interests then when offered choices they should be able to make a decision that will best serve the team.  This is one of the qualities that make someone a good leader.  Another quality that makes a leader great is the ability to realize they need help and asking for it.  If the choices are too many or there is no clear correct choice then asking for help from the team is a good way to assure everyone gets at least a chance to share their thoughts.     

While having a variety of choices available to you is a good thing, too many can become overwhelming.  Looking around at the options in front of you and viewing a sea of colors and textures can be both beautiful and confusing.  While I believe having choices allows for better decision-making, too many can lead distraction.  Its best to narrow down the choices according to certain criteria into more manageable pieces.  Not having a choice can feel horrible and trapped.  We all like to feel we have some sort of control over things in our lives, not having choices can feel like you have no control. 

“Ballet slippers or adorable” just goes to show how we are influenced by words, among other things.  The two shades were so close in color that half of the women couldn’t tell them apart.  Of the half that could they picked “adorable” with no label on the bottles and “ballet slippers” with the label.  So what is it about the words “ballet slippers” that draws people in?  Persuasions are all around us, product names that have a personal connection to us, favorite colors and smells, and even visuals designed to draw us in.  We must learn to see beyond these to make the best decisions.  We joke that my daughter would buy anything if it were pink.  She is hypnotized by the color, to the point of obsession at times. 

Reference:

TEDTalks: Sheena Iyengar--The Art of Choosing [Motion picture]. (2010). TED.