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B822 leadership. Have you got it?

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Edited by Jonathan Vernon, Saturday, 8 Dec 2012, 00:06

What makes a highly effective leader?

SELF-AWARE

Initiative Strategic Vision A thirst for constructive criticism A self-depreciating sense of humour Play to strengths. But most important of all Emotional intelligence.

SELF-REGULATE VS Impulsive behaviour.

Self-regulation that frees us from being prisoners of our feelings (2006:126) Creating an environment of trust.

MOTIVATION

Motivated to achieve. Passion for the work itself Keep track of scores. Committed to the organisation

EMPATHY

Thoughtfully considering the employees feelings. Coaching and feedback.

SOCIAL SKILLS and rapport

N.B. emotional intelligence can be taught.

REFERENCE

Goleman, D (1998) What makes a leader? Harvard Business Review, November, 93-102

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B822 is the idea A,U,A?

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Edited by Jonathan Vernon, Tuesday, 8 Nov 2011, 18:28

Actionable Useful Appropriate (Amabile 1998:77)

Even regarding Social Media I am asked this all the time, let alone my call for more use of video and 'user generated content'.

It being 'creative' is not enough, value must be apparent, predictable, then measured and monitored. At times processes want the Jack in the Box; while I want it 'out there' turning heads and grabbing attention.

I am taken by the diagram that puts creativity at the intersect of Expertise, Creative Thinking and Motivation, but when I read about intrinsic motivation over extrinsic I grin: this is familiar territory, personally it is what makes me tick, and appropriately in the week I am interviewed to volunteer at the Olympics and on the evening I agree to some pro bono work for my old swimming club, I am reminded of the role intrinsic motivation plays in sport.

The intrinsic motivation principle of creativity: people will be most creative when they motivated primarily by the interest, satisfaction and challenge of the work itself and not by external pressures. (Amabile 1998:79)

THE CREATIVITY MAZE (Amabile 1998:80)

A mouse is extrinsically motivated to find the cheese in a maze and will in time take the direct route to the goal however many twists and turns there are.

The creative person, for the love of the maze will question every twist and turn and ultimately uncover a quicker or more direct route through, over or with the maze. 

I've found me again.

Repeatedly trying against type to be the mouse I become unstuck. I've been there, in the context of film production, I have been the producer who hires people who are motivated to achieve what they perceive as required for the project.

Money matters, but I have worked with people who do it for free and are equally if not more motivated to deliver and are prepared, as I have twice done (short films: 'Listening In' and 'Watersprites', to work through the night). (Both on YouTube under JJ27VV)

I can indeed apply what I learn today, today.

An OU motto used only the other morning by our Dean Prof. James Fleck (or in my case what I learn tonight, I can apply in a few hours time to question how creativity is facilitated or crushed by the system and little ways to feed the motivation of those around me).

Not satisfied simply to read this, take notes and screen grabs, I feel I will be sharing links or copies with close colleagues, faculty and campus colleagues as a means to seek a modus operandi that facilitates creativity.

At this point, unusually I must break off this conversation and contemplate where I place such deeper and potentially sensitive and private reflection.

Ideally this would be into the pages of a locked e-portfolio blog, or alternatively offline (initially) into a relational database such as FileMaker Pro.

Serendipitous to be on this module now and for the first article I read to be this one?

(though I should have been doing an MBA the year before this paper was published).

Reference

Amabile. T.M. (1998) pp.77-79 How to kill creativity. Harvard Business Review. October to September.

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Getting Organized

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Edited by Jonathan Vernon, Friday, 17 Sep 2010, 09:43

Getting Organized in the Google Era

by Douglas C. Merrill and James A. Martin

(Broadway Business, 2010)

A book I've just bought based on a pithy review in the Harvard Business Review. In brief Douglass Merill and Jame Martin suggest:

Stop chasing work/life balance and start focusing on

work/life integration.

For example, keep a list of five-minute tasks to tackle while in line at the grocery store, and if there’s a lull at the office, ditch your desk for a bit to mentally refresh.

Realize that filing information is almost always futile.

Our brains aren’t built to recall data out of context, but, lucky for us, many new technologies are. They rely on search, not sort. You should, too.

The authors, say Rasika Welankiwar reviewing the book for the Harvard Business Reviews says that the book makes good use of Merrill’s Google expertise (he's a whizz director of something at Google), offers 21 principles of organization, and includes 'a sprinkle of song lyrics'.

What next? A podcast and a sketch on YouTube?

I'll keep you posted as I consme and digest.

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Management is not a profession

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Edited by Jonathan Vernon, Friday, 17 Sep 2010, 09:44

Management is not a profession. Harvard Business Review

I came across this, read and rejoiced.

http://libezproxy.open.ac.uk/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=51600603&site=ehost-live&scope=site

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Innovations

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Edited by Jonathan Vernon, Friday, 17 Sep 2010, 13:42

Reading (do we say that still) H807 'Innovations in E-learning' ? (there is still a good deal of reading!) ... read or plan to take H807?

You'll like this

'Stop the Innovations War'

http://libezproxy.open.ac.uk/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=51600646&site=ehost-live&scope=site

The idea in brief, to make innovation a powerful business tool is to treat

'innovation initiative ... as a partnership between a dedicated team and the group that handles ongoing operations, the performance engine.

Although conflicts between partners are inevitable, they can be managed, by following three steps:

Divide the labor

The performance engine should take on only tasks that flow in parallel with ongoing operations--along the same path, at the same pace, and with the same people in charge. All other tasks should be assigned to the dedicated team.

Assemble the dedicated team

Leaders must approach the dedicated team as if they were building a new company--from scratch. Breaking down existing work relationships and creating new ones is an essential task, which outside hires can help expedite.

Mitigate the conflicts

The innovation leader must take a positive and collaborative approach to working with the performance engine and must be supported by an executive senior enough to prioritize the company's long-term interests and adjudicate contests for resources.

Go read and let's discuss?

Jonathan

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