A635.7.3.RB - INSEAD Reflection

A635.7.3.RB - INSEAD Reflection

Self-managed teams are autonomous work groups whose members decide how to handle their task. (Brown, 2011) These teams are often made up of people from different specialties and are brought together to solve a specific problem. Work teams are assigned a wide range of tasks including, scheduling, budgeting, assigning jobs, developing performance goals, and selecting team members. (Brown, 2011) The benefits of having a diverse makeup within the team are to bypass any bureaucratic issues they may come up against while trying to work through the different aspects of their project. It allows the team to move seamlessly through the project steps because they have tentacles in each major department required.

Our text goes over the drawbacks of a self-managed team and mentions that some of the work teams might not be appropriate to the task, people, and context. There are also roadblocks to a self-managed team when the organization doesn’t see the need for change, or when managers and leaders are vague about their roles regarding the self-managed teams, organizations that do not reward performance will run into problems, a lack of training can cause self-managed teams to fail, and building a self-managed work team is not a one-shot activity. (Brown, 2011)  

I would love to work within such a team – as long as it was appropriate to the tasks and that the team was made up of the right people for the job. I love the idea of an autonomous team that is high functioning and trusted by leadership to bring results. I haven’t seen a lot of that at Boeing but I think if I was part of the R&D teams it would make more sense for those tasks. It also makes sense to have self-managed mechanical teams who order their own parts, schedule their work, and utilize their own standard work to get their section of the airplane built. I see that some of the strongest teams get broken up because of management decisions to randomly move people around. When you have a strong team that knows what it’s doing and understands the work they are doing intimately, it’s dangerous to disrupt that brain trust by taking someone out or adding someone new, or both.  In supply chain, a self-managed team might make sense if we were given total autonomy to purchase and receive parts but I also know that there needs to be a checks and balance to who can purchase and who can receive in parts.  

To be an effective external manager of a self-managed team, or support team, you would need to be able to work in ambiguous situations. You would need to be a facilitator, energizer, teacher, and encourage the team’s self-managing behaviors, learning, goal setting, creativity, self-evaluation, peer-to-peer feedback, and group problem solving techniques. (Brown, 2011) The ability to break down roadblocks for your self-managed team would be essential. They wouldn’t need you to settle disputes or to approve decisions, but they will need an advocate and someone who can proactively see potential roadblocks and move them before they disrupt the momentum of the team.

 

References:

Brown, D. R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

INSEAD (2008). Paul Tesluk - Self-managing teams: debunking the leadership paradox. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBnR00qgGgM

 

A635.6.3.RB – EcoSeagate

A635.6.3.RB – EcoSeagate

I do see value in the EcoSeagate team development process. Reading the blurb in the text, it seems that they had a very volatile and unstable work environment. “They called it Slavegate. People got fired all the time. The CEO had a grenade on his desk.” (Brown, 2011) The CEO had a grenade on his desk? That seems to be quite a powerful visual to have out on his desk. I can’t imagine going into a meeting in that room and not feel intimidated – walking in you already know you’ve lost. It really sounds like when the new CEO came in, he could either do nothing and things would continue to deteriorate, or, he could change the way the people saw management and themselves. And I think that because the workplace held such negative energy and memories, taking the groups outside and away from the office was the best way to go. They had to learn to trust each other – and management again.

Something like this would absolutely be necessary in a high-performing organization. One of the things about a high-performing organization or a high-performing team is the stress and focus that can wear even the best person down to nothing. Even when I’m in a med-performing team it always feels good to get away and have a team lunch off-site. You get to talk to your colleagues about something other than work which helps you know them on a deeper level. We go back to work, after just an hour, feeling closer and having made a couple new memories. A development process like EcoSeagate would be even more important because it encompasses several levels of employees away from their place of work, thrown into challenging situations where they have to learn to trust and rely on each other to complete tasks. I think one of the most important things to come out of an activity or development program like this is trust. Your team is made up of people with different needs, ambitions, and personalities. Getting to know them, and helping them to get to know each other, can build a happy, trusting team. (MTET, 2017)  It is imperative in the EcoSeagate situation that they all learn to trust each other again. It’s like they all lived under a repressive regime and can finally come out to breathe fresh air again. It takes time and work to believe that the fresh air is real.  

I know that in the upper levels of management Boeing does have some developmental programs similar to EcoSeagate’s example. I wish that we could all be involved – I really think that would help on so many levels. We are on a competitive schedule so it would only work if we worked ahead or pulled ahead some jobs for a day or two; or held it voluntarily on a weekend. I wonder if one of the reasons they don’t is because of union restrictions. I don’t know if that’s a thing or not. Here in South Carolina, we don’t have to worry about union restrictions and I think it would be a wonderful way to just put down our tools and talk to one another. I think that leadership would learn a lot from the feedback after a process like that too. Before returning to the workplace, participants summarize what they have learned and how it applies to their work. (Brown, 2011) Even though a development program that would take us away from our jobs for a day or two is technically not value added, (It doesn’t affect fit, form, or function of our work.) sometimes the non-value added but necessary category is what saves the day. It would pay off in improving morale, teamwork, and trust in our colleagues and leadership. I think that where there is a will, there is a way and I think that having a program like this at Boeing would be immensely helpful to all levels of employees. Team building is about providing the skills, training, and resources that your people need, so that they can work in harmony. But, to be truly effective, it needs to be a continual process, embedded into your team and organization's culture. (MTET, 2017)

 

References:

Brown, D. R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Mind Tools Editorial Team (MTET). (2017). Team building activities: an introduction. MindTools.com. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_52.htm

 

A635.5.3.RB - Video Debrief of Team MA

A635.5.3.RB - Video Debrief of Team MA

 

While watching the NeXT video I kept noticing three categories from our Management Assessment in Jobs’ words: Achievement, Innovation, and Tolerance for, And Ability to Assess Risk. When he talked, he made a point of reiterating the company’s vision and he talked about his point about an issue being his “deepest belief.”  As the narrator mentioned, Jobs was assertive but valued consensus. (Петренко, 2012) I have read a lot about Steve Jobs and know that he wasn’t always the easiest person to work for or be around and his personal life was a bit troubled. Who is the easiest person to be around? Someone who agrees with everything we say? Someone who doesn’t challenge our beliefs about what is and isn’t possible? Someone who thinks innovation belongs on Star Trek and likes things the way they are? And who doesn’t have a troubled personal life from time to time? Steve Jobs was a complex genius who I honestly believe was absolutely passionate about computers and what they could do for people – to improve their lives. I find no fault in that. His vision, while sometimes intense, was always genuine and something he deeply believed. I think he could be cruel and impatient, demanding and stubborn, but genius usually includes the passion that takes many shapes. I’m going to look at the three categories above and do a little compare and contrast and see how well I would have done if I had been part of the NeXT startup team.

 

Achievement: According to the Next Steps Research Management Assessment (NSRMA) report, Achievement is the ambitious goals that are actively tracked with metrics that the individual strives to reach or exceed [these] are the most important attribute[s] in a large, high growth venture. Some of the attributes include: the ability to readily quote statistics on product launch dates, sales and profit milestones, comparisons to competitors, key clients, and use the milestones to validate their goals and the risk/reward of reaching them. (NSRMA, 2017) Jobs’ ability to understand the competitor’s business almost as intimately as he knew his own kept his products relevant. As for the goals of the NeXT startup team, he kept reiterating their vision of producing the epitome of scholastic software for college students. He understood the financial limitations of students and professors when it came to expensive equipment – but he also knew the importance of having those tools in the classroom/lab environment. During the retreat, when there was dissent or an argument, he kept refocusing the group back on the primary goals: Release by spring 1987, and $3000 price tag. It seemed that while there was dissent, there were like-minded individuals working to make sure their product was absolutely unique and awesome. My personal achievement characteristics show that I want to not only complete my goals but to sustain the gains. I need challenges or it will lead to boredom (and shopping on Amazon.com.), however, I’m okay if not every single task get completed every day, I understand that some ideas are worth my time while others end up either taking longer than expected or are not value added at all. Looking at those things, and even knowing that NeXT did not turn out to be the legacy that Jobs would be ultimately known for, I would have loved to have been part of that team, Based on my achievement assessment characteristics I think I would have been able to work well with the NeXT team.

 

Innovation: A balanced mix of the three key innovation attributes: problem solving, process creativity, and inventiveness are essential in the leadership team of a large growth venture. (NSRMA, 2017). The NeXT team showed great effort with all three of those characteristics. The retreat on the video was all about brainstorming, process creativity, and inventiveness. They were not only building a machine that would change computing in colleges but as the narrator said, they were working toward a new corporate structure, architecting a company. Jobs said in the video that the total was much more incredible than the sum of its parts. (Петренко, 2012) My innovation assessment shows that I enjoy finding problems, I not only desire the create/conceive new processes, I enjoy the creative aspect of new processes and am motivated to create/invent services and products. (NSRMA, 2017). This would have fit in well with this group. They were working on an innovative product that had the potential to be so impactful to the education system – to change the way students learn especially in higher education environments. This had the ability to open up so many new ideas and young minds in ways that could never have been realized before. That is incredibly exciting to me, even now, thinking about the impact this team was preparing to make – the responsibility and intensity behind that intent. Amazing.

 

Tolerance for and Ability to Assess Risk: The ability to both assess the “risk vs. reward” of a decision or situation, and rapidly make choices based on those assessments is a key to success in this environment. (NSRMA, 2017) In the video, two of the biggest issues at the first retreat were the cost and the timeline. The team knew that the timeline would be critical to the success of the product launch impact. The team also understood that the price point needed to be considered “affordable” to the average college student. The budget of this project was fairly tight seeing as Jobs had fronted $7M of his own money to start. The NSRMA says that the individuals who thrive in this environment often enjoy the challenge of assessing situations and have the ability to confidently take action on their assessments. (2017) Jobs was not lacking in confidence and the challenge of assessing risk was something he had been doing from the very early days of Apple. [B]ut you can’t grow unless you keep moving into new areas that pose new risks. (Champy & Nohria, 2000) My risk characteristics show that I understand that some risk is okay. I have a strong history of taking business risks and even a medium desire to take high and/or uncalculated risks. When working on a project, I’m ready to push the launch button even when an idea isn’t fully vetted – how else do you see if it will even get off the ground? When you see something finally put into action is the only time you will truly understand what problems you have yet to solve. This may have made me a good candidate for the NeXT startup team because I understand the risk assessment process but also know when it’s time to stop theorizing and time for action.

Overall, I think I would have thrived in the NeXT startup team. I would have probably been intimidated by Jobs and his personality – I still have a little part of me that needs to please people and have them like me. Not a big part, but I know myself well enough to know that a personality like Jobs, a visionary who is passionate and who could lead a horse to water AND make him drink is someone that I would want to have impressed and would have been devastated if I failed him in any way. That being said, I think the most important thing belonging in a group like the NeXT startup team is balance. I know that Steve Jobs subscribed to meditation and a Zen-like mindfulness that created a sense of calm to his otherwise passionate nature. Jobs is quoted by biographer Walter Isaacson as saying:

 

"If you just sit and observe, you will see how restless your mind is. If you try to calm it, it only makes it worse, but over time it does calm, and when it does, there's room to hear more subtle things--that's when your intuition starts to blossom and you start to see things more clearly and be in the present more. Your mind just slows down, and you see a tremendous expanse in the moment. You see so much more than you could see before." (James, 2015)

 

It seems to me that being a relentless achiever, innovator, and a risk taker demands that there be a side of calm to balance out the reality of business. What ambition does need in order to save itself from excess is a sense of balance. (Champy & Nohria, 2000)

 

 

References:

 

Brown, D. R.(2011). An experiential approach to organizational development (Eighth ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

 

Champy J. & Nohria, N. (2000) The arc of ambition – defining the leadership journey. New York. Basic Books. 

 

James, G.(2015). How Steve Jobs trained his own brain. Inc.com. https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/how-steve-jobs-trained-his-own-brain.html

 

Next Steps Research. (2017) Management assessment profile prepared for Embry-Riddle. Candidate: Jody Unverrich. Alexandria, VA.

 

Петренко, C. (2012) Steve Jobs brainstorms with NeXT team. YouTube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loQhufxiorM

 

 

A635.4.3.RB - Build a Tower, Build a Team

A635.4.3.RB - Build a Tower, Build a Team

 

I have been part of a group of industrial engineers (IE) who took this challenge. I don’t have an engineering degree, I have a business degree so technically I was a “methods process analyst” or MPA – but we mostly did the same job. Something I noticed within our group was that the “degreed” IE’s were more likely to spend a lot of time talking and strategizing about the tower. The MPA group usually just started throwing things together. If there was a team that had both IE and MPA participants it went a little better because there were people who understood some design and some folks who push the group to start putting things together. I agree with Wujec’s analysis of why kindergartners did better with this challenge because as he said, they didn’t spend their time analyzing and jockeying for power – they didn’t spend time trying to be CEO of Spaghetti Inc. (Wujec, 2010) Kids tend to work with pure curiosity and are not worried about making mistakes and they still understand how to work together. I’m not sure when we lose that – high school? I’m not sure. I wish we didn’t. Recent MBA students have just come from a very competitive environment where losing or falling behind could cost them their career choices. Kindergartners maybe just came from nap time so they are ready to go! (Just kidding.)  

I also agree that CEOs with an executive assistant perform better because the assistant handles all of the details of the CEO’s day – they are resourceful, patient, understand the work, and have a broad network to pull from. CEO’s have a job too but if they are too busy scheduling their appointments and dealing with travel plans and hotel bookings, they won’t be as efficient. The executive assistant being part of a group of CEOs doing this challenge would organize the executives and make sure they all stayed on task. In this situation, the executive assistant acts as the OD and uses process intervention to move things along. Process intervention is to help the work group become more aware of the way it operates and the way its members work with one another. (Brown, 2011)

I think the biggest thing I’d take away from this TED talk is Wujec’s comment about prototypes and the iterative process. That seems applicable in many aspects of an organization. I know that I have sat in many process improvement workshops where we spend most of the first day just validating the existing process. That’s great but after a few hours, we should have it figured out. Good facilitators understand what a “rabbit hole” is and what productive discussion is. When I was in the engineering group I learned quickly that those engineers loved to talk. They would pontificate about theories and possibilities, what if’s and how to’s - it became drudgery for me – I just wanted to get this moving forward. It was like being the guy who shoots the starting gun at a track meet. He’s there ready to get these games started but the runners are all milling about talking about how their shoes are technically superior to the competitors and how fast they are going to go. The guy with the gun is just waiting for everyone to get on their blocks so he can fire the gun, go home and have lunch with his wife. That analogy went on longer than I meant it to but my point is that kindergartners are right – just start modeling and doing the building and designing because talk is cheap and you don’t know what will happen until you start. There is a time for talking and planning and organizing but that can become a huge roadblock if there is no one there to say, “Hey, team, let’s actually put some of these ideas to the test!”

 

References:

 

Brown, D. R.(2011). An experiential approach to organizational development (Eighth ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

 

Wujec, T. (2010). Build a tower, build a team. TEDTalks.  https://www.ted.com/talks/tom_wujec_build_a_tower