A520.5.3.RB_MilliganSteven

While the idea of empowerment may sound good to some people, others may see it as a way to manipulate and use their employees.  When we talk about empowerment, it is important to think about our intentions in empowering others and to think about whether or not we are truly empowering them.  In many cases, leadership may use the idea of empowering others to use them to do more work, or thoughtless obedience.  They may also use it to gain notoriety within the press or the public eye.  They have no intentions of actually empowering employees to do what is needed to run the businesses or their section the way they see fit.  The article, “Empowerment: Rejuvenating a potent idea” discusses many of these ideas. 

The article states, “as organizations have struggled to apply the notion of empowerment, the results have often fallen short of their expectations. (Forrester, 2000, p. 67)” The article also states that “it is not a futile hope to build and engage the power of employees; that the shortfalls in empowerment that many organizations have experiences are more about flawed implementations that flawed conception” (Forrester, 2000, pp. 67-68).  In my own opinion, many employers have a flawed notion of what empowerment truly means, and often use it as a buzz word to manipulate employees to what they want.  The text describes empowerment as “providing freedom for people to do successfully what they want to do, rather than getting them to do what you want them to do” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 443).  Often companies attempt to put programs in to place to facilitate empowerment, but then they end up losing steam over time.  There are a number of ways this happens. 

The first is through precipitous empowerment mandates.  This happens when employers jump the gun, offer freedom to work, without any sort of plan or goal set.  Over a couple of weeks, the idea runs into interference, and things go back to the way they were.  When total freedom of choice is given to every employee, it takes the power away from the individual with a good idea of the overall picture.  This often slows things down, because all employees are often not privy to all of the information and oversight managers are. 

If managers truly want to empower their employees to work with freedom and without constraints, there are several ways they can go about accomplishing this.  Employers often feel that when employees are given more power to do their work, the intrinsic rewards that come from this will give them the desire to work that much harder to do a phenomenal job.  This is a very limited way of looking at empowerment and ignores many of the ways people are motivated to do their work.  The article states, “this narrow framework ignores other psychological factors that bear on individuals’ power and how they use it” (Forrester, 2000, p. 69).  Some of the ways that employees are motivated are listed out in the article.  “Some people need to understand things deeply before they act, others need to move quickly.  Approval by others matters more to some than to others; so, too, do social interaction, play, and artistic expression.  Money counts a lot, especially for those who have little of it” (Forrester, 2000, p. 69).  In truth, the list of ways we are motivated is endless and assuming that just empowering people is the only method of motivation needed is a significant flaw in the system.

Companies will often use selective empowerment also.  This is when companies end up splitting the workforce into those who have power to make decisions, use their brainpower, and creativity and those who do not.  The articles states, “Such deployment is destructive and virtually guarantees failure” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 69).  This is a great way to push employees away and can rifts in relationships and ability to communicate.  The true problem with this method is that most programs fail to differentiate among employees, in levels and jobs assigned.  This way the appropriate decisions can be made at each level.  Without this differentiation, most power is taken away from middle managers.  Now, you have all employees attempting to do the managers’ jobs and the managers not really having a job.  Most managers are trained to be there and taking away their power can reap havoc on the roles in the management system.

There are also occasions where small changes are made to empower employees; however, larger changes are not made that enable employees to act on the changes.  Essentially, these changes are peace mealed and do not address the whole picture.  This usually happens because the zeal to give power to the employees is there, and the decisions are made in haste without any real planning or goals in mind. 

While these are all ways that empowering employees has failed in different organizations, there are a number of ways they can succeed.  These are described in the article as High Voltage Empowerment and are intended to show how we can empower employees successfully. 

This first method the article discusses is to enlarge power.  In order to do this, we need to have a better understanding of what power is.  The article states that power is, “the capacity to obtain the results you want” (Forrester, 2000, p. 72).  This means that we can empower our employees, without giving them the complete freedom to do everybody’s job, including their own, and make all the decisions they may want.  We can do this by providing the necessary resources for people to do their job and the freedom they need to get the results desired. 

When giving power to employees, it is important to understand what the sources of power are.  The article lists these as; control over rewards and penalties; expertise; formal authority based on organizational position; attractiveness, or the need on the part of others to identify with the individual; control over tangible resources, such as budgets, employees, buildings, and equipment, information; good working relationships, knowledge, personal characteristics; and opportunity” (Forrester, 2000, p. 73).  Understanding these sources of power can help us to gain a better knowledge on how to give power.  When we use these sources to truly give power, and understand that each situation, job and individual is different, and may desire to be empowered in different ways, we will be more effective in empowering others.  When tapping into these sources of power, we are enabling the person to gain a sense of self-efficacy.  The book describes this as “the feeling that they possess the capability to perform a task successfully” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 447).  So, to get the desired results, determine which source of power fits each employee the most and helps them to gain the confidence, capability and the desire to fulfill the task. 

We also need to understand that empowerment is not free.  With power comes responsibility.  When we have power to make decisions, we need to understand that the consequences of those decisions also come with the territory.  We also need to be aware that making significant changes to empower employees takes time and will create a lot of growing pains.  Some employees may not desire power and some may just not like change.  Being able to handle these situations is important, because this is the fulcrum of success.  Being able to create meaning and purpose to actions can help this.  The book states that empowered employees can “value the purpose or goals in which they are engaged” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 449).  When this is the case “not only do they feel that they can produce a result, but empowered individuals believe in and care about what they produce” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 449).  Being able to create this sense of meaning can help employees gain a desire for that empowerment. 

We need to understand that it is important to differentiate between employees.  In order to give power to some individuals does not mean that we have to remove it from others.  Managers can still have the power to make important decisions and they can empower others according to the strengths of each employee.  Using these strengths and talents can significantly increase the effectiveness of the empowerment program.  This can lead to employees building on their own power and desire to make more complex decisions about their job.  In addition to this, we need to manage expectations.  Empowering does not mean complete and total freedom to make all decisions.  It is important to manage employees expectations and the degree as to which their power goes.    

We also need to remember that small changes affect the great whole.  In order for empowerment to be successful, we need to make sure the system as a whole can support those changes.  We don’t want employees to constantly run into roadblocks right after they are making decisions we just told them they could make.  When we change the system, we need to go on to change the distribution of power also.  The article states, “For empowerment to succeed systematically, there must be a fit between the desired more powerful action and the rest of the organizational system” (Forrester, 2000, p. 76).

When empowering others, it is important that we are clear about the results achieved.  Having a clear, achievable goal gives employees something to focus on and work for.  If this goal is exciting and the manager can get employees energized, they will be more likely to get excited about their new found power and freedom to do their job.  The article has this to say about how results serve the power of an organization.  “It channels the flow of power by setting boundaries around it.  Results establish the ultimate boundary for employees as a basis for empowerment” (Forrester, 2000, p. 78).  This is giving employees an end result to work for.  Essentially, we are providing a finish line at the end of the marathon. 

The balance of power within organizations is delicate.  If we can follow the suggestions discussed in the article and avoid the many pitfalls that so many organizations tend to fall into, we can provide meaningful structure, empower employees, and generate an energy in the organization that will create an environment that people will enjoy working in and be able to produce the results desired by both the organization and the employees. 

References

Forrester, R. (2000). Empwerment: Rejuvinating a potent idea. Academy of Management, 67-80.

Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2011). Developing Management Skills. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

A520.4.3.RB_MilliganSteven

According to Andy Mulholland, there are three most significant motivators: to do interesting work, to expand skill sets, and to be recognized and valued.  It’s interesting to me that money and power are not among these motivators. 

These motivation can manifest themselves in a variety of ways and will change from person to person and job to job.  When I was in school, one of the hardest things I dealt with was jobs that were known as “college jobs”.  These are jobs that you get to help pay the bills, but don’t use very much brain power.  For several years I worked as a merchandiser for a major manufacturer of cookies and crackers.  I would drive from store to store, stocking shelves and building displays.  At first, the work was good, and the pay was decent.  I was able to pay the bills, and as time went on, my skill level increased and I was able to work faster and finish up quicker.  After a while, though, the work was boring and depressing.  We were never recognized for anything we did, and dealing with store managers was generally a nightmare.  The only thing I looked forward to about work was being able to listen to audio books.  The first motivator Mr. Mulholland talks about was not present in my job.  I was going crazy with boredom and not being able to use my brain in my job.  Over time, I would find other jobs, some of which were more engaging then others.  Even for the first little while in the Air Force I would get frustrated because I had very little responsibility and did not feel like I was fulfilling my potential. 

I was recently placed into a job that stretched both my mind and my capabilities.  While this job can be incredibly stressful and overwhelming at times, I still like this job substantially more than previous jobs I’ve had.  I still feel like I am inadequate for this job; however, I would rather deal with these feeling while learning and impacting, than being confident in a menial work based job. 

This leads me to the second motivator.  The work I do is very interesting and fast paced.  At times I feel like I am drinking from a fire hose, and can’t learn everything I need to do fast enough.  I am learning a great deal about deployments, logistics, planning and leadership.  I am in a position where I am forced to learn and grow at an incredibly rapid rate, yet the rewards are tremendous.  I don’t know that I will never want to do a job like this again; yet, I am grateful for the opportunity, and hope to learn all I can from it. 

The third motivator is being recognized and valued.  It can be frustrating when you put a lot of effort into a job or event and you feel that no one appreciates your work.  I have worked for various people that have treated their employees poorly.  This can be frustrating, disheartening, and make you want to quit.  At my current job, my commander never hesitates to show his appreciation when you have to stay late, work weekends, or put a lot of effort into a successful project.  He not only lets you know he appreciates your work, but he will praise you in front of others.  I have also seen the Wing Commander present coins, awards, and congratulate publicly when they have done something praiseworthy. 

While these are significant motivators, I don’t feel like they are the only ones.  In my own life, I have other motivators that push me to work hard at my job.  The first one is family.  My family is the most important thing in the world to me.  Being able to provide my child and wife with healthcare, education, quality food, and a respectable home are very important to me.  I don’t feel like I have to rain down gifts and jewels upon their heads; but, I want to do the best I can to give them a comfortable life free from constant financial problems. 

Another motivator in my life is pride.  I want to take pride in the things I do, and do them well.  My grandfather and father have always worked hard to build our name, so when they people meet us, we never have to worry about being associated with them.  I want my wife and children to be able to say the same thing.  I want them to be proud of who they are and where they come from.  I am constantly motivated to do my best so I can make them proud. 

A final motivator for myself at work is taking care of others.  What I do at my job affects the ease and ability to which other people can do their job, and go to where they need to for our country’s defense.  If I do my job poorly, it complicates others jobs.  It gives me great pride to be able to make life easier for others, so they can get to where they are going safely, and return to see their families with ease.  When I first moved in to this job, I was put in charge of handling a redeployment for over 200 people returning airmen.  It was my job to get them on the ground, through customs, and back to their families as quick as possible.  We received a lot of backlash from commanders because we would not let them see their families before processing through customs.  We were trying to obey the law, and get them back to their loved ones as quickly as possible.  With the help of many volunteers, we were able to get them back to their families in under two hours.  Having grown up in the army, I understand the anticipation the children had while waiting to see their deployed parent and how excited they were.  My greatest motivation was getting them home so they could be reunited with their loved ones. 

When we lose our motivations in life, we lose our desire to actively participate in it.  When I think about my motivations, and what it would be like to lose them, I can’t imagine being able to function.  As long as I can keep these motivations strong, I feel like I can handle anything that is thrown at me.  

A520.3.1.RB_MilliganSteven

If I were to list out several words that describe my decision-making style they would be: contemplative, calculating, careful, patient and knowledgeable.  The opposite of these would be rash, open, adventurous, impatient and uninformed. 

There have been a few times in my life where I have made decisions based on the words opposite of how I normally make decisions.  Usually, when I make decisions this way, the end result does not turn out well for me.  Due to my past choices, I try not to take too many risks.  I understand that often with high risk, comes high reward; however, with high risk also comes high loss. I am not so adverse to uncertainty that I cannot make risky decisions; however, I like to be thoroughly informed.  An example of this comes from when I was in college.  I desperately wanted a digital camera.  Before I was going to buy one, I learned everything about cameras that I could.  I looked at the benefits of both a DSLR and a compact camera. Not only did I research price differences, but I also looked at the difference in image quality, and wanted to make sure it took HD video.  At this time not a lot of cameras took HD video without paying a significant amount more.  Being a college student, I knew I did not have a lot to spend.  After careful consideration and unwilling to go over my budget of $250, I knew I would not be able to get the camera I wanted.  Rather than saving for the very expensive dream camera , I waited.  I waited almost three years for the camera that had everything I wanted to come down in price.  There are both good and bad to this type of decision making.  The good suggests that I am patient and willing to wait for what I want.  The bad suggests that it took me three years to by a camera and missed a lot of great pictures in that time. 

Because I like to be knowledgeable on my decisions, I often come to the conclusion that there is no right decision.  Whether I am looking at purchases or decisions at work, I often realize that sometimes decisions are just decisions, and I just have to hope that the one I make works out.  If I were to apply some of the opposite terms to my decision making style, I feel that it would open me up to trying new things and enjoy the world a little bit more.  Years ago I made a rash, decision to go on a backpacking trip to Europe for a month.  I went with my cousin and my best friend.  Our plan was to visit Germany, Ireland, Scotland and Amsterdam.  When I landed in Europe, I only had $500 in my bank account and no specific plan.  Before the trip was over, I ran out of money and ended up borrowing from my parents. Not only that, but ended up sleeping in an airport for several nights in a row because I could not afford to stay in a hostel.  Many would suggest that this decision was a poor one (mostly my parents); however, I look back at the trip as being one of the most fun and exciting trips I’ve ever taken.  We never knew where we were going to stay next, or what we were going to see.  Because the trip was successful, and I was able to get back home safely, I felt that the trip was a success.  Although, I did not follow the decision making style I frequently use now, I still feel it was a great time. 

As I’ve grown older, my decision making styles have adapted and changed.  I make less risky decisions now that I have a wife and child.  I care more about what I do and how I do it.  Decisions I make are based on what will provide them with the life they deserve.  I feel I can change some of my decision making style a little to see things from a different perspective and still be able to make good knowledgeable decisions.   

A520.3.5.RB_MilliganSteven

In the office where I work at the moment, communication is key.  I need to constantly communicate with my team and others outside my organization.  As the Wing Installation Deployment Officer, it is imperative that my communication skills are top notch and clear, since I work with people from various organizations on a daily basis to get my job done.  If I am too shy, information will not get to where it needs.  If I am too loud, obnoxious, and demanding, I will be ignored and people will not do what I ask them.   It is important to integrate key behavior guidelines into my communication in order to get the best possible positive outcome.

The first of these guidelines suggests that I need to, "differentiate between coaching situations" (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 265).  Depending on the situation, I may need to give advice or take advice.  I will have to decide between listening, telling, or both.  Being able to differentiate between these various situations is very important.  I have learned this with my wife.  When we were first married she would come to me frustrated and stressed about a problem.  I would immediately try to fix the situation.  I quickly learned that she just wanted a shoulder to cry on; once I figured this out, our marriage got a whole lot better and with a lot less stress.  A hug can fix a lot.

The second guideline is to "communicate congruently by acknowledging your true feelings without acting them out in destructive ways" (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 265).  In a world where digital communication is a large part of how we get messages and information across, it's important for us to make sure our feelings and thoughts are clear.  When we send e-mails, texts and make phone calls, it can be easy to take things the wrong way.  If I can, I will often send an email and then talk to the person either over the phone, or in person if the situation calls for it.  This way we can have a dialogue about it and make sure there are no questions or concerns.  I have seen a lot of problems arise that didn't need to because of things being taken the wrong way.

The third and fourth guidelines are "use descriptive, not evaluative, statements (and) use problem-oriented statements rather than person-oriented statements; that is, focus on behavioral referents or characteristics of events, not attributes of the person." (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 265).  When things get stressful at the office, it can be difficult to keep emotion out of the equation.  The need for me to stay professional at all times is important.  I can't let my personal feelings and opinions overshadow the importance of the job and getting things done.  When I am frustrated about a situation, I try to keep in mind the end goal.  What do I want to have happen, and how can I make that happen?  This will often allow me to objectively think about the situation and stay on a clear path to success.  Being in a fast paced environment, it can get stressful quickly.  If I can stay objective and focus on the situation it will help me to hone in on getting the job done and doing what it takes to make that happen.  That will show in the way I communicate with my team.

I have always been taught to praise in public.  When someone does something that is exceptional, it is important to let them know and to do it in front of other people.  This falls in line with the next guideline; "use validating statements that acknowledge the other person's importance and uniqueness" (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 265).  There are many times that those in my office are asked to go above and beyond , whether that means staying late, coming in on the weekends, or helping others that are consistently confused.  It is important that I show them my appreciation.  I can do this by not only verbally letting them know how grateful I am, but also working hard to put them up for awards and making sure they are appreciate from a squadron, group and wing level.  When they know I will go the extra mile for them, they will do the same for me.

There are times when we are expected as leaders to institute corrective actions in order to change someone’s behavior.  How we go about this can make all the difference in the world for that person.  It can be difficult as a leader to know how to go about communicating with people that will result in the desired effect.  The book proposes a guideline that can help when trying to correct behaviors.  It states, “use specific rather than global (either–or, black-or-white) statements, and, when trying to correct behavior, focus on things that are under the control of the other person rather than factors that cannot be changed” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 265).  If a person is having problems because of health issues, or because of situations at work that can’t be helped its best to avoid trying to change those issues.  It’s best to focus on the areas they can improve on.  In my office I have people that could use some mentoring in a variety of areas of their lives.  They are all good at getting the work done they need to, however, the Air Force expects each of us to be leaders, scholars and philanthropists.  I can encourage and help them along paths that can lead them to taking on extra projects, finishing school and volunteering in different service based organizations.  By doing this, I am helping them to be a well-rounded individual and a better airman overall.  I can focus on the things in their lives they can improve on, rather than complain about the things that cannot be helped. 

A key factor when communicating and problem solving is actually allowing communication to take place.  If I am the only one talking, there will not be a lot of communicating happening.  I need to make sure the other people have a chance to speak and be heard.  The text states, “do not cause long pauses that dominate the time. Be careful not to completely control the topic being discussed” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 265).  If I am willing to allow others to contribute to the conversation, I will most likely come out of the discussion with a much better idea of what is going on.  I may go into the situation with ideas and pre-conceived notions, yet come out with a completely different outlook.  The same can be said for disagreements.  Often disagreements are just miscommunications between people.  When that communication is brushed up, the disagreement can sometimes disappear, or at least both sides can come to a compromise.  Allowing each sides to speak, and be heard, can help communication flow more smoothly, and allow all sides to see and understand the others perspective. 

In my job it can be easy to place the blame on others.  It takes more courage to take responsibility of decisions being made.  The text states, “own your statements, and encourage the other person to do likewise” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 265).  It can be easy to fault failures on policies and procedures or say “they”, the “air force” or the “squadron commander” said to do it.  Always wanting to be the good guy can make it very difficult to ask people to change behavior when you need them to.  They will see you ask weak if you can never stand up for your own decisions.  In doing so, expect them to do the same.  When my airmen need me, or someone else, to do something, I expect them to go to the person and ask them.  I don’t want them to use me as an unofficial liaison.  I should expect myself to do the same for them.  Using words like “I”, puts that added pressure that if it doesn’t get done, I will have to answer to myself, rather than some no name individual I will never see or hear from.  The more this happens with everyone, the easier it gets, and the more respect people will have for your ability to make decisions. 

When communicating, it is imperative we be able to listen to others.  It can be especially difficult to do this when you don’t think what the other person has to say has merit or validity. The text suggest that you “demonstrate supportive listening. Make eye contact and be responsive nonverbally” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 265).  I used to work with a person that could talk your ear off all day long, but as you would try and respond or tell him anything, he would immediate go about doing something else, or interrupt you, and even sometimes just walk off.  It was incredibly frustrating and diminished his ability as a leader.  By the time he left the area he worked in, most of his subordinates were happy to see him go.  People need to know they can come to you with problems, concerns, or when they need, advice.  If they don’t think you are willing to listen to them you, will quickly fall out of the loop of what is going on.  I constantly talk to my airmen about work, school and their lives.  They know they can come to me with any problems they may have, and I will do my best to help them out.  I learned from my father that my purpose as a leader is to listen and take care of others.  He used to tell me that if he takes off for a week from work the company keeps going and sales keep happening, but when a sales rep takes off for a week, plans have to be made, shifts have to changed, and if this doesn’t happen, everything falls apart on that route.  These people are the most important in an organization.  They are the experts and the ones that make everything possible.  If I am not willing to give them my undivided attention, then I am not fulfilling my most important function as a leader. 

The final guidelines is something that I have not done as a leader, but I think can make a world of difference.  The final guidelines states, “Implement a personal management interview program with people for whom you have responsibility, and use supportive communication to coach, counsel, foster personal development, and build strong positive relationships” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 265).  There is nothing more frustrating as a leader when someone comes to you and states they have been having problems with a person for a while and when you ask what they’ve done about it they say “nothing”.  Many undesirable behaviors can be caught and changed early on if we are willing to have open dialogue with people.  When we communicate with those people and show we are there to support and guide them, we can often catch the small behaviors and change them quickly.  It is a little like smoothing out a marble.  If the marble has bumps on it, it will not role straight when shot across the circle.  You will not hit the other marbles you are aiming for.  If you can smooth out that marble, it will be much easier to shoot straight, and the goal of knocking the other marbles out of the circle will be accomplished.  If we can help to guide and smooth out our subordinates, they will be able to accomplish the goals asked of them.  By doing this, they will hopefully go on to be leaders themselves and do the same for other. 

When we are asked to lead, we are expected to be able to communicate in a clear, open and honest way.  We need to be able to guide, mentor and build up those we are leading, so when the time comes, they can step into the leadership shoes and do the same.  That culture of caring will also carry on.  I learned much of what I know about leadership because I saw my father take care of people he was leading.  He often sacrificed his time to make sure others were taken care of.  This not easy for most people, including myself, but if I want to be able to make a difference as a leader, I need to be able to communicate effectively and have a desire to help other to be the best they can be.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2011). Developing Management Skills. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

A520.2.6.RB_MilliganSteven

My life at this moment is very busy.  I can’t afford to waste time, because if I do, I will fall behind.  Between taking care of my family, spending time at work, doing work for my master’s degree and volunteering time at my church, I don’t get a lot of extra time.  If I do, it is spent goofing around with my 14 month old son.  The only way I can sanely balance all these things, is by having good time management skills.  It is a necessity in life to be able to balance all of these things, otherwise, I would probably have a nervous breakdown.

 I remember when I was younger, I could come home from school and kill a few hours playing video games, play with friends and then get my homework done at night.  As an adult, time seems to fly by much faster leaving me with very little leisure time. 

The text talks about a few approaches when assessing time management.  First off, it states “individuals spend their time on important matters, not just urgent matters” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 121).  I need to be able to plan out the things I need to do in a day, week, month and year.  When I look at these different things, I can look and see what I need to get done ahead of time.  It can keep me ahead of the game, so I don’t get blindsided by something unexpected, or realize last minute I let something slip.  When taking this approach, I can look at important things that need to get done and accomplish them in a timely manner.

 The next approach the book discusses is “results rather than methods are the focus of time management strategies” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 121).  When focusing on managing my time, I am focusing on being able to get things done, not the process.  I need to make sure that I am managing my time to produce a desired result.  In some cases, methods may fall into how time management is played out; however, it is important to first make sure I can organize my day, so that I am able to get the most important things done first.  Another focus of time management as the text points out is “people have a reason not to feel guilty when they must say no” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011).  Because I like to be able to help people out when they need it, I hate having to tell people no.  I have learned though, that saying yes this is not always a good idea.  I need to be able to tell them no when it gets in the way of more important things.  However, I shouldn’t always say no; I should be able to judge when it is appropriate to turn someone down or agree to help.  Sometimes going that extra mile will help you in the long run, and that person may come to your aid when you need it. 

My days are very structured for the most part.  I spend at least an hour in the morning working out.  After this I go to work for the next nine or so hours.  I then come home for dinner and spend time with my wife and child.  He generally goes to bed around 7:30 or so at night and I immediately spend the next couple of hours working on home.  After this, we go to bed and the next day I get up a do it all over again.  This is my daily time management schedule.

 Each day at work, I also have ways of managing my time.  I list out the things I need to get done over a period of time, and work on the most important and urgent items first.  When I get done with those, I focus on the items that are important, but not immediate.  After those, I focus on the less urgent and less important items.  Because my job at the moment is very busy, I rarely get to the last set of items.  Scheduling my work days out in this manner enables me to have a strong internal locus of control.  I feel that I have a great deal of control over what happens in my life.  When things go wrong, I know it is my own fault and I can fix it.  When things go right, I know it is because I was prepared and was able to get the things done I needed to, to make it happen. 

The book talks about a number of techniques I can apply to my own life for furthering my ability to effectively use my time more wisely.  I would like to create an action plan that would help me with time management by applying a number of these techniques.  The first technique I can apply is “have a place for everything and keep everything in its place” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 125).  I am not the most organized person.  Because of this it can sometimes make it difficult to keep track of all the things I need to do.  In order to improve on this skill I have created several folders using Microsoft OneNote.  This program is incredibly useful since it enables me to create order out of chaos.  I can jot items down really fast that I need to remember for later and move them around visually to keep the organized.  I will also color code the text from most important to least.  The most important being red, the next being yellow and the last being green.  This method enables me to keep track of items I need to get done very easily and efficiently while prioritizing my tasks.

 The second technique I will apply is to “do one important thing at a time but several trivial things simultaneously” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 125).   I tend to be a little scatterbrained, so improving on my ability to focus will help me to manage my time better. When there are trivial things though I know that those can be done when I’m struggling with my focus.

 A third technique I will integrate into my action plan is to set deadlines.  The text states, “work always expands to fill the time available, so if you don’t specify a termination time, tasks tend to continue longer than they need to” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 126).  Setting deadlines will help me to focus on things I need to get done and waste less time on trivial matters.  When I have a large project I will set self-imposed deadlines to get things done over the period of the project.  This way I can make sure I have enough time to get everything done before the final project is due.  I also find that when I set these deadlines, it’s like achieving small victories that invoke a sense of accomplishment with each one. 

The fourth thing, is to avoid procrastination.  I have found that a busy person’s worst enemy is procrastination.  Allowing procrastination to creep into my life will only make things pile up and become unmanageable.  Managing my time and getting things done early will not only help me to avoid procrastination, but will also allow me to turn in better work.  When I am rushed and need to get a lot of things done, the quality of the work will suffer significantly.  I find that when I am at work the hours between 9:00 and 10:00 in the morning and 1:00 to 2:00 in the afternoon are the least busy.  If I can use those two hours to really focus I will be able to get a lot of things done. 

The final technique I will apply to my action plan is to reach closure on at least one thing every day.  It is amazing how much less stress you feel when you can mark something as being completely finished every single day.  Whether these items are big or small does not matter.  If you can mark at least one thing done at the end of each day, it will do a lot to relieve a significant amount of stress.

By applying these techniques to my daily routing, and working to improve on my organization, ability to focus, and desire to accomplish at least one thing every day, I feel that I will see a dramatic change to my stress levels, and hopefully improve on my quality of work.  Time management can be difficult master, but when I can get a good grasp on what it means to manage time both effectively and efficiently, I feel that my days will go much more smoothly.  I hope by doing this, I will have a lot more free time to spend on the things I want to do rather than just what I have to do. 

References

Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2011). Developing Management Skills. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

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Conflicts at work, home and life take place pretty constantly.  How we learn to handle and resolve them can say a lot about our abilities as managers and leaders.  Conflict can be extremely detrimental to relationships and organizations if they are not handled properly.  However, a complete lack of conflict can be just as detrimental causing poor decision making that can lead to only one side winning out.  When a person is skilled in conflict resolution they can help ensure resolution and a mutually beneficial arrangement for both sides. 

I have witnessed conflict many times throughout my life; however, I have only been a part of a mediated resolution process once.  In this case, I was actually the offended party seeking for resolution for myself and others.  When I was in college I worked at a book store, and I was hired on as a part time employee.  This came as a relief since was new in school and desperately needed the work.  I loved to read and help others to find books they would enjoy.  Although the pay was not great, the work was fun and enjoyable.  The manager of the book store, however, was a very poor leader.  He never really talked to the employees unless it was to tell us how we were not measuring up or selling enough books.  Anything that happened in the store that he did not like was automatically all our fault.  We were never praised for any successes and never given incentives to succeed.  Anything good that came from leadership came from the assistant manager.  She was essentially the leader of the store and did a great job of cleaning up after the head manager.

As the holidays approached, the business in the store picked up drastically.  We all worked late hours and the store stayed open later for the season.  Just before Christmas a number of us received a card in an envelope.  Thinking this was a Christmas card and a nice gesture, I opened it and began to read.  Taped to the card was a typed note that stated although the store was grateful for my work, I was not needed anymore and I would be let go.  I was not the only person to receive a card like this.  When I approached the store manager I was quickly dismissed.  Living in a college town it was not uncommon for business owners to treat their employees poorly knowing they could easily hire new ones.  Not wanting to lose my job, and seeking some form of restitution for others that were being let go, I decided to call the human relations department of the book store.  On top of all this, I found it pretty offensive to be told I was being let go just before the holiday through a card with a typed note on it. 

About a week after calling human resources, I was contacted and asked if I wanted to sit down and discuss what had happened.  In the meantime, the manager of the store had quit to move on to something that didn’t require leading people.  When we met up we sat down with the assistant manager and a mediator.  I first expressed my concerns, my desire to keep my job and issues I had with the leadership at the company.  As we went back and forth, and discussed what had happened, the mediator would step in to lead the discussion.  After watching the video on conflict resolution, I noticed some similarities between the manager in the video and the mediator in my situation.  In both situations, the mediator or manager sought feedback and my opinion on the matter.  In my situation, I was asked what could be done rather than giving out cards to employees.  I suggested that the manager talk to each individual separately, let them know they appreciate their work, and although they could not keep them on, they were grateful for the opportunity to work with them.  The mediator in my situation would occasionally repeat what I had said and asked if they understood me correctly.  The manager then told me she would work hard to improve morale at the store and strive to treat employees better.  Although I did not continue working with the company, I felt I was able to at least help those that still worked there.  

When attempting to resolve conflict, it is critical to keep in mind what is truly important.  In my situation, I could have focused on my own need for retribution, rather than the need to help others still working at the company, but did not want to speak up and lose their jobs.  In the video they state that “hopefully by resolving the conflict both parties and the business itself will gain” (Berman, 2008).  I am grateful for the skilled negotiator I was able to talk with, and for the assistant manager’s desire to improve the working conditions of my prior coworkers.  Even though it has been many years since this incident took place, I learned a great deal about conflict resolution and leadership.   

References

Berman, J. (Director). (2008). Conflict Resolution [Motion Picture].