A631.7.4.RB - Future of OD_Reyes,Cassandra

Together, MSLD 630 and MSLD 631 provide an overview of Organizational Development (OD). The courses present an OD view of managing change and organizational transformation. In this final chapter of your textbook, Brown presents two opposing ideas: OD is viewed by some as a rapidly changing field keeping up with the times and by others as a fad that will become irrelevant. Given what you have learned over the past two courses, what do you see as the future of the OD discipline?

In my personal opinion, I believe that OD is en ever changing field that will continue to keep up with times. I believe that organizations especially in this day and age are looking for ways to incorporate change and restructure their departments, concentrate on technological advances and reconfigure the organizational structure. It is important for an organization to be flexible enough where it has the ability to roll with the punches and change not only on an annual basis but weekly, daily and sometimes even hourly. There is a constant need for organizations to improve organizational decision making and team based relationships in order to be successful during changing conditions. Therefore the need for long term strategies such as OD is a must for the future success of many organizations.

While OD has not been around for a long enough time to be considered necessary or substantial to some, the development and experimentation of OD applications “incorporates new and evolving methodologies and philosophies” (Brown) which ensure effective and efficient outcomes  to new organizational approaches to innovation and renewal. Organizations are in a continous state of change and can therefore benefit from the flexibility of OD and its approach to improving effectiveness. However, management of organizations must bear in mind that while OD may be beneficial to its organization, it is absolutely necessary for OD to be evaluated to ensure that the outcome of their efforts are not taken in vain. Evaluation of efforts will assist with the determination on whether or not any modification, changes or discontinuations should be taking place.

The cultural norms of the organization must also be considered when initiating and implementing an OD program to ensure stability of the new changes that are taking place. New behaviors stemming from the placement of OD in an organization should become the norm of the organizations culture so that the desired behaviors will be continued and members can measure their progress in a productive manner. Feedback of information and productivity can also create awareness and commitment amongst organizations members. “Commitment to change emerges from open communications and management’s ability to reinforce new behaviors so that members can see how their contributions affect outcome.

Given what I have learned in this course, through my readings, my studies and the text. I think OD is here to stay. While it is argued that OD has only short term solutions, I believe that as the rate of change in organizations increase, so will the contributing technology of OD. OD is a major factor that has assisted organizations with developing change and seeking innovation from traditional methods of management. OD is a means for development and training and assisting organizations with aligning organizational goals and “revitalizing them in line with the needs of the individuals within the system and environmental constraints” (Brown). As stated in the text, because of the ever changing environment. It is imperative that managers are aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the techniques and strategies available to them through OD and how those strategies can and should be used to make a difference in human development and bottomline performance.

Cassandra R.

A631.6.4RB Transformational Strategies, ReyesCassandra

Watch the above videos. Both of these videos highlight leadership in times of transformational change. How do you relate and make sense of the approaches taken by Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale and Stanley McChrystal compared to the information presented in your textbook? Use Figure 15.4 Relative Strength of Corporate Cultures and Figure 15.5 The Strategy-Culture Matrix in your response.

Jim Mcingvale discusses how contacting customers, follow-up with them, prospecting new clients, coaching to team members, providing incentives and data assisted with the success of his company after they had experienced a drop in the market economy and the company fire which resulted in a loss of 80% of their revenue. The first thing that Jim says changed was the sales behavior which increased revenue by 600,000 a year. He also mentioned that the elimination of the reworks of products also assisted with savings for the company of 1,000,000 a year along with customer satisfaction.

Another thing I found interesting was that Jim had incorporated a Wellness program for his employees which assisted with the health of his staff and the way they looked and felt. The wellness program helped reduce health insurance costs for the company which in the end saved their employees money. Jim states that Influencer training helped make his company more profitable even during hard economic times and most importantly increased employee and customer satisfaction across the board.

I think figure 15.5 provides a perfect visual in how to achieve change and more importantly, how to be successful in it. As the graph states step one is to manage the change as change is important and needs to be compatible with the company culture; the second step is to reinforce the culture of the organization by forging a vision that emphasizes shared values, the third step manage around the culture of the organization by reinforcing the value system, reshuffling power and using leverage in the organization, lastly step four is to change the strategy to fit the culture to ensure compatibility with the corporate culture.

Stanley McChrystal's speech paves a bit of a different path in what a leader is. Stanley discusses his various experiences in the military where he provides stories on the importance of leaders building a consensus and sharing a purpose and consciousness. He also discusses the importance of understanding the generational difference and makes a powerful statement when he says " how does a leader stay credible and legitimate when they haven’t done what the people they are leading are doing." I thought that making this statement showed the truth behind McChrystal's ability to comprehend what it takes to be a great leader. Understanding this one statement and living by its purpose, McChrystal was able to become a more transparent leader who was willing to listen and be reverse mentored by all different age groups, sexes, and nationalities.

McChrystal's ability to concentrate on the importance of relationships and how those relationships affect the outcomes of the successes, failures and trust amongst a group of people proved that true leaders are good because they are willing to learn and to trust and understand that relationships is the key to holding the force together. As McChrystal states "Leaders can let you fail and yet not let you be a failure."

I believe McChrystal's speech resonates more with figure 15.4 as it touches upon the difference between a strong and a weak culture. Culture s listed as a product of key components such as structure, systems, people and style. A strong culture is along the lines of the military discussed by McChrystal where basic values are intensely held and widely shared. Weak cultures may be an example of a young company, or a company with major turnover or one that does not share the same mission or vision amongst its employees.

I believe that both speakers experienced an organizational transformation in two very different ways. The idea behind these speeches was to teach us that in order for OT to be successful, it requires a shared vision, willingness to clean house and start from scratch, and the importance of restructure. Without these two individuals being open to change and restructure and most importantly learning from their mistakes or failures, I do not believe they would be the leaders they are today.

 

Cassandra R.

A631.5.4.RB - Leading System Wide Change_Reyes,Cassandra

I think there are many qualities a leader should embody in order to be successful. However, I also believe that success is measured by different people in many different ways. Some leaders may deem themselves successful because they have landed a multibillion dollar deal, while others may feel successful because they are respected by their team and experience minimal hurdles or failures in completing projects. While there are a range of ways a leader can become successful I think it is important to remember that all leaders fail at one point in time and it is from their mistakes as well as others that they learn the qualities it takes to be a great leader.

In my opinion in order for leaders to be successful they should be strong willed and dedicated to their jobs, teams, tasks and projects. Effective interpersonal and communication skills are needed to ensure that they are able to maintain successful and respectable professional relationships. Leaders should be creative, level headed and focused and should offer respect at all levels of an organization. They should be confident and competent in their work and compassionate to their subordinates.

In order to be successful leaders should not command excellence but build it from the ground up. Great leaders maintain a genuine character which assists with the continued development of their skills, traits and ethical values. True leaders are honest, fair, and inspiring. They do not make judgments on others and continuously do their best to better themselves.

There is one leader who I know that inspires me to lead in such a way that challenges me but also encourages me to be exactly who I am. This leader works for Embry-Riddle Worldwide and at one point was my boss. I have seen this gentleman time and time again single handedly run his department as well as a second that was placed upon him not too long ago. His colleagues and subordinates treat him with nothing but respect and he is appreciated by so many others.

This leader has offered to coach me in various areas of both my personal life and professional career and has helped me succeed in the areas of my life I wanted to better myself in. He is compassionate and caring yet expects nothing but your best and will do anything he can to help you offer your best even on your worst day. I think this gentleman is the epitome of what it is to be a leader and has become a great friend of mine over the years. A goal I have set for myself is to one day try to lead a team and department the way he has in the past 5 years that I have known him. I wish there were many more leaders like him in the world, however if there were, it is likely that he would not be as appreciated as he is.

Cassandra R.

A631.4.4CM INSEAD Reflection

In light of the video and the readings from your textbook;

• What do you see as some of the major benefits and drawbacks of self-managed teams?

A few major benefits of a self managed team would be

1. There is no formal manager who instructs the team on what to do and when to do it. Self managed teams have the flexibility and ability to decide how they would like to structure themselves and how they go about organizing their workflow processes

2. Having a team that has the ability to fucnction in all areas and at all levels including production, engineering, quality, profitability, etc.

3. Teams are able to zoom in and out of specific goals and objectives. Their general goals are incorporating success at all levels to ensure the greater focus of organizational objectives are being met.

4. Teams are innovative and resourceful by finding ways to do more with less.

5. The ability of team members to shift roles and responsibilities.

6. Teams have the ability to detect weaknessess and address and strengthen those weaknesses.

7. Team members may experince more job satisfaction as they are directly involved with the running of the organization.

8. Teams have a greater commitment to company goals which in turn leads to improved productivity and loyalty.


A few drawbacks of a self managed team would be

1. Teams are not easy or cheap to implement into an organization and may also take alot of extensive training.

2. The constant issue of self direction and group monitoring may cause stress and burnout in team members.

3. Group processes and values need to be understood by all team members for the group to be successful. The group must be on the same page on the goals of the organization and how they will achieve those goals.

4. May work well in competitive, ever changing organizational environments but may not work well in organizational environments where tasks are simple, easily attainable or where supervision is necessary.

5. Conflict between team members may increase as everyone has a say in how the team is being run and there is no direct supervision on the group.

6. Team members are specialist in a variety of areas allowing for the doomed "too many chefs in one kitchen" effect.

7. Diversity of team members knowledge and talents may potentially slow down the teams progress and refrain from allowing it to reach its full potential.

8. Trust and communication between team members is a must. All members must be able to cooperate with one anothewr, hear each other out and be able to take the "back seat" when needed.

• Would you like to work within such a team?

I think that I would like to work on a self managed team given that the environment suits it. I strongly believe that there is a time and a place for self directed teams and feel as though they can be extremely successful when used and placed in the correct environment to achieve specific goals, however I would never want to be on a self managed team that did not have clearly defined goals or team members who were not dedicated to the task or objectives at hand. If I worked for the govenment or a company such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Grumman, etc. I feel as though I could learn a ton from a self managed team and would love to be part of a team like that, however if my current department was run as a self managed team I do not think it would be very successful. I believe that my department runs very well under the supervision of my manager and director and frankly do not believe that my specific department call for a self managed team.

• What competencies would you need to develop to be an effective external manager of a self-managed work team?

1. Development of my communication skills to be sure that I am clearly defining goals and objectives of the team and organization

2. Ability to understand cross functional teams and environments.

3. Ability to deal with conflict in a constructive manner.

4. Comprhension of all internal and external elements of an organization such as competitors, finances, production, etc..

5. Have a discipline and focus on achieving organizational goals and objectives.

6. Ability to maintain versatility and flexibility especially during difficult stages of a process.

7. Staying dedicated to acheiving organizational goals and committed to the team that helps us get there.

8. Allowing flexibility without forgetting to maintain structure.

9. Maintaining confidence, creativity and optimism to ensure positive reinforcment to the team.

10. Being dependable, reliable and self motivated and expecting the same from the team members.

11. Ensuring active listening and constructive feedback.

12. Always be a team player, respect and collaborate with team members and treat everyone as an equal.

13. Provide resources when necessary.

A631.3.4. Feedback and Goals_Reyes, Cassandra

In a well-written blog, describe your understanding of the importance of feedback and goals to performance. What are your thoughts regarding Brown's contention that there are generational differences in the amount of feedback desired by employees. How much feedback do you generally give and receive? Have you found that for you personally, having specific goals and receiving targeted feedback has led to more engagement, higher performance, or any other benefits (or drawbacks)? What are the implications of your reflection?

 

Brown states that “the combination of goal setting with feedback on individual performance has a positive effect on performance.” He also states that “giving feedback on performance without having previously set goals does not lead to improved performance.” I would have to agree with these two statements as my personal and professional experiences have proven them to be true. In my personal opinion, I think it is absolutely necessary for there to be a combination of goal setting and feedback in order to be successful in any type of business or relationship. Feedback is a form of communication between individuals, departments or organizations and goal setting is the establishment of objectives and the overall purpose of a business. Without clearly defined goals, it would be impossible for a business to “increase efficiency and effectiveness” as there would be no specified “desirable outcomes toward which individuals, teams, and the organization should work.”

 I would have to agree with Brown’s contention that there are generational differences in the amount of feedback desired by employees. I believe that there are very clear differences between Generation X and Generation Y individuals as style of leadership, value of experience, professional expectations, technology and a variety of other factors have changed over the years. Generation X employees “rely heavily on the extensive career experience and hands on work that determines their knowledge in their prospective career fields, so technology may not always be the solution to the problem in their eyes.” On the other hand, Gen Y individuals “seek technology to improve the value of every aspect of their lives. Generation X employees are known to be well educated and take employment very seriously and tend to me more dedicated to even entry level positions, while Gen Y employees are usually looking for the next best thing, promotions, recognition and look to pursue upper level management positions. I think the major differences in these two generations offer the dissimilarity between the desired feedback by Gen X and Gen Y employees that Brown touches upon.

When training or working in a team, I tend to give a ton of feedback to individuals so everyone knows where I stand and to ensure that there aren’t any outstanding questions. I like to give and receive feedback because I believe that communication is important in establishing goals, achieving commitment and overcoming resistance. Performance is a reflection of the results of goal setting and feedback within an organization, without the two, the attainment of goals would be nonexistent.

In my personal opinion, I have found that having specific goals and receiving targeted feedback has led to higher performance, more engagement between departments, teams, and individuals and has also created better team dynamics. Employees who are provided feedback and who are able to make suggestions and discuss opinions, tend to feel “appreciated, important and understood. When employees feel like they have a voice, they won't feel stifled or fearful of sharing their opinions.” This in turn allows for positive change and reinforcement throughout the organization. Feedback bridges people together, and allows for greater productivity, and motivation throughout an organization.
            I believe that the implications of my reflection are due in part to my Gen Y interpretation and experiences and are also due to my personal experiences both professionally and in my personal life. Setting difficult clearly defined goals for myself allowed me to set my sights on obtaining my A&P licenses, attending Embry-Riddle and graduating with my degree, obtaining the current position I am in now, and starting my master’s degree. Feedback has been a huge part of my life as I have had to experience a vast amount of positive and negative reinforcement and critique. I have learned how to keep open lines of communication with each relationship I hold and have also learned to challenge myself with the goals set before me. Without the use of feedback and goal setting I would not have the ability to better myself and become more efficient and effective in my professional career.

 

References

Papa, J. (n.d.). Importance of Feedback in Business Communication | eHow.com. eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the expert in you. | eHow.com. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_5374330_importance-feedback-business-communication.html

Murillo, A. (2011, January 26). Difference between Generation X and Y | Ashley Ellis. Ashley Ellis-Information Technology IT Recruiting and Staffing Firm Chicago, IL. Retrieved from http://www.ashleyellis.com/2011/01/difference-between-generation-x-and-y/

 

Harvey, D. F., & Brown, D. R. (2011). Goal Setting for Effective Organizations. In An experiential approach to organization development (8th ed., pp. 319-325). Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall.