A634.6.3.RB - What are Virtues?

The virtue test concluded that I am on the right path but I could certainly pay more attention to being more clean and orderly.  While answering some of the questions, I had to disagree with some of the provided answers; however, I chose the one that most closely resembled the answer I would have chosen.  For my task, I have chosen three of Benjamin’s virtues that I can relate to in my daily life activities.

·         Order: Let all your things have their places.  Let each part of your business have its time.When it comes to order, I am a true believe that everything has a place and time.  I believe order is important when it comes to work, play, and family. Although order is good, I have often been told that I have too much order; often referred to as rigid or over structured.  I chose this virtue because I believe I am a strong enforcer of having order in my life – whether in my professional or personal life.  As I have matured, how I view order has changed.  Once work was the priority, now family takes precedence over everything.  The more mature person understands that there needs to be a balance when it comes to order, if not chaos is always around the corner.

·         Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself.  Avoid trifling conversation. This is a great virtue I hold very close to my heart, especially in today's society.  I have often been misunderstood when it comes to silence due to the fact that I avoid trivial conversation; even to the point of being called anti-social.  I try to use this virtue to my advantage in several ways.  I have learned to be an active listener, while at the same time, I use critical thinking before I act upon what I have heard.  With that being said I have learned that silence is a very powerful tool in a world filled with various methods for people to communicate with each other around the world.

·      Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.  At this stage in my life, I consider myself “humble”.  I have realized that everything you have can be taken away in an instance. The definition of humility that I think really speak volumes is, “Acknowledging that achievements result from the investment of others in my life.” (Character qualities, 2013). To me, it is so important to always try and remain humble and count your blessings and to never compare your actions with others around you.  As I have matured, I try to be aware of the feelings of others, and I try to respect those feelings.

 

References:

Character qualities. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.characterfirst.com/qualities/
 

PBS. (n.d.). Ben’s 13 virtues. Retrieved from 

http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/pop_virtues_list.html

 

 

 

 

A631.6.4.RB Transformational Strategies

I really enjoyed looking at transformational leadership from two leadership styles videos that couldn’t be more different.  In the Gallery Furniture video, Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale faces a situation in which cultural change was required due to internal and external situations.  Some of the changes included a shift in employee demographics.  At the same time, the local economy was having a direct negative impact on business profits, and the company experienced a devastating warehouse fire that was a blow to overall operations.  On the flip side, General McChrystal in his Ted Talks video called “Listen, Learn ….Then Lead” shares his leadership and how he had to change due to technology, global separation, and changing demographics in the Army. 

The common theme for both leaders is that they both highlighted leadership techniques that were examined in the course textbook; Experiential Approach to Organization Development.  However, how the techniques were applied and executed were different.  Jim McIngvale realized that his organization was in a desperate survival situation and needed an infusion of change to stay competitive and profitable.  His techniques were similar to that in the textbook.  He addressed the strategy culture matrix in which he analyzed several factors: (1) declining employee performance, (2) how to build on their strengths and (3) how to address their weaknesses to better benefit the individual and the organization.  His use of the transformational change process allowed him to get to the root cause of his companies failures.  He focused on various forms of training to include making contact with employees and helping them become more computer literate.  From the video, it would seem that the efforts were a good investment for Gallery Furniture.

General McChrystal had a totally different environment that he had to address.  I can personally relate to what the general was talking about because I spent 20 years in the military during the same timeframe.  He discusses the importance of understanding the changes in the way people communicate and how he (the leader) had to relearn how to communicate on different levels with today’s technology.  Gone were the days of looking subordinate leaders directly in their eyes to gage their confidence and understanding.  As he stated, “I had to learn to use video teleconferences, I've got to use chat, I've got to use email, I've got to use phone calls -- I've got to use everything I can, not just for communication, but for leadership” (McChrystal, TedTalks, 2011).

Both McIngvale and McChrystal discussed the importance of the ever changing environment and culture (the leaders, location, and mission) when considering making organizational changes. The correlation in both videos showed how leaders can make changes for the better during transformational change; even when utilizing different techniques. 

Brown, D.R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (8th ed.).Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall

http://www.vitalsmarts.com/casestudies/gallery-furniture/

http://www.ted.com/talks/stanley_mcchrystal.html

A631.5.4.RB - Leading System Wide Change

In the Apple video, Think Differently, you hear words like, “rebels”, “trouble makers” and “ones who see things differently.”  These are all negative comments about people that were the catalyst for a positive society.  Just imagine the world without the contributions that these individuals made.  This video made you think adversely about people/employees who started a mini revolution.  They were forward thinkers that worked their way to the top while being able to adapt to their environment, never losing sight of the objective.  What makes these so call rebel leaders so great is the fact that they were catalysts for change.  In 2009, Entrepreneur and blogger Seth Godin did a power speech on TED Talks.  In that speech, he argued that things like the internet give ordinary people the power to lead and make big change (http://www.ted.com/talks/seth_godin_on_the_tribes_we_lead).

It’s hard enough being a leader in modern day society.  Today’s leaders must deal with many unpredictable situations; however, the one constant is the knowledge that change is the only true thing that is guaranteed.  With this understanding, what is required for a leader to be successful?  To me there is no one trait that will make a leader successful.  Author Simon Sinek (2009) describes how it is that great leaders inspire action, why some people are able to achieve things, when others are not.  In his own way, he is a rebel who wants to change the way of looking at how people approach what they do (http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en).  It is said there is a very fine line between crazy and genius.  Men like Albert Einstein have introduced changes that still affect the entire world today.  Einstein was known as very eccentric and quite possibly crazy; however, his mathematical mind and theories will forever make their mark on mathematics and the sciences.  He was the perfect example of a leader who drove change despite what others thought about him. He was someone who stepped outside of the box to solve a problem that affected a society.

Let us put things into perspective when it comes to business and society leaders.   Not everyone in leadership positions will be considered a great leader; those who become truly transformational begin with themselves and have a vision.  I can’t say that one single leadership trait or attribute makes one successful.  The traits that come to mind when thinking of leaders of change include honesty (with oneself and others), courage (the drive and desire to go against the norm), commitment (sacrifice and servitude), the ability to inspire and relate to others, the ability to communicate with others (it serves no purpose if no one understands your message), strategic thinking (able to deal with and overcome uncertainty) and last but not least, passion for what you are doing.  When you look at today’s successful companies, their leaders emulate passion.  For example, Steve Jobs of Apple was a man that was extremely passionate about his ideas for change in the technology industry.  One could say, he gave the technology industry a needed jolt of electricity.  Some critics called Jobs a tyrannical leader that pushed his people too.  Maybe he did push hard because he had the traits of a leader.  These are just a few important traits, but in a way that is still a lot to put on one person; who would want such a responsibility.  The Apple video made a great point; leaders are the “crazy ones.”

A634.5.4.RB - Is Marketing Evil?

Do you feel ethical guidelines make a difference to marketers? Personally, I feel marketers have a different view of what is ethical and what is not ethical.  Ethical guidelines in business and our personal lives can be interpreted differently depending on the product.  As mentioned in the "Is marketing evil?" article, there are many companies whose mission it is to abide by and follow ethical practices, while there are others who take ethics lightly.  Take Camel cigarettes for example, from its origination to the early 90’s the company is well known and highly successful for advertising by using the Joe Camel image which appealed to teenagers.  The question is how far is too far when it comes to advertisement.  Anyone who has an in-depth appreciation of business history clearly understands that business ethics is a complicated and contentious subject.  The connection between doing the right thing by society standards and the ability of the business to make a profit has been studied by both academics and business leaders for years with very little consensus reached.  So exactly how should we define unethical advertising?  Well according to the website Marketing-Schools.org, some of the typical unethical practices include:

o   Surrogate Advertising –Surrogate advertising finds ways to remind consumers of these products without referencing them directly.

o   Exaggeration –Some advertisers use false claims about a product's quality or popularity.  A Slogan like “get coverage everywhere on earth” cannot be delivered or justified.

o   Puffery – When an advertiser relies on subjective rather than objective claims, they are puffing up their products. “The best tasting coffee” cannot be confirmed objectively.

o   Unverified Claims –Products that promise to deliver results without providing any scientific evidence. Shampoo commercials that promise stronger, shinier hair do so without telling consumers why or how.

o   Stereotyping Women – Women in advertising have often been portrayed as sex objects or domestic servants; trafficking negative stereotypes and contributing to a sexist culture.

o   False Brand Comparisons – Any time a company makes false or misleading claims about their competitors they are spreading misinformation.

o   Children in Advertising – Children consume huge amounts of advertising without being able to evaluate it objectively.  Exploiting this innocence is one of the most common unethical marketing practices.

How can companies balance the need to win with being ethical?  This goes back to the old adage of the end justifies the means or the means justify the end.  I believe that companies need to think about the impact of their advertising on society.  Are they really being a socially responsible organization if they place profit over ethics and the well-being of society.  Business ethics is dependent upon culture in which you live.  In Middle Eastern countries, bribery is considered an everyday practice while in the United States it is considered illegal.  In European countries, advertising partial nudity on public television and in newspapers is an everyday practice while in the United States, it would cause public outrage.  I do not feel as if there is a correct answer for this question.  We as a society would like for companies to focus on advertising a product for the consumer’s needs and by doing so develop an ethical strategy in which the company will have a win-win situation.  However, reality tells us it is not that simple.  It’s hard to stay competitive when the competitors are playing by different rules; especially in a global economy. 

Is it ethical to track your buying habits or web visits to target you for marketing purposes? Wow, what a question.  This is the type of question that can open Pandora’s Box.  Are we talking about an invasion of privacy like the situation with Edward Joseph "Ed" Snowden, an American computer professional who leaked classified information about the National Security Agency tracking telephone calls or about Facebook’s criticism of tracking site usage for marketing usage?  I think we as consumers have to be more aware of putting ourselves in positions to be tracked.  I do believe it is unethical, but I also believe there are actions you as a consumer can take.  Very few of us want a company tracking our website usage, but let be honest, many of them already do it.

As a leader, how will you manage the ethical aspects of your marketing efforts? As a business manager, I would try to keep in perspective that the customer is the most important factor for my business to survive.  I just don’t need the customer to purchase from me once; I need them to keep coming back.  If they find out that my business is unethical, they may leave forever.  One should never try to take for granted consumer intelligence or try to take advantage of them.  I will try to offer a good product.  I would only back something that I truly believe in so that when I market any product or service I can truly represent what that product does.  Authenticity goes a very long way with the consumer.

A631.4.4.RB – INSEAD Reflection

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

To understand self-managed teams; it is important to find an acceptable definition.  Self-managed teams are a group of employees that are responsible and accountable for all or most aspects of producing a product or delivering a service.  Self-managed teams are provided an increased responsibility of ownership of the tasks they are assigned.  One of the biggest benefits of a self-managed team is the cross training developmental opportunities that occur when an individual has to fill in when team members are absent.  The decision making process normally involves less conflict between the team members because they make the decisions and agree upon how to accomplish task.  The individuals who decide on the task are the ones who accomplish the job.  The last benefit that I feel I need to discuss is team cohesion.  Self-managed teams are able to truly succeed and fail as a team, which can promote teamwork and relationship-building.

However, there are some drawbacks to self-managed teams.  One of the biggest problems I have seen is groupthink; “the go along to get along mentality” that results in an accelerated, false consensus.  Another drawback associated with self-managed teams is that the decision-making process may take longer to finalize as compared to when there is no authority figure.  One fact that must be kept in perspective is self-managed teams still require leadership.  This leader is usually appointed to guide the team through the decision-making process, acting much like a chairperson for a committee.  Last but not least is the fact that self-managed teams are prone to personality clashes and without a strong leadership presence the team can quickly breakdown.

 

Would you like to work within such a team?

Knowing my personality style, I have not always had the best experience with the concept of a self-managed team.  I am a person who needs structure, clear direction, and well established parameters.  However if it were the right group of individuals, I think it would be an interesting experience to be part of a self-managed team that relates to my career aspirations. By keeping an open mind, I feel being a member of such a team would not only enable me share my experiences, it would also allow me to learn new techniques to grow as a professional.    

 

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

At first I was wondering why a person needs competence to manage a self-managed team.  Then I think back to the self-managed teams I have had to assemble for special projects and I realized that self-managed teams are not without leadership.  When you really think about it, the role of the leader in self-managing teams is vital to the team’s success, because this team will be a standalone entity with a lot of self-imposed accountability and responsibility.  Without a doubt, the first and foremost skill needed is the ability to communicate clearly and concisely.  Before a team is established as a self-managed team, it must be given direction and guidance.  This is done when the external manager clearly communicates with the team and establishes organizational goals.  Once the initial communication process is done, the job of the external manager is not done.  He or she must have the foresight to delegate responsibilities to the team members and give them the opportunity to do the job they have been given.  In other words, the external managers must delegate and give the team the authority to make decisions.  Let them learn from their successes and failures.  As retired General Stanley McCrystal once said his boss taught him, “A good leader will let his subordinates fail without letting them become failures.   

 

A634.4.4.RB - Is Affirmative Action Ethical?

Despite the many strides for equality in the United States, there are still inequities between genders and races in the workforce community.  Nonetheless, approximately 97 percent of senior corporate executives in the United States are Caucasian. Still African Americans comprise 12.7 percent of the work force while only 5 percent of all professionals are African American. Hispanics hold only 4 percent of white-collar jobs but make up 7.5 percent of the work force. In 1970, women comprised only 5 percent of lawyers compared to 20 percent today.  Twenty-five years ago, the student population at the University of California, Berkeley, was 80 percent white. Today the current white population is at about 45 percent.  So before we ask if affirmative action is ethical, we must first define what it is.  Believe me; I have heard the well-spoken definition of affirmative action and the most ridiculous definition as well.  First and foremost, it is not a quota system for minorities to get jobs.  Second, it is not made to hire unqualified individuals over qualified individuals.    

Affirmative action is a US policy or program designed to counter discrimination against minority groups and women in areas such as employment and education historically dominated by white men; requiring employers and institutions to set goals for hiring or admitting qualified minorities.  Many white males may argue it is a form of discrimination, but so are bona fide occupational qualifications used in hiring.  So for the sake of argument, let us refer to it as equivalent positive discrimination.  So referring back to the first paragraph, what would the discussed demographics be if there were no programs to counter discrimination? The question is, what is truly unethical, a century-long legacy of racism and sexism against minorities or a program aimed to prevent discrimination against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of color, religion, sex, age, or national origin. 

There are numerous arguments against affirmative action programs.  Some of the most recognized include the California (Proposition 209), the Washington (Initiative 200), the Michigan (Michigan Civil Rights Initiative), and the Nebraska (Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative).  Personally, I don’t fully understand why there is such controversy, but then on the other hand, I do.  Often those who discriminate do not see the effects of their actions.  However when they feel they are discriminated against, it becomes a worthy cause.  The sad thing is this is exactly what the Declaration of Independence avowed so many years before when it stated “all men are created equal” and by the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment stating that the Constitution be colorblind and neither know nor tolerate classes among citizens.”

Here is my perspective; we as a nation are still ignorant and stubborn to the intent of affirmative action.  When courses like this address controversial subjects such as affirmation action, you begin to see covert and overt hatred, the ignorance, and bigotry from peers.  I went back and read blogs from past classes in this program, and all I can say is wow.  We still have a long way to go as a nation.  So as far as I see it, affirmative action is not unethical.  What is unethical is our failure or reluctance to educate one another of the true intent of the affirmative action policy. 

A631.3.4.RB. - Feedback and Goals

I have learned over time that before you analyze an issue, you must have an understanding or acceptable definition of the issue.  For this task, the terms are feedback and goals (as related to employees).  Feedback means letting someone know in a timely manner and on an ongoing basis how they are performing, and it includes both positive and negative observations (Biswal, 2013). As an educator or as a coach, providing feedback becomes a skill that you comprehend very well.  You must know when to provide instant feedback and when to provide a long in-depth feedback to individuals.  The same process applies to how you set goals for individuals to achieve.  In his book “An Experimental Approach to Organizational Development”, Brown (2011) discusses that any one born after 1980 requires more feedback than those born before that date.  The textbook highlights the generational implications regarding the amount of feedback; specifically “GEN Y” verses older generations and their desire for more feedback.

I personally feel that most leaders do not understand the value of providing feedback or setting the right type of goals for employees and for students in the academic arena.  For the business community, I feel feedback is without a doubt one of the biggest developmental tools leaders can use today.  Good feedback provides a measurable value to the organization and its employees. This is the same for setting goals. 

It seems obvious that setting goals should be based on achievable outcomes, but from a personal perspective I have learned through research and experience that these goals should be tangible and doable (Mitchell, 2014).  Often leaders forget the simplest formula for setting goals: SMART…

·         Specific – target a specific area for improvement.

·         Measurable – quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress.

·         Assignable – specify who will do it.

·         Realistic – state what results can realistically be achieved, given available resources.

·         Time-related – specify when the result(s) can be achieved.

When you add the SMART process with real-time feedback it enhances the opportunity for employees (especially the newer generations of employees) to become better performers and to achieve the goals you set for them.  I think one of the biggest reasons there are generational differences between employees is because of competition in the workplace and workforce today. The goal-setting theory posits that people who set goals perform more effectively than those who do not set goals no matter what generation they belong to (Merritt & Berger, 1998).

For me personally, I am not sure to what degree I require feedback, but make no mistake; I do need it.  When the situation arises in which I receive no feedback or poor feedback, I begin to question the credibility of the instructor or the supervisor.  As Brown would explain, maybe this has something to do with me fitting into that baby boomer category.  Don’t get me wrong, I want feedback; I just want it from a person who knows what they are doing and from someone whom I feel has credibility.  I desire targeted feedback and SMART goal setting.  This process has provided me with an excellent high performance work history.  When I receive good feedback I feel that supervisors value me and respect me if they are taking the time to provide feedback that I feel is meaningful, and constructive, whether it is good or bad.  Whether it's your direct report, a boss, a co-worker, or a fellow team member on a project, constructive feedback can be very useful for enhancing relationships and performance (Russell, 2012).  For me, feedback should be a continuous program for employee improvement for all stakeholders to share information about an individual’s performance.  Feedbacks allow a means for individuals to build on the things they are good at and improve on the things they are not so good at.

 

Biswal, S. (Apr 2013).  Feedback , Please.  International Journal of Management, IT and Engineering. (4)

514-521. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/1412312881?pq-origsite=summon

 

Clung, B. G. (Oct 1997): Collecting and using employee feedback. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant

Administration Quarterly (38) 50-52. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/209732455?pq-origsite=summon

 Merritt, E. & Berger, F. (Feb 1998). The value of setting goals. ornell Hotel and Restaurant

Administration Quarterly (39) 40-49. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/209697321/fulltext?accountid=27203

Mitchell, C. (Jun 2014). Being SMART with NRM Performance Goals.  Australasian Science (35) 48.

Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/1540458223?pq-origsite=summon

Russell, J. E. (Mar 2012) Tips for providing employee feedback, The Washington Post (19).26.

Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/929133723?pq-origsite=summon

 

 

A634.3.5.RB - The Harder They Fall

Social psychologist Roderick M. Kramer asks the question that many people want the answer too, “Why do so many outstanding leaders --display remarkable adeptness and ability while courting power, only to engage in even more remarkable bouts of folly once that power has been secured? (Kramer, 2003).  Kramer points to a winner-take-all mindset where performers expect everything but end up with nothing.  He offers justifications for this winner- take-all mindset:

- The players in winner-take-all must be extraordinarily aggressive about the risks.

- Winner-take-all individuals have the understanding that rules are for fools.

- If you are not willing to take the risk, chose a boring, safe, conservative career.

In today’s business community, risk taking and rule breaking are becoming the norm.  This is also considered a trait that various organizations look for in business leaders.  This includes everything from Fortune 500 companies to multibillion dollar sports teams.  Traits such as modesty and humility are losing their value when it comes to identifying good leadership. 

This is a sore subject with me as I have been counseled by my boss for my directness and honesty.  I struggle with the fact that some people are willing to sacrifice their ethical code.  I often wonder what happened to honesty, hard work, dedication, and doing what is right.  I often thought these traits would assist with my career aspirations in the federal government.  I was wrong.  Don’t get me wrong, I know how to “play the game” as Kramer would call it; however, I just have a hard time going against my personal ethics.  What would my kids think of me if they knew I went against everything I taught them?  What would my dear deceased mom think if I no longer practiced everything she taught me just to climb the ladder of success?  As the Bible says in Matthew 16:26, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul…?” 

The temptation for success and increased personal power are numerous; however, there has to be a degree of personal accountability for our actions.  I feel it is important to understand that there is no one making a person seeks such aggressive career moves.  This is a choice you make and with that being said, you must live with the consequences.  Individuals like celebrities (Justin Bieber, Lindsay Lohan), politicians (Anthony Weiner and John Edwards), sports figures (Lance Armstrong, Jose Conseco), and business executives (Bernie Madoff, Kenneth Lay) all knew the risk they were taking on the way to the top.  The problem is they forgot how far down it was to the ground. 

  

Reference:

 Kramer, R. M. (2003). The Harder They Fall. (cover story). Harvard Business Review, 81(10), 58-66