GRAD 702 - Reflections on Module 5 Concepts

I enjoyed so many things about completing the PDP. I have looked at it over and over again and am really pleased with it. I liked it! My goal was to have it done by Friday so I could have it in to the SLC and meet with my coach to go over it in depth on Saturday. I stuck to the plan and boy did I have fun writing it and reviewing it. By putting all the assessments together in one clear matrix, I was able to really visualize my strengths and weaknesses. Reflecting on the past and planning for the future is always a great thing to do as well. Overall, I thought it was fun. My coach and I have been friends for a few years and of all the people I considered to be my coach, I thought she would be the best. She has been a professional and a manager with her company for more than 6 years now and I thought her experience would be advantageous to my program. I was never worried that the fact that we were friends first would get in the way. When I met with her on Saturday, I was proven right. We caught up on our personal lives as friends do and then I explained to her the assignment requirements (gave her the criteria and many of the handouts given to us in class) and showed her all of my assessments. We were together for a good 5 hours and I felt great about our coach/student relationship. She is enjoying this as much as I am. She is buying the books and taking some of the assessments for herself and really getting into the coaching aspect of things. The PDP has taught me so much about myself. By completing this assignment, I have learned that we never stop learning about ourselves and why we are who we are. I thought it was great and I can't wait for you, Maria to read it!

I wish I could say the most significant aspect of researching the external environmental segment actually had to do with the paper but it didn't. The most significant aspect was the storming part of teaming that came out of it. We had issues with communication, delegation, and personality conflicts. We actually met last night to have a conflict resolution meeting. Things were a little uncomfortable at first but once we starting "passing the stick" and opening up to one another, we started to really make progress. No one likes the storming phase of teaming but sometimes it is unavoidable. Actually avoiding it will cause more issues. We learned that in our team. I believe and I know Kyle and Tammy feel much better since our meeting. We have all expressed this and are anxious to press forward. I have always liked our team. We all individually have a lot to offer. Sometimes there are bumps in the road to performance but it's how you handle it. Because of our team dynamics, we were able to handle the issues with respect and professionalism. That has made and I am sure will continue to make all the difference.

I believe one of the most significant parts of completing the PDP will be how I work with others in the future. I have learned that you have to take a more wholistic point of view when completing tasks. Integrating others and fine-tuning this aspect of myself will help with the performance of myself and those I work with. I am eagerly looking forward to putting all the lessons learned in grad school to practice. I am already practicing with my team and have learned so much about myself and what makes a team so successful. Teaming will always be a work in progress but constant improvement and reflection will push each and every one of us to better and more effective leadership roles.

Wisdom can be defined in many ways. It can be achieved in many ways as well. I do not believe wisdom comes soley from education. It is defined in our life experiences, the relationships we have, and the way in which we apply or utilize our education equates to our personal wisdom.

GRAD 702 - Reflections on Module 4 Concepts

I learned a lot about my team and our strengths from demonstrating our team's metaphor. I realized that all of us have a lot more creativity than we give ourselves credit. I'm the analytical and organized one, Tammy is more symbolic and talkative, while Kyle is rational and logical. All of our attributes and competencies as leaders came together in this assignment. We first started to form our ideas through brainstorming and then through organized and focused thought. Our ideas flourished into a paper and a wildly humorous skit. Which I hope you enjoyed. :) I also found it refreshing to be back in front of an audience. The practice is great and one element of my job in the military I had been missing. Lucky us, we get to do it again in week 6!

I would have to say at this point in my life and career path, I am both a manager and a leader. I have had experience "climbing the ladder" and "is the ladder against the right wall" (Covey, 2004)? I have managed both things and led people. I have made quick informed decisions and lengthy structured ones. My actual position in the military was that of a manager. I feel I fulfilled those duties and learned to excel through my leadership practices. I was able to influence people and lead them toward a common goal or vision. I was a planner and came up with creative and innovative ideas within my section. I was responsible for change that resulted in fewer discrepancies and saved our squadron more money than the five previous years. For these reasons, I believe I was a manager but most definitely a leader.

My meeting with my coach went way better than I thought. I knew what we would discuss and had prepared discussion and questions but I had no idea she would be as excited and interested in coaching me as she is. I was delighted to find this out! She is someone I have known for about two years now and has been a manager in the collections industry for more than five years. I picked her because I knew she was intelligent, easy to talk to, and would be able to understand and support my graduate goals. I feel I have made the right choice and I am so excited about our future as coach and student! In our meeting, we discussed our expectations and goals for the remainder of the program, the PDP, and later over the phone, her first coaching seminar at Franklin. We are both really enthusiastic about the whole process and this it is a wonderful addition to the MBA program.

I enjoyed doing the project management competency card sort because it opened my eyes to how I see myself. I am usually very confident in myself and my capabilities but when I did this assignment I found that sometimes that is not the case. In week three, I had listed personal competencies and in week four I had listed what I thought a manager should possess. Surprisingly enough, my top five cards had only one overlap. I thought my personal competencies would match more what I thought a manager's competencies should be. I found this to be very interesting and starting thinking about how this could affect my future and what I could learn from this assignment. Instead of getting upset that the card sorts did not match, I focused on what the ideal manager should be like and where I was lacking. I made a list and have now stated it as a personal goal to focus on and fine tune these competencies throughout my graduate program and life. With the help of my coach, teammates, and professors, I believe I can restore faith and become a better manager and leader. A leader others will want to emulate.

GRAD 702 - Reflections on Module 3 Concepts

I feel most comfortable in the collaborative and least comfortable in the strategic perspectives of the 4-lens model. As a professional leading in the next change wave, this suggests to me that I should be aware of my strengths and weaknesses with regard to certain perspectives. As for where I fall short, I should appreciate and accept others and their perspectives for a better collaborative solution to everyday problems in the workplace and various situations throughout my life. Working in teams and understanding all perspectives will only promote wholistic and well-rounded thinking. All organizations have all perspectives within their staff; all four should be used.

My personal competency sort results mean that I perceive myself to be very aware of myself and others and am very good with working with people. I enjoy working with and discussing topics of concern at all levels. My results from this exercise were very much in accordance with the emotional intelligence test and the HBDI results. It has become very clear to me what my strengths are and where I should focus my attention for further development. Fortunately, I have a team full of other perspectives and a very diverse structure among the other classmates in GRAD 702.

When I was in the military working as the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Personnel Readiness Unit (PRU), I had a situation in which my emotional intelligence came in very handy. In my undergraduate studies, I studied psychology. I enjoy and am very focused on the reflective, organized, and empathetic quadrants of emotional intelligence. I have found these two factors to work and complement each other time and time again. In PRU, we had two new members to the team and they were experiencing personal issues of their own outside the office. The issues started to reflect in their work and create tension within the office among all of the members. Because these two individuals were new, the veterans of the office were not sure how to react or what to say. I decided to schedule a meeting so we could discuss various PRU topics to include the one of recent tension. As discussions progressed, led by me, slowly but surely, the tension issue began to surface and the underlying problems were revealed. Through organized discussion and respect for one another, the two feuding individuals were able to resolve their issues and the other members of the PRU team were able to draw attention to the tension their feud had caused in the office. They were not even aware of the tension because their focus was mostly on what was going on in their personal lives. Once everyone shared their concerns and got the issues out on the table and dealt with, PRU was able to go back to work and be even more productive than they were before. This was a very good learning lesson for me and now I am aware that I relied heavily on my emotional intelligence in this situation.

As always, I like reflecting on past assignments and readings in the blog entry. This gives me a great way to end the week and collect all of my thoughts. I also found the 4-lens application assignment to be very helpful. I believe I completely understood the 4-lens model, but actually putting the different perspectives to work can be quite a challenge. At work and in our teams we may do this without thinking because those we work with are from various viewpoints or quadrants. When we actually sit down and try to solve a problem based on all four quadrants by ourselves, we disover this is quite the task. I enjoyed exploring other quadrants and trying to think how others would think. I believe I may be getting better at it because of my interaction through work experiences and my teammates. Either way, I definitely have a better understanding of myself and others because of these assignments.

I thought the reading on the "third alternative" (Covey, 2004) this past week was excellent! In our group, Team Fuel, I believe seeking this alternative would have been more helpful in our beginning stages. When we first got started, we all took our own personal approaches to solving issues. We listened to one another and had respect for one another but after everything was said and done, we would leave the session feeling like something was missing. We became aware of this happening this past week. None of us wanted to upset anyone or disturb the dynamics of the group. We were just being agreeable and didn't really listen and understand what the other member was saying. We were so focused on our own ideas that we ignored the 4-lens model and how effective it can be. After a few weeks of working with one another, this became apparent. We started really listening to each other and asking each other to express and explain their ideas. We were open to other alternatives. Whenever working in a group, perspectives will always be a work in progress. This kind of change or awareness does not happen over night. The main thing to keep in mind is the 4-lens model. We do not and will not all think alike. When we start accepting and appreciating the way others think, that is when the 4-lens model comes alive! I've very excited about our group and where we are going. I believe all members have a lot to offer and I'm proud to be a member of Team Fuel!

GRAD 702 - Reflections on Module 2 Concepts

I was slightly surprised by my HBDI results. I figured I would be highest in quadrant C and my highest score was in quadrant B.

Because of my HBDI results, I will focus on attaining an equal brain dominance. I have a proven record of success within quadrants B and C, but lack experience or the work elements desired in quadrants A and D. I believe having an equal brain dominance will help in becoming an effective leader. Through practice and working with others on team projects and discussion, I should be able to focus and develop the areas I am weak in or need improvement.

My personal legacy I wish to leave to my family is to be remembered as loving and reliable. I want my family to know they have a friend in me and can come to me with whatever issue they may have. I want to help, guide, and provide an example for how to love and how to be truly there for one another. As for my country and the world, I want to continue to be an example both professionally and personally. I may not reach everyone in my country or in my world but I can have an affect on those within my reach. For those within my reach, they will see I am full of energy, integrity-based, compassionate, and driven. I desire to affect all those I encounter in a positive way. Those individuals will hopefully take this lesson and affect people within their own lives. Together we will be able to affect one another and eventually the world. It's kind of like the concept in the movie Pay it Forward. If you have not seen the movie, you should. It shows how one action can affect many. This one action can propel many more positive actions and eventually affect the world! That is a powerful concept!

The most creative thing I have been a part of was creating a new deployment process. It was creative because the regulations my base had been using were an entire decade old. They were outdated and new technologies had become available and a whole new process needed to be designed. I was picked by my leadership to be on the project and this experience changed my life! It was creative because we had to start from scratch. We relied heavily on past experience but it was clear that the regulation being used was not reliable and a new process was needed within a few months. Through weekly meetings, conferences, and several exercises, our team was able to devise a new plan and a new base-wide regulation. We practiced many facets of the plan and created several exercises to test its overall effectiveness. We went through several drafts and changes but in the end, the base was left with a plan that worked! This plan is still in place today. The fact that I was hand-picked for the process and part of such an important change in development of an Air Force base made me feel like I had achieved something great. I was really motivated and excited about both the opportunity and the outcome. We all felt like a success and that regardless of the outcome, we would be forever changed by this process. Luckily, our plan worked and is still in use; that made us feel AWESOME!! The new plan not only worked but lowered discrepancies and enhanced effectiveness of deployments for the 4th Fighter Wing. We were indeed, a success!

When I am faced with a conflict, I confront it head-on. I may need some time to figure out how I feel or how I may solve the issue but I will eventually confront the conflict. I prefer to do things this way because they have worked for me in the past. When I say "confront," I don't mean anything abrasive. In any conflict a certain amount of finesse is needed or the parties involved will feel vulnerable or like they are being attacked. In any conflict, I find it best to assess the situation, think about it, devise several solutions, and then discuss it with all parties involved. I do this in my personal and professional life. Over the years, this method has been successful and has been received well. I believe it is because it shows careful consideration and compassion for members involved.

The assignments for week 2 of GRAD 702 were valuable in the sense that I learned a lot about myself and what others have to offer. While devising my mission and vision statement, I was able to reflect on what was important to me and what goals I have for my life and the MBA program. I think it is always good to have goals and a sense of focus. This assignment helped me achieve that awareness. As for the four-lens perspective, I was able to think about my current team members and others I had worked with in the past. I thought about different ways in which they might solve problems. Reflection of how I might tackle a situation coinciding with the attributes of others was very beneficial. The "wholistic" brain viewpoint as discussed by Hermann (1996) will inevitable achieve overall success over individual efforts. This is why team projects and assignments are so beneficial. We don't just think about what we would do; we get insight into what others might do. That in itself is quite an achievement!

The readings for week 2 of GRAD 702 were personally relevant to me in that they address the legacy I want to leave behind for my family, country, and world. Through the voice of influence and trustworthiness, we can effectively change people and events (Covey, 2004). In a description of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey, 2004, pp. 152-153)," Covey demonstrates how to use that voice in a leadership position. The legacy I want leave is in direct correlation with his message. Through examples and words of wisdom, I was able to sharpen my tools of experience and knowledge. I think anyone in a management or leadership position should read the books by Stephen R. Covey. He is very insightful and I feel I am better for having read them!

GRAD 702 - Reflections on Module 1 Concepts

I believe my level of professional effectiveness today is medium. I say this because of my experience and where I am at in my career. Right now, my main role is a student. This will inevitably propel my effectiveness to new levels and I will be more useful once I get back on the career path I started for myself in the military. While I was in the military, I would still rank myself as medium because I feel there is always room for improvement. I plan to improve my professional effectiveness through more education, experience, social capital, and inner convictions and discipline. I believe we should all strive to be at a high level of professional effectiveness but we really only achieve such great accomplishments through experience, time, and hard work. I am willing to set and maintain a course of high professional effectiveness and believe someday I will be able to rank myself high. I also hope and aspire to have others view me at such high levels. My success will empower both myself and those around me.

I think the interactive, team building retreat exercise was very valuable because of it's creativity and reflection focus. I have been a part of several team building retreats in the military and have not only found them fun but very beneficial as well. You get to know more about the people you work with, yourself, and how you operate and work well with others. It's a time to really excel while using our very best assets; our true and very unique talents. Doing this assignment not only helped me reflect on my experiences with such events but also helped me be more creative. I have never been on the planning side of such an event and found it very interesting. I will understandably see this sort of task in my future working in business management and am happy to have taken the time to really think through the process of planning such an event.

The roles of leadership that I most identify as described by Stephen R. Covey (2004) is that of modeling and aligning. Ever since I joined the military, I have been leading by example. I have received many awards and recognition because of my efforts in modeling. I do this not for that reason but to feel good about myself and to know that what I am doing is making a difference. Even if by modeling, all I am doing is having the best shine on my boots. As I progressed through the ranks and gained more knowledge, I found more ways to lead and set a good example. As an officer, I still continued to emulate even the small things (like having a stellar uniform), but I also started to focus on bigger projects which had more of an impact. When you are an officer, they say you are always on display. I have known this to be very true. The enlisted members and other officers are always crutinizing how you look, operate, or conduct yourself. You have to be on your toes 24/7! This is a kind of challenge I like and in the military, I accepted with open arms. I aim to lead by a good example and am proud of who I am and who I have become. I also like to align or discipline (Covey) in managerial situations. Whether it is the household I was brought up in or my over nine years of service to the military, I am a stickler for focus and management. I am very detail-oriented and have a tendency to carefully plan and organize everything. I have found this very helpful in the demanding positions I have either volunteered for or have been assigned. I have a huge sense of pride in the projects and tasks I set out to accomplish and aspire to not only "stay on course (Covey, p. 114)" but also encourage my fellow teammates.

So basically, I'm liking GRAD 702 so far! :)

Change Waves

Ah, the waves of change. As described by General Al Gray, USMC (Ret.) and Dr. Paul Otte in The Conflicted Leader and Vantage Leadership (2006), I believe I am stuck between the third and fourth wave. Through my education and experience in the military, I felt empowered and was comfortable in the third wave of change. However, because of my beliefs and values I have transitioned to the fourth wave. I am not completely comfortable in the fourth wave because I don't have the qualifications or necessary knowledge to survive here yet. I am however, hoping to be closer to comfort by the time I complete the MBA program, if not sooner. :) It is always great to feel comfortable but if we ever want to excel or break boundaries, we have to reach out past our comfort zone. Leaving the military was doing just that. I'm sure I will be comfortable soon!
The military, the organization I have been most recently linked to, is primarily in the second wave. I say this because it is an enormous corporation with predetermined results and a lot of control. The use of the chain of command is a big example of why the military is in the second wave. That is where they are comfortable and how they can maintain their goals and control of assets. It makes sense for the military to be in the second wave.
As for my work group in graduate school, we are in the third wave. We are all feeling a sense of empowerment through education while focusing on our individual talents to achieve a common goal. This is an excellent place to be while working in teams. We are able to learn and share so much with each other! I like my team and its diversity!

Social Capital

In order to expand my social capital, I'll have to tap into resources I wouldn't normally contact or utilize. My friends and family are already networks I currently use but if I really want to expand, I'm going to have to branch out. I could network with others in my class or at work, once I get that elusive job. :) Or, I could be more proactive with the wives or girlfriends of the men my boyfriend works with. Last week, I went to a Jewish benefit with Kurt's (my boyfriend) mom and I made some connections while I was there...now, that's networking! All of these connections will aid in my job search and research regarding my MBA. Networking benefits all parties involved. I may have some knowledge or experience my networks may not have and vice versa. Adding diversity to your networks ensures you have a wide variety of connections. When I worked in personnel I had many contacts and friends that worked in different agencies throughout the base. When they needed something or if I needed a favor, we would go to each other. If I couldn't help, I would refer them to one of my friends and they would do the same for me. Now that I am out of the Air Force, I still use these contacts. I look forward to building the same network base on the outside. It might take some time since I don't move as much anymore. :) But like Baker says in Achieving Success Through Social Capital, "individualism is a myth." (Baker, 2000, pg. 4) We must work together to achieve success!

Throughout life, the way we learn changes. When I was younger, I had that more individualistic mentality. I wanted to do everything on my own and I was always right. As I got older, I realized the things my parents had told me were in fact correct. I just had to learn them on my own...that was the only way I felt empowered or in control of my own life. Now, I don't mind talking through issues and learning from other's experiences. I will still venture out on my own but I cannot survive without the support of others throughout my journey. All of the shareholders in my life are a vital link in my everyday discoveries. I relish and accept learning from others more than I ever have.

When I am gone, I hope that all who knew me will remember me as having a kind and happy spirit. Of course I want to have a great job, make a decent living, and take the occasional fabulous vacation, but there is a lot more to life. My family and friends are very important to me and it took me a while to see, but that is one of the reasons I got out of the military. All I was doing was working. I wasn't near those I loved the most and time was just passing me by. Now, I have time to witness the lives of those important to me. I am so much happier now and am so grateful for that gift. If it weren't for the love and support of all of my family and friends I would not be where I am today. Success in the professional realm, will come. Enrolling in the MBA program was my first step towards that goal. I am positive everything will happen as it should but above all, I want to be happy and share that happiness with others. I want to be a witness and a role model for others to emulate! I want to bring smiles to faces, even when I'm gone. :)

Stimulating Thoughts 1/24/2007

I think all assignments were great! They make you reflect upon issues already in your subconscious. We all think about all the things we have to do and how much time we have to do them in...it's an ongoing struggle to manage time.
I left the military because they were downsizing. This meant more work and less people...I was already working 80 hr/wk. I already had no life and something had to give. I am much happier now. I'm enjoying being back in school and look forward to getting a job.
Lord, let me find that job!! :)

By typing out a time log, four-quadrant analysis and stakeholder diagram, I have learned so much about my daily operations. I shared this with my boyfriend and he actually has learned a thing or two from it as well. While I was at that incredibly, horrible job...I shared my findings with my boss (who is completely unorganized). She seemed relatively interested by them. I hope she looks into doing something similiar for herself one day.

Just a little bit of background on why I left that job (b/c you may be thinking, "two weeks, what a quitter)...there was no training or structure. I was a gopher. I asked her one time if there was anything else I could help her with and do you know what her response was to me..."nothing I have time to show you how to do." So let me get this straight...you are too busy, so you hire an assistant (I got the job b/c it was a friend of a friend and I thought it would be good while I was in school...turns out...it did nothing for my morale) and now you have no time for your assistant! UGH!! Bottom line, we could all use a little time management!

I have a few people in mind for a coach but I'm not exactly sure who I would like to use just yet. When I do figure this out, I will inevitably ask them about survival within the private sector. Let's face it...I know tons about the military but in the civilian world...it's a whole different ballgame!! I need a lot of help and guidance but mostly I would like to understand the dynamics of how to effectively manage people without the rigid structure I had in the military.

Artifiacts in my portfolio suggest that I am extremely hardworking! I have gone through the ranks in the military very quickly, received two educational scholarships and several awards. I just want to be able to apply all that ambition on the outside! I'm frustrated, yet confident...sometimes a little nervous. Where is that job and why don't I get more interviews. Is there some secret us military folks don't know about?

Am I too candid? :)

Loving life though...personal life...couldn't be better...oh, and I'm super happy to be back in school!!