Friday, September 3, 2010
Introductory Blog Topic
Last Wednesday, we did our first activity as a large group: the Blind Square. We had a mix of experienced and inexperienced people in the group, and various obstacles were placed and then removed. Do you think the group was successful? Do you think that you were successful? Imagine the event from a different perspective (e.g. if you had done it before, imagine it from the perspective of a new person, and vice versa). What could you have done to make the experience better for them? What do wish had gone differently in the activity, and what could you have done to make the activity go differently? What are you proud of yourself for doing?
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I thought overall the group was very successful. The blind square is a challenge and it seemed like most people were willing to try and work together to come up with a solution. I think for someone who had done the blind square before it was difficult and annoying to not be able to offer suggestions. For those who had not done the blind square it seemed like they were in a rush to “figure it out” since others already knew what to expect. The main issue I saw that could be improved and would make the experience better surrounds the issue of people not listening and talking over each other. Everyone had suggestions and only part of the group would listen. There was a lack of cohesion and the communication seemed to constantly break down. It is hard to take turns and try out other people’s suggestions especially when you have your own. Listening is a skill that everyone can improve upon and would have made the experience better. As for my contribution I tried to listen to what others were saying especially at the beginning. There were some very helpful suggestions to get us started like counting off and standing shoulder to shoulder. I was proud with my suggestion to get everyone to picture themselves in our familiar courtyard and orientate themselves to a point of reference we all knew (picnic tables). That seemed to be a breaking point for forming the final shape of the square. As soon as I explained where I was standing and my number everyone seemed to connect and know what to do, and that would have been interesting to observe.
ReplyDeleteI feel compelled to use this semester to be critically honest with my classroom observations or interpretations and although they may appear exactingly harsh or severe I apologize now for anything from this point forward but it is only representative of my most passionate feelings, and history will reveal that I will firmly provide support for each and every one of my opinions from this day forward.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said our most recent activity revealed what I have always believed about human nature. Society requests and expects that managers explain and be held accountable to the others that they are supposedly assisting??? This is most likely an expectation because managers are often in high status positions which often accompanies a higher than national average salary. With professional power comes a pocketbook of responsibility and accountability. Yet what this activity revealed was a hint of pure self-interested maintenance of power and jurisdiction control. The control thermostat originated from a place that says: “I am going to be the only fat chief in this joint who knows anything and if those folks don’t come talk to this chief then they can fry in living hell!” I guess I am pulling on the chain of ethical responsibility, and as a manager in training have we lost the connection with fiduciary responsibility.
I guess I might argue that students pour into MBA programs, in droves I might add, with the attention of blinding focusing on getting ahead at the expense of others but most definitely at the expense of ethical responsibility. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked to hear a fellow student state that he
Is here to get ahead and get more money. I would guess the activity was a test of team membership and how leadership emerges from teams. In this case the team membership relied and depended on position and not contribution. Research has recognized that leadership positions that rely on position typically fail because leadership teams feel obligated to focus on the organizational chart of the firm and fixate on the inflexible position of structure. From this geminates a destructive and maladaptive vile strategy of entitlement where people sit and wait until things fall apart so that they can feel comfortable in stating: “but nobody asked for my help.” If you are a manager nobody should ask you for help because you are too busy rolling up your sleeves getting waist deep and doing your job! One of the mistakes team leaders make is failing to make it clear that team members have the responsibility and are expected to add value and contribute to all outcomes otherwise stay in bed for the day, it’s safer for us all. It should be downright immoral to allow a team mate to struggle.
What could have been done?
What I would have done differently is to articulate what I believed were barriers that were holding the team back from monumental success. I will articulate expectations and hold individual team members accountable for contributing directly to the outcomes that the team is responsible for.
What I learned and what will I apply
I have learned from this simple task that even the very best of teams should be made clear on expectation of what they are supposed to do for and with the team, I also will clarify the values, norms and guiding principles by which the behavior is set to represent. Not a problem if we are all open and clear that we are here to make our pockets fat at the expense of others but let’s be clear about it so that we are all on the same page.