Large Assignment Needed
Edward1111
MHR538_LeadinginHRARMYCrewCase_Fall2020Lesson7.pptxLeading in HR
Agenda
Guest Speaker
Cathy Peffen, VP, Mariott Vacations Worldwide
Readings for the Day
Creating the Best Workplace on Earth
Army Crew HB Case
Brian Stretching
Rowing held the distinction of being the first intercollegiate sport in the United States, beginning in what year?
How much on average does an 8 crew boat weigh?
What is the term used for the person that steers the rudder?
Cogitate the following…
What building in New York City has the most stories?
How does the man in the moon cut his hair?
1852
An eight, which carries more than three-quarters of a ton (1,750 pounds), may weigh as little as 200 pounds. The boats are made of fiberglass composite material. Incidentally, Singles may be as narrow as 10 inches across, weigh only 23 pounds, and stretch nearly 27-feet long.
Coxswain…on large ships they are called a helmsman or helm
The Public Library
Eclipse it
3
Creating the Best Workplace on Earth
Individual differences are nurtured
Information is not suppressed or spun
Company adds values to its employees
Organization stands for something meaningful
Work is intrinsically rewarding
The company has no stupid rules
Creating the Best Workplace on Earth
Or said from the employees perspective…
You can be yourself
You’re told what is really going on
Your strengths are magnified
The company stands for something meaningful
Your daily work is rewarding
Stupid rules don’t exist
These seem commonsensical…why don’t all companies do these things?
Succeeding in nurturing individuality, may be associated with forgoing some degree off organizational orderliness.
Try to create “organic solidarity”
Radical honesty is not easy to implement
Being transparent and telling the truth is sometimes time-consuming
Shift from extracting value to adding value to your employees
Creating the Best Workplace on Earth
ARMY CREW CASE
What’s the Problem? Background
Issues: JV beat Varsity
Teams determined based on series of objective tests
One week before nationals
3 choices
Acknowledge JV is better than Varsity – switch boats
Switch individual boat members
Keep varsity team and try to intervene - but how?
General questions
Why does Varsity lose to JV?
What should/could have coach P done earlier?
What action should Coach P take?
Do the circumstances faced by the Army Crew team exist in business? What lessons can we learn?
Selecting the Teams Elements of Success
200 variables broken into four distinct categories
Strength and Conditioning
Rowing Technique
Psychological Dimensions
Program Organization
Level of importance of each category varied by Coach’s years of experience
Individual Strength and Endurance
Rowing “Ergometer” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_YdHaypl0E
Objectively measures work output
Eliminates the instability aspect of open water
Precision to a tenth of a second over 2,000m
Weight Lifting
Objective measure
Coaches used amounts to gauge progress and raw strength
Teamwork (We will discuss leading teams in more detail later in the course, but here are some key concepts from this case)
What is team trust?
What is team identity?
Teamwork
Crucial for the 8 individuals to stay in sync
No awards like MVP
Best boats have teammates who can adapt to teammates imperfect strokes
Trust is major component of a team success
Synergy is paramount
No talk of leadership within the team
Atlanta Retreat
Atlanta Retreat- rowers anxious to get started after winter off season training.
Spring break off site rowing retreat spent at Atlanta Olympic Rowing Center http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4RmdDcu84Y (stop at 1:00)
“Seat Races” to determine which rowers would be in varsity boat
Provided systematic data about how well each rower used his individual skills while coordinating with his individual skills while coordinating with his teammates (Management by Objectives)
Purpose = capture individuals ability to contribute to the team’s performance
Results attributed to the two rowers who had switched boats. X is better than Y because their boat won after they switched (doesn’t account for emergent properties)
Allowed the coach to rank rowers from top to bottom. Varsity boat determined from top eight seat racing performances.
End of Retreat = Teams raced for the first time and the varsity won.
Atlanta Retreat – Positives and Negatives
Positives – measured individual attributes of each rower and quantitatively justified varsity boat composition through objective means.
Negative – didn’t account for emergent properties from certain team configurations. Also multiple races over time may render differing results.
Back on the Hudson
First race back JV beat Varsity
Pair-wise races: varsity won
“the whole less than the sum of the parts”
Several team disrupters on varsity
No one is a leader
V boat vs. JV boat
Slowing down b/c of individuals in the boat
No leader, but several team disrupters
V members critique each other individually
Neutral slogans: “row hard”, “never die,” and “finish clean”
Members feel alone: “I’m the one carrying the boat”
Better team results than individual
No team disrupters
JV members address details everyone needs to practice
Positive slogan: “nothing to lost”
Team spirit: nobody wants to move to the V boat.
Team Building
Psychological tests. “touchy-feely”- varsity
Emails
Encourage team members
Time to talk about certain team members
“nothing to lose” vs “row hard, never die, finish clean”
Goals?
The Meeting
Having meeting after everyone was frustrated
Blaming each other - no teamwork
Did Coach P. let the situation get out of hand?
Was there a lack of leadership?
Was it his responsibility or the team’s?
No constant reminder of goals
All about winning or losing
“Frustration with not winning”
What to Do?
After the meeting, Coach P sees 3 options
1) Switch the Varsity and JV Boats
Pros = JV team works better as a team and consistently beats the varsity
Cons = Very extreme option that discredits Coach’s philosophy
2) Switch Individual Boat Members
Pros = Could compose the very best team as a result of emergent properties of new team configurations
Cons = Not enough time to analyze and test all possible combinations
3) Intervene to improve the Varsity Boat’s Performance
Pros = Stick with original plan and possibly improve Varsity team
Cons = Team has shown time after time that they don’t have what it takes to work and win as a team
Lessons Learned
Not always the most talented team that wins, but rather the right team
e.g., 1980 USA Hockey team
Psychology, both positive and negative can be enough to change outcomes
Nature of an organization
JV mentality vs. Varsity mentality
Most senior coaches cited this as most important
Army Crew Case
So what happened????
Looking ahead…
Wed, 11 Nov – Leadership Qualities and Behaviors
Guest Speakers Paper is due before class begins
I will post the assignment guidance document by Friday
Two relatively short readings
Two relatively short videos
Back-up slides
Analyzing Options
Option 1:
Not the best choice. Based on facts, the Varsity team has a physical advantage over the JV Team and still has a chance to beat JV
Option 2:
Not the best choice; there is no desire from the JV team to move to Varsity
Option 3:
Best Choice? Based on facts, Varsity is better physically and the coach can try and mend/build the team
Carrying out Option 1
Why one might decide/recommend to switch the JV and Varsity boats
Consistently tried to improve Varsity team and has field
Not enough time to continue with this course of action
Great team cohesiveness
“Nothing to lose” mentality
Similar situation with 1990 Cornell team
Made switch and both teams won division championships
Carrying out Option 2
Why one might decide/recommend to mix the JV and Varsity rowers
JV isn’t good enough on their own
Varsity is not in the right frame of mind to win at this time
Maybe if we can find the right mix of the best from both boats, we can find a winning combination
However, very short time to “tinker” with moving individual rowers
Too much integration and synergy required in rowing to make changes this late in the game
Not enough time to effectively execute this course of action
Great team cohesiveness will be nearly impossible
May make both teams worse
JV individual’s “Nothing to lose” mentality may not jive with Varsity “Do or Die” attitudes
Carrying out Option 3
Resolving Issues
For example: Stop arguments, engage in clear communication, and find solution built on trust
Stop arguments by:
Give everyone a chance to voice opinions
Engage in clear communication by:
Noting positives, discussing group problems instead of individuals
Solution built on trust by:
Set a specific goal and become a team around that goal
Course Concepts
Efficiency v. Effectiveness
Emergent Properties of System
Systems vs Reductionism
Levels of Analysis
System fails when its parts do not work together
Escalation of Commitment Bias?
Goal Setting (looking ahead)
Lack thereof - Did they actually set a goal?
By not setting, avoid perverse incentives of goal setting
Reductionism vs. Systems
Reductionism (bottom-up approach)
Complex systems can be analyzed individually
There are no intrinsic connections between the components
Systems (top-down approach)
Everything belongs to a whole
Elements of this “system” can be tangible, intangible, or perceived
The Theories’ Weaknesses
Reductionism
Oversimplification
Systems
Complex
