Monday, October 25, 2010

Our first salon November 5: What role does honesty play in organizational life?

Our first salon on November 5th will discuss the role that honesty plays in organizational life. These questions will serve as a starting point for our discussion:
  • What role does honesty play in organizational life? 
  • What is organizational honesty? 
  • What action taken or not taken by your organization or someone in it would cause you to quit your job? 
  • What is your “ethics line” and what is it for others in your organization?
Join us on November 5th at the ODDA office. To register, contact Joan at (203) 288-6688 or email jdcampbell@odda123.com. For more information, visit our website to read or download an overview.
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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

ODDA introduces its 2010-2011 schedule of OD "Salons," gatherings for managers and leaders to explore common issues.

As leaders and managers, we spend much of our days dealing with the most pressing project or demand, occasionally taking time to think about strategy. We rarely have time to examine our underlying assumptions about organizational life or look at our conceptual models. Yet these assumptions and models drive our daily behavior, in turn creating experiences for those who work in our organizations.
Organizations are community creators and they have a profound influence on how well the world is moving toward a place of greatest good for the greatest number. In all three sectors of the economy (public, private, nonprofit), non-governmental organizations can move the fastest to make policy changes and choices that improve people’s lives.
How can we do that better? How can we better understand what it means to be a “good” organization? One way to do so is to stay in dialogue with other managers and leaders. Having regular discussions, in which our thinking is challenged and grows, is key to finding new and better ways to have a positive impact on our organizations, the people in those organizations, and the world.
To that end, Organizational Design & Development Associates will be hosting a series of organizational development “salons” – each formed around one question which a small group of managers and leaders will explore together.

For a schedule and list of topics, visit our website. If you can't attend, you can follow our report on the discussions, including comments from participants, here on our blog following each salon.

What is the most difficult aspect of managing?

Managing those you supervise, managing those who supervise you, managing people across teams, functions and throughout the organization -- which aspect of managing do you find most difficult? Why?

Friday, October 1, 2010

Management Muddle: How Do I Help My Manager Manage Better?

How do I help my manager manage better?

How does one effectively navigate a direct supervisor who is non-responsive to your needs? I have spoken with him directly and nothing has changed in spite of his claims to the contrary. I have a review coming up soon and he always asks “what can I do better as a manager?” I always offer the same response with some action items and they go for naught.  As an aside, I am still able to function in my current role effectively, however my concern is my upward mobility given his indifference.

Signed,
Muddled Manager


Dear Muddled Manager:

I commend you for retaining your fervor for learning and developing, even when it is not supported, and I urge you not to give up!

There appear to be two issues here: one is his improvement as a manager and the other is his support of your career. These are different issues, and you may achieve better results if each is approached separately. Your performance review is an appropriate venue for discussing your career direction in the organization, but perhaps a separate conversation would be more effective to discuss “what he can do better as a manager.” 

Three questions come to mind in exploring your dilemma:
  1. Do you believe your supervisor really understands what you are requesting?
  2. Does he/she sincerely want feedback to become a better manager?
  3. Is he/she capable of providing what you asked for?
Do you believe your supervisor really understands what you are requesting?
Is your request too general? Do each of you interpret differently what you are asking for? You say that you always give him the same response when he asks what he can do differently to be a better manager. Can you express your request in a different way? For example, some people take action when given specific suggestions regarding changes to job tasks, while others respond better to suggestions regarding behavioral changes. It is important to understand how he/she best accepts feedback, and deliver it in that manner. 

Does he/she sincerely want to become a better manager?
Do you believe your supervisor’s request for feedback is sincere? Is he/she invested in helping you develop so that you can achieve the upward mobility you desire? Ideally, a good supervisor should be invested in developing capacity. He/she should be promoting education, skill development and career fulfillment and also challenging people to ensure the organization develops future leaders. If this is not happening and you are hungry to be the best you can be, it is important to begin considering other opportunities where the supervisor and environment will help you develop.

Do you believe your supervisor is capable of providing what you asked for?
As in any relationship, the other person isn’t always capable of providing what we need. If your supervisor is not capable of this, is there someone else in your organization that can provide what you require? Is your organization committed to developing its employees? For example, if your need is not job-specific, but you would like a mentoring relationship, is there someone else in the organization you could approach? 

Several books that might be helpful for you to read are:


ODDA offers coaching and management training services to organizations; for more information visit the Management Training services page on our website.

Remember to follow this conversation for additional comments and suggestions, and please feel free to write the "Management Muddle" group again.

Best of luck,
Sandra LaJeunesse, Senior Associate, ODDA and Partner, Odyssey Consulting
Laura Freebairn-Smith, Principal, ODDA

Also take a look at these additional resources:
Crucial Skills”, a blog by the authors of Difficult Conversations, Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler.
Brazen Careerist,” by Penelope Trunk offers this post, “7 ways to manage up.” 

Management Muddle(TM) is a registered trademark of Laura Freebairn-Smith and Organizational Design and Development Associates.

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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Friday, September 17, 2010

September newsletter published today

In this issue we introduce our business case study series, offer an article about designing metrics and more...
View the archived issue

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

If you could change one thing about your organization, what would it be?

This time of year brings with it the urgency to "get back to work." With summer holidays behind us and the kids going back to school, our focus turns to the workplace. Sometimes this renewed attention allows us to take a fresh look at our organization. We can also take this opportunity to evaluate it from a new perspective and ask: what would I change?


Share with us one thing you would change about your organization--people, processes, relationships, systems, structures? Then come back to review what others have said, and learn if there are common themes.

ODDA staff returns from Summer recess

We're all back in the office, refreshed and renewed.



Got a Management Muddle? Send us your questions!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Was your first boss an abundance leader or a scarcity leader?

First experiences make a big impression on us. Share yours with us. Who was your first boss? What was his/her leadership style? What lasting impact did that first experience make on you?

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Management Muddle: Coping with a toxic environment

What can I do to not completely lose it?

I work in a county government and have a manager with little supervisory skills and even fewer leadership skills. Even though my credentials are better than hers, I have been fairly obvious that I do not want her job. Just a few things she has done, designed to undercut my position, have involved: providing only partial information, keeping me out of the loop on my projects only to expect full knowledge later, canceling my training (by cc email) while sending others many places for training, having a "favorite" in our small department, and letting her personality differences enter and disrupt our workplace. She has even "written me up" to HR with untruthful statements, but upper management has closed ranks to protect their liability and, while polite, has been of no assistance whatsoever--even though I had been requesting attention for some time prior to things becoming as bad as they are now.

I am seeking employment outside this organization, as I do not believe this organization has any concept of how to treat employees, but I have to suffer through it for a while until something materializes. The organization itself is dysfunctional and thrives on stick rather than carrot tactics. I have more qualifications than many in higher positions, but this is a well-known backscratching state and I have no relatives or friends in very influential positions.

This is the first time in more than 20 years of employment I have seen a place this bad. What can I do to not completely lose it while I work hard at going elsewhere?

Signed,
Muddled Manager
___________________________________________________________

Dear Muddled Manager,

One of the key insights we gain with experience is that we thrive in certain work environments and not in others. Sometimes this is a difficult realization, since it means we have to say "no" to some organizations/contexts in which we'd like to work or that have attractive elements for us but are not an overall fit. It does sound as if you and this organization are a mismatch, so pursuing other options makes good sense.

In the meanwhile, this is an excellent time for you to engage in some introspection: take stock of your life and career goals. How do you want to spend your days? With whom? Doing what? In what physical environment? In what size organization? Consider working with a career coach so you a) find a way to use your skills and talents and b) identify and avoid toxic environments.

In challenging situations, one side is never blameless. No matter how difficult, it’s important to recognize your role in the problem. What part of the problem did you create or contribute to? Can you change your behavior in a way that will bring different results? Can you change your outlook or expectations? You have to recognize what you can and cannot control. Until you take responsibility for your own behavior, you will most likely end up in a similarly frustrating position.

What lessons can you take away from this? How will you change? Are there others (who stand outside of this problem) who can give you objective feedback that might help you see yourself more clearly?

Another key realization we gain as we work in more organizations and more positions, although dismaying at first, is that we can't change a system by staying in it and being angry or unappreciated. Unless you are in a position of significant power, you cannot change this system by staying. Power comes in many forms – position power, political power, group power, expertise, etc. Ask yourself if you truly have enough power, AND good intentions for this organization and its mission, to make the needed changes. If not, you probably need to move on or come to terms with the organization's dysfunction and get into a positive frame of mind about it. Being upset or angry will ultimately affect your health – not a good long-term situation.

I would also recommend reading Stephen Covey’s The 8th Habit to help you discover a different perspective. In addition, watch our newsletter and website for excerpts from Laura's forthcoming book, The Five Rules of Life. Elements of that work might be helpful to you as well.

Remember to follow this conversation for additional comments and suggestions, and please feel free to write the "Management Muddle" group again.

Best of luck,
Laura Freebairn-Smith, Principal
and Paul Crotty, Senior Associate

Also take a look at these additional resources:

"Work Matters" blog by Bob Sutton, Phd, Professor of Management Science, Stanford University.
"How to Fix a Toxic Workplace," June 8, 2010, Inc.

Management Muddle(TM) is a registered trademark of Laura Freebairn-Smith and Organizational Design and Development Associates.

Got a Management Muddle? Ask the Expert.

On this blog and on our website we've created a place for managers to go to ask for advice on management challenges they're facing in their organizations. You can ask a question and receive an answer from an organizational development expert: Laura Freebairn-Smith and our team of associates.

We've received our first question from a discouraged manager working in a county government. The Q&A follows.  

Your comments and discussion are welcome. Please join in!

Monday, June 7, 2010

Is Abundance orientation a character trait? Can it be learned?

What do you think? Do you believe that leaders with a Scarcity orientation can learn Abundance? Share your thoughts and ideas.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Abundance leaders have healthier organizations

Research shows that abundance leaders have healthier organizations in which team work, conflict resolution, communication, and other key organizational attributes are much stronger. The Abundance Leadership and Organization Health instrument benefits leaders by giving them insight into their style and learning where change is needed to improve their organization. We benchmark results from your organization against data we have collected from over 300 staff and leaders in over 120 organizations.

To evaluate your leadership style on the spectrum of abundance versus scarcity and learn how to use the better aspects of each model to lead staff, contact us for more information about the Abundance Leadership and Organizational Health Model and how it can be implemented in your organization.

What are your thoughts? Why do Abundance leaders have healthier organizations?

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

The Abundance Leadership and Organizational Health Model

Abundance leaders see the possibilities in all situations, share power, share credits, and work from an optimistic standpoint. Scarcity leaders see the world as an inherently difficult place without enough resources. They tend to hoard information and power. Research shows that abundance leaders have healthier organizations in which team work, conflict resolution, communication, and other key organizational attributes are much stronger.

Laura Freebairn-Smith has developed an instrument to evaluate leadership style on the spectrum of abundance versus scarcity. This instrument includes a survey to evaluate a leader’s orientation, based on data collected anonymously and confidentially from subordinates and peers, which is presented in an individualized, 24-page report. For the individual leader, this report provides a basis for discussing the pros and cons of each stance and for looking at ways to use the better aspects of each model to lead staff. For the organization, this instrument can be a powerful tool: as the nucleus of a leadership development program, as a 360ยบ feedback instrument, or as a means for determining the link between an organization’s leaders and the organization’s overall health.

I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow. (Woodrow Wilson)

Request information about the Abundance Leadership and Organizational Health Model

Is your boss an Abundance or Scarcity Leader?