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I have always been one to believe that anything is possible.  My training in yoga and Reiki teaches us that we are masters of our own destiny and that our realities are the direct projection of our thoughts.  This may seem a little fantastic to some, but this metaphysical concept can be applied to real life.  The question you have to ask yourself when you make a million excuses for not changing something is not “why can’t I?” but instead “why not?”  Every invention and every discovery made did not exist until it was invented and discovered.  Therefore, my reaction to some of the excuses listed in the 50 Reasons Not to Change graphic created by Dr. Watkins is of disbelief (Watkins, 2011).  I don’t believe colleagues when they give their reasons not to change.  I believe they have a fear, I believe that they are not confident, and I even believe that they believe the reason they are giving.  But I am of the mindset that if there is a will, there is a way, and history has proven this.  

With that said, I have been guilty of using many of the reasons given in the slide show as an excuse not to change something.  But in my heart, I know that it is only an excuse.  I understand that most of the reasons that I have not changed something in my life are because of a fear of failure.  It’s easier not to try, then to try and fail.  But I also believe that if I want something bad enough, I can make it happen.

I think one way to overcome the negative thought process that creates those responses to change efforts is to look for people who have been successful.  In today’s technologically advanced world, you can find an individual who has succeeded in something you want to do or something similar.  Just by finding that kindred spirit, it can help propel you into action.  Seth Godin talks about this same concept of connecting with others who think the same way as you and to be inspired and moved to make change because of a sense of belongingness (Godin, 2009).  It’s also important to understand why you need a change to happen.  Godin uses the example of Nathan Winograd who changed the way society dealt with stray animals.  Everyone understood the need for the SPCA, too many dogs and cats on the streets.  But Nathan made communities question how this problem was being solved.  He needed a change in this process because he could not accept the reality that innocent dogs and cats were being killed.  Therefore, a change happened. In my position, many times I ask my Director why we follow certain procedures.  When I feel something is inefficient or unethical, I question it.  Many times she has told me that it is the way things have always been done.  I then suggest alternatives to do it better.  I realized in my office, since she was usually a one-man show, that sometimes she just didn’t have time to think about other ways of doing things or the time to implement new ways of doing things.  I on the other hand, prefer to spend the extra time to make the changes if in the long run they will deem my job easier.  

I definitely agree with Godin’s statement that change is driven by tribes.  Watching his video reminded me of a quote by Margaret Mead “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that has” (as cited by Taylor, 2010).   All great movements have started with small tribes.  Women’s rights, the end of slavery, civil rights, all of these movements started with one person who was not happy with the status quo.  They reached out into the communities and found others who did not like the status quo either, and so on and so forth.  Sometimes people are afraid to change, but when they see they are not alone, they are able to see through those excuses.  Godin makes an important statement when he says “the movement you create isn't for everyone, it's not a mass thing. That's not what this is about. What it's about instead is finding the true believers”.  Great important changes that are everlasting are not made because people are forced into making the change but because they believe.  It is the power of passion that really propagates change.

My takeaway from this video is that all the resources I need to make meaningful change are to find those kindred spirits who believe the same thing.  This video actually inspires me to question the status quo.  At my organization, many of us are already doing this.  When I am unhappy about something I reach out to my coworkers and get their opinions.  Many times I see that they feel the same way I do.  I am lucky, because my Director is not afraid to question things in our office.  Although we haven’t seen great changes in some of the things that we feel are important, we have been heard.  I hope with time, when our pleas are heard throughout the organization from all the other “believers”  that those who control how changes are made will also believe.

References

Godin, S. (2009, May). Seth Godin: The tribes we lead [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/seth_godin_on_the_tribes_we_lead.html

Taylor, M. [RSA]. (2010, August 19). RSA Animate - 21st Century Enlightenment  [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC7ANGMy0yo&feature=youtu.be

Watkins, D. (2011). 50 reasons not to change [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://prezi.com/z2v2cvo4t9tc/50-reasons-not-to-change/

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     NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe addressed NASA employees during a briefing to talk about the proposed changes to the agency which were brought to the attention by the Shuttle Columbia Accident Investigation Board (C-Span, 2004). One of the main topics discussed was the NASA safety culture.  BST conducted a series of surveys that assessed NASA employee’s views and opinions regarding the culture, roles and leadership issues.  

      I believe that Mr. O’Keefe addressed NASA employees to describe this plan for proposed changes to the NASA culture because according to the BST report, the major issues stemmed from issues within the NASA culture and leadership itself (C-Span, 2004).  Mr. O’Keefe explained that the changes needed to be adopted by all entities within the agency and starting from the top down.  Brown explains “organizational problem solving means that every member of an organization participates in developing a vision and improving the corporate culture” (2011, p. 116).  The BST survey results based on interviews with NASA employees pointed out two important concerns (C-Span, 2004).  The first concern was that there was a lack of respect between leadership and employees.   Employees felt that communication was lacking between the higher levels and the employees.  They also felt that the climate at the agency impeded employees from being able to speak up.  In fact, according to the BST report, employees stated that they were encouraged my management to keep their ideas and/or concerns to themselves and not voice these opinions (BST, 2004).  This was a major concern and area that Mr. O’Keefe heatedly emphasized needed improvement.  The second major concern, which was rooted first at the leadership level, but then also, throughout all the levels and individuals that make up the organization, was the safety culture.  As Mr. O’Keefe explained to his employees, there was a general climate for safety as being a number one priority, and although in theory, this notion of safety was an absolute within the agency, it seemed to be more conceptual then actual (C-Span, 2004).  He stressed that safety could no longer just be an assumed concept; it had to be a “fundamental requisite, embedded in the foundation and part of the everything we do”.  Therefore, the Columbia Shuttle accident wasn’t something that could be blamed on one individual, or one group, or even a simple technical malfunction, but instead was the fault of a culture that did not follow through with the original mission and vision of the agency.  The tragedy was on the hands of every employee, starting with leadership.  In the BST report, there is an emphasis for managers to act in ways that reflect the NASA values, starting with respect towards others (BST, 2004).  

      I personally feel that he was sugar-coating everything in the video.  Yes, he pointed out the flaws in the NASA culture, but seemed to be “skating” the issues.  He never directly insisted that NASA messed up, instead, gently massaged the idea that maybe the NASA culture could be a little better even though it was almost perfect.  His resistance in assuming full-blown responsibility on behalf of NASA, made his discourse seem insincere.  It is like saying “it’s my fault, but….”.  I also found his ridiculous statements, in response to the question of accountability, about adopting the statement “yes, if” instead of “no, because” to be very evasive (C-Span, 2004).  I found his statements to be vague and in some cases nonsensical.  I believe that a more upfront attitude regarding the need to change the NASA culture needs to be more aggressive and direct.  I feel that employees will probably be more inclined, motivated and influenced to adopt these changes if they are presented as something that, if not followed through with, will have imminent consequences.  Mr. O’Keefe does not project integrity in my opinion and his laissez faire attitude about “we just need to tweak what is almost perfect” is far from convincing.

                  In my experience, when I have adopted similar attitudes to those exemplified by Mr. O’Keefe, I feel that I am not very convincing.  I feel that my intentions reflect as shallow and that my integrity is compromised.  I think the take-away for me from this video is that a real leader should know when to step up to the plate for the good and for the bad.  If mistakes are made and accountability is demanded (which I’m sure it was in the case of the Columbia Shuttle accident), we need to be ready to take responsibility followed by solid immediate and long term solutions.  Although I agree that culture change for NASA should be a priority, it’s important to note that culture change is a long and difficult process (Brown, 2011). As a leader I would also ask myself, what immediate and tangible changes can I make right now initially? Another important takeaway is not only the importance of a proper diagnosis, but who does the diagnosis.  Mr. O’Keefe was asked why they brought in BST to assist them in making this assessment if NASA was apparently capable and had the resources to do its own assessments, and he explained that it was important for the issue to be viewed from the outside in.  He understood the importance of another perspective.  Brown (2011) notes that:

“Questioning the client’s diagnosis of the problem is a good rule for organization development practitioners to follow. The client is part of the system that has a problem and, therefore, may be unable to take an objective view of the situation” (p.  116).

     This is another important aspect of good organizational development since it is easy to be blindsided by what you want to see rather then what is in front of your eyes.  I personally sometimes have a difficult time seeing alternate perspectives on issues I feel very strongly about.  This is an area I know that needs to be improved if I am to be the kind of leader that I aspire to be.

           

References

BST. (2004). Assessment and plan for organizational culture change at NASA. Retrieved from http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/57382main_culture_web.pdf

Brown, D. R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (7th ed.). Retrieved from http://www.coursesmart.com/9780136106906/firstsection

C-Span. (2004, April 13). NASA cultural changes [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.c-span.org/video/?181348-1/

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In the YouTube video How Companies Can Make Better Decisions, Faster, Marcia Blenko, leader of Bain & Company's Global Organization Practice, talks about decision effectiveness and the impact it has on the financial success of a company (Blenko, 2010).  She also talks about the positive correlation between decision effectiveness and employee engagement and overall organizational performance.  I believe, to effectively make and execute decisions that will be successful, employees must become participants in the decision-making process.  Brown talks about some of the important tools needed for change and one of them is information (Brown, 2011).  He tells us that an organization must provide employees with information or the resources to gather information.  He explains that this important because “making information available at every level increases employee motivation and permits faster decision making. This helps employees to identify with organizational goals” (p. 67).  It only makes sense that decisions will be made faster and more effectively if everyone is onboard and everyone knows what is happening.  It reduces the likelihood of obstacles and resistance and paves a clearer path to a final resolution.

Blenko (2010) talks about some of the impediments to good decision-making.  First of all, companies have become more complex.  She explains that it’s not as simple as looking at an organizational chart.  Sometimes it’s difficult to pinpoint who the key decision-makers are in today’s businesses.  This ambiguity makes it hard to decide who should be involved in making decisions.  She also explains that the decision makers may not have the right information or maybe they lack the skills or correct behavior needed for effective decision-making.  Therefore, this can lead to a lack of communication which creates obstacles in effectively making the critical decisions.

Blenko lists four components that define decision effectiveness: quality, speed, yield, and effort.  I also feel that another element that would define good decision-making would be commitment.  Once we decide the level of effort that is needed to effectuate the decision, we also need to decide on the level of commitment that we are willing to provide. A decision can have the right quality, be executed efficiently, yielded how we intended and with the right amount of effort; but, we also need to make sure we are giving it the proper amount of commitment.  This can also go the other way.  Once we have reached the point where the decision is ready for implementation, if a sudden change in the situation were to occur, where the decision is no longer the correct decision, we need to have the commitment to bail out if it is in the best interest of the company.  Under extreme circumstances, good leaders must know how to be flexible and take the needed risks if necessary.  Carl Spetzler, CEO of the Strategic Decisions Group, also explains that there must be a “commitment to make it happen” by all participants of the decision-making team “since a decision is no stronger than its weakest link” (as cited by Girard, 2009)

My take away from this video would be the importance of making employees participatory in the decision-making process.  I believe that we cannot just leave top leadership in charge of something that affects everyone.  Employees from different departments will have different perspectives to offer, and may be able to troubleshoot some aspects of a problem better then someone from top management who is not hands-on.  Brown explains that “to implement a program of planned change, the management must first identify a gap between the current situation and some desired condition” (2011, p. 88).  Employees that participate in critical decision-making, may have the knowledge to fill in the holes and bridge that gap since they are the ones that probably have first-hand knowledge of the problems within the organization.  Also, employees may be more invested in a solution since they are more likely to be affected by the issues on a daily basis.  In making important decisions, an OD approach that I feel would be most effective would be the pathfinder approach.  The pathfinder seeks effectiveness at an organizational level while maintaining high employee morale.  The pathfinder believes “that greater effectiveness is possible when all members are involved and problem solving is done through teamwork” (p. 92).  I am a true believer of flattening hierarchical structures within an organization and therefore feel employees should be at the pinnacle of the decision-making process.

References

Blenko, M. (2010, October 13). How companies can make better decisions, faster (Sarah Green,  Interviewer) [YouTube Video]. In Harvard Business Publishing (Producer), Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbxpg6D4Hk8&feature=player_embedded

Brown, D. R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (7th ed.). Retrieved from http://www.coursesmart.com/9780136106906/firstsection

Girard, K. (2009). Carl Spetzler: The six elements of a good decision. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/carl-spetzler-the-six-elements-of-a-good-decision/

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Southwest Airlines prides itself for its strong corporate culture.  They define their principles in the trilogy of “Living the Southwest Way by displaying the Warrior Spirit, acting with a Servant’s Heart, and embracing a Fun-LUVing Attitude” (Nuts About Southwest website, n.d.).  Aside from a blog, Southwest Airlines also has a series of youtube videos, facebook pages and what they call the culture committee.  With Southwest, culture is not just reflected in the policies, but in the attitudes and actions of the employees (Oswald, 2009).  Southwest has a reputation for being fun, spontaneous and a little nuts.  In fact, their blog is even called Nuts About Southwest.  Flights include such experiences as flight attendants serenading you through the public address system, live music from well-known artists in midair, and spontaneous vendors, such as Dish, handing out free ipads.  

In the youtube video "A Day in the Life of Culture Committee" we see a perfect example of what the Southwest culture is all about.  The Southwest culture is not only targeted towards its customers, but it’s also about employees appreciating employees (NutsAboutSouthwest, 2008).  After watching this video and others in the NutsAboutSouthwest series, it is clear that the culture committee is effective in establishing cultural norms.  

The corporate culture of Southwest goes back 40 years and is attributed to the co-founder and CEO Herb Kellehe (Oswald, 2009).  And the Southwest culture is alike to Google and Polaroid in that the culture is a direct extension of the original founders of the companies.  In fact Brown tells us that many successful companies can trace their cultural framework to an influential founder (2011).  In the case of Southwest, the pillar of culture is Mr. Kellehe.  An example that epitomizes the type of culture that he formed is the time when Mr. Kellehe entered an arm wrestling match against the CEO of Stevens Aviation over the legal rights of the slogan “Plane Smart” (Oswald, 2009).  Instead of engaging in a messy legal battle, he decided to not take things so seriously and have fun.  This type of attitude is what epitomizes the Southwest culture today.

The mission of the culture committee is to create an environment of goodwill amongst fellow employees and maintain a nurturing spirit with each other and the community.  Not only is the culture committee a welcoming committee for new hires, they are also the guardians of the Southwest spirit and are tasked with ensuring that the spirit lives on for future generations of employees (Haasen & Shea, 2003).  I think the culture committee could be applied to my organization very successfully.  My organization, as far as I know, does not have a distinguishing corporate culture.  I believe that part of it may have a lot to do with geographic distances.  My organization is comprised of 150 smaller centers worldwide that provide educational services to military service member and online students.  Once a year, my region comes together during our regional graduation ceremony and tries to have some kind of semblance of unified values and beliefs that could constitute culture; but the fact is, we all do things differently within the general guidelines of following policies and procedures.  For example, in my office where there are just two of us, we are known to be more of a maternal culture.  We do a lot of hand holding for our students and go beyond our general responsibilities to help our students.  Although we have been scolded for “spoiling” our student body, there is no corporate culture to dictate how we should behave.  Yet, we have heard stories from our very own students who have been at some of our other centers and they have claimed that our colleagues there are less helpful and engage in a more passive attitude with their students.  I feel that incorporating a culture committee within my organization would be an excellent way to bridge the gap between us geographically and also create a standard guideline of values, beliefs and norms on how to behave and interact with each other.  After watching the video, I realize how important corporate culture is in unifying groups of people and setting examples of behavior and work ethic.  

References

Brown, D. R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (7th ed.). Retrieved from http://www.coursesmart.com/9780136106906/firstsection

Haasen, A., & Shea, G. F. (2003). New corporate cultures that motivate. Retrieved from    http://books.google.es/books?id=5AWfaopkpUgC&pg=PA98&dq=mission+of+%22culture+committee%22+southwest&hl=es&sa=X&ei=GubuUpWAJsjT0QXkHA&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=mission%20of%20%22culture%20committee%22%20southwest&f=false

Nuts About Southwest website. (n.d.). http://www.blogsouthwest.com/about/

NutsAboutSouthwest. (2008, May 31). Southwest Airlines “A Day in the life of culture committee”  [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7P0T9IbYKU&feature=player_embedded

Oswald, D. (2009). Corporate culture done right: Southwest Airlines. Retrieved from http://blogs.hrhero.com/oswaldletters/2009/11/29/corporate-culture-done-right-southwest-airlines/