Becoming A Technical Leader Gerald M. Weinberg

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Becoming A Technical LeaderGerald M. Weinberg

• Chapter 18
• Obstacles to Effective Organizing
• Nick Muller

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The Personality Test

• In any of the ordinary emergencies of everyday
  life, do you prefer to
• Give orders and be responsible
• Take orders and be helpful

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True Obstacles to Effective Organizing

• 1 Playing the Big Game
• To be an organizer you have to be a manager
• To be a manager you have to be a decision maker
• Give orders and be responsible but everyone
  else must take orders and be helpful.

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Playing the Big Game

• Virginia Satir author and psychotherapist
• The Big Game of Life
• Dysfunctional behavior as people struggle for
  power and control
• Serves to allow the player
• To avoid personal responsibility
• Avoid looking at ones own behavior

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Playing the Big Game

• NO RULES TO THE GAME
• Make others feel guilty
• Rubbing up to strong players
• I am so hopeless take care of me
• I am so smart, old, rich, experienced
• I am so unpredictable
• Must answer the way I want you too

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Playing the Big Game

• The Big Game is a big 0bstacle to effective
  organizing
• So busy playing the game they dont have time to
  do what the organization was designed to do

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True Obstacles to Effective Organizing

• 2Organizing People as if They Were Machines
• All machines lose the big game they always follow
  orders
• When orders are misinterpreted players feel that
  people are trying to beat them at the Big Game

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Organizing People as if They Were Machines

• If you do not play the Big Game you except that
  you were misunderstood which is ok
• If you play the Big Game you make orders and
  policies more rigid and precise
• Leaders cant lead though memos and written
  procedures

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True Obstacles to Effective Organizing

• 3Doing the Work Yourself
• Many people see the Big Game as an obstacle to
  effective problem solving
• Some take this approach to far
• Taking orders is harmful to my creative spirit
• I dont have to play the Big Game
• I do not give orders or even suggestions

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Doing the Work Yourself

• People respond to suggestions and look for
  feedback on progress
• With lack of communication the Non-player then
  sees failure in those around
• Then does the work for them

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Doing the Work Yourself

• They are all idiots I will do it myself!!!

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Organic Organizing

• Organizing and leadership is not about solving
  problems but avoiding them
• Stop Playing Games JUST DO IT
• Sometimes Organize
• Sometimes be organized

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Conclusion

• Problem-solving leader should
• Create an Environment
• Everyone can be solving problems
• Make decisions
• Implement those decisions

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Conclusion

• Organizing is not creating a set of rigid rules
  organizing is not giving orders organizing is
  getting the job done!
• Weinberg

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Discussion Questions

• Have you ever wrote a memo or email rather than
  deal face to face?

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Discussion Questions

• Have you ever been labeled uncooperative when
  you were actually trying to be helpful by
  pointing out that a group was not organized well?