WRITING WORKSHOP 5

152707 Leading and Organizing Change

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You will learn how to:

• Make connections between different sections (vignettes) of your reflective journal.

• Write an introduction and conclusion section to your reflective journal

Learning outcome

ASSIGNMENT QUESTION

Suggested Journal Structure

Introduction (one or two paragraphs)

Vignette 1 (four paragraphs)

Vignette 2 (four paragraphs)

Vignette 3 (four paragraphs)

Conclusion (two or three paragraphs)

Suggested structure for each vignette

Story of a leadership experience (1 paragraph)workshops 1 & 2

Analysis of the leadership experience (1 paragraph)workshop 3

Scholarly critique of the leadership experience (2 paragraphs)workshop 4

ANOTHER EXAMPLE

VIGNETTE

TASK 1: Story of a leadership experience

What elements can you identify in this story?

How does it link to the previous vignette?

My next opportunity to exercise educational leadership was when I came to New

Zealand several years later. This time, the main challenge was not how to

implement change, but how to communicate effectively with my team of part-time,

hourly paid staff. Face to face meetings were rare, as the teachers worked at

different centres and times. This meant I relied on group emails as a means of

influencing their behaviour. I found this frustrating and restrictive and felt, once

again, that I was a leader in name only, without the necessary tools for the job. On

one occasion, for instance, I emailed the group to remind them to use our

branding on training materials. I’d found some handouts in the photocopier with

the logo of a competitor one trainer had worked for. This trainer (who I hadn’t

named in my email) sent an angry response complaining that she had no time to

produce new materials. She used ‘reply all’, so the whole team became involved.

Several phone calls were required to sort out the confusion and calm everyone

down. Unlike the previous experience, it did not lead to my resignation, but

did, once more, make me question my competence as a leader.

My next opportunity to exercise educational leadership was when I came

to New Zealand several years later. This time, the main challenge was not

how to implement change, but how to communicate effectively with my

team of part-time, hourly paid staff. Face to face meetings were rare, as

the teachers worked at different centres and times. This meant I relied on

group emails as a means of influencing their behaviour. I found this

frustrating and restrictive and felt, once again, that I was a leader in name

only, without the necessary tools for the job. On one occasion, for

instance, I emailed the group to remind them to use our branding on

training materials. I’d found some handouts in the photocopier with the

logo of a competitor one trainer had worked for. This trainer (who I hadn’t

named in my email) sent an angry response complaining that she had no

time to produce new materials. She used ‘reply all’, so the whole team

became involved. Several phone calls were required to sort out the

confusion and calm everyone down. Unlike the previous experience, it did

not lead to my resignation, but did, once more, make me question my

competence as a leader.

context

response

problem

outcome

evaluation

My next opportunity to exercise educational leadership was when I came to New

Zealand several years later. This time, the main challenge was not how to implement

change, but how to communicate effectively with my team of part-time, hourly paid staff.

Face to face meetings were rare, as the teachers worked at different centres and times.

This meant I relied on group emails as a means of influencing their behaviour. I found this

frustrating and restrictive and felt, once again, that I was a leader in name only, without

the necessary tools for the job. On one occasion, for instance, I emailed the group to

remind them to use our branding on training materials. I’d found some handouts in the

photocopier with the logo of a competitor one trainer had worked for. This trainer (who I

hadn’t named in my email) sent an angry response complaining that she had no time to

produce new materials. She used ‘reply all’, so the whole team became involved. Several

phone calls were required to sort out the confusion and calm everyone down. Unlike the

previous experience, it did not lead to my resignation, but did, once more, make me

question my competence as a leader.

These links help to express a developing through the three vignettes

TASK 2: Analysis of a leadership experience

Which leadership issues do I focus on?

Which causes and effects do I identify?

What question(s) do I raise about leadership?

As in my earlier experience in London, the immediate causes of the problem were not

hard to find. My choice of email was clearly inappropriate. I had seen it as a

straightforward and simple reminder to staff, but it is a basic principle of business

communication that any message that can be perceived as disciplinary is best

delivered face-to-face (citation). I realised, on reflection, that my use of email had

reinforced an impression of distance between the staff and me (as a representative of

institutional bureaucracy). Communication is much more than the transmission of

information; every interaction either builds or erodes the foundation of mutual trust

and respect that supports organisational capacity and growth (citation). As I reflected

more deeply on what had happened, I began to focus less on the issue of matching

communication purpose and channel and more about how I could be a more effective

leader at the level of value and identity. The fundamental questions here, I began to

feel, were: If staff feel the branding is irrelevant, do they also feel their work is no

different from any other institution? And how, as a leader, could I help my team of

part-time, casual staff develop a sense of common purpose, which is a hallmark of

productive, self-sustaining teams (citation).

superficial

issue

deeper

issue

As in my earlier experience in London, the immediate causes of the

problem were not hard to find. My choice of email was clearly

inappropriate. I had seen it as a straightforward and simple reminder to

staff, but it is a basic principle of business communication that any

message that can be perceived as disciplinary is best delivered face-to-

face (citation). I realised, on reflection, that my use of email had

reinforced an impression of distance between the staff and me (as a

representative of institutional bureaucracy). Communication is much

more than the transmission of information; every interaction either builds

or erodes the foundation of mutual trust and respect that supports

organisational capacity and growth (citation). As I reflected more deeply

on what had happened, I began to focus less on the issue of matching

communication purpose and channel and more about how I could be a

more effective leader at the level of value and identity. The fundamental

questions here, I began to feel, were: If staff feel the branding is

irrelevant, do they also feel their work is no different from any other

institution? And how, as a leader, could I help my team of part-time,

casual staff develop a sense of common purpose, which is a hallmark of

productive, self-sustaining teams (citation).

As in my earlier experience in London, the immediate causes of the

problem were not hard to find. My choice of email was clearly inappropriate.

I had seen it as a straightforward and simple reminder to staff, but it is a

basic principle of business communication that any message that can be

perceived as disciplinary is best delivered face-to-face (citation). I realised,

on reflection, that my use of email had reinforced an impression of

distance between the staff and me (as a representative of institutional

bureaucracy). Communication is much more than the transmission of

information; every interaction either builds or erodes the foundation of

mutual trust and respect that supports organisational capacity and growth

(citation). …..

cause

effect

The fundamental questions here, I began to feel, were: If staff

feel the branding is irrelevant, do they also feel their work is

no different from any other institution? And how, as a

leader, could I help my team of part-time, casual staff

develop a sense of common purpose, which is a hallmark of

productive, self-sustaining teams (citation).

Questions

TASK 3: Scholarly critique

Which theories do I refer to?

How do I apply these theories to my experience?

The organisational context in which I was attempting to exercise leadership is

becoming increasingly common, as a result of a more mobile, part-time and

temporary workforce (citation). This has created ‘loosely-coupled’ organisational

structures in which individuals typically exercise considerable autonomy and do not

perceive themselves as working within a fixed institutional structure (citation). It has

been argued that the most stable and productive component of these loosely-

coupled structures is the double interact, in which two or three individuals typically

work on specific projects, sharing responsibilities and influencing each other

(citation). From this perspective, my inability to gather all the staff together for

regular meetings seems less problematic. What is important was for team members

to be able engage in meaningful and productive work at the level of partnership; my

leadership role could have been more usefully directed towards mentoring these

partnerships and ensuring that they aligned with organisational goals. As a means of

creating coherence among dynamic units of organisational culture, leadership can

help organisations achieve their common purpose (citation).

The organisational context in which I was attempting to exercise

leadership is becoming increasingly common, as a result of a more

mobile, part-time and temporary workforce (citation). This has created

‘loosely-coupled’ organisational structures in which individuals

typically exercise considerable autonomy and do not perceive themselves

as working within a fixed institutional structure (citation). It has been

argued that the most stable and productive component of these loosely-

coupled structures is the double interact, in which two or three

individuals typically work on specific projects, sharing responsibilities and

influencing each other (citation). From this perspective, my inability to

gather all the staff together for regular meetings seems less problematic.

What is important was for team members to be able engage in meaningful

and productive work at the level of partnership; my leadership role could

have been more usefully directed towards mentoring these partnerships

and ensuring that they aligned with organisational goals. As a means of

creating coherence among dynamic units of organisational culture,

leadership can help organisations achieve their common purpose

(citation).

Theory A

Theory B

The organisational context in which I was attempting to exercise

leadership is becoming increasingly common, as a result of a more

mobile, part-time and temporary workforce (citation). This has created

‘loosely-coupled’ organisational structures in which individuals typically

exercise considerable autonomy and do not perceive themselves as

working within a fixed institutional structure (citation). It has been argued

that the most stable and productive component of these loosely-coupled

structures is the double interact, in which two or three individuals typically

work on specific projects, sharing responsibilities and influencing each

other (citation). From this perspective, my inability to gather all the

staff together for regular meetings seems less problematic. What is

important is for team members to be able engage in meaningful and

productive work at the level of partnership; my leadership role could have

been more usefully directed towards mentoring these partnerships and

ensuring that they aligned with organisational goals. As a means of

creating coherence among dynamic units of organisational culture,

leadership can help organisations achieve their common purpose

(citation).

Application A

Application B

TASK 4: Scholarly critique

At home, read the fourth and last paragraph of this vignette and:

Look for more examples of scholarly critique and application to the experience.

Consider how I show that I have learnt about leadership.

As in my earlier reflections on power, my developing understanding of leadership has led

me to reframe my experience. My thinking was initially limited to the functional level of

communication, as in a classical concept of management (citation). I now see my problem

not in terms of what I did or did not do as a leader, but in how my actions constructed my

relationship with my team. In other words, I see leadership as more about being, than

doing. This perspective is similar to virtue ethics, which views conduct not in terms of its

effects on others (like Utilitarianism) or in terms of rules (like Kantianism), but as a means

of developing moral character (citation). My email response was not just ineffective

functionally, but damaged my moral authority as a leader. A greater understanding of the

loosely-coupled nature of my organisational context could have allowed me to align my

practice with ‘respectful leadership’: tolerating error, respecting boundaries and

encouraging potential (citation). I could, for instance, used a ‘fine-tuning’ approach (citation)

to the copying problem, offering administrative support, which might reduce teachers’ stress

while subtly reminding them of their responsibility to submit professional work for copying.

This would have respected their boundaries, encouraged their capacity and contribute

towards the ongoing construction of individual and group identity and capacity.

INTRODUCTION

The introduction explains to the reader:

• the purpose, focus and structure of the journal.

• the choice of experiences in each vignette.

• how the journal traces your developing understanding of leadership.

TASK 5: Introduction

• On the next slide, there is an introduction paragraph for the example reflective journal.

• But the extracts have been put in the wrong order.

• Read them and try to find the original order

E This journal traces my developing understanding of leadership through critical reflection on three

personal experiences of leadership.

A In choosing two examples of failure to achieve intended outcomes, I am representing not only

my own experience of unsuccessful leadership, but the broader social context in which four out of

every five change initiatives are said to fail (citation).

B In the course of my first two reflections, I develop a more distributed process-oriented

understanding of leadership (e.g. citations), which I explore further through my third reflection on a

more positive experience of leadership in a non-professional context.

C My reflections also represent an evolution in my understanding of leadership which parallels that

which I have found in the literature. I begin my journey with a narrow, individual concept of

leadership, which seeks to define the future and direct followers along a predetermined path

(citation).

D The first two experiences involve unsuccessful attempts at leadership in a professional context:

one in which I attempted to impose a change in practice and one in which I tried to impose existing

rules.

E This journal traces my developing understanding of leadership through critical reflection on three

personal experiences of leadership.

A In choosing two examples of failure to achieve intended outcomes, I am representing not only

my own experience of unsuccessful leadership, but the broader social context in which four out of

every five change initiatives are said to fail (citation).

B In the course of my first two reflections, I develop a more distributed process-oriented

understanding of leadership (e.g. citations), which I explore further through my third reflection on a

more positive experience of leadership in a non-professional context.

C My reflections also represent an evolution in my understanding of leadership which parallels that

which I have found in the literature. I begin my journey with a narrow, individual concept of

leadership, which seeks to define the future and direct followers along a predetermined path

(citation).

D The first two experiences involve unsuccessful attempts at leadership in a professional context:

one in which I attempted to impose a change in practice and one in which I tried to impose existing

rules.

ORIGINAL ORDER

This journal traces my developing understanding of leadership through critical

reflection on three personal experiences of leadership. The first two experiences

involve unsuccessful attempts at leadership in a professional context: one in which

I attempted to impose a change in practice and one in which I tried to impose

existing rules. In choosing two examples of failure to achieve intended outcomes, I am

representing not only my own experience of unsuccessful leadership, but the broader

social context in which four out of every five change initiatives are said to fail (citation). My

reflections also represent an evolution in my understanding of leadership which parallels

that which I have found in the literature. I begin my journey with a narrow, individual

concept of leadership, which seeks to define the future and direct followers along a

predetermined path (citation). In the course of my first two reflections, I develop a more

distributed process-oriented understanding of leadership (e.g. citations), which I explore

further through my third reflection on a more positive experience of leadership in a

non-professional context.

PURPOSE & STRUCTURE

This journal traces my developing understanding of leadership through critical reflection

on three personal experiences of leadership. The first two experiences involve

unsuccessful attempts at leadership in a professional context: one in which I attempted to

impose a change in practice and one in which I tried to impose existing rules. In

choosing two examples of failure to achieve intended outcomes, I am representing

not only my own experience of unsuccessful leadership, but the broader social

context in which four out of every five change initiatives are said to fail (citation).

My reflections also represent an evolution in my understanding of leadership which

parallels that which I have found in the literature. I begin my journey with a narrow,

individual concept of leadership, which seeks to define the future and direct followers

along a predetermined path (citation). In the course of my first two reflections, I develop a

more distributed process-oriented understanding of leadership (e.g. citations), which I

explore further through my third reflection on a more positive experience of leadership in a

non-professional context.

CHOICE OF EXPERIENCES

This journal traces my developing understanding of leadership through critical reflection

on three personal experiences of leadership. The first two experiences involve

unsuccessful attempts at leadership in a professional context: one in which I attempted to

impose a change in practice and one in which I tried to impose existing rules. In choosing

two examples of failure to achieve intended outcomes, I am representing not only my own

experience of unsuccessful leadership, but the broader social context in which four out of

every five change initiatives are said to fail (citation). My reflections also represent an

evolution in my understanding of leadership which parallels that which I have

found in the literature. I begin my journey with a narrow, individual concept of

leadership, which seeks to define the future and direct followers along a

predetermined path (citation). In the course of my first two reflections, I develop a

more distributed process-oriented understanding of leadership (e.g. citations),

which I explore further through my third reflection on a more positive experience of

leadership in a non-professional context.

DEVELOPING UNDERSTANDING OF LEADERSHIP

CONCLUSION

The conclusion (400 words):

• summarises your learning through reflection.

• explains what has changed (and / or stayed the same) in your understanding of leadership.

One way to do this could be to write two paragraphs, (200 words each):

• What have you learnt through reflection on experience?

• How has your understanding of leadership changed during the course?

Another way to do this could be to write three paragraphs, focusing on your understanding of leadership:

• before the course (short)

• during the course (long)

• after the course (short)

Task 6 Changing understanding of Leadership

Discuss in your pairs / groups

• Which concepts of leadership did you have before this course?

• How had you acquired these concepts? (e.g. family, upbringing,

culture, education?

• Have you given up, adapted or added to your original concepts during the

course?

• Have you changed your understanding of any of your leadership experiences

as a result of this course?

© 2017

This PowerPoint Presentation and the accompanying handouts are copyrighted by Centre for Teaching and Learning, Massey University

and may not be used, except for personal study, without written permission from the copyright owner. Please note that examples are

provided for illustration of writing principles only and no reliance should be placed on any of the ideas referred to in the texts.

Martin McMorrow, Centre for Teaching and Learning

09 212 7117 ctlalb@massey.ac.nz

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