Reflections - Personal Statement Example

Where there is no vision, the people perish” Proverbs 29:18 WEEK OF OCTOBER 3 – 9 - Understanding Strategic Issues The chapter on “Identifying Strategic Issues Facing the Organization” by Bryson proffered pertinent issues that enhanced one’s understanding of strategies, in general. The encompassing elements in strategic issues have led one to reflect on the “fundamental policy question or critical challenge that affects the organization’s mandates, mission and values, product or service level and mix, clients, users or payers, cost, financing, structure, processes, or management” (Bryson, 2004, p. 153). In so doing, one realized that organizations of today face confounding issues that have paralyzing effects rendering organizations old-fashioned. There are various factors influencing contemporary organizations that continue to challenge and effect organizational change. While there are commonalities in challenges, there are also differences that are somewhat broad. I was particularly interested in finding out that strategic issues are the heart of the planning process. There is a fundamental policy question or challenges that often address either unreservedly or openly, how the mission may be an issue. The mission of the organization should be unambiguous, explicitly stated and defined to guide the organization. Only then could strategies be developed to achieve identified goals. Although strategic issues play a central role in the decision, their manner of presentation impacts effective implementation and provides appropriate justification for their design. A very good example of this is today’s Congress. Every issue is often filled with tension or conflict that requires appropriate resolution. Certain past issues necessitating change has been met with resistance and therefore confounds the strategies designed to improve identified issues. In the end, there does not seem to be a solution that is best for all. A review of the chapter has increased knowledge on the seven approaches to identify crucial organizational issues, which are as follows: direct, goals, vision of success, indirect, oval mapping, the tensions, and the systems analysis approach. These approaches are used to identify issues, but the government considers the direct and oval mapping as the best two (Bryson, 2004, p. 160). Further, there have been current and future trends focusing on technological advancements. One has observed that majority of contemporary organizations apply specific technological updates, especially capitalizing on the new social medias. When one attempts to understand strategic issues, one must understand that new innovations and reinvestment in technology changes the way that strategies are approached. Continued developments in technology complicate the challenges that organizations face, to include opinions and lifestyles, fast changing culture, services and goods of the organizations and consumers’ values and preferences. Honestly, I felt that there seemed to be some apparent difficulties when trying to readily identify behaviors that organizations exhibit while strategically facing certain issues in attempts to connect the needs of the consumer. Due to the ever changing environment, there are many factors that prevent organizations from operating as originally planned, especially when both internal and external issues affect an organization’s environment. My understanding of strategic issues provided enlightening information on the crucial role of policy options, taking social responsibility into account, and the need for environmental protection and preservation to realize organizational goals and vision. WEEK OF OCTOBER 17- 23 - Formulating and Adopting Strategies In studying this session on formulating and adopting strategies, I gained enhanced understanding that strategy is a pattern of purpose, policies, programs, actions, decisions, and resource allocations defining what the organization is, what the organization does, and why it does it. Students were made aware that strategies vary as a result of time frame and level. It has therefore been reinforced that there are four levels of strategy, to wit: (1) grand strategy; (2) subunit strategies; (3) program, service, or business process strategies; and (4) functional strategies. Learning these diverse characteristics is relevant for future applications. Through a greater understanding of formulating strategies, one is made aware that techniques and processes would assist in scanning one’s environment and gathering relevant information needed for their preparation and design. There is a set-back in terms of applying a long and tedious process in the planning and preparation of strategies formulation as participants could possibly lose their interest. In evaluating a contemporary organization, for instance, I have learned that every organization follows a plan, a pattern and process. Strategic planning seeks to direct effort and resources towards clearly understood and agreed goals and objectives. The discourse has emphasized two approaches in strategy formulation: the five-part process and the oval mapping process. To differentiate one from the other, one must first realize that the oval mapping process is the beginning of understanding what it is going to be, the tank or the embryo of your thoughts. By brainstorming, one understands that identifying the blend of diverse individuals who collectively form assembled groups; they are capable of contributing to an advisory board in the community. Concurrently, one has realized that while formulating and adopting are intertwined, they are viewed individually. This is important because of the liberal conversations that are transferred between the elected and the policy board members. Scheming, tough negotiation and swaggering tend to be inherited in a political style manner. Interestingly, though, strategies have different ways of handling situations; and while there are several ways that strategies can be formed (operational, programmatic, and organizational), they are often aligned from the bottom to the top for the most effective outcome. During the course of one’s reading and reflection, I have acknowledged that while strategies are formulated through negotiation, the following steps are always involved: (1) agreeing on strategies and mobilizing support; (2) assessing and negotiating strategies; (3) considering resources and implementation options; and (4) defining goals and objectives. By being aware of these steps, the importance of defining compatible goals is seen as the most relevant aspect in formulating an effective strategy. According to Gavetti and Rivkin (2005), it is suggested that case studies are the best way of discovering analogies. They believed that no two strategy situations are the same and whereas one situation may work one way, it may be disastrous in another way. Gavetti and Rivkin (2005) also believed that mistakes are often repetitive when the principle is not understood. These lessons have increased one’s personal awareness on the relevance of understanding the unique and distinct ways by which strategies are formulated. To better appreciate their applications in contemporary setting, one should be actively involved in the formulation and adoption process. WEEK OF OCTOBER 24 - 30 - Goals, Objectives, and Performance Measures For the record, my goal is to get through this class with a great grade. While I understand strategic planning, I understand that goals, objectives, and performance measures serves as the outline for the accomplishment of the organization’s mission and proposed vision. One’s reflection on the information discussed using various readings brings me to confirm that the issues of the organization must be clear and the performance measures, which are indicators of how well the results are achievable, should not be difficult. When we bring together the mandates and objectives, the road to success will be clear. There is a trio of action when we bring together goals, objectives, and performance measures; they work together hand-in-hand in support of each other. The overall purpose of setting goals is to mirror the main concern of the organization, plot the direction of the organization, and map the expectations of the organization. The goals of the organization should be kept to the least amount so that the importance will not be overlooked, with open avenues through the road leading to the mission and the windows of vision. One believes that in every endeavor, goal setting should be the first and foremost task that needs to be designed and resolved. No effective strategy could be formulated without a clear direction. The goals give the organization a clear picture of where they want to go; what they want to achieve. The strategies are the tools that assist these organizations towards the attainment of these defined objectives. When one delves into researching on a particular organization, usually, the first question that is asked is what the organization’s mission and vision statement is; their organizational goals; their values and philosophy. When these are clearly and effectively defined, one is sure that clear organizational strategies have been formulated and adopted towards the attainment of these goals. Sometimes, these are published in an organization’s annual financial report, where the president or the chief executive officer would highlight both short-term and long-term goals and state the strategies used to indicate if these goals were effectively met. By doing so, performance measurement is easy as there have been standards that were defined. Likewise, through these standards, organizations could immediately address any significant deviations from plans to bring the organization to re-assess the need to either bring them to the previous path or to revise their previously defined goals, if analytical tools would justify its requirement. WEEK OF OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 6 – Developing a Vision for the future and the role of leadership: I feel that I am continuing to grow through improved knowledge from the information reinforced in one’s faculties. I am looking at different businesses and organizations and find myself asking the question, I wonder how their strategic plan is working? I am very curious about everything. When Rainier Maria Rilke said “You must give birth to your images. They are the future waiting to be born; you have to ask what was this person was really inferring? So many questions run through the mind, as a result of the quote. If given birth to one’s future is based on the windows of one’s soul, then, with every idea that is born, a new future awaits us. In developing a vision, Bryson (2004) states that of the many things that an organization should know, is how to achieve its potential, develop a clear description of the view of the organization, and how to create its public value. Developing a vision can begin at almost any point in the planning process, whereas a vision illustrates the appearance of the organization in the eyes of the stakeholders when in full operation. Although this is a tedious process and takes up a great deal of time, it is often a well developed part of the planning process. Since organizations are diversely formed, the establishment of the vision undergoes a great deal of brainstorming among the players of the organizations. Quite clearly, while the vision may not be necessary to advance the success of an organization, an organization often times, will not successfully operate without one. The question, however, is why are people often afraid to express themselves when it comes to their vision. Many are afraid of the rejection or failure to excel and quite often find that difficult when one is not in total agreement with the corporate vision. To ensure that an individual gets to be in sync with organizational growth, the following points would assist: (1) a detail of the of the organizations’ attributes; (2) the mission; (3) the philosophy and culture; (4) organization’s goals; and (4) ethical expectations of all. I realized that there are so many things to remember, but there are those that stand above all else: purpose, behavior, standards and rules to perform by. It is one’s contention that although promises are often made to be broken, the identification of a vision is actually a commitment that an organization will adhere to. The vision should be known by all. It is not intended to be an organization’s secret; more importantly, organizations must discuss their history, the culture, values and policies. An open communication will keep the vision alive, ensure that it is shared and used as a reference to achieve well defined organizational goals. Read More