A631.6.4.RB - Shuck, Allison

Transformational Strategies 

After watching both videos the “Influencer” and the “Listen, learn and the lead, I believe that both Jim Mclngvale and Stanley McCrystal have something in common; both leaders have had to deal with organizational changes beyond their control. 

Jim Mclngvale, owner of Gallery Furniture, states that in 2008 the housing market in Texas plummeted, resulting in a 75% decrease in the company’s core customer revenue. Then in 2009, the company suffered structural damages when part of the company’s destitution center caught on fire. Both of these events made Mclngvale realize that in order to grow as a company, he would need to be innovative and develop a strategy for changing the company’s culture. The strategy Mclngvale used was the “influencer” strategy. The Influencer strategy help Mclngvale turn his company around. Mclngvale and his leadership team developed and implemented six different influencer initiatives. These initiatives helped to create an innovative way of doing business. Overall, Mclngvale and his leadership team have successfully:

· Revamped sales 

· Created lifelong customers through quality customer service 

· Reduce delivery reworks

· Reduced inventory levels

· Improved employee safety and wellness 

Stanley McCrystal, commander in the US Army, talked about his experience as a leader in the Army. He explained how difficult it was to lead in a “new age”. His challenge was how to effetely motivate and encourage members of his team through different communication methods.  As a commander, many members of McCrystal’s platoon were stationed in different parts of the world; this made it difficult for McCrystal to provide his team with emotional support they needed. Due to this fact, McCrystal was forced to adapt and change from his old leadership style to a more advance technological leadership style; essentially, learning how to motivate and encourage his team via email, phone, and video chat.

A631.5.4.RB - Shuck, Allison

Successful leaders throughout time have accomplishing what may seem to be impossible or “crazy” but in reality those accomplishments have changed the world. Albert Einstein defined crazy as trying the same experiment over and over again expecting different results. Much like Albert Einstein, a successful leader must be dedicated to the cause. I believe that a leader must possess the following character in order to successfully promote change.  

·         The ability to understand the need for change – A leader must be able to define and understand the real need for change.

·         The ability to create a shared vision – A leader must have a vision that encourages people; it must be concrete and understandable; it must promote followers.

·         The ability to set goals – How will a leader fulfill the need? A leader must define specific and measurable goals.  

·         The ability to lead and motivate – A leader must create momentum by virtue of strong leadership.  

·         The ability to communicate effectively - A successfully leader must have the capability to communication on many different levels with many different types of people.

However, change is only successfully when implemented for the right reasons. A leader must set aside monetary gains (selflessness) and focus on the real value behind the change. A leader must focus on the impact (good or bad) this change will have on the world. 

A631.4.4.RB - Shuck, Allison

Through my knowledge, I feel that there are more benefits to working in a self-manage team then there are drawbacks. One of the major benefits of working in a self-managed team is that the team decides how to manage and structure their own work; essentially, making each team member responsibility for organizing and completing his or her own tasks. By creating a flatter organizational structure, each team member of the self-managed team has the capability to make decisions for themselves, to establish his or her role and responsibilities.

Another benefit of self-managed teams is that it promotes managers to move away from micro- management and take more of a nontraditional external leadership approach. As an external leader, a manger can help the team understand the overall goal the organization is trying to achieved and inspire the team to accomplish that goal. Giving a means to an ends; allowing the team to make its own decisions on how to manage the work, but providing the team with a vision.

However, external team leaders must refrain from micromanaging at all times and only intervene if there is a disruption in workflow or if there is an emergency. The external leaders should not be counterproductive to the team in any way.  The external leaders’ objective is to promote the teams’ independence and problem-solving skills. If the external leader fails to do his or her job incorrectly, it could be detrimental to the teams’ success.

Other drawbacks associated with self-managed teams are as follows:

·         Self-managed teams may not be appropriate to the task, people and context.

·         The organization does not perceive the need to change.

·         Managers and leaders are vague and confused about their roles.

·         Organizations fail to reward for performance.

·         A lack in training can cause self-managed teams to fail.

·         Lack of advancement opportunities.

·         Complications in constructing a successful

Would I like to be a part of a self-managed team?

I would love to have opportunity to work in a self-managed team. I am a very independent person and feel that working in a self-managed team would benefit me. Why, because it would allow me to put my creativity to use.

A631.3.4.RB - Shuck, Allison

How Feedback Directly Effects Performance 

Feedback is an essential part of the communication process. Without feedback, a person is essentially unaware of how to change his or her behavior. Since feedback has been proven to increase a person’s performance, feedback should be used to help set new goals. By reflecting on past experiences both personal and/or professional, a person can increase his or her performance. Managers often use this tactic in an organizational setting to build employee development and motivation. However, in some cases feedback can be negative and detrimental to employee development, especially when it is not received with an open mind.  When this situation occurs, employees often disregard the feedback received and do not spend much time reflecting and/or setting new goals. Coaching reflection, on the other hand, allows employees to step back and evaluate the feedback received; it provides the employee with the tools needed to think through the feedback, identify his or her mistakes and set new goals (Anseel, Lievens & Schollaert, 2009, p.23).

Brown (2011) discusses the different implications on the amount of feedback desired between employee and management. Does elaborate feedback create better performance outcomes than basic feedback? Research suggests that employees who received more elaborate feedback from management have better performance outcomes than those who only received basic feedback (Jared & Houmanfar, 2009, p.245).

 Personally, I believe that employee motivation and performance is driven by feedback. When my supervisor praises me for a job well done, I am more likely to continue my good performance with the hope of receiving the same result. Much like classical conditioning, performance and feedback work the same way; where one stimulus comes to signal the occurrence of a second stimulus. Feedback = Increased Performance.

Traditionally, I provide a lot of feedback; it is in my nature to do so. I work in a field where feedback is required on a daily basis. Feedback is an essential part of my job. It is my responsibility to ensure that all students receiving financial aid understand how it works; all students must know their responsibilities are as a student and as a borrower. In addition, must also make sure that all students understand the repercussion of withdrawing and how it affects their financial aid. The type of feedback I provide my students has a direct impact on the student motivation and willingness to learn. Without financial aid, most students wouldn’t go to college.

References:

Anseel, F., Lievens, F., & Schollaert, E. (2009). Reflection as a strategy to enhance task performance after feedback. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 110 (1), 23-35.

Jared, A. C., & Houmanfar, R. (2009). The differential effects of elaborate feedback and basic feedback on student performance in a modified, personalized system of instruction course. Journal of Behavioral Education, 18(3), 245-265. 

Johnson, K. R. (2012). The effects of goal orientation and feedback on the notetaking habits and performance of college students. Columbia University. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 98, 1-83.