We are now in
the wind down phase of the semester, however, the amount of information we
cover weekly remains at a very steady pace. This week our focus was
understanding three basic integrated elements of OD intervention strategies –
structural, technological, and behavioral strategies. As I mentioned in our
discussion this week, we have already learned in other chapters this semester
that part of the daunting challenge with mastering OD is the perspective in
which we are tasked with viewing every thing, every decision, and every team,
as part of a greater whole. There will always be some instances in which these
strategies could be used independently, however, it is highly unlikely that at
some point they will not crossover to other areas and other imperative elements
that will need to be addressed. Very simply stated, “A change in one aspect of
a system to solve one problem may result in newly created problems” (Brown,
2011, p. 180)
and it would be foolishly myopic to think that if we focus concentration of
change in one area, it would not lead to uncovering other areas were
interconnected and should be part of our overall evaluation and strategy.
This week we
also watched a video highlighting the impressive career of Michael Bonsignore,
CEO of Honeywell. I enjoyed how he portrayed a leadership figurehead that felt
it would be realistic to create a new culture but “punish” those whom do no
embrace it (Films.com) . Although I applaud where
his heart is, he may find it rather difficult to actually punish those
employees who are not looking for best practices and bringing about a new
corporate culture. I think that it is entirely plausible for leadership to work
with other resources and internal teams, such as HR, to find ways to compensate
and reward employees who are looking for new ways to bring about the types of
best practices he is looking for. In doing so, by constantly rewarding and
encouraging employees to display the desired behavior or results, he can slowly
bring about a new direction of culture for sure.
Furthermore, I do find it
admirable that he is looking to blend the best of both worlds that Honeywell
and Allied have to offer. I think if the message is transparent, clear, and
consistently reinforced, this could work towards his goal of creating a new
culture.
I think
outlooks such as this bring about collaboration, brings about a sense that
leadership considers everyone on the same side and wants employees to operate
as if they are all part of the same team. We are all connected, and as I mentioned
in my blog last week, connectivity with others is crucial to our success at any
level. One of the barriers I saw in the video was that Bonsignore stated he
wanted cohesion, but wasn’t necessarily discussing how he wanted to install
this belief with his teams and embed this into a newly formed culture. I think
he spoke of the clarity he desired to instill in what the company is doing and what
he wants to accomplish, but didn’t portray a clear vision or call to action
with his people. I did like that he also spoke of the importance that he absolutely
believed in keeping everyone at every level involved at all costs, even through
hardship and uncertainty; but his message was constantly delivered in what I felt
was a cold and unconnected manner. At this point, I liked the analogy that
Bethune mentions; he spoke of how football works as a great example because everyone
on the field has to be involved in the huddle to execute the next play
effectively (Films.com) . This further
supported Bonsignore’s point that everyone has to be involved for us to rise to
the challenge and achieve our next level of success.
As it pertains
to what life lessons I can apply as a leader, I think that I have to remember
to remove stereotypical thinking as part of the process of change. I shouldn’t always
assume that everyone has a problem with change and ready myself to help fight a
battle that may not exist. Additionally, bigger doesn’t always mean better. For
example, as mentioned in the video, expansions are not always better for
organizations. Sometimes they work right off the bat, but we also have to be
willing to evaluate when enough is enough and define what our version of
success is. There may be overlap, there may be redundancy, but as leaders, when
communicating the desired elements of change, we have to ensure that we thoroughly
go through the diagnostic process to appropriately identify what areas are
interconnected with other areas. As we learned this week, the structural,
technological, and behavioral elements have subelements that must be considered
prior to enacting any type of intervention.
I think that as
our video mentions, we are all looking to identify personal experiences that
differentiate us from our competition. In order to get us to this cognitive
level, we have to change our mindset to develop towards, “do I fully understand
where we are now”, but more importantly, “do I know what is the vision for what
we want to be and how we will get there”.
I think that
elements such as clear messages and recognition that progress is never singular moment in time where there is a
definitive beginning and end; it is a continuous momentum in order to be
successful (Films.com) and allows us to
plot a specific agile course towards success. I think that although Bonsignore
probably in his mind felt it insignificant to discuss details in how we
visualized rewarding and punishing people who either were, or were not, on
board in helping establish this new cultural wave, he could have had a more
profound impact and acceptance of his planned intervention if he had spent time
in discussing the “specific means, activities, and programs that can make
change happen” (Brown, 2011) .
I am truly
amazed that we have flown through seven weeks already and I cannot wait to see
what awaits us to uncover next week!
Until we
blog again…
References
Brown, D. R. (2011). An Experiential Approach to
Organizational Development, Eight Edition. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
Films.com. (n.d.). Mastering the Art of Corporate
Reinvention. Retrieved from films.com:
http://digital.films.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/play/BB94P2
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