Narrative Essay
The second semester of the Sergeants Major course covers a lot of material on Organizations, Leaders, Power, Influence, Stress, Ethics, Vision, Culture and Climate. The knowledge gained from block (s) L103, L105, L107 and L109 are important to future Operations Sergeants Major because; we will be able to assist the commander through the process of changing the climate and culture and enabling the unit to become stronger as a team.
Kotter Model
The Kotter Model comes from the L103 block it is an eight stage model that helps avoid mutual issues that plague the smallest change attempts in an organization. Organizations leaders will lead their organizations through this process in order to have a positive and long lasting effect. A leader cannot prematurely hurdle, bounce or make a serious mistake inside a step by doing any of those would have a destructive effect on a successful accomplishment of change. The stages of the Kotter Model are: (1) establishing a sense of urgency (2) creating the guiding coalition (3) developing a vision and strategy (4) communicating the change vision (5) empowering a broad base of people to take action (6) generating short-term wins (7) consolidating gains and producing even more change (8) institutionalizing new approaches in the culture.
This Model guides leaders through the process of attempting to change the climate and culture of an organization; I will explain each stage briefly. In stage one it is vibrant the leader institutes a sense of determination by showing the rewards and significant of change. The second stage leaders must organize and support the adjustment development. By building a resilient support team based on belief and common understanding will encour...
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...uraging actions necessary to carry out the vision; and continue to take the organization to a higher level. As we think about visions remember the Army’s vision and how it has changed a few times over the years and to support the change they came up with Slogans. A vision builder must ensure if you use a slogan it must have meaning, do not use an empty one just to have one. Remember a vision is a key used by Leaders to move their organizations successfully into the future.
Conclusion
In conclusion I have given details of what I erudite and was taught in the second semester of the academy. The knowledge gained from block (s) L103, L105, L107 and L109 are important to future Operations Sergeants Major because; we will be able to assist the commander through the process of changing the climate and culture and enabling the unit to become stronger as a team.
Teamwork harnesses individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives and is the key to spreading my 4th ABCT vision. Leaders and Soldiers alike, create synergy and a positive organizational environment by sharing in each other’s accomplishments and foster a culture of interest, instead of indifference. My intent is for 4th ABCT to develop an understanding of this team mentality, realizing how as individuals we are limited to the sum of our efforts and achievements, while as a team our efforts and achievements are multiplied. Pride, performance, and camaraderie in our organization will increase motivation because each individual achievement is shared by all. I will look to CSM Ivor, my brigade staff, and “battalion command teams” (Battalion Commanders and CSMs) to share and embody my vision of teamwork and foster the same within their commands. They will be my guiding coalition and lead agents for change, and I expect them to build our team through coaching, teaching, and mentoring their subordinates. This exemplifies engaged leadership and shares my vision because leaders are investing time in training and counseling our soldiers, and empowers our subordinates to execute it. I think that once we start acting like a team again pride in the unit will surge as leaders demonstrate engaged leadership with increased counseling and active mentorship programs. Members of the unit will spend more time together, strengthening professional and personal bonds and incorporating families at after hour unit evens. Our success will ultimately be realized when I MAJ Cobb more at church on Sundays than on my appointment
From 2005-2006, SFC Peek served as the Detachment Sergeant for the 926th Medical Detachment, 14th Combat Support Hospital, Fort Benning, Georgia. His commitment to excellence impacted the entire organization from the start. During this period he developed a METL based training matrix which ensured an appropriate unit assessment and a deliberate long range training plan. His efforts resulted in 100% training completion of collective and individual tasks which significantly improve the overall T rating for the unit. In addition to his operational and training experience, he successfully developed and implemented over 30 SOPs for mandated unit programs. SFC Peek excelled as a senior NCO, reflected by his selection on the 2005 Master Sergeant’s list.
This book substantially explains the vigorous training platoon 3086 went through in order to earn the title of being a Marine.
After more than ten years of persistent counterinsurgency (COIN) conflict and multiple simultaneous responses to several natural disasters, the United States Army is at a crossroads regarding professional education for its officers and enlisted force. Considering overseas contingency operations in Iraq are due to conclude in December 2011 and by 2014 for Afghanistan, it is plausible that strategic planners are considering the future make-up of what will constitute the Total Army Force to include new educational criteria for what could be a smaller force than was needed for present day operations. While this may be “peace dividend” speculation, there is precedence for the Army to reevaluate its force structure and personal qualification requirements after every major conflict over the last century. . Even though defense budget reductions should redoubt army equipment priorities, training deferrals because of persistent contingency operations have inhibited enlisted professional development despite that counterinsurgency operations require refocused soldiers training to improve their sense of situational understanding and application of observable operational ethics through conceptual enlisted leadership evaluation efforts.
LM06, Strategic Planning Student Guide. (2013). Maxwell-Gunter AFB. Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education (AETC).
A most valuable opportunity exists for a leader to contribute in making a tremendous difference. New leadership at the top of the 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT), a) gifted with wisdom to analyze an organization in identifying problems, b) capable of thinking creative in founding a vision for the future, and c) empowered with the reasoning ability to develop effective solutions to problems, will transform a declining unit to a new enhanced level of mission achievement and organizational effectiveness. 4th ABCT numerous problems are identified. A vision developed will guide the unit in the future. Most importantly, providing solutions to 4th ABCT problems occurs. Unit problems, vision, and solutions follow in order.
To make a change initiative organic, employees must be engaged within the process. The Kotter change model emphasizes the use of teambuilding, which is a key element in making change organic. Step one of establishing a sense of urgency requires leadership to engage the employees in a way that creates
This requires a structured approach to execute such plans. Mitchell (2013) identifies different types of change theories that can be utilized in an organization to affect changes. Such as (1) Levin change theory (1951) this comprise of unfreezing, moving and refreezing, (2) Roger change theory involves awareness, interest evaluation trial and Adoption, and (3) Lippitt’s theories. This theory is mostly used by nursing, it has four distinct stages; the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. The use of any of these theories is dependent of the type of leadership style and leaders, and the leaders have to evaluate their skill strengths and weaknesses prior to initiating changes in the organization. This is because skills are required aspects that have a great consequence on the change project outcome (Mitchell,
John Kotter’s 8-step theory, is a theory all businesses should strive to follow, as it clearly is essential in a business’s improvements. This theory gives businesses an insight into how to handle change and not let change overcome your business. It is recommended that this theory is used in all aspects of a business when come face to face with change.
One of the change models of Organizational Development was created by Kurt Lewin. It includes three phases: unfreeze, move or change, and refreeze (Lewin, 1951, 1958). Lewin’s model recognizes the impormance of changing the people in organization and the role of top management involvement to overcome the resistance of change.
...nd learn to move through each stage successfully it can set organizational standards to new highs. Every business professional should want to keep a copy of these models in his desk because of the growing dependence of teams in organizations. After all, no one wants to be on the losing team. The ineffective team gives no pleasure or feeling of accomplishment to anyone involved!
...d me with our staff and Soldiers we have been given the opportunity to lead. The time and effort spent will be well worth it. Possessing a shared understanding of the operational environment will aid in our planning process when conducting operations throughout our theater of operation. In every operation we execute we know that we will accept prudent risks, identification and mitigation of those risks will determine our ability to accomplish our mission. Incorporating the principles of mission command by building cohesive teams through mutual trust, fostering an environment of shared understanding, and accepting prudent risk will make me an effective adviser to the commander, aid the staff during the operations process, and provide an example for Soldiers to emulate. My involvement in all aspects of mission command is critical to the success of our organization.
However, Lewin’s central model centres on unfreezing, effecting change and then refreezing, starting from the status quo, then moving things and then continuing with the new status quo (Green, 2007). Kotter’s change model focuses on establishing urgency, guiding coalition, developing strategy, communication, empowerment, short-term wins, consolidation of gains to produce and anchor new changes (Sabri et al, 2007). Kotter does not engage with the complexity of organisational systems and potential clashing, he sees change being systematic, architectural, political and doesn’t engage strongly with the less deterministic metaphors in the latter steps (Smith et al, 2015). However, Kotter does highlight the importance of communicating the vision and keeping the communication high throughout the process although this starts with a burst of energy and in later stages its followed by delegation and distance (Cameron and green, 2009). Lewin’s change model focuses on people with the collaboration, contribution creating a force field approach to change including the power holders socially, culturally and behaviourally to drive change (Smith et al, 2015). However, Lewin’s approach ignores the metaphor of groups of people only willing to change if there is a need to do so, the model is more of a planning tool rather than an organisational development process (Cameron and green,
“An Army leader is any one who by virtue of assumed role or assigned responsibility inspires and influences peoples to accomplish organizational goals. She or He motivates people both inside and outside the chain of command to pursue actions, focus thinking, and shape decisions for the greater good of the organization.1” But for him to do that effectively and efficiently , he has to be prepared, shaped and refined. There are few institutions to prepare such leaders and CGSC is one of those institutions which are mandated, organized and equipped to prepare such leaders. In implementing its mandate, CGSC has programmed ILE common core C 100 to provide foundations for effective leadership development. The lessons covered in this block of instructions are important pillars of leadership development and impact on officers differently depending on the fields/specialties and the level of positions held. This paper therefore attempts to discuss the relevance of critical thinking and problem solving, group decision making, overcoming biases, planning and order production lessons on my future assignment as a logistics staff officer.
Before a leader can be successful and before goals can be set, a vision is needed. A vision is something you want to achieve or accomplish, something you want for the future, and it is the most important thing for a successful leader to have. Without a clear vision, leaders will have problems inspiring others, and employees will have a difficult time being motivated due to not knowing what they’re working to achieve. Clark (1997) states that “As a leader, you have to get your followers to trust you and be sold on your vision” (p. 1)...