Tuesday, July 17, 2012

A521.5.8RB Value Narrative, Reyes, Cassandra


1. In a blog post, create a story from the Concept Map you generated in the previous exercise.

2. Ensure that it is consistent with Denning's "Template for Generating Value Narratives" on p. 150.

3. Describe why this story is important and what you would expect its impact to be on your organization.

            The specific values that I have chosen that create conflict amongst each other are customer intimacy and operational excellence. Customer intimacy is the ability to maintain a positive and substantial relationship with all customers that come into contact with your organization. Operational excellence is having the capability to do your job to the best of your ability while providing the best customer service experience possible. These two values are extremely important to the success of my organization, however have come into conflict just recently due to the implementation of a new student and employee system.

            The incident where conflict arose between these two values was during the recent implementation of a new student and employee system called Campus Solutions. In October of last year the University switched from one system to another to provide better service to our students, staff and faculty, however during this change each group experienced its own set of frustration and difficulty with learning the new aspects of how the system would work.

            When the Campus Solutions system was implemented there were a lot of complaints on managing the new system as there were a lot of errors that continued to occur with finding or obtaining information for our students. On the other hand the students were upset as many current students were already used to the system that we currently had in place and did not take too well to the learning curve of the new system in use. It took many months before the errors were fixed and during this time there was a lot of apologizing to our students for the discrepancies that were taking place. It has now been a few months since the implementation of campus solutions and many of the kinks and quirks of the system have been worked out which have allowed new and current student the ability to maneuver through it in a more effortless way. While problems may arise in the future during use of this or any other system that may be implemented, I believe that it will take time for each group to find the positive aspects of the change rather than the negative, and allow for the system to bypass its kinks to allow for a more streamlined effort in system use for any group.

            The story makes clear the importance of each of my listed values as customer intimacy and operational excellence were both affected by the implementation of the new system. The change from Datatel to Campus Solutions offered a more innovative way for students, staff and faculty to obtain the information they needed to proceed through the course of their degrees or their occupations, however the strive for operational excellence also hindered the customer intimacy we were trying to achieve due to all of the issues that had started to take place. The story has not been stripped of any necessary detail and links to the specific values of the organization that we were and continue to strive to achieve.

            The story shows that the organization is concerned with the operational excellence they offer their customers and also cares for the customer intimacy that we are continuing to try and emulate into the industry of our students. The new system also offers better ratings for the positive customer service we are currently offering as it has made staff and student use much easier. Students are now able to see much more information regarding their accounts and the staff also has the ability to flow through the system to find or change information on their students at a faster rate. This story is also a characteristic of the organization and its values as it shows the importance of training for our staff and how the training of our new system has allowed for a better experience all around for everyone involved with the organizations success.
Cassandra R.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

A521 5.4 Aligning Values, Reyes, Cassandra

Denning discusses 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.


The three main basic components to an ethical community are imperative to assist with the success of an organization. These values help align the organization with its employees and offer a sustainable environment where each individual who takes part in the success of the organization can understand the part they play as well as the part the organization plays in its specific industry. The three values of an ethical community include, trust, loyalty and solidarity. While these things may seem minor or simple in nature, the role each value plays is essential to the success of each employee, the position they hold, their department and the company as a whole.

            Trust. I think Embry-Riddle Worldwide does a great job at incorporating trust into their organization, however there are times when there is also a downside to the trust the organization has as certain individuals have taken advantage of that trust in the past. For example, I am currently pregnant and about to give birth any day now. Due to my current circumstances my boss has allowed me to work from home the past few days just in case I need to be rushed to the hospital or in case of any other circumstances that may take place. Due to having the opportunity to do this, I do not need to use my personal leave as I am able to work from the comfort of my own home, therefore I do not waste any time that I would need to spend with my newborn daughter.

            The instance where trust in the organization has had a downfall, is the teleworking experience I believe they have had. There are a variety of teleworkers from different departments who work from home on a daily basis. While there are a number of excellent teleworkers, there have also been instances where teleworking has not worked out for the organization as certain employees would take advantage of working from home. Their work was either lacking or not getting done and the image of teleworking started to disintergrate. Therefore, teleworking is now looked upon as an absolute last case scenario and is very, very rare to achieve. While I can understand the change of heart the organization has on teleworkers, I also think that it is unfair to those employees who have proven themselves and would do an amazing job if provided the opportunity to telework. While it is common in almost all organizations, it is a shame that one bad apple can ruin the bunch.

            Loyalty. I think Embry-Riddle does a great job at being loyal to its employees but most of all to their students. I believe that each individual strives to place a commitment on assisting each other with leading our prospects, applicants and students to the right people who would be able to assist them. I think that the company is loyal in doing their best to provide the best customer experience and education to their students and help them to pave a path in which they can be content with and proud of. I also believe that as an Embry-Riddle employee we are subject to the loyalty provided to us by our mangers and the organization as a whole. The benefits and opportunitites we each receive are just a few examples of the loyalty the organization has in ensuring that its staff and faculty and all the other individuals who make Embry-Riddle a success are taken care of and provided with the best.

            Solidarity. In my personal opinion, while solidarity does exist as a positive in our organization, I would like to see this value improved in our organization in certain circumstances. While I have seen solidarity take place from individual to individual, I can’t say that I have seen much of it take place from department to department. I believe that with solidarity there comes conflict as it is sometimes difficult for individuals to separate their personal interests from the interests of others. I think it is human nature for individuals to feel as though their interests are more valuable than that of others, which makes it difficult to step back and recognize the importance and value of others suggestions, concerns, and other significant things that make a team what it truly is. When one believes that their interest is of more significance than another’s it can be difficult and sometimes impossible to care for another’s inetersts and even more so, to take action on behalf of something or someone you don’t truly believe in.

            I wouldn’t say that my organization is missing any specific values, as I believe that it is a wonderful organization to work for and it has provided me with a number of opportunities I would have never had. However, I do feel that there are a number of values in any organization that can be improved to always ensure that the individuals who run the organization are content, happy and challenged in their positions. As the years go on companies change, target markets alter, and organizations are constantly faced with challenges that they must overcome in order for them to continue to be successful.

I believe that if Embry-Riddle continues to brush up on its values and challenge themselves in the industry with their competitors along with their staff and faculty, that they will continue to be successful in their efforts. I think that to align the employees of Embry-Riddle with the values of the organization you have to start from the bottom up. Every person needs to be on board to ensure a smooth flowing working system. When it is found that there are individuals who are not align with the values of the organization, then we must ensure that the values of the company are understood and that there is acceptance of what those values are. An overlap of personal and organizational values must take place to ensure that success is mutually enforced. “In the end, each person must find a personal relationship to the organizational values that are important to the company, whether those values are similar to or different from his or her own.”

        References

Denning, S. (2011). The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative (Revised and updated edition). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons/Jossey-Bass