Discussion Topic #5 Prompts

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Prompt #1:  What did you learn about organizations, and/or the behavior of individuals within an organization?  How do the ideas presented in Part Five (the Symbolic Frame) of the B&D textbook enrich your understanding of the ways in which organizations and the people working in them function?

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This week’s reading in regard to the Symbolic Frame taught me about the reality of business versus the perception of business. That is to say that I am able to recognize that strategic planning, policies, and procedures do not define the success of a company. Instead, it is the culture of the people within the business that drives organizational performance. While strictly outlined processes allow businesses to inspire confidence and compliance, it is important to understand that there is also a place for freedom of action within the organization. “Effective teams balance seriousness with play and humor.” (B&D, pg. 285) The incorporation of a theatrical environment allows team members to utilize stories and rituals as they build a sense of culture and shared identity. “Storytelling is a simple, timeless, and memorable way to have fun, train new people, recognize accomplishments, and spread the word.” (B&D, pg. 260)

 

Prompt #2:  How can you apply the concepts that you have learned about in the readings to your personal or organizational life?  Be specific.

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This week’s concepts relate very closely to some of the practices I institute as a leader. For most of my life, I have been labeled as chronically goofy. Not in a way that implies a lack of personal capacity, but instead refers to the lighthearted way in which I approach life. Many years ago, I came to realize something very important – negative situations can never be improved by negative emotions. At work, as it is in all aspects of life, we face times of conflict and uncertainty. While these things are not inherently negative, they are often linked to negative experiences in the workplace. As a leader, it is my job to turn conflict and uncertainty into productive learning experiences. In order to move past the negative association of these terms, I use humor. While humor is not often referred to as a critical leadership skill, it does allow me to reframe unproductive situations. According to our text, “[humor] integrates, expresses skepticism, contributes to flexibility and adaptiveness, and signals status.” (B&D, pg. 268) By eliminating barriers to positive thinking, I open a pathway to growth and learning.

In addition to the use of humor, I also am widely recognized in my company as a storyteller. Anybody who has worked with me for more than a week can tell you that, once upon a time, I worked at a bagel shop. That bagel shop is where I learned some of my earliest and most valuable lessons about professional leadership. In order to communicate the same level of value to my peers, I often share stories about the heroes of my past as well as some of the villains. I frame past situations in the context of a story so that people can learn from my experiences without feeling like they are simply being directed towards some policy driven behavior. My stories also allow me to be vulnerable in admitting that I have made mistakes of my own and can relate to the challenges my team might be facing. While I was never specifically educated in the value of humor and storytelling, I learned by my own experience that these can be amazingly efficient tools in goal achievement and team development.

 

Prompt #3:  Take a look at the Week 5 Video Clips content area.  It’s your turn to talk about your life and any meaningful personal connections you care to make about the symbolic frame.  Comment on your life, the videos, and whatever connections strike your fancy!

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Before I entered my Organizational Leadership degree program with ASU, I didn’t really know about conversation forums such as TED Talks. This is somewhat amazing because one of my friends and past coworkers actually used to direct TEDx events in Albuquerque, New Mexico. While I appreciate the informative and educational nature of course text books, videos like the ones shared this week help to reinforce the concepts that we are learning about. For example, Bolman and Deal describe metaphors as a way to “compress complicated issues into understandable images, influencing our attitudes and actions.” (B&D, pg. 268) While this definition serves to illustrate the useful nature of metaphors in a professional setting, it does little to inspire a deeper understanding of their use. In the animated talk The art of the metaphor, Jane Hirshfield builds upon the functional explanation of metaphor by demonstrating the various ways in which messages can be conveyed through indirect speech. “Metaphors give words a way to go beyond their own meaning. They’re handles on the door of what we can know and of what we can imagine…What’s amazing is this – by making a handle, you can make a world.” (Hirshfield, 5:05) Coupled with engaging animation, Hirshfield’s words demonstrate the power of metaphor while simultaneously explaining it.

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While I was drawn into the presentation of The art of metaphor, the real life videos of Ananda Shankar Jayant and Devdutt Pattanaik provided an equal level of value in communicating aspects of the Structural Frame. In each of their presentations, Jayant and Pattanaik use storytelling as a way of sharing their experience and beliefs. “The morals in stories are invariably inviting, fun and inspiring.” (B&D, pg. 260) As they work to share valuable lessons with their audience, Jayant and Pattanaik’s stories act as a vessel for knowledge - transporting information across turbulent seas into the still waters of our mind.

 

Prompt #4:  Throughout your progression in the Organizational Leadership program, you have had a number of courses that include content complementary to the Symbolic frame.  Please highlight what you would consider to be two of the most important things (ideas, concepts, theories, models, processes, skills, etc.) that you have learned in previous coursework that you can relate to the Symbolic frame.  Briefly discuss each key learning, the course where you learned it, and its connection with the Symbolic Frame.  (I know that this may be the hardest of the frames to relate to previous coursework.  It’s OK to consider courses outside of Organizational Leadership as well – think metaphorically and I think you’ll come up with some good connections that you can highlight here.)

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Looking back to the Spring of last year, I was enrolled in BIS 350: Diversity and Organizations. This course, while seemingly narrow in its focus, shared a lot of valuable insight into the concepts of the Symbolic Frame. More specifically, it served as an education in the value of an open mind. Different cultures and different people will often approach situations in uniquely specific ways. In many cultures, rituals and traditions echo the theatrical elements of this week’s reading and storytelling is highlighted as a way of bridging the gap between various groups. The concepts of the Structural Frame are also reflected in BIS 343: Social Processes in Organizations. This course was focused more on establishing effective social relationships in a team environment, but incorporated the aspects of communicating vision and ideas through cultural behaviors. Establishing group norms through genuine interactions allows teams to move beyond the limitations of organizational process and demonstrate cohesion in achieveing goals.

 

Prompt #5:  How do matters that pertain to the Symbolic Frame work in an organization with which you are affiliated?  What sorts of symbols, myths, stories, heroes or rituals, etc. exist and what is their impact?  What is the organizational culture (even if you are talking about a family or team)?

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One of the largest elements of our organizational culture at Starbucks is the use of storytelling when communicating purpose. Despite his obvious mortal status, Howard Schultz is often viewed as a hero within our company. His story comes complete with details of the rise of the Starbucks empire and the human elements that helped us avoid certain doom when things were at their worst. Howard is known for being a passionate and compassionate individual who is invested in the well-being of his “partners”. While this concept is more closely linked to the Human Resource Frame, his method of delivery defines the importance of Structural elements in business. Take, for example, the reason why Starbucks provides insurance to all workers who maintain at least 20 hours a week of work. Rather than expressing monetary facts and figures, Howard shares a story from his childhood. Howard’s father was once injured and did not insurance to address the costs of recovery. The financial trauma of the situation caused the Schultz family tremendous harm and Howard works to protect others from the same experience. While Howard relates the details of the story more passionately than I do, his message comes across as inspiring and educational. Such is the process for many company communications – shared through story and not directives.

 

Prompt #6:  Additionally, with respect to your organization, identify a metaphor for “as it is” and “as it might become”.  Discuss this briefly. That’s in bold to be sure you don’t skip it.  Hint, Hint.  Confused about what a metaphor is?  Then read the material more carefully (Chapter 12, Humor, Metaphor, and Play – page 262, is a good place to start).  You might also do a little informal research on the idea of metaphors, use a dictionary, etc.  Also, recall the metaphors of factories, families, jungles, and temples initially used by Bolman and Deal when they introduced the four frames… 

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In my view, Starbucks serves as a metaphor for the value of vision, dedication, and unwavering commitment to something bigger than itself. For its customers, Starbucks is like a “Third Place”. A place where people can escape the worries of the world even while they are away from comfort of their own homes. It is a place that fosters a sense of community and belonging regardless of our personal circumstances. For those of us who work for Starbucks, the company represents safety and security in a world of confusion. The culture of the organization is rooted in its unchanging commitment to operating “through the lens of humanity.” The company provides meaning and support for our daily actions and encourages us to live, grow, and prosper as individuals. In many ways each store is a cathedral – a sanctuary from the evils of the world.