A630.3.3.RB_MedleyKim_Hokey: That's What It's All About

Hokey: That’s What It’s All About

          Brown (2011) defines corporate culture as a “system of shared values and beliefs that interact with an organization’s people, structure, and systems to produce behavioral norms (“the way things are done around here”)” (p. 63). Merriam-Webster (2015) defines “hokey” as “obviously fake, very silly, old-fashioned, or sentimental…corny… obviously contrived”. While the Culture of Committee at Southwest Airlines, as presented by Simon Johansen (2008), takes great pride with its tradition of “Hokey Day”; the generated sentiment is anything but fake or contrived. As noted by its founder, Herb Kelleher, “Culture is one of the most precious things a company has, so you must work harder on it than anything else” (Brown, 2011, p. 64). As demonstrated by Christie Day, the hard work seems more like fun; and, perhaps that is why not only do its passengers feel celebrated, as observed by Makovsky (2013), its employees appreciate and express appreciation for fellow employees (Simon Johansen, 2008).

          When asked by Makovsky (2013), Southwest’s Chief Communications Officer, Ginger Hardage, said the organization’s primary mission was to identify “values that motivate its people” and instill those same values. “A warrior spirit, a servant’s heart, and a fun-luving attitude” are on full display as Christie Day and her team meet every Southwest plane landing at Los Angeles, clean every plane, and serve lunch to the pilots and flight attendants (Makovsky, 2013; Simon Johansen, 2008). The team assembles a “Hokey”, used to sweep the carpet, assembles goody bags, and prepares to relieve flight attendants (Simon Johansen, 2008). Christie Day says it best as she explains the purpose of the Culture Committee, “employees appreciating employees” is what makes Southwest a great company; and, it’s what keep employees loyal to Southwest (Simon Johansen, 2008). Imagine children from a family who decide to surprise their mother by cleaning the house and fixing her lunch. Perhaps the children do not clean as well as the mother; but, there is not a mother who does not appreciate the simple, “hokey” jester of children trying to make a bed, dust furniture, or make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. In short, it’s the thought that matters most.

          Within a club I helped organize, one of our vice presidents decided to make felt pins that represented a fun name we have adopted for our group, Chicks in Stilettos. We are a Republican Women’s organization; but, instead of adopting the black pump as our symbol, we selected a red stiletto and thus the term chicks in stilettos. Because our officers had worked so hard in a relatively short time, this lady created a little yellow chick, wearing red stilettos, as a pin. She gave each officer one as a gift at our Christmas party. Was it hokey? Of course; but, for me, it spoke volumes. This woman took time from her own incredibly busy schedule, designed a pattern, cut the pieces, sewed them together, and created a cute reminder of our hard work. It said she appreciated all of our hard work. Of the three core values espoused by Hardage, “a fun-luving attitude” would be my biggest take away as I believe people thrive in a setting wherein they do not “take themselves too seriously” (Mukovsky, 2013). Southwest has enjoyed considerable success with this approach as more than “43,000 commendations” are given to the company each year, two percent of its turnover is voluntary, and the vast majority of its “original employees” still work there (Mukovsky, 2013). 

          Brown (2011) observes, “Culture is the glue that holds an organization together” (p. 64). Southwest, its Cultural Committee, and Hokey Day provide for its employees to give and say Thank You to other employees; and, more importantly, the warrior spirit, servant’s heart, and fun-luving attitude are passed on to future generations of Southwest employees. Whether a flight attendant has been treated, or whether one is new to the experience, just as a mom wakes up to breakfast in bed and a day of being pampered on Mother’s Day, the simple concept of appreciation lasts much longer than a day.

           

References

Brown, D.R. (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organization Development. (8^th ed.). Upper

            Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Makovsky, K. (2013, Nov. 21). Behind the Southwest Airlines Culture. Forbes. Retrieved from

            http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenmakovsky/2013/11/21/behind-the-southwest-airlines-          culture/#5467342b3fb9

Merriam-Webster. (2015). Hokey. In Dictionary. Retrieved from

            http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hokey

Simon Johansen. (2008, Dec. 30). Southwest Airlines A Day in the Life of Culture

            Committee. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/SC1OA5jELTs

A632.9.3.RB_MedleyKim_Confidence: The Name of the Game

Confidence: The Name of the Game

           Baba Shiv serves as Professor of Marketing and Director of the Strategic Marketing Management Executive Program for Stanford University. In a presentation, posted by Stanford (2011), Professor Shiv discusses the role of confidence, and its virtues, in the decision making process, particularly during the emergence period once a decision has been reached. As a child, I remember my father singing the theme played before National Football League games were played, “Confidence, is the name of the game, confidence…”. Professor Shiv’s work demonstrates that not only is confidence “vastly under-rated”, it has many virtues crucial in the decision making process (Stanford, 2011).

            Recently, my campaign team and I made a decision to host a table at a local event, The Flagler Home and Lifestyle Show. An annual event that draws thousands from Volusia, Flagler, and St. Johns counties. As a candidate, I have the option to either pay a fee that nears $6,000.00; or, to collect 719 petitions from registered voters in Flagler County, representing one percent of the total number of registered voters. As noted by Hoch, Kunreuther, and Gunther (2001), evidence suggests both “affect and emotions play an important role in people’s decision processes” (p. 269). I have attended the Home Show annually and was quite familiar with the numbers expected and had seen many candidates gather petitions. Professor Shiva notes that confidence can result in passion, a contagious confidence that spreads to others, and a utility that is extracted from the experience itself, which causes a “direct impact on the wanting center or dopamine areas of the brain” which explains how motivated and engaged we become having emerged from the decision making process and implementing the decision (Stanford, 2011). Once each team member began to realize the numbers of registered voters willing to stop at our table and sign a petition, they became excited, and this excitement and passion became contagious, and we all became more engaged with voters and more motivated to gather petitions. It truly was an amazing two days, money well spent, and a confident decision that worked.

            Just as a confident decision impacts the dopamine center of the brain, it stands to reason that less confident decisions have a particular affect, too. Professor Shiv describes a situation wherein a commander in the military needs to give an order in which he does not have confidence (Stanford, 2011). His troops will sense this lack of confidence; and, this too will spread to cause troops to be uncertain (Stanford, 2011). I felt somewhat less confident with my decision to enroll in College Algebra when I first returned to school. It was a required course for any degree program. It had been many, many years since my last Algebra class; and my confidence level was extremely low. My emotions initially caused me to be less engaged in a verbal manner during class. I feared being labeled as too old for the class, or out of step. I was not as passionate about my math class as I was with my other courses. Although I was motivated and engaged, those feelings stemmed from wanting to pass in order to advance in my degree work; not because of my experience with Algebra. As the course continued, many of those lessons learned so many years ago came back and my confidence levels grew; so much so I now tutor struggling College Algebra students.

            Confidence is the name of the game; and, it should be. As a leader, we need to share passion, create contagious confidence, and inspire a level of motivation and engagement that impacts the hedonic areas of not only our brains; but, the brains of those charged with carrying out our decisions (Stanford, 2011).

References

Hoch, S.J., Kunreuther, H.C., & Gunther, R.E. (2001). Wharton on Making Decisions.

            Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Stanford. (2011, Nov. 7). Brain Research at Stanford: Decision Making. [Video file]. Retrieved

            from https://youtu.be/WRKfl4owWKc

A630.2.4.RB_MedleyKim_An Attitude of Aspiration

An Attitude of Aspiration

            More than 256 years ago, the founders of The RSA (2010) established a mission, posted on the RSA 21^st Century Enlightenment’s (n.d.) website that continues to move the group forward with its latest call for an attitude of aspiration through future “philosophical & spiritual debates of who we might… aspire to be”. Whereas the Age of Enlightenment that occurred during the eighteenth century was known as the Age of Reason and brought core ideals such as: human autonomy, reason, universal enlightenment, progress, secularism, centrality of politics and economics, and the concept of popular government to the forefront of a movement that shaped the “values, norms, and lifestyles” that spanned the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; the same “small group of thoughtful, committed citizens”, capable of changing the world, now calls for a reflective look back on those lessons from the Age of Reason; and, asks us to consider new ideals such as: sustainability, inclusion, a more civil society, governance, and solidarity for what could be termed as the Age of Aspiration; thus the title, “21^st Century Enlightenment” (The RSA, 2010).  

            As The RSA’s (2010) Chief Executive, Matthew Taylor, explains, the founders and framers of the Age of Reason knew that in order to view issues differently then, they had to be willing to view both the world and themselves from a novel and innovative perspective. Brown (2011) chronicles the “rapid pace of technology” and outlines the challenges facing many firms (p. 33). Just as the values from the Age of Reason spanned several centuries, “proprietary invention” from companies were once sufficient to allow for a “long lifespan”; but, in the twenty-first century, today’s innovations “are often quickly overtaken by competitors” (p. 33). Hence, instead of being able to rely on “who we need to be”, both as an organization and society, the focus, in order to anticipate the rapid pace of change, must be “who we aspire to be” (The RSA, 2010). Taylor reasons by understanding, by assigning different frames to the same issues, we become better capable of addressing needs rather than satisfying an instant appetite (The RSA, 2010). Reflection and understanding allow us to ask how a certain action is right, how a life can be fully lived, and how to determine not where the endpoint is; but, where that endpoint should be (The RSA, 2010). How do we begin this process?

            Developmental Psychologist, Robert Kegan, opined the ability for one to function successfully in society requires individuals to “have a relationship to our own reactions… rather than be captive of them” (as cited in The RSA, 2010). As Taylor’s artistry demonstrates, when a veteran of the World War is offered garlic bread by his wife, he immediately repudiates the idea of eating “foreign muck” (The RSA, 2010). It would be analogous to a veteran joining Google and clinging to an orderly styled work environment, typical of past centuries. Imagine that veteran announcing neither he nor she had fought in Desert Storm to come home and work in a chaotic environment. As Taylor notes, it was “Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton” who assisted in establishing the “Laws of Nature” that proved many religiously held beliefs were false (The RSA, 2010). This was the beginning for many myths and beliefs to be challenged and why Taylor advises that same boldness in questioning is needed today in order “to resist our tendencies to make right or true that which is merely familiar and wrong or false that which is only strange” (The RSA, 2010). Purple hair and body piercings may be strange; but, are they wrong?

            Pop culture has often been the root of many fads. Purple hair, body piercings, and tattoos are just a few. Recalling pop culture from the 1960s, song lyrics often served as a call for empathy, especially during the Civil Rights and Viet Nam Eras. Those lyrics, at times harsh, were not degrading; they were the calls to do better i.e., “war is not the answer” eloquently sung by Marvin Gaye. Many of today’s song lyrics are rather disturbing, particularly those directed at women; but, is restrictive speech the answer? Recalling the efforts of Tipper Gore from the 1980s that led to the labels now found on music CD cases, music sales are all time highs. Did government and record industry regulations stem the flow of songs with degrading lyrics to today’s youth? Perhaps a bit. Is there anything government could or should do to have such words deliberately avoided? Our nation banned liquor sales; yet, people still found ways to drink; and, the Constitutional ban was ultimately repealed. That change, in this writer’s opinion begins with that same attitude to aspire. Should we aspire to be a society that avoids such degrading words for any person? Yes. Will be achieve that goal? Only time will tell.

            Taylor concludes by reducing the span of mankind to include the beginning, which answered “who we are as human beings”, a middle, which introduced “political debates about who we need to be”, and the future which challenges us to determine “who we aspire to be” (The RSA, 2010). In order to do this; however, we must rely on Michel Foucault and his understanding of Kant’s depiction of enlightenment, “It has to be conceived as an attitude, an ethos, a philosophical life in which the critique of what we are is at one and the same time the historical analysis that are imposed on us… and an experiment of possibly going beyond them” (as cited in The RSA, 2010). Change in any context, mankind, organizational, or even within one’s self, requires an attitude, one that aspires to go beyond satisfying a simple appetite and fulfills needs such that the result is a “life fully lived” (The RSA, 2010).  

References

Brown, D.R. (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organization Development. (8^th ed.). Upper

            Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

RSA 21^st Century Enlightenment. (n.d.). The mission of the RSA (Royal Society for the     encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) is to enrich society through ideas and action. In About Us. Retrieved from https://www.thersa.org/about-us/

The RSA. (2010, Aug. 19). RSA Animate: 21^st Century Enlightenment. [Video file]. Retrieved

            from https://youtu.be/AC7ANGMy0yo

A632.8.3.RB_MedleyKim_Improving Decisions with Cynefin

Improving Decisions with Cynefin

            The Cynefin Framework, as explained by Snowden and Boone (2007), is a sense making model, that provides the data to be considered precedes the framework and allows for greater exploration in the decision making process. Our “multiple belongings… cultural, religious, geographic, tribal, etc.”, as Snowden explains in a presentation by Cognitive Edge (2010), are known and the framework allows us to make sense of those belongings.  The world of mathematics provides excellent examples of simple, complicated, complex, and sometimes chaotic quadrants that exist with each higher level.

            Consider the simple equation of 1 + 1 = 2. There is a clear cause and effect. If one item is added to another item the result is two items. The right answer is evident and undisputed (Snowden & Boone, 2007). Little focus is required to provide the answer. Math, unfortunately, like many decisions, never remains in the realm of simplicity. Factoring, a process found in College Algebra, offers multiple ways to arrive at least one correct answer (Snowden & Boone, 2007). One can factor by grouping, the AC method, the guess and test method, and the quadratic formula. Students are taught to sense how the equation is written, analyze which method is the best to apply, and respond with the completely factored equation (Snowden & Boone, 2007). After mastering this skill set, imaginary numbers soon teach a math student the complex world of math and that sometimes a simple right answer cannot be found (Snowden & Boone, 2007). The failsafe experiments often conducted are the use of formulas designed to help a student identify which problem solving formulas work and which ones cannot be applied to a given situation. The final realm, chaos, is achieved by becoming complacent with simple decisions.

            Common core represents the chaotic world of what used to be simple math. A problem such as 5 times 3 equals 15 is no longer a straightforward answer in the world of common core. It becomes a tedious exercise of either 5 + 5 + 5 =15 or 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 15. Snowden and Boone (2007) believe the conditions of scarcity lead to creative results; although, my opinion of the inner workings of common core is quite skeptical.

            The Cynefin Framework allows us to recognize there is more than one in which to view problems. While most of time is spent in disorder, we have the ability to put on different thinking caps that allow us to see cause and effect, understand what solutions, if any, are available, how to target our focus better, determine what processes need to occur before a response, and how to avoid becoming complacent and falling into chaos.

References

Cognitive Edge. (2010, July 11). The Cynefin Framework. [Video file]. Retrieved from             https://youtu.be/N7oz366X0-8

Snowden, D.J., & Boone, M.E. (2007, Nov.) A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making.          Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2007/11/a-leaders-framework-    for-decision-making/

A630.1.4.RB_MedleyKim_Present and Future

Present and Future: Bridging the Gap

            Although simplistic in nature, Kohn’s (2007) video clip demonstrates the hopeless and unambitious options of settling for less and the vision of future possibilities achieved through power and vision. In the video, stick men are used to play the roles of pessimism, pragmatism, power, and vision (Kohn, 2007). As each approach a path obstructed by a large, seemingly unable to cross, gap, each takes a different tactic to make a decision. As the pessimist slowly nears the gap, he pauses, looks ahead, shrugs his shoulders with little effort, and retreats to a stationary, seated position. The pragmatist, wished “good luck” by the pessimist, at least ventures out to the drop-off point and tests the possibility of jumping to the other side; however, he is equally comfortable with assuming a seated position and settling for less by saying, “well, this will have to do” (Kohn, 2007). Finally, both power and vision, communication and planning, race past pessimism and pragmatism, assess the situation, formulate a plan, enact the plan, bridge the gap, and allow all those waiting behind them to cross in to the future (Kohn, 2007).

            This past year brought many changes to the local Republican organizations in my home county. The local executive committee did not renew the charters of two clubs, one of which was an historical club in existence for more than three decades. The executive committee was now controlled by a new slate of officers. As Brown (2011) observes, “New members often find that the norms are unclear, confusing, and restrictive. As a result, they may react in different ways when entering an organization”, or in this case, entering leadership roles (p. 12). Their decision to not renew two charters left many Republicans scrambling for an answer. The pessimists shrugged off the change and simply began attending the more extreme club that had not suffered changes at the hands of the executive committee. The pragmatist formed a non-partisan group, did not impose any rules, and said this would “have to do” (Kohn, 2007). This answer provided a temporary solution which allowed for power and vision to work together in order to develop an organization that would be recognized as a Republican organization and not report to the local executive committee. The answer, which allowed the gap to be bridged, was found in the Florida Federation of Republican Women, which provides local charter opportunities for women run organizations that bypasses local executive committee authority. Our local chapter was granted in September of 2014, six months after the historic club had been decommissioned. We were able to provide 2016 Republican candidates with a place from which to gather petitions and distribute literature, while staying abreast of party developments. The historic club received a conditional charter from the State; and, while this is welcomed news, it is not yet clear if the charter will be returned to an unconditional status. That will be another bridge to gap; but, for now, the goal of achieving a Republican organization in my home county, that has both State and National support, has been achieved.

References

Brown, D.R. (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organization Development. (8^th ed.). Upper

            Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Kohn, S. (2007, Nov. 5). A Tale of Power & Vision. [Video file]. Retrieved from

            https://youtu.be/XZVIWZGheXY

           

A632.7.4.RB_MedleyKim_Psychology Collaboration

 Psychology Collaboration

          The subtitle of Levine’s (2009) book, Turning Conflict into Collaboration, underscores the importance of getting others involved in order to not only resolve conflicts; but, to make better decisions. Hoch, Kunreuther, and Gunther (2001) observe a “third major source of complexity”, with regards to making decisions in a multifaceted milieu, is that which stems from multiple stakeholders and their interactions (p. 125). As Hoch et el. (2001) contend, the shared reliance and the need for “agreed-upon rules”, termed as “co-opetition” (a blending of cooperation and competition), can be used to encourage involvement from various stakeholders and assist in achieving better decisions (p. 125). In a presentation posted by Jerry Wagner (2015), Levin cites four reasons that lead to conflict; each involves differences in: observations, interpretations, needs, and feelings. Two individuals can observe the same traffic accident; yet, each will see and report the events in different manners; both will believe their truth as reported (Wagner, 2015). What Levine hopes we take away from conflict is a “normalization of conflict as human beings working together”, which is why collaboration plays an important role (Wagner, 2015).

          Levine (2009) writes, “Getting a successful project up and running is an exercise in forming a collaborative team” that requires “some conflict”, which cannot be avoided; but, once resolved, creates an infectious enthusiasm that makes the most insurmountable struggle simple to overcome (p. 56). This is exactly what occurred when I served as the Vice-President of the Daytona State College Psychology Club – Flagler/Palm Coast Campus. Our group had become aware of the struggles facing many students with regards to being able to buy books. Even though the college bookstore offered used books for sale, many times the bargain offered was just as unattainable as the price listed for a new text. Past club fundraising activities had been small scale in nature. The club would sell popcorn at open house and other campus events. Our group made a decision to expand our first fundraiser and offer both students and community members an opportunity to participate.

          We called our venture the Daytona State College Flagler Community Sidewalk Sale. Our campus featured an amphitheater that offered cover in the event of inclement weather. Our first organizational meeting embraced Levine’s (2009) principle of abundance and made a conscious effort to set aside egos. We wanted to plan for a community sidewalk sale, hosted in the spring and fall, so that students and members of the community could rent a table or a space, display their hidden treasures, make sales, and realize a little added income. It was a way to serve students and have the college become a more active partner in the community. Each member was given the chance to tell their story and offer their input without interruption. Our secretary took notes so we would be able to refer back to ideas, concerns, and questions presented. We identified other stakeholders we needed to include in order to develop our final plan. Those stakeholders were the campus provost, campus security, director of student events, student government, and the bookstore.

          Our provost became our primary contact for anything we needed for the event, such as securing tables and chairs from the main campus. He also helped us with advertising and posting flyers as he had direct authority to approve all literature. Many of our club members had developed a relationship with campus security from other events. We were able to invite them to our meetings and implement their suggestions for parking and access to campus equipment so that safety was insured. The director of student events was able to provide us with all of the forms and legal documents we needed to secure in order to sponsor an event that invited the public’s participation. Student government representatives helped us increase the number of volunteers beyond our club membership so that set-up and implementation did not rest with only a handful of members. Finally, our bookstore, which at the time was located at the main campus, agreed to host a table and have a selection of books students could purchase at reduced prices at the event. Our event was able to draw more than fifty participants, many of whom were students and local businesses. A few of the businesses made donations to our club which we used to help students purchase books. Since our first event, the sidewalk sale has been repeated and adopted by other Daytona State campuses. It was hailed as a huge success by our club sponsor, Dr. John McNeeley, Professor of Psychology, and our Provost, Mr. Kent Ryan. This event was also the first step in securing a bookstore for the Flagler/Palm Coast Campus, which has since been realized.

          We were a group of psychology students, many of whom not only continued with psychology courses; but, graduated with honors, too. We understood the need to set aside our egos, embrace abundancy, bring in others, and conduct a post-event meeting in order to provide improvement. The following semester, we brought in the local media as a stakeholder and were able to communicate a more effective message, which led to an increased turnout. This experience, although unknown at the time, helped me to understand Levine’s (2009) “Law of Agreement” wherein tight collaborative efforts can result in increased productivity and lead to the fulfillment of not only the vision; but, the establishment of a team that generated an infectious enthusiasm with each opportunity we faced (p. 163). I learned that although conflict can be seen as fighting or a “test of wills”, viewing conflict “as an exercise in creative problem solving” produces a much better resolution and can establish a team able to overcome obstacles in a relatively simple manner (Levine, 2009, p. 62). The greatest lesson learned, and one that I use today, is the formation of “long-term partnerships” (Levine, 2009, p. 181). Members of that team have long since graduated and gone on to pursue graduate studies; yet, we still stay in contact and recently re-assembled in order to lay the foundation for a tribute garden for the executive administrator for our campus provost. She was an integral part of all the events we hosted and a friend to all faculty and students. I am quite certain those lesson learned so many years ago will help us as we navigate the planning stages for her memorial garden.

References

Hoch, S.J., Kunreuther, H.C., & Gunther, R.E. (2001). Wharton on Making Decisions.

            Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Jerry Wagner. (2015, April 17). Stewart Levine. [Video file]. Retrieved from

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu1aw7wyIRI

Levine, S. (2009). Getting to Resolution: Turning Conflict into Collaboration. San

            Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

A632.6.3.RB_MedleyKim_Conflict's_High_Price

            

Conflict's High Price

             Levine’s (2009) “Cycle of Resolution” begins with an attitude founded upon the “Ten Principles”:

1.     Believing in Abundance

2.     Creating Partnership

3.     Being Creative

4.     Fostering Sustainable Collaboration

5.     Becoming Open

6.     Forming Long-Term Collaboration

7.     Relying on Feelings and Intuition

8.     Disclosing Information and Feelings

9.     Learning Throughout the Resolution Process

10.  Becoming ResponseAble (p. vii – viii).

Levine (2009) states, “The attitude is developed by listening, sharing concerns, and knowing there is an agreement waiting to be discovered” (p. 109). Further understanding of conflict is provided by Hoch, Kunreuther, and Gunther (2001) as they present observations and discussions about framing and how different frames can lead to conflict. What began as a task that should have been a fun process, led to an adversarial position; and, as Levine (2009) notes, there were not any winners from the Christmas party planning team for American Pioneer Life Insurance.

            As our volunteer team began the process of planning our company’s first Christmas party, we truly believed there was abundance, “enough” for all “to get what they want” (Levine, 2009, p. 47). We were a team of six, including the Director of Human Resources. The abundance of creativity and money were present as we started; however, as we began to focus on the entertainment aspect of the event, the creative partnership soon deteriorated into a group that was wasting resources (Levine, 2009). The meetings that took place to discuss the pros and cons of either a band or a disc jockey resulted in a happy team who looked forward to meetings to an irritated team who saw the rehash of arguments as a waste of time; time better spent on company work. The continuity of happy collaboration that once permeated the group had been replaced by painful emotions held at bay (Levine, 2009). We had held numerous sessions wherein creative solutions were discussed, offered, and attempts to regain collaborative footing were made repeatedly. Each of us took turns telling our stories and why we either supported or opposed the entertainment options. In the end, instead of conflict resolution leading to a stronger team, as Levine (2010) observes; our team was dissolved. The HR Director believed the issues would somehow go away if the team was no longer in place. Unfortunately, all of the concerns came to fruition the night of the party.

            Levine (2009) states we become “responseABLE” by dealing with “internal and external conflict” (p. 104). Because our director had failed to deal with her own conflict regarding an overwhelming support for a disc jockey, our conflict resulted in a “gnawing effect”, termed “internal chatter” that led to physical, emotional, and monetary costs (Levine, 2009, p. 4). Unlike the beautiful result of conflict in nature that Levine (2010) uses to demonstrate the positive side of conflict, our group learned first-hand of the four sources of conflict: observations, interpretations, feelings, and needs discussed by Levine and presented by Jerry Wagner (2015) and the costs of unresolved conflict.

            Shortly after the Christmas party, the president fired the director. He had been embarrassed at his own company party for which significant amounts of money and other resources had been allocated. Employees, who had been surveyed for their preferences, were disappointed as few of the items they indicated as preferred were realized at the party. All of the energy and emotion the team had invested before it was dissolved would never be recovered. It was a project that should have been fun. It should have been a time for six fellow employees to come together and listen to their respective departments in order to provide an end of the year celebration worthy of the hard work that had taken place throughout the company. Had our director used just half of the ten principles, the first party would have been one to set the standards as opposed to one that was forgotten before it began. Instead of dissolving the team, we could have rotated new members each year so more could learn how to plan company events. Looking back, I believe most of us were reticent to be more open with our director. Perhaps we feared some type of reprisal, I’m not sure; but, had we been a bit more unified as a group and maybe if we would have gone over her head, the results would have been better. Twenty-twenty hindsight can be a useful tool if you take the lessons learned and apply them in the future. Since that time, of the ten principles Levine (2009) lists, “believing in abundance…, being creative…, and becoming open” are new ways of thinking that have helped me avoid such unresolved conflict, as an individual and as a team member.

References

Hoch, S.J., Kunreuther, H.C., & Gunther, R.E. (2001). Wharton on Making Decisions.

            Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Jerry Wagner. (2015, April 17). Stewart Levine. [Video file]. Retrieved from

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu1aw7wyIRI

Levine, S. (2009). Getting to Resolution: Turning Conflict into Collaboration. San

            Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

Levine, S. (2010). Powerful Collaborations: Building High Performance Teams,

            Partnerships & Marriages. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from

            https://erau.instructure.com/courses/24721/discussion_topics/231859