A633.9.3.RB - Polyarchy Reflections

 Polyarchy Reflections

      Our education systems are finally taking notice that the traditional classroom way of learning is not for everyone. Children learn in different ways and have difference experiences and viewpoints on the information they are receiving form their teachers. Educators have noticed that when the course of action is altered to meet the needs of an individual, then that individual has a much higher and faster rate of learning. This is partly why the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs were created, because sitting in a classroom with 30 other kids listening to the same information while having to sit still for hours and raise their hand when they have a question; which consequently, often most do not do or either they are not answered and told to wait. Of course, not every class is like this, but the majority are. Things are no different as we become adults trying to learn a new job. 

      The traditional Oligarchy style of leadership is simply not working for those companies who wish to grow their companies in the best and fastest way possible. The 70:20:10 model suggests that 70% of our learning is hands-on learning, 20% is learning from others, and 10% is learning from professional development. The hands-on learning accounts for a lot when it comes to trying to learn a new job, not be sitting in front of a computer trying to learn the rope of the job, or by simply watching someone else do it. So it would stand to reason that if a company wishes to be around for a long time, then they should do away with the traditional oligarchy leadership (Training Industry, 2016).

     In my own personal experience, I am stunned that the traditional oligarchy style is still in place in many organizations, including my own. In my own opinion, it seems that the oligarchy style of leadership in organizations are a bit archaic.  I can’t understand how they organization does not see how this is holding back their growth potential as well as the growth potential of their employees. There are so many opportunities within my organization to help build more leaders, to do more coaching of those who are already there and have leadership qualities. So far, I have had to be the one to initiate my training. Whatever I have learned so far has been because I have asked, I have sought out, and I have taken training upon myself.  I came in full of hope for my future, but it was quickly dampened. However, I also realize that I do have some control over how this will affect my own strategy. I will use this experience as an example and as fuel for my own leadership strategy.

Over the next 3 years, I will need to establish a better relationship with the leadership I currently have in hopes that together we can make some changes. Once I have established those relationships then we can work on coming up with training procedures for new employees. 

Reference:

Training Industry, (2016). The 70:20:10 Model for Learning and Development. Retrieved from: https://www.trainingindustry.com/wiki/entries/the-702010-model-for-learning-and-development.aspx

A632.9.3 - Role of Emotion in Decision Making

 Emotions and Decisions

In the speech that Professor Baba Shiv gave at Stanford University about the importance of emotions in decision making, he talks about how the emotion invokes passion, confidence, and extraction. He talked about how not having these three things causes a person to be indecisive, which leads to more problems down the road. 

I would describe myself as both a great and horrible decision maker. I have no problem making a decision. I am a very practical type person, so I always tend to decide on the most practical decision…UNLESS, that decision will somehow affect someone in a negative way or cause them to look at me in a negative way. Before watching this video, I would have said that my problem with making decisions was that I had too much emotion involved and needed to take some of the emotion out. What I realized after this video is that the emotion just needs to be redirected. 

To give an example, there was this situation I was faced with where I was stuck in the middle of two very good friends who were married to each other, but getting a divorce. I removed myself as much as I could from both of them so that I could remain friends with both while they went through their terrible ordeal. However, things started to take a turn for the nasty and the child they had together where was the one who was about to get the raw end in of the deal. I made a decision to speak up about the things I knew. One parent was using the child as a pawn to simply get what they wanted out of the divorce, while the other didn’t care as long as they got the child. Things were heading in favor of the one who was using the child as a pawn and I simply couldn’t stand by and not speak up. My emotion is what led me to the decision and I was more confident about that decision than ever before. Because of my decision to speak up, it completely altered the outcome of that divorce and the child went with the parent that they needed to be with. 

However, on the other side of my decision making, I was faced with the choice of three different jobs at once. All of them called me on the same day to offer me a job and I went into full panic mode. I tried doing a pro’s and con’s list, but that it did not help. There was no way to determine the weight of each pro or con. All three jobs were around the same pay, same drive time to work, and same type of duties and responsibilities; however, I wasn’t sure which one I should pick. I consulted my usual group of family and friends and still had no idea what to do. My gut told me one thing, but my brain said another. I went with the choice that my brains said too, because it was the most practical choice. After just one day of being on the job I realized that I had made a mistake. I took the emotion out of my decision making and went with the practical, brain decision and it absolutely did not work out in my favor. 

There have been many, many times where I have taken the emotion out and went with the simply, practical choice. Every time I have done that, I feel confident about my choice, but the outcomes never end up the way I envisioned them going. I think there is a fine line when allowing your emotions to help with a decision. I think it works well for those who can let the emotion in, but keep them in check.

Reference:

Shiv, B. (2013). Decision making. Retrieved January, 2017. From:

                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRKfl4owWKc

A633.8.3.RB - How do Coaches Help?

Coaching as a Leadership Style

“To be an executive coach, it is necessary to know that clients are the first and best expert capable of solving their own problems and achieving their own ambitions, that is precisely the main reason why clients are motivated to call on a coach. When clients bring important issues to a coach, they already made a complete inventory of their personal or professional issues and of all possible options. Clients have already tried working out their issues alone, and have not succeeded”.

     With this statement in mind, then value that a coach can provide to their clients is to give them the clarity they need to distinguish between the options they have already discovered for themselves. Most people have the knowledge they need, but the just don’t know where to put forth their energy in order to give them the maximum return on their efforts. Coaching can reinforce creativity, which will produce change, and hopefully growth. This is important to the strategy of a company because it will help the employees to assess their current needs, challenges they will face, opportunities that may come up, and feel more confident with the choices they make with the current potential. 

     Coaching within your company will change the morale of the people who work for you. People will feel that they are important as you show that you value their development. When people feel valued at work performance, quality, and commitment will all improve. On the flip side to that, conflict will reduce as they employee’s feel more like part of a team.

     Coaching is exactly what is needed within my organization. If we were to have leaders who used a coaching style of leadership, the morale within the whole organization would change. People would start acting as if the job they do is important and would try to find ways to make things better. Right now they are just content to do what is required…nothing more, nothing less. 

Reference:

10 Ways Coaching Can Help Your Organization (2013). Retrieved from: https://coachfederation.org/blog/index.php/205/