ORGL 500 – Organizational Leadership
Course competencies:
- Learning through dialogue with others.
- Describing dysfunctional leadership and organizational thinking and behavior.
- Understanding problems and creating solutions in organizations using multiple frameworks and integrative vision.
- Reflecting on experiences within organizations, interpreting it within the context of the course, and developing a plan of personal leadership development for the future.
- Thinking creatively about the future of organizational leadership.
Reflection:
This course was an excellent introduction to the program. We sought to address four key questions: (1) what don’t I want as a leader? (2) what do I want as a leader? (3) what is required of me to be a leader? and (4) how will I lead? The idea of looking back and reflecting on our lived experiences with organizations and slowly progressing through these questions was a very intentional process, one that started a personal transformation in the way we see ourselves and the way we seek to lead. As I’ve progressed through the organizational leadership program, the initial ideals in my leadership philosophy essay were sound and have grown stronger with the knowledge and insight gained from pursuing this degree.
Significant Artifact: Leadership Philosophy Essay
ORGL 501 – Methods of Organizational Research
Course Competencies:
- Understand the basic characteristics of quantitative and qualitative designs.
- Understand how to access research literature on a topic relevant to organizational setting.
- Formulate a clear research question and apply the knowledge obtained from academic journal articles to design a research study on a specific topic.
- Understanding of the dynamics of organizational issues and the strategic ability to articulate or identify the needs or issues of an organization through observation, verbal, written, or metaphorical information, and/or lived experience.
- Understand how to apply qualitative or quantitative methods to collect data that will efficiently answer an original research question and have transferability or generalizability respectively.
- Recognize personal biases and lens in gathering, analyzing, and interpreting content. Students should progressively recognize that our view of what knowledge is impacts our choice of methodology and research inquiry.
Reflection:
The purpose of this course was to introduce students to different research methods that can be applied to an organizational setting. Prior to class, I was comfortable with and had a good understanding of the quantitative approach. The language of variables, procedures, and data had always made sense. The qualitative approach though, was far less familiar and turned out to be the most interesting part of the course. I took Organizational Communication early in the sequence and my audit relied heavily on the qualitative approach. I remember being tentative as I moved through the process, not fully understanding the approach or method. But after gaining a better understanding of the approach in this course, I can look back and know that what I did was sound. It was also enlightening to see a definitive connection between leadership and research.
Significant Artifact: Research Proposal – How do organizations effectively implement the theory of learning organizations into everyday practice?
ORGL 502 – Leadership & Imagination
Course Competencies:
- Describe, analyze, and evaluate the dynamics of the creative process.
- Describe, analyze, and evaluate various contexts, such as art, film, drama, architecture, music, history, and/or other presented topics.
- Apply, analyze, and interpret the dynamics of the creative process present in organizational leadership.
- Analyze and evaluate both our own and other’s leadership in the context of imagination and the creative process.
Reflection:
This was a very interesting course to say the least. Broken down into five smaller courses, we wrestled with four questions: (1) what is imagination (2) how is imagination exhibited (3) how can it be cultivated, and (4) how can it be actualized in organizations. A common theme soon emerged; to see and see again. This weaved its way through the course and has left a lasting impression on me. To access creativity by reflecting what we observe, and by using insight, to see a better version, to see other possibilities, is a powerful skill set. To step back and use different frames or another perspective all contribute to the ability of seeing and seeing again. Over the course of the program, I’ve tried to discipline myself to this new norm and have begun to create a space for myself and others.
The picture on this website’s homepage is a powerful example of reframing for me. It was taken in Afghanistan, and although it’s been over 10 years since my last deployment, this is how I choose to see my time there now. During one of our classroom discussion, we talked about the notion of hitting a low point before finding your way ahead. This is how I choose to see Afghanistan now and it represents the power to see and see again for me.
I am also grateful for the on-campus experience; to be able to connect with the program, the students, and the campus in a meaningful way was greatly appreciated.
Significant Artifact:
Leadership & Imagination Final Project: A Journey Towards Leadership
ORGL 503 – Organizational Ethics
Course Competencies:
- Describe personal responses to ethical problems
- Describe personal worldviews
- Balance personal virtues with the organizational values
- Create a cooperative community with shared values
- Analyze ethical dilemmas and recommend a course of action
Reflection:
This was a journey into deep and complicated issues and dilemmas, a probing reflection that forced each of us to look inward to one’s inner compass and world view. The course materials and discussions stimulated probing questions, learning about or rediscovering our worldview and the worldview of our current community, and deep reflections and insightful applications to personal and organizational settings. In the end, it provided me with tools for exploration and dialogue about moral choices in an organizational setting.
Significant Artifact:
Critical Analysis Essay – An Application of Cooper’s Ethical Decision Making Model
ORGL 504 – Organizational Communication
Course Competencies:
- Identify and discuss major issues regarding communication and leadership in organizational settings.
- Demonstrate an understanding of organizational communication theories and related processes.
- Analyze and make recommendations regarding communication and leadership in varied organizational settings.
- Enhance competency as a communicator and leader in organizations.
- Apply critical thinking to the ethical issues surrounding organizational communication and leadership.
Reflection:
This course explored contemporary concerns and issues about the meanings and functions of communication within organizations. All organizations rely on communication, and being able to communicate deliberately is crucial to meaningful participation in them. Along with covering topics in organizational communication as culture, socialization, and systems theory, a great deal of effort went into determining the state of communications within an organization by conducting a communication audit. This was a challenging project on many fronts, but ultimately, it demonstrated to me how properly constructed research methods and the data that they produce can lead to informed decisions by leadership.
Significant Artifact:
Communication Audit
ORGL 505 – Organizational Theory
Course Competencies:
- Understand how to view organizations in the context of frames and the use of metaphor to describe organizations and how they can be designed and managed.
- Understand how to view organizations from multiple frames and perspectives and apply the frames to interpret organizational behavior.
- Application of organizational theory to design interventions.
- Apply theories and identify areas of change that could improve an organization.
Reflection:
This course served as an introduction to the study of organizations and how one can view them not only in the context of frames, but to also use metaphor to help describe them. The practical application of this was being able to analyze my organization from another perspective and, by reflecting upon that, helping me to understand where we were as an organization. This allowed me to engage senior leadership in serious dialogue, leading to a well-informed decision making process.
Significant Artifact:
Collaborative Organizational Analysis Presentation – An Organizational Review of Starbucks: Is Love Enough to be Great?
ORGL 506 – Leadership & Diversity
Course Competencies:
- Explain and evaluate the impact of race and ethnicity on an individual’s life.
- Describe and analyze various issues affecting gender and communication in social groups and in organizations.
- Articulate and critique the impact of socio-economic status on identity development, communication competence, and life chances.
- Describe and exhibit respectful behaviors, provide an empathetic explanation of various individuals’ perspectives, through use of competent intercultural communication.
- Apply concepts learned about race, class, gender, and intercultural communication to improve their personal leadership and communication competencies.
Reflection:
This course was a great experience for me and I found both the material and the discussions to be very informative and rewarding. The most impactful element, the “aha” moment, was the idea of intercultural competence and communication. While working at USAID, I thought this to be absolutely critical for my team and I to be successful. Up to that point, our pre-deployment focus had been on understanding the threats and general atmospherics of a country so that we could begin tailoring our training. By focusing solely on that, I felt we completely dropped the ball. In education, eliminating barriers to communication allows one to be effective, and understanding intercultural communication would make the team more effective. During my research, I came across Lewis’s Cross Cultural Communication Model and it became quite evident that we needed to meet our training audiences where they were at. As leaders, we need to set favorable conditions and help create a space for our teams to grow and to be successful. As a result of this course, I began a discussion on intercultural communication and incorporated the ideas from this course with my cadre.
Significant Artifact:
Presentation – Communicating in an Intercultural Environment
COML 511 – Communication Consulting & Training
Course Competencies:
- Understand and explore the factors that help communication effectiveness in organizational settings.
- Develop rhetorical skills to become effective trainers and consultants.
- Develop training and consulting skills that will allow one to interact effectively in a multicultural environment.
- Understand and create new media programs that enhance an organization's success.
Reflection:
As I’ve mentioned in the opening, teaching is at the heart of who I am and I continuously seek out ways to improve this skill set. This course, based on communication theory and research, allowed me to understand and explore the factors that help communication effectiveness in organizational settings and develop rhetorical skills to become effective trainers. As I moved through the material, much of it validate my existing skill set, but it was through dialogue with other students, who provided a fresh perspective for me, that I was able to see consulting & training with fresh eyes.
Significant Artifact:
Group presentation – Adult Learning: The Science of Andragogy
ORGL 516 – Organizational Development
Course Competencies:
- Awareness of the nature, application and practice of the profession of Organizational Development.
- Developed an understanding of some of the major OD intervention methods and tools used to increase individual, team, departmental, and organizational effectiveness (e.g. teambuilding, strategic planning, large group event facilitation, internal communications, merger dynamics, leadership development, and management training).
Reflection:
This course focused on both seeing and changing organizations through the use of research, theory, models, and praxis as well as the consulting practice of Organizational Development (OD). As I transitioned into our operation in N.C., I developed a relationship with our leadership that began with casual conversations, but soon blossomed into prolonged dialogue on the state of the organization. As I was moved into senior-leadership, I was supporting both leadership and other members of the organization. I found myself drawing from nearly all of the courses taken to date and began to see the relationship of the various competencies and the bigger picture of OD.
Significant Artifact:
Critical Analysis Essay – An Analysis of a System-Wide Intervention
ORGL 520 – Negotiation & Conflict Resolution
Course Competencies:
- Have an increased understanding of the nature of conflict, as both a creative and destructive force as well as an increased comfort level with conflict.
- Increased awareness and understanding of one’s own attitudes and values to violence and nonviolence.
- Familiar with frameworks/tools for analysis, intervention and evaluation of conflict situations.
- Acquire skills for critical analysis of situations of conflict/interpersonal, organizational, and macro-/international.
- Develop skill to lead system change, empower self and others.
- Develop and practice the ability to think critically and strategically.
- Gain a deeper understanding of social relationships or interdependence and accountability.
- Reflect on the concepts of justice and reconciliation and how they are applied locally and internationally.
- Use listening, facilitation, decision-making skills in interpersonal, group, and organizational conflict.
- Assess the impact of violent conflict on society.
Reflection:
Through the various readings and discussions, one idea stood out: the ability to engage in moral imagination. Moving through the various cases, what resonated with me the most was an example from Tajikistan. Having served in this part of the world, I pray for more men like those in this case who are willing and capable of bridging wide chasms to help bring about hope, change and peace. The notion of finding commonalties and building relationships is nothing new, but the idea of using stories to circle into the truth is interesting. Narrative is an important part of our lives and helps us make sense of the world around us and allows us to build new schema that incorporates this newfound knowledge. As a result of their ongoing dialogue and relationship, two men were able to slowly move towards the subject of ending the violence. These are qualities that I hope to develop and nurture in my leadership style. Engaging in a narrative that develops into trust, and then to be willing to accept the same risk or vulnerability as those involved is a framework that I believe will work in organizations as well.
Significant Artifact:
Critical Analysis Essay – Conflict Resolution and the Arizona Miner's Strike of 1983
ORGL 670 – Projects in Organizational Leadership – Change Management Focus
Course Competencies:
- Create a human centric action plan for change.
- Analyze various models for leading change.
- Design tactics to engage an entire organization in change.
- Gain a deeper understanding of resistance and readiness for change.
- Analyze various instruments to assess change readiness.
Reflection:
This independent study provided an opportunity to explore organizational change and transformation. This began with a literature review that included resistance and readiness for organizational change and instruments for assessing readiness for change. I then moved on to explore the various change models. Leading change is a critical skill that supports organizations in achieving their goals, mission, and vision, and I found the framework of this independent study to be a critical component in my capstone project. As was mentioned earlier, training had become dysfunctional and was moved into the background. By leveraging the competencies gained in this course, I was able to approach the needed change with intention. This provided the opportunity to break existing paradigms and allowed me to align people around the new norm of conducting training.
Significant Artifact(s):
Annotated Bibliographies –
- Resistance to Organizational Change
- Readiness for Organizational Change
- Assessing Readiness for Organizational Change
ORGL 690 – The Art & Practice of Servant-Leadership
Course Competencies:
- Develop an understanding of the philosophy of servant-leadership.
- Identify servant-leaderships personal meaning, and discover its wide-ranging applications.
- Develop an awareness of servant-leadership and its distinguishing characteristics.
- Discover what it means to be a servant-leader.
Reflection:
Although this course was my first formal exposure to Robert Greenleaf and servant-leadership, there was a feeling of deep familiarity with the philosophy and characteristics of this leadership style. Looking back at the men and women I served with, the leaders that I had admired and emulated, were in fact servant-leaders. This course provided a lexicon for me and has allowed me to begin a deeper study into the type if leader I aspire to be.
Significant Artifact:
Critical Analysis Essay – Servant-Leadership Through the Lens of an Antarctic Explorer
ORGL 620 – Leadership Seminar
Course Competencies:
- Demonstrate the importance of reflection for a leader by revisiting one’s leadership philosophy to articulate how it has developed over the course of the program.
- Demonstrate the knowledge and competencies gained in the ORGL program through completion of a capstone project.
Reflection:
This is why I chose Gonzaga University. The rigor and the constant interplay of experience, reflection, and action has been transformative for me. As I move forward in my practice, I hope to do so as a compassionate person who will use his gifts to make the community a better place.
Significant Artifact:
- Training & Education Plan
- On-the-Job Training Program
- Quality Assurance Program