A640.5.2.RB_MedleyKim_ Clicks: More Opportunities or More of the Same

            It never ceases to amaze me how a college course can bring me right back to high school and the days of the clicks. They exist in every school: jocks, cheerleaders, student government officers, yearbook and newspaper staff, band, and brainiacs. Speaking from my own experience, I was viewed as a brainiac, which, when you are a sixteen year old girl, is not the click of which you wish to be a member. For a while, you attempt to utilize your intelligence as a way to be accepted by the other clicks. I helped jocks and cheerleaders with assignments so they could pass classes and still be able to score touchdowns and shake pom-poms. Sadly, the acceptance is short-lived; you are only given “more opportunities, more responsibilities, more support,” and in this case, more acceptance until such time you have served your usefulness (Rowe & Guerrero, 2013). It took my entire sophomore year to realize the popular clicks would never accept me in the way I wanted; so, I focused on my studies, which led to the work ethic I have today.

            Rowe and Guerrero (2013) note that leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership is descriptive and prescriptive. The descriptive element recognizes the existence of clicks within the workplace identified as “in-groups and out-groups” (Rowe & Guerrero, 2013, p. 202). Leaders recognize those in the in-group are willing to work harder and more often than not are more innovative than those in the out-groups. Out-group members are happy with the status quo. They are there for the paycheck and perform the bare minimums with respect to daily tasks. These are the folks that lead me to scream while waiting in line for a government office to perform a simple task such as address change on a voter information card. Out-group workers arrive either right at the start time for work or five to ten minutes later. They are the first ones to shut down their computers, straighten their desk, punch out for the day, and make their way to the parking lot. In-group workers, on the other hand, usually arrive long before it is time to clock in, their desk is organized in a way that is designed to accomplish more than the expected workload, they are the ones who volunteer for overtime and weekend work days, and they are the ones who figure out better and more efficient ways to achieve a comprehensive work flow. As in high school, the out-groups remind me of the jocks and cheerleaders, willing to do just enough to get a passing grade in class; while the in-groups are the brainiacs who, by ironic coincidence, are seen as brainiacs and not accepted into the “click” by the out-groups.

            According to Rowe & Guerrero (2013), the prescriptive portion of this theory states leaders are to form high-quality relationships will all subordinates from all groups, not just the in-groups. By doing this, the three phases: stranger, acquaintance, and partnership can begin and hopefully the goal of expanding opportunities, responsibilities, and support to those once considered out-group members will lead to an increase in those who work hard and provide innovation and decrease those who are just there for a paycheck (Rowe & Guerrero, 2013). I have worked for leaders like this; and, at first I was willing to work harder as I perceived a level of acceptance not offered by the out-group members. Although I was able to expand my knowledge and help the organization achieve its goal, the proof, as they say, was in the pudding; and, come review time, more often than not the government entrenched mentality of the organization did not make any distinction with reviews between an in-group or out-group worker. Those that showed up a few minutes past eight, took longer than an hour for lunch, stayed longer than allowed for breaks, and left promptly at five were rewarded with the same merits as someone who adhered to the rules and went that extra mile.

            This style of leadership, in my opinion, can be quite deflating, especially when the differences in work ethics are so visible. Again, speaking for myself, I think the reason people are willing to be a part of the in-group is there is an initial level of acceptance the out-group, or the popular “click” will not provide. Also, there is an adrenalin rush for out-performing others; and, the chance to learn is very tempting and welcomed. Just as in high school, it takes some time to realize your talents and abilities are truly not appreciated, especially in a governmental organization. It matters not an in-group worker can enter fifteen new cases per hour to an out-group worker’s six per hour. It matters not an in-group worker can multi-task and perform functions that span separate areas of a department. In the end, the out-group worker’s paycheck is going to be increased the same amount as the in-group worker, despite doing less work. I have worked for leaders like this. The initial opportunities are great; but, eventually you begin to feel used up. I don’t mind going the extra mile as long as my compensation levels are commensurate with my quality of work and my output.That is why I tend to stay away from governmental organizations as these groups are prevalent and the outcome is always the same. You end up asking yourself why am I busting my butt to get this work done and come up with ways that will provide for more efficient methods while others can just sit, talk, and make the same rate of pay? I prefer to be rewarded for a job well-done; so, although I have experienced such groups and leaders, I prefer to avoid them.  

A640.4.4.RB_MedleyKim Looking Back

            My days as a Deputy Clerk for the Flagler County Clerk of Court were relatively short lived. I was hired in November of 2006 and by January of 2009 I had been offered an opportunity that offered me more of a challenge. This week's essay assignment gave me the chance to relive and rethink a portion of my time as a clerk, one that I had not realized how much I had enjoyed. As do many memories, I am reminded of a song, "I Hope You Dance". That's how I view opportunities, especially those that involve leadership. As the lyrics go, "if you get the chance to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance"! 

            It began with being chosen as a meeting facilitator and ended with the development of a comprehensive work flow plan that led to an offer to head the Probate division. More often than not, reflections lead to those what if questions and the never-ending should have, could have, and would have scenarios. Many of those thoughts re-emerged as I recalled the details for the case study presentation. Regardless of the emotions, I am forever grateful that I chose to dance when given the chance. I helped fourteen women get past petty issues such as empty paper trays, dirty coffee pots, and jammed copy machines and go on to expand their working knowledge of their positions with the Clerk’s office. I was able to present concerns to management so they could become more sensitive when bringing in new directors. Now, I believe they seek to promote from within whenever possible. Doing simple things, such as buying the group gift for birthdays, stopping at Publix early in the mornings to pick up birthday cakes and balloons, only help to add to the sense of unity and family that still exists today. Senior clerks are more comfortable and less threatened when it comes to training a new clerk; they now realize this helps them with their own workload and improves the overall work flow.

            The work flow process was quite simple in nature. It merely sought to include everyone with the process, with the understanding some clerks still had specifically assigned duties such as foreclosure sales, processing appellate cases, preparing for court, and taking care of specialty areas like Child Support. The plan expanded learning. Before the plan, a Deputy Clerk for Probate could not sign a certification stamp for a Circuit Civil clerk. This didn’t make any sense. By expanding the authority, Deputy Clerks became aware of inter-departmental processes. Clerks were required to scan documents in addition to their normal work schedule. By discussing the problem with Records Management, that department took over the task of scanning.

            Many times, I felt myself sliding up and down that development continuum outlined by Rowe and Guerrero (2013). Direction became easier as I developed written procedures for each task. Coaching and supporting are natural for me. I think I have been doing this for most of my life. By relying on a tried and true philosophy and incorporating a little bit humor, I was rewarded by a noticeable change in the environment, comments from the public that took notice of the change, praise from a former supervisor, and respect from a former boss who still messages me seeking suggestions. Leadership is not passive; it’s as active as dancing. The more you dance, the lighter you become on your feet, the rhythm becomes natural, and the sense of accomplishment becomes a cherished memory. 

A640.3.2.RB_MedleyKim High On Team Leadership Style

            The Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid Leadership Self Assessment Questionnaire, made available through The Vision Council (2010), provides varying statements about leadership so that participants may assign a number from zero to five, with zero indicating never and five signifying always. According to Rowe and Guerrero (2013), the third source reviewed for their research focused on work by Blake and Mouton, one that concluded leaders were apprehensive about both production and people; and as such, five separate leadership styles emerged from which leaders generally develop a dominant and back-up style. Once participants review and rate each statement, points are tallied and multiplied by 0.2 in order to obtain totals to be used as coordinates marked on a vertical and horizontal axis. The grid is divided into four quadrants labeled with four of the five leadership styles developed by Blake and Mouton (1964, 1978, 1985) which include: authoritarian, impoverished, country club, and team leader (as cited in Rowe & Guerrero, 2013).

            After reading and applying the scale to each statement, my people score was 7.6 while my task score was 7. As instructed, I plotted the coordinates; and, according to the grid, my dominant leadership style is team leader (The Vision Council, 2010). This exercise reminded me of the numerous questionnaires that appear in magazines such as Cosmopolitan, or those from youth, Tiger Beat. Take the challenge and see if you are the right girl for David Cassidy, or, how to know if your lover is still interested. As an inside note, I was a huge fan of David Cassidy and The Partridge Family. The problem with these questionnaires, and the one for this week’s reflective blog assignment, is that unless David Cassidy or my lover actually read my answers and then proceeded to communicate with me about my responses, how would I ever know if I was the right one, or if my lover had lost interest? The same is true for the leadership self-assessment.

            The eighteen statements, and the subsequent mathematical totals, are totally reliant on a single source, me. I wonder if the end result would be the same if the assertions were presented to fellow classmates, former staff, or even my family. I would like to think I am a team leader. I have always believed that taking care of folks, establishing trust, helping others to grow, establishing a healthy environment, providing fair wages, and keeping social relationships in good tact would lead to a sense of teamwork and working together to get the job done. It is a formula that has served me in both my family life and career. I never asked my children to do any chore around the house I was not willing to or could not do myself. Likewise, this same leading by example approach not only inspired others to learn, there was an immediate trust as those on my team knew I was willing to do whatever it took to get the job done.

            My sense of teamwork comes from years of playing softball, neighborhood Sunday afternoon football, volleyball, bowling, and even fishing. It was all about a group of people, each with different strengths and weaknesses, coming together for the good of the team, not the one. We learned from each other. The survey is meant to be used as a guide to identify weaknesses from which to improve. I do not believe I will ever be the type of leader that reads a journal or a psychology text and then tests the theories out on employees. To me, that is the essence of leadership being done to someone, rather than with them. Is there room for improvement? Of course there is. Has there ever been a perfect leader, regardless of the style? It is how one learns to become a better leader. Is it my reading and filling out questionnaires? If questionnaires provided all of the answers, I’d be one of a string of women in David Cassidy’s life, and I would be trying to fix a non-existent problem with my lover.

Perhaps my favorite line from a beloved movie describes my outlook on my leadership best. In the most moving scene of Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan, Mr. Spock tells Captain James T. Kirk why he sacrificed himself in order to save the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. In a weakened and dying state, Spock says, “It is logical; the needs of the many outweigh”; and unable to continue, Kirk continues with Spock’s words, “the needs of the few”, with Spock putting the final exclamation point on his thoughts with, “or the one” (Beauvois, G., 2013). It has been a philosophy that has served me well.