What a great title! I feel the real highlight of the week was the activity in class. I really felt like my group struggled. We never really got a grasp on what we were actually doing. Once we figured out how the game worked, we skipped past the part where we analyzed the problem that the game was presenting and we went to throwing darts at the wall, hoping to hit a bulls-eye, or even the board. The dynamic in the group was a bit off, and I think the time crunch and all the different jobs affected us all in different ways.
I think the real lesson is clear though, that change is hard. There is a lot to do, and you can totally fail if you don't get your act together right from the start. This is something I always struggle with, that people don't just hop on board. I feel something is so clearly right and the way to go, but I need to do a better job of slowing down, considering other points of view, and making sure their is actual evidence that this is the best road, not just my point of view.
This is a week that I can definitely take back to the real world and learn something from. That makes it a good week.
It sounds like all of the groups had difficultly with the game this last week. Our group had a plan of attack, but failed to assess what the first problem was. We had a great idea and strategies organized but accomplished very little as far as moving characters on the board. I think you're absolutely right that change is hard, especially when not all participants have a clear understanding of what the change is, how it will be addressed and what it means for each person. I too tend to grab onto ideas that sound like the right thing to do and get frustrated when others throw up road blocks - using the game from this week is good practice for implementing the skills needed to make change happen.
ReplyDeleteOh, Jason, as one of your group members, I couldn't agree more with the activity analysis. It was horrendous. The only good part is that we all kept our sense of humor about it. Thank God for that! I, too, thought, however, that the activity was extremely thought provoking, especially when it comes to forming a team. This fall I have to create a team to develop our technology plan and already I'm seeing and predicting the struggles we're going to have. Like our group, this team isn't real clear on what their individual roles will be. They know I've asked them to be on the tech committee but apart from some tech know-how, they don't know what they're supposed to do. After our fiasco, I'm thinking carefully about how I have to get them on board and make the guidelines clear. Unfortunately, having never done this before, I'm a bit fuzzy myself. I guess I had better do more homework if I want the team to be successful.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jason-
ReplyDeleteThe group I was in had similar problems. The game was a good exercise to stimulate thinking, but it was frustrating at the same time. We, too, felt as though we were throwing darts at the wall. And, it was also challenging because we had so many different things to look at while we were making decisions. If we had been more familiar with the people involved, it would have been easier. However, I think it showed us that even though a leader might think he or she knows where everyone is, that he still needs to survey and get feedback.
It seems the simulation was a success in showing you that multiple areas have to be thought through to ensure a success with change. Well done.
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