Competing Values Framework Analysis

Q: Demonstrate how the CVF helped expand your leadership communication skills and broaden your thinking in ways that create more value for you and for your organization. Use your CVF profile to illustrate your arguments.

Prior to entering college in 2001, I unlike most students had already decided on a major. While many of my colleagues were trying to find their way and figure out where their strengths lie, I had already known for a number of years. As defined by Quinn, Cameron, DeGraff, and Thakor, "the chief reason that people are employed by the organizations in which they work is because the benefits they produce for their organizations exceed the cost to the organizations producing those benefits (Quinn et al. 2006, p.21)." I had always known where my strengths lie, and it was important for me to go into an organization where those particular skills could flourish. I wanted to work for an organization where I could create value and be considered an asset, rather than another employee that was replaceable. The results of my CVF profile determined that I was more of a mentor, facilitator, producer, and coordinator. While I am satisfied with the results of my profile, I think an effective leader should strive to become stronger all around. Over the last year and a half, I have made this my quest and will continue to work towards maintaining a balance in all quadrants of the CVF.

In February of 2010, I walked through the doors of the Publicis office to take on my new role as a Media Supervisor. I was excited and somewhat nervous about the challenges I was about to face. I had spent two and a half years at Ogilvy & Mather, an agency which had a very strong clan culture and Market culture. Hooijberg and Petrock describe a clan culture as one that focuses on meeting employee needs, promoting team work and participation, letting individuals be more flexible, and increasing involvement in decisions (Hooijber et al. 1993). Part of why the agency was so successful is because they were focused on all groups coming together to execute a successful new business pitch. In addition, I worked on a team with very dynamic individuals. In the areas in which I was weak, there was another individual on my team that was strong, which created balance. My knowledge of advertising grew tremendously during those two and a half years and I was ready to move on to the next step in my career. My new agency was quite different. Cross channel training was something that the agency did not practice. Teams did not collaborate on projects and most groups worked there was no cross channel training and development offered to educate individuals in different groups of what opportunities existed in different channels. I realized that in order to become a more effective leader I needed to work harder. I had to be somewhat stronger in the other areas in the CVF quadrant.

In High-Reliability Organizations, leaders must be able to employ the radical humanist, radical structuralist, interpretive, and functionalist quadrants simultaneously. Effective leaders must fulfill multiple and interdependent roles such as those relating to interpersonal, information-processing, and decision making issues (Bealsen 2008, p.19). Upon completing the CVF recently, I began to think back to that first month. My objective was on trying to meet all the tasks that were expected of me as well as working on being a better manager all around. I now realize that my objectives were wrong. Bealsen states that the key to effective communication is striking a balance among the four perspectives and communication systems (Bealsen 2008, p.23). My goal was to become competent in all areas and succeed as a producer, director, innovator, and broker. The journey to becoming more competent in these areas would be a challenge but in order to succeed as a leader I would have to move beyond my shortcomings. There were also issues within our team. My new manager stressed the importance of having someone come in to not only manage and mentor the team, but keep the client happy

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