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Journal and Observation DYNM 628-001: Diagnostic Strategies for Enhancing Organizational Effectiveness Dr. Barry Dornfeld Date

Class #1 Class began with making observations of the group in our intimate online classroom. My initial observation was the diversity of my classmates. Our group is a beautiful balance of differing races, genders, and age groups. I’m eager to learn more about the differing perspectives of my peers, and how our unique experiences guide our discussions in class. Our instructors are as unique as my classmates. Dr. Kaminstein is a professor and trained social psychologist, while Dr. Dornfeld brings the perspective of a consultant, ethnographer, and anthropologist. Further, Ann, our TA, comes from a writing and editing background. I’m eager to see how this trio intertwines their differing backgrounds to shed light on organizational behavior and diagnosis. The material in this course seems eerily relative to the current struggles we’re all facing in the COVID pandemic. COVID-19 has changed the way organizations are able to operate, forcing many to adapt to new ways of accomplishing efficiency and productivity. Working from home, and now learning from home, has brough many challenges. I am eager to learn how diagnostic research can lead to positive sustainable change. During an exercise in Appreciative Inquiry, I was paired with my classmate, xxxx. Through the exercise, we learned we worked for the same entity and had mutual connections, one being my best friend who replaced her role when she moved to a new department. I was introduced to appreciative inquiry in a former class titled “Positive Psychology at Work.” I love the notion of narrowing your focus to the positive, building on what is working in an organization to gain positive outcomes. We agreed that this paired activity was “energizing.” We both discussed an eagerness to learn how to make systemic change and the theories involved. Class ended as it began: with an observation activity. Watching a clip from the film “Brazil,” the class discussed the interesting things we noticed, shining light on the different perspectives we bring to

the table. Observation is a major tool in diagnostic work, and it was fulfilling to see this class come full circle.

Class #2 Diagnosis is defined as surveying what is happening from a neutral, nondiscriminatory viewpoint. There are some controversies surrounding the word “diagnosis” as it relates to organizational dynamics. For one, there is the implication of the traditional doctor-patient relationship, a relationship the often lacks collaboration. “Diagnosis” can insinuate an emphasis on finding problems, rather than strengths. I think I entered the course believing that we would be working to discuss solutions to common organizational problems. While this will surely be discussed, I underestimated the amount of research, reading, theory, and work that goes into diagnosis. There are many theoretical approaches to diagnosis. An important aspect of all organizations is the culture. I’m interested in delving more into theory, particularly the psychodynamic theory. In class, we discussed the forces that underline human behavior, and I’m eager to think more about my organization with this framework. There are conscious and unconscious motivations, and I appreciate that this theory discusses emotions and feelings as they relate to decision making and motivations. Feelings are often overlooked in workplaces with a “leave it at the door” mentality in corporate America. I’m eager to explore these facets of my organization. Tonight’s biggest take away was framing. How you frame your diagnostic approach can yield different results. Building off of last week’s observations exercises, our class began with an activity of observing a scene in the Robin William’s masterpiece, The Dead Poet’s Society. Assigned different roles, my peers and I observed the same scene from differing perspectives, i.e. the headmaster, the students, a parent, etc. It was fascinating to hear, in real time, how framing can dramaticly influence your

observations. This will be important to keep top of mind as diagnostic work continues throughout the semester.

Class #3 Civil unrest shook the nation this summer. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are the current buzzwords in class, at work, and in social settings. My organization seems to be taking meaningful action to address these difficult, necessary cultural conversations. Recently, my supervisor was promoted to the Vice Chair of DEI for my organization. She’s initiated the creation of a strong committee of staff and faculty, that has since expanded into meaningful subcommittees. I’m hopeful that these topics won’t lose their buzz, and that my organization is capable of creating meaningful strategies to sustain a culture of DEI. As discussed in class #1, diversity trainings are not effective, and only 3% of senior executives in major companies are persons of color. While the unrest in Philadelphia and beyond has been uncomfortable, it has emphasized the necessity of ongoing conversations. Organizational culture is the spoken and unspoken agreements, rules, and assumptions that emerge through shared learning and defines the way people behave and work together. As I reflect on the culture of my organization, I’m intrigued by the differences between the academic side and the medical side of our treatment center: two different entities reflect two differing cultures. Working on the academic/ research side, I’m able to wear jeans and more casual clothing. My colleagues on the medical side are patient facing, and even the staff who do not see patients directly, are expected to dress professionally. This small example of cultural difference begs a deeper understanding of the driving forces behind the different cultures. Pitfalls of ignoring culture: decreased productivity, heightened tension, and failed intervention. In diagnostic work, when interventions fail, it is a signal that culture may be the root of observed

symptoms. Beyond just dress code, culture can be identified though logos, images, stories, visions and missions. Culture is a stronger force than I once assumed, and it’s an imperative consideration as I move forward with my diagnostic research question. How does our work culture influence our job morale? What drives our motivations? And are there any stark differences between the written and unwritten culture?

Class #4 When it comes to reading for leisure, I’ve always preferred non-fiction. I enjoy biographies, memoirs, and first-person accounts of global historical events. When perusing a local “small free library” located at the park, one title stuck out to me: “Guests of the Sheik: An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village.” I’d never heard of an ethnography, and instead of researching the answer, I decided to just dive into the book and figure it out for myself. It didn’t take long for me to uncover the magic of this nonfiction genre, containing the vivid imagery of a place I’ll likely never visit, as told by a foreigner, not unlike myself. I was captivated by the rich descriptions of life in this Iraqi village, and created powerful mental pictures, as if I was standing there myself. Circling back to class #1, observation is a critical skill. Ethnography is not only a writing genre, but a research method pertinent to diagnostic research that requires keen observation. The key of these “thick descriptions” is participant observation, to live the life of the culture you’re researching in an effort to truly understand the complexity. Ethnography in organizational diagnosis is crucial to understanding the culture. Observing and documenting the cultural assumptions and unspoken rules, observing what is and asking what’s missing. Ethnography, beyond observation, entails interviews, analysis of pertinent documents, and maintaining multiple lenses to take note of the familiar.

With the diagnostic models discussed, organizational culture plays a major role in the diagnosis, having a meaningful effect on productivity, efficiency, and change. Identifying these unspoken assumptions will aid in identifying areas of resistance and limitations to diagnosis.

Class #5 Given the current climate, it is extremely appreciated that the professors take time to check-in with our class each week. Tonight’s discussion produced powerful conversation about our group, and how we feel very psychologically safe learning together. Erica shared a friendly reminder about the current times and how things right now aren’t “normal,” whatever “normal” means. It was a refreshing way to start class as we make considerations for moving forward with our projects. Tonight’s class came with a special guest speaker, Chantalle Couba. A doctoral student and experienced consultant and organizational dynamics observer, Chantalle provided great insight into consulting and her diagnostic work throughout her career. I know some of my classmates, like Ben, work in consulting, but I’ve never had much experience talking about exactly how and what a consultant does. Chantalle emphasized “reinventing who we are personally and professionally, moment by moment.” With a goal of moving from an academic, science position to aspiring to work in human resources, Chantalle was both inspiring and informative. She also reminded us all to reflect and be aware of our own biases. As I move forward thinking about my diagnostic project, I’ve been forced to analyze my own biases about my organization. In the past, particularly during the pandemic, I have felt unsatisfied in my current role. I’ve let these feelings hinder and ultimately shape some of the assumptions I have about my organization. This week has forced to me to reframe my thinking when viewing my organizations, particularly in relation to the current work challenges. I feel grateful and rejuvenated, and I hope my

diagnostic project will continue to teach me about my organization and my future goals. There’s always room for reinvention.

Class #6 I’m intrigued by data and its role in futuristic thinking and projecting outcomes. In Spring 2020, I completed a course in data analytics, and I was fascinated by the work of my instructor. I expected systems learning but learned critical thinking skills as well. I am formally trained in the sciences, and I’ve always been fascinated by numbers. However, I think the true magic of data takes place in analysis. Thinking back to DEI, data is a key player in success. We know that DEI trainings have shown time and again to be unsuccessful. The true key to success in DEI is in data collection in making decisions for sustainable change. Successful data collection starts with identifying what you want to know, considering the meaningful questions. One must think of ways to measure these responses to analyze accordingly. Data can provide the evidence a collector must need to make significant decisions, and when conducted correctly, can control for our own unconscious biases. In class, we discussed three important data collection methods for our diagnostic project: Interviews, Focus Groups, and Surveys. We were instructed to identify the method of our preference and placed in small groups to do a deeper dive, inclass experiment, and ultimately present our findings and experiment. I was placed in the survey group with xxx, xxx, and xxx. Our diverse group comes from a variety of different career paths and backgrounds. Jean, well-versed in the survey platform Qualtrics, offered to take the lead in making the survey and sending to the class. Creating a survey was much more time consuming and required more careful thought than I initially expected. Surveys must be created in a way that clearly states the purpose, length, and intended use of the final results. There was much

deliberation about our questions, the wording of our questions, and the way we would measure the responses. Questions must be clear, concise, and non-leading. Answer options should be allencompassing, being sure the survey taker has the choices they need to answer accurately and to the best of their ability. Finally, the survey platform must be user friendly, which requires much tedious, careful date input. This short class activity spanned the week, as we prepared our survey and sent it out to peers. The pros of surveys versus focus groups and interviews is the ability to capture wider audiences. There is also the added benefit (or detriment) of human interaction. While respondents may be more limited to their answer choice, there is no opportunity for the survey maker to create biases or snap judgements regarding individual respondents. There are benefits and unique uses for surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Diagnosticians must carefully consider the data they are hoping to collect and how the intended to gather it.

Class #7 Leadership. What does it mean? Is it defined by credentials? By work experience? Leadership is relational. It is a character trait. Leadership is a function, not just a title. With a seemingly endless amount of leadership literature, it can be difficult to separate the good from the bad. Much leadership literature tends to focus on the notion of command and control, dominance and submission. Leaders are not dictators, but designers, creators, innovators, and drivers of change. One of my favorite quotes about the definition of a leader comes from Peter Drucker, who said, “The task of leadership is to create an alignment of strengths so strong that it makes the system’s weaknesses irrelevant.”

When reflecting about my organization, I think of our chairman. He’s the top of our work-family tree and does in impeccable job of reaching all levels of our organization. Through consistent, transparent communication, he defines leadership by cultivating opportunity, innovation, and growth. He’s both strict and approachable, building a solid foundation for our staff and faculty. In the class breakout, we discussed the importance of communication and emotional intelligence as required attributes for good leadership. I believe my chairman possesses both and more. Good leaders create good followers, who are the bones of the organization. With our trustworthy guide, followers are able to identify strengths and play a crucial role in the smooth operations of any organization. Most noteworthy from tonight’s lecture was the seemingly endless number of leadership styles. It’s important to note that “successful leadership” is not defined by one single style or combination of styles. Leadership cannot be found on a resume or business card, but in meaningful relationship and sustainable results.

Class #8 “The more power you exert, the less control you’re going to have.” This quote from tonight’s lecture reiterates the discussions on leadership from last week – leadership is not a title. Good leadership requires Small “l” behaviors such as listening, being open to diversity of thought, and setting the pace and climate of meetings. Good leaders are attuned. They utilize their skills to build meaningful relationship and create future leaders. There are many theories surrounding leadership, some more data supported than others, but in all – language and listening is important. Observation is a pillar of diagnostic work. Each week, class builds on this notion, why it is important and how to improve observation skills. Lens is an important consideration when making an

observation; for example, if you are seeking to observe similar behaviors in different settings, one must adjust their lens for more keen observation and all clue to these behaviors, not just the obvious. Tonight, class conducted a meaningful exercise in non-verbal behavior. Viewing a video clip first with no sound, and then a second time with sound, it was interesting to hear the different perspectives of my classmates and the particular observations they made. This required a sharpening of observational instincts, and assisted in creating more vivid, remarkable distinctions in behavior, setting, and body language. While COVID makes it more difficulty to practice observational skills, I’ve become more aware during virtual meetings about setting, facial expressions, personal style, and non-verbal behavior of my colleagues. I do wish I was still working in an office setting, able to make more regular observations. However, the current ZOOM society has created a new skillset of reading between the pixels.

Observation: 10/14/2020 This was no ordinary meeting. Our department, over 500 strong, typically meets twice a year. The formal hour-long meeting is scheduled months in advance to accommodate leaderships’ schedules and is prepared and rehearsed to communicate the most noteworthy updates regarding the health and innovation of our growing organization. Typically, our chairman Dr. Smith, stands in a full suit, in front of a podium with a bottle of water and a lapel microphone, presenting to a large auditorium of local staff and faculty while a live broadcast of the event is streamed at our network locations. These group updates vary every six months. Sometimes, they’re relevant to every individual in the room. Other times, there’s more yawns, nodding heads, and droning guest speakers. COVID brought a screeching halt to normalcy, no more so displayed than the delayed semiannual update. I log into the meeting at 10:55am on October 14, 2020. I knew there’d be many participants, so I mute my video and microphone as to not disturb the masses. This meeting should have been in person. We should be arranging ourselves into the cozy, folding auditorium seats, watching Dr. Smith stand strong, in a full suit as he prepares deliver his message to the group. We should be gossiping about what will be served at the catered lunch following the meeting – everyone loves free food. This is no ordinary update. Logging into the Microsoft Teams Virtual Meeting, Dr. Smith’s fills most of the screen. He sits just right of center, his large office displayed in the background. In perfect view are the various gifted items received by Dr. Smith. He is a beloved physician, business leader, and confidant to many. He changes lives in the clinic and leads a large department of staff, faculty, and physicians marked by continuous change and exponential growth. The impressive, colorful display of cards, wine, paper weights, and flowers is a comforting reminder that our leader is trustworthy and very admired. I feel humbled by his display, one he is clearly proud to have, one that must bring him joy and reminders of the meaning of his work.

Most people have their video and microphones off. The attendee count is climbing steadily, with the platform alerting when someone enters the talk. Dr. Smith is not at a podium, and he is not in a full suit. Rather, he wears a light blue button-down shirt and a contrasting red patterned tie. He sits at his desk with the a slightly hunched posture familiar to most desk workers. His long sleeve shirt is visible from his elbows up, where one can note his ID lanyard and the slight wrinkles in the shirt that indicate the wear of the day. It’s only 10:55am, but Dr. Smith’s face reads of exhaustion, his wrinkles and undereye shadows more visible in this confronting platform. His gray mustache and sleek black-framed spectacles give the indication of a wise educator. His appearance is professional, though casual without a suit jacket completing his ensemble. Dr. Smith fiddles with his keyboard and feverishly clicks his mouse. In the affectionately titled “before times,” I would have been to the auditorium at 10am sharp, one hour before the scheduled event. I would ensure catering tables and sign-up sheets where in place, and I would serve as the deck hand for any onsite technical difficulties. It is clear that Dr. Smith, poised with the daily stresses of curing cancer and leading an entire academic medical treatment center, did not want to be saddled with the minute details of this new platform. As the meeting began, the frustrated clicking stopped, and his demeanor changes. Dr. Smith adjusts his posture and sits tall. He shifts his eyes to the camera, as if speaking to me individually. ...