A630.5.4.RB_DiazBrian

As a result of the Columbia tragedy, NASA enlisted the assistance of BST to assess and assist with a diagnosis of the current state of NASA.  Brown (2011) defines diagnosis as "a systematic approach to understanding and describing the present state of the organization." (p. 118).  BST studied past climate surveys, had employees complete a new survey, and conducted interviews in order to help create a plan for organizational change to NASA's safety climate and culture.  As a whole, organizationally NASA compared extremely well to other organization's in terms of their culture.  However there were two main areas of concern. These areas were organizational support and upward communication.  Sean O'Keefe, NASA's Administrator, addressed NASA employees to share with them the information that was gathered by BST, how their findings will affect NASA, and the plan to be implemented moving into the future.  The Columbia accident claimed the lives of seven astronauts.  In the wake of this tragedy questions  such as: "What did we fail to do wrong?  How could we have prevented this? and What can we do to prevent this in the future?" were all asked.  O'Keefe addresses these concerns in front of his staff as well as asks questions from the attendees.

O'Keefe sharing the results from BST and outlining NASA's plan for change was the right thing to do coming from a position of leadership.  Not only was it important for him to seem believable it is equally as important for his message to be received by its audience.  Was it?  Did O'Keefe seem believable?  I don't feel as if he was trying to mislead his employees but I didn't get the sense that he was very passionate.  His speech seemed well rehearsed, delivered well, but seemed to me to lack a connection with his audience.  While NASA had a plan moving forward I think it could have been delivered in a more inspiring fashion. 

I worked in the restaurant business for what seemed like an eternity.  The last company I worked for I was with for about seven years.  The concept of the restaurant was new at the time and the owner and CEO had an impeccable reputation within the service industry.  She'd traveled the world learning about food, worked for Disney for about a decade in their Food & Beverage division, and was an entrepreneur.  The business was extremely successful and the restaurant was the toast of the town.  I worked 6 days a week, two shifts a day, for about 3 months!  It was exhausting but I was making really good money.  Well one store turned into two stores, two stores turned into five stores, next thing you know the owner is franchising locations around FL and out of state.  But something happened.  As the company grew the values it had when it was only one store was being lost.  Not only lost but being completely put aside.  The CEO became a different person and she became not only extremely difficult to work for, she had lost sight of what she originally set out to accomplish.  And that was giving her guests an affordable, healthy, dining experience.  Fast forward to the end of my journey with the company and all of her stores, one by one, was being closed down.  By this time I moved to the the company's flagship store in downtown Orlando located at the new Plaza.  With only one store left (and a very busy one at that) as a staff we were led to believe that no one at this location would ever be without a job.  But little by little the tell tale signs of doom were evident.  We were constantly running out of food and liquor.  Our vendors would only accept cash for deliveries.  I lived with the A-GM who was a close friend of mine so I knew where the money was going and it was not back into the business, is all I will say.  But I recall repeatedly this woman telling our staff (blatantly lying) at meetings that the organization was in good condition and there was no need to worry.  As much as no one believed her not a lot of people really did anything about it (including me).  They stayed working there even though paychecks were bouncing and traffic in the restaurant was really down.  It was like being on the Titanic.  You knew the ship was sinking but you didn't really try to do anything to fix it.  Reflecting on it makes me mad that I wasted so much of my time there.  Not only were the values that the company held in conflict with mine but what little values they had were evaporating.  But I had a car payment to make, rent to pay, and a lovely girlfriend beside me (who is now my wife).  This company, its CEO, and its culture all failed.  She is now  named in a number of ongoing litigation proceedings for her practices.

It was important for O'keefe  to discuss NASA's values in his speech.  It was also necessary for him to acknowledge where NASA "came from" and "where it was headed".  In order for an organization to accept the change they will be faced with they have to believe in the organization and in the change plan.  That is why the diagnosis made by BST was so important.  Brown (2011) noted "In diagnosing an organization's problems, the practitioner and the client try to specify the problems, determine the underlying causes, and identify the opportunities for change.  The practitioner sorts out factual from nonfactual information and searches for multiple sources of the problem condition.  The outcome is an explicit and specific diagnosis upon which to base change efforts." (p. 132).  I think that is exemplified by the relationship between BST and NASA after the Columbia tragedy. 

The lesson I learned from this exercise which I can apply to my career, is that culture is not only important to the success and health of an organization, so is its ability to adapt to future needs.  We should always be looking to implement new ideas, to find better ways to do our jobs, and to communicate those ideas with our leadership.  As I write this I am considering ideas that I can bring to my directors attention.  Funny how homework can help me to facilitate my growth not only academically but also at work! 

Brown, D. (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organization Development. (8th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

A630.4.4.RB_DiazBrian

How does employee engagement correlate to decision effectiveness?  From a personal standpoint I defer to the values that were instilled in me at an early age.  I was taught to do the best I could at anything I did whether it was sports, school, or work.  In my current position the effectiveness of the decisions I make can have repercussions on the students I advise.  The same system of values and beliefs that I have are shared by my organization.  I think that has a great impact on how I conduct myself and why this position appeals to me with this particular company.  My students rely on me to provide them with information that they need in order to take the correct courses required to satisfy their degree programs.  If I cannot provide them with the information that they need or I give them misinformation it could be very costly to the student and reflect poorly on myself as well as the organization.  I do the best that I can to ensure that the information I relay to my students is accurate.  Because of my values, the nature of my work, and the standards I hold myself to, the decisions I make are calculated.  I strive to do my work as efficiently, effectively, and as professionally as possible.  There is a certain amount of trust involved.  Trust from my organization that I will do what is right, trust from my students that I am honest and diligent.  Brown (2011) wrote "When there is not trust, people will tend to be dishonest, evasive, and not authentic with one another, and communication will often be inaccurate, distorted, or incomplete." (p. 99). 

For me I know that one of the mail impediments to good decision making is adequate rest.  If I am not properly rested I do not function at my highest capacity.  With a two year old there isn't much you can do about this.  In the last two years I have become somewhat addicted to coffee.  It is somewhat of a joke these days but true.  I must drink 5-6 cups a day (recently) where I would normally consume 2 cups.  My son has recently began to experience all of the growing pains of a 2 year old.  Teething, growth spurts, colds, allergies... you name it he's been getting it.  He wakes up an average of 2-3 times a night now.  Usually around midnight, then again at 2am or 3am, and finally around 4:30-5am.  Just before daddy's alarm goes off for work.  And also when he gets up now he can't go back to sleep in his crib.  Oh no, straight to mommy and daddy's bed where he proceeds to toss and turn like the Tasmanian Devil himself.  That's been the norm for about 2 months.  Needless to say it affects my performance at work.  When 4pm comes around it's like I hit a wall.  I can no longer stare at my computer, I can no longer work on reports.  I find it a good time to make any phone calls I need to return.  This keeps me engaged in a different way.  I still need my computer but at least I am having actual human interaction and not just "talking" through email.

Another impediment to good decision making is not having all of the necessary information needed to make a good decision.  When dealing with military personnel is usually when I can become "lost".  It's one thing to be familiar with how one branch of the service operates, their protocols, their systems, their lingo.  But when you have to be efficient in every branch of military service it can be confusing.  This rank is different in the Air Force than in the Marines.  These documents are permissible for this branch and not these.  Navy tuition assistance is done a completely different way than Army.  Its enough to want to pull your hair out sometimes.  If there is one area that I wish we received more training in with respect to my organization, it would be to have greater military training.  If we had an internal practitioner that could be "responsible for changing existing patterns to obtain a more effective organizational performance" I think that would be a step in the right direction.  They would already be familiar with the culture and organizational norms.  If they could implement a change program to better help us to assist our military population (which of course is the majority of our students) then I would be 100% confident in my job as opposed to say 90%.

Blenko suggests that quality, speed, yield, and effort are the four elements to make a good decision.  If I had to add an element to that list it would be consequences.  One of my classmates, Alan Reichard wrote this week in our discussion board "I am constantly looking for ways to improve and consider the consequences of those changes from a worst case, best case and probable outcome vantage point.  I work diligently to become the agent of change but with purpose."  His post made me aware that decisions have consequences and to give thought to what those consequences might be.  To be honest its not something I gave much thought to before.  If I change "A" and "B" then "C" can be altered in an "X" way. It was very eye opening.  One of the great things about this program is the fact that we can all learn from one another and I think Alan's contribution is a prime example.

I learned that certain variables such as speed, quality, yield, and effort can positively contribute to effective decision making.  Being as analytical as I am speed was never an element I considered critical to good decision making.  To me, in my brain it was just the opposite.  Now that I reflect on it I am reminded of all the times I sat at my desk over analyzing an issue and spending a great deal of time on it.  When I first started as an academic advisor with ERAU I would find myself behind in my work daily.  It was because I was taking so long to reply to my emails.  I would analyze, over think, and second-guess myself to no end.  At the same time I was wasting my day and not able to attend to my other tasks.  It wasn't until I let myself be comfortable in my decisions that I noticed the change in my effectiveness.  I no longer fixated on over analyzing.  Little did I know that speed could actually be my friend.

Brown, D. (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organization Development. (8th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

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"The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit." Retrieved from http://www.southwest.com/html/about-southwest/index.html?int=GFOOTER-ABOUT-ABOUT

This is Southwest Airline's Mission.  Brown (2011) wrote "Norms are organized and shared ideas regarding what members should do and feel, how this behavior should be regulated, and what sanctions should be applied when behavior does not coincide with social expectations." (p.10).  Is the Culture Committee at Southwest effective in establishing cultural norms?  In establishing the organization's norms, I say no, the Committee itself does not establish the cultural norms of the organization.  But does it help?  I feel it does. 

Southwest Airlines was established in 1967 (then known as Air Southwest Company until 1971).  It's culture can be defined as "the development, improvement, and refinement of the originality, individuality, identity and personality of a given people" Retrieved from   http://www.southwest.com/html/about-southwest/careers/culture.html  The function of the Culture Committee  I feel, promotes the values, feelings, and genuine interest the company has for its employees.  Brown (2011) wrote "A corporate culture is a system of shared values and beliefs that interact with an organization's people, structure, and systems to produce behavioral norms ('the way things are done around here').  (p. 63). Watching the video A Day in the Life of the Culture Committee by Southwest Airlines I could not help but be envious of the fact that the company thinks enough of its employees to have such a program.  Its impact on the employees can only be beneficial to the company thus creating the type of cultural norm Southwest wants to be known for.

 I used to travel extensively for work.  I frequently made a lot of East Coast to West Coast trips and vice versa.  Putting myself in the shoes of the airline employees/pilots, how wonderful would it be to arrive at a city after a 6 hour flight to find that your company has sent a team to help you perform your duties, prepared meals for you, and even put together a goodie bag of (as the kids call it) swag?  I don't know about you but that would really make me feel appreciated.  It would give me a good sense of belonging to a company that cares about its employees, and would make me want to continue doing a great job for that employer.  This type action breeds positive reinforcement.

While I do not have the perks of having a Culture Committee with my employer, I too can say that my company's culture promotes its employee as well.  For instance on your hire date anniversary and on your birthday my department gives you a half day off.  You may come in the morning and leave at lunch or sleep in and come in for the second part of your day.  And on your birthday you can expect your desk to look something like this...

The culture within my department celebrates its team members so I can appreciate what it is Southwest does with its Culture Committee.

I think that Southwest's Culture Committee serves a few purposes.  It promotes the values and beliefs that the company wants its employees to espouse.  It's purpose is to garner employee support, promote communication, and to give back to the employees.  I think having such a committee is a  beneficial addition to an organization.  I must say I am surprised more companies do not adopt a similar approach.

If Embry Riddle had a culture committee I think one great benefit would be for it to bridge the gap of communication between leadership and its team members.  If communication is such an important necessity for change than why isn't more information shared at every level?  Brown (2011) wrote "Making information available at every level increases employee motivation and permits faster decision making .  This helps employees t identify with organizational goals." (p.67).  Why does leadership feel the need to not share information?  Is it for fear of resistance, rejection, or resentment?  For example, recently my team was informed of a "special" February term that was to be offered.  There are 5 academic terms in a calendar year.  Coming off of the fall, because of the government shutdown the university offered a "special" term in November mainly for students that were unable to register for classes due to the shutdown.  We were just coming off of our October term when we added the November term, we were working on the January term enrollments.  When it was all said and done we were notified that the November term was deemed to be a failure.  We would not be adding any more "special" terms.  After the holiday break we returned to learn that in fact there would be another "special" term offered.  But why the change all of a sudden (I can take a wild guess)?  This irked my team to say the least.  It was made known at our next meeting.  Given the limited resources in terms of the actual number of advisors we have and the extra work we were being asked to do this was upsetting to us.  Why were we not made aware of this possibility before hand?  Why did leadership not give us the respect to ask our thoughts or feelings about the extra effort this would entail not just for our department but for other supporting departments?  If we had a culture committee maybe there would be an opportunity for ideas to be shared more actively.  This would help us all realize the organization's goals together as a team.

My take away from this exercise is that it is possible to create a culture that employees will embrace.  It is possible for the culture within an organization to have a life of its own and to make perhaps the biggest influential impact on failure and success.  The head of the organization should be the epitome of the organization's culture.  Brown (2011) noted "Corporate cultures are the very essence of organizations.  Whether effective or ineffective, organizational structures exist- usually reflecting the personality of the top executive.  Corporate culture often affect the success or failure of the organization and are shaped in various ways by the employees." (p.66).

A few questions I have are:

• Why do companies not promote the organization's culture on a more conscious level?
• Can organization's expect to remain relevant without taking a look at how to improve on their existing culture?
• Has their ever been a company to be considered successful without a corporate culture?

 Brown, D. (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organization Development. (8th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

A630.2.4.RB_DiazBrian

This week we viewed the video RSA Animate - 21st Century Enlightenment. Why do I think it is titled 21st Century Enlightenment?  The world is constantly evolving, constantly changing.  The climate of relationships among societies, individuals, governments and countries is also in a state of constant evolution.  The thoughts and ideas of the 20th century are no longer applicable to the modern era.  When Matthew Taylor talks about 21st Century Enlightenment I think he is referring to the state of awareness modern people have, their acceptance of change, and how it applies to life as we know it today.  Since the 20th century we have made strides (as noted by Taylor) on issues such as race, gender, and sexuality.  There seems to be more acceptance to these issues in the 21st century.

I have a perfect example.  Back in 1998, before the turn of the century I worked at a restaurant with an openly gay co-worker named Tim.  He was the first gay friend I ever had (knowingly anyway).  He was a really nice guy.  Funny, endearing, and always upbeat.  I never gave much thought to his sexual preference because to me personally it did not matter.  But little did I know how much it did to others.  When you work with someone 8-10 hours a day 5 to 6 days a week you begin to develop a bond.  You get to really know someone and I was fortunate enough to get to know Tim.  We'd catch a beer after work every once and a while and he really opened up to me.  I had no idea what it was like to grow up gay and this poor kid had to live in a world of secrecy his whole life.  He lived in fear because of his orientation and the backlash he would get if others knew his secret.  He told me he didn't start living his life as an openly gay man until after high school when he moved away from his town.  I remember one particular evening when I was going to meet some of my friends for some beers after I got out of work.  I invited Tim and he joined us.  I was so embarrassed.  When my friends realized Tim was obviously gay they treated him differently.  Not mean but they did not make him feel welcomed, quite the opposite.  I could read it on Tim's face that he was uncomfortable because of how they were receiving him.  He left early and my one friend say "How can you hang out with a gay guy?"  My response was simple.  "What difference does it make if he's gay.  Does that make him any different just because he's gay?  He is a person that has feelings just like anybody else."  I let them know I didn't think it was cool how they treated him.  Tim later confided in me that he was HIV positive.  I lost touch with him after I moved.  I found out that he had died after I moved to Orlando, after the turn of the century.  It was still very taboo at the time to be out.  Fast forward to 2014 and kids are coming out in middle school.  And what happened to my friends who were anti-gay?  They became parents.  And guess what (because I have asked)?  If they found out that their kids where gay they wouldn't love them any less.  They would accept it.  Funny how times and ideas can change.

What Taylor suggests when he says"to live differently, you have to think differently" is that in order for change to be effectuated, as distinct individuals we have the ability to alter or change our mindset in a positive manner in order to impact society positively as a whole.  My wife has had an estranged relationship with her mother.  Her parents divorced because of her mother's infidelity and this caused great strain in their relationship.  As a parent one of the things you are responsible for is to provide your children with a caring and nurturing environment.  As a result of her mother's decisions my wife's world was turned upside down and it impacted her through into adulthood.  The relationship between her and her mother became that not of mother daughter but of enemy, enemy.  When we became pregnant with our son I recall my wife on many occasions pronounce that her relationship with our son would never be as damaged as her and her mothers.  She vowed to "break the cycle" of negativity.  She made the conscious decision to "live differently and think differently".  She promised to make certain she never hurt our son mentally the way she was.  And she has lived by that vow.  She is an amazing mother.

Taylor quotes Kegan when he says "we need to resist our tendencies to make right or true that which is merely familiar and wrong or false that which is strange".  What does he mean?  I believe what Kegan is referring to at its core is the development of character.  Our character develops at an early age and can be influenced by both people and events in our lives.  Experiences can dictate how we develop our values.  For instance if you grow up in an environment that is cold and void of compassion chances are as you grow up it will be difficult for you to be an empathetic or compassionate.  When I was little my family did not have a lot of extra money.  I played in a youth club soccer league and all of the other children's parents bought them name brand soccer cleats.  Also every one's cleats were black.  My parents could only afford to buy me cleats from Wal-Mart.  And they were white so they stuck out like a sore thumb.  I used to be so embarrassed to be the only kid on the team with different colored cheap shoes.  They were so cheap that the cleats actually started to fall of after a while.  My teammates never made me feel bad about this but my father knew it bothered me.  This led to my first lesson in humility.  My father explained to me why they could only afford $20 shoes and not $60.  If I got the $60 pair of shoes what would the family eat?  He taught me that the shoes didn't make me who I was as a player.  My play spoke for me on the field whether I was wearing $20 shoes or was barefoot.  I learned a valuable lesson.  As I develop into a leadership role with my organization I plan on remaining humble, compassionate, and trustworthy.  My values shall be  a reflection of my character.

As I reflect on the notion of whether or not it would be possible for our society to eschew the elements of pop culture that degrades people I thought of examples of such behavior.

• Rap music that degrades or belittles women and objectifies their existence.
• Hate groups that target others based on ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religion.
• War, and the role of nations and governments.

To curb these types of behavior would take an immense undertaking.  As an optimist I want with every fiber of my being to believe we really could make these changes.  As a realist I understand that the obstacles in the road seem insurmountable.  If we as a global society banded together and focused on teaching our children to have empathy for not only their friends or neighbors but for everyone, black, white, purple, gay, Catholic, Protestant, etc.,we could lay the foundation for a utopian society.  What a wonderful place that would be...

Organizational change efforts require a planned strategy to bring about organizational change.  It typically involves a collaborative approach with an emphasis on ways to improve performance and quality.  It is concerned with the interrelationships of divisions, groups, and subsystems.  It is based on the scientific approach to increase effectiveness.  If individuals cannot adopt these concepts then the destructive behavior will drive out the constructive and collaborative effort that is necessitated for organizational change to be implemented. 

I found this to be one of the more difficult exercises I have completed to date.  It challenged my critical thinking skills more so than any other assignment I have had to date.  I must have watched this video ten times!  The main concept I will take away from this exercise is that I have the power to make change... to make a difference.  If I practice what I preach it may have an infectious effect on those I might lead and that type of result can be beneficial to organizational development.

Some questions I have  as a result of this exercise are:

• How can I prepare to stay ahead of the curve as it relates to organizational development?  Is it possible to be in a leadership role and not lose touch with your team members?
• If I could make a change in my organization today what would it be?
• How could I create a  harmonious environment within my organization that other companies would want to emulate?  What more could be done to increase productivity?

A630.1.4.RB_DiazBrian

As I reflect on the two main organizations I have worked for, I am reminded of the only constant in organizational development.  That constant is change.  Brown (2011) noted "Although many organizations have been able to to keep pace with the changes in information technology, fewer firms have been able to adapt to changing social and cultural conditions.  In a dynamic environment, change is unavoidable." (p. 6). 

At this point in my career I have not professionally been in a parallel situation to the scenario that played out in the YouTube video, A Tale of Power and Vision.  However, along the way in my professional career I have met pessimists, pragmatists, visionaries, power players and crowds within an organization.  In my previous line of work as a paralegal I discovered that the organization I worked for was very anti-change.  Their mentality was that they had remained "successful" for "X" amount of years because they had always stayed "true" to their roots.  Coming out of college I wondered why some of their systems were not more modern.  For instance most law firms have moved to a paperless system.  All files are digitized.  While this practice is expensive up front, in the long run you save money on such expenditures as paper (lots and lots of paper), ink, numerous copiers, filing cabinets, folders, etc.  Not to mention the number of man hours employees spent each week hunting for files.  I could look for a single file for days!  Searching for files on a daily basis equated to a lot of wasted labor that could have been directed towards other important tasks.  It did not take me long to learn that this organization's mentality was that "if it is not broke, don't fix it".  More surprising to me was the impact this mentality had on the staff that had been there for years, and the direct affect the organization's lack of vision had on them.

I got to be close friends with one of my co-workers at the firm.  He had been with the company nearly 10 years.  He was the epitome of a pessimist.  "Dave" hated working for the firm,  Hated it!  His outlook on things was always very bleak and he never had anything good to say about the company.  Even though he'd been with the company for a number of years he was always worried that he was going to be fired or that the company was looking to get rid of him.  His attitude was not a healthy one and there were no positive aspects of his feelings towards the organization.  I recall asking Dave "If you are so unhappy hear why don't you get another job?"  He would reply "What if I leave and the job I go to doesn't work out for me?"  He had no hope for the future and was afraid to make a change.  I think he became an unfortunate victim of the culture of this organization.  Then there was "Jeremy" who was also a paralegal.  Jeremy was the epitome of a pragmatist.  He also did not like working for the firm, had been there a few years, but was content with the way things were.  Even though he made it very clear to me he didn't like the way things were.  Jeremy had a little bit more ambition than Dave but was happy in the present and was content with the way things were.  He had a very practical approach to working for the firm.  I did not consider this organization to be "normal" so I don't believe that Jeremy's (or Dave's) attitude was either necessary or healthy.  The only positive aspect of Jeremy's pragmatism was that he did believe he could have a better future.  Not with this particular organization but in other interests that he had.  The negative effect of his pragmatism was that he was content with the matter of fact manner in which he was "programmed" to approached his job.  I feel it stifled his creativity and kept him from pursuing his true love (music).

Working at Embry Riddle for less than a year I have seen several examples of how this organization is committed  to change.  They are constantly trying to improve their processes.  The perspective they take is that there is always an opportunity to improve and perfect upon existing practices.  Embry Riddle embraces technology and is committed to providing a superior level of education.  For example we recently had our monthly departmental meeting.  We were informed at this meeting that a new committee had been formed specifically tasked with innovating new procedures that would benefit the Worldwide Campus.  Their goal is to improve the manner in which we serve the university and its students.  These individuals are visionaries.  The creation of this committee can only enhance and benefit the university.  The positive aspect of these visionaries is that they could improve the efficiency, productivity, competitiveness, and overall quality of service we provide.  The negative aspects of these visionaries could be the time it takes for these changes to be implemented, whether or not they can agree, poor team communication, poor team participation, or misaligned goals.

Power players (or leadership) are responsible for having the vision to lead organizations into the future.  Their vision should inspire others.  When I leave my meetings with our leadership teams I can say that I am inspired.  The message that is received by myself and the the rest of my team members (or crowd) is reflected in our desire to achieve common goals.  I feel that the power players in my organization are well aware of the need for us to constantly change.  Brown (2011) wrote "The most important lesson managers need to learn is that there are only two kinds of organizations - those that are changing, and those that are going out of business." (p. 17).  Power players impact their organizations by offering a glimpse of what can be achieved with a planned, organization wide, collaborative approach, that is performance oriented, and has a humanistic, systematic approach.  If the crowd believes in the power players and in change, great accomplishments can be attained.  The negative consequences of the power players is that they could instill fear either with their vision or with their trustworthiness.  If the crowd does not believe in a vision it can not be accomplished.  An organization that strives to be successful and ahead of the curve should look to the future as an opportunity to become better.  To serve those that are a part of the organization and to serve those that make it a success.  Organizations alone should not be the only visionaries.  As individuals, we should always strive to make our futures better for ourselves and those in it. 

Brown, D. (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organization Development. (8th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

A521.9.4.RB_DiazBrian

What does it mean to be a leader?  Reflecting back on my youth I perceived leaders to be people that gave orders and those orders were to be followed.  I could never have imagine the intricacies of what it truly meant to be a leader.  But as a youth you really don’t know these things.  That is until you turn 18 and realize that there isn’t much you do not know.  In my neighborhood growing up I always felt that I was the leader of our “gang”.  By gang I mean the six childhood friends that I have to this day.  I always wanted to be the one to decide what we did, when we did it, and where.  Truthfully I was kind of a dictatorial kid, kind of bossy.  I remember one day I was trying to tell everyone what we were going to do that day and my friend Johnny flat out said no.  He said “You know you are always trying to tell us what to do and I’m sick of it.  I don’t want to do that!”  He was right.  I felt bad because I was always the one that made our plans but never gave thought to the group.  I never considered what they wanted or how they felt.  I was not a leader.  I realize now I didn’t have the slightest idea what leadership truly meant.  It learned a good lesson about the needs of others.  I never considered that leadership could be interactive and that it has several dimensions to it. 

Denning (2011) notes that “The interactive leader works with the world rather than against it.” (p. 270).  In other words what Denning has said is that in order to an effective leader we should not try to impose our will on others.  If you impose limitations, disincentives, or do not communicate effectively within your organization, you will be unsuccessful as an interactive leader.  This is a great philosophy and one I am proud to say is evident in my organization.  I think it is important for us to learn from the actions of others.  I consider myself to be an observer.  I watch how my co-workers interact with others and how they treat them.  I get a good sense of how genuine someone is by the way they treat others.  At Embry Riddle my leadership team gives us a considerable amount of autonomy.  As individuals we are responsible for our own productivity.  I have seen firsthand how working with others as opposed to working against them is beneficial in producing a harmonious organization.  As I grow into a leadership role in the future one of my goals will be to create and foster an environment that celebrates the accomplishments of others as opposed to focusing on their weaknesses.  For instance I can hold meetings on a bi-weekly basis and celebrate the achievements of my team members.  One way to positively reward one of my staff would be by giving them a free half-day.  They can choose to either come in at noon and work or arrive in the morning and leave at lunch time.  I believe this approach would be appreciated and keep my team motivated to work hard.

Denning (2011) also writes that “Interactive leadership both adds and subtracts elements from the leadership palette.” (p. 270).  Affective leadership should always strive to be honest, genuine, and caring.  What it should not be is manipulative, spiteful, or uncompassionate.  Being the observer that I take into account how staff members in my organization perceive our leadership team and then evaluate for myself whether or not their perceptions equate to my experiences with those individuals.  Are their positions based on a negative experience?  Do they feel that way because maybe they feel they have been overlooked?  I plan to take some qualities from all of the members of my leadership team as I grow in the future.  I also plan on making further observations of unpopular decisions and the reactions my teammates may have and determine whether or not I feel there could have been an alternative solution.  Basically I would try to “put the shoe on the other foot” and see if there is a lesson there to be learned.  I can apply those lessons in my own interactions as a future leader.
Denning (2011) states “Interactive leadership builds on personal integrity and authenticity.”  This dimension I feel I could relate to best.  Because of my personal beliefs and values I feel it is imperative to treat others with respect, dignity, and honesty.  These beliefs are firmly embedded into the core of who I am.  People know when you are being fake.  They can sense insincerity.  A leadership position should always be mindful of the responsibility you have as a person, a team leader, and as an example that reflects the values of an organization.  Trust to me is very important.  It is important in my marriage, my relationships, and as a future leader.  I want those who I manage to know that they can come to me with any issue whether it be work related or not.  I love to help others.  I feel that it gives us purpose.  As I reach for my goals as a future leader you can expect to see something like this in my office. 




Denning also states that “Interactive leadership doesn’t depend on the possession of hierarchical authority.” (p. 271).  I feel it is important to treat others as you would like to be treated.  I am certain that I will be forced at some point or another to make difficult decisions.  Decisions that most likely will not be popular.  However I do not feel that in order to make these positions it is necessary for me to defend those decisions by reminding others of my position.  I want others to feel that they are my equal and would never want to try to personify a facade of superiority.  I have worked for others who felt that because they had more education than me that I was not on “their level” and I can tell you I would never want anyone to feel like I did.

Lastly Denning (2011) writes “Interactive leadership benefits from an understanding of the different narrative patterns that can be used to get things done in the world.” (p.271).  By sharing narratives from different experiences I feel we can grow as leaders.  Utilizing the stories of others and how they have solved or approached issues can lead to new learning experiences.  We should always be open to the ideas and thoughts of others.  I for one will never be that kid again that tries to tell everyone to do what I want them to do.  As a real leader I will listen to the voices of others and proactively solicit their insight.  A much more different stance from when I was a kid!

Denning, S. (2011). The Leader's Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/Wiley.

A521.8.4.RB_DiazBrian

I am the type of person that has no problem talking to complete strangers.  For me it is not so much a question of whether I am comfortable but whether or not I am interested enough to get to know someone.  Recently one of my wife’s friends was married.  At the wedding there were a lot of people I did not know and since I was never going to see them again, I honestly was not interested in getting to know them.  I did however have no qualms about engaging the guests that were seated at our table for the reception.  At this point in my life I am married and have been fortunate enough to have had the same friends for over 20 years.  I really am not looking to expand my “inner circle” but that wasn’t always the case.

When I moved away from “home” (Orange City) to Orlando I left all of my childhood friends behind and was also single.  It was literally like starting all over again in terms of friendships so everyone I met was a stranger.  Because I grew up playing sports I feel like I learned confidence at an early age.  I am very outgoing and I like to think that I am a confident person.  Working as a server in the hospitality industry for almost 15 years also helped me to communicate with others because almost every table I ever touched, were total strangers.  My job gave me the opportunity on a daily basis to interact with people I normally would not.  But when it came to dating that was sometimes a different story. 

At the time, I worked in one of the most popular restaurants in an area of downtown Orlando called Thornton Park.  An affluent neighborhood that catered to some of Orlando’s most prominent business leaders.  We had a wine rep that was in the restaurant quite often.  He was a bit eccentric to say the least.  He exhibited a kind of air about himself that I did not find endearing.  One weekend he came in with this beautiful girl.  Through the “grapevine” I found out that they had only recently started dating.  He actually introduced her to me and I spoke with her briefly and we exchanged pleasantries.  Our meeting was based on ritual questions but I really wanted it to lead to informational questions.  McKay, Davis & Fanning (2009) wrote “Ritual questions focus on learning a person’s name where he or she is from, and what he or she does.  Ritual questions are often used as the opening gambits of a conversation, but these soon give way to informational questions.  These are more specific and are designed to elicit important facts about the other person’s beliefs and feelings.” (p. 213).  Fast forward to a few weeks later.  I was a party with some of my co-workers and our wine rep was there with his girlfriend.  I just couldn’t understand what she saw in the guy.  I thought he was pompous and pretentious.  Why would such a nice girl go for a guy like that I thought?  I noticed after a while that he was too busy mixing with everyone else at the party except for her.  After some “liquid courage” I decided to talk to her again.  We had really great conversation!  We happened to share a lot of the same qualities.  We asked each other questions, actively listened to one another, and even exchanged some self-disclosure.  We must have been talking to one another for about an hour in the kitchen until her boyfriend noticed and “came to her rescue”.  I kicked myself in the pants though for not letting her know I thought she was beautiful, amazing, and with the wrong guy.  That may have been too much to share at the time but I should have at least told her the first two things!  I failed to express myself fully and missed the opportunity to further get to know this girl.  I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.

I learned from McKay, Davis & Fanning (2009) that “There are only two basic rules for successfully making contact: First, you have to give what you would like to receive, which means attention, interest , respect, and liking that you want must also be something you offer others.  Second, you have to have an outward rather than inward focus.” (p.209).  The use of body language is very important.  How you stand, how your arms are positioned, your eye contact.  Icebreakers are a great way to start a conversation.  I think the key is putting all of this week’s lesson together.  Combine questions, actively listen, and the use of self-disclosure to effectively communicate with a stranger.  The end goal is to make new acquaintances and have a better understanding of how we can use successful communication to interact with those we normally would not. 

Davis, M., Fanning, P. & McKay, M. (2009). Messages: The Communication Skills Book. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.