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Social Work 799Special Topics in Macro Practice

SupervisionJohn Tropman

February 5 and 19thSchool of Social Work Building

8:30AM -4:30 PM.A RAPID INTELLIGENCE WORKSHOP

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Four Parts

• Managerial and Clinical Supervision• Supervision for retention (of employees

and you!)• Processing Your Papers and extracting

patterns• Supervisory Meetings and Decision

Making

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Getting Started

• Introductions• The Assignment

– One great experience– One awful experience– Compare and Contrast– Due March 30th– 1500Words– You can pair up

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Exercise

• Lets process the bad boss/good boss

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EXERCISE 1

• Best Supervisee Experience

• Worst Supervisee Experience

• Best Supervisor Experience

• Worst Supervisor Experience

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Some Perspectives• From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia• Jump to: navigation, search• Supervision means the act of watching over the work or tasks of

another who may lack full knowledge of the concept at hand. Supervision does not mean control of another but guidance in a work, professional or personal context.

• In psychology and psychotherapy supervision refers to the system whereby therapists are expected to arrange another therapist for their own benefit or to discuss their work. It is part of professional good practice. See Clinical supervision

• In Great Britain the term can also mean a tutorial, that is, a meeting between a student and a teacher responsible for their learning, in education.

• In childcare and general use, the verb "to supervise" means to watch over, and is often used in the context of an adult watching children to ensure they are attended, acceptably behaved, and safe.

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Kadushin’s Elements/Tropman’s Emendations

• Educational (Clinical/JT)• Administrative (Managerial/JT)• Supportive• Developmental (JT)

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Educational/Clinical(JT)• In educational supervision the primary problem for Kadushin

(1990: 20) is worker ignorance and/or ineptitude regarding the knowledge, attitude and skills required to do the job. The primary goal is to dispel ignorance and upgrade skill. The classic process involved with this task is to encourage reflection on, and exploration of the work. Supervisees may be helped to:

• Understand the client better;• Become more aware of their own reactions and responses to the

client;• Understand the dynamics of how they and their client are

interacting;• Look at how they intervened and the consequences of their

interventions;

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Administrative (Managerial)• In administrative supervision the primary problem is

concerned with the correct, effective and appropriate implementation of agency policies and procedures. The primary goal is to ensure adherence to policy and procedure (Kadushin Social Work Supervision, Columbia1992: 20).

• The supervisor has been given authority by the agency to oversee the work of the supervisee. This carries the responsibility:– ... both to ensure that agency policy is implemented - which

implies a controlling function –– and a parallel responsibility to enable supervisees to work to the

best of their ability. (Brown and Bourne , The Social work Supervisor, 1996: 10)

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Supportive• In supportive supervision the primary problem is

worker morale and job satisfaction. The primary goal is to improve morale and job satisfaction (Kadushin 1992: 20). Workers are seen as facing a variety of job-related stresses which, unless they have help to deal with them, could seriously affect their work and lead to a less than satisfactory service to clients. For the worker there is ultimately the problem of 'burnout'.

• Kadushin argues that the other two forms of supervision focus on instrumental needs, whereas supportive supervision is concerned with expressive needs (ibid.: 292).

•

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Supportive (cont)• The supervisor seeks to prevent the development of

potentially stressful situations, removes the worker from stress, reduces stress impinging on the worker, and helps her adjust to stress. The supervisor is available and approachable, communicates confidence in the worker, provides perspective, excuses failure when appropriate, sanctions and shares responsibility for different decisions, provides opportunities for independent functioning and for probable success in task achievement. (Kadushin, 1992: 292)

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Developmental• In developmental

supervision the primary problem is worker stagnation/growth.

• The supervisor seeks to provide – Challenge– Skill– Stretch goals– More Complex Tasks

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The primary foci of supervision (after Hawkins and Shohet , Supervision in the Helping Professions, 2007)

1. To provide a regular space for the supervisees to reflect upon the content and process of their work -Educational

2. To develop understanding and skills within the work-Educational

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The primary foci of supervision

3. To receive information and another perspective concerning one's work -Educational/Supportive

4. To receive both content and process feedback -Educational/Supportive

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The primary foci of supervision5. To be validated and supported both as a person and as

a worker -Supportive6. To ensure that as a person and as a worker one is not

left to carry unnecessarily difficulties, problems and projections alone -Supportive

7. To have space to explore and express personal distress, restimulation, transference or counter-transference that may be brought up by the work -Administrative (I do not agree- this is Educational/Clinical)

8. To plan and utilize their personal and professionalresources better -Administrative

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The primary foci of supervision (after Hawkins and Shohet 2007/JT2007)

9. To be pro-active rather than re-active -Administrative

10.To ensure quality of work -Administrative/Supportive

11.To Work more efficiently and effectively/JT

12.To ascend the staircase of competence to at least Journeyperson/Expert - JT

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Vignettes 1. Sheila comes in late repeatedly. She has child care issues that

cause this situation.2. Sid is supposed to wear agency blue shirt. The agency paid for

one and the employee bought one(at least.) This employee forgets, does not have one clean, and so on. One week of this goes by.

3. Madison employee is wearing a summer outfit that appears to some to be “revealing” and certainly is causing comment. The agency dress code specifies “professional attire.”

4. Samantha is so good at her job that she finishes early, and wants to leave. She really is good.

5. Samantha (employee in #4) asked for more money because she has another offer.

6. Ridgeley only likes to do certain of the tasks in her job description.

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Vignettes7. Jim’s reports are usually full of errors or spelling and grammar,

frequently untidy, and occasionally later.8. “Packrat” Bollonginton’s cubicle is filled to overflowing. Packages

of material are beginning to “appear” in the walkway outside the wall. There is only a small path to Packrat’s chair and desk.

9. Julia is an unassertive young worker who is doing an excellent job, better than many older more experienced workers.

10. Sam, an exceptional worker, is constantly being asked for help by other workers because of his skills and knowledge.

11. During supervision, Dan asks you what he should do in a particular case. “You are so smart” Dan opines.

12. Marion frequently drifts into discussing personal issues during supervision and it is hard to stay on the point.

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Lunch

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Supervision for (Appropriate) Retention

1. Lets look at what the supervisor can actually do

2. Wicked problems3. National Agency

Problems4. Lit Review5. Rewards of Work Model

6. The Seven Habits of Highly Successful Sups

1. Plan work well2. Apply differential use of

self3. Use supportive

communication4. Have good meetings5. Manage People

Supportively and Manage difficult people

6. Provide Feedback7. Do Self Care

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Wicked Problems1. There is no definitive formulation of a wicked problem

2. Wicked problems have no stopping rule

3. Solutions to wicked problems are not true or false,but good or bad

4. There is no immediate and no ultimate test of asolution to a wicked problem

5. Every solution to a wicked problem is a “one-shotoperation”; because there is no opportunity to learnby trial and error, every attempt counts significantly

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Wicked Problems6. Wicked problems have an innumerable ( rather than

and exhausti-ble describable) set of potentialsolutions; there is not a well-described set ofpermissible operations that may be incor-poratedinto the plan

7. Every wicked problem is essentially unique8. Every wicked problem can be considered a symptom

of an-other problem9. The existence of a discrepancy representing a

wicked prob-lem can be explained in numerousways. The choice of ex-planation determines thenature of the problem’s resolution

10. The manager has no right to be wrong

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National Agency Sourcing –10 Common Supervisory Questions

Distilled by the Alliance for Children and Familiesby Hillary Hanson

1. How to make the overnight leap from "peer" to "boss." 2. How to effectively navigate the middle ground between line staff

and the next level manager. 3. How to be the face of management each day. 4. How to effectively manage people (even if skilled in clinical work). 5. The most useful developmental model of supervision. 6. Strategies to deal with conflict and potentially adverse feedback. 7. Building a comfort level with ambiguity and uncertainty. 8. What messages from above to absorb and reframe; which

messages to allow directly to staff. 9. Our supervisors have to balance their focus between traditional

administrative functions and clinical/treatment program oversight. 10. How do we foster the ability to do both well? How do

organizations place equal value on each skill area?

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Literature Review

• Theory Y– Workers want to work

• Select the Right Workers– Deselect the wrong ones

• Provide Social Support• Consider the REWARDS OF WORK

(ROW) Model from Sibson/WorldatWork• Consider the Total Compensation Model

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Figure 1-1The Rewards of WorkSM (ROW)Model

WorkContent

Variety Challenge Autonomy Meaningfulness Feedback

Advancement Personal growth Training Employment

security

Organization commitment

Organization support Work environment Organization

citizenship Title

Affiliation

Career Benefits Non-cash

recognition Perquisites

Indirect Financial

Direct Financial Base salary Incentives Ownership Cash recognition Premium pay Pay process Employee

Value Proposition

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Impact of ROW Model – Retention

WorkContent

Affiliation

CareerIndirect

Financial

Direct Financial

Exit Drivers1. Organizational commitment2. Organizational support

Exit Drivers1. Feedback from

co-workers and supervisor

2. Job responsibility3. Degree of

autonomy in job

Exit Drivers1. Pay process2. Pay level3. Pay Raise

Exit Drivers1. Career opportunities2. Supervisor3. Job security4. Title 5. Training and

development opportunities

Exit Drivers

1. Time off2. Benefit process3. Benefit level

Exit Drivers

Employee Value

Proposition

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1] Plan Work WellPersonal Factors

1. Efficiently and Effectively1. Doing things right2. Doing the right thing

1. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing2. Have Personal Organization 3. Do what you promise4. Start with the end in mind5. Distinguish between Outcomes and Outputs6. Set Realistic Time Schedules7. Set appropriate milestones8. Support critical paths9. Know your culture

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Plan Work Well Agency Factors

• High Reliability Organizational Wisdom

• From Aircraft Carriers and Nuclear Power Plants

• Avoiding mistakes in work cultures– Wrigley, Julia &Joanna Drenby “Violent Fatalities in

Child Care” (2006)

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Plan Work Well Agency Factors

• High Reliability Organizations: Six Principles for success1. Attentiveness to failure

1. Watch for Murphy’s law2. Reluctance to simplify interpretations

1. Simplistic v simple3. Sensitivity to operations

1. Can it be done?4. Cultivation of resiliency

1. Takes a lickin and keeps on ticken5. Organize around expertise rather than hierarchy

1. Cogs become wheels6. Communicate richly and in a structured way

• See the next slide

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Consider this Protocol• Adapted From the Forest

Service– SITUATION: Here is what I

think we are facing (WORKER)

– TASK – Here is what I think we should do (WORKER)

– INTENT – Here’s why (WORKER)

– CONCERN – Here is what you should watch for (SUP)

– PRELIMINARY DECISION (BOTH)

– CALIBRATE –Now talk to me. Tell me if you do not understand, cannot do it, or see something I do not (WORKER)

– DECISION (BOTH)

Quinn – Competing Values

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The Four Cultures

Flexibility and DiscretionInternal Focus and Integration

CLAN ADHOCRACY External Focus and Differentiation

HIERARCHY MARKETStability and Control

Quinn - Competing Values

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Competing Skills

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2] Apply Differential Use of SelfDreyfus and Dreyfus

• Worker Levels1. Novice2. Beginner

3. Journeyperson

4. Expert5. Master6. Maestro

• Supervisor Roles1. Train2. Coach

3. Teach

4. Educate5. Mentor6. Facilitate

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Basic Skill StaircaseBased on Dreyfus and Dreyfus, Mind Over Machine

Novice:Thumbnail• performance slow &

jerky• attention to rules/facts• works with the book in

hand• heavy learnerProblem: little

reinforcement from the task

• Novice: Training• understanding

requirements and routines

• reviewing requirements and routines

• narrow policy/practice gap

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Beginner LevelBeginner: Thumbnail• performance faster &

smoother • begins rule fade (acting

automatically)• patterns not mentioned in

rules• uses book less frequently• learnerProblem: embarrassments

to self and others

• Beginner: Coaching• understands the

requirements need to be accomplished by the employee

• provides tips and suggestions

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Standard Skill LevelJourneyperson:

Thumbnail(where most of us are for most things)

• performance average in terms of speed & smoothness

• rule fade mostly complete• selecting most important

cues• calculated, educated risk

taking • uses book only for exceptions• learner/teacherProblem: may think it’s the end

• Journeyperson: Teaching

• mastering requirements and routines

• improving requirements and routines

• some p/p gap • pass along information• set standards• the employee studies on

her or his own checks in with the teacher for rev

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The ExpertExpert: Thumbnail (some of us are

experts in one area; a signature area)

• performance becomes fluid• rule fade complete• calculation & rationality diminish• no plan is permanent• attention shifts with cues • holistic, intuitive grasp• can write the book• EducatorProblem: possible overuse of default

skill because they are so good at it; may also not realize they are average in other areas (or below average.)

• Expert: Educating• questions/improves

routines and requirements, as possible

• brings best practices from elsewhere

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Master LevelMaster: Thumbnail• performance is seamless• exactly the right speed; appears

effortless• understands the deep structure of

the effort• holistic recognition of cues• performance is solid, confident &

sure• deeply understand• trust self & the process; let

process flow; enter as needed • beyond the bookProblem: finding, arranging, &

managing access to the Master’s knowledge & self

• Mentoring• employee growth is the

focus• looking to the future• personal connection with

employee• mentoring begins when

one goes beyond her/his job responsibilities in a voluntary, caring, sharing and helping relations

Maestro

• Maestro Thumbnail– Goes beyond self

performance– Orchestrates Team

Performance– Lifts Others Up

• Facilitating– Assist maestro in

working with teams– Manage flow into- and

out of - the maestro circle

– Protect the maestro from overcommittment

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FLOW- Again!

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3] Use Supportive Communication

– The Softer Side of Supervision – Assist in

• Opportunity to Advance• Opportunity to Grow

and Learn• Positive Psychic

Income/Dignity at Work• Quality of Life• Attention to the X

Factor

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Use Supportive Communication

• “Valued supervision in Child Welfare takes the form of support and consultation rather than strict direction and monitoring.” R2P Research Roundup, 2002

– They cite J. Rycraft, (1994) “The Party Isn't Over: The Agency Role in the Retention of Child Welfare Caseworkers” SOCIAL WORK 39, pp.75-80.

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4] Have Good Meetings

Minutes Announce

ModestDecisionItem(s)

ModerateDecisionItem(s)

MostDifficultItem(s)

BrainstormItem(s)

SmallTrivial Item(s)

Time

The Agenda Bell

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Energy

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5] Manage People Supportively and Manage Difficult People

– Audit– Dignity– Emotional Safety – Meaningful Workplace– Enhance Social Support– Prevent Social Undermining– Manage Difficult People

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GALLUP Q12 WORKPLACE AUDIT

• Overall Satisfaction: On a five point scale, where “5” is extremely satisfied and “1” is extremely dissatisfied, how satisfied are you with __________ as a place to work?

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GALLUP Q12 WORKPLACE AUDIT

1. I know what is expected of me at work.2. I have the materials and equipment I

need to do my work right.3. At work, I have the opportunity to do

what I do best every day.4. In the last seven days, I have received

recognition or praise for doing good work.

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GALLUP Q12 WORKPLACE AUDIT

5. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.

6. There is someone at work who encourages my development.7. At work, my opinions seem to count.8. The mission/purpose of my company makes me feel my job is

important.9. My associates (fellow employees) are committed to doing quality

work.10. I have a best friend at work.11. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about

my progress.12. This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

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Dignity at Work – Randy Hodson, Dignity at Work

• Dignity Dingers– Mismanagement– Abuse– Overwork– Denial of Autonomy– Fake Participation

• Program-of-the-week

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An Emotionally Safe Workplace -

• The presence of Social Support

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What Can/Should Supervisors Do to Enhance Dignity?

• Dignity Dingers– Mismanagement– Abuse– Overwork– Denial of Autonomy– Fake Participation

• Program-of-the-week

• This is a tough one• The Organization

does things Sups do not agree with

• It is important, though, to support the worker

• Ideas from you?

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What Can/Should Supervisors Do to Create a Meaningful

Workplace??1. Are expectations clear?2. Are workers properly

equipped?3. Can workers use

strengths frequently?4. Do workers get frequent

recognition?5. Are my coworkers

social loafers?6. Are workers growing

and developing

1. Clarify expectations

2. Get proper equipment

3. Look to Worker Strengths

4. Praise workers

5. Address the social loafing question

6. Assist workers in growing and developing

7. Ideas from You?

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What Can/Should Supervisors Do?To Create an Emotionally Safe

Workplace• Enhance Social Support

– Technical– Instrumental– Emotional

• Prevent Social Undermining

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Enhance Social Support –Technical Elements

• Provide Specific Job Knowledge– Paperwork– Legal concerns

• Going to court

• Clarify Job Descriptions

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Enhance Social Support –Instrumental Elements

• More general work plan and strategy– Career pathing– Portfolio Creation

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Enhance Social Support –Emotional Elements

• Expressing Empathy and Sympathy for worker’s experience

• Assisting worker’s in dealing with their own feelings

• PSTD by proxy• Praising and Celebrating Worker success

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Prevent Social Undermining

• Look for and Deal with Well Poisoners, Troublemakers and Social Loafers– Well poisoners – they would rather loose themselves

than have you gain!• They sow dissention

– Troublemakers• Good at their job• Lack tolerance for anyone else and are constantly critical of

others

– Social Loafers• Let others clean the kitchen!

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Small Groups

• What are the issues• How would you deal with them

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Manage Difficult People

• The Second Step Seems to be to – Confront

• Especially social underminers, well poisoners, social loafers– Establish consequences– Document, Document– And also– document

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6] Provide Feedback

• In small amounts• Close to the event• Focused on behaviors• Invites participation

and worker remediation plan

• Has Goals and Milestones

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7] Provide Self Care

• Sharpen the Saw• Do not overwork

– The monkey on my back• Do take available time• Exercise• Read “The One Minute Manager Gets Fit”• Be Aware of the Stress Curve

– Where stress becomes strain

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Sharpen the Saw

• The Hermit Story

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Do Not Overwork

• Work Smarter, Not Harder

• The Monkey on my back

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Take Vacation

• Recharge Your batteries

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Exercise

• Physical Energy Matters

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Provides Self Care

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Recap for today!!!

• Key Points • Takeaways

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Part 3 & 4

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Thumbnails

• Lets have a thumbnail of your paper.

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Pattern Extraction

• Good Sups • Bad Sups

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Supervision Across Disciplines

• The Issue of Mindset/Culture• Professional rules• Professional meaning

– Meaning is a rule infused with values• We are often Clueless

– Barnga

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Thinking Like a Lawyer/Social Worker

• Thinking like a Lawyer– Rules/Law– Justice– Facts– Client Forward– Fair Play– Adversarial– Win/Loose

• Thinking like a Social Worker– Circumstances– Compassion– Feelings/Person-in-

Situation– Fair Share– Mediating– Win /Win

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Other Divides

• Temperament– Introvert/Extrovert– Intuiting/Sensing– Thinking/Feeling– Perceiving/Judging

Meeting LeadershipHow to get as little done as you do

now in half the timeJohn Tropman

School of social WorkRoss Business SchoolUniversity of Michigan

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AGENDA

• Best Practices–Rules from the

Meeting Masters

Pet Peeves

Let’s take a few minutes . . . Make a quick list

of pet peeves in meetings.

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Why Do Things Go So Wrong, So Badly, So Often ?

• Meetings have a bad press

• Self-fulfilling prophecy• No training• Less practice A CAMEL IS A HORSE ASSEMBLED

BY A TEAM

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Meetings

• A focused time in a work system when everyone works toward a goal set

• basketball• quintets, octets

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Meetings

• A key work process --– data becomes

information– the outcome is a

stream of decisions and actions

• Meeting again to work out things you failed to accomplish in the last meeting is rework

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High Quality Meetings

• • Action happens/decisions get made

• • The actions/decisions are of high quality

• • Members have fun

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Principles:The Magnificent Seven

1 The Orchestra Principle

2 The Purpose Principle

3 The Three Characters Principle

4 The “No More Reports” Principle “Reports”

5 The “No New Business” Principle “New Business” ———> the end

6 • The Personality Principle and The Role Requirement

7 • High Quality Decisions

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THE RECIPIE

• 1 • Manage Information: – The Rule of 1/2– The Rule of 3/4– The Rule of 1/6

• 2 • Manage the Process:– The Rule of 2/3– The Rule of the Agenda

Bell

• 3 • Manage the Words: – The Agenda– The Minutes

• 4 • Manage the Paper and the Presentation:

– The Executive Summary– The Options

Presentation Technique

• 5• Manage the Norms: – Respect the Agenda– Respect the Clock– Respect People and

Ideas

• 6. • Manage the Review: – Each Meeting (KSS)

• 7 • Manage the Assessment: Every So Often

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1 • Manage Information

• The Rule of 1/2– Organize material ahead whenever possible- usually 1/2

way between meetings» sifting/sorting

• The Rule of 3/4– Send it out ahead whenever possible-If it is not possible,

allow a few minutes at the beginning of the meeting for reading.

• The Rule of 1/6– Have innovative and new material available for each meeting

as an agenda item

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2 • Manage the Process

• The Rule of 2/3

The Rule of the Agenda BellRemember that once you set the time frame, people adjust their internal expectations to that announcement.It’s sort of an agreement

Organize your agenda according to the Agenda Bell

If you cannot hand it out in advance, take a few minutes with the whole team and do it right there.

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THE AGENDA BELL

MinutesAnnounce-ment(s)

ModestDecisionItem(s)

ModerateDecisionItem(s)

MostDifficultItem(s)

BrainstormItem(s)

SmallTrivial Item(s)

Time

Tropman’s Agenda Bell

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Energy

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3 • Manage the Words

• THE AGENDA• THE MINUTES

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The Agenda

• Do the agenda like a restaurant menu

• Specific, actionable items

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THE MENU AGENDA• 1. Minutes 2:00-2:05• 2. Announcements 2:05-2:10

New Desks Ordered1000$ each to your account

• 3. Retreat Location (Action) 2:10-2:15Key West seems Best

• 4a. Vendor Selection (Action) 2:15-2:25A new vendor for gasketswould like some business

• 4b. Disposal of Broken Gaskets (Action) 2:25-2:35trash? Sell abroad/ fix?

• 5. Permission to Ship (Action) 2:35-3:00 Ship part with scratch?

Give Discount?• 6. Improving Quality (Brains.) 3:00-3:38• 7.Adjourn 3:38-3:40

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The Minutes• Do them - a brief record

is important– They can be done in

the meeting, actually – the recorder works

here• Headings identical to the

agenda• A brief summary paragraph

Put the decisions in a box

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4 • Manage the Paper and Presentation

• THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• THE OPTIONS PRESENTATION TECHNIQUE

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The Executive Summary

• Think of the TEN COMMANDMENTS

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The Options Presentation Technique

• For written and oral reports, use a summary in triple option form

• Old Way– 1 • State the problem

– 2 • State the solution --Then . . .Argue . . .– 3 • The 9s

• The New Way:– 1 • State the problems

– 2 • List options– 3 • Suggest preliminary action

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Response to the Options Memo

• The Four Questions– The Logic Question– The Judgement

Question– The Problems

Question– The CQI Question

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5 • Manage the Norms• Respect the Agenda• Respect the Clock

• The mind cannot accept more than the seat can endure!

• Beware of Comotosis Rectus• Respect People and Ideas

• Body language counts!

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6 • Manage the Review

• At the end of the meeting, take a few minutes to ask for reactions as to how it went.

• Use KSS

• [Keep, Stop, Start]

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7 • Manage the Assessment• Every So Often, • depending on

– 1 • The turbulence of your environment, and

– 2 • The pressure of time – (the higher the pressure, the

more frequent), • reflect upon

– results(decisions)– engagement (members )– processes (FLOW!)

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RESOURCES• Adams, James, The Care and Feeding of Ideas (Reading, MA Addison Wesley,1986)• De Bono, Edward, Six Thinking Hats Boston, Little Brown, 1985• Haywood, Martha, Managing Virtual Teams (Boston: Artech House, 1998)• Smith, Phyl. Creating Workplaces Where People Can Think 1st ed. (San Francisco, CA. : Jossey-

Bass, 1994)• Simon, H., D. Smithburg and V. Thompson, Public Administration (New Jersey. Transaction

Books, 1991• Tropman, John Managing Ideas in the Creating Organization (Westport, CT. Quorum, 1998)• Ward, Thomas B. Creativity and the Mind : Discovering the Genius Within (New York : Plenum

Press, 1995.)

Effective Group Decision Making

Doing Good through Doing Well

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Decision Dynamics

• Individual • Remember the 9s

– selective perception– review for proof only– overcommittment

• The Group– error correcting

mechanism– social support– competition for respect

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What goes wrong?• Vigilant decision is

the goal• -- problems on either

side --• 1 • defensive avoidance• 2 • hyperactivity - panic

• from Janis & Mann, Decision Making

• What are the problems?– 1 • Lack of time– 2 • Lack of hope– 3 • No freedom of choice– 4 • Lack of skills– 5 • Conflict re goals(and no

way to resolve conflict)– 6 • Distraction– 7 • Attribution errors– 8 • No reversibility

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Problems in Effective Group Decision Making

• Avoid “folly”( Tuchman, Kerr) 1

• Avoid “group think”2

• Avoid the “Abilene paradox”3

• Avoid the “garbage can”4

• Avoid “boiled frogism”5• 1Barbara Tuchman, The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam (New York: Knopf, 1984). Kerr, Steve,

www.geocities.com/.../forum/1650/rewardinga.html• 2I. Janis, Groupthink: Psychological Studies of Policy Decisions and Fiascoes (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1983).• 3Jerry B. Harvey, “The Abeline Paradox, Organizational Dynamics (Summer, 1974), pp.. 63-80.• 4Noel Tichy and M. Devanna, The Transformational Leader (New York: Wiley, 1986).

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Problems in Effective Group Decision Making

• Defensive Routines– topics cannot be

discussed– their undiscussablility

is undiscussable

• Brute Think– on…and on… and

on...

• Zeno’s Paradox (not Xena!)

– close, but no cigar

• Occam’s Razor– complex is bad

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Folly 1• A Really Stupid Move

– Decision is counter-productive in its own time

• You CHOSE it– Alternative courses of action

must have been available• WE did it

– It is a policy of a group, not a person, and must persist beyond the political lifetime of the group or executive

– From Barbara Tuchman, The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam (New York: Knopf, 1984).

Burn it

Throw it into the sea

Bring it in!

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Folly - 2

• Steve Kerr’s Famous Article – www.geocities.com/..

./forum/1650/rewardinga.html

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Group Think

• Two versions• The cohesion is too

great– No one wants to be

the bringer of bad news

• The boss says “I’m thinking Chinese Food. What are you thinking Chuck?”

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The Abilene Paradox

• THE ABILENE PARADOX

• the mismanagement of agreement

– Jerry B. Harvey, “The Abilene Paradox”, Organizational Dynamics(Summer, 1974), PP 63-80.

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The Garbage Can Model of Organizational Choice

– THE GARBAGE CAN • problem knowers• problem solvers• resource controllers• decision makers

– From M. Cohen, J. March and J. Olsen, “A Garbage Can Model of Organizational Choice” Administrative Science Quarterly, 17 (1972) PP. 1-15.

Random hearts

4C2

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The Boiled Frog Syndrome – THE BOILED FROG

• the Just Noticeable Difference Syndrome

• From Noel Tichy and M. Devanna, The Transformational Leader(New York: Wiley, 1986).

Does it seem hotter to you?

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Defensive Routines

– DEFENSIVE ROUTINES

• a topic is undiscussable

• its undiscussability is undiscussable

• From Chris Argyris, Strategy, Change and Defensive RoutinesBoston, Pittman, 1985 When I want an

Idea from you I will give you one!

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Brute Think

• I’ll Stay all nite!• Use Problem Bracketing

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Zeno’s Paradox

– ZENO’S PARADOX• close, but ...

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Occam’s Razor

• The simplest solution (the one with the fewest steps) is the best– Simple = few steps that actually do the job– Simplistic = few steps that do not do the job

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What is Needed --Steps in the Decision Process

•J. Cleese, Meetings, Bloody Meetings– Problem– Evidence– Argue about what the

evidence proves– Decide– Implement

• Janis and Mann– Need– Alternatives– Gains/Losses

– self– others

– Pros/Cons– Commit to Act– Implement

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What is Needed- Information Structure

• Cover the Informational Bases• Use information as roles or 1 at a time

– Logic, Hat Control, Positivity,– Problematics, Emotion,– Creativity

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What is Needed – Beware of the Black Hat

• Watch out for Negaholics

• Negativity has about a 6 to 1 power over positivity– positive in

particular/negative in general

– negative in particular/positive in general

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What is Needed- Managing Decision Processes

• In real time• Cannot learn well by trial and error

– decision rules– decision mosaic– decision elements– rounds of discussion– decision crystallization– decision sculpting

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1 • Manage Decision Rules

• Extensive• Intensive• Involvement• Expert• Power

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The Extensive Rule• Extensiveness

– the greatest good for the greatest number

– what to most of the people want

– participants and stakeholders

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The Intensive Rule• Intensiveness

– who feels strongly?– how strongly do they

feel?– can we accommodate

them?

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The Involvement Rule • Involvement

– who has to carry out the decision?

– what do they want to do?

– “what are we having for dinner tonight… dear?”

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The Expert Rule • Expertise

– what do the experts think?

• science• law• experience

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The Power Rule • Power

– what does the boss want?

– what do powerful people want?

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2 • Manage theDecision Mosaic

• “Decision” is a Collective Noun.

• It’s a Mosaic of Elements.

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3 • Manage Decision Elements

• A Decision Element is an individual piece of the Mosaic.

• Guttman scale

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4 • Manage Rounds of Discussion

• A Round of Discussion is that point at which each person has made one contribution.

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5 • Manage Decision Crystallization

• “DC” involves• Summarization• Vocalization• Legitimization• Redirection

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6 • Manage Decision Sculpting

• “DS” involves working on the Mosaic.

• Think of Pork Dinner

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Decision Audit

• A - all win (though not =ly)

• B - some win/some loose, but there is a + balance

• C - null set• D - opposite of the B• F - the all loose

action

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Decision Autopsy

• Things Gone Right• Things Gone Wrong• (R=D+I)

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Decision Autopsy

• The New Way• The Old Way

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Committee Implementation :What Does Simon Say?

• Five Problems • A -INERTIA

B-CULTURAL LAGC SELF INTERESTD RATIONALITYE- SUBORDINATION

H. Simon, D. Smithburg and V. Thompson, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

(Transaction Books, 1991) Ch. 21

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ACHIEVING IMPLEMENTATION Simon’s Solvers

• INERTIA– A1 make compliance easy– A2 make non compliance difficult

• CULTURAL LAG– B1 adjust to prevailing values– B2 identify the plan with value

symbols

• SELF INTEREST– C1 manage disturbance– C2 provide compensation

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ACHIEVING IMPLEMENTATION Simon’s Solvers

• RATIONALITY– D1 manage requirements– D2 develop acceptable

justifications– D3 communicate justifications

• SUBORDINATION– E1 create involvement

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REVIEW YOUR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

• Anything you want to add?– The long view– the close view– R=D+I

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Recap

• Key Points • Takeaways