A521.6.4.RB - Sustained Change

Author and consultant Daryl Conner focuses on successful, sustained change. He claims that leaders have to create a “burning platform” for followers to change. The burning platform theory is the psychological formula for sustained change. When people truly believe the price of the staying the course is more costly than the cost of changing (the transition), they will not only change, but also sustain the change.

Have you ever found yourself in a group with your colleagues, waiting to for your leader to roll out an important new "change initiative to support a vision?" What sort of approach did the executive use to get everyone motivated and on board with the new ideas? If you are like many people, you may have left such a meeting wondering, "Why the heck did I just waste all that time?" That executive may have fallen into the trap of trying to "wow" you with data and statistics supporting the need for change. After all, there must be a good reason behind the need for change, right?

For your assignment, reflect on your personal or work situation. Share how you have or might now use “a burning platform” in a story to gain the support of your followers to achieve sustained change.

In the video, Galoppin (2011) gains insight that a burning platform needs to become an emotional issue in order to be authentic. This is because it allows the followers to become personally invested in the change that becomes a motivating realization instead. The driving force behind the change is that the price of the status quo is greater than the cost of the transition. This allows the change to not become temporary, but rather permanent from the drive of the business imperative. The sustainability needed for the change reaches full realization through the need for it rather than the want of it. Instead of coming from a place of panic and fear, the most effective method is to come from commitment and courage. Leaders can utilize a burning platform as a catalyst for enduring change if they are able to reach on an emotional level of why it is needed.

The case of the burning man has been utilized in one form or another when attempting to create change in my workplace. Galoppin (2011) notes that change can come from anticipated problems or in an attempt to benefit from an opportunity. For my workplace, this usually comes from optimizing on opportunities to improve efficiencies rather than a dramatic change in a systematic way. The burning platform that was used aimed to move away from using handwritten laboratory bench sheets to an automated process where barcodes were scanned and entered in electronically rather than transcribed. This was in an effort to limit human error and to improve legibility and record keeping for the laboratory. There was nothing inherently wrong about the status quo, but rather this was an opportunity to utilize technology to become more proficient and professional as a national laboratory.

Many employees that work at the laboratory have been there for years and are not too fond with changes, especially dealing with technology. It is something that I have learned when trying to train them up on utilizing the programs and processes that they thought to be more of a hassle than efficient. Even though it was a bit rough implementing the change, it became more smooth after the kinks were worked out in terms of software interface and data processing. A big part of this was being able to make the team see the importance and value of sustaining this change. Some issues may come up and will take some time to resolve from our programming team, but after those problems were fixed the use of the software became more user-friendly. With implementing change such as this, I have found that the best way to utilizing a burning man type of story is to use adaptive leadership in order to connect with followers.

The central point of adaptive leadership is for the leader to focus on the followers and what they need to adapt to the change. Northouse (2016) notes that leaders should be engaged with mobilizing, motivating, organizing, orienting, and focusing on the attention of other. This ties into the behaviors of a leader in regards to the situational challenges that may surface. Whether the issue is technical, adaptive, or a mix of both, the leader is able to provide certain actions to transition the follower through pending change. As a leader, you may ask, “Why do people fear and/or resist change?” Change be stressful from moving from the status quo because it is uncertain. There is the uncertainty of success and the possibility of failure, rejection, and the unknown. However, without attempting change, we are unable to take a risk for that could be for the better. The transition can be managed by a leader to control the stress the change may bring and can do so by providing the support needed in dealing with the change. Change is inevitable and is sometimes necessary for organizations to progress.

Another question could be, “What do people need in order to accept and deal with the change?” One of the most important things that a leader can do when change is being implemented is to have a holding space that allows the follower to feel safe during the change. It allows the followers to vent off any frustrations or pressure that may exist with the change and can allow the leaders to regulate how the change is implemented. One thing I would like to mention is that people need a forum to be able to voice their opinions of the change being implemented. This can be constructive to the leader as well because it may address some oversight that may have been missed by leadership.

Lastly, leaders may ask, “How do I implement change in the workplace?” Leaders have to weigh the pros and cons of change and how it will affect their followers and will need to utilize some form of adaptive change to be effective. A leader can start by painting a clear vision of the change and what it would bring to help followers acknowledge what may happen. As long as the change has a sense of meaning that makes sense then followers will be able to follow through with the change. Another important part on behalf of the leader is to be a part of the change leading the initiative as an exemplar (Weston, 2015). A leader can lead by example and can show what is expected with the change and can show how to proceed forward making the disruption seem less threatening. Overall, using a burning platform can serve as a means to show employees the different future possibilities that they may encounter.

References

Galoppin, L. [replymc]. (2011, November 24). Burning platform - the misunderstanding (part 1/2) [Video File]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwRB0sHpN9E

Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publishing.

Weston, B. (2015, February 23). 10 tips for dealing with change positively in your workplace. LinkedIn Corporation. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-tips-dealing-change-positively-your-workplace-ban-weston/

A521.5.4.RB - Core Workplace Values Assessment

For evaluating my workplace values, I took the 'Core Workplace Values Assessment Exercise' and determined that my values are as shown below:

Develop a Reflection Blog describing your five core workplace values and review how well your core values fit with your current job career path and employer. 

Out of my top nine values that I selected, the top five are as follows (in no particular order):

1. Integrity and truth
2. Having self-respect and pride in work
3. Using creativity, imagination; being innovative
4. Autonomy, independence, freedom
5. Adventure and excitement

From these selected values, I find that they resonate within my career path and current employer. I currently work for the United States Air Force as a Deputy Branch Chief at the Ciambrone Radiochemistry Laboratory. Being in the Air Force, we are expected to live our life abiding through the core values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do (Secretary of the Air Force, 2014). This is something that is ingrained into us during our time in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program and further tested at field training. This is one of the reasons that I chose to go into the Air Force because of the character trait of integrity being highlighted as being an important value in not only a leader, but just as a person. This goes along with truth because it helps act as a moral compass in doing what is right even when no one is looking.

My second value is having self-respect and pride in work. This also ties with the core values of the Air Force, especially in the third core value being excellence in all we do. This is focused on having passion in continually improving and innovating for the Air Force in order to maintain our status as the number one military in the world. This is important because it gives us a sense of pride and ownership to accomplish and perform to the best of our abilities.

In my job at the Ciambrone Radiochemistry Laboratory, I am able to use creativity and innovation by applying different scientific techniques to better our processes in analyzing our data. A major part of it is being able to stay at the forefront of scientific discovery in order to apply better methodology. This is a challenge, but it helps with having many outstanding and knowledgable employees who are subject matter experts in their respective fields. The challenge is being able to collaborate to work not only as a work group, but as a team that is dependent on each of our capabilities (Denning, 2011).

My fourth value, independence is something that is important for me that I do not really have control of in my current job as an Air Force Officer. I have taken an oath to serve and protect the people of this nation and do not have full autonomy of what I am able to do. I have somewhat of a say through putting in requests and applying for certain jobs, but ultimately, it is what the Air Force needs me to do that I will do. This is part of the second Air Force core value of service before self. This key point looks at taking professional duties over personal desires and is something that I have chosen to commit to.

Lastly, the fifth value is on adventure and excitement. Due to having the Air Force having control of my career path, I have been able to experience somethings I never thought I would be able to have the chance to. I have been able to work as a Program Manager of a modeling and simulation branch, followed by being an Operations Officer of an research and development facility, and now the Deputy Branch Chief in the Ciambrone Radiochemistry Laboratory. I have had many wonderful opportunities and have been given the chance to meet outstanding people along the way.

Discuss how your values influence you and share what, if anything, you are going to do about these results?

Based on the results from this assessment, I have been able to get into a reflective state of mind. This kind of introspection helps lead to critical thinking that allows me to evaluate about my situation in an authentic and reasonable way (Nosich, 2012). It has given me time to think about my career so far and what I care about intrinsically. Some of these intrinsic features come from the bonds I have been able to make with co-workers along the way that have become great friends. It is this sense of satisfaction that goes beyond money or other tangible things. According to Deming (1987), it was  pointed out that management should remove barriers that rob people of their right to pride of workmanship. If the workers feel as though their work is meaningless, it will be hard to motivate or inspire them to reach goals and may end up creating a toxic environment. For me, this rings especially true because even on tough days at work, what keeps me moving forward is the overall goal that we are fighting for and that is to support the warfighter in defending our freedoms against our adversaries. This value really fits into having self-respect and pride in my work because of the mission that I am a part of.

Share which of Denning’s four values best represents your organization. Describe what about your organization’s culture leads you to this conclusion. Explain how your organization transmits its values throughout the organization. Discuss what other workplace values might serve the organization better.

Out of Denning's (2011) four values, the one that best represents the Air Force is a mix between pragmatists and ethical values. It is pragmatic due to their values in supporting the mission to fly, fight, and win in air, space, and cyberspace and strategic vision in accomplishing these goals as defined by the Secretary of Defense (Secretary of the Air Force, 2014). On the other hand, the Air Force has a sense of ethical values because it aims at treating all of their stakeholders (e.g. civilians, contractors, military members, veterans, allies, etc.) as humans rather than assets and are socially and environmentally conscious of the politics of the world today.

In my four years of service active duty so far, I have seen these two values through many organizations and leaders. Many of these values are indoctrinated by going through a commission program through ROTC or Officer Training School (OTS). These values are common and constantly preached throughout the Air Force by the leaders of the organizations on a regular basis. As for other values that may serve the Air Force better, I think the traditions and core values that it is founded upon back in 1947 as departing the Army as the Army Air Corps have served it well. It is backed by the thousands of veterans who have served and are still valued by those currently service today.

References

Deming, E.W. (1987). Transformation of today’s management. Executive Excellence, 4(12), 8.

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, Inc.

Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning to think things through: Critical thinking across the curriculum (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Secretary of the Air Force. (2014, November 12). Air force culture (Air Force Instruction 1-1). Washington, DC: United States Air Force.

A521.4.4.RB - Listening

In your reflection blog, reflect on recent examples when you were an 18-second manager or examples when someone was being an 18-second manager to you. Share how listening in this manner negatively impacted the situation or your relationship with that person. Reflect on how better listening and clarifying language might have positively affected the outcome.

By using the healthcare industry as an example, Peters (2009) points out that doctors on average listen for about 18-seconds before interjecting and giving their opinion. The downside to this is because the patience is the number source in regards to their ailment. If a longer period of listening was practiced, then it would allow the doctor to gain a number of pearls or enough facts and insight from the patient to describe their issue without any interruptions. This prevents the doctor from jumping to conclusions too prematurely and gives time to the patient to speak without feeling rushed. This concept shows the importance of listening in an organization. According to Peters (2009), the single most influential strategic strength of a business is not the plan, but rather the commitment of listening to each member of an organization.

From my own experiences in my career field, I have been fortunate to have managers who were more akin to mentors for me. They were patient enough to allow me to ask questions as a new employee in order to get a better understanding of where I was coming from. This allowed them to hear me out rather than use a listening block such as assuming through mind reading or advising before hearing the whole about the entire situation. This made me feel like my opinions and thoughts mattered and that validated me as a new employee to the team. It allowed me to learn, develop, and assimilate to the team and become a well-informed employee.

On the other hand, I have had experiences with managers in other functional groups who were 18-second managers. An example of this includes our Information Technology (IT) Help Desk that deals with technical problems with hardware and software issues on computers, telephones, and other electronics. The workers in this area are more like 10-second managers because they diagnose IT issues through a series of steps by trying to resolve it through general solutions while progressing to more advanced solutions. It makes it seem impersonal, but they are trying to resolve many common issues that people may face and if the solution they give them are not working then they will inquire further to help fix the problem. They use a mind reading type of listening block that progresses into effective listening when the problem is not easily solved.

Based on these two examples from my experience, there are times when being an 18-second manager makes sense, but other times when it is detrimental to the success of others. As I progress into my career field, it is important for me to listen to other employees to understand what issues they may identify in the organization and to help them out on a personal level when they need it as a friend. By utilizing real listening, it allows us to understand someone, enjoy their story, learn something about them, and allows us to help them if they are in need (McKay, Davis, & Fanning, 2009). This aspect enables us to form bonds and deepen our relationship with our co-workers. This kind of relationship can strengthen organizational morale because we are able to connect and understand each other on a more interpersonal level.

Listening is considered both a commitment and a compliment in communication (McKay et al., 2009). It is a commitment because the listener has to put aside their own bias to hear out what the other person is saying and it is a compliment because it takes times and effort on behalf of the speaker to do so for the listener. Listening make up communication in a unidirectional sense, but becomes two-way when the information is heard thoroughly and the listener is able to respond based on what was said. The four components of effective listening are as follows:

1. Listen actively (paraphrase, clarify, give feedback)
2. Listen with empathy (know that everyone may be dealing with a struggle)
3. Listen with openness (do not prejudge or selectively hear)
4. Listening with awareness (compare with your own knowledge)

By harnessing the power of strategic listening by authentically hearing and understanding what members of an organization are expressing can be the greatest strength of a business. The employees that work with producing the output of a business can sometimes have a different perspective compared to those in upper management and may see things that leaders may overlook. Thus, it is vital for leaders to take the time to listen to hear from their followers in order to gauge their thoughts and opinions that can be vital in making decisions on behalf of an organization and the vision moving forward.

References

McKay, M., Davis, M., & Fanning, P. (2009). Messages: The communication skills book (3rd ed.). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

Peters, T. [Tom Peters]. (2009, December 7). Tom Peters' leadership thoughts: Listening. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwB7NAvKPeo

A511.9.3.RB - Course Reflections

Revisit your original definition of leadership from Module 1. Would you make any changes to your definition of leadership? In what ways have learning about these leadership theories informed your own view of leadership? What type of leader are you or do you aspire to be?

"My definition of leadership follows similarly to what has been discussed in the readings for this week. My personal definition of leadership is the ability for a leader to inspire followers towards not only achieving a goal, but for both parties to also improve and push each other to become better than they were before. Leadership is a personally invested process for a person that begins by being immersed in a cause or mission and being able to convey the same vision to others. Leaders are able to compel others to support and work towards a goal or cause because they are motivated enough to do so."

My initial definition of leadership was strikingly similar to the concept of transformational leadership. From what we learned in class, transformational leadership involves an exceptional form of influence that moves followers to accomplish more than what is expected of them (Northouse, 2016, p. 161). The particular aspects that I referred to is the idealized influence and inspirational motivation components for this concept. These two aspects are the top factors for this along with charisma. This type of leadership changes the morality and increases motivation of the follower, but both the leader and follower transforms for the better in a reciprocal manner. It represents the process aspect of leadership that is elevated from transactional leadership and focuses on the follower through the vision of the leader. This synergetic effect is one of the most profound influences of leadership that can be reached through transformational leadership--both subjects affect each other for the better.

"This helps to distinguish between the dichotomy between management and leadership through assigned leadership and emergent leadership (Northouse, 2016, p. 8). For example, a person can be assigned a position in a company by being in-charge of a team, but may only have position power and not be necessarily inspiring or able to really improve their workers to become better. The boss in this case may be able to manage well and meet the deadlines as set out by the company, but does not transcend this on a personal level as leadership would."

The second paragraph that I followed my explanation of leadership with focused on the the difference between management and leadership. This goes back to one of the key lessons of this course that aimed at differentiating between the two. Sometimes, the two concepts can be perceived as being interchangeable when they are not. They have similarities, but fundamental differences. Leadership aims at influencing people and management aims at optimizing processes (e.g. planning, organizing, staffing). Leadership can have managerial aspects and managers can use leadership techniques, but the concepts for each can be analyzed separately from each other.

"One of the points that really resonates with me from Northouse (2016, p. 6) is that leadership is transformative and changes the mental capacity of both the leader and follower to accomplish something greater than expected. In a sense, both parties supports each others with the initial jolt given by the leader. Thus, to lead means to influence others in order to reach a goal that is driven by inspiration on a deeper level."

The third paragraph again reflects transformational leadership and spotlights the notion of change. Leaders without followers is void of the potential to have influence. Hence, the relationship between leader and follower acts as the social link where interactions can create significant societal or organizational progress. The way that this is done can be through a variety of means including Path Goal Theory, Leader-Member Exchange Theory, Authentic and Servant Leadership (Northouse, 2016).

"In the article by Zaleznik (1977, p. 70), the distinction between managers and leaders follows along this trend in that leaders take a personal and active attitude towards goals whereas a textbook manager can be more impersonal. This is only in the sense of a manager that only cares about reaching a goal without care for those who helped to reach the goal and at what cost. Managers can exist without having that sense of care for their workers. An experience that I have encountered that relates to this was when my boss would delegate work without much detail and then leave work early many times during the week whilst everyone else working overtime to cover for all of the tasks needing to be accomplished before the next day. This felt very impersonal and gave the impression that they did not care for the job and was just doing it for the money and that was it. They did not care for the actual mission nor the people which adversely affected morale and the reputation of that boss."

Going back to the leadership and management dichotomy, this paragraph delves deeper into the differences between the two. In the impersonal version of management, workers are not seen as 'followers' but as a disposable asset where no relationship exist other than the positional aspect of an organization. There is no emotional care that is needed or really necessary to conduct business as needed. This dry and detached depiction of management shows no leadership. Leadership can be void of care, or for that matter, ethics as well, but this would be considered coercion or domination instead.

"The transformational aspect of leadership is what separates a leader from a regular manager because it goes beyond the assigned leadership and goes as being emotionally and personally invested in the well-being of the individuals. A respectable leader cares about their subordinates on a level that goes beyond the mission. The leader is able to care so much that they are able to inspire their followers to push harder than ever before. This is something that the military does care about and it reflects on aspects of what Winston and Patterson (2006, p. 12-13) focuses on in terms of mental, spirituality, emotion, and physical energy. Leaders are able to transcend beyond reaching a goal, but can change individuals on a personal level to transform for the better through inspiration. That is what I would consider a leader."

My final paragraph reflects leadership by hinting at the servant, adaptive, and authentic concepts in relation to the transformational approach. I touch upon different methods without being able to distinguish between the theories. Ultimately, this class has brought a greater depth to what my understanding of leadership was after completing college, commissioning through AFROTC, and entering the workforce as an Officer in the USAF. I still agree with my initial definition and interpretation of leadership, but have a greater understanding between the different approaches and am able to separate the different approaches. The various perspectives that I have in regards to leadership now is more refined than ever before.

With my better understanding of organizational leadership, the type of leader that I aspire to be starts with continuing to harness my own natural inclination towards the servant leadership while understanding myself better through authentic leadership. I hope to be able to embody transformational leadership as I hone my interpersonal skills as a leader and continue to learn from my subordinates and colleagues as well. I am both a follower and a leader and have a lot of more developing to do as a person. There are many experiences I have yet to encounter that will test my abilities as a leader as I progress through my career and life itself. Leadership is a process and one that is ever evolving within ourselves whether we realize it or not.

References

Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publishing.

Winston, B.E. & Patterson, K. (2006). An integrative definition of leadership. International Journal of Leadership Studies, 1(2), 6-66.

Zaleznik, A. (1977). Managers and leaders: Are they different?. Harvard Business Review, 55(3), 67-78.

A521.3.4.RB - Credibility

Select one of the Whalen pillars that represent the area you feel you need the most development in, to increase credibility with your organizational followers. Reflect on why you think you need development on the selected pillar and create an action plan to improve it.

Out of the the five pillars of credibility described by Whalen (2017), the one that I need to develop further is the application of 'dynamism.' This aspect of credibility is communicated through enthusiasm in order to persuade people. However, this definition of enthusiasm is not necessarily based on intense emotions, but rather showing the passion for the topic at hand. This particular method of engagement shows the care an individual has for a particular subject. However, my issue is being able to overcome anxiety and introversion in speaking to a group of people that I am unfamiliar with. Within my circle of colleagues at work, this is not much of a problem, but when I have to present my work in a forum or at a conference my thoughts come across as incoherent and I end up getting a sense of stage fright and can lose my train of thought from the gaze of the audience. I have the passion for my work, but being able to translate it in an open forum that is difficult for me to overcome. The question is, how do you show people your passion for work when you become too anxious to deliver a smooth, free-flowing presentation in a credible manner?

The initial step for any presentation is to prepare and rehearse key points in order to drive the main ideas home to your audience. That is common practice, but what do you do if you have stage fright and cannot seem to keep it together in front of a crowd? For myself, I have learned that it is okay to use notes or an index card to help keep tension or shakiness down. This is also suggested by Kearns (2013) by using a podium and to avoid unsteady gestures because of the distraction that it can create. Sometimes, I can get through a good amount of the presentation, but then midway through I have a blip in communication. By having these index cards can help to guide me back to the main topic instead of going astray or having uncomfortable silence.

To add credibility in a more sincere manner, it also helps if you admit in front of an audience that you are nervous, but you are passionate about the topic at hand. By admitting it through self-disclosure it helps to release some inner stress and allows the audience to be more empathetic as well. According to McKay, Davis, & Fanning (2009, p. 26), self-disclosure helps to improve communication, gives more energy from not having to hide emotions, and lightens uncomfortable feelings. This helps to clear any misinterpretations of shyness or anxiety for lack of knowledge. Furthermore, on a subconscious level, it helps to calm my anxiety because admitting it allows it to be expressed and not bottled up internally.

In order to keep on improving my credibility, I will have to keep on pushing myself to present more even if I feel uncomfortable doing so. By doing so, I hope to become more desensitized in front of an audience. The more I am in front of a crowd, the more my anxiety will decrease, and the more likely that I will be able to express dynamism in my presentations. It is important for me to keep on practicing and applying small features that I have learned such as using index cards or self-disclosing anxiety to be more genuine so that I can speak freely without losing my thought-process in front of an audience. Some other techniques that I need to be cognizant of moving forward is to avoid making apologies in my presentation and to avoid using filler words. This is described by Kearns (2013) because it detracts from the credibility of a presenter by bringing the focus on an unnecessary distractions. Nonetheless, although dynamism does not come as naturally to me as I would like, I should be able to increase my ability at conveying this aspect of credibility through pushing myself to present more to become more secure doing so.

References

Kearns, K. (2013, August 3). You don't have to imagine their underwear! Seven tips to becoming  dynamic presenter. Attard Communications, Inc. Retrieved from https://www.businessknowhow.com/growth/dynamic.htm

McKay, M., Davis, M., & Fanning, P. (2009). Messages: The communication skills book (3rd ed.). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

Whalen, J.D. (2007). The professional communications toolkit. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.