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Although I’m working on my last OUBS assignment ”What makes a Good Manager?”, I have been distracted by a handy little Harvard Management Tips book I picked up in WH Smith recently. The book is a compilation of the Harvard Business Review‘s Management Tip of the Day and suggests “useful”personal development, team and business advice. It has given me an idea. I fancy blogging my way through the advice and sharing my experience of it here. A sort of Julie and Julia approach (the American girl who blogged her way through a 1950s cookbook but I’d be doing it on management.).

The first tip is to Create a New Leadership Vision. I need to articulate my values and re-examine my goals for the future. I will then need to draft a statement illustrating what I hope to have achieved by 2025! I’m not sure I can even think that far ahead. It is already making me feel older than I am already. And what does it mean by leadership and major contributions? I assume it is about how I plan on leading myself to something big. But will I drink (you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink!) by the time I get there?  What if I change my mind? And what if my goals are not to win a Nobel Prize but rather more mundane?

Well, I suppose some of the things that might make my personal development list this week are: potential Ph.D study and my imput as a Professional Advisor to the OUBS’ Alumni Advisory Board. Although I didn’t make it to a seat on the board, I have been offered an expertise role, which is very exciting. I will hopefully find out more in the coming weeks.  My research into Ph.D. programmes continues too. At the moment, my research ideas are about blogging and reflection, the limitations of reflection, and entrepreneurship. All the research ideas are works-in-progress. Hopefully, I’ll have some further inspiration once I press “submit” on my last MBA assignment.

Phew! I managed to hand in my last tutor marked assignment (TMA 03) two weeks ago. I was more than happy to press send on that 7,500 monster, packed with evidence and, hopefully, insightful commentary. It consumed so much of my time in January and early February that I didn’t have a spare thought to blog. It also had the added pressure of being worth 50% of the overall assignment marks. Writing for fun is so much easier. When you have to submit content for marking it is really stressful. Well for me, anyway.

The assignment situation reminded me of Daniel Pink’s book “Drive” and his chapters on intrinsic motivation. Here he discusses research undertaken by Amabile on commissioned and non-commissioned art work and the role creativity plays in it. He states that a panel of experts, not privy to the design of Amabile’s experiment, constantly rated the non-commissioned art work as more “creative”. The artists even stated that they felt constrained by commissioned pieces. Sometimes it seems the boundaries of the task or the context itself really “fences you in” to paraphrase Cole Porter.

Although the end of my OU MBA journey is in sight, I still have one last exam to complete. This time I have to submit a 2,000 word essay on the role of management theory and whether a perfect manager can ever exist. I can certainly think of examples of what makes a bad manager! I have started with my refreshed mind-mapping skills and had fun reversing the open exam question. It’s funny how looking at the question in a different light can give you a new perspective. I hope to complete this essay by the end of March – then I can enjoy a stress-free Easter break.

But the more pressing question for me is what happens next? Once my B830 module is completed in April I will just be awaiting my final MBA result. So far I’m focussed on two potential areas continuing on with academia and embarking on a Ph.D. or just writing more. In order to take more action on the former, I’m attending the Post-Graduate Ph.D. Fair in Victoria this weekend. I’m hoping to meet some university representatives and discuss their different management programmes. I quite like the idea of going to CASS or Birkbeck because I could self-fund my studies. On the latter, I’m going to blog more regularly and launch my online management magazine. My husband even bought me the Genius Guide to WordPress – I think he’s worried that I’ll have too much time on my hands soon!

After David at C2 Careers kindly pointed me in the direction of the chaos theory of careers. I have been busy thinking (among other things!) of Duffy’s (2000) research and how it relates to my context. Duffy defines career-plateau as a time of change, transition, re-evaluation and reflection. I certainly can relate to that outline.

She cites Bardwick’s (1986) three types of career plateau workers in the article. Those being structural, content, and personal. Structural relates to limited opportunities for career development within an organisation. Content plateau is when an employee has mastered their job and needs further stimulation. Personal plateau, probably the most dangerous of all, is when both work and non-work activities are not stimulating for an individual at all.

Duffy (2000) suggests that chaos theory can help explain an individual’s career-plateau journey because there are usually trigger points (an urgent awareness that change must occur). During this time, the individual can experience much uncertainty, unpredictability, and ambiguity. Despite this chaos, order is found and arises out of it as the individual finds ways of creating change whilst a self-organising process usually takes hold through the transition. A new way of knowing emerges.

I can certainly empathise with this description. My MBA journey was triggered by a combination of factors. I had added to my family and could not envisage juggling both full-time work and family responsibilities in a fast-paced environment. My husband was, and still is, travelling abroad a lot which sometimes makes family-life unpredictable. I had also accumulated more than ten years of work experience so it felt like the time was right to explore more academic options. The MBA definitely fitted the bill as I felt it may also open the door to different work opportunities in the future. And so far, against all that chaos at the time, it seems like I made the right call by instigating change. So far, I think I have developed better analytical thinking skills in the last two years of study and a much broader management outlook.

References

Bardwick,J.M. (1986). The Plateauing Trap: How to avoid it in your career…and in your life American Management Association

Duffy, J. A. (2000). The Application of Chaos Theory to the Career-Plateaued Worker Employment Counseling, 37 (December), 229-236

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Continuing on with my research quest for personal development action, I came across an article about Positive Organisational Scholarship (POS) and the idea of the Reflected Best Self (RBS). The premise of the research is that you should stop focussing too much on your weaknesses and learn about what you do well. Only then can you find a fulfilling role that makes the most of your unique talents.

The researchers don’t discount that negative feedback has a place in your own reflections about your behaviour. But they stress that we can be too caught up in what we don’t do well that we forget about what comes effortlessly. It is claimed that people remember one positive emotional memory for every four negative ones. Thus, people respond better to praise rather than criticism. As a parent of two young boys, I have been trying myself to reinforce good behaviour and emotions through positive commentary and less negative feedback. It is hard work, however, when they do things, particularly dangerous things, which try your patience! I think it can be hard to dish out positive feedback generally. I think we can often critique people based on an emotional reaction that has not been fully thought through, particularly to people who are very close to us.

Morgan Roberts et al (2005) claim that RBS helps you to discover your “best possible self” though requesting feedback from a wide-range of people on what you do best. The feedback can come from family members, ex work colleagues, current work colleagues, alumni or volunteer positions, but they must back up the commentary with examples of the value you added. The researchers claim that by doing this you can develop a plan for more effective personal development action. It is not meant to be an egotistical, navel-gazing exercise.

Once you have gathered your feedback, step two is to find common themes and analyse them. Think about what the examples say about you and how they related to your life/work. Did you realise that you were good at these things? Do these traits make you happy?

Step three is to write your own self-portrait that summarises this information. It should be an insightful narrative beginning with the phrase: “When I am at my best, I…” By working out your best “possible self”, we are more likely to make positive changes in our lives.

The last step is to redesign your job. I find this step quite difficult to accept. I don’t think many people will have the luxury of being able to change their current job to what they do best. Granted, I understand in theory that it is obviously better for you to highlight your strengths and take on projects that maximise your input. But in reality, I doubt very much that a lot of people can do this.

For example, factory workers, self-employed people, and non-professionally qualified staff may have a hard time changing roles or self-determining their tasks. The researchers argue that most jobs have a degree of flexibility about them and the trick is to work within the confines of the system so it works better for you.

Also, if a complete mismatch between your strengths and the role you perform occurs, how many people will be able to leave and start afresh in a new position or industry? It can take a long time to find the best fit role, and cynically speaking, how many companies actually live up to the expectations they sell in the interview process?

Nevertheless, I plan on trying this technique out and seeing how my friends, MBA colleagues, and family perceive me. Let’s hope my ego can take it!

Reference:

Roberts LM, Spreitzer G, Dutton J, Quinn R, Heaphy E, & Barker B (2005). How to play to your strengths. Harvard business review, 83 (1) PMID: 15697115

Networking is definitely a broad-church term encompassing online/offline; internal/external; work colleagues/friends; and acquaintances/family. But how do we grow our networks without looking narcissistic and shallow?

Ibarra and Hunter (2007) say that networking is about “creating a fabric of personal contacts that will provide support, feedback, insight, resources, and information”. But many managers, from their study of 30 managers, find networking insincere or manipulative and fail to utilise their contacts effectively. Being time-poor is also an issue.

Singleton and Tarnowska (2010) answer to this is that you should learn to cultivate your relationships whether they be from work, school, college, home or clubs. Probe, ask questions, be interested and share information. Keep in touch, and offer relevant information such as thought-provoking articles, and tips, as and when appropriate. There is no point just collecting more and more business cards and LinkedIn contacts if you are not willing to make an effort to build on your relationships.

There is also the issue of working out how to manage your networks. Ibarra and Hunter (2007) suggest that there are three main types of networking: operational, personal and strategic. Operational networking is about good working relationships both internal, such as peers and superiors, and external, such as suppliers and customers, to the organisation. These connections are relatively straight-forward in the sense that everyone is connected to the organisational network so there are obvious synergies in working with one another even if the relationships are not always easy.

Personal networking encompasses connections made through professional associations, clubs, personal interest groups and alumni. These connections are made out of choice. Ibarra and Hunter (2007) state that this group provides important referrals, information and development support. It can also create a good basis for strategic networking. The issues with personal networking are that you are most likely surrounded by like-minded people who you share personal interests with. Therefore it becomes difficult to work out how valuable this type of network is. It can also reinforce mind-sets.

Strategic networking, however, is about creating inside-outside links for future business and functional purposes. These types of connections can be political, but if you are not in touch with the “bigger picture” and aspire to leadership roles, you can often lose out to someone who is. Strategic networking also requires a lot of time and dedication. It is often one of the reasons given for why women rarely reach a board-level position in an organisation. Balancing the demands of family-life with organisational development is no easy task for anyone.

For the novice networker, Ibarra and Hunter (2007) suggest finding a networking role model and watch and learn. Maybe find an outside interest, say the cinema, and find ways of encouraging it within the organisation and with clients in order to find time to interact with them. Re-allocate your time and workload effectively to find time to network and connect. Nurture your connections. The benefits of networking take time and need constant gardening. In time, it will bloom.

References:

Ibarra H, & Hunter M (2007). How leaders create and use networks. Harvard business review, 85 (1) PMID: 17286073

Singleton, T., & Tarnowska, I. (2010). Take Networking to the Next Level Strategic Finance (February), 19-20

I’m so glad that I have found Herminia Ibarra (2002) articles. She has a lot of useful comments on personal and career development. She is also very practically focused, which suits my EBI requirements. Ibarra (2002) also has a different take on the whole career redevelopment approach, which is outlined in her Harvard Business Review article “How to stay Stuck in the Wrong Career.

Ibarra (2002) believes that instead of wasting too much time planning, analysing, and researching career change options, you should take action first and work through the results iteratively afterwards. Through an action-oriented approach you can adapt, regroup your thoughts, and reorient your pathway from real-life experience. This means that your career change is never a pipedream that is too risky to implement because you are actively pursuing change. You have real-life information on which to base a decision.

It’s also a good way of exploring our many different “selves”. Ibarra quotes research from cognitive psychologist Hazel Markus (1986), Possible Selves, which explores the idea of multiple adult identities formed in the present, past and future. Ibarra argues that her own research reflects this idea that we have many identities. Her career-change subjects identified job opportunities that arose from volunteer opportunities, married life, and networks outside of the workplace. Some subjects had wild ideas of becoming tour guides or scuba instructors whilst others found identities in the non-profit sector. Ibarra does not believe that we can find our one “true self” and that too much introspection will amount to nothing more than daydreams. It’s action that counts.

The approach Ibarra (2002) recommends in anyone’s career change action is called “the practice of working identity”. This is a practice of applying effort to reshape our identity. This skill is one that Ibarra (2002) says can be learned by anyone seeking professional renewal. She calls this the “test and learn” model of change.  Ibarra advocates three main ways of a working through a career-change process: crafting experiments, shifting connections, and making sense of your journey.

Through crafting experiments we can test out new activities and professional roles in small manageable ways. Find an opportunity to learn a new identity through a related work project, a volunteer option, further training, or by freelancing. Concrete experience is what is required if you really want to move in a new direction.

Although feedback is a good way of gaining insight into your personality and ways of working, in practice, people who are too close to us have their own biases and agendas. They can have a vested interest in keeping the status quo. Networking away from our friends and family and current workplace, shifting connections, can provide a necessary new perspective on what is achievable. It may even open you up to new possibilities that have not been considered.

Making sense of your change requires a narrative to explain your new direction. What triggered your epiphany? What were the defining moments? How did you get there? By creating a personal narrative, we can explain our new direction to others and believe in it ourselves. It also solidifies the action taken and defines your purpose.

Ibarra (2002) concludes that those that successfully reoriented their career pathway took smaller steps that allowed them to learn from experience. Nobody in her research followed a linear pathway. She states that most career transition takes three years and it must start with action.

Overall, Ibarra has given me lots to think about. Despite her research being based on only 39 career-change case studies, I think she has a point in stating that you must actually take action if you want to change. It links very nicely with Kolb and Fry (1975) experiential learning cycle, which is about learning from action, reflecting, and then implementing further change.

So far, I have already filled in an online career inventory with CASCAiD, http://www.cascaid.co.uk/ . That has given me a top 20 list of roles that it claims I am suitable for, some of the roles I have already thought were possible. I also have an MBTI profile. And I also have various opportunities to network with others either through volunteer opportunities or networking groups. I guess it is time to start taking action!

References

Ibarra H (2002). How to stay stuck in the wrong career. Harvard business review, 80 (12) PMID: 12510536

Kolb, D.A., & Fry, R. (1975). Towards an Applied Theory of experiential learning Theories of Group Processes, 33-57

Markus, H., & Nurius, P. (1986). Possible Selves American Psychologist, 42 (9), 954-969

After being side-tracked by my last B821: Financial Strategy assignment last week, and life in general, I’m back on the personal EBI case. Following  on from Drucker’s ideas for managing oneself better, I turned to Herminia Ibarra for further guidance on framing my career-after-MBA direction.

Ibarra and Lineback (2005) in their article “What’s your Story?” have interesting points to make about trying to link up your past career/life to the new direction you seek. They point out that many people struggle to explain what they want to do next and why a change makes sense. People fear looking flaky, incoherent and indecisive. Because of this, people stick to a factual career narrative which does not explain their long-term goals or aspirations well enough for others to “Buy-in” to their desired change.

This is why Ibarra and Lineback say it’s important to craft a good story for each of the career avenues you wish to pursue. By linking your present and future goals to your past career history, you can help others to understand how you got to the juncture you are at today and where you want to journey onto now. Being able to make sense of the turning point that led you to want to change your career direction is an important step to convincing ourselves, and others, that the career change is meaningful and not fleeting.  Your story must be coherent and persuasive, if you hope to redirect your career trajectory.

Thankfully, Ibarra and Lineback do provide some useful action points that they believe can help a professional change career direction, those being:

• Link your change reasons to your skillset e.g “I found that I was good at X…”
• Mention multiple reasons (personal & professional) for why you want change;
• Make sure you have reasons for why you didn’t pursue your current goals in your past;
• Reframe your past in light of your current/future goals;
• Choose a story form that lends itself to your tale of reinvention such as a maturing view of the world or learning from self-reflection/educational insight;

They also suggest that in the early stages of your career transition, it is important to identify and actively consider multiple career pathways. This is something that I’ve already started doing. I’m trying to map my career options with a list of known pros and cons for each pathway.

Furthermore, once you have settled on the career routes that you wish to pursue, it is important to discuss them with different types of audiences such as friends, family, co-workers or acquaintances. The more feedback you get, the more likely you are to settle on the right career path for you and the one that is the most achievable.

Reference:

Ibarra H, & Lineback K (2005). What’s your story? Harvard business review, 83 (1), 64-71 PMID: 15697114

How can you improve your career prospects whilst developing your own learning? Peter Drucker (1999) in his Harvard Business Review article Managing Oneself advocates a lengthy period of reflection on your actions and the resulting outcomes of it. Drucker suggests that through personal Feedback Analysis we can all understand where our strengths lie and work on improving them. We can also see what skill and knowledge gaps need to be improved on and take action to correct them. Overcoming our intellectual arrogance is a priority as it prevents learning from others and thinking more flexibly.

Drucker argues that it is increasingly important that knowledge workers learn to develop themselves so they can be more effective. Work on remedying your bad habits and develop good inter-personal skills to gain the cooperation of your work colleagues. Also, as Pareto’s Principle states, only work on what matters. Direct the 80% of your action towards the 20% that matters to your learning and development. There is no point wasting time on assignments and tasks that will only result in mediocrity and not star performance.

Another area to focus on is how you perform. How do you learn and work in your job? Are you a reader or listener or writer? Personally speaking, I see myself as a writer and talker. I make notes on paper and on my text books. Any book that I read I have to annotate with my own marks and diagrams. I find I remember more by writing things down and then discussing the ideas with others for alternative viewpoints. It is also important to work out whether you work best with others or alone; as a leader or deputy; or better in a large or small organisation. Knowing where you belong is extremely important.

Furthermore understanding your personal values system can help you perform much more effectively. Your personal values need to be compatible with those of the organisation you work for otherwise you will only become frustrated. Drucker believes that successful careers develop when people are prepared for opportunities because they know their strengths, their method of work, and their values. Only then can a person make a difference to themselves and the organisation they belong to.

In making a difference, the results need to be SMART and meaningful. The results should also be visible and measurable. From this standpoint, a course of action will develop. Another important consideration is the impact others may have on your objectives. Knowing your co-workers and their strengths and weaknesses can help you work more effectively with them. It is also important to communicate well. Tell people what you are doing and what you are hoping to achieve. Organisations are made up of people; it’s your responsibility and duty to gain the cooperation and trust of your co-workers through developing good working relationships.

Overall, I found Drucker’s advice actionable and I intend to audit my strengths and embark on more feedback analysis both on a personal level and with others. I also think it is important that I explore my value system so that I can understand where I fit into the world following the completion of my Masters. However, Drucker’s advice is based on anecdotal evidence in this article and not backed-up by hard statistical “facts”. This is slightly worrying for me as acting on someone’s own anecdotal evidence may not be appropriate for my needs or situation.

Obviously I accept that Drucker had an illustrious academic career, but most of what he says seems like common sense rather than “proved” by research. On one hand I believe that as individuals we have choices and responsibilities, but depending on your “professional” career, some people have more choice than others. For instance, I’m fortunate to be able to study full-time and spend time writing my blog and reflecting on my learning. Many people don’t have the luxury of being able to undertake postgraduate study, nor have enough autonomy in their role to direct what assignments they will take on.

I remember an interview situation with a prospective employer where I was asked for an example of a situation in which I turned something negative into a positive result through personal leadership. After I ran through my own anecdotal situation, I was then told that organisations can’t have too many leaders insinuating that too much personal autonomy would not work at that organisation! If Drucker is right that knowledge workers have to manage themselves and behave like their own Chief Executive Officer, personal goals are likely to conflict with the goals of the organisation and other work colleagues. How one balances this dichotomy is no doubt an art rather than a science in my view.

References:
Drucker, F. P. (1999). Managing Oneself Harvard Business Review (March)