A631.9.2.RB_LarsonKurt, Video Debrief of Team MA

After watching the video above, write a well-written reflection blog, discuss how your characteristics would have fit with the makeup and culture of the NeXT startup team. Your reflection should be very specific to the environment that you witness in the video. Make sure that you use your MA results as the basis for your discussion.

I found the video to be very similar in nature to the two articles reviewed in A631.9.3.TA-Group Study, How Steve Jobs hexed NeXT (Nicholson, 1993) and Steve Jobs is back at Apple (Oritz, 1996). As we all know the late Steve Jobs is known as the co-founder of Apple computers, and is but one individual responsible for the modern day computer revolution that has projected Apple to the top of the computer industry from a technological standpoint. Forbes magazine listed (Jobs) who at only 27 in 1982 as one of the richest Americans with at least 100 million in Apple stock.

Jobs, which was instrumental in creating Apple computers in his garage is noteworthy as a most dramatic display of creativity and innovation in the history of Silicone Valley. But for all his visionary and forward thinking, Steve Jobs has been labeled as a myopic and unapologetic snob who is depicted as such a poor manager who encouraged bullying employees, fostering dissention vs. cooperation to the point of over-involving himself in the minutest of details that is reminiscent of micromanagement. Three years later, Jobs was ouster from Apple computers.

Based upon the Management Assessment Profile that was prepared by NextSteps Research, analyzed by Tom Labreque in a one hour and extremely informative debriefs. My leadership style was assessed as “Logistical” with characteristics that Stabilize, Organize, Administrate and Communicate as a confident logistical leader that exhibits a team-oriented approach toward leadership. To quote Tom in the debrief, My team-oriented leadership approach, in conjunction with my logistical approach are instrumental at establishing good lines of communication, are a stabilizing influence in an organization that is responsible for creating rules and structure for an organization and its people.

Conversely when Jobs established NeXT with the objective of creating a workstation and monitor capable of displaying crisp, clear graphics, a microprocessor that is powerful including massive storage for under $3000 per unit to a market targeting universities. Universities were Apples initial objective and true success story back when Jobs was with the organization. In reality NeXT computers were underpowered, cost double the $3000 that universities were willing to pay for even in a basic configuration in spite of investments by billionaires like: Ross Perot, Stanford and Carnegie-Mallon universities and Cannon.

It would appear from a macro perspective that Steve Jobs was concerned with appearances vs. reality. Superficial items like: NeXT company logos, interior design of buildings and the design of the computer itself that was to be housed in a magnesium one foot cube, had many technical problems including the expenditure of almost 1 million on molds and a sanding machine for removal of blemishes and imperfections after the manufacturing process would make the units unaffordable and outside of any idea of creating, manufacturing and marketing with-in the realm of an economy-of -scales concept.

Based upon my assessment and debrief of the Management Assessment Profile prepared for me. I conclude that Steve Jobs leadership style was an extrovert of a strategic nature, displaying characteristics of mobilization, devising, systemizing and envisioning that NeXT was created solely for the purpose of tormenting those who ousted him from Apple and thus started a company with a fundamental flaw. There was no market for another PC, particularly one that was not compatible with IBM-PC or Macintosh operating systems. 

     

References:

Nicholson, D. (1993, Nov 23). Book world; how Steve Jobs hexed NeXT. The Washington Post (Pre-1997 Full text). Retrieved November 26, 2012, from http://search.proquest.com

Ortiz, C. (1996, Dec 21). Steve Jobs is back as Apple buys NeXT. Austin American Statesman. Retrieved November 26, 2012, from http://search.proquest.com

Nathan, J. (1989, Mar 17). Entrepreneurs. Nathan/Tyler Productions. Retrieved November 26, 2012, from https://www.youtube.com

Larson, K. (2013, December 16). Interview by T Labreque. Management assessment profile. Retrieved from http://www.nextstepsresearch.com

A631.8.4.RB_LarsonKurt, Reflective Analysis

Explore the Internet for information based on your own Myers-Briggs personality type. If you have never taken the Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator (MBTI), you can access a free personality type test at the HumanMetrics website.

It is important to understand that Jungian types and the MBTI relate to personal preferences for how people interact in the world. No type is better than another type and every type has its own unique ways of being. And, sometimes the assessments do not correctly describe the personality type of the person who took the test. If you feel that the descriptions of your personality type preferences are not accurate, then you probably were mistyped by the test.

Develop a reflection blog describing how the MBTI might be useful to you as you develop your leadership capacity. In your blog, touch on your own self-awareness and also your knowledge and awareness of others.

According to the results of the Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator (MBTI) Personality Type test from the HumanMetrics website.  My Humanmetrics Jung Typology Test is as follows:

Introvert (56%) iNtuitive (12%) Thinking (38%) and Judging (78%). They are broken down as follows:

I have a slight moderate preference of Introversion over Extraversion (56%)

I have a slight preference of Intuition over Sensing (12%)

I have a moderate preference of Thinking over Feeling (38%)

I have a strong preference of Judging over Perceiving (78%)

The article Introversion-Extraversion (2010,) discusses that Carl Jung was initially responsible for coining the term as a method of referring to two distinctly differing psychological attitudes. What Jung was referring to introversion as the inward turning of the libido, conversely extraversion is the outward direction of the libido. Jung further believed that an introverts mind, emotions and attention are inadvertently turned inward due to inferior feelings particularly during stressful periods.

Extraverts on the other hand focus their attention toward the outer world with their perceptions, judgments and experiences on people and things. An extravert will draw energy from other people and experiences, and may appear to be shallow to an introvert. Both attitudes are prevalent in all people; however, one is generally preferred over the other.

Intuition over Sensing is functions that are primarily focused on different kinds of information. People are utilizing their sensing function as they gather information through the five senses hearing, feeling, touching, smelling and tasting.

They may also: memorize a speech or presentation, notice clouds in the sky and check the weather forecast, follow step-by-step instructions, taste food or smell a flower.

When an individual utilize their intuition function, they are typically: come-up with ideas and new methods of accomplishing goals, see the big picture, overall trends, patterns and themes, perceive the underlying meaning of individual behavior, create future scenarios or think about the implications of ones actions.

Thinking over Feeling was also found to be utilized during conflict resolution and is hypothesized that the thinking-feeling function of the mind would positively correlate in areas like decision-making function’s.

People that use their thinking function typically utilize logic and impartiality in the decision making process, in areas like: weighing the pros and cons of a career change, follow rules weather they might agree, as it is the right thing to do, make a decision based upon fairness, even if it is less advantageous for them personally.

People who employ their feeling function generally make decisions personally and considering the effects on themselves as well as others and do things like: accept an off of a position because they know people who work there, go the extra mile for an employer because they are valued and treated fairly, Buy an item because they like it, withhold criticism if they believe it would upset the recipient.

The final portion Judging over Perceiving are related to attitudes of how well people have a preference on how they live their lives.

When people are judging they plan, order and schedule, and may do things like: make a detailed shopping list, plan a week of scheduled appointments, organize a holiday, push for closure on issues, begin working early and methodically on projects.

People that perceive are open-ended, spontaneous and tend to go with the flow including things like: take a wait and see attitude, act on the spur of the moment, make a decision as things occur, adapt and act quickly, meet deadlines at the last minute. And lastly the perceiving attitude is directly linked with sensing and intuition.

References:

Introversion-Extraversion. (2010). In The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/login? url=http://www.credoreference.com/entry/wileycorsini/introversion_extraversion

MBTI attitudes and functions. (2008, Apr 30). Dominion Post. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/338354816?accountid=27203

George, M. B. (1991). The relationship between the MBTI and a values conflict resolution. (Order No. 0664570, University of Richmond). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 0-1. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/304033999?accountid=27203. (304033999).

A631.7.4.RB_LarsonKurt, Future of OD

Together, MSLD 630 and MSLD 631 provide an overview of Organizational Development (OD). The courses present an OD view of managing change and organizational transformation. In this final chapter of your textbook, Brown presents two opposing ideas: some as a rapidly changing field keeping up with the times and by others as a fad that will become irrelevant views OD. Given what you have learned over the past two courses, what do you see as the future of the OD discipline?

According to Brown (2011,) Organizational Development or OD as it is affectionately referred, is the discipline that applies behavioral science techniques to managerial problems. It advocates the installation of long range change through the use of opportunities through efforts that are planned, organizational wide and managed from the top by increasing organizational effectiveness and health through planned interventions in an organizations processes and procedures that utilize the knowledge of behavioral science.  With this in mind several items immediately become relevant regarding OD like Organizational Transformation (OT,) which is a large scale program designed to assist organizations with large scale change and the issues generally associated with environmental or technological changes, corporate culture, vision, strategy including strategy change management and changing the organizational culture.

Considering the above observations, including the nature of todays global business and market place, that so many organizations and governments find as the new normal place to conduct business. It would only seem fitting that the discipline of OD would naturally evolves with the changing needs of its customers as a method of establishing a hierarchy of information that its previous and future customers alike can draw from a repository of information relevant to its individual and joint needs as in the case of joint-ventures between organizations and governments.

In other words, for OD to survive like Total Quality Management (TQM) or Lean Manufacturing (LM) it is indicative to seek out new and improved methods of reaching out to current and potential customers, much like TQM and LM has in the past. Much like the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Safety Management System (SMS) that is based upon ISO 9000 requirements. It too looks for improved methods of reaching out to and partnering with government regulatory bodies and organizations to collaborate with and enter into a joint-venture with organizations, for the betterment and sustainability of the craft and business models that OD is seeking to partner with for the continued improvement and development of global organizations.   

Reference:

Brown, D. R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall