The original post can be found here: https://create.twu.ca/pierreflorendo/2018/10/23/strategy-renewal-execution-and-organizational-design-principles-pierres-spin-post-4-1/
When is it Time to Walk Away?
“We were desperate to keep our one customer, so our bonds tightened” (Florendo, 2018C, para. 3) speaks to our ability to work hard for a goal or a leader! I have been in this place a few times in my teaching career and realize my super powers of loyalty and faithfulness can be my undoing. Since I am constantly applying formative assessment strategies to my own practice while instructing others (Arella, 2016), I know this strength is also an evenly balanced weakness when left unchecked. With your previous descriptions of career experience (Florendo, 2018A and Florendo, 2018B) as part of your developmental learning of sustainable and strategic leadership, Pierre, what measures would you recommend for ensuring you do not find yourself in this position again? Have you designed a rubric or framework for determining clear vision of when to step away for your own growth and health?
Formative Assessment
(Arella, 2016)
Empowerment Essentials
I appreciate your efforts to invest and empower your employees, Pierre which you delineate in your “Three Positives” (Florendo C, 2018)! Having worked for a number of administrators with varying leadership styles, I know the value of being supported and encouraged when the pressures of the workplace rise to incapacitating levels. Do you feel it is your responsibility to empower your employees or do you help them to understand how team-building peer support for each other can be without always waiting for the administrator? Table 6.1 in Ulrich and Smallwood lists a few items to increase empowerment which emphasizes more initiation from team members and less from supervisors” (2013, p. 150).
Growth Mindset
(Lisney & Rankin-McCabe, 2014)
My understanding of empowerment changed somewhat while reading Lepsinger’s description of delegation and informing as core elements of real empowerment. “Delegation involves giving people the discretion to determine how to do a task without interference” (Lepsinger, 2010, p. 102). How does an administrator develop the ability to trust employees enough to actually carry out real tasks with the power to make decisions? Can you develop a Growth Mindset (Lisney & Rankin-McCabe, 2014) regarding employee development while understanding that learning includes failure and mistakes? Ungerer, Ungerer, and Herholdt (2016) include a change-making tool which contains principles that “can be implemented regardless of the techniques you choose to enable people to implement proposed changes (p. 272). Is this possible to implement in your facility as you move forward with your strategic leadership changes to reduce the negatives and implement your selected corrective actions?
You are a powerful planner, Pierre, as well as a charismatic, visionary leader! Your strategic development plan for yourself will accrue huge dividends for your staff as you focus on empowering others and take the time to listen longer and know them more personally. People will work tirelessly for leaders who invest in them and build relationships of trust.
References
Arella, F. (2016). Formative assessments: Why, when & top 5 examples. [youtube video] Retrieved October 26, 2018 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RXYTpgvB5I
Florendo, P. (October 2018A). Strategic leadership teams – HC1 (post 3.1) (health care). Retrieved October 27, 2018 from https://create.twu.ca/pierreflorendo/2018/10/16/strategic-leadership-teams-hc1/
Florendo, P. (2018B). Response to Samson’s response to strategic leadership teams – HC1 post leader. Retrieved October 27, 2018, from https://create.twu.ca/pierreflorendo/2018/10/17/response-to-samsons-response-to-strategic-leadership-teams-hc1-post-leader/
Florendo, P. (October 2018C). Strategy renewal, execution and organizational design principles – Pierre’s spin (post 4.1). Retrieved October 26, 2018 from https://create.twu.ca/pierreflorendo/2018/10/23/strategy-renewal-execution-and-organizational-design-principles-pierres-spin-post-4-1/
Lepsinger, R. (2010). Closing the execution gap: How great leaders and their companies get results. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Lisney, C. and Rankin-Mccabe, J. (September 2014). Growth mindset. [youtube video] Retrieved October 27, 2018 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_oqghnxBmY
Ulrich, D. and Smallwood, N. (2013). Leadership sustainability: Seven disciplines to achieve the changes great leaders know they must make. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Ungerer, M., Ungerer, G., and Herholdt, J. (2016). Navigating strategic possibilities: Strategy formulation and execution practices to flourish. [electronic book] Randburg: KR Publishing.