theory assignment 2
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Analysis Paper #2 1
Kenyon Stanley
Dr. White
COMM 604
4 February 2011
Analysis Paper #2
Currently, I am organizing a new nonprofit outreach to the homeless. There are many
steps that are involved with getting an organization off and running. While my passion to help
the needy is a core element of my identity, I cant do it alone. There are currently no staff
positions in the organization (Transformation Charlotte). However, there are 10 volunteers that
rely on my guidance to serve the needs of homeless men, women and children. The way
Transformation Charlotte currently meets the needs of the homeless are distributing basic need
items, serving meals and assisting unemployed homeless men and women in finding gainful
employment. We are hoping to secure enough funding to open a day shelter in October of 2011.
Effectively managing others is vital to meeting organizational goals. As consulting executive
director, it is my responsibility to coordinate and direct outreach events to the homeless citizens
in the Charlotte area.
I would identify my leadership style as a 9.7 according to the Blake and Mouton
managerial grid (E.M. Eisenberg, H.L. Goodall Jr. & A. Trethewey, 2010, p.253). I place the
highest emphasis on relationships. I believe that volunteers produce the most when they believe
that their relational needs are met. Furthermore, the emphasis on relationship is passed down
from me to the volunteers and from them to the homeless men, women and children we serve.
After all, it is our organizations purpose to affect change in the lives of the needy. In order for
us to accomplish this task, the people in need must self-disclose personal and quite often painful
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Analysis Paper #2 2
life experiences. In my experience, I have noticed that homeless people are distrustful of
othersespecially people in authority. Breaking down trust barriers takes time, honesty and
genuine compassion. One cant fake compassion and expect to gain the trust of a homeless
individual.
There are several additional reasons why I consider myself a 9,7 manager. First, our
team of volunteers is interdependent upon one another. We realize that no single individual is
more important than another. Furthermore, as an organization, we value people over policy.
When I was employed at the Mens Shelter of Charlotte, I noticed that many of the employees
neglected to provide services because a particular policy was ambiguous and she or he didnt
want to do the extra work and investigate whether or not to provide a service. At Transformation
Charlotte, we will endeavor to create flexible policies and procedures giving the volunteers the
freedom to think for themselves and the power to act. Lastly, while my title as consulting
executive director implies ultimate authority. I hope my decisions will be group based and full
of other peoples ideas. My reason for leading in this manner is simple. The collective
intelligence of a group is far superior to the intelligence of one person.
My 9,7 leadership style has several advantages and disadvantages. First, by leading
through collaboration, our team is very close. We have a highly cohesive core group of
volunteers that care for each other and the mission. Our group doesnt obey directives because
they have to; they obey because they want to. The collaborative decision making process allows
for every team member to own the organizational goals. The result is I have a team that is
dedicated, passionate and determined to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. One
of the main disadvantages to my leadership style is the likelihood that our decision making
effectiveness will deteriorate due to groupthink. According to T. E. Harris & J.C. Sherblom
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(2011), some of the influenced of groupthink are concurrence seeking and group cohesiveness.
If we want to avoid making poor group decisions, we must continually insist to scrutinize our
decisions and avoid openly agreeing with a group position when privately someone disagrees. I
am sure that as Transformation Charlotte grows, we will fall into groupthink. I think that
realizing the potential for groupthink up front will help us identify it in the future.
If I were to lead Transformation Charlotte using a 9,1 authority obedience leadership
style. The organization would look a lot different. The Mens Shelter of Charlotte is lead by an
individual who is a 9,1. At the shelter, there is a control and compliance attitude that negatively
affects the overall morale of the agency. Additionally, workplace conditions are arranged in a
way that human factors dont impact the work. Personally, I find the lack of human elements in
the workplace counterproductive to an organization that seeks to help a vulnerable cohort of our
society. I have heard from several of the staff and guests at the shelter say that the Mens Shelter
is run like a jail, with the guests being treated like inmates and the intake staff treated like jail
guards. I do believe that if I adopted a 9,1 leadership style then when we open the day shelter, it
would resemble the Mens Shelter of Charlotte. The employees wouldnt follow the leaders
because they want to, they would obey directives because they have to. However, as much as I
dislike the Taylor-esque culture at the Mens Shelter of Charlotte, they do provide a service to
the needy. After all, the organization houses nearly 700 people per night, distribute clothing, and
serve breakfast lunch and dinner 7 days a week and 365 days per year. The shelter is efficient
and machine like. Unfortunately, the issue of homelessness is a personal issue and getting
people off the streets will only happen if passionate people connect with the homeless, build trust
and earn the right to speak into their lives.
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References
Eisenberg, E.M., Goodall, H.L., Jr., & Trethewey, A. (2010). Organizational
communication: Balancing creativity and constraint (6th
Edition). Boston: Bedford/St.
Martins.
Harris, T.E. & Sherblom, J.C., (2011), Small group and team communication (5th
edition),
Boston: Pearson.