Reflect
on the role of collaboration and getting to resolution in the process of
decision-making. In today’s business world, even the
most productive groups of individuals’ experiences some type of conflict. Very seldom will you find collaboration
without some degree of conflict; which is not necessarily a bad thing. There are times when leaders will make major
decisions without assistance, but as a whole, this is rare. Leaders have to take into consideration how their
decisions affect the stakeholders around them.
However, when they do make decisions by based only on their perspective,
there is a propensity of having a myopic vision of the situation. When we have such a myopic view, we tend to
do what is best for us, ignoring those around us. As simple as this sound, we must also keep in
perspective that some conflict problems are too complex for an individual to
handle alone. A smart person will use collaboration
as an opportunity to gain more insight on the conflict. Leaders need to
understand the advantages of using collaboration. When individuals seeking out collaboration, they
understand that there is a increase in overall skills, knowledge, and information
gained will strengthen and bring credibility to their role as a decision maker.
The textbook contained an interesting statement
of how we must look for a vessel that is large enough to hold and satisfy all
the concerns that each person has in a conflict situation. However, as I have mentioned before, many
times we must take the utilitarian approach when looking for a resolution. Rarely,
if ever, do our decisions affect only ourselves. Consider the importance of
getting other stakeholders involved; how can they help you make a better
decision for all? Personally, I feel
the very nature of collaboration invites a clash of personality types, conceptual
thinking processes, ethical differences, and disagreements on how to define what
is the ultimate objective and how to achieve it. Collaboration when used correctly moves
stakeholders away from the old traditional way of thinking; thereby, redefining
decision making power as control or domination towards a definition that
invited shared authority. Leaders no
longer operate in a vacuum; collaboration helps eliminate difficult barriers,
increases opportunities for success, enriches the change process, and creates a
shared vision for resolution. The bottom line is positive collaborative decision-making
impacts many members of any organization; providing a unified guidance in a desired
direction. Last, but not least, by
getting other stakeholders involved; it can help identify up questions or
concerns that may have been overlooked. Detail a specific situation where you are
faced with the decision, describe the process you went through and the outcome
you were seeking. In 2007, I
prepared to retire from the Air Force and had to make a decision on where I
wanted to live. I knew this was a big
step because there were several issues I had to take in consideration before I
made my choice. In making my decision, I
had to consider the opinions of the various stakeholders – immediate family,
parents, friends, job opportunities, cost of living, schools districts, taxes and
many other items. This was an internal
struggle that went on for over a year. Normally,
I am the type of person that takes pleasure in making all important
decisions. This was a decision where I
had to depend on others stakeholders for assistance. For this situation, I put my ego to the side
and welcomed the input of others. Identify 5 ways stakeholder involvement can
help you make better decisions. From
this experience, I will identify five ways stakeholder involvement can assist
in making better decisions: (1) I had to
consider other parties perspective, not just myself. (2) A friend who had already retired gave me
good information on what I should consider when looking for employment. Because of this I did not experienced as much stress
and was did not feel overwhelmed while looking for employment. (3) I had to create a clear vision for my
entire family using all stakeholders input.
(4) By talking to outside stakeholders, a lot of the unknown questions I
had were answered. (5) This
collaboration process provided valuable experience to learn from; both bad and
good. Did you achieve your objective? As far as a place to retire, the
answer would be yes, however as far a career opportunities, that chapter of the
book is still open. Looking back at the decision you made and its consequence was there
anyone else that would have added value to the process? I am pretty sure
the important stakeholders were involved in the decision making process. If I had to repeat the process all over, I
would do everything the exact same way. Identify
3 ways you may use this learning experience to make better decisions in the
future? (1) I would seek and
appreciate the opinions of others. (2) I would try not to have a myopic view of
the collaborative decision-making process.
(3) I would try to have a shared vision that everyone can appreciate; the
inputs of others can be very beneficial for all stakeholders involved in the
collaboration process.
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