I need 2 responses to my classmates discussion board posts. Please keep in order.
Hassan Khatab-My first take away and important to remember is on how to create an effective group and in our text book there are 7 guidelines on that, my favorite guideline is guideline number 2 which highlights the importance of effective two-way communication. Johnson and Johnson mentions “Communication is the basis for all human interaction and group functioning, and it is especially important when groups of people are working toward a common goal.” (Johnsons & Johnson, pp. 24). Moreover, I believe that effective communication minimizes misunderstandings and makes work flows smoothly between group members, just as mentioned in our text book “Effective communication also can decrease misunderstandings and discord among group members. Effective communication depends on minimalizing competition among members and establishing two-way communication.” (Johnson & Johnson, pp. 24).
My second take away is that I learned something about myself from the “How I behave in controversies” exercise that I like to use the elephant animal way because it helps all parties achieve their goals. Actually, it is my favorite way to deal with people, and I like it because I think it is neutral and because it explains the rationale of my position and the rationales for the other positions. Just as mentioned in our book “A decision is sought that ensures both you and the other parties fully achieve your goals and resolve any tensions and negative feelings among you. This strategy requires high trust, fully explaining the rationale for your position and learning the rationales for the other parties.” (Johnson & Johnson, pp. 306).
Reference: Joining Together, Group Theory and Group Skills by Johnson and Johnson (11th edition).
Teretha Mintz-
One of my greatest “take aways” was the examination of the four tenets of Transformational Leadership, to include the associated discussions, and being able to mesh and use the “discussion two” points in week one (personal leadership examples). I revealed previously that Individualized Consideration was a challenge area due to the time involved with dealing with each subordinate’s needs, and how sometimes this redirects 80% of my time on only 20% of my people. I also revealed that I was blessed to experience the absolute most dynamic motivational leader and coach I've ever come across. He was a branch manager who despised single point failures, so he was a big proponent of sharing knowledge and rotating people as his assistant for development (Briana’s post reminded me of this). He also did this as a means of delegating some of his administrative responsibilities, which is probably how he created so much time away from his desk (example suggested by Steven). He was a great example of “management by walking around”. Reflecting on and “consistently” putting these into practice has and will continue to reaped huge dividends in group leadership. One of my personal leadership problems is consistency in this area.
Another “take away” was the exploration of the Decision Making methods. The decision making I’m involved with is carried out based on level of responsibility and circumstances. For the most part, I allowed the situation to dictate the decision making method used. Exploring this portion of the text enabled me to recall on more experiences in other decision making methods (Average of Members’ opinions, and Minority and Majority Control) than I previously realized. It also educated me on some of the disadvantages, such as alienation and future group effectiveness, of some of these methods. Time management and effective (and thorough) communication are very important aspects in any leadership strategy, which I find would mitigate the disadvantages associated with most of the decision making methods discussed.
References:
Johnson, D. H.; Johnson, & F. P XXXXXXXXXXJoining Together: Group Theory and Group Skills (12 ed., The Merrill Counseling Series). New York, NY. Pearson
https://www.langston.edu/sites/default/files/basic-content-files/TransformationalLeadership.pdf
Bass Transformational Leadership Theory. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.leadership-central.com/bass-transformational-leadership-theory.html#axzz5ECTeD8xw