A633.9.3.RB_StevensEric

Most leadership models have the assumption of oligarchy – leadership is done by a few leaders over many followers. If polyarchy is fast replacing the old oligarchy assumptions does this make these old leadership models redundant? Reflecting on traditional leadership from the perspective of complex adaptive leadership, address the implications and how they will affect you as a leader in the future. What impact will they have on your future strategy?

The thought that the old leadership models are becoming redundant is not entirely true. I think that the old leadership model will not be completely replaced given the para military and military organizations. With these organizations I can say that the thought of the leadership style that we have talked about these 9 weeks and introducing it in a military setting is intriguing so say the least. Looking at how Complex Adaptive Leadership has affected me and how I will handle leadership in general I can say without doubt that I had been in a more traditional leadership. The traditional leadership was something that I learned from the military and from the law enforcement field coming from a para military background. The result of this new to me leadership called Complex Adaptive Leadership I will focus more on the Yin Yang theory and what it means to be a leader. Being a leader allows your co-workers to have a degree of autonomy in their work. So for the future I will be more observant of how the team is working as a whole and less on the thought of what I am doing. The team makes you a good leader and when the team performs and does a great job it is so much easier to steer the ship than to have it reverse course or come to a sudden stop.

A633.8.3.RB_StevensEric

• Given the statement above what is it that coaches do to provide value to their clients? The coach provides assurances that they are heading in the right direction and that the client is making the right decisions. Many times the clients are just looking for approval of the actions that they have already chosen to take. • Why is coaching a vital aspect of both leadership and strategy? Coaching allows the leadership to know that the process that they have taken is an appropriate one. The idea of making a wrong decision in how a strategy or vision should go does not often sit very well with the top of any organization. The head of the organization will often have checks in balances in place to ensure a critical mistake does not occur. • How can it make a difference in an organization? Coaching allows the organization some room for error. What I mean is that the leadership does not have to so involved with a decision and if they make a bad decision because the coach will guide them in a good direction. The coach will advise the leadership of an organization on whether critical errors are made and give them suggestions. Not saying that the coach’s job is to run or become a censor of an organization but the coach often allows the leadership to become free thinkers. This will allow the leadership to consider more options on how to proceed with the solution to a problem. • What does this mean to you and your organization? This will give us as an organization more options on how to handle issues. This will instill the confidence booster that some employees inside an organization may need. This is by no means saying that these individuals cannot operate on their own it just allows them to be guided in making the correct decisions

A633.7.3.RB_StevensEric

• Has your thinking changed over the course of the past six weeks, if so; why, and, if not; why? Over the past six weeks my ideal of management and leadership has been changed in a variety of ways. I thought that leadership was a more hands on visual approach. The leader should have been the one to become a role model whom I still understand should be a characteristic. I know have a better understanding that being a leader can take the form of different types of strategies. The leader is more of a facilitator and in this role can be viewed as a role model. I think that using these techniques that I have learned and use them in my role as a supervisor will allow me to begin to stand out in the crowd. • What is the significance of this in the context of your future leadership goals and objectives? This can change some ideas that I have in order to become a more effective leader. I feel that this change will improve my chances in success. The leader and manager are different and a leader can manage effectively and efficiently. The manager who cannot lead cannot manage effective. My objectives will slightly change in the sense that I know what my weaknesses I have and how to overcome these challenges and become a better leader.

A633.6.4.RB_StevensEric

Does this happen in your organization? Unfortunately I can say without a doubt that this vicious circle does exist in my organization. It is sad that the cycle seems to never end as the book alludes to in the module. The vicious cycle in some ways is built into the culture. What are the effects on the organization? The effect this cycle has in my organization is the fact that it harvests an atmosphere of distrust between the supervisors and the subordinates. The subordinates are afraid to make the wrong decision because the supervisors may reprimand them for making a decision without prior approval. In the other side of the coin the supervisors try and say they want the subordinates top think critically. Create a new circle that would promote strong followership and even leadership at the lower levels of the organization So in order to eliminate this vicious circle we open up the lines of communication from top to bottom and vice versa. The followers go into the circle knowing what the supervisors want and how they want it. The supervisors clearly articulate what their expectations are and reverse the flow of information with the subordinates. The subordinates establish what they expect a supervisor to do and they both find a common ground that is beneficial to all parties.

A633.5.3.RB_StevensEric

I particularly found the video interesting and I did not expect the results as it unfolded. I thought that the beginning of the video that the people in the video were going to be unable to find the two partners ass instructed by the facilitator. The start of the video was to me chaos in action with the subject milling about in a pattern that did not seem to make sense. The participants seemed to be lost for the first 20 or 25 seconds and then slow down and then the chaos began to work like a waltz was being performed. This was very interesting to me and I was very surprised when all of a sudden the subjects stopped and began to look around at everyone else. I think this in some ways surprised the subjects who seemed to have satisfaction that they had accomplished this task without direction other than the instructions at the beginning. So with that being said the thought that each of these participants which I am sure had a strategy at the beginning had to adjust. You could see the planned movement in the strategy at first when the exercise began. Then you could see the abandonment of this strategy and the adjustment to accomplish the goal. This to me was a very powerful video which showed without doubt that the individuals worked in unison to achieve their objectives. This occurred in a rather short period of time and this surprised me. This exercise demonstrated that strategy may not work as well as we may have thought and that situations and circumstances change and dictate the necessary response. I thought this was an outstanding exercise and demonstrations of the chaos theory.

A633.4.3.RB_StevensEric

Reflecting on the opening exercise at the beginning of Chapter 4 of the of Obolensky text and other readings, why do you think the shift in leadership is occurring and do you think this is indicative of what is happening in your organization. List three reasons that support or refute this position. I think that leadership is changing to a leadership oriented style instead of the managerial aspect. The change in the way the leadership is looking at the organization as a whole. The change in the dynamics of the decision making process in today’s organization is indicative of the high performance teams and the employees the companies are hiring. The generation Y employees tend to enjoy the results now and the self-gratification of their work. The solutions provided by the employees seem to come from the bottom and middle management predominately. This comes from free thinking employees whose ideas are becoming more vocal. I would like to say that this style of leadership would be great in my organization but the reality of the leadership is not indicative of what is actually is occurring in the organization. Some of the reasons this is not occurring inside my organization is one the change in the leadership structure has not changed in the flattening of the chain of command. The leadership in the organization has actually increased the layers of beaurcracy have been increased. The second reason that my organization has not made great strides in the solutions is the upper management has become disengaged in ideas from below the senior middle management level. The third reason is the issue with the line employee’s level of communication and cooperation with the upper management’s directives. The line employees have learned that senior management employees have almost made demands in the communication of their desired results. The line employees have learned to manipulate the way these communication goals and strategies are conducted. If so, how would leadership dynamics have to be altered to accommodate and promote these types of changes? What are the implications on strategy? In order to smooth out the communication issues and to allow all solutions to be considered the administration along with the line employees the upper management should regain the trust of the line employees. The line employees should have an open communication and an understanding of what each desires and how they both can operate in an equal solution process. The implications of this strategy is if the upper management and line employees come together then the chance for motivated and dedicated employees to excel in providing the solution that will work for all parties.

A633.2.3.RB_StevensEric

Find a company which reflects Morning Star and St Luke’s image of a Complex Adaptive System (CAS) and reflect in your blog what the implications are for you and your present organization (or any organization you are familiar with). Identify what you believe are appropriate actions to move your organization forward. When we look at the complex adaptive system in a sense of whether this is the way the future of organizations should go some may ask if this is truly the right path to take. The idea of flattening the hierarchy and allowing the employees to virtually run the company themselves through different high performance teams this may sound a little off base. The complexity science is made to be operated on the edge of chaos and the results that have been found have been beneficial for this type of management. With that being said the CAS is not saying that no one should be in charge of payroll, hiring, and firing. CAS is saying that when the need arises special teams form and handle specific issues that would move the organization forward. I work in the public sector of a government employer and when I read the CAS method I wonder if that would work in my job. The one thing that I can definitely say is that my agency still works under the Silo style of leadership where one person remains in constant control of the decisions the organization faces. The idea that the organization is very top heavy with administrators to say the least is true. For an agency of 5,000 we have over 400 administrators moving up from the line employee. In using the steps of the CAS Organization I can see that the organization as a whole can improve on how the current state of the organization is now and what direction the organization should head in. The flattening of the organizational chart dramatically would improve communication fron the bottom to the top and the flow of ideas and suggestions would be greatly improved. I think over a period of several years the transition of bottom up and top down dynamic can be achieved. With everything the slow implementation of change will cause less of a rejection from the embedded culture that is already in place.

A633.2.3.RB_StevensEric

Based on this week's reading, reflect on complexity science and theory in organizations and the butterfly effect (p.66). Identify 2 examples where “small changes yield large results” in your organization. What are the implication of complexity theory for you and your organization and how can you use this to drive improvements. The complexititey of organizations to run effectively and efficently often sounds like a small task once the organziation has set goals. In some workplaces the ideal that trying to balance the needs of the company and the needs of the employees sometimes seem it can be lost in the rift of time. Over time when the needs of one of or the other are forgotten to a degree or overlooked the chain reaction of events can be hard but not difficult to change. The introduction of complexity science in the leadership role of the organization introduces all aspect of the organization coming together for one goal or cause. Reflecting on what this means for an organization and how this theory of complexiity yet simple philosphy of management can for some challenge everything that they may have known or thought they knew about leadership. I for one can say that I have opened my eyes to the possibility that the complexity of leadership is not complex at all but simple. The merging of these ideals into one cascading effect which leads to the idea of the butterfly effect. With one simple change it can have a dramatic effect on the organization as a whole. I work in a field where changes are ever evolving because of court decisions, i.e. case law or changes in statutory law, or the method of operation. One change that we as a whole in the organization has experienced was one additional process of logging into our data base which the change was an added security feature. This simple change has dramatically changed the was we as an organization operates. This extra step has improved greater accountability of each employee to do the right thing. This change keeps employees on track and the effectiveness of the programs that run off of this added feature have improved with less errors or misuse of data. The second change is the addition of manpower to a unit that has caused a resonating effect throughout the entire organization. The addition of more employees which caused the workload of the organization to be more evenly spread out. The morale of the organization has improved and with this improvement come greater productivity.

A633.1.2RB_StevensEric

When I look back at the idea of what a leader's role is and how I view the leader it has changed over the past several years especially. My attitude toward leaders has changed greatly over the lifetime and especially the last several years. I have learned several valuable things over the past several years which I can say has come from experience and educational learning. I originally thought that leadership and management were relatively the same thing.The idea that a leader is a natural ability that some may have stated in the past and the thought that leadership cannot be taught. I do believe that leadership can be a tool that is taught with proper guidance and instruction. Leadership in my own perspective has changed for the reason that leaders are individuals who have a understanding of what the employees and fellow co-workers need and desire.

If we look back at what our grandparents experienced in leadership roles we can see a fundamental difference between what they had and what is happening today. The leader of yesteryear was the type of leader who led in more of an authoritative style and the directives that they issued were not second guessed. The leaders of today have become a team player and have developed a method of a sense of joint leadership corroboration with the workers and allowed the workers to have an active role in the leadership process. The leaders of today are looking for an immediate results and returns on the work that they are providing. The leaders of today have the technological advantage and they have an increased critical thinking ability as a whole. With that being said does that make the leaders of today better than our grandparents? The answer for me is no because the leaders 50 years ago were faced with different challenges and the technology that was at hand was different.

I believe this fundamental change has occurred because of the improvement in communication and technology. The increase in the educational opportunities that has become available to society has allowed many things to become transparent in the leadership role. The improvement of these has allowed the average worker to become more of a free thinker and want to become more involved in the decision making process. The idea of being an important part of the team has become a way of life in the workers of today. The Generation Y workers of today are looking for immediate acknowledgement or feedback on the work they have supplied. The Gen Y workers have a very focused ability to get the job done and they want it done now. The generation as a whole is more technological savvy then the baby boomers. This can be attributed to the culture of today.

The gap in the leadership of today can be attributed to conflicting ideas on how leadership should be defined. The definition of leaders can be interpreted several different ways according to the source you are researching. The market for leadership training and all the corners of the market so many people claim to have can be a reason why leadership quality can be identified. The leaders who are providing this training may use tactics that have not been fully tested and explored. With this lack of experience the curriculum and quality of training may have serious flaws.

A631.9.2.RB_StevensEric

                                                              A631.9.2.RB_StevensEric

The NeXT Company that Steven jobs started after his forced departure of the Apple Corporation was a great concept since he was instrumental in the start of Apple. Jobs in the video provided to me some insight on how he helped create Apple. Without a doubt Jobs was a very talented inventor and his ideas were revolutionary for his time. The concept of personal computers which can do many tasks in such a small piece of equipment was a marvel.

During the first retreat of the new company the atmosphere was positive and many great minds provided a lot of input into what they believed would be the key to success for the NeXT Company. Jobs I did notice were receptive to a lot of ideas on how to start the company in a similar way he started Apple.  The issue that immediately noticed during this meeting was not necessary the product but they seemed to fighting the clock. The focus on the 18 month time period until production seemed to be a sticking point for Jobs. I noticed that time and time again the ideal of the 18 month production period was a factor in the decision making of the majority of the people at the retreat. When the idea was approached that the 18 month time period that was a non-negotiable time frame it created a lot of stress in the meeting. I believe the outspoken gentleman was in charge of marketing and he suggested that maybe the company was trying to achieve the target too fast and that the company should possibly push the time frame to a later date maybe 24 months out. This idea was not received well y Chairman Jobs who immediately dismissed the idea. This was my first glimpse at the attitude Jobs was displaying. I’ll show them mentality was very apparent during this meeting. I was taken back at the revengeful type of attitude Jobs displayed toward Apple.

The second retreat showed the apparent stress of the members of the NeXT Company knowing that they were only six months away from the deadline. Jobs appeared to be very annoyed at the progress of the company and it showed.  The same festive mood of the company had changed to a finger pointing session where nobody wanted to accept the idea that maybe the deadline was not as feasible as they originally thought. Jobs I believed really felt threatened at this point and insisted on making the deadline at all costs. The members tried to convince Jobs that they needed more time but he would not have any of this. I believe this was the beginning of the end a year into the project. Jobs would of benefited with a slowed down process which he could of developed a more reliable product for his company.

A631.8.4.RB_StevensEric

                                                               A631.8.4.RB_StevensEric

When I took the personality test I was surprised at the outcome or the results of the test. I can say that about 95% accuracy I concur with the result which should that I have an ENJT type personality in which I am passionate with my convictions on certain topics. I do enjoy spending time alone and I like the peace and tranquility of being alone but at the same time I don’t mind being in a room with people. I was surprised that I have to admit at some of the famous people I shared my results with.

In looking at the way I am in not only my profession but also my personal life I can see why issues have come up the way they did in these past experiences. In looking at the test results and my own leadership abilities I can say that this appears to be a very useful tool on how I need to improve on certain area but I find these areas to be minor and few. I seem to be a people type leader who in what I have learn is strong in the Emotional Intelligence arena and I can see this can be used in my benefit.

I have always viewed myself as a leader who wouldn’t ask my subordinates to do something that I was not willing to do myself. I think that it is very important to lead by example and to become a role model for the officers or soldiers under me. I think this is a trait that I may have emulated from my own father watching him as I grew up and matured. I think that life experiences are things that define us but do not dominate us. I have had several bad life experiences that I feel changed me to be the person that I am today.

As a leader in my profession it is important that you have the ability to show compassion when needed. I do not think that a leader should follow the rules to the letter unless morally and ethically it is not right. I think the leader in law enforcement should be one that the subordinates under them should try and emulate to a certain degree to pull from this tool box and place some of what they have learned and apply it to their life experiences or decision making abilities.

A631.7.4.RB_StevensEric

                                                                 A631.7.4.RB_StevensEric

What I have learned in my studies of the Organizational Development (OD) Program has been fascinating. I have learned a great deal of what the OD practice means for organizations to survive in today’s world. I have been exposed to a unique idea of the OD process which I was unfamiliar with until taking this course and program. I have been in the public sector employment for about 13 years know and before that the military. My undergraduate degree was in Public Administration which was geared toward what I have learned over the years. The idea of the market and private sector was a relatively new area of study for me. I have had the pleasure thus far to become exposed to both side of the coin and have experience in the public and private sector. I was always told in my job and in my studies prior to this course that the philosophy has always been about how can we solve the problem with the least amount of resources available. I do understand that the public and private sector are managed differently but I feel that the public sector can take some lessons from the private sector in the OD transformation process.

When I think of the OD process in regards to whether it will or will not remain around for a short period I would say that if managed correctly it will remain around for years to come. I do feel that eventually it will be replaced by a newer and improved version with a different name. I can say the idea of this OD process being short lived is not something that will fade to the way side in a very short amount of time. I can’t say that the problem will last for 10 or 20 years but I do believe that the life of the OD program does directly correlate to the market and the needs of the organizations which need to be helped in these financial times. The OD practice does have a great effect in flattening the management   and improving the communication between the line workers and management. I believe that the empowering sense that the OD program provides is an great boost in the production and incentive of the organization as a whole.  The OD program to me seems to be the best solution for organizations in today’s world to achieve sustainability from competitors.

A631.6.4.RB_StevensEric

                                                                    A631.6.4.RB_StevensEric

When I looked at the videos I could see a difference in the leadership styles between McChyrstal and McInvale. The first differences were the type of leadership positions that each of the individuals were facing. But I also seen some similarities that each had brought to the table in regards to the situation that they were facing. McChrystal was facing more of a broader less personalized type of leadership due to him having people under him in 20 different countries. McInvale had a company where he was able to take a more hands on approach with the employees and become a face to face type leader.

I looked at McChrystal who came from a culture who already had strong cultural beliefs in the Rangers. This culture was one that was set and stable from the beginning because it was something that was taught and shared from day one of the training process. The fact that this was placed inside each member from day one gave McChrystal a sort of an advantage to get the team members on board with the ideas that he was trying to convey. He did mention that the ideas that he was brought up with were slightly different than what is actually happening today because of generational differences. In the end I believe that his leadership style worked effectively and the thought of failure was not an option nor did he expect that outcome. This showed that he had existing confidence in the people below him.

McInvale had different set of challenges since he was faced with the potentially devastating outcome if his leadership transformation did not work. He was faced with a weak culture where the members did not share the same vision as him-self. He had to bring in a sweeping change and personally take the lead in the change process and provide incentives for continued success. I believe this was the correct course of action based upon the members that he had working for him and this was the correct way to conduct this change.   McInvale stated that he offered various programs to get the sales staff on the same page and to teach them how to interact with the customers and follow up. With the development of the fitness program these allowed the employees to bond and get to know each other and to try and reach a common goal together.

I think that both of the leaders made the correct decision on how to manage their own respective forces and achieve the success with the desired results using different techniques.

A631.5.4.RB_StevensEric

                                                              A631.5.4.RB_StevensEric

When I look at the way the leadership has been changed in my view I often think about what my mentors have done for me in the past. I have always learned to take a little from each person and try and incorporate a little of what they were in my own leadership style. I have thought that I have been fairly successful at my own leadership style and never really thought about changing much.

What I have learned from this class is that I have used some of these techniques learned and not even known. But I can also say that I have not gone far enough in some of my leadership skills. The presentation asked if I have seen managers who have attempted to change an organization using the same techniques that to manage large projects as the administrator or executive. The skills used by the manager failed because he did not have very good interpersonal skills. He met resistance all along the way because of his take charge attitude which rubbed the other workers wrong. The workers did not respond to the attitude it’s my way or the highway. I observed the workers taking their time in carrying out the directions of the manager in an attempt to circumvent his wishes.

The end result of the project was that he was relieved of the assignment and the lead was given to someone that was already involved in the project. The new leader took a different approach by asking other team members what they think should be done to improve the conditions on the project. I immediately observed the productivity of the project and it was completed earlier than expected. The leader was praised by city leaders for doing such a great job on the project. He was promoted shortly after and has been known as the “golden child” ever since.

From my view point I think that one of the strongest qualities a leader needs to have is the ability to communicate and communicate openly. The Alpha mentality is quickly giving way to the compromise style of leadership which I think is needed to complete the project successfully. I have always said that when morale is high productivity is even higher. A happy worker is one who will do everything possible for the project to succeed. The leader of the future needs to practice patience in order to make the company successful. The ideal that you can wave a wand over a massive project and it be completed is near impossible.

A631.4.4.RB_SteveneEric

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

·         Would you like to work within such a team?

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

I view the major benefits of the self-managed teams to one where each of the members of the team takes personal responsibility in the success of the team. The self-managed team has a vested interest in how well the team performs. The self-managed work teams can have some very close working relationships. Another major benefit from the work team is that flexibility the team has in making decisions that they may feel is critical at a certain juncture. This will allow the team to change rather quickly and not have to gain permission that can come too late for the change required.

Some of the major drawbacks that I see with self-managed teams is the idea that some of the team members may not feel that their ideas or considerations are being taken seriously. The team could have some in fighting which could affect the cohesion of the team and cause a disruption of the flow of work. The absence of a leader inside the team can also have some draw backs in the sense that the team may begin to shift focus and travel in an unattended direction which could cause more harm than good.

I believe that I would enjoy the idea of working in a self-managed team for the basis that I would be able to openly express certain ideas without the concern of going against the grain with managers. The thought of working with the team to accomplish a certain goal with many different ideas that can be bounced around is a great thought. The self-managed team can allow each of the members of the team to openly explore possible suggestions or ideas that may not be open under the traditional role of the organization. I agree that direction guidance should be implemented in any team but only at crucial times in the teams work.

The first competency that I feel a good external need to learn is patience. A good external leader needs to learn to sit back and allow the team to attempt to work out the minor issues. The leader should know when to step in and do so in a manner that is not abrasive which could cause conflicts between the leader and the team. The team can become opposed to any and all ideas that may be presented regardless of how valid the idea may be. This can be done out of spite. The leader also needs to learn when to back off of an idea even when they think they are right. The teams ideas may achieve the same result but take a different route to achieve these goals.   

A631.3.4.RB_StevensEric

On page 321 of your Brown textbook, you will find a passage called Feedback and Goals Improve Performance. Review the section and also search the Hunt Library for 3-5 additional resources on how feedback and goals relate to performance. You don't have to cite all of the resources as some may not relate to your reflection. As you are completing this exercise, refer to A631.3.5.CM.  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?

I looked at the passage in the Brown textbook and I immediately understood the information provided by Brown. I come from the Generation X which I was born in 1975. I can relate to the passage since I do not require frequent feedback from my supervisors. I am under the belief speaking from a personal note that I am satisfied with my own performance since I believe that I do the best job I can for my organization. However I will review the material provided in the Hunt library and see what other researchers may have found and what may be their findings.

I found an article addressing generational concerns in the workplace which broke down th differences in the workforce. The article addresses how managers can handle each of these generations successfully and they explain how each of these generations feels they should be addressed in the workplace. The author explains that conflict can develop between the generations since the veterans, and baby boomers can be at odds with the Gen X workforce. The conflict will definitely be observed with the Gen Y workforce who do not adapt to change very well. (http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/915973287) Hunt Library.

The next article that I researched addressed a problem that was identified by a councilwoman who said that she was disturbed at the difference between the seniors of the community versus the youth which she stated was the teens through the 30's in the city. The councilwoman wanted to bring in the Gen X and Y citizens to help run the government. The councilwoman thinks that involving the younger generations that it will ensure the survival of the community since the older generation are now making way for the future leaders of the community. (http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/394957693)

I think that i do have some concerns with the Generation Y in the regards that not everybody can be the leader. The ideal that you have to be the one to come up with the only idea can be disasterous. You do need leaders in the future but you will also need followers who will accept the decisions of their superiors and at times without question.

A631.2.5.RB_StevensEric

                                                               A631.2.5.RB_StevensEric

Once you have completed and turned in A631.2.4.LT, consider the process that you and your team went through in completing the Learning Team Charter. In a well-written reflection blog, answer the following questions:

1. What behaviors seemed to help your team successfully complete its task?
2. What factors inhibited decision-making or problem-solving?
3. How much time was spent on decision-making and problem-solving?
4. How was information shared among team members?
5. How did issues of authority or power affect the team?
6. How did collaboration and competition influence the outcome?
7. Did team members make process interventions?

When we were developing the team charter I noticed several different personalities emerge from this simple process. One person immediately stated that they were willing to submit the charter even after the first day. I then observed another competing almost reassuring personality where they would step up to the plate if needed. I then observed the easy going and kind of going with the flow personality who was there and wanted the rest of the team to know they were there for the ride. I then noticed a personality where they were late to the ball game and wanted to reassure the rest of the team that they would contribute but unfortunately they were not able to right now but will in the future.

I do not believe we experienced too many inhibitors during the team charter. The entire team took a stance that as long as the charter was submitted the team was happy. I think several days were spent overall deciding who was going to submit the charter but only after consultation. The information was shared via a group discussion board which I feel turned out well.  I don’t think issues of authority or power affect had much of an impact from the team. We agreed in the beginning that one individual would submit the charter and the rest of the team agreed without much objective on the method on how to proceed.

Collaboration played a huge role in the decision making process of the team. The team decided to get the job done through cooperation.  I did not see very much competition that influenced the outcome of this project. Each of the team members contributed in the process and ensured that this idea worked. The team pulled together to make the charter a success by actively engaging in their part of the project. Yes each team member did make process interventions during this portion of the course. Each team member gave individual input to succeed in the project.

A631.1.5.RB_StevensEric

                                                                           A631.1.5.RB_Stevens

1. Do you see value in the EcoSeagate team development process?
2. Why would something like this be necessary in a high-performing organization?
3. Could your organization benefit from a similar activity?

When I first viewed the video I saw that many of the participants in the video appeared to be having a difficult time with the program. The video started out with the introduction of what the issues were and the goals of the program in EcoSeagate.

I do see the value of this unique program because if forces the ideal of teamwork in the groups.  Without successful teamwork the individual teams would not be able to pass the tasks assigned to them.  These tasks were set up with team work in mind and the only way to pass each of these tasks is to depend on the other team members to do their part.  These tasks show individuals who may not have known each prior to this event that with cooperation the tasks can be completed successfully.

I think it is necessary because it allows each of these individuals to see that they are capable of accomplishing a task with complete strangers. I think this is beneficial also to show some people that without team work their ideas cannot succeed. It may also show others to relinquish the control when another with better skills can step up and help the team guide it way to success. This will allow many different scenarios where each of the team members  to contribute in each of their own way and become an important member of the team.

I really believe that my organization can benefit from such an event where you bring strangers together and focus on a common goal. By doing this you do take yourself and others out of a comfort zone where they may have been the big dog back at the office or in the field. You have in essence created an equal playing ground where nobody has a clear advantage at the beginning.  This will allow individuals who may not have been the star in the office to shine. These individuals may now have the best idea on how to accomplish the mission or task successfully. I really feel this is a great exercise in team building and the benefits that the organization has after this event can be astounding. I think that the company as a whole will have employees who have a new self-actualization that they do have the potential to make a difference and give something back to the organization.