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Tom Wujec's (2010) analysis of the Marshmallow Challenge is one that instantly had me reflecting on the days I spent coaching students in an exceptional program called Odyssey of the Mind.  This after-school club was comprised of children at various ages and stages.  They would all come to my room eager to see what was in store for the day.  They would be tasked with group projects similar to the Square Peg in a Round Hole scenes portrayed in the 1995 film Apollo 13.  It never got as intense as having lives on the line, but I do recall my pre-kindergarten classroom filled with young children to adolescents breaking sweats as they raced the clock to find a solution.  The teamwork and camaraderie was much the same between these elementary school aged children and the members of NASA.  The solutions these children offered were also near the exceptional nature of rocket-scientists. 

What was it about the young mind that allowed such creative ideas to flow?  What is present in the early stages of development to rival the thinking of seasoned professionals?  In my experience I have found that inexperience is bliss. 

I watch as my 15 month old daughter learns to navigate the world around us.  Right now she is seated beside me marveling at the Star Wars light saber toothbrush we bought her today.  At first she had no idea how to make this interesting contraption light up.  She didn’t know how to place the cap back on the toothbrush to allow the light to glow with greater intensity.  Yet, she didn’t give up and we didn’t show her how to do it.  I watched as she completed trial and error exercises over and over again, sometimes at a feverish pace.  She wanted to get it right.  Within 3 minutes she had mastered the art of taking the cap on and off and pressing the button, which reinforced that the force was with her.

Turning that light saber toothbrush example into a work-related task, I ask myself would I be as willing to try and try again at a fevered pace if someone had never shown me how to do something.  Would I throw a mental tantrum or would I push myself until I figured it out on my own?  Would I follow in the footsteps of the children I once taught and allow what Wujec terms the “iterative process” to allow a prototype/redefine cycle to continually occur until the most effective solution is achieved?

Brown (2011) describes a key element of process interventions as the ability to have a group own their solutions, where they “learn to identify problems and then initiate their own solutions.” (p. 226) It is interesting to note that when a Chief Executive Officer’s assistant is at the table, Wujec found the solutions to be more effective.  Is there increased confidence in a leader’s ability to develop and own a solution when the solution is shared by a trusted colleague?  I would venture to say, “Yes.”

How does this information prepare me to be a better leader?  Knowing that offering increased incentives without building skills is ineffective, I can better budget time and money resources to improve skills among employees and then reward those that utilize the skills with the greatest solutions and productivity.  This also demonstrates how important it is to foster collaboration, creativity and development through fun and interesting techniques such as the marshmallow challenge.  Once that synergy in the team is developed it is easy to transition to a work-related problem and build on that synergy to achieve the necessary solutions to build organizational success.

Apollo 13 (7/11) Movie CLIP - Square Peg in a Round Hole (1995) HD. (2011). Retrieved June 30, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2YZnTL596Q

Brown, D. (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organizational Development. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice-Hall.

Wujec, T. TEDTalk. (2010, February). Build a tower, build a team. Retrieved June 30, 2016, from http://www.ted.com/talks/tom_wujec_build_a_tower

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Whetten & Cameron (2016) suggest managers should link rewards to performance and execute a balanced discipline/reward system to stop counterproductive behavior and continually improve productive behavior.  This reward system is backed by the views of Andy Mullholland (2011) who believes that the three motivators of productivity are not related to money but rather provide the employee with interesting work, expand the skill set and recognize the employee.  By providing the recognition and rewards for employee achievement, there is a greater likelihood for continued motivation and productivity.

In my personal experience, I have found this to be very true.  I worked at a highly productive level for years earning what was very close to the Federal Poverty Level even with a Masters degree.  Why?  Why would I pour everything into a job that did not compensate me well?

I loved the work I did every single day.  I loved being able to help people that were experiencing significant behavioral health issues.  I constantly was being stretched professionally to grow and I knew that others around me cared about the work I did.  So why did I leave?  Lack of recognition.  There was a very firm, hard and uncomfortable glass ceiling that felt more like a steel ceiling.  Only a very small group of people were allowed to even think about moving upward and even fewer had a voice with the leadership team that would be heard without offense taken and retaliation.  

In my most recent employment position, I had it all.  I had the interesting work that I loved.  I had the recognition and upward mobility and my skill set was growing exponentially on a daily basis due to the limited personnel resources and the willingness I had to learn whatever I could to do the job at the best level possible.  Significant raises were happening multiple times a year and I was amazed at how much I loved my job.

If I were still able to perform work duties and provide the workplace with the level of production it deserves I would absolutely love to still be in that position.  This time in my life where I have been ordered by doctors to focus on my health has also taught me how important it is to care for employees holistically.  More than skill set development, more than rewards and more than interesting work, the greatest reason I loved working at my job is because they truly cared about me.  They threw me a baby shower.  They paid for my dress at the Ms. Wheelchair Florida competition and even arranged a hair stylist and makeup artist come to my room.  They were incredible!

Their example teaches me that when money cannot be provided as a thank you for hard work, there are many other more meaningful methods to demonstrate how much you appreciate an employee. I hope to be the leader that I have learned to be from the examples in life that are continuing to help me.

1

      Whetten, D., & Cameron, K. (2016). Developing management skills (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

The three things we work for (money isn't one of them).Mulholland, A. (Director). (2011).[Video/DVD] Skillsoft Ireland Limited.

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“We are getting less than 40 hours of work from a large number of our K.C.-based EMPLOYEES. The parking lot is sparsely used at 8:00 A.M.; likewise at 5 P.M. As managers – you either do not know what your EMPLOYEES are doing; or you do not CARE. You have created expectations on the work effort that allowed this to happen inside Cerner, creating a very unhealthy environment. In either case, you have a problem and you will fix it or I will replace you. NEVER in my career have I allowed a team that worked for me to think they had a 40-hour job. I have allowed YOU to create a culture that is permitting this. NO LONGER.”

This email was sent to managers throughout a large technology company in an effort to change employee behavior.  Before I analyze this for supportive communication, I would like to reflect on the use of appropriate Netiquitte within the email.  Perhaps this leader has never read Virginia Shea's (1994) "Core Rules of Netiquette" (p. 32):

1. Remember the Human
2. Adhere to the same standards online that you follow in real life
3. Know where you are in cyberspace
4. Respect other people's time and bandwidth
5. Make yourself look good online
6. Share expert knowledge
7. Help keep flame wars under control
8. Respect other people's privacy
9. Don't abuse your power
10. Be forgiving of other people's mistakes

Clearly, the leader did not have regard for the human on the other end of the computer, hopefully they do not interact in the same manner in person as they do online, they did not think their email would end up as a prompt for my coursework, flame wars were fueled and promoted and there is a definite abuse of power in the tone of the email.  

When someone receives online communication, there is an inability to see the facial expressions and hear the vocal intonation changes in the expression of the words.  The only method to indicate yelling is by putting words in all caps and/or italicizing or putting all letters in bold font.  Emoji icons are becoming more widely used to indicate emotion, but I would imagine a flaming, scowling, angry emoji being offered in conjunction with this email if it were sent in the modern day style of electronic communication.

Now on to supportive communication analysis.  According to Whetten & Cameron (2016), there are eight attributes to supportive communication (p . 194):

1. Congruent, Not Incongruent
2. Descriptive, Not Evaluative
3.  Problem-Oriented, Not Person-Oriented
4. Validating, Not Invalidating
5. Specific, Not Global
6. Conjunctive, Not Discjunctive
7. Owned, Not Disowned
8. Supportive Listening, Not One-Way Listening

While the leader was definitely congruent in the communication of their heated feelings, they did so at the expense of making employees feel belittled and like scolded children.  There is a much greater level of tact that could be used to convey a message of adherence to a 40 hr/wk schedule at the office while maintaining integrity and respect of employees.  The use of evaluative and non-descriptive language continues the angered tone of the email and squelches any potential for two-way supportive communication.  To combat this, I would initially apologize profusely for my impulsive in sending such a message and then offer descriptive data through an objective lens.  Perhaps employees were fraudulently marking on their time sheet that they were in the office from 8a-5p, when there were multiple instances of the employees not arriving until well past the normative initiation of the work day.

This scathing email does not pick out any one individual and does list problems, yet it is a general understanding that the collective "YOU" is the group of managers to which the email was sent.  Perhaps allowing managers to reflect on how they have promoted a culture in which a lax work schedule is permissible would be more effective.  The next area of validation would be a huge task to reconcile after sending such an email.  Let us now switch angles and approach this from a stance where this email was never sent and validation would be provided to deter such behavior from ever occurring.   While it is important to see what I would do in the instance where I myself had such a large "oops" moment as a leader, trying to offer validation in a relatively short time from the sending of this email would be high futile given the strength of the language used.  In order to validate managers, I would discuss those instances where the team has provided a great deal of unity in following through with standards and customs/norms of the organization.  Perhaps managers ensure a 1-hour lunch break is strictly followed.  I would validate those instances of adherence to standards and reinforce those that are able to get as close to a 40/hr work week out of their employees.

In order to communicate the depth of the concern to the managerial staff, I would need to have a great deal of data collection and analysis about the behaviors prior to giving specific, not global, information.  I would want my HR director to monitor employee behavior.  I would want a report of those employees that arrived/left work according to contractual standards as compared to those that did not.  I would then need a comparative analysis to those that requested PTO.  Perhaps the reason for an empty parking lot was largely attributed to a nationally recognized holiday in which many employees would be with family on paid leave.  Once the data is received and if it does provide clear support for the argument that employees are not upholding the 40 hr work week, I would subdivide the data for each manager to allow them the necessary information to handle their own department.  Perhaps managers are too busy working through larger problems than being a hall-monitor or a security guard of the company parking lot.

This email is unified and conjuctive, though something a little more positive and less berating would be more widely received and obtain improved results from managerial staff.  I would ensure that whatever message is provided to one department manager is consistent with that information provided to another department manager in the case that managers decide to compare analytical findings within my communications.    Moreover, to promote ownership in the supportive communication, I would use I statements in nearly all of the beginning sentences to explain how my behavior has contributed to the current problem at Cerner.

Finally, in order to provide supportive listening,  I would not use any of the statements contained in the original email.  I would use open ended questions, perhaps even delivering a survey to managers, calling for their input and data.  Maybe managers have implemented a work-from-home incentive program in which those that have productivity standards met on a weekly basis are rewarded the subsequent week by being able to work from home during peak commute hours.  I would encourage managers to provide any data that would pertain to the underlying reasons for the workplace behavior.  

Whether these techniques would be ideal in fostering supportive communication would be unknown until implementation.  That being said, these techniques would be significantly more supportive in comparison to the original communication offered within the prompt.  While I have had my own experiences of hitting the "Send" button while under the influence of emotion, I am now more aware of the repercussions and less likely to engage in such behavior as a manager/leader.  I hope!

Shea, V. (1994). Netiquette. San Francisco: Albion Books.

Whetten, D., & Cameron, K. (2016). Developing management skills (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

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When I reflect over the evolution of my decision-making style, I find that I have been all over the place as a leader. Throughout childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood, decisions were direct and routine.  They were based on the logic of 'do whatever causes the least amount of adversity.'  I would rather agree with others and go against moral values to make the other persons involved feel comfortable at my own expense.  I would uphold the status quo even if it meant that I would struggle internally with the decision every single day.  

Today, my decision-making style is mostly complex.  Where I was previously an emotional, passive, quiet, cautious leader that was largely influenced by others, I am now a more active, assertive, risk-taking, logical, self-motivated and rational leader. There are definitely times within my daily decision making where I swing along the pendulum to include compliant or impulsive decision.  There are days where I delay my decision making.  While these instances are few in comparison to the majority of decisions, they do occur in my decision-making process.  

What I find to be the most balanced approach of decision making is to come to a centralized area between impulsivity and complacency.  To look at the alternative and evaluate whether risk-taking is the most appropriate or logical decision or if taking a less assertive and aggressive approach may be in the best interest of the long-term goals.  By analyzing decisions in a time-bound window, it can promote change action while still allowing enough critical thought and reflective analysis to rationalize the decision to the greatest level of certainty as possible.  This will decrease the paralyzing effects of procrastination, uncertainty and overthinking.

By building a network of logical peers, it is important to take the decisions to this group of decision-makers for review prior to execution.  This will allow for increased influence among peers.  According to Whetten & Cameron (2016), "Influence entails actually securing the consent of others to work with you in accomplishing an objective." (p. 241).  By inviting others into the decision-making process, you are increasing the trust bonds and opening up the opportunity to secure the consent needed to enhance areas of influence and thereby increasing power as a leader.

Whetten, D., & Cameron, K. (2016). Developing management skills (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

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I have heard nearly every single one of the excuses listed within Daryl Watkins' (2011) "50 Reasons Not to Change" graphic.  Except the one about the janitor.  I haven't heard that one, yet.  When I hear these statements, I usually react with a different emotions based on the intensity of my feelings on the subject.  For example, if it is regarding an initiative for which I have a small amount of complacency toward, I am not nearly as reactive to the excuse.  If, however, it is a project that I am spearheading and an idea for which I have a deep interest, I become nearly combative and highly reactionary.  I offer counter-arguments and even go into accusatory levels to which I explain that it is their own disregard for change that is at the heart of their motivation to accept the status quo.

The problem is that I have myself used these excuses before.  Even in childhood, I recall telling my sisters that it wasn't worth the effort to ask my grandparents to let us go somewhere or do something because they would never buy into the idea.  As I have grown and matured, I have realized that there is very little that cannot be accomplished if those that have the power to make change take action to do so.  The way to overcome this apathetic thinking is to motivate those in the positions of power.  When I say power, I am not speaking of the CEO's and executive leaders.  I am speaking of the tribal members that Seth Godin (2009) encourages leaders to draw on to proliferate their efforts toward change acceptance.  It is important to get the buy in of the janitors, the bottom-tier employees, the human resources team, outside contractors and even management.  

Without the support of other groups, or tribes, the idea becomes one of a solitary effort within your immediate realm of influence and will inevitably not withstand the test of time.  By expanding the group and putting people in positions of empowerment for change action, you are able to continually grow the idea and influence a far greater amount of people for a significantly longer period of time.

What will I be doing with this knowledge?  For one, I will be printing the excuses and checking them over to see if I, myself, am engaging in these negative thought processes.  I will also be looking at my professional networks and looking at what areas of my life are yearning for leadership.  For example, 

The Dysautonomia Advocacy Foundation (DAF) has 26,000+ likes on the social media outlet, Facebook.  That means over 26,000+ receive their communications and information.  They have placed my picture, my title and my name as their cover photo on their page.  Months ago, my dream was just to make a connection at DAF that could help others understand what Dysautonomia is and help treat the disorder.  While it is difficult to get up each day, have the energy to care for an amazing little 15 month old, and not end up in the ER, I also know that there are people out there in this community that are yearning for a leader.  They are yearning for someone that will make serious changes in the way those with Dysautonomia are screened and receive health care.  

This week I will focus on a vision of how I can effectively lead the group of 26,000+ individuals toward an improved system of care.  I will outline a course of action and develop a plan of communication to grow the network within this team of individuals.  I will then reach out to that team to discuss our organizational development and look at how we together can realize our shared vision and goals.

TEDTalk. (2009, February). Seth Godin: The tribes we lead. Retrieved June 20, 2016, from http://www.ted.com/talks/seth_godin_on_the_tribes_we_lead

Watkins, D. (2011, August). 50 Reasons Not to Change.  Retrieved June 20, 2016, from

https://prezi.com/z2v2cvo4t9tc/50-reasons-not-to-change/

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Marcia Blenko (2010) provides information on how to increase organizational performance through effective decision making.  According to Blenko, when employees feel their input is valuable and are active in influencing business operations they are able to provide high quality, time sensitive, well executed decisions with balanced effort.  The four elements of quality, speed, yield and effort encompass much of the effective decision making process, however three key elements are worth mentioning.  Those elements would include decision making that is ethical, self-reflective and based on forcasting.  According to Theil et al (2012), “Reflecting on prior experiences aids in accurately and completely making sense of an ethical situation…leaders might also benefit from making future assessments, or forecasting”( p. 56).  Moreover, Brown (2011) has found that, “Almost every organizational decision involves ethical questions, such as how people should treat others, conflicts of interest and so on.” (p. 90)

In my personal experience, those decisions which provided the greatest level of outcome were not the decisions that were half-baked or lacking significant critical thought.  For example, when my medical team and I decided it was appropriate for me to continue in the MSLD program at Embry-Riddle, it was with an understanding that I would need to be based in an online platform with flexibility due to my illness.  It was a decision based on the reflective thoughts in my past where I knew I needed to continue growth, even if it is at a rate that is slower than I previously would have expected.  I knew that the benefit of pursuing the degree despite the health obstacles faced daily would be worth it in the long run.  By holding on to the hope of rolling across the graduation stage, I am able to provide clear goals and direction, combating the ever present danger of falling into the depressive state that often accompanies those with physical or cognitive impairments.

In the corporate world, decision making can be much more difficult than in a small group setting.  Bureaucracy and ambiguity of job structures and organizations have increased complexity and decreases clarity over decision making responsibilities. The behaviors of those within leadership positions may not support decision making in the employees and stifle the vocalization of diverse views.

The take away message learned from the information provided by Blenko, Brown and Thiel et al is that leadership is full of decisions.  In order to provide the company the greatest return during the decision making process, it is critical to invest in the engagement of employees.  Others need to realize how their voice is not only heard but considered in the decision making process.  This is something I will be more aware of as I go into meetings with key policy makers and legislators that are effecting change in the state of Florida regarding legislation for persons with physical, emotional and behavioral impairments.

Blenko, M. (2010, October 13). How Companies Can Make Better Decisions, Faster. Retrieved June 13, 2016, from https://youtu.be/pbxpg6D4Hk8

Brown, D. (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organizational Development. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice-Hall.

Thiel, C., Bagdasarov, Z., Harkrider, L., Johnson, J., & Mumford, M. (2012). Leader Ethical Decision-Making in Organizations: Strategies for Sensemaking. Journal Of Business Ethics, 107(1), 49-64. doi:10.1007/s10551-012-1299-1

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Often when we look at conflict we immediately begin to think negatively of the experience.  Many do not look forward to conflict and some will go to great measures to avoid conflict.  Steinbuch (2010) describes how we are able to move past this feeling toward conflict into a "resolution revolution" in which we always aim for the win-win and strengthen relationships in the midst of the conflict resolution.

A personal example in which I have had a conflict strengthen a relationship is that of the initial contacts with my primary care doctor.  Dr. Margaret Crossman is a thorough and respected doctor in our area.  She has a great client base and spends a significant amount of time with her patients.  When I first met Dr. Crossman, it was at an acute stage of my illness.  My heart rate was uncontrolled and my symptoms were very concerning.  Yet, emergency room doctors were unable to diagnose and the symptoms continued to worsen.  With many dollars spent and no treatment options provided, I was furious and was seeking help from those that had limited knowledge on how to help me.

As I laid across the exam table with tears of frustration rolling down my cheek, I pleaded for help.  I explained how my only mode of mobility was through crawling and that each time I stood, I would fall over.  It was at this time that I began to make headway in the conflict.  As a participant in the conflict, I looked to my husband who served as a mediator.  He was able to verify the symptoms and offer the doctor a less emotional point of view.

Dr. Crossman was able to listen to the concerns and she was willing to read the literature I brought her describing Dysautonomia.  Her eyes began to open to this rarely diagnosed disorder to which she had yet to have a patient in her 20+ years of practice.  She realized this was not psychosomatic, but rather a true autonomic nervous system disorder.

At the end of the conflict, Dr. Crossman was able to deepen her understanding of the medical condition Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome/Dysautonomia and I was able to begin receiving the necessary care to decrease the severity of symptoms.  I could have just remained in bed.  I could have continued crawling on the floor and letting doctors dismiss my concerns.  Instead, I knew that the conflict was necessary to move forward toward the end goal of improved health.  With this conflict, we were able to arrive at a win-win situation and now have a great relationship built on mutual respect.

Pearl Steinbuch, (2010) "Getting to Resolution: Turning Conflict into Collaboration (2nd ed.)", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 31 Iss: 5, pp.478 - 479

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When I first began the Master of Science in Leadership program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University I was a full-time employee, a new mom to a beautiful young infant daughter, and a new step-mom to two teenagers.  Life was full of excitement.  It also was full of new questions and concerns that eventually led to a diagnosis of Dysautonomia.

While my physical condition began to progressively worsen with time, I noticed that my cognitive style, intellectual functioning and ability to recall information or reflect accurately was impacted.  It was extremely frustrating to go from a place of high functioning cognition to a place of poor intellectual functioning with reliance on others for information gathering and critical analysis.

My values began to shift as I began to understand the need for self-care as superior to the need for advancement in the organization.  As I went under anesthesia, not know for certain if I would wake up, I remember thinking about what was really important in life.  I only saw the faces of my family and not those of my co-workers.

My attitudes toward change began to improve.  I started to move from a place of rigidity in performance-based evaluation, to appreciating the entire picture of an employee.  I also began to look at a need for diversity where previously I only wanted the top producer in the workforce.  This really shook me to the core.  Whereas my previous self would have implemented a "no-excuses" mentality, I now find myself requiring accommodations to meet expectations and standards.

My ability to identify my own personality quirks, tendencies and attributes, or my core self-evaluation, has improved since initiation of the MSLD program.  Through the reflective exercises, the group discussions and the engagement with peers and instructors, I have developed a greater awareness of my areas of weakness and strengths to which I can build upon as I grow.  This is an area that I am continually developing and learning about through each exercise in the MSLD program.

The greatest level of adaptation in regard to the five core aspects of self-awareness would be my attitudes toward change.  Had it not been for my loss of mobility and use of a wheelchair for 100% of my daily mobility, I do not know that I would have experienced such growth.  According to the text, this aspect of self-awareness has two dimensions- "locus of control" and "intolerance of ambiguity" (Whetton & Cameron, 2016, p. 48)  I have had to come to realize that there are some things beyond my control and not everything is based off of an internal locus.  I have become more balanced in this area of life.  Moreover, when I previously saw standards, regulations and output as black and white, I now realize the need to look at employees holistically.  They may be superior performers and provide great return on investment, but if that candle is going to burn out quickly due to lack of proper health care or over-exertion/stress, it is far more important to create balance in the workforce to foster longevity of a great employee.  This is a huge lesson to learn.

Bringing this back to home, I have learned a great deal about becoming more centered and balanced in life.  I have learned to slow down.  I have learned that I can not expect myself to be "supermom."  I am a human being that requires certain things to function.  I need to make sure my basic needs are met before I expect myself to excel or push myself to do more than what is necessary.  Where I previously cared about pushing the envelope and excelling in each endeavor, I now realize that small victories are still victories and consistent performance is key.

Whetten, D. & Cameron, K. (2016). Developing Managerial Skills (9th Ed). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

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Matthew Taylor’s (2010) talk, appropriately named the “21^st Century Enlightenment” was created to motivate the audience to question our current culture and drive change within the 21^st century.  He encourages the viewer "to live differently…to think differently." What he means is we cannot conform to the modern views in order to grow and change.  Our thoughts must challenge the status quo in order to continually develop. 

So often it is seen where people begin to feel comfortable in their stereotypical views and habitual behaviors that they do not realize the reality they are forming may be quite different than what is possible or true.  I agree with Taylor’s statement that we need "to resist our tendencies to make right or true that which is merely familiar and wrong or false that which is only strange."  Just as in the times of Galileo, there are people today that do not realize how erroneous our thinking is.  Perhaps the sun does not revolve around the earth.  Perhaps profit margins, bottom dollar figures or return on investment are not the best indicators of organizational success.

I face the fight against decade old stereotypes on a daily basis.  As a disabled individual, I am fighting the view of our current society that silently places persons with disabilities in a group of “less than capable” adults.  Many do not understand that I can still be a mom, I can still provide critical and substantive thought in problem-solving and I can positively contribute to society.  At a recent county-wide meeting of top executives, I had to prove my worth while others at the table only had to wear a name badge or show off a shiny new pen to gain respect and equality.

How refreshing it would be if we could get to a place where pop culture can promote persons that are diverse.  How amazingly novel it would be to challenge long-standing social trends and views, replacing them with empathetic and respectful schemas.  While we are not there yet, we are increasing our tolerance for diversity in organizations around the globe.  Years ago we fought segregation.  Now, we have judges, law enforcement officers, neurosurgeons, politicians and presidents that are in positions of power when less than 60 years ago, they were fighting for equal rights.

How did these changes occur?  What were the most effective ways to increase empathy and decrease collaborative views against change?  Individuals had to develop new experiences and replace their traditional thoughts.  When we rely on the mainstream views, when we jump on the organizational bandwagon and go along for the ride, when we engage in think tanks that consist of little thought, we risk creating inflexible concrete thoughts that will not stand the test of time. 

According to Brown (2011), “the most important lesson managers need to learn is that there are only two kinds of companies- those that are changing and those that are going out of business” (p. 37). In an organization, managers can improve their odds of continued success by encouraging individuals to think and contribute individually through reflective thought and self-awareness activities.  This can help foster positive changes that continue to grow the diverse culture within the organization.  

I am thankful that many companies are becoming more open to hiring individuals with disabilities as leaders in the organizations and realizing that our contributions are equally or possibly more valuable than those of our able-bodied peers.  I am also thankful for Taylor’s boldness in presenting such an idea as it motivates me to continue pursuing the dream of equal opportunity and helping change attitudinal and architectural barriers faced by persons with disabilities.  To think that less than 50 years ago, I would be forced into an institution and separated from my family gives me hope that 50 years from now we will live in a world that supports all people and respects their differences.

Brown, D. (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organizational Development. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice-Hall.

Taylor, M. (2010, August 19). RSA ANIMATE: 21st Century Enlightenment. Retrieved June 06, 2016, from https://youtu.be/AC7ANGMy0yo