A520.9.3.RB_BrianneGowens_Course Reflections

Reflect on what you have learned throughout this course. How can you apply what you learned to your own framework of leadership? Based on what you learned in this class, what are some changes you want to make to your own leadership style?

In this course, I learned that it’s almost impossible to be a good leader if you don’t know your own strengths and weaknesses (Whetton & Cameron, 2016). Although many of us suspect we know what our strengths and weaknesses are, one of the best ways to get better in touch with ourselves is to take a personality test that will help us understand our core self-evaluation. Self-awareness allows leaders to create a development plan that will help them to further build upon strengths while strengthening weaknesses. I’ve become more in touch with the fact that my strengths center around interaction with people, organization, and working in teams. I’ve also become more in touch with my weaknesses, like fearing change, avoiding conflict, and failing to focus on efficiency in my work processes.

Based on the concepts I’ve learned in this class, I strive to make changes in my own leadership style. First, I want to improve my attitude towards change – embracing it rather than avoiding it. I’ve realized through this course that my stress and anxiety level is high and part of that is likely attributed to my attitude towards change. As Whetton and Cameron (2016) pointed out, it’s nearly impossible to pay attention to work priorities when we are trying to manage stress at the same time. To address this, I will practice prospective hindsight, looking ahead to create a plan for how to respond to unexpected situations (Levitin, 2015). In addition, I’m going to make a habit out of finding a few minutes each day to sit alone and completely relax so that my brain can unwind from stressful situations (Puddicombe, 2013). This course has taught me that it’s important to never get too comfortable with something just because it’s going well. In fact, sometimes being brave enough to abandon something familiar will actually lead to greater success (Torres, 2014). 

I’ve also learned that one way to attract followers is to empower them, make them feel valued, and generally show them that I care. When people like coming to work, they are more likely to spread positive energy and raise the overall mood of the work environment. At the same time, I have learned that conflict is not a bad thing! I must not get so focused on making sure people like each other that they become afraid to challenge each other (Morieux, 2014). One thing I plan to do differently as a leader is to create situations where co-workers can respectfully disagree and create healthy debates. When we amplify differences instead of working to make everyone the same, creative ideas are more likely to surface and new solutions are born (Hill, 2015).

In my career I do a lot of negotiating, which is why I was especially interested in the lessons we learned in module six. Ury (2010) explained how important it is to keep our emotions in check and consistently remind both negotiating sides what’s at stake during a negotiation. It’s easy to lose sight when involved in a conflict, but I’ve learned that increasing kindness and walking on the same side as my negotiating opponents may actually get us to a win/win solution faster.

This course has been beyond educational - it is going to make a difference in my career and likely even change my chances of success in the near term. As pointed out several times in the Whetton & Cameron (2016) text, traditional leadership is changing. My leadership framework will include the expectation that leaders serve as members of the team. My framework will require leaders to focus on developing others while developing themselves. Finally, my framework will clearly highlight the importance of diverse thought, healthy debate, and supportive communication. The quicker leaders embrace these ideas, the faster they will establish themselves as a critical organizational asset and secure their long-term status as a phenomenal leader. 

References

Levitin, D. (2015, November). How to stay calm when you know you’ll be stressed [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jPQjjsBbIc& feature=youtu.be

Hill, L. (2015, March 13). How to manage for collective creativity [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjcZrtcBZi4

Morieux, Y. (2014, January 23). As work gets more complex, 6 rules to simplify [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MD4Ymjyc2I

Puddicombe, A. (2013, January). All it takes is 10 mindful minutes. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzR62JJCMBQ&feature= youtu.be

Torres, R. (2014, February 19). What it takes to be a great leader [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUYSDEYdmzw

Ury, W. (2010, December). The walk from “no” to “yes” [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc6yi_FtoNo

Whetton, D. A. & Cameron, K. S. (2016). Developing management skills, 9th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson.

A520.8.3.RB_Brianne Gowens_Team Roles

Write a blog entry on task-facilitating and relationship-building roles. In your blog, reflect upon your understanding of how these roles enhance team performance.

1.    Consider how you generally relate as a team-member.

2.    Do you actively engage your team to accomplish its mission?

3.    Do you work to improve the team cohesion and collaboration?

My role as team member is very dynamic depending on the team setting. In my current work team, I make myself available to help as needed, but I am not as outgoing and collaborative as I am in most other team settings. In my opinion, this is attributed to the fact that my work team is right in the middle of the first stage of team development – the forming stage. I joined my team of nine employees, two managers, and one director approximately ten months ago. When I joined, two other people were also new. Since I have joined, one of the managers has been changed and so has the director. In addition, four of my peers have left and been replaced by new people. This means that 75% of my team has been in the group less than a year – many of them less than six months.

At this forming stage, our team is just learning to become comfortable with one another, and this is taking place of our collaboration over the accomplishment of tasks (Whetton & Cameron, 2016). It’s difficult to get into my organization, so most people are really excited and motivated once they start. With that said, no level of excitement about joining a team can overshadow the fact that people “are usually hesitant to demonstrate their emotions to others until they begin to feel at ease” (Whetton & Cameron, 2016, p. 409). The forming stage is one of the most important stages in team development because “the main reason teams fail is due to a lack of trust” (Boss, 2015).

When I am comfortable and familiar with my team and feel as if we have established the level of trust required to reach the “performing stage,” I become much more proactive. During the performing stage, team members work as a well-oiled machine and they are motivated by opportunities to foster change and improve organizational performance overall (Whetton & Cameron, 2016). The most important thing that I do to actively engage my team so that it can accomplish its mission is to serve the role as a task facilitator. According to Whetton & Cameron (2016), task facilitators provide instructions, give direction, and monitor performance, all in an attempt to help the team be more successful at meeting the mission.

I think my strongest contribution to my teams is that I am very outgoing, and I love to strategize with people, which helps improve overall team collaboration and cohesion. I enjoy pulling ideas out of people and then supplementing their ideas with my own to come up with the best overall solution for the organization. One of the best ways to get the most of each team member is to provide helpful feedback that allows them to improve upon inefficiencies or misguided ideas (Whetton & Cameron, 2016). One of my previous managers once told me that she appreciates leaders who take the time to give constructive criticism to people because it’s one of the most effective methods of making someone better. According to Wujec (2010), teamwork is important because it generates an iterative process where people get instant feedback on their performance. This instant feedback allows people to implement real-time course corrections and become a stronger employee. 

Another thing that I do to improve collaboration and cohesion is to enable my team to get to know each other on a personal level. We have an extremely stressful organization, and this leads to lots of long working hours and does not leave much time for socializing. To address this, I make a special effort to talk to people when I see them in the hallway, even it’s only for three minutes. I also bring in home-made treats and offer them up at staff meetings, which does wonders for opening people up and enabling them to loosen up for a few moments. In this role, I serve as a relationship building teammate, both relieving tension and energizing people to make connections on a personal level (Whetton & Cameron, 2016).

At the end of the day, I believe that the best teammate is one who is dynamic and can fill different roles depending on the needs of others on the team. A strong teammate must be able to provide feedback but also receive feedback and implement suggestions with the understanding that changes help everyone. As a leader, it is critical that I continue to improve my skills at participating and leading teams because the business climate today simply demands it. Whetton & Cameron (2016) pointed out that most organizations won’t even consider a candidate for a management or leadership position if they don’t have a proven record of successfully leading teams. The value of teams in undeniable. Teamwork increases efficiency and productivity, offers differing perspectives and feedback, motivates unity, and promotes synergies – all of which are critical for the success of any business (Wehbe, 2017).

References

Boss, J. (2015). Why some teams fail, and others prevail. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffboss/2015/12/22/why-some-teams-fail-and-others-prevail/#103ffa555303

Wehbe, S. (2017). 5 Important reasons why teamwork matters. Potential. Retrieved from https://www.potential.com/articles/5-important-reasons-why-teamwork-matters/

Whetton, D. A. & Cameron, K. S. (2016). Developing management skills, 9th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson.

Wujec, T. (2010, April). Build a tower, build a team [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0_yKBitO8M

A520.7.3.RB _Brianne Gowens_An Empowerment Example

Describe a time when you have been empowered to accomplish something. Reflect on how others supported you and how the endeavor was accomplished. How can you apply those lessons to your own followers?

The concept of empowerment is one I’ve felt passionate about since beginning the pursuit of my graduate degree more than two years ago. In my very first graduate level course (MGMT 500), I was asked to select a research topic that I’d still be interested in exploring by the end of my degree program – I chose employee empowerment. To me, there is no stronger sign of a good leader as one that builds follower self-confidence by enabling them to make their own decisions. According to Whetton & Cameron (2016), “to empower means to enable. It means to help people develop a sense of self-confidence” (p. 367). Empowerment means asking people what they think and then showing that their opinions matter by actually implementing their ideas (Feigenbaum, n.d.).  

I recently experienced a situation work where I felt empowered to accomplish an important task. Just last month, I was asked to create a presentation that provided a status overview and recommended next steps to my Vice President regarding an airplane sales campaign. My Managing Director (my boss’ boss) asked me to build an overview that was simple and easy to follow but provided enough information for the Vice President to understand the road blocks standing in the way of a successful closing strategy. I worked to build the best possible presentation and the day before it was due I briefed my Managing Director, so she could take it to the Vice President. After giving her the overview, I was shocked when she said, “You know this material really well, how would you feel about coming to the meeting with me and briefing the Vice President directly?”

Suddenly, my level of ownership associated with this presentation completely changed. Although I felt I’d done a good job initially, I had a new level of commitment in making sure it was perfectly once I realized that I would be the one speaking to it. I went back to my desk and I tweaked the slide to match with my speaking style. I highlighted the points that I felt were important based on my direct involvement in the sales campaign. I walked into the Vice President’s office with the Managing Director by my side and I confidently gave him the overview I’d been working on throughout the week. When I was finished, he looked pensive for a moment and then suggested that the sales team travel to Europe to submit a final offer face-to-face instead of over the phone as originally planned. He said “you know this customer better than Jen or I do, do you think they would respond well to that?” Again, I was surprised that he asked what I thought about his idea, but I appreciated his acknowledgement that I am in the trenches and he is observing from afar. I told him I thought the customer would respond quite well to a face-to-face visit based on their level of personal engagement and commitment to building strong relationships. Both my Vice President and my Managing Director concurred.

The major lesson learned from this experience is that there is a direct correlation between the extent to which an employee feels empowered and the extent to which an employee takes personal ownership in his or her work product. Through this experience, I saw first-hand how quickly perspectives can change once a follower realizes that they are empowered to build a product, share an idea, and take action based on their knowledge of the situation. This interaction with my Managing Director and Vice President made me want to further strengthen my knowledge on the customer and think outside of the box on what we could do to win.

These are the exact lessons I want to share with my followers. Empowerment requires an equal commitment on the side of the follower and the leader. The follower must take the initiative to demand the discretion and freedom to act and the leader must display a willingness to let go (Obolensky, 2014). I want my followers to hear me acknowledge that they know their work statement and their customers better than I do. I want my followers to feel that they are connected to the outcomes of the organization. I believe my followers will gain a greater sense of motivation when they interact directly with both external and internal stakeholders and are able to see how their work directly affects those around them (Whetton & Cameron, 2016). I want to teach my followers the five factors of confidence and trustworthiness: (1) reliability, (2) fairness, (3) caring, (4) openness, and (5) competence so that believe they offer honest perspectives without a fear of being dismissed (Whetton & Cameron, 2016).

Unfortunately, empowerment is “rarely implemented effectively” in most organizations (Heathfield, 2018). Why is this if the benefits of empowerment are so clearly outlined in business research? I think one barrier to empowerment is the idea that managers are supposed to retain control of followers. This idea of controlling and micromanaging people certainly fit into the traditional description of management, but traditional management is becoming less and less prevalent as a new generation of managers take the helm. The new generation of managers are able to stand at the top, look down, and say “I don’t know, what do you think?” (Obolensky, 2014). Up and coming managers realize that leadership knows less than ten percent of the problems facing the company, while followers have their eyes on the other 90 percent (Obolensky, 2014). If followers know the problems, and followers have ideas for the solutions, then providing them with an opportunity to speak up and empowering them to take action will almost certainly strengthen the organization as a whole.

References

Feigenbaum, E. (n.d.). Employee empowerment and decision making. The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/employee-empowerment-decision-making-4842.html

Heathfield, S. (2018). Empowering employees to make decisions will benefit your organization. The Balance. Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/failing-to-empower-employees-to-make-decisions-1918506

Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex Adaptive Leadership: Embracing Paradox and Uncertainty (2nd ed.). New York, New York: Gower Publishing.

Whetton, D. A. & Cameron, K. S. (2016). Developing management skills, 9th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson.