A511.1.3.RB_DiazBrian

The person that inspires me most is my director (most likely unbeknownst to him).  I have actually had the pleasure of growing up with this individual and we have been friends since childhood.  We remained friends over time and distance.  We would often go very long periods of time without speaking to one another.  However whenever we would see each other it was like we always picked up as if we hadn't missed any time apart.  We have been there for each others weddings and have been there when our children were born.

When I was off living a pretty care-free life without any direction he was in college.  When I was content with only having an AA degree he was working on his Master's.  Professionally he is much (much) further along in his professional life than I am.  He is now preparing to defend his dissertation an will earn his doctorate in the next year.  He has accomplished all of this while raising 3 beautiful children along with his wife.  While working as a paralegal he reached out to me when an opportunity was available at the university he felt I would be a great fit for.  I applied, interviewed with my supervisor (as well as my entire team) and accepted a position with the university.

As a part of the organization I was impressed at the scope of the responsibilities he has.  He is highly respected, extremely dedicated, and genuine in his role as a leader.  What is so impressive is the fact that despite all of his responsibilities as a parent, the level of dedication to his role is amazing.  He typically works 50-60 hour weeks.  He is the first one to work and usually the last to leave.  He is accessible to all of his employees and is always willing to speak with anyone if there is an issue.  I felt inspired from the very first departmental meeting I was a part of.  Here I am in a meeting with someone who I would play with as a child.  Surreal experience to say the least.

So what sets managers apart from leaders?  What makes my director in my opinion an inspirational leader?  Yukl wrote "leaders and managers differ with regard to their values and personalities.  Managers value stability, order, and efficiency, and they are impersonal, risk-averse, and focused on short-term results.  Leaders value flexibility, innovation, and adaptation; they care about people as well as economic outcomes, and they have a long-term perspective with regard to objectives and strategies." (p. 6).  The latter would describe my director.  His vision, dedication, and demeanor makes everyone under his direction motivated to accomplish the goals he sets for our departments.  I believe this figure is a good representation of the difference between a manager and a leader. 

Simon Sinek's How Great Leaders Inspire Action video was thought provoking.  I never considered how effective communication could be delivered from the inside out.  He posed the question "Why?"  Why is it Apple sells products more effectively than Dell?  Why does Apple seem to resonate with the masses and in doing so become so successful?  Sinek asserts that it's because "People don't buy 'what' you do.  They buy why you do it."  He also notes that the "goal is to do business with people who believe in what you believe."  I am an Apple lover and this philosophy completely makes sense to me.  The "why" controls our decision making.  It is the reason I own and iPhone, an iPad, an Apple TV.  I need these devices because they make my life easier, they allow me to connect with people, and I can use them whenever I want.  The "why" of leadership is important to consider because as a leader you want to work with those that believe what you believe.  I think it is important to work with an organization that shares like minded values and beliefs.

In the past I worked for a company that sold computer software.  I was paid more money than I had ever made in my life.  I got to the travel the country and worked with people I liked.  But as I become more familiar with their practices I discovered they were a dishonest company that took advantage of its clients.  I came to an ethical crossroads because of my values.  After working there for a few months I resigned.  The company was run by managers whose only goal was to make money regardless of the implication.  I learned a valuable lesson from that experience. Real leaders evoke inspiration.  Sinek said that "Those who lead us inspire us.  We follow them because we want to not because we need to."  I did not feel comfortable following the management of this company and regardless of the money I made I never regretted my decision.  I am thankful that I now work for an organization that truly values genuine leadership.

Sinek, S. (2009). How Great Leaders Inspire Action. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA&feature=share&list=PL42F8562DCD3CCEA8 

Yukl, G. A. (2013). Leadership in organizations (8th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

A631.9.2.RB_DiazBrian

After watching the Steve Jobs Brainstorms with NeXT Team video something became very apparent to me.  I would have been a terrible fit for the NeXT team based on my management assessment profile.  Steve Jobs would probably have fired me faster than I could say Mac.  I can imagine him having one of his classic tirades as he disparaged me into exile.  I would have had a great story to tell my grandkids!  Imagine being fired by one of the most ingenious minds of the 20th/21st century.

Why would I have been such a horrible fit for a team with so many other issues at play?  The only characteristic in my favor would be I know that I would have had the courage to leave Apple and follow Jobs to NeXT.  My history of taking business risks would have led me to that team but not much further.  For one, product inventiveness is not in my DNA.  It is practically non-existent.  I have never had a desire to build products or invent them.  Strike one!  I also have a strong need for structure.  For me it is important to have organizational structure.  As a start-up, I feel this is something NeXT lacked.  Organizational structure determines how companies perform and operate.  It seems at NeXT there was some confusion as to how the company should work.  "Team members who joined before 1986 were paid $75,000 while those who joined afterwards were paid $50,000. This caused a few awkward situations where managers were paid less than their employees." Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeXT

To be part of the NeXT team one of the most important characteristics I could have had was my innovation.  However I am extremely conservative when it comes ambition.  Strike two!  I can already see Steve asking some to bring me to his office.  Not only am I conservative but I have a need to ask for advice before acting.  I don't think this quality would be highly thought of in this organization.  The individuals of NeXT are there to innovate, design, problem solve, and most importantly deliver.  My personality needs for there to be tangible results in order for me to measure my success.  Jobs approach to measuring success is the timely delivery of his product, on budget, and at a price that attracts the masses.

I can imagine that working for the NeXT team would involve quite a bit of multitasking across different groups.  Not another one of my strong attributes.  I prefer to work alone but I am able to function as a part of a team.  I enjoy autonomy and is is very unlikely I could contribute to a team of engineers in building this product acting as a lone wolf.  Strike 3!  I can see myself walking into Steve Jobs office for the last time now...

As someone situated to work best in a large rapid growth environment, I think being a part of the NeXT team would have been a horrible fit for me.  A start-up is just not for me.  But it would have been awesome to be anywhere near someone as talented and as brilliant as Steve Jobs.  If there was anyone I could ever dream of being fired by, it would definitely be him.
 

A631.8.4.RB_DiazBrian

I have never taken a Myers-Briggs personality type test before.  I was very interested to discover my personality type (according to this test).  I do recall taking a personality test in the past to determine what career path might best suit me but I can't recall whether it was a Myers-Briggs test or not.  In any event the Myers-Briggs test I took indicated that I am a ISTJ type.  ISTJ stands for introverted, sensing, thinking and judgment.  The exact results of my test can be seen at http://www.humanmetrics.com/hr/JTypesResult.aspx

So what is an ISTJ type?  From what I read and researched, an ISTJ type is exhibits the following traits:

• Deals with things rationally and logically.
• Quiet and reserved.
• Organized, methodical, dependable, and has a sense of duty.
• Generally serious but has an offbeat sense of humor and is a lot of fun.
• Faithful and loyal.
• Not naturally in tune with their own feelings and the feelings of others.

I would like to address these attributes.  I would definitely consider myself to be rational and logical.  This would describe me very well.  This hasn't always been the case.  As a youth I did not give much consideration to the decisions I made.  I was the exact opposite of rational and logical.  I was more of the fly by the seat of my pants, do anything without regard to the consequences, and live for the moment type.  In retrospect I was reckless, selfish, and irresponsible.  But with time you learn from your experiences, use them to grow from.  I did a lot of stupid things into my 20's that I knew I shouldn't be doing but I did them anyway.  That was before I decided to grow up, before I got married, and before I had my son.  As a kid one of my favorite TV shows was Star Trek (the original).   The easiest way for me to sum up who I once was to who I am now would be to say I used to be Kirk but I am now Spock.  Kirk was fearless, rash, and unorthodox whereas Spock was logical, without emotion (which I will touch upon further) , and relied heavily on facts to make decisions.

My ISTJ type describes me as quiet and reserved.  I would agree and disagree with this observation.  I feel like there are 2 Brian's.  The one people see and know in my professional life and the person I am amongst my close friends and family.  At work I am absolutely quiet and reserved.  I am self-aware that I behave in this manner.  If you didn't see me walking by your desk or in the break room, you might not even know I was there.  However around my friends and family I am the complete opposite.  I enjoy being in social (non-work) settings and enjoy talking to people and having fun.  In high school I was runner up for class clown.  I always enjoyed making people laugh.  But how do my colleagues perceive me?  It's funny but I was able to get some feedback not too long ago.  Recently my department had a function at our Director's home on a Friday evening.  We were able to bring our spouses and it was intended to be an informal chance for us to have some drinks and let loose, and have fun.  My wife and I had a sitter and were only went for about 2 hours.  When my wife and I left she commented that "I never thought we were gonna be able to leave because everyone wanted to talk to you."  She mentioned how everyone she met had really nice things to say about me as a co-worker.  She joked, "How did you fool them all!"  I got a good laugh out of that.  But it was nice to know my colleagues enjoy me as a team member and like having me around.

Faithful and loyal.  Without a doubt this describes the person I have become.  I want to be relied upon whether it be by my organization, my classmates, or my friends.  I will do everything in my power to help others and do what I can if someone is in need.  I think these qualities can be attributed to my parents.  My parents have been married for over 40 years.  The example they set for me is part of why I am who I am today.  When all of my childhood friends' parents were getting divorced one by one, I saw the emotional effect it had on them.  My family was one of the few I know that didn't have to go through that experience and for that I am thankful.  It has translated into who I am and where my values are rooted from.  I think these qualities will serve any organization I choose to be part of well.  The future is unknown but for now I love the place that I'm in and will give my organization 110% of myself.  It is who I am.

In high school I dated the same girl for 4 years.  We were very much in love and everyone figured we would get married after school.  But that scared the hell out of me because at 18 what did I know?  I hadn't experienced anything.  I hadn't been anywhere, hadn't done anything.  Long story short I broke up with her and broke her heart.  I then began to date another girl on and off for about 7 years and the relationship was toxic to say the least.  We were gasoline and fire together and we were crazy about one another.  We loved each other then hated each other then loved each other again and again.  This relationship left me very guarded with my feelings in future relationships.  By the time I met my wife I had a real issue with being open about my feelings.  She would say that I had this wall up and wouldn't let her in.  She was right.  It was a protection mechanism I built based on an experience that had nothing to do with her.  I was living in the past.  Luckily for me she chipped away at that wall and I (through a lot of soul searching) was able to express genuine feelings again.  The ISTJ type pegged me again when it said I was not in tune with my feelings and the feelings of others.

But how will I use this information to move forward as a leader in my own right?  I gave this question some though and I realized, that if I use this test, and were to take it on an annual basis, I could map my progression of who I am now and who I can become.  One thing I learned about the ISTJ personality was  that "Due to their straightforward approach, ISTJs may encounter difficulties when it becomes necessary to comprehend a competing theory or idea."  Retrieved from http://www.16personalities.com/istj-personality
I don't necessarily want that to define me and I find the statement to be true of my current state.  However I want to be able to change that aspect of my current personality so I think it is good to be aware of what I perceive as areas for growth opportunity.  The Myers-Briggs personality tests will be a good measure of how I progress and will give me an opportunity to work on areas I might not be aware that could use some change.

A631.7.4.RB_DiazBrian

It has been quite a journey through these last two courses, MSLD 630 and MSLD 631 as we finish up our text.  In these last two courses we learned about:

• OD and reinventing the organization
• Organizational rerewal
• Changing the culture
• Style of OD practitioners
• The diagnostic process
• Overcoming resistance to change
• OD intervention strategies
• Process Intervention skills
• Employee empowerment
• Team development
• Intergroup development
• Goal setting
• Work team development
• High-performance systems
• Organizational transformation and strategic change and
• The challenge of future organizations

What does the future have in store for OD?

As Brown mentions "The application of OD technology is growing rapidly.  New models, techniques, and approaches are constantly being developed and old techniques are being discarded.  OD itself is facing future shock." (p.427).

In my opinion as organizations look to re-invent themselves so will OD.  I believe that there is a great need for OD in organizations that believe and have a vision of a successful future.  Will all organizations look to OD interventions to revitalize or reestablish themselves?  I think the smart ones will.  To quote Sir Winston Churchill "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."  Managers and organizational leaders should be cognizant of the fact that the future needs of organizations and individuals can benefit from the systematic solutions OD programs can offer.  A plan to not have a plan is not a good plan.  As technology advances, demands become greater, and the need for innovation becomes increasingly essential, OD programs can contribute to the success of organizations by offering planned methodology for attaining goals.

When I was in elementary school was was obsessed with playing soccer.  I would play it every moment I could.  I remember the first time I played "organized" soccer.  My uncle took me to the local church and there was a group of about 10 of us.  It wasn't a formal league but more of a little soccer camp.  When the coach lined us up and had us chase that soccer ball I could have run forever.  It was my first true love.  As I got older I studied the about soccer, learned about the World Cup and became infatuated with the great Pele.  I became a really great soccer player, one of the best in my county but my talent was raw.  I practiced every single day on the side of my parents house kicking that ball, anticipating where it would go, becoming one with it.  I eventually landed on my first all-star team and I realized how little I actually knew!  Now that I reflect on it this was my first intervention.  Being selected to this team opened my eyes as to how the game should be played.  I had to change a lot of what I taught myself.  I could no longer just chase after the ball.  I learned that I needed to be part of a team.  That I had to play my position in order to get others involved.  I learned how to play team soccer.  Before I was the one that did everything on my  soccer team.  I was like a bat out of hell!  But I was introduced to the concepts that made the game more meaningful to me.  I learned what it was like to achieve team goals and to trust others.  When there are 10 other teammates on the pitch and you are all working in unison it is a thing of beauty.  Kind of like working on a team for an organization an having a common goal to be better.  I am proud to be on a great team in my current position and we celebrate our accomplishments together, share the same goals, and have the same virtues and values.  I look back to those days on the soccer field and how I learned to be a part of a team and think that has tremendously influenced me today.

#4, front row, far right.

I think as long as there is a need for organizations to continue to progress, to evolve, and become better, there will always be a need for OD.  I don't see it as a fad that will fade away like the short shorts in my soccer pic.  I think OD has a future necessitated by the need of organizations to better themselves using the principles and methods I outlined earlier.

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

A631.6.4.RB_DiazBrian

Listening to the dissimilar stories delivered by Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale and Stanley McChrystal to me were very inspiring narratives of what it means to be a leader and how important it is to be adaptable.   McIngvale was faced with adversity due to the effects of a massively declined housing market and a catastrophic fire that could have meant certain bankruptcy.  In an effort to literally bring his company back from the ashes, McIngvale knew he needed to do something.  He knew that the way his company had been used to doing business had become obsolete and it would be necessary to completely transform his organization as well as his company's culture.  He picked up the book the Influencer and implemented a wide array of strategical changes with his sales force.  There were six lessons he taught.

1. He taught his staff to love what they hated (some did not like the idea of following up with customers once they had visited the store, they felt it was extra work).

2. He began coaching the staff, sharing ideas, and involving all of the associates.

3. Introduced technology, and made his staff literate in the use of iPads and email.

4. Utilized incentive pay.

5. Posted data for employees to visualize the company's performance.

6. Recognized employees for their outstanding work.

Sales began to take off, employees felt empowered, and McIngvale successfully navigated his organization back from the brink of failure.

Stanley McChrystal is a Four Star General that was involved in a number of conflicts that stemmed from the events of 9-11.  His distinctive service spanned 34 years and earned him several accolades.  His experience in leadership was challenged by the emergence of technology, generational differences, and leading service members stationed around the world.  To overcome these challenges McChrystal had to adapt.  Much in the world had changed since he enlisted back in 1976.  He learned to embrace technology and to be alright with learning from his younger counter parts.  He believes he could attribute his success as a leader to his ability to build trust in his man and women.  He built faith, confidence.  He even embraced reverse mentoring.  Imagine being a 20 something having to teach a 4 Star General how to use technology.  I could only dream of being in a position to be able to soak up as much information as possible from one of the greatest modern military men in recent history!  McChrystal believed in the culture of the Army as an Infantry man.  He also believed in the soldier's creed.  Brown stated "evidence suggests that strong cultures have more of an impact on employee behavior and are more directly related to lower turnover.  Research also suggests that a strong culture helps workers march to the same drummer, creates high levels of employee loyalty and motivation, and provides the company with structure and controls without the need for an innovation-stifling bureaucracy." (p. 405).

 Early in my life I worked primarily in the service industry.  I started off working in a Ponderosa as a dishwasher (I was all of 15).  From there I worked my way up to cook and then I wound up waiting tables for what seemed like a lifetime.  I worked for a place in downtown Orlando and the made me an assistant manager.  It was a new restaurant that was trying to make a name for itself.  It lacked a defined culture, a vision, and or strategies to help it.  I worked my *** off for this place because I  thought that it could be the springboard for a new career in management.  I was loyal to a fault.  After a few months sales kept declining, turnover was high as the sky, and the owner was (how do I put this gently) absent in terms of decision making.  It was a complete mess and the writing was on the wall well before the doors closed.  The owner had never owned a restaurant before and treated the place like his personal candy store giving all the pretty women free drinks, drinking (pretty heavily) while he was there, and not "throwing his weight" around when he wasn't happy with things.  He could have benefited from picking up our text and learning how organizations transform, build and revise cultures, share their vision and strategies and change the culture from one that doesn't work to one that cares.  In an effort to turn things around the owner brought in a "CFO".  We failed to see eye to eye almost from day one which for me is nor the norm.  I was more than happy to sit in a meeting with him one day and after being berated (I can't remember exactly for what) I took my keys out of my pocket and said "These are for you.  Looks like you have a restaurant to run."  And I turned around and walked out never looking back.  It felt good.

Compared to the diagrams in the book both men made cases for why strong cultures were important and how they positively influence organizations.  Both were able to accept the need for change and were able to adapt accordingly.  In McIngvale's case he had a great need for strategic change and he managed that change almost flawlessly.  He wasn't afraid of the change and and made certain he shared his vision, reinforced a new value system, and had key people in position.

McChrystal on the other hand as a member of the Army was in a culture steeped in history and held very dearly by him the others that served under him in the military.  However, he too recognized the need for change and embraced it.  Was he always successful?  Admittedly so, no.  But he used failure as an opportunity to learn and grew from the experiences of his service men and women.

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

A631.5.4.RB_DiazBrian

Before I started my journey in this leadership program I had a preconceived notion of what leadership was.  Boy was I ever wrong.  I thought that leadership simply meant being able to make decisions, being in charge of others, and that it could be easy.  I was vastly mistaken and thankfully so.  Because I never wanted to be that kind of person, the kind to show up for a job and tell people what to do.  I am passionate, humble, and genuinely care about the feelings of other.  From what I have learned about leadership these attributes will serve me well on my quest to one day becoming a great leader of an organization.  DO I envision myself as a CEO of a corporation?  No, not necessarily however the goals I have now over time will change.  Who's to say that might not be a goal of mine in the future.  I cannot be certain of what the future holds and that to me is exciting.

I recently had the the opportunity to attend ERAU's Leadership Enhancement Program Conference.  One of my team members was graduating from the 1st tier and our entire team attended to show our support for her.  The conference included keynote speeches from various members of our organization, a moderated roundtable panel discussion focusing on leadership, and various break out sessions.  It gave the attendees an opportunity to listen to these individuals talk about their careers and what it was to be a leader.  They used words like humility, acceptance, mistakes, empathy, openness, communication, and ability to inspire to describe what leadership meant.  They explained that leadership is not easy and that difficult decisions will need to be made as a leader.  As an attendee I found this experience to be enriching because I was able to hear real stories from individual within and outside of my organization.  Not only did I come away from this experience having somewhat of a better understanding of what is required to be leader but also thankful to work for an organization that covets leadership and is willing to offer such training (the 1st tier my team member completed was 8 months long).  Here is a link with additional information to the LEP program http://commons.erau.edu/flight-of-leadership/

I can only imagine this early in my career having to implement a system-wide intervention.  Brown (2011) stated that "Organizations inevitably change because they are open systems in constant interaction with their environment.  Although the impetus for change may rise from internal or external forces, the underlying factor is the degree of openness of the organization to the changing demands, technologies, and values that influence the system." (p. 374).  The common denominator is to aim at improving organizational effectiveness.  As a leader I think it is important to always remember just how importance change is and how necessary it is to adapt in today's constantly changing environment.  I haven't personally witnessed a system wide intervention but I am beginning to understand as a leader what is needed to implement one.  I feel that in order for a leader to be successful in today's market they need to be:

• Honest, have high morale character
• Unafraid to make mistakes
• Open to communication and working with others
• Humble
• Empathetic, approachable
• Creative
• Confident, intuitive
• Be positive

I leave you with some powerful words from Vince Lombardi regarding leadership...

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

A631.4.4.RB_DiazBrian

Self-managed teams have the ability to decide how they organize their work and processes.  Supervisors or team leaders work "on the outside looking in".  They interject themselves if needed to offer guidance, direction, and support.  Even though I work for an organization that is organized in a vertical hierarchy, the company does use self-managed teams.

As an advisor to graduate students I am a part of a self-managed team.  I was fortunate enough to be selected by my team (in the hiring process all candidates meet the entire team and they vote on whom they want to work with).  The team processes where in place when I came aboard but we are free to organize our day how we see fit.  My team shares many of the same characteristics that Brown (2011) contributes to self-managed teams such as:

• Egalitarian culture and lack of status symbols.
• Team members have a sense of vision for the team and the organization.
• Diversity in our members.
• Information of all type is shared.
• Strong partnership between our team and management.

We are given complete autonomy to make decisions, are permitted to take our breaks/lunches when we want to, and we individually determine or work procedures.  We all share the same values, are extremely goal oriented, and enjoy working together.  We have taken it upon ourselves to meet and discuss how to make our job processes better, set goals for ourselves, and offer feedback to one another.  Brown (2011) defines job feedback  as "the degree to which carrying out the work activities required by the job results in workers obtaining direct and clear informationabout the effectiveness of their performance" (p. 343).

I see the following as some of the major benefits of a self-managed work team:

• Greater employee responsibility and accountibility.
• Greater sense of accomplishment and satisfaction from team members.
• Freedom for team innovation.
• More effective use of team members' skills.

Some of the drawbacks  of a self-managed work team are:

• Longer decision making process.
•  Possible chaos (some team members not pulling their weight).
• Possibility of being unable to adapt to team structure.

Personally in order for me to become a competent external manger of a self-managed work team I think I would need  be open to the ideas of others, not be afraid to make mistakes, and be empathetic to the needs of others.  These are all the traits that my supervisor possesses and I consider her a mentor.  In my first year I made plenty of mistakes (some big ones)!  However I was never made to feel bad about them.  I was advised to consider them learning opportunities.  I was always encouraged by my supervisor and my teammates.  I was able to take a little bit from everyone and tried to make my own identity.  I was trusted.  I think that is the competency I would most develop with my team.  I always want to have an "open door" policy and listen to the needs of my team members.

Below is  a pic of me with my team from our recent Prom Dress Kickball Challenge.  I'm the only guy, how's that for diversity!  :)

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