Organizational Learning – Group Reformation, 4th Post
The group I am apart of within my corporation precedes my manager historically. Currently, my management is not succeeding in managing the external boundary management, survival, and growth. In the eyes of higher ups our group is not successful. On paper our group is achieving however there is no harmony within the group. Our leadership sees my immediate manager as a failure in leadership.
Because of these issues my entire department has been given a 360 survey to complete on my manager’s leadership style. This survey will assess my manager’s abilities in leadership.
For the most part there are two different groups within in my department. There is the production side of the house versus the instructors’ side of the house. Both groups are using different category systems. The entire group struggles to agree on what to do and the facts end up being twisted to benefit one group versus the other group. Both sides of the house feels like their side is more important and should be respected more that the other group.
Schien states that it is often the creators of groups who build the common category system, however in my organization the manager has left it up to the department to create common category systems. This is a problem because neither group can come to a consensus on common category systems. My department has been participating in several workshops to learn how to become a successful group. We are working on a common language and category system. In an attempt to develop a common language my department has come up with a set of group rules that must be read aloud before each meeting. This list of 18 ground rules was developed by the entire team during one of our first workshops. See list below:
1. Be here now – no computers, cell phones, etc.
2. Start on time
3. Stop on time
4. Have questioning attitude
5. Focus on session – no distractions
6. Respect each other- disagree, but be agreeable
7. Seek first to understand before being understood
8. Listen
9. One person speaking at a time
10. Seek equal participation, allow others to participate
11. Conflict – deal with directly; go to the source in a safe environment before group disclosure
12. Have objectives and meet them
13. Over 50% of staff, consisting of one individual per discipline needed for decision making
14. Determine how decisions will be made (majority, consensus or unanimity)
15. Provide an agenda in advance of meetings with built in breaks every hour
16. No retaliation
17. Tie back purpose of meeting to alignment with strategic plan
18. Recap and production of action items through meeting minutes
