January 20, 2010 Elaine Meyers, Coordinator Big Picture with Secretary of State Ken Bennett Directors Panel Discussion of the Political Frame Tips on Working with a Mentor Arizona Library Leadership Academy Orientation
Dec 28, 2015
January 20, 2010Elaine Meyers, Coordinator
Big Picture with Secretary of State Ken Bennett
Directors PanelDiscussion of the Political FrameTips on Working with a Mentor
Arizona Library Leadership Academy Orientation
Agenda 9-10 a.m.Name tags with leadership style adjectiveFour corner exercise one: go to the corner
where you feel most comfortableFactoryFamilyJungleTemple
Four corner exercise two: go to the corner where you feel the least comfortable
Framework for LearningStructural Frame: organizing groups to get results
Human Resources Frame: meeting human needs, positive interpersonal and group dynamics
Political frame: coping with power, conflict, building coalitions, internal/external politics
Symbolic frame: shape culture that gives meaning and purpose to work
“Cluelessness”….introductionWhat do you know about ….hope you are not
“clueless”Secretary of State Ken Bennett?http://www.bennettarizona.com/about/
State Librarian GladysAnn Wells?http://www.lib.az.us/about/wells.cfm
Your library director?
Common fallacies in explaining organization problems…
Blaming people
Blaming the organization
Thirsting for power
Organizations are….Complex
Surprising
Deceptive
Ambiguous
Avoiding pitfalls…Not staying around to see consequences of
our actionsCycles of blame and self-defenseSeeing only what we expect to see…dust
bunniesUsing theories as self-sealing filters—block
us from seeing our errors or opportunitiesRemembering positive aspect of
getting what we expectWhat is a coach?What is a mess?
Political Frame Realistic process of making decisions and allocating resources in a context of scarcity and divergent interests…p. 190
Positive? Negative? Neutral?
Positive views…The implicit hope is that participation,
openness and collaboration substitute for power.
“We have to stop describing power always in negative terms: (as in) it excludes, it represses. In fact, power produces; it produces reality.” p.201 text
Political assumptionsOrganizations are coalitions of assorted
individuals and interest groups. Coalition members have enduring differences in
values, beliefs, information, interests and perceptions of reality.
Most decisions involve allocating scarce resources—who gets what.
Scarce resources and enduring differences put conflict at the center of day-to-day dynamics and make power the most important asset.
Goals and decisions emerge from bargaining and negotiation among competing stakeholders jockeying for their own interests. (not edicts from on high)
Sources of power
Position power (authority)Control of rewardsCoercive powerInformation and expertiseReputationPersonal powerAlliances and networksAccess and control of agendasFraming: control and meaning of
symbols
Conflict…..
An organization can experience too much or too little conflict…p. 207
But well-handled conflict can stimulate creativity and innovation and make an organization a livelier, more adaptive, and more effective place…p.207
Constructive side of politics…It is hard to dislike politics without also disliking people.Set agendas: goals, activities, strategyMap political terrain
Channels of communicationPrincipal agentsMobilize internal/externalAnticipate counterstrategy
NetworkRelevant relationshipsResistance-why? Strength?Hold enemies closeHave back-up plan
Build coalitionsKnow power and roles
Negotiate
WIN-WIN: getting to “yes”Separate people from the problem (view disagreement as information)Focus on interests, not positions
Invent options for mutual gain instead of locking on to the first alternative that comes to mind
Insist on objective criteria—standards of fairness for both substance and procedure (one cut pie, other choose first piece)
Maslow’s Hierarchy of NeedsMoral leaders appeal to higher-order human
needs
Questions for moral leadersAre you following rules that are mutually
understood and accepted?Are you comfortable discussing and
defending your choices?Would you want to be on the receiving end
of your own actions?What is everyone acted as you did? Would
the impact on society be desirable?Are their alternatives you could consider
that rest on firmer ethical ground?
Morality and Politics
Mutuality: playing by the same rules
Generality: compare action to comparable situation
Openness: sunlight disinfects
Caring: concerns for feelings and well being of others
Political Ecosystems
Provide support
Work within a system to find own niche
Relationships can be competitive, collaborative or interdependent
Big Picture SessionListen for ideas discussed in Bolman and
Deal
Listen for arguments, strategies, ideas that particularly resonate with you
Listen for ideas you want to explore further
Listen to how resources are shared and how priorities are made
Favorite quote or idea from reading?
…extraordinary tenacity in extracting something worthwhile from their experiences and in seeking experiences rich in opportunities for growth.” p. 12
Your examples shared in small groups during lunch
Directors’ Panel: What are some principles or strategies
you use to organize groups or teams for maximum results? Do you have an "ideal" organization chart or scheme?
How to you create libraries that meet the human needs of your employees? How to you work with Human Resources to assure you have the best possible employees?
Directors’ PanelTell us a political story that will help us
become better leaders. What advice to you have to emerging leaders on how to hone our political skills.
We are experiencing the most challenging times in recent decades in all of our civic sectors. What are you doing to create a culture that will give meaning and purpose to all employees?
Leadership Lessons from Children’s Literature: Big PLANS
My leadership style groupsCreative
Nurturing
Communicative
Steady hand
Sources of power
Position power (authority)Control of rewardsCoercive powerInformation and expertiseReputationPersonal powerAlliances and networksAccess and control of agendasFraming: control and meaning of
symbols
Brainstorm some strategies for building on your skillsWhat are your skills that are good and
could get better?
What are skills that you need to complement your strength? To make you more balanced?
What behavior would an improvement in skill change?
Working with your MentorGail’s overview
Mentor training
What you want your mentor to know….
GROW Model: GOALWhat specifically do you want to achieve?
What would be the most helpful thing for you to take away from this session?
How will you know that you’ve reached your goal?
GROW Model: REALITYWhat have you done so far?What’s your experience with this?What would you like to do?What gets in the way of you achieving
this?What resources do you have available
to you to reach this goal?What other resources do you need?How will you get them?
GROW Model: OPTIONSWhat are all the different ways you could
approach this goal?What are the advantages and disadvantages
of each?What else could you do?Which steps would give you the best results?What would happen if you did nothing?What is the worst that could happen if you
do X?Which solution feels the best to you?
GROW Model: WILLING TO DOWhich option or options do you choose?
To what extent does this meet all your objectives?
How will you know if you are successful?
GROW Summary with MentorSo what you’re saying is that you’re
going to do X by Y (date) and measure your success by Z (result)—is that right?
Mentor review and individual outcome plansGROW model handout
Practice mock interview in teams of three
Take time to work on your plan.
Political frame and our leaders, dust bunnies, lessons from Big Picture
How do our leaders work in the political frame?
Politics! Me? Dustbunnies?
•Looking for luck or a tool
•Collaborate using rhyming
•Unison rhyming that made the vacuum sound haunted
•Walk out of the tube
•Get a lawyer and wait it out while getting to know the other dust bunnies in vacuum. Make new friends.
•Who needs a tool? Sooner or later someone is going to empty this vacuum cleaner.
Questions and Answers