Especially because we were running out of time, it would be great to get your comments and "learnings" from the Strength I See in You exercise. We can review these comments at the start of the last class.
Please post your comments about the work for our last class--
a) experiences with the Be Ordinary Live-With. Some find the word "ordinary" hard to deal with; we know we are all unique, one-of-a-kind and somewhat special... If this is the case, substitute the word "authentic"-- as in being true to yourself and valuing yourself forwho you are. Please share.
b) reactions to the Mt Everest case. Within our leadership discussions, we have talked about willingness to take risk and make mistakes. This case goes farther into disastrous results... However, we can learn from it and relate some of the "errors" to what we have covered. What do you think?
I want to give my opinion about the "Strength I See in You" exercise.
ReplyDeleteAll the words that I got were good adjectives and good words. They sound it to me as really good compliments. While I was hearing those words given for my classmates, I thought these words really were what I think I am or how I am. The pity is that I don't feel always like this. I think I have these "powers", "attitudes" or skills but sometimes I don't feel like that, and I guess it's because sometimes I'm not doing what I like.
Another point I want to highlight about the exercise, it's that some people talk about the "risk" I took while I explained my story. Actually I didn't realize about the risk, I didn't see any risk or I could manage it. I think that when you are enjoying any activity or you know the purpose of the activity and you want to do it for sure, you forget about the risk, or you don't hesitate and you go for it without thinking the worse consequences because you know you can control the situation somehow.
The Mount Everest case encompasses many facets of what we have learned during the past ten weeks. The issues in this case involve aspects of both management and leadership. As it relates to management issues, we can see that a major flaw was that preparation and planning were not handled properly. Some of the fundamentals were not in place. For example, the inadequate radios and the lack of radios is inexcusable. It is hard to believe that for the $65K fee paid to be a participant with Hall or Fischer, that a climber would not be given proper equipment.
ReplyDeleteI viewed the managers as being Groom, Harris, Boukreev and Beidleman. The leaders were obviously Hall and Fischer. The Sherpas should have been working at the direction of the managers. Nevertheless, communication should have been across all categories.
As leaders, Fischer and Groom should have been successfully coping with the changes that were occurring on a regular basis. Prior to the ascent, Fischer had to get involved with labor/wage issues and other problems. While personally undertaking the resolution of these issues, he was foregoing the planning of the team’s climb and was not properly acclimating himself to the higher altitude. This became apparent to the participants early in the expedition. It impacted his ability to function at his best.
Fischer also got involved with accompanying a client back to Base Camp after the client became ill. While this was a very compassionate gesture, I felt it was putting many others at risk for the sake of this one person (Kruse). Fischer was a good friend of Kruse’s and Kruse provided seed money for Fischer. It was known that Kruse often became ill at high altitudes. It may have been poor judgment to allow Kruse to participate on the expedition when his problems could potentially jeopardize the overall success of the group.
There seemed to be an overall attitude of “we can do this because we have done it before.”
There seemed to be a lack of continually assessing what was being done as situations changed and new ones arose and how what was being done might affect the objective of the teams.
Hall exhibited a narcissistic attitude when Krakauer communicated his concern about his ability to successfully reach the summit. I do not feel that this was a display of good leadership – especially in a potentially life and death matter. Hall was simply using his client’s concern to make himself look great by bragging. Fischer also was quite self-assured when he said “these days, I’m telling you, we’ve built a yellow brick road to the summit.”
The “culture” did not allow for a reassessment – as might happen with a product introduction in business. After all, here were 2 groups of approximately 28 individuals – all having different roles but heavily invested in their plans and being unwilling to “cut bait” for economic, geographic and cultural reasons – to name a few.
Hall also emphasized that he was the boss. He made it clear that he was not to be questioned about a decision he made during the climb – although it could be discussed after.
I look forward to our discussion in class as this was excellent material to study as a finish to our class. As the course description starts out "Innovate or die ... "
I really enjoyed the "Strengths I see if you" exercise that we did last week in class. It's so easy to be blinded by our own lives and to only listen to our VOJ. This exercise really helped me to look beyond what my VOJ says about my decisions and really see what others see in me. I do believe that this exercise provided me with the opportunity to see more information on my essence.
ReplyDeleteI think that this was my favorite experience of this class. I would definitely recommend keeping it and it might be something nice to do earlier in the course. It allowed us to get to know our classmates at a deeper level - something that I believe would have been extremely nice earlier on in the class.
Wow! Wow! Wow!... That was my reaction as I read through the Mt. Everest story. The first Wow! was tied to the number of needless deaths during this climb in 1996. The second Wow! was based on the painful price that these hikers paid due to the complete lack of humility in the leadership and lack of respect for the mountain from the leadership. We've seen in some of our earlier case studies that humility is one of the key behaviors found in successful CEOs. The third Wow! was in response to the brainwashing that the leader had enacted, thus immobilizing logic in the managers and clients, allowing them to make deadly decisions for themselves that they would never have allowed their own loved ones to make if they were in the same spot. The entire process was riddled with red flags, every last one ignored, every step of the way.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite something to ultimately see how the financial incentive destroyed this expedition's ability to maintain logic and rational reasoning, even in light of likely deaths. The basic business principles for achieving business goals that this expedition overlooked were simple: teamwork, communication, humility, true leadership. It seems as if the expedition was managed more like a cult, with cult-like behavior in the leader as well as mindless responses from the managers down the ranks, living in fear of the leader, not wanting to make waves, regardless of deadly outcomes. I don't get into a car with a driver who's had a drink. I can't imagine climbing a mountain with people in obvious ill-health, and without safe radio communication, despite paying $65k for the program.
The "Strengths I See in You" exercise was an excellent experience in raising self-awareness. It helped show how easy it is to underrate our own efforts, but then easily rate someone else's efforts in a positive way. This exercise was a good reminder to me to conscientiously validate my own worth on a more frequent basis, just as often as I might complement someone else on a job well-done.
ReplyDeleteI loved the "Be Ordinary" live with. I had several occasions to practice it during the week. By making the decision to just be more of myself, and strive less, I felt more relaxed and less stressed during some important events I participated in these past few days. In each case, just giving myself permission to just be myself and know that doing just that is enough for every occasion, fear and reluctance and VOJ were dramatically reduced. I find myself more relaxed and more social in general. This is one of my favorite take-aways from this class, in addition to learning about the VOJ and how to reduce it.
Many thanks to Hal and Julie for leading us through such a wonderful learning experience!
Thank you for the "Strength I see in You" exercise. I really enjoyed getting to know my classmates and hearing them share stories about good moments in their life.
ReplyDeleteI shared a story that makes me very happy and hearing the responses from the classmates was very appreciated. I like the "I am" aspect even more. Because I often try to tell people who I am and never really get my point across free of being contradicting. It was nice to incorporate the "Be Ordinary" live with last week because I felt more confident that I don't have to tell anyone who I am I just AM. lol. It felt so empowering just to feel like "I am" and I also felt a sense of freedom from my VOJ. This exercise allowed me to not work, play, talk and enjoy without trying to explain what I mean, who I am, what my role is etc.
I am.
'Be ordinary / authentic'. At first I had doubts about this Live-With tool: should we be even more ordinary than we are every day? How to improve ourselves and how to aim towards our goals, if we stay self-delighted instead of working hard. However, since it was not the first time I was against the weekly Live-With tool, I recalled a great advise that was given to us on this course 'please, disturb me', I did make attempt to check out this 'being ordinary'. When you stop trying hard to be somebody else, and decide to be ordinary / authentic, you have to face who you really are and how do you feel about it. With VOJ silenced, you can listen to your VOI – without negative feelings and thinking it's easier to work on goals and desires. So I finally practiced this Live-With and what a relieve: being more relaxed, happy and full of friendliness to myself, I was able to complete some tasks easier and more effectively. And people who I met seemed to have more pleasure working and talking with me, than normally, when I try to be better than I really am.
ReplyDeleteMt Everest. "What is this case doing on Leadership in business course ?!" was my first thought after reading the text. How can we compare situation when people's life is at stake to business practice? After spending some time on analyzing the case I realized that it brings a very important perspective to management and leadership issues that normally lacks in everyday business – the issue of social responsibility.
ReplyDeleteI like dealing with risk both at work and in leisure time, and there is some rules that can never be compromised. Safety first, always have second way-out (and third and forth...), know your customer, watch out for your buddy, help yourself first and then the victim, etc – these are some examples from first-aid, airplane safety instructions, scuba diving and... banking risk management.
So reading the case was really annoying and embarrassing. What struck me the most was how arrogant and careless these two organizations and their clients were ! The other issues were using double standards and avoiding responsibility – both by guides and clients. Unfortunately, most of these started at the top – with poor and inconsistent leadership. Neither Hall nor Fisher were able to listen advise from their guides or other members. Instead of building team spirit they created a climate of conformity and being selfish. 'Master word is a law' whatever consequences can be.
The other issue is double standards and avoiding unpopular decisions. Despite authoritarian style of leadership, safety rules were weakened whenever 'client's will' could have been used as an excuse. The leaders seemed to forget their major task is safety of the whole group / organization and not personal interests and ambitions or good PR of their companies. It is interesting to see how it affected the whole group - guides and clients felt lack of example and leader and in these difficult conditions most of them decided to behave selfish and against other team members. Boukreev who felt staying behind his modern leader, used old-school safety practices only toward himself. As a result it led him to controversial decisions.
I did my own version of 'Strengths I see in you' later that evening after class with my dear wife. We are usually pretty good at comment and encourage eachother in everyday life, but it was still a very nice experience and power boost, getting 'the compliment shower' if just the two of us, especially when coming for someone you hold close, love and respect. :-)
ReplyDelete'Be ordinary' I also tried that one last week having a business meeting with a potential client, I'm usually pretty relaxed and not too uptight, not bragging too much I think and hope?! Anyhow, the meeting went very well as it started out in a very harmonious fashion, no-one did the 'big rooster' fasade play or noting even though a CEO and a couple of big bosses around, when those 'kinder garden sandpit charades' actually can happen from time to time, believe it or not, not that I usually trigger them I hope?! But the most interesting aspect I think was that we never went through the presentation that they were to show me, not even opened it as we spoke about so many other things, job related and not. Had a very good and warm feel to the meeting over all, and we very well might end up working much more together :-)
Thank you for a very good and different class, I have enjoyed it immensely. Merry X:mas & Happy New Years in advance :-)
/Nic