A521.5.1.RB - Core Workplace Value Assessment

I was very fortunate to find an organization that values a lot of the same things that I do. After taking the online assessment, I found out that my top three values in an organization include being mentally challenging, professional development, and being respected and valued. My current organization fulfills all of these wants in various ways.

Working in a distribution center as an operations manager has its challenges, and I welcome them because I enjoy challenging work. Planning, staffing, and leading team members to perform at a high level are all mentally challenging, as there are road bumps that find themselves into my everyday work routine that make it more even more challenging than it already is. Target also does a great job of developing team members. I had the opportunity to go through a 90-day training program after starting, and there have been several other opportunities for me to learn and better myself, such as leading different projects, paying for education, and helping managers work on their leadership weaknesses. Target also respects all of their team members, from the lowest level employee to the highest one; everyone is given the same amount of respect and recognition for their efforts. I work hard to excel at my job, and it feels good to be recognized in front of senior leadership and peers for my accomplishments.

One of my values that Target falls short on is providing strong financial compensation and rewards. Bonuses are given, but individual performance does not have a huge impact on the bonus amount, and the bonuses are not sufficient for the amount of work being done. I feel that my education and experience is unique, and this teamed with my job knowledge and work ethic could be rewarded a bit more.

Overall, Target values much of the same things as I do. The organization continues to surprise me with how much they actually value, and it’s comforting to know that Target covers so many areas in terms of what they value and how much emphasis they put on it.

A521.4.3.RB - Subtleties of Communication and Hidden Messages

Non-verbal communication is extremely unforgiving and noticeable by people who may not even know you. When you show non-verbal communication that is not consistent with your verbal communication, credibility is lost and the audience may be less trusting of what you are trying to convey.

I am a naturally impatient person, and it shows sometimes in my non-verbal body language. As McKay and Davis state in the book, some of these non-verbal signs of impatience include sighs, frowns, and crossed arms and legs. I have a tendency to do this in meetings where the subject is dry and boring. This does not happen often at work, but it does in my personal life, and my wife is the first person to point it out to me. I need to become more understanding of the people I am listening to. I need to give them the respect and attention they deserve, as they have given to me. I sometimes cover up my emotions or feelings with words, when my actions and body movements may show differently. This happens more at work than it does in my personal life, mainly because I want my team to associate me with a positive attitude, not a negative one. If I am feeling down or sad, I will try my best not to show it so that it doesn’t have an effect on the people who I am surrounded by.

One specific instance is when I had a rather eye-opening meeting with one of my mentors at work. It happened at the beginning of my shift, so I had a bit of a drab attitude for the rest of the day. My team members knew something was wrong because I am typically outgoing, fun, and talkative at work, and I failed to display any of these traits that day. I told them nothing was wrong, but they knew. I could have opened up to them because I have very strong relationships with most of them, but I kept my feelings and emotions closed-up.

I think the main areas that need improvement in my communication skills surround my non-verbal language and body language. I am usually a positive person, but I don’t do the best job of hiding my feelings in my personal and professional lives. I think that family members and co-workers will be more accepting of my feelings and thoughts if I just open up, rather than hiding. I care a great deal about what people think of me, so I try not to show negativity. This could hurt me because it may come off as being insincere and not genuine. 

A521.3.4.RB - Personal Reflection

It was the end of the first semester of my senior year in 2004. I was not the most studious during my high school career, so I was in jeopardy of falling short of graduation by a semester hour. The only option I had was to sacrifice my free time that I earned and take a full schedule of classes for the last semester. To an ordinary student, this decision was a no brainer. For me, however, the decision was very hard. My family did not support education at all, which may have been one of the reasons why I did not care about my education. My parents gave me the option to drop out and work for my Dad, who started his own small business a few years prior. I felt compelled to take their offer, but then an overwhelming sense of responsibility and competitiveness came over me. I enrolled into a full schedule of classes and successfully finished high school. To this day, I am the only member of my immediate family to graduate from college, and the second person to achieve this in my extended family.

This is where my achievement-oriented spirit stems from. I enjoy challenging myself and completing difficult goals because of the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment that comes with it. My wife is a very good motivator and support system for me in my goal setting. I typically take on leadership roles and difficult assignments at work, especially if I haven’t done them before.

While I was deployed to Iraq in 2008, my wife and I had only been married for 2 years, and my son was 1 year old. This was the first separation that we went through since being married and it really took a toll on our marriage and relationship. There were a couple close calls where my life was in real danger, and my health was in shambles. When I returned my wife and I promised one another never to separate again. We were not able to keep this promise, but we have continued to work on our relationship and stay close to one another. We do almost every activity together, and I have very little interaction with friends or co-workers outside of work because I devote all of my time to my family.

I became a very compassionate and devoted family man after our separation. My time and resources are geared toward taking care of my family and giving them what they want and need. I thoroughly enjoy spending time with them. This shows up at work because I have a high relationship style of leading, and building relationships with my team members and peers is extremely important.

A521.2.3.RB - Danger of Stories

Chimamanda did a very good job of using her personal stories to tell a story. All too often we use a single story to define a group of people, a geographical location, a style of music, or even a type of food. I don’t think that it’s because we want to use the single story, but rather the only choice that we have. Stereotypes exist in every facet of our lives, and it is very hard to distinguish fact from fiction when they encompass so much of what we do, how we think, and how we act.

I am not ashamed to say that I have fallen victim to a single story. When I first relocated to Saudi Arabia, I quickly realized that the Saudi nationals had a single story about Americans that involved the way we dress, the way we eat, our entire culture. It was then that I realized that I had a single story about them as well. It came from the movies I watched, the pictures and stories I heard in the news, and even the stories that were told by people who knew nothing more than what I knew of the country of Saudi Arabia. I’m sure it was the same for the Saudi nationals.

This coincides quite nicely with the lessons we learned about stories in this module. As we tell stories and use them to motivate others and change the way we think about something, the stories should be genuine, factual, and free from the single story stigma. We have to know that single stories have no room in the world of leadership communication. The people we communicate the stories to are going to be using the stories as a foundation of assurance and trust, free from stereotypes and judgment. I think that stories are very effective when used as tools for change, but they have to true stories that do not paint a group of people or countries in a light that could be questionable. Open-mindedness and trust are essential when telling and listening to these stories

A521.1.4RB - Kemp, Elijah

One common story within my organization deals with relationships and connection building. On my first day of work I had an agenda that consisted mostly of meetings with different managers and executives throughout the building. I was a bit intimidated at first because I was meeting with the entire senior team, and several other managers from other departments.

I entered the office of the first individual who I was meeting with, and he asked me if I wanted to walk the floor and talk or sit in the office. I never really had the opportunity to walk around a 1.8 million square foot building before, so I elected to walk and talk. The walk lasted about an hour, and we covered the entire perimeter of the building within that hour. The meeting went very well, and I seemed much more relaxed and comfortable when I wasn't sitting in a chair, confined to an office. For the other 5 meetings I had that day, I did the same thing. I walked, talked, and got to know some very good people. I soon realized that this was common practice for the organization, and our building was especially fond of the idea that meetings of all kinds should be stress-free and open.

Now that I have worked for the organization for almost a year, I have had the opportunity to walk with new executives and managers who are new to the company and the building. After talking with them, they were also surprised at how meetings were conducted, but it was a pleasant surprise. Everyone agreed that walking around the building, observing different behaviors from employees and watching everyday business while chatting was not only relaxing for both parties, it actually stimulated conversation and enhanced the relationship between the two, and the company knew this. The relationship between peers and senior management in my organization is the closest I have ever seen. Labeling it a big family does not do it justice.

Everyone in the organization shares this same story with family members, new hires, and other members of the organization. It's common for people to talk about "walks" and how they benefit the organization. They help bring to life the "fast, fun, friendly" environment that the organization boasts about.They help peers become close so they earn one another's trust and friendship, so that organizational goals can be met and the work environment becomes inviting, fun, and friendly. The walks have a huge impact on the organization. They promote friendship and collaboration between peers and leadership, they promote creativity, they open lines of communication and make it comfortable for people to discuss almost anything, and most importantly they help build connections. A big part of Target's culture is connecting and building relationships, and this certainly does that.