Personal Case Study

Organizational Behavior, BA583
Week Five – Personal Case Study

Memorandum: What You Should Know About Organizational Behavior

Introduction:
I have compiled the following as a quick reference as to how Organizational Behavioral (OB) concepts will impact you as you begin your career as an engineer as well as some ideas specifically related to AM Equipment. To understand yourself and the company you have accepted employment at, I will provide some background information that will become invaluable in your quest to serve Christ as an employee to an unbeliever. I have selected several specific topics that will be important as you gain responsibility and are promoted which will influence your actions as well as improve how others view your relationship with Christ. First I will discuss several topics that will shed light on your personal actions and tendencies such as how you tend to interact with people to how you react to certain situations. The last portion I will cover are some key characteristics of your employer, his business and the culture and how these will prove challenging and even harmful to your career.
Background:
I submit a simple background to remind you where you have been which will highlight how OB will impact, and already has, your future. You accepted Christ as a young boy, and have been actively involved in your church your entire life. You have always been independent and left home as soon as it was practical. You were married at 19, had your first child at 20, had your second child at 22. That same year you bought your first house and remodeled it while working 30-35 hours per week and going to engineering school full time. You are a “practical leader”; in other words, you only lead when no-one else steps up to lead, or they do a poor job of it. Unfortunately, as you progress, you will find yourself in one of these two situations much more often.
AM Equipment is your first opportunity to work in an engineering related job. It is a small business operated as a sole proprietorship. The owner is creative, interesting and doesn't want anything to do with Christ. He has owned the business since 1972 and has poured his life into shaping it into an engineering and design company. There has never been an person in the engineering capacity that has lasted more then three years working for him, so he must be dealt with care and respect. He has a desire to influence those working for him to craft them into what he believes they should be. Although I am describing a person, it also describes the culture of AM Equipment. This company is also trying to grow and has tremendous potential from everyone's perspective. Quality is proclaimed as critically important, but is often sacrificed to move onto the next project.
Impacts of Organizational Behavior:
MTIBI (Robbins, pg35)- The Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator is one of the most commonly used personality tests. When you took this test you were rated as ENTP. “E” for Extroverted, “N” for Intuitive, “T” for Thinking and “P” for Precieveing. ENTP's are identified as conceptualizers which are innovative, individualistic, versatile and entrepreneurial. You tend to be “resourceful in solving challenging problems but may neglect routine assignments” (Robbins pg35). It is always a challenge do the day-to-day tasks that are required in your work, but if you are able to identifying ways to improve the efficiency of the mundane, you will overcome.
One side effect of this type of personality is the willingness to take on responsibility with abandon (Kummerow, 1997). There is nothing that you believe is too difficult and frankly, you enjoy the challenge of something new. This will constantly be a source of excitement and anxiety as you progress through your career. You must learn to finish tasks before starting something else. This is true of anything from email to major projects with budgets upwards of $700,000. If you can learn this lesson you will be successful in your endeavors; but if you do not, you will often disappoint those around you, causing frustration and anxiety about how to clean up the mess you have gotten into. This personality trait is perfect for your new job at AM Equipment because job enlargement is part of the culture.
Job Enlargement (Robbins, pg74)- This method of improving job satisfaction stems from the mindset that efficiency is gained with job specialization which takes away any variety. This variety, it turns out, is very important to keeping people interested and engaged in their work. AM Equipments management has taken this Job Enlargement theory to an extreme. If you are remotely successful in the job you were hired for, they will add responsibility after responsibility until you fail. This is similar to the “Peter Principle” where a person is promoted based on their superior performance in a job (Sutton, 2009). Because they are good at what they do, it is assumed that they are the best candidate to take on more responsibility. In many cases the skills that made them good at a particular job are not the same skills needed to be successful in their promoted position.
As in most small companies AM Equipment have few skilled people who must do many different tasks. When a new person is on the scene there is a tendencies to take the overloaded portions of the old employees and pile that onto the new “Moses”. The fabled leader is expected to carry the weight of the world and shepard the company through the desert with little food or water. You will see this scenario play out many times, it will always end badly, whether it is just damaged reputation of the employee or it ends in termination of employment. Since you are predisposed to accept additional responsibility, it is important that you understand the impacts of overcommitment are not only personal; they can impact the company as a whole over the short term and long.
Political Behavior (Robbins, pg183)- There is a fine line between political behavior and Emotional Intelligence (Robbins, pg44 & pg169). One Eastern Oregon University professor defines political behavior as “behavior that focuses on getting, developing, and using power to achieve a desired result in situations of uncertainty or conflict over choices ” (EOU, 2009); which has a negative connotation. Emotional intelligence is different because it is how people modify their own behavior according to the situation to effect a particular outcome. It is not as self serving or cut and dried as politics, but will be critically important in this position at AM Equipment. You will be in many situations where you must sway the opinion of fellow workers. At times this will be selling the new company strategy, implementing less than desirable changes, finding the silver lining of a particular situation or encouraging fellow workers to be more Christ-like.
You will work in a unique situations where most of your fellow workers and employees have some sort of a relationship with Christ. Unfortunately, not all of them will behave as such. One of the most important challenges you will face is to respect those in authority even when they are making decisions which defy reason. Paul reminds us in Ephesians,
be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh..., with sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; not...as men-pleasers, but as [workers] of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With good will render service as to the Lord. (NASB, 6:5-7)
These verses will serve as a reminder to you. Your first responsibility it to personally behave in this manner, but then you must encourage others who have the same calling to heed Paul's words as well. This verse was speaking specifically to slaves, who had it much worse than you ever will, but the concept is the same. Superiors make decisions that directly effect us all, it is hard to give respect appropriately when the choices made are not in sync with reality. However that does not remove our responsibility to Christ. When you are promoted to Management, it will be your task to raise the concerns about decisions. To question and present alternatives, but in the end you must support the decision made and work toward that end as long at there are no ethical, legal or personal conviction conflicts.
The second area where you will need to develop skill is in who to present information to different people. This may be included in the politics category, but you will find that your emotional intelligence will be required to be sensitive to peoples reactions. When people react poorly to information, do not try to hide the “bad”. Instead, look for ways to make the conversation expected. One method for accomplishing this task it to identify as early as possible if there is going to be bad news. Then, present the bad news as a possibility along side the things being done to prevent the potential problem. This method raises the awareness of the potential problem as well as gives comfort that you are working hard to prevent it from happening. A side benefit is that occasionally with this raised awareness other alternatives are suggested. After all, it is in the best interest of the entire company to have good results.
Appreciative Inquiry (Robbins, pg276)- This is an interesting topic because it ties in will with the emotional behavior discussed in the previous section. When we look at problems we quite often are dealing with the past. Appreciative inquiry seeks to identified where the organization has succeeded, highlight those areas use them to create the plan forward utilizing these strengths. You must first identify what the areas of success are and promote them in your mind. When you can articulate the strengths to yourself, you are now in a position to pass that on to your fellow workers.
There are several benefits to the process of appreciative inquiry but they all lead to improved job satisfaction (Robbins, pg24). As a manager, much of your job will be to ensure that the people working in Engineering are targeting the same goal as the company. Sometimes the “strengths” of a strategy are hard to find, let alone communicate how those will personally affect each person in a meaningful way. However, this will be your job. You must point out the benefits to stimulate a positive atmosphere. The alternative, negative atmosphere will make the goal of working “with sincerity of heart” nearly impossible. It will lead to disrespect, anger, frustration and in some cases even sabotaging behavior. The last benefit identifying strengths has, is the potential to improve the culture. In fact, it may be feasible to reverse thinking of the entire organization, making the culture more positive and even accepting of change.
Cultural Liability (Robbins, pg232)- Culture is a extremely powerful force within an organization. Top management plays one of the most important roles as far as setting the culture. AM Equipment has a unique situation in that the owner is still the CEO and has virtually established all of the culture. Some by personality bent and other areas with shear will power. Unfortunately, the things that are easiest for us, those formulated by our personality, tend to be the ones that stick most rigidly. We all have things that we know should be done, but we do not do those things when the pressure is on. Well, the same is true of this organization.
AM Equipment values quality in all areas of the business; from accounting to shipping , from engineering to sales. It is a mantra. It is the first, most important thing referred to in nearly every conversation. This virtue is what AM Equipment knows should be done. The problem comes in times of trouble, money is tight, sales are down so the most important thing is getting product out the door to satisfy the customer. Although satisfying the customer today is of extreme importance, allowing quality standards to slide will likely cause long term dissatisfaction. For AM Equipment long term relationships are the reason we are still in business. Cultural change is hard but you will be called upon to be a significant change agent in how to tackle the problem of ignoring quality at the expense of long term customer satisfaction.
Another cultural liability present, especially in the engineering department, is the tendencies to rush to the next challenge. This error typically involves getting to the end of the exciting stage of design, then “throwing it over the wall” (Liker, 2004). This concept is referring to the lack of understanding of how the product impacts others in the organization. The documentation side of engineering is not “fun” nor is ensuring proper testing has taken place. The last but most important aspect is how this product will be assembled in a repeatable manner so that customers are satisfied every time they purchase. The assembly equipment and processes are the what will determine end customer quality. If these processes are ignored customers will receive product that has variation and likely a higher failure rate. This Culture must change and you must be instrumental in making this change a priority.
Conformity (Robbins, pg106)- AM Equipments culture is evident from the first meeting you will attend. It is obvious that the cultural norm is to find a reason to agree with top management on any decision. The strategy of those who last revolves around identifying positive aspects of managements directives, and using those to convince themselves it is the right direction. This culture has been bred into the company because those who do not follow this strategy have short careers.
One of the problems of having this conformity culture is that poor decisions are made and reinforced by mid-level managers as they try to find a way to support their leader. In place of constructive conflict, people are looking for any possible way to agree. Conflict in the decision process typically results in better solutions, though they are not made as quickly as single person making the calls on their own (Collins, 2001). You will need to develop a communication style that will enable contradictory statements without the emotional response which can encourage different thinking. The additional conversation will likely spawn better solutions for the short term and the long. It will likely establish more trust for management because it will be perceived as listening and not only rejecting.
Trust (Robbins, pg171)- Trust is an important part of leadership, that is, more often than not, earned rather than simply given. In the American mindset, people generally believe that those in authority will take advantage of them if given the opportunity. Unfortunately, management at AM Equipment has a long standing reputation for doing what it believes is best. But, the question is raise, “isn't that the responsibility of management?”. The answer is, “Absolutely!” So what is not working? The decision process is not understood by employees, and often time does not make logical sense. You must work to establish the understanding of how decisions are made. It is important that employees see middle managers in support of these choices as well.
The final aspect of trust from the viewpoint of AM Equipment is that employees must clearly understand how the choices, although possibly not the most logical were made in their best interest. When decisions are made it is critical to communicate the decision, why it was made and the personal impact it will have on them. You will need to play a role in selling the choices as well. As a manager, you need to ensure that your direct reports can support a direction even if they do not fully agree with it.
Conclusion:
These are the items that are of highest importance, read this often to ensure you are serving Christ to the fullest and developing good work habits. Organizational behavior is an interesting animal because so many aspects of work, spiritual life and company dynamics are wrapped up in how people interact. What motivates us to behave in a particular manner is extremely complex, but understanding the patterns that have been identified will help you to be more successful in your life as an active part of society. It is critical to personal improvement, company success, culture rebuilding and your testimony for Christ to the unsaved who are inspecting your life every day.











Sources:
Collins, J. (2001). Good to great: Why some companies make the leap...and others don't. Harper Business Books, New York, NY.
EOU (2009). BA 321 Principles of Management/Org Behavior Retrieved November 9, 2009 from: http://www2.eou.edu/~blarison/mgtpower.html
Kummerow, et. al. (1997). Work Types. Warner Books, Inc. New York, NY.
Liker, J. (2004). The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer. McGraw-Hill, New York, NY.
New American Standard Bible, Updated edition. La Habra, Ca: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
Robbins, S.P. (2005). Essentials of Organizational Behavior - 8th Edition. Pearson - Prentice Hall.
Sutton, Bob (2009). A New Look at the Peter Principle. Businessweek Online. Retrieved November 10, 2009 from: http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/mar2009/ca20090331_822526.htm

David and his Kingdom

Organizational Behavior, BA583
Week Four – Biblical Analysis:
David and his Kingdom


David was an incredible leader in the nation of Israel. His called a Man after God's own heart (I Samuel 13:14) and although he did not have a perfect track record as a leader, God has used him to influence church leaders for thousands of years. Looking at David as a leader and his interaction with the kingdom of Israel we can learn how to lead effectively as Christian leaders in the twenty-first century, 3000 years after his death.
David is constantly viewed as one who is seeking Gods plan in every situation. This is evidence that David has a external locus of control (Robbins, pg36) to the extreme. From early youth he is constantly seeking God for how to act. One of the first instances we are presented with is when David is tending his fathers sheep and kills the lion & bear (I Samuel 17:37). This is presented simultaneously to declaring that God will deliver Goliath into his hand with a simple sling and stone. This pattern is evident throughout Davids life but it is highlighted during the flight from King Saul. Twice while David is fleeing for his life he is presented with an opportunity to take king Saul's life and does not do it. Davids rational is that God appointed Saul King and trusts that He will deal with Saul in His own timing (I Samuel 24:6).
Once David becomes King he fully depends upon God for large decisions like whom to fight against and when. Robbins relates the external Locus of Control personality types to be less satisfied with their work and they tend to blame others for problems. David however is influenced by his humility (I Samuel 20:1) and his proper view of God to counteract the negative aspects of the external locus of control.
David shared his view of God's ultimate control in unexpected situations where he led strongly with an example of ethical leadership (Robbins, pg169 & pg252) . The most profound situation is when Saul was after David to murder him, thus preventing David from taking leadership from him. David and his men were hiding in a cave when Saul''s army came by. Being close enough to your enemy to see him is a frightening situation, but to make matters worse Saul needed to take care of some personal business within arms-length of David's hiding spot. David literally had the opportunity to take vengeance on Saul for trying to kill him. David had done nothing wrong but conversely had served the King faithfully for many years. David could have, without human blame, ended the conflict that would last another several years which separated him from his family, his place of worship and his God appointed position of King of Israel. However, David understood that God was the One in control and recognized that He had appointed Saul as King to begin with. David trusted that God was going to fulfill His prophecy in perfect heavenly timing and it was not acceptable to kill his leader.
This personal control was witnessed on two separate occasions by his followers (I Samuel 2 & 26). Leading by example was Davids classic training method in which he instilled the ethics that were important to God. In this fashion David established the culture (Robbins, pg233) for Israel and future generations of Kings as well as leaders of Churches and Christian leaders throughout history. His personality defined how a “good leader” should behave. The author of Hebrew refers to David in the “hall of faith” (Hebrews 11:32-34) while David's name is used to describe the position of leadership in Israel throughout the Prophets. Jeremiah 22:1-4 God uses David as a reference for how to live to prevent the coming judgment on all of Israel. One for the most succinct scriptures that describes the culture he sought to pass on is I Kings 2:2-4,
“I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. 3 "Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 so that the LORD may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, ' If your sons are careful of their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'”
Formal Power (Robbins, pg177) - David was anointed as King at an early age, but he did not take over the kingdom until he was 37 years old. As the King, David had formal power and often utilized that both for positive and negative. On the positive sided David was a great commander and warrior on the battlefield as evidenced by his short battle with Goliath. Davids dependance on God for direction coupled with Davids Chain of command power gave Israel the victory in every battle recorded. When he spoke people listened and acted on what they were told.
However, Davids formal power also worked against him. Near the end of his life David was feeling proud which lead him into sin. We are never directly told what David's sin was but we see the penalty of it causes 70,000 men in Israel to die (I Chronicles 21:14). This episode is when David decided to count the mighty warriors in Israel and Judah. His right and man, Joab questions David and even warns him of his motives, but in the end the Kings power wins out. Joab goes throughout the nation for nearly a year until the job has been completed; 1.5 million warriors in all (I Chronicles 21:5). Gods reaction to this seems to outweigh the offense, He allows David to select the punishment, and God executes it quickly. Had David taken heed from his subordinate the penalty of this sin may have been completely eliminated.
The second and more infamous time Davids formal power caused problems was in his sin with Bathsheba. David saw what he wanted and commanded his guards to go get the beautiful bathing Bathsheba for him. This sin was only the beginning of a long trail of coverup that is a clear example of another behavioral decision making pattern: escalation of commitment (Robbins, pg91). Sin always begins as a temptation, but David did not capture his thoughts; he allowed them to turn into sin. This was followed by a cover-up and eventually worked out as murder of one of his Mighty Men (II Samuel 23:39).
One difference between this situation and that described by Robbins is that the typical escalation of commitment stems from a decision made, likely with good intentions, but which later becomes obvious it was the wrong decision. The desire to save face, in some cases, drives people to continue down a path that will not ever cause the desired outcome. However, David started off knowing that his initial choice was wrong. Which makes this an especially disappointing mistake by one of the most influential leaders in Israels history.
David made a few other mistakes, although less noteworthy, like how he dealt with discipline issues. There are several critical discipline incidents (Robbins, pg258) recorded for us ranging from how he dealt with his children to the commander of his armies, Joab. David did not obey God's command of Kings to not multiply wives for himself which caused multiple problems in his family and his Kingdom. Not the least of which is recorded in II Samuel 13, where Amnon, his son, raped his half sister Tamar. What was Davids response to such a hideous sin? “He was very angry”, according to verse 21. But nowhere is it recorded that David took any action. Ultimately, Tamars brother Absalom murders Amnon and flees the Kingdom later to form a coup in an attempt to overthrow his father David. Had David disciplined his son swiftly and severely as was required by God, this whole episode may have been avoided.
The second discipline issue I would like to discus is Joabs murderous ways. Twice Joab killed his peers who threatened him by the respect David had for them. II Samuel 3:27 records Joabs unjust murder of Abner and II Samuel 20:10 describes how he killed Amasa, Davids good will appointment from the ranks of Absalom's coup. But to top of Joabs insolence against David, Joab deliberately murdered his son, Absalom. David specifically commanded Joab to spare his son in II Samuel 18:5. This command was so well articulated that everyone in the rank and file of the army clearly understood that Absalom should remain unharmed (II Samuel 18:12). Although David temporarily removed Joab from command of the army (II Samuel 20:6) he was again head over the whole army of Israel only 18 verses later (vs 23). The question arises, how did David eventually deal with this? I Kings 2:5-6 record David asking his successor, Solomon, to deal with him.
These weak discipline decisions by David portray to his Kingdom that sin and disobedience are acceptable. As the King and culture setter for his nation David fell down in his job. As we have seen many of the problems relating to the end of his life were directly related to this stance, or lack thereof, toward these seemingly personal offenses.
It is difficult to look at the life of David without making some observations of the organization that he was leading, Judah and Israel. Robbins discusses loyalty (pg20) as a individual trait but David was able to garner extreme loyalty from many of his followers. The first glimpse of the loyalty David drew is the first time that King Saul decides that he is a political threat and he must flee for his life. David was encouraged by the outcasts of the surrounding area many of whom became the legendary Mighty Men of David as listed in II Samuel 23:8-39.
Throughout Davids life, there was one attempt to take away his kingdom however there were more than five separate occasion when David had to question the loyalty of those around him. This is not a particularly great track record as the point of this argument is to present the loyalty David had. It is interesting to note that two of the five situation were in dealing with Saul, one was instigated by his disloyalty to the Philistines and the last two were because David was attempting to bring the north and south kingdoms together. These five situations also highlight the fact that his closest friends are always with him. Those who knew him most intimately, stayed loyal through thick and thin ( II Samuel 15:14-18). Even Joab was loyal to David though He and David disagreed on the “best” solution for Absalom, I believe Joab was acting in what he viewed as Davids best interest. Joab believed that killing Davids son and threat to his King-hood, was the best long term solution which David could not commit to himself.
In the discussion of loyalty we see some interesting group dynamics specifically, group conformity to norms (Robbins, pg106). The most striking example is when Sheba a leader in Israel formed a revolt against David (II Samuel 20:1-2). This near tragedy happens as David is working his political strategy to reunite Judah and Israel (vs11). A political shouting match takes place between Judah and Israel about who has the greater claim to the King. In the midst of this Sheba declares that Israel “has no portion in David”. This notion had been prevalent as Absalom had made his way across the country making his stand against David. Once this mindset was revived, the entire nation of Israel abandoned David as their King.
Conclusion:
As we have seen David was by no means a perfect leader, nor was the “organization” in which he operated ideal. However, we are able to look deeply into scripture to see what is truly important to our Creator using both positive and negative aspects to learn and grow.

















Sources:
Robbins, S.P. (2005). Essentials of Organizational Behavior - 8th Edition. Pearson - Prentice Hall.
New American Standard Bible, Updated edition. La Habra, Ca: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.

R.G. LeTourneau (part 3)

Chapter 14 Concept: Organizational Culture
Like most organizations born from the minds of incredibly charismatic leaders, LeTourneau Technologies retains much of it's founders personality in the form of organizational culture. Robbins discusses the beginning of a culture and the influence of the founder rather bluntly (pg 233):
“Because the founders have the original idea, they also typically have biases on how to get the idea fulfilled. The organization's culture results from the interaction between the founders' biases and assumptions and what the original members learn subsequently from their own experiences.”
The culture that is born is then passed on through generations of employees based on a reward system; people who fit the “mold” are promoted those who don't, leave. LeTourneau Technologies to this day values the things that were important to it's founder even though the company has changed hands multiple times.
Chapter 13 Concept: Innovation Strategy
True to the characteristics of its founder, LeTourneau Technologies' strategy in every area was and continues to be innovation. The company has always been a front-runner in bringing new products to market. Many of it's products were decades ahead of their time, including the electric drive wheel (Casteel, 1998). This concept was developed in the 1950's and is still considered the best, most efficient and effective method of moving large equipment (letourneau-inc.com, bio).
Although an innovation strategy produces new and exciting products, it has a considerable amount of risk associated with it. Robbins states that innovators require flexibility (pg 225) which is what LeTourneau Technologies continually strove for. Innovation is such an indispensable part of their business that their website lists it twice in its description of the company:
“The LeTourneau Technologies, Inc.™ (LTI) companies include some of the world’s leading innovators in manufacturing, design, and implementation of systems and equipment for mining, oil and gas drilling, offshore, power control and distribution, and forestry. … What in the world does LTI stand for? Innovation; advancements in technology that improve and optimize how you do business today and tomorrow.” (letourneau-inc.com, about)
One example that clearly illustrates how LeTourneau and his organization in turn, revolutionized manufacturing as a whole was the advent of welding as a means of original assembly. Welding began as more of a repair process for machines which were damaged, but LeTourneau saw this as an opportunity to improve strength in his machines and reduces cost of drilling holes and adding fasteners (LeTourneau, pg72). A quick survey of manufacturing today would yield very few manufacturers who do not implement welding in some fashion or another.
Chapter 16 Concept: Process Re-engineering

LeTourneau personally questioned all assumptions. What is the best way to manufacture a particular machine? How can I better stimulate thinking about God's plan for salvation? Is tithing 10% always biblical? Why can't I use rubber tires on earthmoving equipment?

These (and many other) questions were asked by LeTourneau which resulted in different answers than others in the similar environments. As mentioned above, LeTourneau Technologies decided that welding was the best method to manufacture many machines. To stimulate thinking about our eternal destiny, LeTourneau hired Chaplins for his manufacturing plant and gave biblical training during working hours away from the production line (LeTourneau, pg242). Near the end of LeTourneau's life he was “tithing” 90% of his income to ministry of spreading the Gospel. And the rubber tires, that is what made LeTourneau the largest earthmoving equipment supplier in World War II, supplying more than 70% of equipment to the allies (letourneau-inc.com, bio).


Sources Sited:



Casteel, Kyran. "Longview legend." World Mining Equipment 22.n8 (Oct 1998): 24(2). General OneFile. Gale. CORBAN COLLEGE. 21 Oct. 2009

LeTourneau, R.G.(1967) Mover of Men and Mountains, Autobiography. Prentice-Hall.

(bio) http://www.letourneau-inc.com/about/RG_bio.htm

(about) http://www.letourneautechnologies.com/about/index.htm

National Defense 85.568 (March 2001): 7. General OneFile. Gale. CORBAN COLLEGE. 21 Oct. 2009

Robbins, S.P. (2005). Essentials of Organizational Behavior - 8th Edition. Pearson - Prentice Hall.

Self Assesment- Orginizational Preferences

This week I took several assessments:
III.A.1 What type of organizational structure do I prefer?....37
III.A.3 How good am I at giving performance feedback?.....4/4
III.B.1 What is the right organizational culture for me?.....21
III.B.2 How committed am I to my organization?....3.6
III.B.4 How motivated am I to manage?....23
III.C.1 How well do I respond to turbulent change?....86
III.C.3 Am I burned out?.....2.23
I was interested to see the results of “III.B.2 How committed am I to my organization?” especially in comparison to how my wife would answer the same questions. There was no surprise here, I scored pretty low: 3.6. When my wife answered the questions she actually scored me a bit lower (though not much): 2.33. I had anticipated her scoring me lower than I scored myself, because she tends to be my sounding board. She gets the negative aspects of my job to a greater extent than the positives. I should probably spend some time talking about what I like too.

Sadly, this assessment got me thinking about what I appreciated about my job, and what I didn't. Unfortunately, aside from the people I work with, the only positive is that I don't typically work more than 50hrs. Now I am on a quest to find other aspects that I enjoy so that I do not become dissatisfied and discontent.

R.G. LeTourneau (part 2)

LeTourneau was at the head in nearly every group with which he was involved. Weather the group was his business, leader in his home church, President of the Christian Businessmen Association, President of the International Gideon Society or even Husband and father of four (www.letourneau-inc.com). He is what we all would consider a natural born leader. His passions were broad; from manufacturing large equipment to spreading the Gospel everywhere he went. In fact spreading the Gospel by some accounts forced him to sell his earthmoving company to Westinghouse (National Defense, 2001).

Chapter 9 Concept: Selective Perception

This selective perception may have been a major contributor to the Westinghouse sale of his earthmoving business. According to LeTourneau he was supporting a ministry of his church with but it was his opinion against the IRS. This was what appeared to be a huge setback. Westinghouse took over his debt to the government in exchange for removing LeTourneau from competition in the earthmoving business. However, with the profits he earned from the sale he devoted his attention to a new revolutionary propulsion system (LeTourneau, pg257).

Chapter 10 Concept: Charismatic Leadership

Robbins (pg166) describes the charismatic leader as one who “by force of their personal abilities they transform their followers by raising the sense of importance and value of their tasks.” LeTourneau had this ability. He could inspire everyone he met to “get on board” and accomplish the task, no matter how unrealistic is seemed at the start.

One of the unrealistic challenges LeTourneau commanded was the purchase of the steel mills near his facility and outright steel mill creation at other sites. The challenge for LeTourneau was getting the right materials for the demanding applications like building 150 ton loaders. When he was a consumer of materials, he was often at the whim of his suppliers getting the right size material and even the right formulation of steel (Casteel, 1998). Think of how much steel goes into building a machine capable of scooping 150 tons of dirt in a single scoop. 150 tons is 300,000 pounds, in a single scoop! What was LeTourneau's solution? Let us mill our own steel, then we can have what we need when we need it.

This was a hard plan to sell to the plant managers and finance guys who know nothing about making steel. But, because of LeTourneau's charisma he sold the idea to his team and made it a reality.

Chapter 11 Concept: Formal Power

As the natural leader, he was always at the top. This gave LeTourneau formal power. As the Owner of the company, Chief Designer and CEO, he got his way. This type of power was mostly displayed on the engineering and design side of the business. He was always thinking “outside the box”. In fact most of his competitors referred to his ideas as “crazy” (Casteel, 1998). The ideas were so far outside the box that his formal power was utilized to force his engineering staff to “just try it” (LeTourneau, pg257).


Sources Sited:



Casteel, Kyran. "Longview legend." World Mining Equipment 22.n8 (Oct 1998): 24(2). General OneFile. Gale. CORBAN COLLEGE. 21 Oct. 2009

LeTourneau, R.G.(1967) Mover of Men and Mountains, Autobiography. Prentice-Hall.

http://www.letourneau-inc.com/about/RG_bio.htm

National Defense 85.568 (March 2001): 7. General OneFile. Gale. CORBAN COLLEGE. 21 Oct. 2009

Robbins, S.P. (2005). Essentials of Organizational Behavior - 8th Edition. Pearson - Prentice Hall.

Self Assesment- Leadership

So far this week I have taken five assessments:
II.B.1 What's your leadership style?
II.B.5 How good am I at disciplining others?
II.C.3 How good am I at playing politics?
IV.E.1 What's my attitude toward working in groups?
IV.E.4 Am I an ethical leader?

I asked my wife to complete the “politics” assessment as if she were me. Apparently she views me as more political than I do; she scored a 111 out of 126. I scored only slightly lower at 102, still highly capable of “gaining support and trust of others within the organization to further my agenda” (Pearson).

I would like to discuss the results of II.B.1, What's your leadership style. This assessment rates both my perspective toward the task and the other people in the group. I rated a “9” in both categories. This score in the task importance indicates that I have a low priority on getting the job done. The “9” score for people oriented is actually high. So my natural bent is toward pleasing people or making sure we can work together in harmony to the detriment of accomplishing the task.

I basically agree with the results of the assessment, however some of the specific questions got me thinking about my attitudes relating to group work and where I can improve. Since I have an aversion to lower priority on the task, I must remember that I was hired to accomplish the task. That is my employers main priority, so I must ensure I am working diligently whenever possible to complete the work that needs to be done.

R.G. LeTourneau

I have selected R. G. LeTourneau for this exercise. LeTourneau was a prolific inventor in the earthmoving industry. His machines represented nearly 70 percent of the earthmoving equipment and Engineering vehicles used during World War II, and he was responsible for nearly 300 patents.

Chapter 3 Concept: Risk Propensity

Risk propensity defines the willingness of individuals to take chances. Those whom have a high risk propensity are able to make decisions quickly and typically with less information. LeTourneau spent his life with very little aversion to risk. This was necessary as an inventor and ground-breaker in many areas of manufacturing and innovation, with an eighth grade education. Don't get me wrong, LeTourneau had broader, more practical work experience than many of his contemporaries. He was able to practically apply this experience to innovating some earthmoving designs that were, in many cases, decades ahead of their time. LeTourneau was often heard telling his engineers that his ideas could be accomplished. That it did not matter what they had learned in school, they just needed to do it to prove it (LeTourneau, 1967). Many times his ability to take risk brought him to the front of the market, but nearly as many times, his ideas were too original to be accepted by customers.

Chapter 4 Concept: Need for Achievement

LeTourneau was driven by a strong desire to do everything better than it has been done before. This is characterized as a need for achievement, which is a major motivational point based on McClelland's Theory of Needs. People who are motivated by personal achievement, are always looking for a challenge in which they perceive their chances at success are only 50% (Robbins, pg52).

After he had grown tired of his earthmoving equipment business, he sold the entire company so that he could devote his time to creating a new drive concept for heavy equipment which is still used today. LeTourneau was an all or nothing leader who was driven by the idea that things could be done better. His passion for achievement did not stop at heavy equipment; His second love was the Church and spreading the gospel (LeTourneau, pg288).

Chapter 6 Concept: Intuitive Decision Maker

“Gut decisions” were a trademark of LeTourneau. This intuitive process of sifting information through the grid of past experiences enables people to make accurate choices very quickly. Robbins states that recent studies have proven that intuitive decisions, when pared with rational analysis, can improve decision making (pg93). Based on LeTourneau's vast experiences in labor intensive work, he was able to quickly analyze solutions to manufacturing problems and prove it worked before his staff had a chance to fully understand what he was trying to accomplish. This lead to numerous advances in manufacturing that are credited to LeTourneau, including welding as a means to assemble rather than to repair (LeTourneau, 1967).



Sources Sited:

LeTourneau, R.G.(1967) Mover of Men and Mountains, Autobiography. Prentice-Hall.

http://www.letourneau-inc.com/about/RG_bio.htm

Robbins, S.P. (2005). Essentials of Organizational Behavior - 8th Edition. Pearson - Prentice Hall.

Personality Assesment

I completed more than the assigned 5 assessments for no other reason than I was enjoying seeing the results. I completed all Part I assessments, as well as all Part IV.A through Part IV.C assessments. Some were informative but most were just interesting to see as I reflected on the answers to my questions and the results of the assessment.

I would like to discuss the results of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or Jungian 16 Type Personality assessment. After answering the associated questions the result showed that I am rated as ENTP. “E” for Extroverted, “N” for Intuitive, “T” for Thinking and “P” for Precieveing.

Although I would have never (nor anyone who knows me) classified myself as Extroverted, I believe that I must be close to the center point on this classification. This is the only classification that was a surprise to me.

EMTP's are identified as conceptualizers which are innovative, individualistic, versatile and entrepreneurial. We tend to be “resourceful in solving challenging problems but may neglect routine assignments” (Robbins pg35). I see these tendencies in everyday life. I have a broad range of skills and interests and I am always looking for a better way to accomplish basically everything. It is always a challenge do the day-to-day tasks that are required in my work, but I am able to overcome the challenge by identifying ways to improve the efficiency of the mundane. I see my personality as an asset as I deal with people because I can quickly react to changing situations.

Personal Goals

Personal Goals within Salem Heights Church

Write a set of goals for yourself and your role in your non-profit organization.

1)Serve in some capacity four times each month.
2)Encourage others to challenge themselves in their role as a servant. This will keep their interest high and their dedication growing (Wartzman, 2009).
3)Look for new areas where my skills will be utilized more effectively. Then wait for God to present an opportunity to be “re-potted” into that role (Drucker, p196).
4)Identify methods of improving organizational effectiveness towards accomplishing the purpose- “To reach people with the love of Jesus Christ, provide a safe and supportive environment, proclaim the standards of God's truth, duplicate the Christian life in others, and celebrate the majesty and works of our great God.“ (salemheightschurch.com)
5)Measure and track my performance in my role as a Husband and Father. Set personal goals for leading my family and share how well I am doing with my accountability partners. (Although this does not seem to relate to Salem Heights Church, I think that having a healthy and thriving Church requires actions in all aspects of our lives especially in regards to our God given roles in our homes.)
Resources:
Brinckerhoff, P. (2004). Nonprofit Stewardship: A better way to lead your mission-based organization. Fieldstone Alliance, Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Drucker, P. (1990). Managing the non-profit organization: Practices and principles. Harper Collins Publishers, New York.

NASB (1995). New American Standard Bible, Updated edition. La Habra, Ca: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.

salemheightschurch.com (2009). Salem Heights Church, Website homepage. Retrieved July 24, 2009 from: http://www.salemheightschurch.org/ .

Wartzman, R. (2009). Boredom, Not Rigor, Dampens Volunteers' Spirits. The Drucker Institute. Retrieved August 11, 2009 from: http://www.druckerinstitute.com/showpage.aspx?Section=RP&PageID=111 .

Board Evaluation

Board of Directors Evaluation

Evaluate the Board of your organization based on a criteria you build from the principles discussed by Drucker, Brinckerhoff, Hubbard and others.


Non-Profit organizations have a board of directors to provide a check and balance to the activities of the organization. This group is responsible to create and enforce the policies that govern the work being done and make sure it is according to the mission statement. They must be some of the most committed and passionate people serving the needs of the institution, but they must also bring the “outsider” view to the decision making process. They also have a responsibility to the community to ensure the resources are being used as efficiently as possible.
A board must act as the balance of power for the non-profit to ensure that 1) the mission is accomplished and 2) the CEO and other management stays are accountable for their actions. The board will be made up of people dedicated to the cause. They may have strong personal connections or influences that force the mission to be strikingly clear. The board will passionately debate anything that appears to be redirecting the institution in a way that may negatively influence the ongoing mission objectives. They are also constantly watching the direction that is given to the organization. This group must evaluate the performance of the institution according to the mission statement and ensure that the leadership, starting with the CEO, is staying true to the goal.
Creating policy is the second most important aspect accomplished by the board. Not only is the mission reviewed, the next layer of governing documents are created and instituted. These policies typically deal more with the specifics of handling different tasks and situations the organization may face. This is not detail level, day-to-day operations standards, these tend to be more related to how we will create the atmosphere, personality and overarching business principles of the institution. These policies would directly effect the programs being conducted and the style of management.
The board should be made up of people from outside the organization. The goal here is to provide a higher level perspective than those “in the trenches”. At times we who are doing the work day in and day out see the operational tasks only; we can miss the “big picture”. For a non-profit the long term goal of continuing the mission is supremely important. This long term focus is difficult to attain when all we see are the crises of today. Passionate outsiders can easily focus on the long term because they are insulated from the day to day problems. This focus enables the board to ask the right questions and force the management to step back and identify the real problems and possible solutions.
The last critical function of the board is to ensure resources are being used for the most benefit to the goal. This may mean improving efficiency, redirecting the mission, modifying policies or changing up leadership. Brinckerhoff states that one critical facet is asking the right questions to verify the organization is doing the right things at the right time (2004, p.47). This included evaluating the performance of the organization against the mission statement. Drucker points out that management competence a large part of board responsibility (Drucker, p.157). To keep up with current business trends board members must be known as learning individuals, always ready to be taught and find ways to apply their new knowledge.
Salem Heights Church has a “board” equivalent, the Leadership Team. It is made up of obviously deeply committed men who desire to see the Word of God preached in a way that would impact people for Christ. It is clearly a high priority to ensure each program or event is perfectly aligned with the stated purpose of the Church. When things are not in line there is no hesitation in correcting the matter as soon as possible. The correction is part of the process of reviewing performance of the organization as a whole compared to the mission. These men serve as a check to the authority of the Senior Pastor. This balance is based on mutual accountability, constantly challenging to growth and prodding each other on to live Christ in every aspect of life. Among the leadership team there are the two Pastors and three other full-time church staff. The rest of the team include people from the “outside” in that have full-time employers in the secular arena with a wide range of experience.
Salem Heights could improve the spectrum of outside perspective on the board. I believe that because a majority of the leadership team is internal some of the focus would be distracted to the internal issues. This is however a difficult conundrum because the members of this team must be evaluated for many years before being approached to serve. The requirements are extremely high, based on the guidelines found in Titus 1:5-16 and I Tim 3:2-13 (NASB, 1995). Enlarging this perspective may add better planning skill and a broader base of experience to draw from.
Asides from the potential improvement of increasing the diversity of perspective within the Leadership Team, Salem Heights is doing an incredible job. Most of the weakness is overshadowed by the incredible hand of mercy from God, Himself. God has given the Leadership Team a passion to raise up future leaders starting at all levels of maturity so that the purpose can be carried out regardless of who is calling the shots. If they, with God's help, can accomplish this task, the Word of God will be preached for many generations with strict adherence to the careful handling of Scriptural interpretation.




Resources:
Brinckerhoff, P. (2004). Nonprofit Stewardship: A better way to lead your mission-based organization. Fieldstone Alliance, Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Drucker, P. (1990). Managing the non-profit organization: Practices and principles. Harper Collins Publishers, New York.

NASB (1995). New American Standard Bible, Updated edition. La Habra, Ca: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.

salemheightschurch.com (2009). Salem Heights Church, Website homepage. Retrieved July 24, 2009 from: http://www.salemheightschurch.org/ .

Wartzman, R. (2009). Boredom, Not Rigor, Dampens Volunteers' Spirits. The Drucker Institute. Retrieved August 11, 2009 from: http://www.druckerinstitute.com/showpage.aspx?Section=RP&PageID=111 .

Performance Evaluation

Organizational Success Evaluation:

Evaluate the performance evaluation system in place in your organization and recommend improvements based on the principles outlined by Drucker, Brinckerhoff and others.


A formal performance evaluation system is critical within a non-profit organization in that it identifies whether resources are being used to get the best return possible. Resources, financial and human, are limited in any institution but especially limited in the stereotypical non-profit. The system must be capable of identifying where return on investment (ROI) is high or low in different branches or programs. Drucker (1990, p.112) asks, “Is this the best application for our scarce resources?”. That is exactly what the performance evaluation system is meant to do: tell us if we are using our resources to their fullest.
These evaluation systems must be directly derived from the purpose statement that the organization is based on. The purpose statement tells us what we are going to do, the programs describe how, who, when and where we will accomplish the purpose. The evaluation gives us feedback as to how efficiently our programs are accomplishing the purpose. Aside from the purpose, each evaluation will typically be specific to the program. Each program will have different goals based on strategic, long term planning and how it relates to the organizations future.
Before program initiation and throughout it's life, goals should be created that measure direct impact to the community. It is also important to measure how the program is effecting the future state of the organization, because continued service is likely part of the mission. Internal growth can be forgotten which leads to almost certain end to even the most successful non-profits. The goals are important, but mean nothing if they are not measured and tracked. Brinckerhoff (2004, p. 118) reports “a true organization-wide focus on measuring often starts in a strategic planning process”. The strategic planning must be based on long term goals and needs of the community or even the ethical cause.
As with all tools the relevance of the evaluation system must be reviewed regularly. There may be a need to develop new goals that are more relevant, identify new metrics with which to track an emerging trend or even create new markets where similar programs may be effective. Once a program is in place, secondary affects may be influencing other areas of service. This would show that we need a new metric and probably another goal to measure those effects and identify if we need to make modifications. Programs are always changing and need to be evaluated for effectiveness, so we need to create our systems to periodically initiate the process regardless of success or failure.
Salem Heights Church is well on their way to having a formal performance evaluation system developed. The purpose statement is broad, but is clearly embraced by all the programs within the ministry. Each program has a concretely defined target market, weather that is the Childcare, Woman's Ministries or Music Team. The ministries are molded by these two critical drivers and of course the Word of God. These are the areas in which Salem Heights excels.
Strategic planning for the long term seems to be a higher level ministry-wide focus rather than individual program level. I see this as an area for improvement so that especially long term viability of leadership would be continually grown. Many programs are dependent on a specific leader who may be difficult to replace, aside from the perfect moving of God. The next important aspect within the evaluation system that is missing are the Goals. There are very few goals that have active measurement and reporting of the results. Salem Heights does measure attendance and giving as well as special financial requirements, but beyond that, none are reported. These areas are fairly basic and important for successful performance evaluation.
Although there are some shortcomings, Salem Heights has done a good job of placing their resources to good use. However, with a system for evaluation in place, there may be some vast improvements seen in resource allocation. The programs are evaluated on an informal basis depending on the need of the moment. When there are problems the leadership team will prayerfully consider what can be done to improve. This method seems to be working quite well because of strong leadership, however creating systems is far better than having to depend on fallible men. (Unfortunately, there are undoubtedly more aspects to the evaluation process that I did not cover. I was unable to conduct interviews with certain key people to clarify some of these systems. See Appendix A for interview questions.)














Resources:
Brinckerhoff, P. (2004). Nonprofit Stewardship: A better way to lead your mission-based organization. Fieldstone Alliance, Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Drucker, P. (1990). Managing the non-profit organization: Practices and principles. Harper Collins Publishers, New York.

NASB (1995). New American Standard Bible, Updated edition. La Habra, Ca: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.

salemheightschurch.com (2009). Salem Heights Church, Website homepage. Retrieved July 24, 2009 from: http://www.salemheightschurch.org/ .

Mission Statement Evaluation

Mission Statement Evaluation:

Evaluate the mission statement and process for “refocusing” of your organization based
on the principles outlined by Drucker, Brinckerhoff and others. You will need to distill a
list of principles from the reading and then use it evaluate your nonprofit organization.

Salem Heights Church Purpose Statement:
“To reach people with the love of Jesus Christ, provide a safe and supportive environment, proclaim the standards of God's truth, duplicate the Christian life in others, and celebrate the majesty and works of our great God” (salemheightschurch.org).

A mission statement by design is created for the express reason of setting the direction and purpose of an organization and keeping it on track. The best mission statement will clearly define who, what and where they will impact the world. To be an effective guide, mission statements must be concise, motivational, current and an integral part of each person involved. Salem Heights Church uses a purpose statement rather than mission statement and I will use them interchangeably throughout my discussion.
Salem Heights does a great job of setting the parameters of their ministries with the mission statement. Each of the five aspects mentioned are clearly God centered. The focus on God and what He sent Christ and the Holy Spirit to accomplish on earth and in the hearts of people is evident in every aspect of ministry that I have been involved. Drucker states, “a mission statement has to focus on what the institution really tries to do and then do it so that everybody in the organizations can say, This is my contribution to the goal. (Drucker, p4)” Clearly everyone from the grounds crew, to the choir, to the staff understand, and are reminded often, that they are here to serve God by accomplishing the tasks set out in the mission statement.
Salem Heights uses a very broad statement to describe those who are targeted by it's ministry; “people”. All people are included regardless of age, race, location or situation in life. There is some room for improvement in that they should be able identify a group of people for example: the people of Salem and around the world. Since the ministries are targeted at believers and unbelievers it is acceptable that there is no clarification in the statement.
The next piece that should be present is the what the organization does. This is the most complete section of their purpose statement. Five different action are projected: 1) share the love of Christ, 2) provide as safe and supportive environment, 3) proclaim biblical truth, 4) duplicate the christian life and 5) celebrate God. If anything, this clearly section communicates what is being accomplished but there may be too much information here. However, it would be difficult to consolidate any further without loosing the message and even some of the direction.
The last element needed is communication of the commitment of the organization to uphold the mission. I think the third statement identifies their passion to pass the vision along: “duplicate the Christian life in others”. Ultimately, this encompasses the desire to pass on the entirety of the mission. The “Christian Life” lived according to the Bible is: “To reach people with the love of Jesus Christ, provide a safe and supportive environment, proclaim the standards of God's truth, duplicate the Christian life in others, and celebrate the majesty and works of our great God”. I don't think you could find anyone on staff or in leadership that does not reflect this passion with their actions.
As far as the motivational aspect of the purpose statement I believe that there is some room for improvement. The words of the mission do not necessarily inspire me, but there is unmistakeable motivation everywhere you look. This drive comes from the Holy Spirit. Biblical, faith based organizations empowered by the Almighty God depend less on motivational missions and more on the ability of God to move and work through His people. When believers are growing there is a God given desire to serve Him and His people and to see others come to a saving knowledge of Him. I think that is where the motivation comes from, which is far better than depending on leader to keep people interested.
The last aspect I would explore is how up to date the statement is. Although this purpose statement was adopted many years ago, it is still accurate to what the Church is trying to accomplish. There is currently an increased priority placed on the mission field. Although the statement makes no distinction about where the mission is to be carried out, it would be wise to consider making a revision to include the new emphasis on international missions. Another part to look at is how it is communicated. There are printed materials available from the Church office as well as the Church Welcome Center and it is easily accessed and found on the Church website www.salemheightschurch.org. Brinckerhoff discusses the importance of using technology and other tools to improve efficiency of the mission (Brinckerhoff, p17). Salem Heights has a great podcast ministry that allows free downloads of all Sunday messages and even special events. This can be a far reaching impact on people all around the world.
Overall the mission statement is in good shape. An update may be in order to accommodate or more clearly define the area in which ministry is to be accomplished. The Church is using technology in advanced and appropriate ways and continues to innovate for better mission penetration. The activities of the Church are clearly spelled out and in line with the purpose statement.






Resources:
Brinckerhoff, P. (2004). Nonprofit Stewardship: A better way to lead your mission-based organization. Fieldstone Alliance, Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Drucker, P. (1990). Managing the non-profit organization: Practices and principles. Harper Collins Publishers, New York.

NASB (1995). New American Standard Bible, Updated edition. La Habra, Ca: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.

salemheightschurch.com (2009). Salem Heights Church, Website homepage. Retrieved July 24, 2009 from: http://www.salemheightschurch.org/ .

Managment Philosophy

Personal Management Philosophy – What I believe

My personal management philosophy is to be a leader who exemplifies Christ in every pursuit, public or private. I will build a reputation for leading teams to surpass goals established by my organization to become the best in the industry. I will set goals that are difficult to achieve which push everyone on my team to utilize their strengths to help the organization constantly improve process efficiency and innovation. I will live my life transparently so that those I interact with see the difference Christ's death, burial and resurrection have made in me.
I must ensure that my organization's strengths reflect customer needs. Concretely defined and prioritized, we must improve on those strengths until we distinguish ourselves from the competition. I must use financial reports and strategic planning objectives to set company wide goals. My job is to understand and clearly communicate this business direction and goals to those whom I supervise. I will strive to help them understand how their contributions directly effect company success or failure by implementing processes that reflect the importance of their work. I will follow a strategy of eliminating all types of waste in every aspect of the business. Other strategic decisions must be made while problem solving with imperfect information, using logic and contrary opinions. Those decisions should be held through completion or until further information proves it to be wrong and a better path chosen. Leading people requires serving them by finding their strengths, challenging them, expecting them to improve and removing obstacles to enable them to make the right decisions.
As a Christian in the role of manager, I will have many opportunities to ruin or promote my devotion to Christ and my testimony. In any leadership role we are placed in a spotlight, our superiors and those we supervise are watching intently; some cheering us on to success others hoping to witness failure. As Believers, that watchfulness is raised to the next level; it is not only business decisions that we are judged on, but personal and private ones as well. Peter tells me to “keep your behavior excellent among the [unbelieving], so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God...” (I Peter 2:12). I will share my faith openly while remembering that words without action are meaningless and perform my work with diligence and integrity. Depending on our own strength to accomplish this task is doomed to suboptimal performance, but Christ will always provide the strength needed to accomplish His will (Philippians 4:13).
My desire is to love doing whatever it is that God has me involved with. Ecclesiastes 3:22 says that finding satisfaction in your work is a blessing but ultimately, everything related to work will be lost (Ecclesiastes 2:17). Being successful according to God's standards makes me love what I do (Colossians 3:23), even when there is little recognition or even trials. I aim to inspire passion for the job and a drive for success in the people I work with, so that they love their work too.

Future Management Strategy – How to work it out

Customers- A business cannot exist without customers. In fact, even individual within a company has customers. A lawn maintenance person clearly understands that the yard owner is the customer, where as the assembly line worker's customer is the next person in the assembly process and ultimately the person who buys the product. I must understand how my work affects the customer as this is key to ensuring we are doing the best job possible for them. Knowing who our customer is, what is important to them, why they want our good or service and what value they place on it is critical to becoming great (Hartley, 2006). To fully understand this, I will place myself in the customers shoes, actually do the job or watch someone do it. If I fail to analyze these key aspects of our customer we will make decisions that negatively impact the product and ultimately the customer, giving them reason to go elsewhere.
Financial Impacts- Finances are the blood that makes a business operate, I must have money moving through an organization to make it work. Capital is needed for everything from paying salaries to investing in new technologies. Understanding the impact of cash-flows, profit and loss statements and other financial reports will enable me to make logical and well balanced business decisions. Return on Investment is an important tool I must use in decision making because if money is not returning to the company, it will go bankrupt. Other projects or endeavors may not prove profitable with this analysis but may be critical to making key strategies work. Strategic decisions are inherently more risky, but needed especially when markets change rapidly (McKenzie & Lee, 2006). I will avoid the trap of convincing myself that a choice was “strategic”, but in reality was only the path that sounded most interesting. I will take responsibility for decisions and use the best information available to move the company toward it's goals with risk minimized.
Integrity- Sometimes doing the “right” thing is hard, really hard; especially if it means losing significant amounts of money or admitting to mistakes that may ruin your reputation. There are numerous examples of companies and individuals taking the high road in the face of severe consequences (Lennick D. & Kiel F. PhD ,2007). Many of these ultimately befitted from their integrity by the customer placing more trust in them. I have experienced this personally with a recall situation where customers became more devoted to the company because of the way in which the issue was handled. I will look at any situation from the perspective of the customer; first understanding what the right action is and second how best to accomplish this from my company perspective.
Problem Solving- I love solving problems more than any other part of my job. Gathering information, asking the right questions and finding other, contradictory viewpoints are the most critical aspects of doing this well. Many problem solvers jump to the first apparent solution but typically do not fully resolve the issue. I will assess the situation, gather all available information and weigh solutions as quickly as possible. Looking at the problem first hand, in person is the most advantageous, then speaking with those immediately involved about probable solutions. I have learned to step back and find the reasoning behind the solutions that are counter intuitive; there may be some insight that was ignored by the first, seemingly adequate answer. Using this problem solving technique will yield better results than the typical “shoot from the hip” answers.
Prioritization- Time is the most precious resource any of us must utilize. Each one has a set number of days to live out life, so we must use each one to the fullest. Our priorities must be set by how we can most effectively contribute to the goals of the organization (Drucker, 1966). One of the most impacting ideas discussed by Drucker was that of removing old priorities that are no longer important. I will not continue defending the bad choices of the past, expending so much energy on that effort, that we make little or no progress toward those tasks that will most positively affect the organization. Not only is prioritization important, but I will work on one thing at a time making my time more effective in taking the organization closer to ideal state. Working on multiple projects simultaneously is not efficient. Not only will each project have lower quality, it will take longer to complete them, increasing the probability that they will become obsolete, thus a waste of time.
Servant Leadership- Is truly leading as Jesus led. It was obvious that Jesus was the leader of the band of disciples, but rarely do we see Jesus miss an opportunity to teach his men how to lead while removing doubt and any other obstacles that prevented their growth. This ideology forces management to the bottom of the organizational chart, depicting who their true customers are, those they supervise. This organizational structure almost forces each employee to see how their work effects the next one in line. As a manager, I must remove the barriers to my people becoming successful (Liker, 2004). Sometimes that means fighting battles for better tools, changing processes or moving people to another area where their strengths may be better utilized.
Processes- Every business, no matter how small, has a set of processes that dictate how certain tasks are to be done. For a one man company, those are probably only captured in thought, but as the company grows these get documented and trained on. Processes are the simplest tool to ensure smooth business management because they take the best methods learned and cause them to be utilized each time the task is done. When there is a process in place for a task it takes away much of the confusion and decision making. It enables the worker to accomplish the task that was once relegated to Managers (Drucker, 1966). It is widely believed that a majority of errors are to some extent process related or preventable if done properly. If this is true managers can focus their attention on any process that has problems, resolve them and implement the new “best method”.
Relentless Elimination of Waste- All business must be competitive to survive. There are many avenues to pursue staying competitive. One of them makes sense to do, no matter if you are number one or dead last in your industry; elimination of waste. Constantly reducing and eliminating waste from processes and business activities will reduce my cost to produce a product (Liker, 2004). The elimination of waste typically forces innovation which drives improvement in product, reputation and customer satisfaction. This activity will keep our organization improving even if we are number one. Sadly, many first in class organizations have lost to number two or three because they become complacent and depended on their old technology and strategy for too long while their competition passed them up.

Biography – Who am I

I am the Engineering Manager for a small design and manufacturing company with responsibility over R&D, manufacturing engineering and applications engineering. Utilizing best practices from the manufacturing floor, I have established stable processes for even the most abstract and creative aspects of design and development. These processes have increased efficiency in resource utilization and time to market.
I graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in machine design. I am currently pursuing a Masters of Business Administration from Corban College & Graduate School in Salem, Oregon. I intend to continue working as Engineering Manager in the engineering field to eventually be Vice President of Engineering for a large manufacturing company. I plan to utilize my administration skills working in a mission organization or my local church as an international mission organizer if God presents the opportunity.
My engineering bent drew me toward manufacturing where I have been for the last eight years. I started out in a high volume concrete block plant, learning about quality control and machine maintenance. For the last five years I have been designing windshield wiper systems for specialty vehicles like boats, trains, buses and agricultural equipment around the world. I have developed a keen ability to read customers and find solutions to their problems. Working in a small company has given me a broad experience base from marketing to accounting to production.
I worked in the service industry for the previous seven years. I started with taking over a yard care business for several years where I learned to anticipate customer needs. Next, I worked in a seed cleaning warehouse where I developed an appreciation for mechanical equipment. While attending engineering school, I worked in a deli and grocery store. This is where customer interaction was developed as well as an appreciation for inventory control.
I was born and raised in the Northwest to be a hard worker no matter the task. Growing up in a Christian home gave me a great foundation to be a leader in business and an active part of the Christian community. In my home Church, my wife and I with our two children, volunteer in children's ministries and I lead a small group Bible study.

Resources-- Impacting literature

Drucker, P. (1966). The effective executive. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers.
Hartley, R. (2006). Marketing mistakes & successes, e10. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ,Hoboken, NJ.
Heath, C. & Heath, D. (2007). Made to stick: Why some ideas survive and others die. New York: Random House.
Hunter, James C. (1998). The servant: a simple story about the true essence of leadership. New York: Crown Business.
Lennick D. & Kiel F. PhD (2007). Moral intelligence: Enhancing business performance & leadership success. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Wharton School Publishing.
Liker, J. (2004). Toyota Way. New York: McGraw Hill Professional.
McKenzie & Lee (2006). Microeconomics for MBA's: the economic way of thinking for managers. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Stratigic Managment- Annotated Bibliograph

Annotated Bibliography

BA 593 – Strategic Management
Corban College & Graduate School

D. Russell Libby II

April 9, 2009

Baker-Said, S. (May, 2008). Flight of the black swan. Bloomberg: Markets. Retrieved April 7, 2009 from : http://www.fooledbyrandomness.com/bloombergProfile.pdf
and
Baker-Said, S. (October, 2008). Taleb's `Black Swan' Investors Post Gains as Markets Take Dive . Bloomberg.com . Retrieved April 7, 2009 from : http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aDVgqxiT9RSg
This interesting article looks at a insurance/investment strategy formulated by Nassim Taleb, a futures trader tuned philosopher. The articles were written by a financial journalist for Bloomberg a financial news agency. Taleb champions a theory that states the importance of evaluating seemingly low probability events and how they impact decision making. His ideas are being transferred across industry lines from finance to aerospace to treasure hunting. The premise that a rare event will not happen because it is rare, is faulty because history has shown that most catastrophes were not expected, but possible. I would like to learn more about the theory behind Talebs thinking and understand some of his assumptions. As a manager in any industry, we need to have the best information available to make decisions, and if the models we use to generate the information are wrong, our decisions and results will also be wrong.
Drucker, P. (1966). The effective executive. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers.
Drucker- Chapter 1: Effectiveness can be learned
The author demonstrates his thorough understanding of the effects of executives he has gained as a management consultant and general interest in top management for the 20 years prior writing this book. Drucker utilizes this first chapter to lay the foundation for the rest of the book. An interesting point that is highlighted is his definition of “executives”, includes “knowledge workers” who make decisions that significantly effect the organization. Although this book is more than forty years old the concepts presented are basic and transcend time. There are no revolutionary ideas, but merely a succinct portrayal of effective personal management habits that will yield professional effectiveness. Drucker clearly states the need for and the results of effective executives in public service, private business and the Military. I am encouraged that a skill like effectiveness can be learned, because it always appears to be natural to some and definitely not natural for me.
Drucker- Chapter 2: Know thy time
This chapter is devoted to uncovering the secret of time wasted. It is important to note that much of an executive's time is not his own; it belongs to those under their supervision and more time yet is devoted to their superiors. Drucker points out the criticality of knowing where your time is being spent, since it is the most scarce resource anyone has. Often executives are too busy being busy, but to be effective we must consolidate any available time into blocks that can be spent toward the important activities that will catalyze improvement in the organization. Critically looking at the use of time should also highlight meetings or tasks that can be easily or even more efficiently be performed by others, which will free up more time to devote the the truly valuable work done by executives. This is a tool I have used especially in the last nine months and has been both surprising and frightening at what I do that I shouldn't; mainly tasks that may be performed better by other people, I just like doing them.
Drucker- Chapter 3: What can I contribute?
Drucker delves into the heart of the issue we all deal with (or should) regarding the effectiveness of our work; how can I best serve the organization as a whole. What skill, knowledge, specialty, insight or information do I posses or can I create that would best serve the customer? It is critical to point out that the customer may be the manager of the department, the accountant at the end of the hall or even “Joe Schmo”, the paying customer. The executives attention should be on how best to use his position to promote the company goals and ultimately success. Self motivation to be continually developing skills is contagious and exponentially improves the effectiveness at each level of the organization. This MBA program has given me some of the skills I lacked before. Now I have a better understanding of where my skills lie and how I can most effectively use them.
Drucker- Chapter 4: Making strength productive
This section lays out the human resources portion of making effective decisions and forming groups to be successful. The most effective way to make a group strong and productive is to give them a good leader. The author clearly demonstrates that having clear strengths is a much better representation of effectiveness than the lack of weakness. Next, jobs and responsibilities should be challenging and continually just beyond the grasp of the holder. This makes people grow and stretch their abilities to ultimately become better and more capable while giving the satisfaction of being challenged. Executives must also be ready and willing to train and teach throughout the growing process. Teaching has provided an excellent opportunity for me to find peoples strengths and grow them professionally but also find what they can do best for the organization.
Drucker- Chapter 5: First things first
Drucker succinctly depicts the most important of tools for any executive, prioritization. There were two aspects the author states that most people ignore or just cannot do; forget about the crisis of yesterday and remove items from your list if they become obsolete. The first is probably the most difficult because executives can easily become distracted with completing a project that they do not realize the more important activity is being put off. Displacing the new, more critical, activity may be a decision that changes the destiny of an organization for the worse. The second, removing items, is simpler to accomplish but requires continual review of the changing circumstances of the outside world and new information available. By setting priorities correctly and then focusing the available time on accomplishing them executives can accomplish huge tasks, one thing at a time. I have seen stagnant projects become invigorated by employing simple priorities, but still need some work on leaving the past behind.
Drucker- Chapter 6: The elements of decision-making
This section is setting the stage for how to make decisions by systematically presenting the anatomy of a decision. Drucker points out that nearly all problems are a symptom of a missing principal, a key value commonly held by the organization. Secondly, making decisions at the highest possible level will ensure that the right solution is found. Clearly defining the boundary of each decision will narrow the options and will enable verification that the decision was correct. Most importantly, decisions are not made if they are not acted upon, then checked on throughout the process of implementation. Once implemented the decision needs to be monitored and modified if new facts come to light or the environment changes. Decision making was an area where I had very good “gut” instincts, but recently my instincts have proven wrong. Making the right decision for the right reason at the right time is now my goal.
Drucker- Chapter 7: Effective decisions
Interestingly, Drucker describes the realization that decisions are made based on assumptions, and do not always need (or have the luxury of finding) all the facts, simply an assumption that fits all the facts known. The best fitting assumption must be tested and proven before making the decision, while simultaneously creating debate about the best solution. Looking at both sides of a decision critically will ensure that the problem is understood as clearly as possible. The author points out that disagreements are not based on stupidity, but a different perspective of the truth; understanding that perspective may open the door to the best solution. Sometimes the best decision is to do nothing if the results will be the same no matter the course of action. When the decision is done, it may be found later to be the wrong one which is a learning opportunity.
Drucker- Conclusion: Effectiveness must be learned
While this chapter condenses the rest of the book, it concisely describes the importance of effective executives. Forty years ago this was evident to Drucker, but how much more so have we seen the importance of each person being effective in any of their daily activities, weather home, office or church. The author places an emphasis on the ability and drive of the individual toward self development. Honing their skill to become more effective where it matters most to their organization is what will set apart the successful and effective executive from the burned out “pay check collectors” that fill so many of the jobs around us. From a personal standpoint this concept of learned effectiveness is very exciting as opposed to “being born with it”.
Heath, C. & Heath, D. (2007). Made to stick: Why some ideas survive and others die. New York: Random House.
Heath & Heath- Introduction
The Heath brothers had been studying the subject of idea propagation for ten years independently from two angles. Dan, as a writer with a passion for education, was focused on better education methods while Chip, as a professor at Stanford University, looked at patterns in urban legends and such. Gathering their research they decided to write a book to educate businesspeople, teachers, marketers and anyone who was trying to clearly communicate a message. The introduction was well written and capture the attention of the reader, because everyone has a message whether personal or work related. The authors describe that “Sticky” messages have six aspects in common; Simplicity, Unexpectedness, Concreteness, Credibility, Emotions and Stories. They insist that these templates can be taught and that teaching can be effective in a very short time. They claim that with some energy and forethought it is possible to make even the most mundane message into a memorable, and therefore, transforming parable. I will be interested to read this book in detail, because as a manager there are opportunities to change an organizations behavior, but backsliding is all too common. Drucker's conclusion above also states that becoming effective can be learned, so if we are ready to learn, many of the important management “skills” are waiting to be learned.
Peterson, E. DHL (speaker). (1997). Tell it slant: Parables as spiritual direction. (Audio recordings: 2609A.mp3, 2609B.mp3, 609C.mp3,609D.mp3, 609E.mp3). Vancouver, BC: Regent College.
Peterson- Lecture 1 ( 2609A.mp3)
Honorary Dr. Peterson is the professor of Spiritual Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, BC. He has pastored several churches and been a professor at New York Theological Seminary. Dr. Peterson has written several books including the paraphrased version of the Old and New Testament, The Message. In the first of five lectures the the speaker gives many examples of “spiritual direction” and where it may come from. Often it is not from whom you may expect like pastors, teachers and the like, but from lay people. As the descriptions continued for more than an hour I was distracted to the point where Dr. Peterson was loosing credibility as a Biblically based speaker. After awhile, it became evident that this was purposeful, and was used to illustrate how God can use anything to break through our defenses and invoke change. One of these methods Jesus Himself used were the parables. By skirting the teaching and even misdirection Christ was able to teach principals, rather than black and white, “do this and don't do that”. The idea of parables teaching more broadly was also suggested in “Made to Stick” (Heath & Heath, 2007). This concept is interesting in that giving step-by-step instructions has never yielded the right results in the long run.
Peterson- Lecture 2 ( 2609B.mp3)
For the second lecture in the series, Dr. Peterson delves into the parables as found in Luke 10-12. There were a few new twists on the parable of the “Good Samaritan” and the “LORD's Prayer”, but what I would like to bring out is the last concept taken from the foolish man who was building “bigger barns”. When believers think about the sin which we can become entangled it is easy to consider ourselves righteous, because we are not out committing adultery, murder or even stealing; the “big sins”. However, Satan attacks us in areas we feel are promoting God's kingdom. By example the speaker pointed to the temptation of Jesus while on earth. The things Satan used to tempt, were not the “big sins” but actually had positive outcomes, if it were not for the principals behind Satan's plans. We can easily be caught up in the sin of pride even while serving in our Church. Our motivations can change from serving the Living God to “looking good” to others. As a leader in many church activities, I need to stay aware of my motivations and be humble.
Peterson- Lecture 3 ( 2609C.mp3)
This third lecture was laced with three distinct sections all focused on parables. The first section was based on Luke 14-15, where he pulled out the physical senses with which we should be watching for Christs return. The next section looked at the hospitality in which we need to make sure Christ and others are comfortable in our presence. The last portion was speaking of the Lost parables. Most interesting was Peterson's insistence on the building gravity of the parables. He pointed out that the lost object gained importance from one in 100 to 1 in 2, and Peterson impressed the last parable the lost son who stayed at home with his father. It reminded me of Abraham bargaining with God for his nephew Lot, the only difference is that Abraham was persuading God to save, where Jesus was pointing out that every single human is important enough to save.
Sherman, D. & Hendricks, W. (1987). Your work matters to God. Colorado Springs: NavPress.
Sherman & Hendricks- Chapter 1: Between two worlds, The need for a Biblical view of work
Doug Sherman is the founder of Career Impact Ministries, an organization that helps businesspeople integrate their Christian life, faith and beliefs into their career. The co-author William Hendricks held a executive position within Career Impact Ministries and previously worked as a consultant. Both men obviously have a love for Christ and His Church and desire to see it grow in understanding what the Bible says about how we should work. This book was written to working men an women who need to meld their understanding of how to act out their faith where most of their time is spent, at work. The authors point out the chasm that has opened between work and the Christian life, noting that many Christians behave in the same way as their unsaved counterparts with respect to even the broadest moral code. This indicates that people who claim to be Christians on the weekend and at home, dump their view when it comes to work. While the opposite is true as well when people view work only as a mission field or as a necessary evil to pay the bills. It is refreshing to get a more focused biblical view of work after many books I have read including Drucker (1966) above.
Sherman & Hendricks- Chapter 2: Going for it! The secular view of work
In this chapter the authors present five different secular viewpoint on the way people look at their jobs and the influence it has on life and godliness. After describing what the five major themes were, many of the pitfalls were highlighted and condensed into three main problems. The first is that these secular views require more fulfillment than we ourselves or our jobs can give, which tends to lead to breakdown. Secondly, the secular view of work changes our career into an idol, which is powerless to help you in any way. Lastly, the secular viewpoint forces God out of the picture and causes a schizophrenia between beliefs and actions. It is truly amazing to see how many of the aspects of secular work thinking has dominated the mindset of Christians. It is important to keep God in His rightful place especially as we go about our work among unbelievers.
Sherman & Hendricks- Chapter 3: Ye cannot serve God and mammon, The two-story view of work
The third chapter presents a juxtaposition between “sacred” and secular as related to work. One common thought process, even under the surface the authors argue, is that most Christians believe that working in the Ministry is more valued to God. That working in the secular arena somehow put us in a different playing field than those in full-time ministry. It is noticeable when people do not believe that their work “matters” eternally, because they start to neglect parts of their jobs or tend to become lazy and irresponsible. It is important to note that we who work in the secular world are called to “work as unto the LORD” (Col. 3:23-24). This becomes part of our witness to those around us, and hopefully a tool for unbelievers to notice our excellent work ethic then subsequently ask why. That is the open door to share the Gospel of Christ, and hopefully develop a relationship where we can encourage and disciple them to maturity.
Sherman & Hendricks- Chapter 4: The strategic soapbox, The mainstream model of work
The authors observe the next belief about work held by most Christians, that work is primarily a place to share the Gospel. This is, of the three described, the closest to being biblically accurate. While Sherman and Hendricks were quick to point out that sharing the Gospel is a high priority, it should not be the highest. There are many mission fields, including our place of employment, where we must display our Christ likeness and ultimately that, more than presenting salvation, should be our aim. One important aspect brought to the forefront was that the “Great Commission” is more than salvation, but even more critically, growing the new believer as a disciple. This topic cause me to reflect on my own view of work, because some of the ideas used as a basis for this belief are similar to my own. I think the real trap comes when you are not balanced in your thinking and allow any one doctrine to monopolize your decision making while ignoring the others.
Sherman & Hendricks- Chapter 5: Your work matters to God, Work has intrinsic value
The fifth chapter is where the authors are able to establish and define what their point and perspective is. Thankfully, they supported most thoughts with scripture and not simply opinion. Using scriptures from the Old and New Testament, it was clearly shown that God is a worker and has created man in His image as a worker. It was demonstrated that people with the most menial jobs can and should still find significants in fulfilling the job God has placed them in. It was helpful for the authors to point out that we are not always able to see how our work is promoting God's cause. Sin has also effected the manner in which we are able to contribute by making some jobs questionable or even robotic and boring. This chapter has given me a better sense of the extent to which I am serving God at work. Not only am I to work diligently with integrity but I can enjoy doing hard work because God created me to be a worker, in His image.
Sherman & Hendricks- Chapter 6: God's work-your work, Work has instrumental value
As the sixth chapter was beginning I began to come to the understanding why we only needed to read the first four chapters. Although the previous chapter was littered with scripture, this one has only one or two. The ones used were also interpreted questionably, to say the least. The most striking point was made using Jesus' words from the “Great Commandment” of Matthew 22:37-40, “love the LORD your God....and love your neighbor as yourself”. The first two love commands are obvious, but then the authors added a third, “love yourself”. I think we naturally love ourselves and do not need work or extra motivation to do so, because many times, this turns into selfishness and egocentricity. The authors also painted a picture of how each job influences many people and provides for their needs which in turn serves God. All in all an interesting chapter, but a far cry from the previous chapters strong biblical basis.
Sherman & Hendricks- Chapter 7: It's a jungle out there, The effects of sin on work
This chapter highlighted the effect sin has on our jobs and our attitudes about work. The authors made several good points regarding the origins of work. Many people believe that work was a result of the fall. Using scriptures they clearly show that God gave Adam and Eve the job of cultivating the Garden of Eden before the first sin. Using some New Testament text it was shown that God encourages us to work hard, which also proves that work is good; for God would not ask us to sin or participate in evil. Sin however, has made work more burdensome, more futile and corrupted the environment in which we work. This is evidenced by all the moral sliding observed in every area of life, sadly including the Church. I appreciate the points made because I have often blamed work on Adam and sin in general. We are called however to work joyfully and diligently as for the LORD.