MSLD 520 Module 3- Constraints on Creative Problem Solving

Prior to working as a student advisor, I worked at a summer camp that mainly consisted of middle and high school students. I had the responsibility to monitor and ensure the camper's safety. Working at a summer camp was my first and most scary job: mainly because I had a very strict boss. My boss always want things to go “his way”, and failing to comply could often times lead you a trip to his office. Scared and wanting to avoid trouble, I made sure that I never bring things (negatives) up, and strictly follow his policies and procedures.

The challenge began when a small group of campers asked me where the restrooms were during lunch time. Since the restrooms were visible and only a few feet away from where I was, I pointed out the direction and let them go. Immediately after directing the campers, I noticed that my boss was right behind me the entire time: which was rare since he was usually up in his office. He then yelled at the group, telling them to wait and have me escort them. After doing so, my boss told me that I always need to stay close with the campers: as in side-by-side.

I almost immediately disliked this idea. I wasn’t that much different from the campers. Most were in their last year or two of high school: ages 16-18. They were highly responsible unlike those at a much younger age. In addition, I found standing and waiting close to the campers to be a bit creepy, I worried that this could potentially hurt the relationship between the staff and campers. However since I made a promise to myself, I did exactly as told.

As my boss started to get in the habit of telling all the employees the same thing he told me, I started to see some behavioral changes from the campers. Many of them started talking back at us more: saying that they’re not in elementary school. The usual free-time in the evening also got quieter since most of the campers rather avoid us by staying in their dorm rooms. When the first program ended, we received a number of negative reviews from the campers, which resulted a rather scary meeting with my boss. In the end, my boss assumed that the campers were “treated like little kids” because of the way we spoke and acted towards them. Despite the multiple training sessions, we still received negative reviews throughout the summer.

After a careful analysis of my past experience, it was obvious that everyone including myself were working in fear. When someone is in fear, it promotes silence, uncertainty, as well as stress (Tucker, n.d.). Fear also creates a domino effect of problems, which could eventually hurt the entire organization. For this example, my boss was likely not informed, and continued to make decisions based on what he knew. Due to the lack of information, the camp still received negative reviews. If I were to go back and fix this problem, I should have disregarded my fear and communicate with my boss more. Supervisor-employee communication is critical to any organization: as they allow the flow of information, and promote stronger relationships (Lloyd, 2015). As long as I avoid sounding too direct and negative, my boss could view things from the employee’s perspectives and implement our comments and ideas to establish effective decision-making. In addition, communicating with my boss may have provided me some opportunities to know him better, which could help reduce the fear all together.
References: 

Lloyd, K. J., Boer, D., Keller, J. W., & Voelpel, S. (2015). Is my boss really listening to me? the impact of perceived supervisor listening on emotional exhaustion, turnover intention, and organizational citizenship behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 130(3), 509-524. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/10.1007/s10551-014-2242-4

Tucker, K. (n.d.). The Effects of Fear in a Job Environment. Chron. Retrieved from http://work.chron.com/effects-fear-job-environment-7989.html

MSLD 520 Module 2- 10 Minutes a Day

                Andy Puddicombe’s TED talk All It Takes is 10 Mindful Minutes talked about the importance of focusing on our own minds. By spending 10 minutes a day doing nothing (no distractions), it allows ones to experience a greater sense of focus, in addition to establishing a calmer, clearer mind. Puddicombe mentioned during the talk that “things aren’t always as they appear” (2012). The key to this technique is to allow ones to think deeply, and see things we may have not been aware about in the first place.

                 Last Sunday, I witnessed a stabbing incident at a large public mall. Seeing the violence, in addition to running for safety created great stress, as well as a deeper fear of public places. Despite being safe, I constantly thought about this experience: which slightly affected my job performance, studies, and everyday activities. After using Puddicombe’s 10-minute technique, I was able to overcome most of the fear by looking at the situation from other angles.

                Prior to the exercise, I solely focused on the negatives. “I could have been hurt”, “I feel like this is going to happen again”, “this could have been my last day”: these were some things I constantly thought about, and it really brought my mood down. By spending 10 minutes focusing on my own thoughts, I branched out and examined the situation in other ways: such as positive things. The first thing that came in mind was that I managed to get away unharmed. Although it was not a pleasurable situation to be in, I also saw it as a rare opportunity to learn and experience a real crisis. I am now more informed and aware of what to do if a similar event happens again.

Puddicombe’s thinking technique is a useful tool for leaders as they help establish clarity. Personally, I believe that the exercise is an example of systems of thinking. The key is to break down a main thought, mission, or idea into smaller components, and examine these areas to gather new information or details for better understanding (Nosich, 2012). Before the exercise, I only focused on the past: the “negative branch” of the event. Since the goal of the 10-minute exercise is to focus on the present, I was able to reduce stress by thinking about the positives: that I’m alive and more prepared for potential crises. Thinking up-to-date is also critical to leaders. If we stick with an old habit or information, there will be higher risk of damage. Instead, leaders must be proactive: stay up-to-date and always be prepared for potential changes (Galoppin, 2011).

References:

Galoppin, L. (2011). The Giant Misunderstanding on Burning Platforms. Retrieved from http://www.reply-mc.com/2011/01/17/the-giant-misunderstanding-on-burning-platforms/

Noisch, G. D. (2012). Learning To Think Things Through: A Guide to Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum. Boston: Peason Education.

Puddicombe, A. (2012). Andy Puddicombe: All it takes is 10 mindful minutes [Video file]. TED. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/andy_puddicombe_all_it_takes_is_10_mindful_minutes

MSLD 520 Module 1- Self-Awareness Blog

            While I’m only in my fourth course, the Leadership Program (MSLD) has been able to change me in multiple ways. Most of the improvements applies to my job as a student advisor at a university, while some improvements can also be noticed through everyday conversations. At this point, the two big things that shaped me is the importance of critical thinking and the importance of building and maintaining relationships.
            Prior to my enrollment to the MSLD Program, I’ve always considered myself as someone who overthinks. After completing the first class: which heavily revolved around critical thinking, I learned that critical thinking involves more than thinking about ourselves. For more effective leadership, leaders must also be aware of their surroundings: which include other people, environment, etc. (Nosich, 2012). The big thing I was able to draw and apply to my advisement is the ability to emphasize with my students. Rather than making decisions solely on university policies, I “spice” up advisement by implementing my own experiences as a student. For example, a degree map is a list of course recommendations. Rather than jotting down a list of random courses, I try to implement my own experiences when appropriate, and consider the student’s course delivery preferences, as well as personal schedule: resulting a more personalized degree map.
            In addition to critical thinking, I’ve also improved my communication skills- which lead me to stronger relationships with my students. While a part of the reason may be my natural acts of kindness, many of my students provided me feedback and other positive comments about linking personal experiences. In addition to more information, another important thing that can be drawn from sharing experiences is that it helps breaks the “barrier” between a leader and their people. In the past, I’ve always felt a little too reserved when speaking with higher authorities. Assuming that some of my students feel the same way, I disregard my status and instead blend in with the students as much as possible. It is important to keep in mind that I’m currently a student- one of them. With something in common, this help could help me engage in conversations (Groysberg & Slind, 2012). When students are comfortable enough, they may share me information that I never knew about- which could help my future advisement.
            The MSLD program helped me sharpen all Five Core Aspects of Self-Awareness. Perhaps the most important thing the program has taught me is the importance of critical thinking. With critical thinking, we’re not only thinking about ourselves, but everything around us. For my case, thinking about my students from their (and my own) perspectives has allowed me to improve their advisement. Not only do I get information about a particular class, conflict, etc., I’m also gathering information about how the students feel physically and mentally. Considering all this, I can then implement this information to future advisement.

References:

Groysberg, B., Slind, M. (2012). Leadership is A Conversation. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from http://www.harvardbusiness.org/sites/default/files/HBR_Leadership_Is_a_Conversation.pdf

Nosich, G.D. (2012). Learning To Think Things Through: A Guide to Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum. Boston: Peason Education.