A634.9.5.RB - A Reflection of Learning

The course proved to be very beneficial in several ways and offered dozens of lessons that can be applied to my professional and personal life. The three lessons that I thought to be the most impactful were ethical relativism, moral speculations, and slippery slope arguments.

Ethical relativism helped me understand the implications of adopting one moral code, and highlighted the moral and ethical differences between cultures, religions, countries, etc. It helped me become more open minded toward the subject and offered insight on the arguments for or against relativism. Learning about moral speculations and the factors that alter our moral expectations were also new material which could help me better evaluate and understand people better from a moral standpoint, and possibly understand an organization better as well. Slippery slope arguments are something that I hear and say quite often, but arguments that I did not know that much about. The logic of these arguments and impacts they have are quite substantial, and living on slippery slopes could prevent someone from truly living to their fullest potential because it reinforces comfort and safety for an individual.

The topics described above were the most interesting, and in my opinion, the most beneficial in the course. I feel that the course was value added and helped equip me with the tools I need to help lead others in and out of the workplace from a moral standpoint. I also feel that it will help me understand others better and make more moral and ethical decisions because I have more knowledge and understand the impacts better. I think that real world scenarios and training would prove to be very beneficial for the students of this course, but that’s easier said than done in an online environment. I think that more team activities would help to promote learning as students have different opinions about the subject, and merging these opinions into something productive and positive is somewhat challenging. Overall, I thought the class was helpful and value added. I fear that courses like these could be offered more with the workplace transitioning from managers to leaders. 

A634.8.3.RB - Gun Control: What is the Answer?

The ethics behind gun ownership, in my opinion, revolve around the individual. I do think that individuals should have the option of owning guns. The reason being is that guns are purchased for several different reasons, with hunting being a very popular one. With that being said, would it be ethical to prohibit the sale of hunting guns because of what people may do with the rifle that does not involve hunting? I don’t think so. In this country we cannot prohibit the sale or use of something because of the fear associated with misusing it. And I don’t think it would be very practical to prohibit the sale of certain types of firearms either, as they can all be used for different activities. Handguns can be used on the range for fun or in the home for self-defense, rifles can be used for just about anything, semi-automatic firearms are a bit more aggressive but can still be used for recreational purposes.

The argument that guns should not be legal because they can be used the wrong way can be applied to other laws in our country. For example, alcohol consumption is legal for anyone over 21 years of age, but alcohol poisoning can kill a person and drunk driving has proved to be a problem in our country (Banks, 2013). Just because someone can kill someone else while driving drunk, or even kill themselves from alcohol poisoning, does that mean we should ban alcohol consumption?

Arguments for gun control include making our country safer, exercising a right that was established more than a century ago, and creating security and comfort for families and individuals. Those who argue against it state that guns create more homicides, assault weapons are not used for sport, and most gun incidents involve firearms that are sold legally. There are too many variables that play into both sides of the argument. There is no data out there to support the claims from either side because the laws in our country have never been consistent enough, or followed enough to support these claims. It is hard to say whether or not gun control will make our country safer. A good example may be to look at countries that do not support gun use and their crime rates. However, these countries enforce strict punishments for broken laws, which is the opposite of justice system because some states have very relaxed gun laws.

Only the individual will know if they are truly buying a gun for its intended purpose, whether that be hunting, self-defense, recreation, and so on. No legal gun sales are made with the intention of selling a gun to an individual for the purpose of harming another individual, just like no alcohol sales are made with the intention of the buyer driving drunk and causing bodily harm to someone else. There is also no accurate way to track the safety of the arguments for or aginst gun control. The ethics lie solely on the individuals purchasing them and selling them, not on those controlling the sale or prohibition of them.

References:

Banks, J. (2013). Gun control debate: the argument that every gun owner needs to start making. PolicyMic. Retrieved from http://www.policymic.com/articles/72067/gun-control-debate-the-argument-that-every-gun-owner-needs-to-start-making

634.7.4.RB - Ethics and Behaviors

Target has several values that it embraces and promotes in the work place, with some of the biggest ones being diversity, a friendly work environment, and community involvement (mission & values, n.d.). These values are what drive everyday business decisions and keep a team of more than 360,000 team members happy and challenged.

Diversity is very important at Target. The organization values differences in the workplace and ensures that every team member, regardless of race, religion, gender, etc., feel valued. One of the biggest ways they promote this is by organizing diversity teams in each store, distribution center, or headquarter unit to celebrate the differences of each team member. A month ago one of the managers organized an event where we celebrated breast cancer awareness month through team member involvement in community events, along with smaller events inside the distribution center like “pink-out” days.

A friendly work environment is key to success at Target, so they typically go the extra mile to ensure team members are treated with respect, given a chance to succeed and develop themselves, and have fun while working. Our building held several events throughout this past year that helped the workplace more enjoyable, like dunk tank challenges with the executive team, holiday meals, and bowling and basketball tournaments. These events promote friendship and relationships and allow the teams a chance to connect on a personal level, something that is rare in a lot of organizations.

Lastly, Target is extremely proud of its community involvement. They donate 5% of their earnings to the community in some fashion, and thousands of volunteer hours across the country. Target affords employees time to volunteer and coordinates events through local partnerships to allow team members the chance to give back. Some of the programs include 5K and 10K walks and runs that are sponsored by Target, school mentoring programs, educational assistance to local schools, and holiday community programs. My manager is involved so much in the community that he has received several awards for his efforts for the county where are building is located, and is next in line to be the president of the local chamber of commerce.

References:

Missions & values. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://corporate.target.com/about/mission-values

A634.6.3.RB - What are Virtues?

The virtue test concluded that I am on the right path but I could certainly pay more attention to being more clean and orderly. The three virtues that I am going to reflect on are cleanliness, moderation, and sincerity.

I chose cleanliness because I was marked down on it in the virtue test. This is an area that covers almost every aspect of life. Dirty habits can be formed in your professional or personal life, along with personal hygiene and living conditions. I am by no means a dirty person, nor do I think I have dirty habits, but this is simply a matter of opinion. Men typically get a bad rap for being sloppy and careless about their hygiene, but I do not feel that this accurate, especially in my case. I could, however, take better care of my physical body a bit more and eat cleaner. I think confidence and the development of one’s life are also lumped into this virtue (McKay, 2008). Being more conscience about what we eat, how we live to benefit our mind and body, and acting confidently are all ways to improve in this area.

                                               

Moderation is one virtue that I struggle with. I tend to take the all or nothing approach with several activities in my life, resulting in myself overdoing something to the detriment of myself or others. I push myself very hard in sports and physical activities, I encourage my children to be the best at what they do, and I live each day as if it was my last. I am a man of extremes, and this sometimes hurts relationships with others because of my attitude when something is not done as hard as I would like. Taking it easy at times and understanding that not everything has to be done in an extreme manner is one of my goals. My wife is a perfect partner for this as she is at the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of living in extremes.

Sincerity is also something I struggle with from time to time. I feel like I have been through a lot in my life, physically and emotionally and have a hard time commiserating with others when they experience something similar, or showing sincerity and empathy toward them. I also sometimes speak very honestly where someone could be hurt by my words. Being mindful of the impact words and actions could have on others is the key in helping me through this. Sincerity should be something that is afforded others without little effort as the feelings, emotions, and viewpoints of others change so much we must learn to adapt.

I am by no means perfect, as highlighted above, but I think I am aware of what I need to work on from a virtue standpoint and how to incorporate them into my daily life.

References:

McKay, B. (2008). The virtuous life: cleanliness. The Art of Manliness. Retrieved from http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/05/04/the-virtuous-life-cleanliness/

A634.5.4.RB - Is Marketing Evil?

Marketing, especially in today’s business world, is a very cutthroat industry. Marketing firms specialize in tempting customers and convincing them that they need something, which is rarely ever the case. Because of this, I feel that marketers do what they need to for an organization, which is selling their product or service and making it a necessity in the lives of the consumers. As stated by Sayed and Ghazaly, some people believe that they make decisions in an organizational environment that are less ethical than their own values and beliefs. So, could it be that marketers go against what they believe in to satisfy their organizations and the consumers? It appears so.

                                       

However, marketers do not have to be untruthful about the products and services they promote. Honesty and integrity are preached in most business environments and this should include the content and manner in which marketing is used to make an organization successful. Being truthful is something that is respected by consumers, even if the product or service is not the best on the market. It is a quality that the business environment needs more of at the moment. One of the biggest ways to combat this need to be unethical to win is to give realistic goals for marketing teams and support healthy competition. If we are giving marketing teams goals that are only attainable by taking shortcuts in some capacity, we are encouraging unethical behavior.

I do not think it is ethical to track buying habits of individuals. This exposes the consumer in some fashion and on a personal level without consent. This form of marketing is borderline manipulation, as it gives retailers an opportunity to tailor coupons, specials, and marketing efforts to your needs and wants and creates desire by doing so. It may be beneficial for a retailer to know my birthday, eating habits, favorite sports team, and my marital status, but it is quite invasive. All of this to get me to buy a product or service? Where is the ethics in that?

As a leader, the most powerful step I can take is to lead by example and promote an honest work environment with strong personal and professional integrity. Like I stated earlier, the profession does not have to have a negative connotation attached to it, marketing teams can choose to be the opposite of what the general public perceives them to be. 

A634.4.4.RB - Is Affirmative Action Ethical?

I have never been a big fan of affirmative action. In a country where opportunity is something that is bragged upon, why do we have to give preferential treatment to minorities or women? Having come from a family of fourteen children, poor, and underprivileged in my opinion, should I not have deserved special treatment when applying for jobs or college scholarships after graduating high school? There is nothing ethical about giving preferential treatment to a certain race because we feel that that they are still oppressed from something that happened decades ago. All we are doing is oppressing that race even more by affording them a crutch to lean on when they encounter something that has proven to be tough on every American: applying to get into school and obtaining a promising job.

Some of the arguments for affirmative action include having the government assist with something that they may have messed up earlier, drawing certain races to industries of work that they may not have been interested in before, and allowing minorities a boost because they are disadvantaged. I do not think that many of these arguments for affirmative action are credible. What happened a long time ago by our ancestors should not be something that we are currently paying for. I understand fully that the way we operated during this time when black Americans were oppressed was not right, but what more can we do without hindering them from being responsible adults and overcoming challenges that many other Americans face? Shelby Steele, a black American, opposes affirmative action for several reasons and I agree with most of them. He states that in a blog that "affirmative action is cheap, but good education in the inner city is expensive.....so we have a system perfectly designed to keep the people who were always oppressed still oppressed, still backwards." It's not that we as a country are discriminating against black people, but we may be focusing our attention on the wrong things, with affirmative action being one of them. The more support we give minorities the more dependent they become on these programs, so what are we teaching them? Is it acceptable to rely on the government for education and jobs in a country where opportunity seems to be endless?

I think that affirmative action is an unethical approach on our government's behalf to right a wrong that occurred a long time ago when no one today was involved with it. We are creating a society that makes it acceptable to give preference to minorities for jobs and education, almost as if it were a form of racism against white Americans. Having felt like I was a minority due to my background and approaching the real world after I graduated high school, it never once crossed my mind to give up and rely on someone else to help me through life. I did what I had to do to get my education, serve my country, and obtain a job that supports my family. 

References:

The Ethics of Affirmative Action (n.d.). Santa Clara University. Retrieved from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v5n2/action.html

A634.3.5.RB - The Harder They Fall

Power seems to be the culprit of many of life’s dilemmas. In politics, countries build up a military force that is often used as a scare tactic against others, although that may not be the main reason for it. In the workplace, individuals tend to abuse power when they get to a position where they are able to have control over the behaviors of others. In personal life, there are many struggles between parents and children, brothers and sisters, teachers and students, law enforcement and ordinary citizens, most all revolving around power struggles.

Power struggles at work seem to be commonplace in today’s age. People are becoming more and more educated, technology is allowing workers to become more and more capable and less dependent on one another, and everyone seems to know the right way to do something, whether it be changing a water jug or developing the next best video game. I think as the workplace evolves into something that is extremely diverse, competent, and inpatient in almost every industry, there will be power struggles. Power struggles are one of the biggest sources of conflict in the workplace today, and it all stems at having control is some capacity (Matusun, 2012).

An area that we tend to overlook is power struggles and conflict at home. Why is it that something like the need for control and power can spread so far in the lives of almost every human being? One of the reasons may stem from the need for power as described by David McClelland. His need for power theory states that we like to have control over others, enjoy winning arguments, enjoy competition, and appreciate recognition (McClellands, n.d.). In a world where so many people have this need, it’s easy to identify the conflicts in all areas of life. This need is certainly amplified as activities like school sports, competitions, and debates are becoming commonplace.

References:

Matusun, R. (2012). Conflict in the workplace: can’t we just put everyone in timeout? Fast Company. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/1810877/conflict-workplace-cant-we-just-put-everyone-time-out

McClellands Human Motivation Theory (n.d.). Mind Tools. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/human-motivation-theory.htm

A634.2.4.RB - Theories of Ethics

Consequentialism on its own appears to be a very good theory. I often make decisions in terms of satisfying the highest number of people involved. For example, if a group of people were deciding on whether or not they should purchase hamburgers or hotdogs for an events at work and I were part of the group, I would say that the majority vote rules because then the highest number of people are being satisfied. I do not do this in every scenario, but I do it often enough to make it a trusted theory of mine. The reason I said it was a good theory on its own is because when matched against deontology it seems a bit selfish and narrow. Deontology and consequentialism differ because deontology deals with morals, regardless of whether or not the outcome is favorable, whereas consequentialism seeks to satisfy the most people and allows them to define the morality of the situation.

For example, if a group of my peers were walking around downtown and became thirsty, shortly after realizing that only one of us had his wallet on him, consequentialism would determine that the person with the wallet pay for the drinks if the majority agreed. This is because the outcome for the majority of us is favorable, and we are determining that the outcome is moral, even if they one paying for the drinks doesn’t think so.

Even though I often side with consequentialism, I must say that it lacks a solid foundation when dealing with unique circumstances. What if the best outcome is one that is looked down upon by everyone else accept those benefiting from it? Does this not make it unethical or immoral? I feel that there will be times where selfishness and personal agenda will drive the decisions and moral compasses of others. According to ethical egoism, a subdivision of consequentialism, lying, stealing, and even killing would be morally permissible as long as the agent benefited and was not caught. This clashes with traditional moral intuitions because those who believe in this theory would agree that personal interests should count for something (Consequentialism, 2001).

I think that finding a balance between the two may not work for everyone, but it does for me. I find myself siding with consequentialism much more than deontology but feel that much of my decisions are driven by what I feel is right and wrong, often coinciding with the morals and values of the others affected by the outcome.

References:

Consequentialism (2001). Retrieved from http://instruct.westvalley.edu/lafave/Consequentialism_link.html

A634.1.6.RB - The Buck Stops and Starts With You

Business schools are looked at as being the ones who lay the foundation for executives in the biggest and most powerful organizations worldwide. With this power comes great responsibility to look after shareholders, employees, consumers, and the general public. Until a series of ethical dilemmas arose in the business world, all with respectable organizations and executives, business schools were only concerned with the technical aspects of the business world and how they were perceived by the outside world. Now, as the business schools are being blamed for the financial meltdown half a decade ago, they have no choice but to be putting more emphasis on ethics, sound decision-making, and corporate responsibility in their programs.

In my opinion, tailoring business programs to not only capture ethics training but to also educate these future leaders on how to make effective decisions that benefit everyone involved in the organization. MBA programs typically consist of courses that revolve around finance, management, accounting, marketing, and even human resource management with little to no emphasis on ethical leadership practices. Schools are currently warming up to the idea of doing this, and some have even revised programs to accommodate this need. For example, Columbia Business School has revised required courses to highlight business ethics, and the school has even created a new course about the future of financial services, along with adding a course study that educates students on GM’s route to bankruptcy (Business Schools, 2013). It may not be enough just to educate students on what to do and when to do it. Perhaps implementing required internships with organizations where students are required to engage in important and ethical decisions would be helpful. This would allow the students to know the feeling of being in that role and equip them with real-world experience before they start their careers.

The financial meltdown, along with other ethical dilemmas, cannot be blamed solely on the educational foundation of its employees. The organization is just as responsible for mentoring and molding young employees and executives as are our educational institutions. Engaging in ethical decision-making should be commonplace for every organization, a way of life for every employee to practice. 

References:

Business schools use financial meltdown to teach ethics (2013, Sep.). Retrieved from http://www.metromba.com/2013/09/business-schools-use-financial-meltdown-teach-ethics/

A632.9.3.RB - Role of Emotion in Decision-Making

A few days ago I was having a healthy debate with a co-worker about a new process I wanted to roll-out in his department. The process had been tried at other buildings with inconsistent results, so I wanted to modify the process enough to fit with the culture of our team and still get strong results from it. I had done my research, I felt confident with the data, and I was certain that the process was going to be a win for our building, even though the results were yet to be determined. I was very passionate about the material I was presenting to him during the debate, and it seemed that my passion for the material and results was passed off onto him toward the end of the discussion. He was not completely won over, but felt that he was in a much better position than when we started and his comfort level with the process had increased. I assured him that I knew the process would work and benefit us in the way we expected. He told me my confidence and passion behind the matter was quite convincing, even for him as he is not easily swayed.

One emotional reaction I experienced during the discussion was confusion, as he initially told me that I was not going to tell him something that he did not already know. I thought this to untrue and I was surprised that he said that without hearing me first. Another one was fear, as I was a bit fearful that he was going to remain close-minded throughout the discussion. This emotion quickly subsided as the discussion went on and he started asking interesting questions. The last emotion I felt was passion for the subject. I as completely convinced that the process would help us and I wanted to convey that to anyone else who cared about it.

In an example of not having as much confidence, I was making an attempt to give some hard feedback to a co-worker of mine who I also considered a good friend. This was a bit uncomfortable for me and because this was first time doing it, I felt nervous and unconfident. I approached him and started the message very nervously with a soft delivery. I think he picked up on this and told me that if I needed to tell him something to be straight forward with him and give him the message, even if he wouldn’t like it. I changed my approach and was very honest and up-front with him. His reaction was very calm and he thanked me for giving him the feedback.

In this case, nervousness was the biggest emotional reaction I felt before the message was delivered and during it. I was unsure how he would take the feedback and it showed in my approach. Another one was happiness, as I was very pleased to learn that I could tell him anything without it damaging our relationship. The third emotional reaction I felt was relief. I was relieved after giving the message, only to find out he was grateful for it and welcomed the opportunity to get feedback that would help him.

A632.8.3.RB - Reflections on the Cynefin Framework

The Cynefin Framework is a valuable tool for any leader, as it provides a solid foundation for decision-making in almost any setting and scenario. I have used it before in my current organization without even knowing it, and I have observed many benefits from it. For one, it gives clear and concise instructions to the decision maker in a variety of scenarios and takes the guesswork out of determining what future action looks like. Secondly, it prevents the leader from knowingly acting inappropriately and taking the wrong course of action, which could have severe impacts on the outcome. Thirdly, it provides a list of danger signals that can be used to prepare for what’s next.

On one of the busier days our distribution center has seen this year, our carton sorter that drops cartons down into individual trailers completely shut down. This resulted in nearly fifty team members coming to a complete stop because they relied on this piece of equipment to run to keep them productive. This situation was chaotic, as I had to immediately find work for these fifty team members spread throughout four different departments. I partnered up with all of the department managers and communicated a plan to them. We quickly took action and made several adjustments to our original production plan to keep them productive while meeting our level of service goals. We realized that our plan was good because we planned for the worst and the sorter ended up being down for about two hours. Once the sorter started again, we made more adjustments and worked seamlessly the rest of the shift. Our communication was key to our success, along with effectively acting first and then determining if it was good or not, rather than waiting around.

In another example using the Cynefin Framework, I made a decision in a complicated environment. One of our events that we were having in the distribution center, which was forecasted for so many cartons to be processed, came in much heavier than expected. We had limited resources because we planned for the forecast amount of cartons, so me and another department manager sat down that morning during planning to determine the best possible plan for the day. We analyzed the information we had and matched it with the workload and available resources. We created an unusual plan that had never been done before, with the expected outcome of keeping our level of service within threshold and maxing out available resources. Our plan turned out being successful, which came as somewhat of a surprise being that we tried a new process and were unsure of the outcome. We took the appropriate steps by first gathering data, analyzing it, than responding with a plan of action. This may not have been the only right answer, but it was ours and it worked.

There are several ways in which the Cynefin Framework can improve decision-making skills. It offers a framework that can be used for almost any situation, whether it be a routine or chaotic environment. This framework takes the guess work out of action steps and decisions. It also forces a partnership with others depending on the environment, which could improve the overall decision by adding outside perspective. This could improve teamwork and collaboration skills for some leaders. The framework also challenges leaders to think critically in different situations. Because there may be times where there are no cause and effect relationships, or even a known response, it forces leaders to think outside the box for a solution on their own. The framework may also help organizations form best practices for simple situations, making decision-making more predictable and less stressful. These best practices could establish rotuines and processes for the leader to follow in each instance. 

A632.7.4.RB - Collaborative Decision-Making

Stakeholders can help you make better decisions for all of the people involved because they allow you to think through a multitude of scenarios and factors in a decision. They often consider almost every possible detail of the decision and the impacts of the decision if made a certain way. To help bring this to life, I had to make a decision about a process I was trying to improve at work. I thought of the improvements myself and never lobbied them to the team they were affecting before officially starting the new process. The improvements were good, but they could have been better had I partnered with some of the team members first, being that they were considered experts in that department and it was affecting them, not me. I was trying to get them bought in to the new process, but this was not possible without first using their ideas and opinions in the improvements.

Stakeholder involvement in decision-making can benefit me in 5 ways. First, it ensures fairness in my decision-making by making sure that everyone is involved in the process and gets a shot at contributing. Secondly, it ensures that all viewpoints and critical areas are considered when making the decision. Thirdly, the stakeholders will more than likely provide challenging arguments and questions that ensure the best decision is being made for everyone, not just one individual. The fourth benefit is building the relationships with the stakeholders through involvement and collaboration. By allowing them to be involved in the process, respect and trust will improve. The fifth benefit is accountability. If everyone takes part in a decision, then everyone will share the consequences associated with that decision, whether they be good or bad.

I achieved my objective in this case, but it took longer than expected because I refrained from bringing the group into the decision-making process. There was not one individual that would have made this decision process better, but rather the entire group as they all have had different experiences and bring something unique to the table in terms of decision-making.

The first thing I learned from this process was to involve the group before the process even started. I should have shared with them my vision, as illustrated in the second step of the resolution cycle, so that we could formulate a plan around my vision, if they all agreed with it. The second learning for me was keeping them involved throughout the process and ensuring that they get input. This ensures that all topics are being covered and they feel like part of the improvement process. Thirdly, I could have recognized them for their efforts and tracked the success of the improvement after it was implemented to show how their collaboration was a success. When doing this in the future, I’m going to ensure that each affected team member is involved in the process, from the beginning to the end. 

A632.6.3.RB - The High Cost of Conflict

Just recently I had a conflict with one of my co-workers over several issues. Our building was going through a very busy period where additional warehouse worker hours were required, mostly in the form of overtime. My job was to approve the overtime hours and include them in my plans. This is tricky because you want to make sure there is enough overtime to accomplish our goals, but not too much to where we run out of work. This is all based on forecasts and how many warehouse workers are signed up. I approved it for one department and realized the next day after 8 additional team members showed up that staffing was entered wrong in the tracking file. I called this manager on her day off and let her know that the staffing was not only wrong, but that the forecasts were lower than expected so we did not have enough work for the overtime team members. The next week her staffing was wrong again and we ended up not meeting our daily plans for that department because of it. I ended talking to her about it again and what the impact of her missing her staffing was. I also followed up with her manager because this was a negative trend that was beginning to start.

The cost of conflict was higher than I was comfortable with. The miss in staffing that one day led me to create production plans with resources that were not even available that day. This caused the building to lose the level of service on priority cartons that the stores needed. It also gave me a negative feeling toward the manager because I felt like she didn’t value her job, nor did she value mine, being that staffing was so important. This affected our relationship as it created tension between us.

After looking at the ten principles of new thinking, I could have followed some of the beginning steps in more detail, as this may have preserved the relationship part of this conflict. Creating partnerships earlier in the process could have prevented the second occurrence from happening. However, I feel that this manager did not possess the qualities to be able to deal with the conflict in a more effective way. She did not take accountability for the staffing misses, nor did she commit to making it better going forward. I used my feelings after the first time and thought that she was going to improve, but I was wrong and she failed to meet her commitments.

This exercise helped me realize what types of costs are associated with conflicts of all types; even those at work that you feel are minor. When this conflict was happening I did not think of the impact it would have on our relationship. These conflicts have impacts greater than you would imagine, especially in a high speed, fast pace work environment where small mistakes have big effects.

A632.5.5.RB - Protected Values in Decision-Making

My three protected values include my marriage, my health and well-being, and the education of myself and my family. I value much more than these three that I have listed, but I protect these values the most and they coincide with one another, along with all revolving around my family.

My marriage is the most important of all protected values. My wife and I make time for one another each week, and make it a point to invest in our marriage by continually improving it. This value is non-negotiable, and only in extreme cases do we make plans to refrain from spending time together. We recognize the importance of building our relationship, so we make every effort possible to carve out time during my days off to participate in activities that involve the two of us. This is why I protect this value the most.

My second value, which is my health, is something that I have to make concessions for, even though it is one of my protected values. Our family buys only organic, natural, and fresh foods, primarily from local farmers and organic food stores. We feel this maximizes our health and gives us more energy to exercise and spend time outside. I thoroughly enjoy the outdoors, so exercising and playing sports is common for me. There are times when I cannot eat the way I want to, like when I travel, so I have to eat whatever is available. Also, there are times when I cannot exercise due to long weeks at work, so I will take a few days off to help my body recover. This is something that is negotiable, depending on the situation.

Education is my third value, and I feel rather strongly about this one as well. I participate in higher learning studies to set a good example for my children and to have a good career. I will, however, sacrifice my education for my children’s if I had to. I feel that they need a strong foundation and educational background to be successful, and with my wife starting homeschooling this year, the costs associated with good programs are very high. Therefore, I may have to push back my education so they can get theirs.

My decision-making is all centered my values, which entails my family. I make all of my decisions in my personal life around my family and their well-being, health, and happiness. We are very tight-knit and enjoy spending time with one another, so I am now in a routine to where it’s common practice for me to involve them in the choices I make. I feel strongly about each of these values, so it’s not hard to include these in my personal decision-making process. 

A632.4.5.RB - Deception in Negotiations

Being deceived and lied to in negotiating is more common than we may think. I’m certain that there are thousands of negotiations that take place on a daily basis that involve complete strangers who have one thing in common: to get the best deal possible. There are several ways in which to help from becoming a victim of deception while negotiating. They include setting goals carefully, assessing underlying uncertainty, paying attention to norms, and preparing carefully.

                                           

Research shows that difficult yet realistic goals trigger aggressive and sometimes unethical behavior while negotiating. It’s better to enter the process with goals that are reasonable and attainable without being too demanding as this could facilitate a more ethical negotiation process. Uncertainty leads to communicating information in a self-serving way. When negotiating, use facts and real information, ask direct questions, and ask specifics. This eliminates ambiguity and forces the negotiation process to be less deceptive.

Norms and self-perceptions lead to a dishonest and unfair negotiation process. Create an atmosphere that eliminates any cultural uncertainties and one that will spur ethical behavior. Lastly, prepare carefully by asking open-ended and specific questions, preparing responses to questions, asking unexpected questions, and following-up with questions that can help weed-out the lies.

A few months back when my wife and I were purchasing a used car, the salesman had explained that the batter had been replaced the previous year. It was February when we were car shopping, but I never thought anything of it. He had used the same response when being asked about other items on the car, and I questioned him by wanting to see the maintenance records. The services were completed last year, but it was in March the previous year, so nearly a year before this. He was right in stating it was done last year, but failed to elaborate that the car had either been sitting in their lot that long or that the service was done almost a year ago.

My son wanted me to take him to the to store last week, so I made an agreement with him and told him that as long as he helped clean the garage with me I would take him. He happily accepted because normally the garage is an easy clean-up job. This time, the garage was tore apart from various projects, but I did not disclose this to him. He was disappointed when he found out about the state the garage was in and that he already agreed to help. Being that this was my son, I wouldn’t have went much farther than hiding a few facts from him. I don’t do it very often, but I do it from time to time. I would say that overall I am an honest person, but depending on how serious the negotiation process is and who the other party is, I may hide more than I think. Just as the text states, aggressive goals can lead to this, and I think it has in the past for me.

A632.3.4.RB - Reflections on Decision-Making

The three ways to avoid frame blindness are conducting a frame audit, identifying and changing inadequate frames, and mastering techniques for re-framing. Conducting a frame audit revolves around viewing the frames of others and understanding what’s important to them. Once this is determined, it will be easier to understand how and why they make the decisions that they do. Our organization had a mandatory exercise for each operational department called Connections. Managers from the same department got together and shared personal stories, values, and life experiences with one another. This exercise was meant to help these departments connect on a different level and help understand what drives the decision-making process of each person, based on their values, past experience, etc. It not only helped build relationships but opened the eyes of each individual participating. This helped me understand my own framing process and the process of others.

Identifying inadequate frames in my organization and personal life meant that I had to evaluate myself and seek feedback from others. One of exercises I did at work, with the help of my manager, was to seek feedback from my co-workers about my strengths, opportunities, decision-making process, and personality and use it to become a better leader. When getting this feedback, it’s hard to come to the realization that some of the frames were not needed, some were unbalanced, and some needed adjusting. I had assumptions about processes and other co-workers that were preventing me from establishing better relationships. The way I was measuring success and productivity in departments was different than what the organization was looking for.

Mastering techniques for re-framing is enjoyable. Last year when I started with Target I had been placed in a role to manage 30 team members in an environment that was foreign to me. I had good relationships but felt that I should know their jobs and what they deal with on a daily basis to better understand their decision-making process, essentially, using multiple frames. I chose to job shadow each and every one of them in different functions to learn their job, identify obstacles, and help them through them productively. At the end of the 4-week process, I even challenged some of them to a productivity race to see who could earn the highest productivity in a set amount of time. This helped tremendously with viewing other people’s frames and walking through the decision-making process with them.

One of the biggest benefits of this exercise was being able to see how deep decision-making processes go in organizations. Values, experiences, and personality all contribute to the decision-making process, and if you are disconnected from others than it’s hard to view their frames and understand them. I think that the biggest factor that has helped me is establishing relationships with those who I work with and interact with often. These relationships help understand the thought process of one another, and allow some understanding of values and experiences that contribute to decisions-making. This exercise has helped me realize that I fall into frame blindness more than I think, mainly due to the assumptions that I have. It’s so easy to make assumptions about other people and processes at work, based on what you may or may not know. I feel that it will help me with asking more open-ended questions to individuals to reduce assumptions and allow a better understanding of their thought processes.

A632.2.3.RB - How to Make Choosing Easier

I was very surprised to hear from Sheena that not only do we have so many choices for almost every product, food, and service imaginable, but we have a harder time making decisions when faced with all of these choices. She describes in detail that buyers feel more confident and feel comfortable when given fewer choices. Cutting and concretization resonate the most with me and seem to be more apparent in my personal and professional lives.

I am the type of leader that needs to see results, feel results, and put my hands on decisions that I make. I also agree with the less is more mentality that so many consumers prove to be real and alive. If I were to cut more in my own decision-making in my personal life, it would require some discipline, only because my body is conditioned to having so many choices. This would entail grocery shopping at smaller stores with less variety, shopping for clothes and other amenities at smaller, less famous retailers who do offer so many options. I think in general this goes for everything in our lives because this is what our country is known for. The same goes for work, only at work I am given a few select choices for decisions, but they have huge implications depending on if I were right or wrong. This goes back to the expedient decision-makers that were described in the book. The smaller the choice pool, the faster it may be to make a decision, especially the right one. The larger the choice pool the harder the decision is, resulting in reflective decision-making.

For concretization, I feel that it would be easier for me to make a decision if I could visualize that decision and the repercussions of it before the decision was actually made. Just the other day I failed to make a decision at work because I felt like I did not have enough information to make a sound decision. I couldn't visualize the outcome, nor could I visualize the implications of this decision due to limited information. If there were more of the necessary information and less of the inferior information, it may be easier to make decisions. 

A632.1.4.RB - Multistage Decision-Making

I somewhat agree with the dynamic programming method explained in the book. There are some industries and fields where this type of decision making is commonplace, and there are some that feel lost just looking at the equations involved with it. My decision making style is different, and even though I enjoy using data and calculating risk, I like to have some variability and flexibility in my decisions when dealing with multistage decision-making. I feel that too many variables play a part in decisions and very few things stay constant. It appears that dynamic programming counts on the future to be constant predictable, when in my industry and workplace it’s ever-changing.

                                        

I think that this method forces people to look at the decision-making process differently and tap into other areas that may not get as much consideration when planning. I think there are a lot of managers out there that use a form of this equation, they may just call it something different or use it in another manner or application. I feel that it wouldn't quite help me in my decision-making process because of the emphasis that I place on flexibility and using experience and intuition as drivers.

Dynamic programming would have more of an impact on business decisions than personal decisions. The values we place on certain things and events cannot be taken into consideration when using this tool. I feel like the long-term effects on planning are good in a business sense, as they take probability and risk into account, and the answers to questions could be simplified as long as these numbers are accurate. Again, this process looks interesting but does not suit my personal style. I take decisions one step at a time in my personal life, and use other calculations and considerations when planning at work.

A631.9.2.RB - Video Debrief of Team MA

The environment that Steve Jobs created for the Next team to brainstorm was inviting and conducive to critical thinking. I thought that the open forum he encouraged among the team members was the type of environment that I enjoy working in, sharing thoughts and ideas with like-minded people. Steve clearly took over the meetings as the leader, steering the topics for discussion and doing the most amount of challenging. He directed the meeting, but encouraged others to join and provide appropriate challenges to the team regarding their plan. My leadership type is team-based, so allowing the team to collectively find answers to questions and determine priorities is something that I feel very comfortable with.

One thing that I really enjoyed about the Next start-up team is that they appeared to be getting away from everything to do these meetings, almost like a retreat where they can really focus on the topic at hand and get away from disturbances. I am a big proprietor of creating environments where team members feel comfortable and close, where thoughts, feelings, and ideas are shared openly and without judgment or criticism. This to me is a true team. The Next team knew what they had to do and how to do it, with leadership from Steve, and they planned together on how to accomplish it in the timeframe they established earlier. I also enjoy working out the details and planning to be perfect, which is something the Next team appeared to do quite often. They gave themselves tight deadlines and strict goals with little room for error, making it more important for them to rely on data.

Steve Jobs may not have made the best decisions with his new company, but from a teamwork standpoint I think he nailed it. He allowed the team to work together to determine what they needed to do, how it needed to happen, and with what. The team seemed more efficient and functional before running into financial problems, because they were able to focus on more of the project and end goal. I enjoyed watching the Next team operate and collaborate on building the next big thing. 

A631.8.4.RB - Reflective Analysis

In my opinion, the results of the Myers-Briggs personality test were quite accurate. My MBTI was ENFJ, meaning I am an extrovert, I am intuitive, I make decisions over feeling rather than thinking, and I prefer judging over perceiving. Right now in my career, all of these leadership traits that I possess fit nicely with my organization and the people I work with. My role with Target is very technical, but I utilize my strong skills with people to buy them into my ideas and plans so it doesn’t appear as if I am telling them what to do, it’s more like persuasion through relationships. My role also requires that use of critical thinking skills, along with quick decision making. I feel that it is somewhat easy for me to make decisions, especially important ones, mainly because I draw on my past experiences and feeling about making decisions, which I trust and have had success with.

Some of the areas that I feel I need to improve on, that the test pointed out were not some of my strengths, are using data and facts for decision making, developing other’s before myself, and expressing my ideas and opinions in front of others all the time. I feel that these three areas are keeping me from becoming a truly excellent leader, so I am focused on improving them in both my personal and professional lives. My current role forces me to make decisions based on factual evidence, which sometimes puts me in uncomfortable situations, but it also produces very good results and forces me to dig deeper into problems. I also tend to put people before myself, which cause me to neglect my own development and spend less time on personal projects, and sometimes even family when work becomes a priority. I have focused more on creating plans that are strictly followed with timelines, and not deviate from them. These timelines involve self-development activities and personal time for me to catch up and reflect. I still have ample time to mentor others, help them with their development, and build relationships. I also feel a bit uncomfortable showing my ideas and opinions due to them being different and unconventional, but I have been working on this by soliciting feedback from others on the results of these ideas to see if they actually work. I also use my people and communication skills to present them in different manners to allow people to understand them better.

                                                                                                                                         

Overall, I am pleased with the type of leader I am and how I fit into my organization. I think I am aware of what I am good at, what I am not, and how I can leverage my strengths in leadership to compensate for some of my weaknesses. Not every leader is perfect, but some are better than others, especially in certain capacities. I am in a role where energy, influence, and relationships are needed, and I am excelling at it because I possess all of these qualities. I think that as time passes, I will gravitate toward a more creative, energetic, and autonomous role where interaction with people takes up the majority of my time in the workplace. 

A631.7.4.RB - Future of OD

The future of OD is promising and bright. The claim that OD is simply a fad and will fade away after a short period of time is ridiculous, in my opinion. The development of organizations is as dynamic as every organization in existence. Organizations have so many different attributes, cultures, employees, motivators, goals, etc., that it’s hard to say that every developmental tool established will solve the problems of every organization out there, especially those yet to come. OD is dynamic in the sense that as these organizations change, so will the tools, programs, techniques, and objectives of the OD field for organizations.

For example, our organization established a middle management structure in our building that helped deal with the number of employees each manager was leading, and also to help with the culture and to help with relationship-building among leadership and their teams. This worked for the past five years, but as the competition in the retail industry became more fierce, we had to devise a way in which we met our objectives and remained relevant in the industry by saving money and delivering products to the stores that everyone would like. We recently changed our middle management structure again to meet these new objectives, and it’s a program that has a similar layout as those introduced to me throughout the two courses with ERAU. Why did we change? Because we had to, because the retail industry is dynamic and ever changing and the techniques and tools used five years ago would not have worked now, with every factor taken into account.

So, if you ask me, the field of OD is just warming up. As new technology emerges and industries become more competitive and organizations are looked upon to satisfy more employees and on a larger scale, the new techniques and programs of organizational development will be present. Organizations will never stop developing themselves to be better than they were the day before. We see it in current organizations and we will continue to see it, whether it be saving money, building a better culture, improving morale, improving performance, or developing a better product. This is a dynamic and promising field with a very positive future.

A631.6.4.RB - Transformational Strategies

Both of the videos seemed to highlight leadership techniques described in the book, but they are different in terms of approach and execution. “Mattress Mack” realized that his organization needed change to stay relevant and profitable. He used techniques in the book like the strategy culture matrix to assess the employees performance, their strengths and weaknesses, and how to improve in these areas. Jim sought to understand why his company was failing, the root cause of the problem, and fix it through transformational change. He utilized different tactics and approaches to this change by ensuring that his employees were well trained to deal with the change, equipped them with the tools they needed to satisfy the customer and keep them returning, and also made sure that everything they did could be measured. Jim used change management to see his company through this transformation. I think it paid off quite nicely for him and his team.

General McChrystal talked about the foundation of an effective team. He didn’t talk specifically about approaches in leadership, but did talk about ways in which to grow as a leader and stay relevant. In his experiences, the military and its leaders helped shape General McChrystal’s views on leadership and teams. He explained that leaders are allowed to fail and watching your team go through events without having control is the hardest thing he has ever had to do, but ultimately it made him a better person. I feel like General McChrystal’s leadership traits align with the core characteristics of any good organization and culture, involving risk, support, autonomy, openness, and sensitivity. The culture that he built on his teams revolves around relationships, trust, support, and teamwork.

I feel that both Jim and General McChrystal are both effective leaders with extensive experience in change management and transformation. Although from different backgrounds, they both lead their teams through change for the betterment of their organizations, which is not an easy task. Communication, strategy, teamwork, trust, and effective decision making all play a huge part in the success of managing change on any level. 

A631.5.4.RB - Leading System Wide Change

It’s hard enough being a leader in today’s workplace where more work and more thought are being asked on a daily basis, much less leading an entire organization through a process or change. This is especially difficult if that organization has established processes and employees who are not prone to change. Some leadership traits that come to mind when thinking of these change leaders are resilient and adaptable, relates well to others, inspiring, good communicator, and strategic. They must initiate a change at the right time, the right place, and in the right manner to do it successfully and have it accepted by the organization and its employees.

The traits described above are merely a foundation for a good leader, but using these traits effectively and capitalizing on these strengths are what’s going to make them successful. For example, there are leaders who communicate well but fail to communicate change in the forum, or use the wrong channel to roll it out to the organization. This is where strategic thinking comes into play. These attributed of good leaders coincide with one another, as neither one of them is better or worse, more or less effective than the other. They all play off one another and complement the leader in his/her entirety. I lost a very good change leader a few months ago when he was promoted to a headquarters position. This leader afforded autonomy to employees, knew what to say and how to say it, inspired others to excel, brought humor to the workplace when necessary, and carried out effective plans for our distribution center. I saw him carry out change within the building in a very positive attitude that was received by each and every employee quite easily because of who he was. He was that type of leader that made you not want to work for anyone else if possible.

I can’t say that one single leadership trait or attribute makes one successful. Different organizations of different sizes and industries require different leaders, but there are some effective leadership traits that are proven to be successful in nearly every situation. Good leaders are the ones who drive positive change despite what others think, who step outside of the box to solve problems, who inspire others to drive that change no matter what their role is in the organization. These leaders often change themselves as they move up the corporate ladder, but it’s always for the better. Personal and professional development is at the forefront of decision making and behavior. 

A631.4.4.RB - INSEAD Reflection

I think that one of the biggest benefits of a self-managed team is the developmental opportunities that the team members have with one another. They are expected to communicate effectively, develop relationships, delegate and plan work assignments, and operate seamlessly as a team. This experience allows them to develop one another and immerse themselves in learning opportunities that they would not get in other capacities. Another benefit is being able to truly succeed and fail as a team, which promotes teamwork, learning, and relationship-building. Self-managed teams may be closer than any other team based on the nature and scope of their work. One major drawback is having to diffuse problems and strategizing to remove obstacles within the team without the help of a manager, at least not on a regular basis. There are times when peers and teammates fail to come to a resolution and managers are necessary.

I would very much enjoy working within a self-managed team. I respond very well to autonomy afforded to me from leadership, and this is typical in self-managed teams. I also enjoy brainstorming with teammates, sharing work assignments, and collaborating with peers and teammates to solve problems. I do, however, think that the autonomy of self-managed teams is by far the most attractive benefit to me. If the relationships and teamwork are there, there does not have to be a leader 99% of the time because the team will overcome any obstacle within the group.

I feel that one of the main competencies I would need to develop to be the outside manager of a self-managed team is giving the team the autonomy to take on projects and tasks by themselves. I am by no means a micro-manager, but I like to be involved in certain processes of the teams that I do manage. This is because I am naturally a curious and detail-oriented person who enjoys observing and interacting with others, so it would be hard for me to completely hand over all control of work assignments, projects, communication, and interaction to the team. The outside manager serves as a coach for the team, and I think I would be an effective coach if I could get over the fact of giving the team almost complete independence.

A631.3.4.RB - Feedback and Goals

Feedback in an organization is arguably one of the biggest developmental tools leaders can use today, not only because more employees are responding to it, but also because of the value it provides to the organization and its employees. Real-time feedback for employees ensures that expectations and goals are being met. I think one of the biggest reasons there are generational differences between employees is because of competition in the workplace and workforce today. Employees now are going above and beyond, developing themselves and finding ways to improve to stay relevant to organizations. The younger generation has strong competition in almost every industry, so maintaining a competitive through continuous improvement from feedback and goal setting is important. I am part of the younger generation and enjoy feedback from both peers and senior managers because it allows me to continuously improve, gain a new perspective on my work habits, and because I feel valued and relevant.

The organization I work for has a culture of feedback, so I give and receive significant amounts of feedback at work. I do the same outside of work to my family and friends alike, which some appreciate and some don’t. I feel that relationships are built on this feedback, and the better the relationship the easier it is to give hard feedback to someone. I believe this feedback helps me to improve in areas in which I may not be as strong as I need to be.

Targeted feedback and goal setting has led to higher performance for me, and also a higher level of engagement. I feel that employees, peers, and leadership value me and respect me if they are giving me true, meaningful, and constructive feedback, whether it be good or bad. There are times when the feedback is not received as expected because of the way it was delivered, but even this serves as feedback for the person delivering it. This feedback is a continuous improvement tool for me because it allows me to receive information from others on my performance, building on the things I’m good at and improving on the ones I’m not so good at.

I feel that this reflection solidifies the fact that feedback is important in my development and growth as a leader and a person. Feedback is something that should never stop because I will always be a work in progress. There will always be something to improve on to help performance and keep me engaged in the workplace, and feedback is an avenue for others at work to help me achieve my goals and hold me accountable to my plans.

A631.2.5.RB - Collaboration and Competition

I think that the biggest contributor of our team’s success the first week was communication and time management. Everyone on the team was able to get started on the assignment long before the due date, allowing each of us time to complete detailed and quality work, and also allowing room for feedback and improvement. The time zone differences and work schedules among each team member was definitely the biggest road block we encountered, but this was communicated during the assignment, so it was expected. Decisions are made one day, and it may be a day or two before a team member contributes to that decision, so this inhibits problem solving to a certain extent being that there is an assignment due each week.

For this assignment, very little time was geared toward decision making and problem solving. The team knew what had to be done, how to do it, and the first few team members who contributed thought of an easy process for all of us to work on the assignment in a timely manner. We shared information via the discussion board in our group forum, and also via e-mail. Rather than utilizing the file exchange, we posted each file to the discussion board where it was highly visible for each team member. I don’t feel that there were any power struggles between team members, nor did I feel that that there was an authority figure in our group. Someone took the lead to submit the assignment, and the rest of us confirmed the document that was going to be submitted.

Collaboration was definitely a big part of this assignment, but more importantly this entire team. We utilized feedback, opinions, and knowledge from one another to get the assignment to where we wanted it to be in terms of quality, and we did this through good teamwork and communication. Each of us has strengths in teamwork and leadership, and we will continue to leverage these throughout the term to achieve desired results. Being that this was the first project we completed as a team, process intervention wasn't necessary. The assignment was very straight forward and we had no issues completing it and working as a team.

Overall, I thought the assignment was fun and a good ice breaker for our team. We all had the opportunity to observe and interact with one another and to become familiar with the team and our responsibilities. I have high hopes for this team.

A631.1.5.RB - Eco Seagate

I feel that the Eco Seagate team developmental process is extremely valuable to any organization. The activities that they use in the program, such as hiking, biking, and white water rafting are some of the hardest and most extreme sports depending on the terrain, with hiking and biking being arguably the most challenging individual sports. They use these individual and team sports and make them all team-oriented so that they must finish and succeed as a team. Essentially, the team is only as strong as the weakest link. This is very true in most all real world applications and team environments, especially in high-performing teams and organizations. The team goals and objectives, along with the reward system, are based around overall team performance. Teamwork, dedication, respect, hard work, perseverance, and relationship building appear to be the most apparent highlights of this program. Any team could benefit from these activities and apply what they learned to their projects and organizational teams.

High-performing organizations and teams need activities like these because they engage in all of these scenarios, just with different variables and tasks. Commitment and trust are two very powerful words that are often associated with high-performing organizations, and these activities build on these traits. They teach team members to trust one another, to commit to succeeding no matter what, no matter how hard it is. Is this not what organizations are looking for? Should this be taught and exercised in these high-performing organizations? I think so, without a doubt. All teams are going to encounter problems where their abilities, skills, and relationships are going to be tested, and what better place to do that then here. At least in this forum failure has no impact on the organization and its people and the organization and team can see what their reaction will be to the stress and challenge. This helps a high-performing learn a lot about themselves, their team members, and how they might perform under different circumstances.

I think any successful and high-performing organization could benefit from this activity, especially mine. Lower level and senior managers within our distribution centers work very closely with one another, and there are various teams that operate at any given time throughout the year, building upon relationships and improving processes. Given the fact that Target puts so much emphasis on relationships, this program would do wonders for the managers in our building. It seems to epitomize relationship building by building new relationships and strengthening those that have already been established. The activities really challenge those involved, much like the senior team does with lower level management. I think it would give them good exposure to crisis management and performing under pressure, stress, and conflict within a team environment. 

A630.9.4.RB - Hiring and Recruiting

Eric’s description of the Google culture makes complete sense to me. There are too many organizations out there searching for the ideal candidate, someone who fits the exact mold that they have created. This could really hinder an organization from hiring incredible people because it forces the organization to hire only people who fit the mold. It also makes sense that he views his organization as one that doesn’t need to be managed. In my experience, good employees will manage themselves and run the day-to-day operations without needing too much guidance or structure. The management team will essentially serve as coaches in the development of the employees rather than supervisors. This does not work in every organization because not every organization recruits and retains employees like Google does. They seem to hire those who are driven and motivated to manage themselves.

It certainly takes courage to implement this culture and point of view, especially in today’s workforce where supervisor and managerial positions are plentiful. This could be for several reasons, but it seems that managers are more active in their employees jobs now, not just from a developmental standpoint but from an operational one. This approach could backfire because employees could become too accustomed to not having anyone watching over them, which could lead to decreased production, lack of engagement on the manager’s part, and some employees not feeling valued because of the lack of a connection between them and a leader. Again, it works for Google because they hire the type that doesn’t mind it and actually thrive in this atmosphere, but for those who need to be managed and engaged often it wouldn’t work.

I think the biggest take-away from this video is learning that not every organization will hire and retain the same types of employees. Some will have a mold that they want their employees to fit into, some won’t. I try to look for diversity and skill set when hiring for our organization, those who want to succeed and have positive outlook on what’s ahead for them. I think Google has had success from this and I will plan to use it when hiring, leading, and retaining my team