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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Focus: Post #3--Impoverishment of Attention

Impoverishment of Attention Video games and endless electronic chatter; constant news, especially negative; information on demand by Google; and so much more are taking our kids and us down a path of distraction and lack of focus. We jump from emails to blogs to texts and get swallowed up in a sea of distraction. Doubly disturbing is that 8 percent of American online gamers meet the psychiatric definition of addiction. Nobel-winning economist Herbert Simon wrote: “…a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.”

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Focus: Post #2--Types of Attention

Three Kinds of Attention for Leaders
1. Inner focus attunes us to our emotions, intuitions, and decisions—a form of self-awareness and self-regulation. 2. Other focus connects us with others through forms of empathy—Cognitive Empathy (I see how you view the world); Emotional Empathy (I have a sense of how you feel); Empathic Concern (I want to do something to soothe or help you). “Outer focus keeps our eye on the larger environment we live in—a systems approach works well to keep us safe and sound. A leader tuned out of his internal world will be rudderless; one blind to the world of others will be clueless; those indifferent to the larger systems in which they operate will be blindsided.”

Monday, November 25, 2013

Focus: Post #1--Overview

Overview
Attention is the muscle of the mind, and distraction is like the infectious “common cold.” Your mind gets strengthened by attention and weakened by mind wandering. Goleman calls our attention to three types of focus: Inner Focus—self-awareness and control; Other Focus—empathy for others and relationship building; and Outer Focus on the external environment —systems thinking. Two brains within us control our thoughts—bottom brain (basal, instinctual, ancient) and top brain (slower, cognitive, wandering). Using mindfulness and switching brains can help us focus, solve important problems, and attain excellence.

Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence (HarperCollins, 2013) by Daniel Goleman.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Diagnosing Change: Post #6--Org. Change

Making Organizational Change
a.    Diagnosis: 1) Using OACI, members rate profile of the current organization and reach consensus,
b.    Interpretation: 1) Identify changes that need to happen; 2) talk about what change means and does not mean; 3) find stories that illustrate values and necessary behaviors.
c.    Implementation: 1) Which actions should be stopped, started, continued; 2) ID small wins and tout them; 3) Set timetable and metrics; 4) develop a communications plan; 5) figure out which parts of the organization will have to change and how; 6) determine personal change for everyone necessary for organizational change to happen.


not an average; 2) Rate the future desired organization profile and note differences between current and future.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Diagnosing Culture: Post #5--Individual Change

Individual Change To change culture, people must also change. Authors suggest the Management Skills Assessment Instrument (MSAI) provided in the appendix of the book. A form of MSAI used in a 360 approach can lead to a profile of self vs. other profile in the four quadrants. Authors provide analysis of what skills will be congruent with a particular framework quadrant: 
a.    Clan (manage teams, interpersonal relationships, and develop others)
b.    Adhocracy (manage innovation, the future, continuous improvement)
c.    Hierarchy (manage acculturation, control systems, coordination)
d.    Market (manage competitiveness, engagement of employees, customer service)

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Diagnosing Culture: Post #4--Competing Values

Competing Values Framework A leading framework used for OD
a.    Clan (Collaborative Culture). Business Philosophy: Human Development and engagement produce results. Values: Commitment, Communication, Development.
b.    Adhocracy (Creative Culture).  Business Philosophy: Innovation produces effectiveness. Values: Innovation, transformation, agility.
c.    Market (Competitive Culture). Business Philosophy: Aggressive competition for the customer produces profits. Values: Market share, goal achievement, and profitability.
d.    Hierarchy (Control Culture):  Business Philosophy: effective and efficient organizations produce results. Values: Efficiency, Timeliness, Consistency. 
work. CVF has been empirically derived, is a valid instrument, congruent with other powerful theories about how others think and their cognitive processes, such as Jung’s Model and the MBTI. Four Quadrants:

Monday, November 11, 2013

Diagnosing Culture: Post #3--The OCAI

Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument The OCAI is like the MBTI of organizational development. It’s used in a wide variety of industries and countries and is based on 6 key dimensions: 1) Dominant Characteristics; 2) Organizational Leadership; 3) Management of Employees; 4) Organizational Glue; 5) Strategic Emphasis; 6) Criteria for Success. The instrument measures both “now” (characteristics of the present state) and “preferred” (the desired future state).

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Diagnosing Culture: Post #2--Culture

Culture  “...the taken-for-granted values, underlying assumptions, expectations, and definitions that characterize organizations and their members….culture is a socially constructed attribute of organizations that serves as the social glue binding an organization together.”  It’s a kind of code that people have engraved on their minds, unwritten rules about how to get along in the organization—unwritten rules that are strictly enforced! Most people are unaware of culture until it’s threatened.  The structure of culture from bottom to top is: Implicit Assumptions (unconscious drivers); Conscious Contracts and Norms (rules of the game); Artifacts (buildings, dress, offices, etc.); and Explicit Behaviors (how we treat each other and behave). Types of Culture: There are a number of culture levels, such as global (East vs. West), National (China, US), Occupational (Doctors, Lawyers), Regional (Rural, Urban), Organizational (dominant leadership style), and Team (sub-unit uniqueness).

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Diagnosing Culture: Post #1--Overview

Overview Kim Cameron and Robert Quinn, colleagues at the University of Michigan’s Ross Business School, have created a change model for the ages. Their Competing Values Framework (CVF) is used extensively by organizations, consultants and other change agents. Business is hyper-charged with change, and failure rates of corporate change are as high as 70%—caused by ignoring culture. Research indicates that profitability is predicted by certain market forces like high barriers to entry, having a large market share, and other elements traditionally offered as reasons for success. However, the authors note that Southwest Airlines, Apple, Walgreens, Walmart, and Pixar had none of these but still succeeded. What made the difference? Their organizational culture—their company values, personal beliefs, and vision, not market forces. Great corporate culture reduces uncertainty, increases social stability, and develops values, norms, commitment and a vision for all member generations to strive toward. Culture impacts mightily on employee morale, commitment, productivity and other key indicators. Finally, culture and corporate change is joined at the hip to individual change. No change in leaders, no culture change. 

Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture: Based on the Competing Values Framework by Kim S. Cameron and Robert E Quinn (Third edition, Jossey-Bass 2011); reviewed by Steve Gladis
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