Teaching, coaching, and doing problem solving is at least 50% of my official job duties at my manufacturing plant. We utilize the Toyota 8-Step Problem Solving model. We are successful only because we have created a system that makes it possible to fix or improve the system through problem solving. Simply, the system is creating and working to standards with tools measuring the ability to meet those standards. When an abnormal condition exists (meaning the standard cannot be met or the standard must be improved) problem solving occurs. The changes to standards brought about through problem solving are expected to be minimal; step-by-step improvements that over time lead to advancement. Our leadership supports this system by determining what targets the standards must achieve, facilitating problem solving, and enabling those that create the standards to fix or improve the standards themselves (because those that do the work every day are the best experts to fix and improve it).
I live in a world of analytical problem solving, we focus on "getting rid of problems" (Whetton & Cameron, 2016, p. 143). We are great at it! (Alright, we're getting great at it. We've been on the journey to implement this system for about four years now.) Living in this analytical problem solving world is potentially a constraint on my ability to problem solve creatively because I perceive it as such. By recognizing this system as one that supports creativity through improvement or by "developing incrementally better alternatives," (Whetton & Cameron, 2016, p. 144).
In one case, this focus on analytical versus creative problem solving prevented me from making required sweeping improvements to a training module that I developed and maintained. Rather than scrapping the existing module and rebuilding, I reworked minor elements of the module over and over and over again. While this is reflective of analytical problem solving and incremental creativity, I was blocked by my commitment of stereotyping based on past experiences (Whetton & Cameron, 2016). Ultimately, the root cause of this problem was not that the information presented in the module was unclear, but that the performance the module was built upon was poorly conceived. My constraints prevented me from framing the problem at the right level (looking at the performance itself rather than the training).
I enjoy thinking in abstract ways and our system makes it harder to do that. However, creative problem solving has its place in all systems. It can fit within our system, too. Ensuring that we utilize tools that help counterbalance conceptual blocks is essential for bringing creative problem solving into our analytical system.
References
Whetton, D. A. & Cameron, K. S. (2016). Developing management skills, 9th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Sunday, January 22, 2017
10 Minutes A Day
When I think about spending 10 minutes a day doing nothing, I get very excited. What a great excuse to just relax! I thought this would be the easiest task for me to accomplish since I started school a year and a half ago. Boy, was I wrong!
In the abstract, it seems easy. Sit for 10 minutes and do nothing. The first issue I encountered was where to find 10 minutes a day. I always think I have a pretty good work-life balance (see all my class posts this week for evidence), but even I struggled to squeeze in 10 minutes of nothing. It was the "nothing" part that I really found challenging. I can easily sit for 10 minutes and reflect while I'm doing a cardio exercise or washing up in the shower or scrolling through social media on my phone. But, that wasn't the instruction. The first two days in this exercise, I passed the whole day without finding 10 minutes!
When I finally settled down and made the commitment, my next challenge was to keep myself awake! I managed to relax very quickly - maybe too quickly. I closed my eyes for a minute and found myself slipping into a state of near sleep. After that, I did a good job of clearing my mind of thought. After my 10 minutes were up, I felt very relaxed. My second and third experiences were much better, but this will definitely take practice.
The expected value of this was, according to Andy Puddicombe (2012), a rest for my mind. Like anything that uses energy, the brain requires recharge. I learned that a few minutes of disconnect helps to center me and reduces my stress. It was similar to the experience of worrying about something late at night, sleeping on it, and then feeling much better in the morning.
Going forward, I think using this tool regularly is the only way to get into and maintain a good practice of it. It will be most valuable during very stressful times as a tool to center and help approach the situation with a calm demeanor.
References
Puddicombe, A. (2012). All it takes is 10 mindful minutes [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/andy_puddicombe_all_it_takes_is_10_mindful_minutes
In the abstract, it seems easy. Sit for 10 minutes and do nothing. The first issue I encountered was where to find 10 minutes a day. I always think I have a pretty good work-life balance (see all my class posts this week for evidence), but even I struggled to squeeze in 10 minutes of nothing. It was the "nothing" part that I really found challenging. I can easily sit for 10 minutes and reflect while I'm doing a cardio exercise or washing up in the shower or scrolling through social media on my phone. But, that wasn't the instruction. The first two days in this exercise, I passed the whole day without finding 10 minutes!
When I finally settled down and made the commitment, my next challenge was to keep myself awake! I managed to relax very quickly - maybe too quickly. I closed my eyes for a minute and found myself slipping into a state of near sleep. After that, I did a good job of clearing my mind of thought. After my 10 minutes were up, I felt very relaxed. My second and third experiences were much better, but this will definitely take practice.
The expected value of this was, according to Andy Puddicombe (2012), a rest for my mind. Like anything that uses energy, the brain requires recharge. I learned that a few minutes of disconnect helps to center me and reduces my stress. It was similar to the experience of worrying about something late at night, sleeping on it, and then feeling much better in the morning.
Going forward, I think using this tool regularly is the only way to get into and maintain a good practice of it. It will be most valuable during very stressful times as a tool to center and help approach the situation with a calm demeanor.
References
Puddicombe, A. (2012). All it takes is 10 mindful minutes [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/andy_puddicombe_all_it_takes_is_10_mindful_minutes
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Self-Awareness
I am currently in my seventh class at ERAU in the MS Business/Leadership program. That puts me well over the halfway point. (Yay!) I learned a new idea this week that is completely appropriate for describing the change in my awareness (both self and other) since I began. That term is "frequency illusion." It seems as soon as any learning objective is covered, I find it everywhere! Just this week, as I was reading about self-awareness tools, I took a training that included discussion on how personality styles affect leadership approaches.
In regards to the "Five Core Aspects of Self-Awareness" that Whetten and Cameron (2016) describe, I have recognized, and thus been able to improve, some elements of my personal core. I'm looking forward to uncovering more in this and future classes.
Emotional Intelligence: this has always been a core strength of mine. (Don't worry, I'm self-aware enough to recognize the bragging in this blog.) As I've become aware of the aspects of emotional intelligence - self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill - described by Goleman (1998), I've been able to strengthen my lacking social skill. I've improved enough to build relationships in which those on my projects feel comfortable confiding in me. It's great, even though sometimes it means they call me at 6am on a Monday morning just to chat.
Core Self-Evaluation: This is probably the element I had the most exposure to prior to entering the MSLD program. It has enabled me to lessen my neuroticism (or at least its appearance) and strengthen my self-esteem (or, again, at least its appearance).
Values: I think I have work to do here to become more self-aware in relation to my core values.
Cognitive Style: Based on the discussion presented in Whetten and Cameron (2016), I would suggest I'm a pretty solid combination of planning and creating. This is likely primarily due to my background in training development and facilitation. I'm sure that now I will become supremely aware of when I am in one quadrant or the other.
Attitudes Toward Change: My growth in this arena is difficult to separate into that which I can attribute to MSLD and that which can be traced back to my work. For five years I have been on a special team leading large scale cultural change at my Boeing Fabrication plan (around 1600 employees). Having an internal locus of controls and tolerance of ambiguity comes with the gig!
My growth has been recognized and has led to new opportunities in both my work and home life. Knowing my strengths and weaknesses has allowed me to focus my thinking and really hone in on each situation to the best of my abilities. I'm now being considered for prime management opportunities, and I have been elected president of my regional alumni organization. It's exciting to be facing new challenges!
References
Goleman, D. (1998). What makes a leader? Harvard Business Review, 82-90.
Whetton, D. A. & Cameron, K. S. (2016). Developing management skills, 9th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson.
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