Unit 2 Organizations, Structure, and Impact on Results

Overview

In Unit 2, we look at Transformational Servant Leadership (TSL). When we practice TSL, for results, we need to understand that applying these ideas also requires us to think about how we put our words into action and lead by example. When we embrace the values and ethics we declare, it becomes an important part of what we do in our TSL practice, because without values and ethics, we become aimless in addressing a wide number of things related to our practice. Looking at values and ethics tied to leadership and accountability requires us to take the initiative for achieving our common purpose and remain accountable for reaching goals together.

We will also develop our understanding of why it is important not to act in ways suggesting we have no responsibility. Taking responsibility leads us to acting with integrity - where we do the right thing without compromise. Clearly practicing our values and ethics centres our efforts and moves us forward in accomplishing personal and corporate practices and goals…this is an important theme in this unit.

We will also investigate the belief that running a business is “all about the bottom line.” In addition to the bottom line results however, values and ethics must be attached for ethical practice to have clearer focus toward a fuller report of actual results that matter. Part of this lies in the need to understand that our business practices are not as healthy or strong as we believe them to be without working ethically and promoting values to customers and the people we work with. It is imperative to have a clear customer and employee focus to achieve the TSL result we desire in leading our businesses. You cannot have an effective business without having customers served by ethical and value-focused employees. When we understand and focus on the needs of our customers and enhance employee service, we can prioritize acting ethically because we’re working with people who deserve to be treated ethically, deserve to serve ethically, and who are the main recipients and promoters of the values we espouse as an organization.

Topics

This unit covers the following topics:

  1. The Value of People and Accountability Culture
  2. Transformational Leadership and Accountability
  3. TSL Results Focus
  4. Organizational Structure and TSL practice

Learning Outcomes

When you have completed this unit, you should be able to:

  • Describe S-T-A-R-T-M-E goals for organizational practice and results.
  • Explain the history and development of Results Based Leadership Theory.
  • Articulate operational impact of the function and cycle of practice for the Transformational Servant Leadership – Service Improvement Flowchart Pyramid.
  • Explain the “Big Picture” for Transformational Servant-based leadership for results and how it works in theory, real time and in their own organization(s).
  • Describe the guiding principles for “accountability for results” system theories and concepts in general practice.

Activity Checklist

Here is a checklist of learning activities you will benefit from in completing this unit. You may find it useful for planning your work.

Learning Activities

  • Questions for Consideration: This Learning Activity provides some important questions that you should consider based on the TSL framework. Take some time to carefully consider each question - you will be asked to share your thoughts during the Learning Lab.
  • Questions for Consideration: This Learning Activity provides some important questions that you should consider based on your own organizational structure. Take some time to carefully consider each question - you will be asked to share your thoughts during the Learning Lab.
  • Learning Lab: Group Discussion: This Learning Lab will consist of a group discussion that focuses on TSL and your own experiences. It is important to take some time to prepare your thoughts prior to attending. Click on the “Learning Lab” tab for more information.

Assessment

  • Unit 2 Assessment: Discussion Question/Reflection Post: Assessment for Unit 2 will be a post on the discussion forum. Be sure to carefully read through the instructions as you are responsible for completing three separate posts (and responding to your peers). Click on the “Assessment” tab for additional information.

Resources

Important: You need familiarity with core course texts. The course texts listed below are for your daily preparation. Pre-reading course texts, prior to the course start, then re-reading content for each day of assigned reading will deepen understanding of content and allow you to engage materials more completely.

All other text resources for daily reading are available online where you can retrieve them on the Unit page where the reading is required for completion to fulfill learning outcomes for the unit.

Here are the required resources you will need to complete this unit:

  • Delahaye Paine, K. (2011). Measure What Matters: Online Tools for Understanding Customers, Social Media Engagement, and Key Relationships. - Read Chapters 3 & 9
  • Eurich, T. (2013). Bankable leadership: Happy people, bottom- line results, and the power to deliver both. - Read Part 1
  • Friedman, Mark (2005). Trying Hard Is Not Good Enough. How to Produce Measurable Improvements for Customers and Communities - Read Chapter 2
  • Ulrich, D., Smallwood, N., (2013). Leadership Sustainability: Seven Disciplines to Achieve the Changes Great Leaders Know They Must Make - Read Chapter 4

2.1 The Value of People and Accountability Culture

Valuing people is a necessary and central tenet for what we do. Getting rid of customers is a problem. It doesn’t matter what industry we’re in. if we get rid of customers in health care, there is no health care. If you’re in education – getting rid of the people we educate ends the education business. In you’re in business – getting rid of customers; ends the business. In non-profits, getting rid of customers, leaves no one to serve. Getting rid of a Christian ministry or charity customer base, leaves no reason to raise money or serve. It is central to our future to realize the core values, ethics laden, service focused service is what our organizations (regardless of the sector) need to provide and our customers deserve.

When we are fair, we respect others, we give them the respect they deserve and we embrace diversity. Looking at the different things we embrace, the various ways for attending to the needs for the diverse people we serve, requires us to work collaboratively as an organization (lead/team) so we can serve more people effectively.

Having Lone Rangers run everything is a thing of the past. We need to work collaboratively and work with agreed upon values and ethics together. It is not effective to just have ‘the boss’ or the organization dictate the values and ethics practice. When values and ethics are forced, they can be largely ignored. When people believe they don’t need to pay attention to values and ethics, it creates a weakened customer service and organizational practice. We need to work collaboratively to extend our reach of values and ethics beyond ideological belief to practice, focused on the various people we are called to focus on in our customer and employee base.

Part of working collaboratively requires recognizing the achievements of the people we work with. When we strive to excel and embrace change to improve everything we do, we embrace the change ethics and values practice requires across the organization. And that’s one of the things we need to look at for ongoing and future success.

If we look at the Freddie Mac situation (in your course videos and a later assignment) you’ll see they basically got away with everything they did. Nothing really happened to them. And when we deal with values and ethics, we need to have organization wide accountability and transparency. Without it, we don’t have anything holding us to a viable practice of our ethics and values where we can say, “This is why we do things and how we do things.” Otherwise, it just becomes aimless and left up to whatever happens that day.

We need clear accountability and transparency so our organizations have a clear understanding of ethical practice. Answering questions of responsibility and access to effective information to support accountability and transparency include:

  • Who has the information about what we do?
  • Are there any consequences for what we do? Are they visible?

Can people see what we are doing, or do they need to wait and ask numerous people to get the information, in other words, do we have the accountability and transparency we say we have? Do we have policies that provide information about what we do and how it is accessible, along with it being visible from the customer base and from where they stand as we serve them?

Personal accountability requires us to take personal responsibility for our values and ethics. It isn’t enough for someone else to say it. We must take responsibility for our own actions – publicly. Having personal accountability tells people what you stand for, and that you are willing to be consistent with your personal values and brand.

Consistency helps build trust for the people serving with us. If the customer and employee base find trust, there’s a solid base for follow through to improve organizational service and clarity around holding others accountable and creating customer connectivity. Holding people accountable helps build confidence for accomplishing the things they need to accomplish.

Some simple rules to follow in building trust and accountability include:

  1. For your organization to thrive in holding others accountable, we need to make sure someone else is going to act ethically when you are not on the premises. They are going to follow your values.
  2. Move authority to where the information is. Give people the opportunity to make decisions at their level. Decision making where they don’t need to keep coming back to you, but have an opportunity to lead from where they are. This provides a message and opportunity for you to trust them. This provides the opportunity to act the same way you do, as if you were there with them.

Results based accountability, as Friedman says, is a relationship between persons or groups where one is responsible to another for something important. This is central to build effective teams, because if you only build a team where the boss is the central authority on everything, then everyone else can act as they wish. But when you build a team where the relationship between the persons or groups of the team are responsible to one another, it releases everyone to act equally ethically, with equal transparency and equal accountability.

Accountability can be experienced in a variety of ways:

Population Accountability: Where the well-being of a geographically based population is the focus for community-based leadership responsibilities. This suggests that, if you’re involved in a city government or in a governmental situation, you need to understand your accountability is not just for you alone, but you are also accountable to the people you serve.

Performance Accountability: Performance of a program/agency or service system. We have an accountability to perform the way the organization or service system requires us to performance are all important parts of what we need to do to deepen our accountability to every area we serve. When we begin to understand our responsibility for acting accountably, we discover we’re not just accountable to ourselves, but we are accountable to the people we serve, the people around us and as noted in Friedman’s explanation of accountability we are also accountable to people in the broader public forum.

2.2 Transformational Leadership Accountability System

When we look at a transformational servant leadership accountability system, we need to have a goal in mind. One goal is to ensure power-holders are responsible and answerable for their use of power in service to others, service to the team, service to the people they serve, and the customers that are part of the process. They are also accountable, and answerable, for using power in whatever role they fill within the organization.

There are several means of accountability to teach people affected by their activities:

  • Accountability needs to lead to more responsible decisions and actions. They actually need to help people.
  • The need to understand, develop and engage activities more responsibly in their decisions and actions. Personal growth is part of accountability. If the people around you are not personally growing, then maybe they’re not as accountable as you think they are.
  • Accountability results in more efficient use of resources. You don’t just do whatever you want or make mistakes that no one holds you accountable for.

When you are accountable, you reinforce linkages for acting with integrity and building trust as a result of your commitment to TSL accountability. If you do not, you will alienate everybody, and they are not going to trust you and you are not going to build anything substantial in developing your team or building your business - Accountability equals trust.

Expertise based accountability means transparency about the need to develop knowledge along with personal and corporate skills. When we have competence, and we are accountable for that competence, we need transparency about our practices and the need to develop knowledge or skills in our area. These practices help us understand how accountability builds trust in people. Trust helps create necessary open systems for prioritizing development within programs or departments. This helps us track success and fulfill achievable commitments, due to the trust built in the accountability process.

Practices for earning trust comes from honest personal transparency (which does not stop at work but translates into our home and personal life) and forms part of an effective team development process.

Admitting we do not know something is also part of being accountable.

If you are accountable, you will learn to admit you do not know something without feeling threatened or insecure. You will be consistent in discipline reward and response. You will look for people to do the right thing, but address people as needing assistance to correct behavior; responding respectfully to build trust.

Live your Story Honestly

You are a unique TSL leader and you need to live it honestly. Do not hold back on the things important to you. Do not hold back about the things you might be unsure of. Be honest about them. Be honest about where you have come from, where you are going, and why you are going there. Live your story.

These are all part of this idea of building good trust practices while creating a safe place for sharing transparently; wins, losses, success or failure. People need to be able to say; ‘you know what, I blew it.’ ‘I made a mistake.’ If you can not say that without some type of rhetoric you demean them. When that happens, they do not have the opportunity to grow or operate without fear.

Your accountability is not only a responsibility for your actions, it is a responsibility for your behavior toward others. You can change the lives of the people around you.

Learning Activity: Questions for Consideration

Reflecting on TSL accountability in your organization, answer the following questions and record your answers for future use:

1.What does TSL accountability look like in your present organization?
2. What accountabilities are missing in your present organization
3. What steps do you need to take for introducing greater accountability practices in your present organization?

Be prepared to share your thoughts during the Learning Lab.

2.3 TSL Results Focus

The great strength of a TSL results focus is its resilience in the community during complex times. When we look at a TSL results focus, we can begin to see there are methods, stories and numbers affecting the outcomes we experience.

As noted previously, understanding what gets measured and gets attention is central to a results based focus. However, this can have a downside. One example of this comes from Poland. Poland began working with introducing performance incentives for furniture factories, which they measured by the tons of furniture shipped. Responding to this incentive system, Polish furniture manufacturers began making some of the heaviest furniture in the world.

In this particular case, the measure created the problem because now the furniture was heavier due to the focus to meet a standard reporting measure. Though it was not an effective practice, it draws out the observation that whatever gets measured thrives; good or bad.

In this situation, the weight was measured so the furniture weight showed they were performing according to the expected standard and doing what was right. But they were only responding to the incentive program which resulted in the making of heavier furniture.

What distinguishes a transformational servant led organization from others? There’s not as much focus on results, but on accountability for how we define and draw upon the results we receive. Moving those we serve forward and upward in ways reflecting our values that are meaningful, connected, balanced, timely, integrated and embedded in valued relationships. We don’t just leave people where they are. We move them forward and upward; making life better for the people around us through meaningful connection.

We begin to balance their life/work experience to balance the service given. We give them more opportunities to grow and provide those opportunities in a timely manner, integrated through valued relationships with each member. Identifying your values, allows others to see and understand the value of what you do when you act effectively.

Capitalism is under siege. There is diminished trust in businesses, causing political leaders to set policies that sap economic growth. Businesses are getting caught in a vicious cycle. Purpose must be redefined around creating shared value. We need to be careful because sometimes our shared values can blur our boundaries. Building shared values and capturing those in the business ecosystem system requires an economic community supported by a foundation of interacting organizations and individuals. The organisms of the business world are central to that.

A ‘both/and’ focus supports quick customer response for supporting guidelines and systems. It takes that much to begin shaping things instead of saying we can’t do it because of what your policy says. We need to change policy to meet needs. When working towards customer responses and the creation of supporting guidelines and systems, we do it because it helps our bottom line and helps us work towards our customer needs base and to identify issues we have with our structure. If we change our structure to meet the needs of the people we serve, or our customer base, those changes can create a better organizational environment all around.

2.4 Organizational Structure and TSL

Classic organizational structures impact every organization. For the most part they are vertical organizations represented by a top down focus on a recognized level of leadership and a responsible level of subordinate relationships. But there are other styles of organizational structure as well.

For many organizations, the structure has a purpose of expediency. The structure serves the purpose of the organization for communication, focus and disciplined approaches to the challenges faced by the organization. Some however, are framed out of default. These are adopted from what organizational leaders believe is best, without understanding what the structure represents or will mean to their future practice and success. Still others create organizational structure to serve self-interest and control the environment around them. Of the many different types of organizational structures out there, each one is designed for a purpose.

You work within an organizational structure. It can be anything from a simple sole proprietorship where there is one central head and a number of subordinates, through to complex organizational structures operating in several locations and several continents around the world. Whatever your organizational structure however, as a TSL you need to focus on turning the structure you belong to into as much of people centric organization design as possible.

You may not have influence to change the structure or the focus of the organizational structure, but you can influence the process, by either leading for change or ‘leading up’ to influence decisions within the structure. This may take the form of a different type of operating structure within the formal structure of the organization, but can be a loose, cross functional group aimed at specific or temporary purposes to solve challenges faced within the formal structure. This style of organizational structure is often referred to in literature as a cluster organization.

Cluster Organization

A cluster organization represents a loose cross functional method for creating and implementing ideas. It operates inside a corporation across departments and divisions to offer effective guidance for specific or complex issues across the organization(s) served.

Some characteristics of the cluster organization include:

  • They have a tailored agenda (specific to the purpose for the cluster formation).
  • Sometimes they have a time bound existence.
  • They have an evolving membership, adding people as needed to create a response for the challenges faced.
    • Starting in a small area, then evolving into a larger structure to include more and more people from all departments in the organization.
  • It has an independent self-organizing responsibility, organized by priority importance, not formally structured beforehand.
  • Operates within itself.
  • Adaptive. It creates itself and is responsible for self-organizing.
    • Includes everyone who needs to be involved, but is also adaptive so when it comes time where parts need to drop off, it adapts dissolution as well.
  • Not a formal organization, per se, but part of the overall process.

Co-Opetition

Co-opetition, adding value to these things, is a counter intuitive fusion of collaboration and competition creating increased value for overall performance and outcomes. It creates opportunities for new value, fresh accomplishments and a plan for achieving better results to add social value and increased morale across the organization.

It is also good for community motivational value to energize interaction between all members of the community or across all departments. Collaboration and competition create an increase in value through the appreciation and enhancement of discovered new general, social and motivational values.

One final thought on organizational structure and TSL If we look at TSL and organizational focus within a servant leadership framework, we begin to see the importance of starting with vision. Personal vision, knowing yourself and knowing your beliefs will direct your thoughts and actions best going forward. As we move to accountability, we can check our alignment to our values, as it relates to serving our sector, and prepare for developing an ‘us’ perspective to move toward implementing TSL practice and doing the right thing in the right way. By putting others first, we build relationships teams and communities. While moving back to check vision, we commit to operating in the way we should so our beliefs are clear, and our thoughts and our actions are in line with what we believe about ourselves.

Looking at the various aspects of TSL and impact results, we see the organizational structure, TSL practice, implementation of horizontal leadership communication and TSL impact on structure can move us to a place of great opportunity. To grow this process and grow these ideas along the way, we see TSL and results are all part of a greater values and ethics proposal to help us walk our TSL journey clearer and more collaboratively with the people around us and serve others more directly with actions, words and products.

Learning Lab

The Learning Lab for this Unit will focus on a group discussion. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for you to share your thoughts, or any questions that arose, as part of the notes you kept in your Learning Journal.

Group Discussion

The discussion this week will begin by sharing thoughts and insights about the questions posed in your Learning Activities. Your Facilitator will help guide this discussion - be prepared to share your thoughts.

Next, the focus will turn to your own, personal experience with your organization. This conversation centres around TSL Accountability within the scope of your own experiences. Guiding this conversation will be the following questions:

  1. What does TSL accountability look like in your present organization?
  2. What accountabilities are missing in your present organization?
  3. What steps do you need to take for introducing greater accountability practices in your present organization?

Finally, student’s will be given an opportunity to share their own thoughts, or ask any questions, that arose from their Learning Journals.

Assessment

Assessment this week will consist of Discussion Question/Reflection Posts that draw upon your understanding of the content from Unit 2.

Note that each student is expected to make an initial post, followed by two responses. Follow the guidelines below:

Unit 2 - Discussion Question/Reflection Post

Each student is required to submit a Discussion Question/Reflection Post for Unit 2. This post should include your thoughts about how the content for this unit ties into your own practice as a leader.

Use the following structure and guidelines for your posts:

1. Initial Post

Pick a current/most recent employer/board you work(ed) with (without identifying them specifically).

  • What stated results do/did they want to achieve?
  • How did you align with the results they wanted to achieve?
  • How did your current/most recent employer/board align to the S-T-A-R-T-M-E goals outlined by Ulrich and Smallwood on pp. 19-21? (HINT. Use the app to assess your current/most recent employer/board behaviours).
  • Did your alignment/misalignment to the S-T-A-R-T-M-E goals affect the outcomes your employer/board wanted to achieve?
    • Why did it align?
    • Why didn’t it align?
  • What specific S-T-A-R-T-M-E improvements do you suggest for helping achieve the organizational results desired?
  • What personal and current/most recent employer/board S-T-A-R-T-M-E actions will achieve the results desired for the organization?

2. Response Post

Compare and Contrast the Individual results from the initial post threads. Make any suggestions you see assisting with any/all of the following:

  • Results other learners current/most recent employers/boards wanted to achieve?
  • Alignment with the results described employer/board wanted to achieve?
  • Any observed alignment/misalignment to the S-T-A-R-T-M-E goals affecting the outcome their current/most recent employer/board wanted to achieve?
  • Specific S-T-A-R-T-M-E improvements to help the described current/most recent employer achieve the results desired?
    • Conclude your post with an observation of what you believe the organizational employers/boards need to watch for, to achieve the desired results?

3. Concluding Post

Agree/disagree with any of the conclusions made in the previous posts. Identify (good/bad) what:

  • You learned about what to measure in your organization.
  • You need to watch for in what your organization measures.
  • Results are most important to you and your organization regarding what you measure.
  • Any other observations you see as relevant to the discussion for the week.
  • Any course questions related to this unit’s Reflection Post or the material reviewed during the week.

Refer to the Discussion Question/Reflection Post rubric for more specific information.

For additional information, and to submit your response, please scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on the Unit 2 - Discussion Question/Reflection Post link.

Checking for Learning

Before moving on to the next unit, be sure you are able to:

  • Describe S-T-A-R-T-M-E goals for organizational practice and results.
  • Explain the history and development of Results Based Leadership Theory.
  • Articulate operational impact of the function and cycle of practice for the Transformational Servant Leadership – Service Improvement Flowchart Pyramid.
  • Explain the “Big Picture” for Transformational Servant-based leadership for results and how it works in theory, real time and in their own organization(s).
  • Describe the guiding principles for “accountability for results” system theories and concepts in general practice.

Resources

On this page, you will find resources that help further your understanding of the content explored in this unit. This resources have been provided to support, and enrich, your learning. While they are not all “required” reading/viewing, it is strongly recommended that you take some time look over them - if there is a topic that you are struggling to understand, consider spending more time looking through the resources on this page.

Video Resources