As I sit to contemplate the similarities and differences between my learning organization and the organization our group observed I have an overwhelming sense of appreciation and gratitude for my department. How cheesy, I know, but I just can't help but realize how privileged I am to be working for a Director who embodies our organizations purpose and mission, and to be working with an amazing group of individuals who bring their heart and commitment to the students of our university everyday. Of course I this insight would probably not be as strong if I hadn't worked in an organization where there was incongruence between the goals of the department, the management style of the Directors, and the commitment of the employees.
In our ED 404 class we were asked to read a chapter from Margaret Wheatley's book "Leadership and the new science: discovering order in a chaotic world". In this chapter she spoke of the unseen, but most certainly present, fields that influence organizations. I'm a firm believer in fields, not only in organizations, but in all aspects of our lives. When I was working for the disjointed organization I loved the work I was doing and the impact I was having on students' lives. In fact, I was more excited about the student population that I was working with in that organization than I am with the student population I am currently working with. However, many times per week I found myself struggling to get motivated to go into work, and when I did arrive I was counting down the hours until I would be able to leave. These feelings were especially strong when I didn't have many students appointments to occupy my time. I honestly can't describe what lead me to feel this way, individually the people I worked with were warm and caring, but as a whole the organization was out of sync. I suspect that it was partially due to the leadership in the department, but I also believe that there were other forces at work including a disconnect between the way that the organization did business and the needs of the students.
I left that organization with both a sense of relief and a heavy heart. It was very difficult for me to leave the students behind, but I was so thankful to have the opportunity to remove myself from, what was to me, a toxic environment. So even though I've had to shift to working with a much broader student population with, in my opinion, a more limited impact on individual students, I have regained something that was beginning to recede, my motivation and passion for working with college-aged students, and a sense of belonging in an organization that shares this passion.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
It's just a little rain...
Last Friday, during the crazy rain/wind storm, Chris, Lauren, and I had a follow up meeting with the manager (J.V) of the organization we've been observing. Again I was apprehensive about going in, not wanting to impose on his time or make him feel uncomfortable in anyway. Once again my apprehensions were put to rest within 5 minutes of being there as J.V. and his staff welcomed us into the building and out of the weather.
Chris had arranged a meeting with J.V. weeks in advance and we had plenty to talk with him about after our tour at the beginning of the month and after hearing from our insightful instructors in the last few class sessions about how to go into these kinds of meetings.
I was thankful when we met with J.V., that we had heeded the advice of Patrick, Terry & Kate and ditched the formal questions and moved to a more conceptual framework. I don't think we got as many questions answered as we may have if the meeting had been more interview style. But I do believe that we would not have had the opportunity to hear the detail that J.V. shared with us in his response to the "questions" we did ask, and we certainly wouldn't have experienced as much of the emotion behind the work he does with his organization. And while the former would probably make for easier paper writing, the latter has given me a lot to think about regarding organizations and the kind of leader I hope to be someday.
Chris had arranged a meeting with J.V. weeks in advance and we had plenty to talk with him about after our tour at the beginning of the month and after hearing from our insightful instructors in the last few class sessions about how to go into these kinds of meetings.
I was thankful when we met with J.V., that we had heeded the advice of Patrick, Terry & Kate and ditched the formal questions and moved to a more conceptual framework. I don't think we got as many questions answered as we may have if the meeting had been more interview style. But I do believe that we would not have had the opportunity to hear the detail that J.V. shared with us in his response to the "questions" we did ask, and we certainly wouldn't have experienced as much of the emotion behind the work he does with his organization. And while the former would probably make for easier paper writing, the latter has given me a lot to think about regarding organizations and the kind of leader I hope to be someday.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Casual Observer
After some initial back and forth with our observation location, Lauren, Chris, and I went for our first visit this past weekend. I found myself a bit apprehensive about going; the manager that we spoke with, while friendly, was unsure about us coming in to observe (he didn't want us to give the members of this organization the impression that the organization was under review in any way - so no note taking), and he asked that we come in wearing clothing that would make it seem less obvious that we were there for observation (wear workout clothes and maybe participate in a class or get in a workout). So this is where my apprehension lay 1) I don't want to impose upon anyone, especially if they are uncomfortable with my being there, and 2) I haven't intentionally worked out, at a facility, in over a year.
What I found when we arrived was a warm welcoming environment. The employees seemed genuinely happy to be there, and the members of the organization were treated like family. The most interesting part of the day for me was how the employees treated us, as visitors. The manager that we had arranged the visit was not there (we knew he would not be) so he asked another employee to give us a tour of the facility and answer any questions we might have. We received a great tour, very thorough, and this particular employee was open to answering our questions. We talked a lot with her about her experience working there (she'd been there almost one year) and I felt that she was candid about her experience. In fact, every employee that we had the opportunity to talk with expressed how lucky they felt to work there and what a wonderful environment it is to work. I didn't have any feelings one way or the other what it would be like to visit the organization for the first time without the manager present, but in the end it was the perfect way to start. I think we had a genuine experience of how the employees view the organization when the boss is absent, and what I observed was a well developed sense of team, commitment to the organization, and care of the work that they perform.
What I found when we arrived was a warm welcoming environment. The employees seemed genuinely happy to be there, and the members of the organization were treated like family. The most interesting part of the day for me was how the employees treated us, as visitors. The manager that we had arranged the visit was not there (we knew he would not be) so he asked another employee to give us a tour of the facility and answer any questions we might have. We received a great tour, very thorough, and this particular employee was open to answering our questions. We talked a lot with her about her experience working there (she'd been there almost one year) and I felt that she was candid about her experience. In fact, every employee that we had the opportunity to talk with expressed how lucky they felt to work there and what a wonderful environment it is to work. I didn't have any feelings one way or the other what it would be like to visit the organization for the first time without the manager present, but in the end it was the perfect way to start. I think we had a genuine experience of how the employees view the organization when the boss is absent, and what I observed was a well developed sense of team, commitment to the organization, and care of the work that they perform.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Perception is Reality
I have to admit that coming back to class after the winter break has been a bit of a challenge. Don't get me wrong, I love meeting with my cohort twice a week, exchanging ideas, and supporting one another in the process of changing our thinking. But my motivation is beginning to wane slightly as the thought of another 10 week quarter, coupled with a rigorous selection process for a new student staff, looms ahead.
Imagine my surprise and relief as I completed the readings this week and the interconnectedness of the courses we are taking this quarter. I find this years curriculum so refreshing as I learn new things each week that I can immediately take back and apply to my organization. But I digress.
As a graduate student working on my Masters, a colleague of mine often reminded me that "perception is reality". At the time, I was working as an Assistant Resident Director, with an additional assignment of serving as an advisor to a group of students that served as Multicultural Assistants (MA's) in the residence halls. Much like RA's, the MA's were responsible for programming around themes dealing with multiculturalism and diversity. Since there was only one MA per building, the group would get together each week to discuss concerns, plan programs, and build capacity around diversity related topics. Often I would draw on my colleague's mantra, "perception is reality", as I advised these young paraprofessionals about the important roles of culture, climate, diversity, and inclusion.
It seems to me no different in organizations. This week's reading focused on organizational cultures and I was reminded of the lessons I learned from the MA group, and the students we served. Culture is not always tangible. It can't be touched, or held, or even, in a lot of circumstances, described to those who do not share the experience. It is, however, something that each group member knows and understands, either as an insider or as an outsider. So how do we as leaders create the culture that we wish for our organizations? And, perhaps more importantly, how do we change a toxic culture to be one of shared responsibility, shared meaning, and shared purpose? I'm feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of this leadership role as I begin to put words to what I've known to be vitally important all along.
Imagine my surprise and relief as I completed the readings this week and the interconnectedness of the courses we are taking this quarter. I find this years curriculum so refreshing as I learn new things each week that I can immediately take back and apply to my organization. But I digress.
As a graduate student working on my Masters, a colleague of mine often reminded me that "perception is reality". At the time, I was working as an Assistant Resident Director, with an additional assignment of serving as an advisor to a group of students that served as Multicultural Assistants (MA's) in the residence halls. Much like RA's, the MA's were responsible for programming around themes dealing with multiculturalism and diversity. Since there was only one MA per building, the group would get together each week to discuss concerns, plan programs, and build capacity around diversity related topics. Often I would draw on my colleague's mantra, "perception is reality", as I advised these young paraprofessionals about the important roles of culture, climate, diversity, and inclusion.
It seems to me no different in organizations. This week's reading focused on organizational cultures and I was reminded of the lessons I learned from the MA group, and the students we served. Culture is not always tangible. It can't be touched, or held, or even, in a lot of circumstances, described to those who do not share the experience. It is, however, something that each group member knows and understands, either as an insider or as an outsider. So how do we as leaders create the culture that we wish for our organizations? And, perhaps more importantly, how do we change a toxic culture to be one of shared responsibility, shared meaning, and shared purpose? I'm feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of this leadership role as I begin to put words to what I've known to be vitally important all along.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)