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

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.