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People-technology hybrid companies combine 2 different spheres that create powerful organizations that foster creativity and innovation amongst employees (Kandampully, Bilgihan & Zhang, 2016: p. 154). These hybrid companies recognize the competitive advantage that can result from using technology as a tool by leveraging both internal (people within the organization) and external forces (customers that act as ambassadors of the organization)(Kandampully et al., 2016: p. 155). Service firms understand that to provide the best possible experience for customers and thus increasing profitability, it comes from developing employees from within the organization (Kandampully el al. 2016: p.156).

As such, organizations need to adopt a hybrid people-technology business model, which allows firms to draw on the benefits of both sources to create an advantage.

Innovation and creativity results from empowering and energizing the human component of an organization. Whereas technology provide a medium for companies to further build and reinforce a relationship with customers through platforms such as social media and customer communities (Kandampully et al., 2016: p. 154). In contemporary society, firms understand the importance of customers’ perceived value, as there is a shift to service-focused firms (as opposed to merely productivity (Kandampully et al., 2016: p.157).

Organizational citizenship behaviours contribute to the overall success because it encompasses actions whereby employees are promoting the organization’s products or actions in a favourable manner outside of work (Kandampully et al. 2016: p.155). In addition, citizenship behaviours include going above and beyond what is expected to help or to listen another coworker. Furthermore, if an employee feels empowered and enjoys working for the organization, he or she will engage in customer-focused citizenship behaviours in which a positive attitude is maintained (Kandampully el al. 2016: p.155). Ultimately, this delivers more effective and memorable customer service. Technology, such as social media, can bridge the gap of innovation because creative ideas not only come from internal sources but also the external environment. As a result, the internal and external environment are co-creating the hybrid organization and contributing to its overall success.

A developmental plan for my organization would consist of orientation, performance review, and creating an action plan with future goals and objectives.

• I believe that it is important to properly integrate a new employee into the organization and the team that they belong to. Leaders should talk to the new employee and learn about their goals, interests, career aspirations, and values. This helps increase empowerment among employees and build organizational citizenship behaviours.
• Unlike most organizations, the performance review would consist of skills that are not normally measured such as innovation, creativity, and technological skills. This is the coaching aspect where employees are mentored to determine how they can be improved. Management should determine competencies and potential learning opportunities. My organization will create appropriate incentives to encourage employees to engage in such skills. If there are deficiencies, workshops will be arranged so that employees can further fine-tune skills on how to interact with technology or how to increase creativity.
• It is important to tie employees to the overall success of the organization by creating an action plan to help them understand how their actions contribute to achieving organizational goals. Adults learn in different ways than children. According to Andragogy, adults are self-directed and must understand why they are exerting effort to learn something; it must be tied to a goal that they wish to achieve (intrinsic motivation) (Unit 6 Notes, 2018). Therefore, the leader must learn about the employees’ career aspirations (building a relationship) and then link desirable skills (i.e. creativity and technological skills) that can be learned, which will help the employee achieve their long-term goals.

Technology sometimes makes organizations lose the human touch; therefore, have you experienced a loss of team cohesion due to the emphasis on technology?

 

Christina

 

References

Kandampully, J., Bilgihan, A., & Zhang, T. (Christina). (2016). Developing a people-technology hybrids model to unleash innovation and creativity: The new hospitality frontier. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 29, 154–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2016.07.003

Unit 6 Notes (2018). Retrieved on October 31, 2018, from https://create.twu.ca/ldrs500/unit-6/unit-6-notes/

James Allen was fascinated by many great philosophers that wrote about the idea that an individual’s thoughts ultimately create their reality. Allen was greatly moved and it inspired him to write “As a Man Thinketh,” which originates from the Bible: “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs, 23:7). He famously drew the analogy that our mind is like a garden where it cultivates whatever seeds we plant, whether negative or positive thought: we reap what we sow. As Allen states, “good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bear bad fruit – and man is how own gardener” (Watson, 1951: p. 170). Our character is the byproduct of the dominant thoughts that we hold in our mind. As we think, so we are: as we continue to think, so we remain (Allen, 1903: p. 31).

Everything that man has and will ever achieve began as a single thought: after the individual dwelled on that thought, it turned into a dream and through persistence, that seed of a thought was manifested into reality. The dominant thoughts we carry eventually seep into every aspect of our lives, affecting our relationships with all of those around us. Our choice of words become hints on the thought processes going on in our heads. Similar to how water can refresh on a hot day or wreck havoc in a storm, words have the power to tear down and destroy or become a fountain of love and joy to lift others up. Words express our deepest sorrows, convey passionate love, or unite others for a noble purpose (Jameson, 2014). Therefore, it becomes the dominant thoughts, the seeds that we plant in the garden of our mind, that ultimately determine our destiny.

After reading this short story, I remembered the old Chinese proverb (Jameson, 2014) that I heard many year ago while attending elementary school:

Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words.

Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions.

Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits.

Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character.

Be careful of your characters, for your character becomes your destiny.

 

Evidently, this proverb had a profound impact on me because I went on to study the power of thought during my personal time. I came to the conclusion that our thoughts should be considered things. They are the ingredients that make up our life. When enough ingredients are mixed together, they create a feeling, which eventually becomes a driver for our actions. With such ramifications, we should be conscious of their power as it rules the very outcome of our lives. As Allen states in As a Man Thinketh:

“Into your hands will be placed the exact results of your own thoughts; you will receive that which you earn – no more, no less. Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your vision, your ideal. You will become as small as your controlling desire, as great as your dominant aspiration” (Allen, 1903: p.40).

Achievement and failure are all but a result of thought. Our worldly achievements and successes boil down to conscious effort directed towards the development of our plans and consistently seeking a higher purpose (Allen, 1903: p.40). I believe that it is a good reminder to fill our minds with material that reap a good, righteous life: thoughts that bring forth generosity, kindness, honesty, compassion, love, and acceptance. One can achieve this by reading wholesome material such as the Bible or the work of great philosophers that have studied how an individual may live a purposeful, fulfilling life. In addition, one must avoid planting destructive thoughts that will bring forth greed, envy, lust, and hatred. Thoughts become who we are, so this short story is a good reminder to be intentional about what we feed our heavily impressionable mind.

How can we protect our mind when close family members are not open to filling their minds with wholesome and righteous material?

Christina

 

 

References

 

Allen, J. (1903). As A Man Thinketh. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Jameson, R. (2014, April 28). Be Careful of Your Thoughts: They Control Your Destiny. Retrieved on November 1, 2018, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/be-careful-of-your-though_b_5214689

Watson, L. E. (1951). Light from Many Lamps. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

I would describe my experience as an adult learner to be substantially different as opposed to learning as a child. Malcolm Knowles argues that there are 6 principles of Andragogy, which include: an individual’s evolution from dependent personality to self-governed adult, a growing reservoir of experiences that becomes a rich source of knowledge, readiness to learn is based on development tasks required in social context, becoming problem-centered with immediate application, intrinsic drivers of motivation, and adults need to know the reasons for learning something (Unit 6 Notes, 2018).

Andragogy is vastly different than pedagogy because adults have a large reservoir of experience to draw on whereas children rely mostly on what the instructor teaches (Conaway & Zorn-Arnold, 2015). For example, with regards to this Masters program, students draw on their personal experience to apply the theories taught. A professor guides and facilitates understanding by posing questions that can be discussed and investigated by relating the concepts to past experiences, interpreting the information in a rich and meaningful way (Conaway et al. 2015). In contrast, a schoolteacher provides students with a store of knowledge that can be eventually drawn upon in the future.

Becoming a self-directed adult evolves with maturity as individuals are driven to make choices and decisions, and take responsibility for their actions. It is important to encourage children to make wise decisions so that they learn to predict and accept the consequences (positive or negative) of such decisions (Conaway et al. 2015). As children evolve into adults, they not only wish to have the ability to make decision but also want to be recognized for their autonomy and ability to do so (Conaway et al. 2015). In my recent experience while completing my undergrad, I found professors were incredibly frustrating when they did not treat students as adults. It was insulting when they were condescending and did not allow students the autonomy to make connections in unique and creative ways in order to facilitate learning.

In addition, adults need to know the reason for exerting effort and thereby learning something where there is immediate application because adults are problem-centered. Otherwise, their time and effort can be directed towards more meaningful tasks in which they believe have a better outcome. In addition, adults understand the value of knowledge and the key component it plays in pursuit of their goals. With Andragogy, the difference is that adults have a gap that they wish to fill in the present in order to achieve a specific goal in the future. For example, my goal is to become a management consultant; therefore, I must complete a Masters program in order to open up the doors necessary to achieve my goal. Therefore, I currently have a problem or gap that I need to fix in order to achieve my goal in the future.

Lastly, adult students must have a readiness to learn based on their developmental position and this must come from an intrinsic motivation. A developmental task inspires an adult learner to go back to school and finish a degree because they understand the value it will add to their career. Generally, adult learners return back to school to enhance their quality of life or that of their family’s situation (Conaway et al. 2015). These are both intrinsic motivations, whereas children have extrinsic motivations (reward or punishment) in order to learn. For example, I did not complete grade 12 Functions or Calculus while I was in high school; however, I found out that it was required in order to complete a marketing degree. As a result, I had the intrinsic motivation to self-teach myself both math subjects over the course of one summer.

What is an experience in your life where you lacked 1 or 2 of the 6 motivational principles for Andragogy and it resulted in a lack of motivation to complete the task?

Christina

 

References

Conaway, W. & Zorn-Arnold, B. (2015). The Keys to Online Learning For Adults: The Six Principles of Andragogy. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299540188_The_Keys_to_Online_Learning_for_Adults_The_Six_Principles_of_Andragogy

Unit 6 Notes (2018). Retreived on October 31, 2018, from https://create.twu.ca/ldrs500/unit-6/unit-6-notes/

In Larry Spears’ article titled “Character and Servant Leadership: Ten Characteristics of Effective, Caring Leaders,” he discusses the qualities that contribute to effective servant leadership. This unique style of leadership incorporates followers into the decision-making process. Servant leadership is heavily based on strong ethical and moral principles, and improving both the lives of followers as well as the organization (Spears, 2010: p. 25). Spears identifies ten characteristics of servant leaders that are critical to an organization’s performance including “listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community” (Spears, 2010: p.25).

When a team leader is coordinating a group project in an organization, he or she should ensure that all members are competent with the required knowledge, experience, and skillset necessary to complete the task. This means that a leader must effectively communicate with potential team members to determine if they would have a significant impact to the team. Ultimately, the leader is beginning to develop a community of individuals who are like-minded with shared interests and relatedness (Northouse, 2017: p. 230). Building community creates unity and provides members with a cause to serve that is greater than themselves (Northouse, 2017: p. 230). I believe that building the community that fosters connectedness is one of the first steps a leader must do to create an effective team for an organization. He or she must be sure that the individual’s personal goals align with the group’s vision.

Before an individual commits to the identity of the team, the servant leader must be able to properly convey the vision and direction of the team; he or she must be a visionary. Conceptualization means that a servant leader is a “big picture” person, transcending the day-to-day operations of an organization to envision a better future (Northouse, 2017: p. 230). A leader must see the future vision of the team before it is created in reality. In addition, he or she must clearly communicate to potential team members what the vision is and what is required to achieve it. This is to determine if the individual will fit well into the team’s community as they work together to achieve the vision.

This directly relates to the servant leadership characteristic of Foresight, which means that the leader has an ability to understand future trends based on what has occurred in the past (Northouse, 2017: p. 230). He or she has wisdom to understand “lessons from the past, the realities of the present, and the likely consequences of a decision in the future” (Spears, 2002: p. 28). Visionaries use a different lens to analyze the world to identify trends, creative solutions, and potential opportunities. The leader must have intuition to determine if the individual will have skills and talents that will be valuable to the team’s performance. Perhaps the leader had past experiences with a team member who had a certain level of knowledge and skill but it was not directly related to the vision; therefore, the team spent a significant amount of time and energy trying to catch the person up to speed. As a result, this put the team behind performance objectives. Or, perhaps, the leader predicts a technological shift, so he or she seeks out an individual who has technical knowledge and skill of a particular software program. Each of these examples show that a leader must use wisdom and foresight when making crucial decisions on how to build an effective team.

What is an example of a company that has embodied at least 5 characteristics of Spears’ list of servant leadership characteristics?

Christina

 

References:

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: theory and practice (Eighth ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Spears, Larry C. (2010). Character and Servant Leadership: Ten Characteristics of Effective, Caring Leaders. The Journal of Virtues & Leadership, 1(1), 25-30.

Team Effectiveness

According to the Hill Model for team effectiveness, the two critical functions of team effectiveness are performance and development. Performance refers to task accomplishments; the quality of the results of the team’s work (Northouse, 2017: p.375). Whereas, development refers to how cohesive the team functions as a unit while individuals try to satisfy their own needs (Northouse, 2017: p. 375). ­

Hackman and Walton argue that there are six components that add to a team’s overall effectiveness including developing a compelling purpose, finding the right people, creating a real team, establishing clear and concise norms of conduct, forming a supportive organizational environment, and promoting team-focused coaching (Northouse, 2017: p. 376).

Larson & Lafasto define eight characteristics of effective teams, which include a “clear, elevating goal” (a compelling purpose to energize the team), a “results-driven structure” (task and team design or culture of an organization), “competent team members” (relevant education and knowledge store, and interpersonal skills), “unified commitment” (degree of identification with the team), “collaborative climate” (an environment conducive to openness, honesty, risk-taking, and creativity), “standards of excellence” (high performance is expected and regulated), “external support and recognition” (integrated systems to support teams with direction, data, resources, rewards, and training), “principled leadership” (effective team leaders grounded in a firm moral foundation) (Northouse, 2017: p.377-378).

While working on a team in my undergrad, we had the elevated goal of bringing an app to market, which was very exciting and compelling for all of us because it was only possible with the talents and skills of each member of the team. Since members were competent in different skills, this established a powerfully effective team where we could all focus on our strengths. For example, the team included the following five people: a finance student to calculate numbers, two software engineer students to build a minimum viable product, a communications students to help with the writing and outlining the idea, and I was the marketing student to prepare communication with the public. In addition, we worked incredibly well as a unit because we had developed trust in the collaborative team environment. As a result, we had a steady flow of creative ideas, as group members were comfortable to take risks, embodying innovative behaviour necessary for an effective team. Since we were all achievers that were looking to begin our careers or get accepted into graduate school, we had a clear standard of excellence: we all needed to achieve a grade within the 90^th percentile. This clear and concise goal put pressure on the group to perform at a high standard as it set the standard for appropriate behavioral norms.

Principled leadership means that the leader has concrete moral values, beliefs, and exhibits trustworthy and ethical behaviour. Furthermore, he or she consistently fosters team effectiveness through the four following processes influence team behaviour which include “cognitive” (the leader used intellectual stimulation to assist group members in understanding the problem), “motivational” (setting and expecting superior performance standards and helping members achieve it), “affective” (setting clear goals, priorities, and strategies to help members in stressful or uncertain situations), and “coordination” (organizing tasks, people, member’s talent, and processes to the goals and environment) (Northouse, 2017: p. 379).

With regards to the last team environment that I described, I believe that the motivational component of principled leadership was the most effective. By setting clear expectations and priorities, team members felt the pressure to perform and operate at a level as to not disappoint other team members. We felt emotionally invested in helping other team members accomplish their long-term goals. In addition, if one member happened to be struggling with their part, someone would step up to help them with the problem by breaking it down into manageable tasks. It is interesting to learn about the various components that contributed to the overall effectiveness of the team from my undergrad.

How do we embody servant leadership in a team that is exhibiting toxic behaviours?

Christina

 

Reference:

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: theory and practice (Eighth ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.