A521.3.4.RB - Personal Reflection

When I think back to my childhood the memories are not always happy ones.  I grew up always trying to overcome the power that is my mother.  All I knew from a young age was a sense of walking on eggshells, never knowing what would set her off on any given day.  As I was an only child the only focus in the house was me and that gave me very little privacy or ability to work out problems on my own.  As my mother continued to intertwine her way into my life I withdrew and was eventually lost.  My personality has always been a strong one, which often lead to conflict between my mother and I.  I was not allowed to have my own opinion and I was expected to do what made my mother happy at all times.  As I grew older and became an adult I separated from my mother and discovered I had this voice inside me for the first time in my life.  I had feelings and ideas that were all my own.  This was an amazing discovery for me.  From there I realized I had a talent for leading people and this is where I was determined to make a difference.  I had lived under a leader, my mother, who had taught me to never question decisions and from this I realized that the leader is not always correct.  That is not to say that the leader is not to be respected but that sometimes they do not always have the best answer. 

As a leader I decided to always take in suggestions and feedback from my followers.  This doesn’t mean I always changed my mind about a decision, but I made it a point to listen to other people’s suggestions and then make my final choice.  Yukl (2013) defines this type of leadership as Consultation.  Employees can feel empowered when there are listened to; it creates ownership over their situation.  Empowerment is something I never had as a child, as a result it is something I want to pass down to my employees. 

In my early adult life I decided to confront and conquer the feelings I had as a result of my mother and my childhood.  This was not an easy task as it involved untangling many layers of deception and manipulation.  When I first sat down with someone to start my process we made a plan, the plan set forth the steps I was going to take to uncover myself from the pain and frustration I was under.  It seemed like a good plan, the problem is things did not always go the way we wanted them to.  This meant that we were constantly reviewing and editing the plan, especially because I could only control my part of the plan.  I could not control how others would react to it.  The plan was always a work in progress.

Whetten and Cameron’s (2011) description of problem solving involves four steps: define the problem, generate alternative solutions, evaluate and select an alternative then implement and follow up on the solution.  This immediately made me think about that plan with my mother.  I was constantly problem solving around her responses to my plan.  Over the ten years I have been working with the plan, and yes I still use the plan, I have learned some great problem solving skills.  The top one being that people will not always react or follow through the way you want them to.  This is a huge obstacle in business.  We create strategies in hopes that others will respond in certain ways and when they don’t we find ourselves not knowing how to react.  My experience with my mother has given me the ability to look ahead and create alternatives when things do not go as expected.            

Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2011). Developing Management Skills (E. Svendsen

Ed. 8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in organizations (8th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

A521.2.3.RB - Danger of Stories

The message Adichie (2009) sends in her video is that of narrow-mindedness or tunnel vision based on our experiences.  When we only see or hear one side of any situation or argument we form an opinion that is bias and tainted.  She points out that stereotypes are not untrue but simply incomplete.  Your experiences and encounters lay the groundwork for your future interactions and beliefs.  If you are only told one side of any story then that is all you will know.

The power and danger of a one-sided story can happen in business as much as it does in personal lives.  Most of us believe what our leaders tell us unless we have prior experiences that contradicts it.  Whetten and Cameron (2011) stated that when this happens employees can often view current problems as variations of past problems.  They define this phenomenon as perceptual stereotyping which can restrict the solutions to the current problem given experiences in the past. 

How does one overcome this type of stereotyping in order to solve the current issues at hand?  Listening and education are two ways to overcome stereotyping.  When a leader presents a problem it is important for them to listen to the audience’s reaction to help overcome any preconceived notions.  McKay (2009) breaks active listening into three steps: paraphrasing, clarifying and giving feedback.  When a leader uses these steps they can uncover any stereotypes or bias opinions that may show up.  Paraphrasing gives the audience an opportunity to hear how the leader perceived their message, which can give way to the next step of clarifying.  This can go back and forth until both sides are at the same understanding.  From there feedback can take place.  If a leader believes the audience has a bias then they can give feedback on how to overcome that bias. 

Education can be the most powerful tool in overcoming stereotypes.  This can come in the form of formal education, such as reading articles on the subject, or perhaps a story from the leader that will change the minds of the audience.  Denning’s (2011) springboard stories has designed to persuade the audience to accept change and become comfortable with it.  If the leader can tell a springboard story that overcomes the stereotypes and bias then the audience can open their eyes to a different view.          

When someone has only heard one side of any argument or has limited information on a subject a stereotype can be formed.  This type of bias can be hard to overcome.  Without the guidance of a trusted person or the knowledge to the contrary the stereotype will remain.  This can effect that person’s interactions and beliefs, which can cause issues both personally and professionally.  And this is the danger and power of a single story.   

         

Adichie, C. (2009). TEDTalks: Chimamanda Adichie--The Danger of a Single Story [Video]. TED.

Denning, S. (2011). The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and

Discipline of Business Narrative. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons/Jossey-Bass

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

(3rd ed.). Oakland, Calif.: New Harbinger Publications.

Whalen, D., & Ricca, T. (2007). The professional communications toolkit. Thousand

Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.

A521.1.4.RB - Stories in Your Organization

Every season, at my former organization, starts with a department wide training for both returning employees as well as new.  While in training we have an overview of what our department does and what is required of each employee.  Next we cover anything new or changes that have been made since the last season.  We then take a walking tour of the resort to familiarize the employees with the different lodging options.  For the new staff there is a small amount of computer training.  The final event in preseason orientation is the “Rally”.  The Rally is a two-day event in which every employee at the resort attends; the overall theme is to create a connection among all staff no matter the department.  For the past few seasons the Rally has incorporated movement between multiple stations run by the different departments.  The employees move from station to station learning about each department and anything new.  The day cumulates in a large group meeting in which a gift is given to each employee.  The Rally is meant to excite employees about the upcoming season as well as pass on any new additions to past seasons. 

The Rally uses Denning’s (2011) technique of communicating who the company is or Branding.  The resort uses the Rally to convey their values and goals to the new and returning employees in order to gain their trust and appreciation.  This way of marketing the brand to employees help them market the brand to the guests.  If the employees are happy and excited to work at the resort then that will spill over into their communications with the guests. 

Even though the resort employs a large number of people the Rally helps break the group up into smaller more intimate groups so the members feel they are receiving information on a more personal level.  This also helps to keep the story focused, simple and clear.  The delivery of the story in small groups also helps to assure the important points are not lost in a large crowd.  The presenters have a better opportunity to interact with the small groups, getting them out from behind the podium.  It also gives an opportunity to know and connect with the audience. 

The Rally, especially with recent changes, has a huge impact on the culture of the organization.  This in turn has an impact on how the employees relate to the guests.  Having a clear sense of the company’s values and expectations gives employees the building block they need to be successful.          

Denning, S. (2011). The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and

Discipline of Business Narrative. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons/Jossey-Bass

A520.9.5.RB – Power

What is Power? Whetten and Cameron (2011) define it as the “potential to influence behavior” (p.286).  This definition does not discriminate between power being used for positive verses power used for negative, it is simply the ability to make others do what you want them to do.  This can be as much a good thing as a bad.  Personal power can be very effective and helpful to a career, Whetten and Cameron (2011) describe four Determinants of Personal Power: expertise, personal attraction, effort and legitimacy.  When used together one can have a great effect on those they lead. 

I feel I am capable and comfortable in developing these four characteristics, a few of which I believe very strongly in.  The two I identify the most with and have the greatest strength of are expertise and effort.  Expertise is knowledge and as a leader it is not only knowledge of the job you are performing but also the jobs of those under you.  I am a huge proponent for life long learning, and that doesn’t always come in the form of college or school it can come from learning and perfecting a trade or from on the job resources such as seminars and conferences.  I believe one can always learn more.  Whetten and Cameron (2011) talked about how sometimes a subordinate can make a boss feel uneasy when they have more expertise, but if this knowledge is used properly both can benefit.  One would expect the subordinate to have more knowledge of their job, as they are the ones who perform it everyday, it’s the way the leader and they interact that which makes the knowledge powerful.  I feel effort is the compliment to expertise, without effort there can be knowledge.  A person who does not have the drive or is not willing to put forth the effort will never gain the expertise needed to achieve power.  A leader needs to be dependable and reliable, without that it is hard to convince people to follow you.  My philosophy is that I would never ask an employee to do something I wouldn’t do myself.  I would not make a good leader if I sat in a chair and gave directions while doing little myself.  I feel the effort given from my staff is the direct reflection of the effort given by me.   I also feel there is a difference between effort and delegation.  I once had a supervisor who would delegate every assignment he received, not because he was too busy but simply because he could and that way he would not have as much to do.  I vowed to never be this way, when I delegate a task it is because I am busy doing three other tasks or because that person happens to be closer (such as answering a phone or grabbing a copy off the machine).  I try to show my employees how effort it crucial to success.      

When it comes to personal attractiveness Table 5.4 (Whetten and Cameron, 2011, P.290) provides a good guide.  Interpersonal relationships are an important part of business, without them one would not make it very far.  Knowledge and effort are only two of the key elements in achieving and sustaining power.  A leader must also know how to interact with not only their employees but also their bosses and any outside people they encounter.  While I feel I do well in this category, I am outgoing and personable, I could improve.  I tend to become extremely focused on something and not see or react to things around me the way I should.  I also have a tendency to expect people to react in a way that I would, instead of taking a step back and realizing they are not the same as me and have different ways of dealing with things than I do.  I am aware of these shortfalls and I am currently working on them. 

The final characteristic is legitimacy, or having behavior that is consistent with the organizations values, which Whetten and Cameron (2011) show in Table 5.5 (p.291).  The three main components are: understanding your boss, assessing yourself and developing and maintaining positive relationship.  While I agree with these concepts and attributes I sometimes have a difficult time not being opinionated.  I sometimes feel I have a better answer for a problem and will vocalize it, without taking the time to hear why my former boss may have chosen the path she did.  Part of this for me comes from my own style and strengths, I like to solve problems, but some comes from my lack of confidence in my former boss and the company in general.  I often felt they chose solutions that were easiest for them and not what may have been in the best interest of the company or employees. 

I feel I have a pretty good grasp on what power should and shouldn’t look like, that doesn’t mean I have perfected my own behavior in that regard.  While logically and philosophically I am confident I know what best practice is, my emotional side can sometimes take over and that is something I need to work on.  I genuinely want what is best for everyone, but I need to mellow out my enthusiasm at times.          

Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2011). Developing Management Skills (E. Svendsen

Ed. 8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.