To the Nth Level

"Okay Candidate No. 1, here is your question: What is Power?", remembering the Q and A portion on a pageant I once joined in my college days. Haven't thought I'll remember that until the Organizing for Empowerment Topic. Haha! I can't really remember what my answer was but I think I got it right ‘cause I won. I had the power to convince the judges that my answer was right and far better than the other candidates. That was like years ago but still I think my stand on the definition of power hasn’t changed (as far as I can remember that is). 

For me, power is the ability to influence and control anything. I agree with the sharer when he said “Money is Power.” Indeed, when one is rich, one can do anything, and buy almost everything that one desires. Using money, one has control over anything especially people (who are in desperate need of money that is). One can use power to do great things and the worst.

Organizations need power and empowerment; Power for the people in high positions and Empowerment for the employees below. If either one is missing that won’t be much of organizing. How can you organize if there is no one to organize with? How will one exercise power if there is no one to control or influence? And how can one be empowered if there is no one to empower them? The result is, the fall of an organization.

Empowerment is just like the object given as an example by the sharer: a Rubik’s Cube with detached little cubies. The Rubik’s Cube represents the organization and the little cubies are the employees with the detached cubies representing the underpowered employees. Each of the Rubik’s faces represents the different departments that when solved, form a picture or one square of similar color (that picture represents their goal). Now, if few little cubies detach from the Cube, the faces will not be solved. If employees of a certain organization are not empowered, they might not function well resulting to downfall. It is not enough that only a few are empowered because they all work for the same purpose. When a face of a Rubik’s Cube is solved but the other faces are not, the cuber has not done his job because he has to solve all the 6 faces to consider it a job well done. Same is true with organizations. It is not enough that only one department is doing its job. The process will not be complete if that’s the case. In programming if the process is not complete, the program won’t run and there won’t be any useful output. In the case of the Rubik’s Cube, the cuber has the power to turn each of these little cubies. Empowered little cubies go with each turn because they know they are essential to completing the puzzle, while the opposite falls or gets stuck.

Empowerment is helping and making someone realize that they also have power, they have the skills, the knowledge, the wisdom, the talent and the confidence to make their own decisions, to do the right things, to do things right and to do their job well. This is not an easy task. Empowerment takes time, effort, and sometimes money.

In my case, students are pretty difficult to empower academically (seriously). They can be really very stubborn. No matter how hard I try sometimes, they just don’t get it. They live in a world where everything is like a game to them. Some take it seriously, some don’t (happy-go-lucky that is). I lecture today and explain as good as I can, give as much examples as I can, ask them questions to know if they understand and okay they can answer and they look like they (most of them some are just staring blankly at me) understood. I ask them again the next meeting, and it’s unlikely to see many hands up.

It’s a little frustrating when during laboratory exercises I point out to them their errors and explain again and again that they should familiarize that hoping that next laboratory exercise they won’t have the same errors again only to get even more frustrated to see the same errors. And they aren’t even sure if their programs are right. Some are sure even if their programs are wrong. I can just ask myself “What’s wrong with the world Momma?”. Ask them the latest chismis and they will all answer in chorus. (sigh)

But there is this one student who I can say is really empowered. In discussions he eagerly agrees or disagrees with me if I’m wrong. He does his programs in advance and tells me he did some exploring like what I said and came up with the same output; I constantly praise him for his efforts (I praise his classmates too for every effort they have and encourage them to strive more). He asks what else there is. He seems to be interested in every lecture we have and listens to my advice and looks forward to every lecture and laboratory meetings (he likes to learn new things) and at the end of the semester, he had the highest grade. If only all of my students are like him then I would be pretty much happy to have produced empowered programming students not just in programming but as a student in general. Now, I have to think of new ways and strategies on how to empower them effectively.

Yes, I agree with RSG when he said “Teaching is a vocation. You will never get rich in teaching.”. But, I may be never rich financially; I can get rich intellectually and emotionally with teaching. That is empowerment for me. Is there such thing as self-empowerment? Yes there is. So, I might as well empower myself. Here, there is little and sometimes no training or seminars in a year. If there are, there is no budget for us to send ourselves there and there is insufficient support for faculty development. We have to strive on our own to be good at what we do not because we have to but because we want to.

RSG sighted JFK when he said “Be Loyal to the Organization, not to the People in Authority”. Here in our University, we seldom get praises for a job well done. There is this so called Performance Evaluation where students and colleagues (co teachers in the college, department chairman and dean) evaluate us every semester. But sad to say, we don’t get to read or even hear their comments. How can we improve in that case? We have so much room for improvement here. At least give us some suggestions. Yes I am loyal. Not to the people running this university but to the ones who keep me waking up every morning thinking how I can inculcate in their minds the things they need to learn: the students. They are the very reason why we have this Mission and Vision and Goals in the first place.

Though there is little effort for empowerment here, our only consolation is to see our students smile in recognition every time we see them inside and outside the campus; those students who show enthusiasm and those students who need enthusiasm. They need me, though they may not see it and may not realize it. That’s enough empowerment for me.

Organizations must empower their employees. Employees are the ones who keep the organization up and running. More empowered employees make more successful organizations. In my case, more empowered Teachers means more successful University and I hope more successful students! So, what are we all waiting for? Let us take this empowerment to the Nth Level!

Metamorphosis

The only constant thing in this world is change. So they say. I 100% agree on that. Change is everywhere; in ourselves, in other people, in our homes, in our workplace, in our town, in our province, in our country, in our planet and in the universe. It happens every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every month and every year for as long as we all shall live. Whew!

The most common question about change is “How often?” followed by “Is that really necessary?”. We tend to think that we only need to change whenever needed. But have we ever asked ourselves when?

From where I work we experience change most of the time. Our office was transferred to the main building of our college because the administration made our former office a mini library of another college. We were reluctant at first. We did not want to be moved. We liked it there. We though, we had better use for that office than that mini library. But in the end we had no choice. Here we are in our new office; bigger than our former. We got used to it. At least we don’t have to walk a long way to the main building especially when it’s raining.

From one department where I belong, it was split into 2, then 3. In one year our dean was changed twice. Tax was deducted from our salary without us knowing until later. 100 pesos was deducted from our salary for Pag-Ibig then we filled up the form after. Trees were cut from all over the campus. I see a tree when I go home, the next day, it’s gone. From where that tree stood, there is Oil Palm. Then I see a student wearing a different PE uniform than last year only to find out it’s the new PE uniform. Then I see students rallying on the street saying “No to budget cut!”. In my students days I haven’t seen something like that. Some of these changes are kind of shocking and a little confusing.

There are a lot of factors that influence change. Sometimes we know it, sometimes we don’t. We often change for the better and sometimes we change for the worse.

We already know so much (I think I do) about changes. But what I didn’t know is that there are models of Change. Let me share what I have learned and understood.

“Change is a law of nature” according to the report of yet another sharer in our Organizational Analysis class. To organizations, change is but a normal happening yet some still ask the question “Why?”. Here are some reasons why.

1.       Business Condition – when a certain business goes through difficult times, mostly they decision makers decide to change how things are in the business. It can be the business processes, or the manpower, or the budget etc.

Like here where I work, 2 years ago our bonus was 5 figures but this year our bonus became only 3 figures due to scarcity of funds. We were not paid for our overload subjects. And job order personnel had to work on 15-day shifts. These are examples of not good changes due to present business condition.

2.       Managerial Personnel – Changes comes from change in management sometimes. When a new president was elected here, all deans of all the colleges were changed. New Directors in the administrative offices were appointed, many were promoted and some were demoted and others like me stayed in their positions (well at least I was not demoted).

We now have a new dean. With the new dean came new policies, rules and regulations. No more free coffee, milk and sugar. We had to buy our own.

3.       Deficiency in existing organizational patterns – defective organizational patterns have to be improved otherwise the organization will be looking forward to a big problem.

4.       Technological and psychological reasons – I can relate to the technological reasons here. In our organization we have this so called Student Information and Management Systems or SIMS developed by one of our own faculty in the college. The SIMS is divided into modules: Advisement, Registration, Assessment, Cashiering and Final Screening. We use SIMS especially during enrollment to hasten the process. This system was materialized due to the very slow process of enrollment years back where the administration saw the need for a computerized enrollment. This is a good kind of change. In my student days, I spent 4 days in school before I got enrolled. Now, students are enrolled in no more than a day and I spend the whole week since I am one of the encoders during enrolment.

5.       Government policies – our government and other government agencies creates laws every now and then. Of course with new laws being passed, we have to abide to them otherwise we go to jail. Take for example in education, if the government says to accept students even if they have no money to pay for tuition, schools have to adhere.

In this town where I work, the local government recently banned the use of plastic bags in supermarkets, dry market, wet market and I think in the whole town. Since then, paper bags were used (they easily get rip which is very inconvenient). Some residents (those not from here including me) don’t quite agree with this policy. I mean I am not from here. I have to travel and carry a ripped paper bag full of groceries all the way to our house?  Not all of us have cars you know. A little sympathy if you please.

6.       Size of the organization – the number of employees of an organization has a significant effect especially during recession. We all know that money matters. Now if an organization suffers budget issues, usually the ones who are greatly affected are the employees specially those who are all the way down the hierarchy. Lay-offs here and there. Budget cuts everywhere. Unemployment rates soaring high leading to crimes and death (scary).

I must say I am affected. The university hired more employees last year causing our bonus to go down from 5 to 4 digits. But I’m still thankful to have a bonus. Better have some than have none, right?

                The sharer then presented 2 Models of Change, the Kurt Lewin’s Three Step Model and John P. Kotter’s Eight Steps to Successful Change. The former is very general said the sharer and they would recommend using the latter.

                Presenting Kurt Lewin’s Three Step Model

Step 1: Unfreezing

                This means readiness to change. Includes:

ü  Educate

ü  Inform

ü  Consult

ü  Plan

ü  Organize

ü  Appoint

Before even trying to implement the change, the higher authorities should at least educate their employees and the people involved both directly and indirectly. Consultations should be made together with proper planning. And then appoint people who will be in-charge. It is not easy to be uninformed or misinformed about a certain change.

Step 2: Changing

                This means implementation. Includes:

ü  Praise

ü  Encouragement

ü  Recognition and Empathy

ü  Coach

ü  Train

ü  Lead

ü  Manage

ü  Help and Guidance

ü  Regular Feedback

ü  Provide Adequate Records

During the implementation of the change, the ones involved should be praised for them to at least say to themselves “hey I got praised. This change is good after all.” They should also be constantly encouraged, recognize their efforts, teach them what to do, lead them how to do it, monitor the progress, help those who have questions and having difficulties, give constant feedbacks and present enough records for back up.

Step 3: Refreezing

                This means making it stick. Includes:

ü  Set performance Indicators

ü  Monitor and Evaluate Performance

ü  Establish Systems to make it Happen

After a change has been implemented, there should be an evaluation. Just like a quiz after a lecture to know whether students absorbed something. Then these evaluations should be monitored if progressing or not. There should always be ways to make it happen.

Take for example, here in our university. For 11 years of studying and working here, there was no Pre-midterm Exams. Recently, there was a memorandum from the administration to conduct pre midterm exams. No consultations were made to the faculty (I was shocked when I read the memo). It was like a mushroom that grew overnight. We were not prepared, the students were not prepared and so was our grading system. Some gave exams while some didn’t (including me). I just gave the students a quiz. After that, there were no feedbacks, no evaluation was made. No one even asked if we wanted to have pre-midterm exams from then on. Last semester, there was no memo to conduct midterm exams. I was a little confused. Maybe we’ll get shocked again if next semester they’ll send another memo. They are not consistent which makes us reluctant and confused. They leave us murmuring “what has gotten into their minds?”.

                Presenting John P. Kotter’s Eight Steps to Successful Change

1.       Increasing Urgency – identifying potential threats, examine opportunities, start honest discussions, request support from customers

2.       Form a Powerful Coalition – convince people that change is necessary, identify true leaders

3.       Create a Vision for Change – a clear vision can help, determine the values

4.       Communicating the Vision for Buy-in – ensure many people as possible understand and accept the vision

5.       Empowering People and Removing Barriers – the best solution is honest dialogue

6.       Create Short-Term Wins – success is the motivation

7.       Build on Change – keep looking for improvements

This is a pretty elaborate model unlike Lewin’s. The first step for a change is the urgency to change. If it’s not urgent, the change in question might be questioned. So, if it is indeed urgent, there should be a powerhouse cast to lead the change. This cast should convince others the need for the change. Of course, to help the cast convince others, they should formulate a vision. This vision is the direction where the change will lead to. This vision is something good or beneficial to many. If a change can’t lead to something good, then you can’t convince anyone about that, can you? After formulating a vision, it’s time to sell it and hope it gets bought. The cast has to inculcate to others the beauty of their vision and it’s their responsibility to make sure it’s understood.

Honesty is the best policy so they say. Make sure to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. If a certain change has some catch, it’s only fair that it should be known to others. Otherwise, that can be used against the culprit. Honesty leads to empowerment. People like honest people. If they are honest enough to each other, no barriers will be built only unity.

There is no better motivation than success (for me that is). If success is within reach, it makes us enthusiastic which is a good thing. And if everyone is convinced, enthusiastic and united they will strive to make that Kaizen (change for the better).

I mentioned eight steps, didn’t I? The eighth was not presented because the sharer was absent.

                               

                                Change is always good if it is for the better. We cannot deny the fact that some bad changes are happening around us and we can’t do anything about it but to strive for it not to happen again. Like a caterpillar going through metamorphosis, it’s only once in their lifetime. If it fails, life ends. So let us be like caterpillars. Let us go through metamorphosis to be the best that we can be. Let us leave no room for failures. Life is short. Live it well.

Metamorphosis

The only constant thing in this world is change. So they say. I 100% agree on that. Change is everywhere; in ourselves, in other people, in our homes, in our workplace, in our town, in our province, in our country, in our planet and in the universe. It happens every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every month and every year for as long as we all shall live. Whew!

The most common question about change is “How often?” followed by “Is that really necessary?”. We tend to think that we only need to change whenever needed. But have we ever asked ourselves when?

From where I work we experience change most of the time. Our office was transferred to the main building of our college because the administration made our former office a mini library of another college. We were reluctant at first. We did not want to be moved. We liked it there. We though, we had better use for that office than that mini library. But in the end we had no choice. Here we are in our new office; bigger than our former. We got used to it. At least we don’t have to walk a long way to the main building especially when it’s raining.

From one department where I belong, it was split into 2, then 3. In one year our dean was changed twice. Tax was deducted from our salary without us knowing until later. 100 pesos was deducted from our salary for Pag-Ibig then we filled up the form after. Trees were cut from all over the campus. I see a tree when I go home, the next day, it’s gone. From where that tree stood, there is Oil Palm. Then I see a student wearing a different PE uniform than last year only to find out it’s the new PE uniform. Then I see students rallying on the street saying “No to budget cut!”. In my students days I haven’t seen something like that. Some of these changes are kind of shocking and a little confusing.

There are a lot of factors that influence change. Sometimes we know it, sometimes we don’t. We often change for the better and sometimes we change for the worse.

We already know so much (I think I do) about changes. But what I didn’t know is that there are models of Change. Let me share what I have learned and understood.

“Change is a law of nature” according to the report of yet another sharer in our Organizational Analysis class. To organizations, change is but a normal happening yet some still ask the question “Why?”. Here are some reasons why.

1.       Business Condition – when a certain business goes through difficult times, mostly they decision makers decide to change how things are in the business. It can be the business processes, or the manpower, or the budget etc.

Like here where I work, 2 years ago our bonus was 5 figures but this year our bonus became only 3 figures due to scarcity of funds. We were not paid for our overload subjects. And job order personnel had to work on 15-day shifts. These are examples of not good changes due to present business condition.

2.       Managerial Personnel – Changes comes from change in management sometimes. When a new president was elected here, all deans of all the colleges were changed. New Directors in the administrative offices were appointed, many were promoted and some were demoted and others like me stayed in their positions (well at least I was not demoted).

We now have a new dean. With the new dean came new policies, rules and regulations. No more free coffee, milk and sugar. We had to buy our own.

3.       Deficiency in existing organizational patterns – defective organizational patterns have to be improved otherwise the organization will be looking forward to a big problem.

4.       Technological and psychological reasons – I can relate to the technological reasons here. In our organization we have this so called Student Information and Management Systems or SIMS developed by one of our own faculty in the college. The SIMS is divided into modules: Advisement, Registration, Assessment, Cashiering and Final Screening. We use SIMS especially during enrollment to hasten the process. This system was materialized due to the very slow process of enrollment years back where the administration saw the need for a computerized enrollment. This is a good kind of change. In my student days, I spent 4 days in school before I got enrolled. Now, students are enrolled in no more than a day and I spend the whole week since I am one of the encoders during enrolment.

5.       Government policies – our government and other government agencies creates laws every now and then. Of course with new laws being passed, we have to abide to them otherwise we go to jail. Take for example in education, if the government says to accept students even if they have no money to pay for tuition, schools have to adhere.

In this town where I work, the local government recently banned the use of plastic bags in supermarkets, dry market, wet market and I think in the whole town. Since then, paper bags were used (they easily get rip which is very inconvenient). Some residents (those not from here including me) don’t quite agree with this policy. I mean I am not from here. I have to travel and carry a ripped paper bag full of groceries all the way to our house?  Not all of us have cars you know. A little sympathy if you please.

6.       Size of the organization – the number of employees of an organization has a significant effect especially during recession. We all know that money matters. Now if an organization suffers budget issues, usually the ones who are greatly affected are the employees specially those who are all the way down the hierarchy. Lay-offs here and there. Budget cuts everywhere. Unemployment rates soaring high leading to crimes and death (scary).

I must say I am affected. The university hired more employees last year causing our bonus to go down from 5 to 4 digits. But I’m still thankful to have a bonus. Better have some than have none, right?

                The sharer then presented 2 Models of Change, the Kurt Lewin’s Three Step Model and John P. Kotter’s Eight Steps to Successful Change. The former is very general said the sharer and they would recommend using the latter.

                Presenting Kurt Lewin’s Three Step Model

Step 1: Unfreezing

                This means readiness to change. Includes:

ü  Educate

ü  Inform

ü  Consult

ü  Plan

ü  Organize

ü  Appoint

Before even trying to implement the change, the higher authorities should at least educate their employees and the people involved both directly and indirectly. Consultations should be made together with proper planning. And then appoint people who will be in-charge. It is not easy to be uninformed or misinformed about a certain change.

Step 2: Changing

                This means implementation. Includes:

ü  Praise

ü  Encouragement

ü  Recognition and Empathy

ü  Coach

ü  Train

ü  Lead

ü  Manage

ü  Help and Guidance

ü  Regular Feedback

ü  Provide Adequate Records

During the implementation of the change, the ones involved should be praised for them to at least say to themselves “hey I got praised. This change is good after all.” They should also be constantly encouraged, recognize their efforts, teach them what to do, lead them how to do it, monitor the progress, help those who have questions and having difficulties, give constant feedbacks and present enough records for back up.

Step 3: Refreezing

                This means making it stick. Includes:

ü  Set performance Indicators

ü  Monitor and Evaluate Performance

ü  Establish Systems to make it Happen

After a change has been implemented, there should be an evaluation. Just like a quiz after a lecture to know whether students absorbed something. Then these evaluations should be monitored if progressing or not. There should always be ways to make it happen.

Take for example, here in our university. For 11 years of studying and working here, there was no Pre-midterm Exams. Recently, there was a memorandum from the administration to conduct pre midterm exams. No consultations were made to the faculty (I was shocked when I read the memo). It was like a mushroom that grew overnight. We were not prepared, the students were not prepared and so was our grading system. Some gave exams while some didn’t (including me). I just gave the students a quiz. After that, there were no feedbacks, no evaluation was made. No one even asked if we wanted to have pre-midterm exams from then on. Last semester, there was no memo to conduct midterm exams. I was a little confused. Maybe we’ll get shocked again if next semester they’ll send another memo. They are not consistent which makes us reluctant and confused. They leave us murmuring “what has gotten into their minds?”.

                Presenting John P. Kotter’s Eight Steps to Successful Change

1.       Increasing Urgency – identifying potential threats, examine opportunities, start honest discussions, request support from customers

2.       Form a Powerful Coalition – convince people that change is necessary, identify true leaders

3.       Create a Vision for Change – a clear vision can help, determine the values

4.       Communicating the Vision for Buy-in – ensure many people as possible understand and accept the vision

5.       Empowering People and Removing Barriers – the best solution is honest dialogue

6.       Create Short-Term Wins – success is the motivation

7.       Build on Change – keep looking for improvements

This is a pretty elaborate model unlike Lewin’s. The first step for a change is the urgency to change. If it’s not urgent, the change in question might be questioned. So, if it is indeed urgent, there should be a powerhouse cast to lead the change. This cast should convince others the need for the change. Of course, to help the cast convince others, they should formulate a vision. This vision is the direction where the change will lead to. This vision is something good or beneficial to many. If a change can’t lead to something good, then you can’t convince anyone about that, can you? After formulating a vision, it’s time to sell it and hope it gets bought. The cast has to inculcate to others the beauty of their vision and it’s their responsibility to make sure it’s understood.

Honesty is the best policy so they say. Make sure to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. If a certain change has some catch, it’s only fair that it should be known to others. Otherwise, that can be used against the culprit. Honesty leads to empowerment. People like honest people. If they are honest enough to each other, no barriers will be built only unity.

There is no better motivation than success (for me that is). If success is within reach, it makes us enthusiastic which is a good thing. And if everyone is convinced, enthusiastic and united they will strive to make that Kaizen (change for the better).

I mentioned eight steps, didn’t I? The eighth was not presented because the sharer was absent.

                               

                                Change is always good if it is for the better. We cannot deny the fact that some bad changes are happening around us and we can’t do anything about it but to strive for it not to happen again. Like a caterpillar going through metamorphosis, it’s only once in their lifetime. If it fails, life ends. So let us be like caterpillars. Let us go through metamorphosis to be the best that we can be. Let us leave no room for failures. Life is short. Live it well.

Metamorphosis

The only constant thing in this world is change. So they say. I 100% agree on that. Change is everywhere; in ourselves, in other people, in our homes, in our workplace, in our town, in our province, in our country, in our planet and in the universe. It happens every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every month and every year for as long as we all shall live. Whew!

The most common question about change is “How often?” followed by “Is that really necessary?”. We tend to think that we only need to change whenever needed. But have we ever asked ourselves when?

From where I work we experience change most of the time. Our office was transferred to the main building of our college because the administration made our former office a mini library of another college. We were reluctant at first. We did not want to be moved. We liked it there. We though, we had better use for that office than that mini library. But in the end we had no choice. Here we are in our new office; bigger than our former. We got used to it. At least we don’t have to walk a long way to the main building especially when it’s raining.

From one department where I belong, it was split into 2, then 3. In one year our dean was changed twice. Tax was deducted from our salary without us knowing until later. 100 pesos was deducted from our salary for Pag-Ibig then we filled up the form after. Trees were cut from all over the campus. I see a tree when I go home, the next day, it’s gone. From where that tree stood, there is Oil Palm. Then I see a student wearing a different PE uniform than last year only to find out it’s the new PE uniform. Then I see students rallying on the street saying “No to budget cut!”. In my students days I haven’t seen something like that. Some of these changes are kind of shocking and a little confusing.

There are a lot of factors that influence change. Sometimes we know it, sometimes we don’t. We often change for the better and sometimes we change for the worse.

We already know so much (I think I do) about changes. But what I didn’t know is that there are models of Change. Let me share what I have learned and understood.

“Change is a law of nature” according to the report of yet another sharer in our Organizational Analysis class. To organizations, change is but a normal happening yet some still ask the question “Why?”. Here are some reasons why.

1.       Business Condition – when a certain business goes through difficult times, mostly they decision makers decide to change how things are in the business. It can be the business processes, or the manpower, or the budget etc.

Like here where I work, 2 years ago our bonus was 5 figures but this year our bonus became only 3 figures due to scarcity of funds. We were not paid for our overload subjects. And job order personnel had to work on 15-day shifts. These are examples of not good changes due to present business condition.

2.       Managerial Personnel – Changes comes from change in management sometimes. When a new president was elected here, all deans of all the colleges were changed. New Directors in the administrative offices were appointed, many were promoted and some were demoted and others like me stayed in their positions (well at least I was not demoted).

We now have a new dean. With the new dean came new policies, rules and regulations. No more free coffee, milk and sugar. We had to buy our own.

3.       Deficiency in existing organizational patterns – defective organizational patterns have to be improved otherwise the organization will be looking forward to a big problem.

4.       Technological and psychological reasons – I can relate to the technological reasons here. In our organization we have this so called Student Information and Management Systems or SIMS developed by one of our own faculty in the college. The SIMS is divided into modules: Advisement, Registration, Assessment, Cashiering and Final Screening. We use SIMS especially during enrollment to hasten the process. This system was materialized due to the very slow process of enrollment years back where the administration saw the need for a computerized enrollment. This is a good kind of change. In my student days, I spent 4 days in school before I got enrolled. Now, students are enrolled in no more than a day and I spend the whole week since I am one of the encoders during enrolment.

5.       Government policies – our government and other government agencies creates laws every now and then. Of course with new laws being passed, we have to abide to them otherwise we go to jail. Take for example in education, if the government says to accept students even if they have no money to pay for tuition, schools have to adhere.

In this town where I work, the local government recently banned the use of plastic bags in supermarkets, dry market, wet market and I think in the whole town. Since then, paper bags were used (they easily get rip which is very inconvenient). Some residents (those not from here including me) don’t quite agree with this policy. I mean I am not from here. I have to travel and carry a ripped paper bag full of groceries all the way to our house?  Not all of us have cars you know. A little sympathy if you please.

6.       Size of the organization – the number of employees of an organization has a significant effect especially during recession. We all know that money matters. Now if an organization suffers budget issues, usually the ones who are greatly affected are the employees specially those who are all the way down the hierarchy. Lay-offs here and there. Budget cuts everywhere. Unemployment rates soaring high leading to crimes and death (scary).

I must say I am affected. The university hired more employees last year causing our bonus to go down from 5 to 4 digits. But I’m still thankful to have a bonus. Better have some than have none, right?

                The sharer then presented 2 Models of Change, the Kurt Lewin’s Three Step Model and John P. Kotter’s Eight Steps to Successful Change. The former is very general said the sharer and they would recommend using the latter.

                Presenting Kurt Lewin’s Three Step Model

Step 1: Unfreezing

                This means readiness to change. Includes:

ü  Educate

ü  Inform

ü  Consult

ü  Plan

ü  Organize

ü  Appoint

Before even trying to implement the change, the higher authorities should at least educate their employees and the people involved both directly and indirectly. Consultations should be made together with proper planning. And then appoint people who will be in-charge. It is not easy to be uninformed or misinformed about a certain change.

Step 2: Changing

                This means implementation. Includes:

ü  Praise

ü  Encouragement

ü  Recognition and Empathy

ü  Coach

ü  Train

ü  Lead

ü  Manage

ü  Help and Guidance

ü  Regular Feedback

ü  Provide Adequate Records

During the implementation of the change, the ones involved should be praised for them to at least say to themselves “hey I got praised. This change is good after all.” They should also be constantly encouraged, recognize their efforts, teach them what to do, lead them how to do it, monitor the progress, help those who have questions and having difficulties, give constant feedbacks and present enough records for back up.

Step 3: Refreezing

                This means making it stick. Includes:

ü  Set performance Indicators

ü  Monitor and Evaluate Performance

ü  Establish Systems to make it Happen

After a change has been implemented, there should be an evaluation. Just like a quiz after a lecture to know whether students absorbed something. Then these evaluations should be monitored if progressing or not. There should always be ways to make it happen.

Take for example, here in our university. For 11 years of studying and working here, there was no Pre-midterm Exams. Recently, there was a memorandum from the administration to conduct pre midterm exams. No consultations were made to the faculty (I was shocked when I read the memo). It was like a mushroom that grew overnight. We were not prepared, the students were not prepared and so was our grading system. Some gave exams while some didn’t (including me). I just gave the students a quiz. After that, there were no feedbacks, no evaluation was made. No one even asked if we wanted to have pre-midterm exams from then on. Last semester, there was no memo to conduct midterm exams. I was a little confused. Maybe we’ll get shocked again if next semester they’ll send another memo. They are not consistent which makes us reluctant and confused. They leave us murmuring “what has gotten into their minds?”.

                Presenting John P. Kotter’s Eight Steps to Successful Change

1.       Increasing Urgency – identifying potential threats, examine opportunities, start honest discussions, request support from customers

2.       Form a Powerful Coalition – convince people that change is necessary, identify true leaders

3.       Create a Vision for Change – a clear vision can help, determine the values

4.       Communicating the Vision for Buy-in – ensure many people as possible understand and accept the vision

5.       Empowering People and Removing Barriers – the best solution is honest dialogue

6.       Create Short-Term Wins – success is the motivation

7.       Build on Change – keep looking for improvements

This is a pretty elaborate model unlike Lewin’s. The first step for a change is the urgency to change. If it’s not urgent, the change in question might be questioned. So, if it is indeed urgent, there should be a powerhouse cast to lead the change. This cast should convince others the need for the change. Of course, to help the cast convince others, they should formulate a vision. This vision is the direction where the change will lead to. This vision is something good or beneficial to many. If a change can’t lead to something good, then you can’t convince anyone about that, can you? After formulating a vision, it’s time to sell it and hope it gets bought. The cast has to inculcate to others the beauty of their vision and it’s their responsibility to make sure it’s understood.

Honesty is the best policy so they say. Make sure to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. If a certain change has some catch, it’s only fair that it should be known to others. Otherwise, that can be used against the culprit. Honesty leads to empowerment. People like honest people. If they are honest enough to each other, no barriers will be built only unity.

There is no better motivation than success (for me that is). If success is within reach, it makes us enthusiastic which is a good thing. And if everyone is convinced, enthusiastic and united they will strive to make that Kaizen (change for the better).

I mentioned eight steps, didn’t I? The eighth was not presented because the sharer was absent.

                               

                                Change is always good if it is for the better. We cannot deny the fact that some bad changes are happening around us and we can’t do anything about it but to strive for it not to happen again. Like a caterpillar going through metamorphosis, it’s only once in their lifetime. If it fails, life ends. So let us be like caterpillars. Let us go through metamorphosis to be the best that we can be. Let us leave no room for failures. Life is short. Live it well.

It's A Jungle Out There

Let me tell you ‘bout the birds and the Bees and the Lions and the trees…

Oops! Did I say Lions (I hope I don’t get sued for changing the lyrics of the song)? That was supposed to be Flowers but since I will not be talking about flowers, so I changed it.

Why am I even singing this song? Ah. It reminds me of the topic of the “Sharer”, as we call it in our Organizational Analysis class, where he used a Bee and a Lion for us to better understand his report.

Managers and Leaders: The Difference

Think about having a Bee for a manager and a Lion for a leader. If you take this literally, you’ll go nuts. We are talking about the characteristics here. Now, how does a Manager differ from a leader? Come to think of it, the two terms can be used interchangeably for me. But my thoughts changed when the topic was discussed.

Let me present what I have learned from the report of the sharer. These are from what I have scribbled on my notebook during the class. This is as good as it gets. Here it goes.

The sharer started by asking us which one is the leader and the manager between the Bee and the Lion. In my head I had my answer on impulse: The Bee is the manager and the Lion is the Leader. Bees are timid, organized little creatures doing the same routine and get their work done with like less effort. Lions on the other hand are fierce and I think other Lions respect the pack Leader from the notion that he can protect them simply because he is the strongest.

Let us analyze the following characteristics:

Bee                                                                                       

*Seek order                                      

* Control                                                                                            

*Rapid resolution to problems                                                  

Lion

*they are like artists – they tolerate chaos, keep answers in suspense and prevent premature closure

                And my answer was right. The Bee is indeed the manager and the Lion is the leader. Managers are always organized; they don’t like to see things out of order; and they are always in control. They control their subordinates to do their assigned tasks, reprimand, and set deadlines to fulfill their mission, vision and goals. They are like the over-all in charge and speak in behalf of the owner or the higher authorities in their absence. When problems arise, they always have either short-term or long term solutions hidden on their sleeves.

                Leaders on the other hand, though they can sometimes be chaotic, they gain control of their subordinates by showing them that they themselves can also do what leaders can. Leaders can tolerate chaos much better and they can make everybody listen to what they have to say. They can make their subordinates follow their actions and they can influence them to doing and believing things by setting an example.

                In my analogy: Managers wants the job done while leaders gets the job done.

Attitude Towards Goals

                Comparing the attitude of managers and leaders towards goals, we have the following:

                                Manager                                                                             

*Take impersonal, passive outlook                 

*Goals arise out of necessities

Leader

*Take personal and active outlook

* Set company direction

               

                Managers don’t take things personally. It’s all business. They seldom have sympathy for their subordinates and their work. They just want the job done. When there are new ideas, they don’t act on it immediately no matter how good it is. Goals are made when there is something that needs a goal, otherwise there is none. For example, if there is an upcoming project, only then will a goal be formulated by the manager for that specific project only. After that, the manager has no more goals to implement. In short, their goals are short-term.

                A leader is on the other hand sympathetic. They feel their subordinates feelings and thoughts. They solicit ideas and act on the ones that are really good. Goals are always constant for a leader; they always have it in mind. It never ceases to exist in their vocabulary whether needed or not. This characteristic then can set the direction a company should be heading. Their goals are based on the big picture and not momentary. In short, their goals are long-term.

                In my analogy: The goal of the manager is just a pixel of the goal of the leader.

Conceptions of Work

                Comparing the conceptions of work between managers and leaders, we have the following:

Manager                                                                             

*Negotiate and Coerce, Neutral                      

*Limit choices                                                                           

*Avoid risk                 

Leader

* Develop fresh approaches to problems, Innovators

* Increase options

* Seek risk when opportunities appear promising    

                                                                               

                From what I understand here, managers don’t take sides as long as something gets done. They will negotiate but still, they will do anything to force a subordinate to do what he wants. Their choices are limited because they entertain less since are passive in the first place. They entertain limited choices and they give few choices because they don’t like risks. They think they might lose everything if they take risks and there is so much to lose, not only their job but their reputation.

                Leaders are known for taking risks. Sometimes, they don’t care if they fail as long as they have tried everything. It is still worth it for them. They don’t stick to the norms. They try new things and fresh ideas. They innovate. Their options are increased because they entertain as mush choices as possible and gives as much. Yet, they just take the risk if the idea is really worth it and has the highest possibility of success.

                In my analogy: For a manager, success is everything. For a leader, it’s how you succeeded that is important.

                Take for example, where I work, quantity is important. The number of students that graduate every year is a very big deal for the administration. But for us teachers, the quality of those graduates is much more important. Their goal is to produce more graduates while ours is to produce quality graduates regardless the number. We are developing new ways and think of more options to teaching that produces more and quality graduates while the administration continues to emphasize there should be more graduates.

I quote what our teacher said in this part: “Examination is education of the 19^th century”. Teachers are like managers. We coerce students by giving them exams. But we are just leading them to the right direction. If we don’t give them exams, they won’t take the subject seriously sometimes and won’t study. The lesson just goes in the left ear and goes out the right ear.

Relations to Others

               

                Comparing a manager and a leader’s relation to others, we have:

                                Manager                                                                             

*prefer working with people with minimal emotional involvement                 

*Focus on process                                                  

*Communicates by sending ambiguous                        

        Signals                                                                                 

Leader

* Attracted to ideas, relate to others directly

* Focus on substance of events and decision

* Subordinates describe them with emotionally rich adjectives

               

                Managers are like stones. As much as possible they don’t like to get attached to people they work with. They are process oriented. They are stiff. They always follow the rules and regulations. They can be like girls sometimes. They don’t tell you directly what they want. They just wait for you to sense and guess what they are trying to say. If you are dense enough, you end up getting fired.

                Leaders are like magnets. They attract and are attracted to ideas and people. They work well with people. They don’t shut their emotional senses. They are like sponge that absorbs emotions. They are like bamboo that bends when wind blows. They go with the flow but still manage to stay on track. They can bend the rules if needed, and break it if they can. If they have an issue with a subordinate, they deal with that person personally and talk him/her to it.

                In my analogy: Managers will say “Ok so you were sick. But the deadline will not move. The CEO will get mad at me.”. Leaders will say “Oh you were sick? How are you feeling? Can you finish the job on time? We can stretch the deadline a bit. I’ll talk to the manager about it.”

Sense of Self

                Between a manager and a leader’s sense of self:

                                Manager                                                                             

*Comes from perpetuating and                       

        Strengthening existing institutions                          

*Feel part of the organization                           

*Rules and orderliness                                         

Leader

*Comes from struggles to profoundly alter human and economic relationships

* Feel separate from the organization

* Influence

                A manager is someone who, gets hired and then strengthens the organization that hired him/her. They feel the organization would cease to exist without them. They feel that everything they do and should do should be for the benefit of the organization. What is an organization without a manager? Like a classroom full of students without a teacher. Managers are bombarded with rules and regulations that they have to impose without hesitation to help them keep orderliness in the workplace.

                Leaders can come from anywhere. They are everywhere: in our homes, in school, on the streets, on small and big time business and companies, in the government, in religion etc. They can exist without existing institutions. They strive to reach their goals by influencing other people through example. They don’t have to belong somewhere for them to be called a leader. Their loyalty is not with the company that hired them; it’s with their goals for the company. They can be rebellious when they know that they are doing is for the greater good.

                A classmate asked: Is the President a manager or a leader? There was also one question from another classmate: Is our teacher a manager or a leader? And another asked if it was possible to have one person be a manager and a leader at the same time.

               

For me the President is both a manager and a leader. He is a manager to his subordinates in all branches of government and a leader to the Filipino people. About the second question, the sharer answered our teacher was both too. The third question was answered too. It’s possible but I think it’s uncommon to have one person be a manager and a leader at the same time. How can someone be stiff and sensitive at the same time? That’s stressful. I know I am.

 What do companies need: Managers or Leaders?

I can’t really remember who asked this. I think it was a classmate or out teacher. Forgive me. Companies need both. They should have a manager that will impose rules, orderliness and tell subordinates what to do, and a leader to influence everyone to adhere to these rules, inject new ideas and to lead how to do what needs to be done..

               

Question: Can anyone be a manager? Can anyone be a leader?

                I remember clearly who asked this. It was our teacher. He was standing right in front of me. And when I said yes to the first question, he asked it again. I was wrong. Not anyone can be a manager. You have to have a background on how to run a company and you have to be hired to become one. I was thinking anyone can be hired. If you are the owner of a company, you can designate yourself as a manager. But then, I realized, not everyone is rich enough to own a company. So therefore, not anyone can be a manager. But, anyone can be a leader. Leadership needs no designation. You don’t have to get hired to become one. It is a person’s innate ability to influence other people that make them a leader.

                The topic ended smoothly; leaving everyone (I hope), especially me, with a clear (I think it’s clear) mind on managers and leaders. Though I was a little confused at first, I managed to comprehend. I was not able to ask questions though.

                It is indeed a jungle out there; a jungle full of bees and lions and other animals in every kingdom. And when I say it’s a jungle out there, I meant it as a good thing.