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Transformational Strategies

          The efforts Jim McIngvale made to turn around the drop in the housing market n 2008 and the $30 million fire that destroyed his warehouse took a strong sense of 'can do' and a belief in a strategy to get his company's culture shifted enough to adapt to a market that Gallery Furniture was not performing well in. It appears the series of unfortunate events was Jim's perfect stage to implement culture change. However, it took a specific technique that Jim utilized after reading "Influencer: The Power to Change Anything" from the Wall Street Journal. Had I been in Jim's shoes after these devastating events, I would have been reaching for straws. Jim took this opportunity to change a 30-year cultural behavior into one that placed the customer first and foremost. 

          It is easy to relate to Jim's decisions when placed in a crisis situation. A holistic look at his company when his company was threatened to no longer exist was the perfect opportunity to create organizational transformation. In Jim's case, the strategic changes he made were directly related to culture and therefore was able to manage the risk based on his vision.

          Stanley McChrystal learned to integrate himself into a very dynamic culture that had literally changed overnight. The force he used to lead fell on the backbone of history's leaders and now McChrystal had to humble his perception and become open to subordinate's know-how in order to learn the ways of the force and adapt if he was to continue to be an effective leader in a new emerging landscape. Stanley soon realized he was dealing with a decentralized force spread out around the world consisting of young and old personnel bringing with them a whole new set of skills and understanding about their individual jobs. Stanley had to learn how to communicate, mentor, trust, support, gain trust, and motivate them via technology. 

          In his corporate environment, the military, corporate culture is strong; where members' commitment and sharing of values were tightly interwoven. In this environment, there is no opportunity to single-handedly change the culture. Stanley's strategy to adapt to the global environment in which he worked was by shifting hs perception. Due to the fact Stanley's leading style no longer was compatible with the new emerging culture, he had to manage his strategy of self-change around the culture. I can only imagine the difficulty of changing one's lifelong understanding and perception of interacting with their environment to an inverted way of thinking; listening and learning vice giving orders.

           In both environments, the struggle to manage risk and employ strategy in and around culture can be a daunting one. Understanding how best to mitigate risk all the while employing a strategy that will effectively produce desired results in support of an organization's vision allows hope for organizational transformation to endure.

References:

Brown, D. R. (2011). An experiential approach to organizational development. 8th Ed. Upper Saddle River: NJ. Pearson.

McChrystal, S., TED2011 (2011, March). Listen, learn...then lead. Ted Talk. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/stanley_mcchrystal_listen_learn_then_lead#t-925407

Vitalsmarts (2012, Septemeber 17). Influencer: Gallery furniture case study. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=90&v=E20RW75Fhu4&feature=emb_logo

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Self-Managing Teams

          Self-managed teams introduce a capability when properly developed and implemented that not only replaces a typical organizational team but improves its functionality, its intrateam integration, production, organizational awareness, and output. In addition, self-managed teams often find greater job satisfaction through quality work, and rewards and benefits (Brown, 2011). These self-managed teams also enjoy autonomy; independence that leads to ownership of a project or goal. This pride that comes with such autonomy leads to a great deal of satisfaction when meaning is not only provided behind its purpose but meaning given by those claiming ownership. Knowing that you are a part of a team that has been empowered to make decisions on behalf of an organization is a renewal of that empowerment. If an open-books policy is provided along with a culture of clear flat communication, I can see an additional benefit of having a sense of organizational ownership that only comes with trust and support by upper management.

          While there are many benefits to self-managed teams, Brown (2011) cautions on several considerations when developing, or using such teams: "self-managed work teams may not be appropriate to the task, people and context; the organization does not perceive a need to change; managers and leaders are vague about their roles; organizations that do not reward performance are likely to run into problems; a lack of training can cause self-managed work teams to fail; because there are fewer layers in an organization, there are fewer opportunities for advancement into managerial positions; and building self-managed work teams is not a one-shot activity" (p. 353). These issues, while definite concerns within an organization supporting self-managed work teams would be best utilized while developing them so as to be aware of such pitfalls and avoid them.

          In my current community, we have what is called working-groups. Depending on the level of the organization you are working in, this name may be referred to as something different but they are all generally the same. Nonetheless, these groups function relatively the same as self-managed working teams. My time in these working groups has been the most rewarding and enjoyable of my tenure. I enjoyed autonomy, open-books access, freedom to provide input, develop new policies, Operational Directives, and Operations Center Standard Operating Procedures with the full support of higher management. However, withstanding any extra incentives, the enjoyment of the autonomy and freedom of work along with the quality of our results lent much in the way of benefits of working within such a team. I would love to develop, be a part of, or even coordinate such self-managed teams!

         As a Navy Chief, I feel I can draw numerous parallels in competencies required to be an effective external manager. A Navy Chief manages and leads all the while mentoring up-and-coming leaders (the internal team leader). I do not often inject my input but leave the decision-making to the rest of the platoon (self-managed working team) to develop solutions and accomplish tasks. I simply support and facilitate what they've been directed to accomplish. If they require some guidance along the way, I am at their disposal 24/7. Throughout my time as this external manager, I suppose the competencies I would need to be effective would include being a coach, teacher, mentor, cheerleader, goal definer, vision provider, resource manager, grand communicator, and facilitator. Brown (2011) offers "The coordinator functions largely as an energizer, teacher, and facilitator by encouraging the team's self-managing behaviors, learning, goal-setting, creativity, self-evaluation, feedback to one another, new ways of problem solving, and group problem solving." As in most cases of leadership development, I always find it best to be a part of what you want to manage and lead so as to have the experience to fully understand the depths and nuances of how to best go about becoming and performing as an effective external manager.

References:

Brown, D. R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development. Boston, MA: Prentice Hall.

INSEAD (2008, September 22). Self-managing teams: debunking the leadership paradox. Youtube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDCMUC9aeQQ-NqjHS3nfiod2PMSA&v=GBnR00qgGgM&feature=emb_rel_end.

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Eco Seagate

          Eco Seagate is a 5-day team-building outdoor lab experience involving 40 teams of five people competing in multiple events culminating in a "40-kilometer adventure race through a course consisting of biking, climbing, traversing unknown terrain with a vague map, kayaking, traversing canyons on cables, and running" (Brown, 2011).

          What appears to be nothing more than a grueling 5-day competition with your co-workers is, in fact, a team-building experience none of the participants will soon forget. Ordinary working folk in an organizational environment is typically independently comfortable at their desk, in the lounge, using the restroom, smoking outside and socializing with their colleagues. Place these individuals in an austere environment they have never navigated nor traversed, and many, if not most instantly become dependant for help and support. This type of co-dependency requires trust, faith, commitment, compromise, listening, observing, and problem-solving. People participating in Eco Seagate are more-less forced to rely on each other to accomplish team tasks.

          There is great value in introducing a corporate organization to a multi-day outdoor team building adventure where not only are they learning to look to each other's talents and skills, but to their own and how to incorporate and integrate them within a team and an environment of many unknowns. Bill Watkins, CEO of Seagate, felt the value would lie in taking the team-work and leadership skills developed at Eco Seagate and bringing it back into the organizational environment (Brown, 2011). While this may be true, I believe it goes beyond the workplace environment. When ordinary people have an ordinary experience, it changes them. They perceive themselves as different, more capable, more confident. In addition, they may even learn to look at others differently, as if they may bring more to the table than what is seen. To come to learn one has the ability to go beyond what they thought was possible physically, mentally, and emotionally is an individual revelation and inspiring. People grow through these types of experiences and are nothing short of invaluable.

          The awareness, skill-building, team-work, and integration learned out in an environment that is uncomfortable and exhausting, yet exhilarating, present in numerous opportunities to see the effects of decision-making at the individual and team levels instantly as well as over time. Where false confidence once stood, where insecurity once had held, and doubt lingered, now is replaced with quiet confidence, self-surety, and faith in one's self to apply and integrate into a team effort. Coming to understand the inner workings of a team can enlighten communication, assumptions, team skills and talents, integration of intrateam processes, and constructive feedback. Only through gains like these can a developing team break through to high performance where each team member can anticipate the requirements, expectations, and reactions of the other team members in a timely and efficient manner.

          My organization not only could but does benefit from a similar type of event that lasts much longer and focuses on the individual as well as team fortitude. The endurance, integrity, and fortitude required are more of a rite of passage rather than an annual event though. Nonetheless, the team-building events involved are not only invaluable but necessary. Only high-performing teams are expected in my community. Anything less will not be tolerated. I believe any organization where individuals are required to work together in teams should experience something like the Eco Seagate event at least once if not more.

References:

Brown D. R. (2011). An experiential approach to organizational development. Boston, MA: Prentice Hall.

Friki (2018). Navy seals buds class 234 //part 2 of 6// it pays to be a winner. Dailymotion. Retrieved from https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6y83rr

Seagate (2008, April 25). Eco seagate 2008 1/3. Youtube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCOfOFMiLtE&feature=youtu.be

          

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Brainstorming with Steve Jobs' NeXT Startup Team

          In the working groups Steve Jobs created at Pebble Beach, California in the early '80s, it appeared the culture was formed around a raw, entrepreneurial mindset where devising a company, a logo, a product, and getting it to market was what the retreats were all about. Getting away to a relaxing, enjoyable off-site location where the group can co-create was a vital component in allowing brainstorming to occur and sustain. Once the brainstorming discussions began, all that mattered was what each individual brought to the discussions that pushed to the growth of the new company up.

          Based on the personalities, characteristics, and disposition of the members of the NeXT Startup Team, I believe I would have fit in as a contributing team member offering insights in numerous areas to include the schedule's deadline, defining the problem, cutting costs, tying periodic progress with vision, marketing, and motivation. My approach to all of these areas typically begin with listening to what others have to say and understand where they may be coming from as well as understanding where it appears they want to go in the discussion. Once I have a firm grip on where the group wants to go with the brainstorming session, I typically would offer an idea or perspective based on a relative experience or an idea not yet considered that may affect the problem set.

          My independence attribute lends me the ability to think for myself, problem-solve, and create independent of the working group, offering up unique ideas and solutions. In the realm of achievement, I would leave the identification of milestones achieved to Steve Jobs. As the Chairman with the vision the team is working towards, he would be the one to measure and determine which achievements are worth mentioning and which ones were not. In this brainstorming environment, I do not require much in the way of recognition. A feeling of contribution would be enough. Being recognized as a valuable contributor would settle my dust in terms of this attribute. My ability to assess risk versus gain in this environment would come out as the devil's advocate. I would point out opposing concerns that may need to be but have not yet been considered. I would approach financial issues initially theoretically, then pragmatically. This approach helps me understand where we want to go as well as how we will get there in terms of funds. Leveraging a strong characteristic of problem-solving within innovation motivates me to brainstorm right along with others; bouncing ideas in more of a smaller sidebar group instead of a Chairman-led brainstorming group. Nonetheless, this characteristic would allow me to confidently bring up issues and their potential solutions. Finally, my multi-tasking attribute keeps me focused on details as well as time schedules; issues discussed at the retreat. Creating a reverse timeline from the 'due date' back to current time can show incrementally what is required at any given time segment and if it is possible to accomplish within the given time frame.

          Being aware of the other member's area of expertise and experience, I would tend to be a bit more reserved trying to capture what is being said, how well it is being delivered, and how others are receiving them. This observation in communication also assists me in becoming aware of the group's conversational transaction effectiveness. In truth, at the end of the day, I would be learning about each individual's job position and responsibilities and how everyone interacts. Having this information affords me a certain amount of confidence in knowing when to speak up, what to offer up, and how to deliver it most effectively. I would have loved being a part of Steve Jobs' NeXT STartup Team brainstorming retreat.

Reference:

Job's Official (2017, November 23). Steve jobs brainstorms with the next team 1985. Youtube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udi0rk3jZYM.