A632.5.5.RB_StevensEric

                                                            A632.5.5.RB_StevensEric

Looking back at the brain exercise I was surprised at the way I responded in the values, family, and compassion. The idea that many of these traits were very similar made me look at what exactly does this mean for me. The 3 different examples that I used made me sit back and realize that I share many of the same traits that my parents do. This wasn’t a complete surprise but when I had to use the pro v con approach and what exactly would cause them to change that did in fact surprise me.

I understand that I have a strong moral background and that most of my decisions are based upon these morals and beliefs because of the way I was raised. The influence of the family and my religious beliefs seem to be a dominant aspect of this approach. I did find it rather interesting that I would change these beliefs if the situation suited my needs to advance my decision making.  The ideal of trading a value to gain an advantage was surprising but the thought process of achieving this goal in my line of work understood. The idea that I would have to give up a belief or a value in order to maintain the safety of myself or others I completely understood.

The fact that many people do not like to change the person who they grew up to be is without question one where they have to adapt to their surrounding or they will be left behind. Incorporate America this is common in order to advance yourself and standout. The person who normally would have let an idea be shared and not take credit for being the author of this idea is seen. If the person does not stand up and look out for them they will not be noticed and the person taking credit will advance. I found this very interesting and I can understand why people behave the way they do because of the faults of mankind.

A632.4.5.RB_StevensEric

Reflect on deceptions in negotiations and describe four ways to evaluate information during negotiations. Relate an example of a recent negotiation in which you have been misled and one in which you may have overstated a claim; define how far you would be willing to go to leverage your position.

Looking at the negotiations that I have been part of and how the negotiations that I was involved in and how I was misled and how I overstated a situation is interesting.  Deception in negotiations is something that is all too common tactics in a majority of any negotiations. The though process that they do not want to reveal all their cards too soon to the other party is a common occurrence. The off set of expounding on a certain issue that you as a negotiator may or may not have is something that is an everyday practice in some negotiations.

Recently I went to by a car for my wife at a local car dealership. I have had many cars over the years and I always hate going into car dealerships and haggling over these car prices. I had $7,200 cash and I wanted to by a car outright and walk out of the door accomplishing two things. First I have a paid off car and second to know that I won and I did not have a car payment. I walked into the dealership with my cash in my pocket and I said I was a car that costs about $6,000 and I won’t pay a penny more. Well I found a 2004 Nissan that I thought would fit the bill so the negotiations began. The first question they asked is what is the highest you will go. I told them $6,200 and I immediately realized the mistake since I had told then before I wouldn’t pay $6,000 on a car. The salesman immediately said the car was $6.500 cash. I knew that I was in trouble right out of the gate and I had revealed my cards way too early. After a lengthy negotiation process the dealership said they could not sell the car cheaper than $7,400 dollars since the vehicle needed some work and they were willing to flip the bill. I played hardball and after 3 hours of going back and forth I got up and left. The sales manager came out into the parking lot after me and said that his final deal was $7.100. I told him I would give him $7,000 cash out the door and we came to an agreement. After this I realized me great negotiation skills were not so great since I went from $6,000 I would pay a penny more to handing them $7,000 and me walking out the door with $200.

If I could go back to the original negotiation I would have downplayed the money that I had and got up earlier and walked away which I am sure would have saved me more money. Valuable negotiation lesson learned.  I would of evaluated the non-verbal cues, the verbal cues, the body language, and the hesitation of information from the salesperson after certain questions were asked.

A632.3.4.RB_StevensEric

                                                                      A632.3.4.RB_StevensEric

Shoemaker and Russo discuss the hazards associated with "frame blindness" and how to guard against it.  Discuss three ways you can avoid "framing traps" and provide a detailed example of each from your life experience.  Could you have framed each situation differently? What did the exercise teach you about complex decision-making? What additional tools or "frames" would've helped you through the process? How much "risk" do you feel was in your recommendation? What did you learn about yourself through this exercise? 

When I look at the frame blindness that I have experienced throughout my life I can see the mistakes that I have made in the past. The illusion of completeness is the first one that I have come across in my personal decision making. The thought that I had all the available information and the picture was clear is a mistake that I have made in more than one case. The idea that the information that I had was the gospel and the information was only one part of the problem has come up several times. In one example I thought I was making the correct decision on a case and I was sure that I had all the necessary information to make an informed decision was wrong. The second part of the problem surfaced and I quickly realized that I had made a mistake but the mistake had caused an arrest that should have never occurred. I had to reveal the mistake which cost a lot of problems for me for the next six months.

I could have looked at the issue from a neutral standpoint which I should have done but I had already made the mistake and the decision. The exercise taught me to think of all possible variables and not to discount all options.  The hindsight approach would have been the correct response but it was a very valuable lesson learned. If I would have looked at the peer review and allowed the input from more of a neutral party to assist me in the investigation this issue may have been avoided.

I had a lot of risks in my decision where it cost this party their freedom for an extended period of time. The end result was the charges were dropped but not after having an innocent person incarcerated for about 6 months while the slow wheels of justice turned.   

I learned to slow down my thinking and to not to make a quick decision on limited information. This was a life lesson in my professional life that I have learned to transfer to my personal life and not be judgmental in my decisions.

A632.2.3.RB_StevensEric

Identify four of the methodologies Sheena Iyengar suggests as methods of helping us improve our experience in choosing.

The four methodologies that were suggested were first to cut, second to concretization, third is to categorization, and the fourth is to condition for complexity.

Discuss the implications of two of these methods in terms of your own decision-making as an individual and a member of an organization. How else can you improve your ability to decide?

The first implication was the thought process of cut. In this process we look at all that is offered and take the best selling products out of all the choices and we disregard the others. This will allow us to increase the sales and in turn gain profits based upon lower overhead for production. In my decision making process I can stop looking at all the options that are produced and begin to look at the best options. In the choices that I make this can be looked at as a way to increase the chances of making the correct decisions. 

The second is condition for complexity where I can look at some of my past decisions and know that I am on the right track to make the correct decisions based upon past performances. This will allow the decisions that I have made to reinforce the ability to make the correct decisions and this will give me the ability to become more confident on the decision making skills that I have.

I can improve on all the decisions that I make by quickly disregarding the choices that will likely not allow me to achieve my goal. The speed at what the decision I have made is not the most important part of the decision but the quality of that decision.    

A632.1.4.RB_StevensEric

                                                                 A632.1.4.RB_StevensEric

The text discusses the way that researchers solve multistage problems through the application of formulas that provide the most significant chance of success. Critically think about your own decision-making process and reflect on the process you use compared to the process outlined in the article.

 Would this improve your decision-making?

When I read the multistage process and how we expect immediate results but often look at the long term progress of our decision making I began to understand some of the flaws in my decision making as I do in some day to day activities. By looking at the potential success of the correct decisions in each individual decision that I make can lead to success in the long run if I begin to look at the future of each of these decisions and how it would impact the overall goal of what I am trying to achieve. If I slow down my decision making and look at the entire problem and win the short goals the odds of me achieving the desired results are good.

 What would the impact be on forward planning?

The impact of predicting possible outcomes for potential issues that may or even may not arise would allow me to be better prepared for the possibility of an unexpected variable arising. With this forward thinking it may allow me to make the better decision and be quicker at tackling the next step of the decision making process. I understand that not all variables will remain the same or they can be predicted but if I am prepared for 60% of the possible changes in my decision making this will allow me to be better at looking at the bigger picture.

 How would you apply optimal dynamic decision analysis to predict future impact of today's decision?

The probability of success in the decisions that I make today can be compared to past experiences that I may have run across. However the optimal dynamic decision analysis of the future stemming from today’s decision can directly are attributed to making the right decisions in each variable that arises. This will allow the decision to be the correct decision and predict possible negative variables that would arise. By planning ahead and thinking of every possible outcome good or bad will increase your chances of success. I would say plan for the worst case scenario and have an immediate back up to remedy the problem with plan B. I believe there should always be a back up to any plan that you and this applies to the decisions that you make. 

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