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Microlearning for Leadership Development

Learning Module

Update 1 - Introduction

This module is intended to be used, not as a “stand-alone” course, but as a complement to the Leadership Development program currently in existence at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC), in California, where I work as a Leadership Development Specialist.

The updates are designed to serve as an on-demand, resource basis where faculty can come to find answers and perhaps added insight on various topics related to Leadership Development; and in alignment with the broader curriculum and workshops offered. Participants can explore a number of foundational leadership concepts which will be addressed in greater detail in other workshops.

The objectives for this module follow the overall objectives of the Foundations of Leadership workshop currently being offered at the institute. The topics and areas covered here were identified during the needs assessment conducted with representatives from the various leadership levels and academic and faculty representatives. 

Workshop Objectives:

  • Become familiar with conflict resolution and mediation styles.
  • Experiment with tools and strategies for dealing with difficult converstations. 
  • Become acquainted with different leadership styles and situational leadership model.
  • Build an awareness of intercultural dynamics to effectively accomplish the DLI mission.

The updates presented here aim to follow the principles of Microlearning and can be taken in any order.

“Microlearning is a short, focused learning tidbit (3 to 5 minutes) that is designed to meet a specific learning outcome. Microlearning is typically designed and delivered in rich media formats, it is a learner-centric approach that provides just-in-time training that is available on multiple devices (tablets and smartphones, in addition to laptops and desktops). All these aspects ensure that the content can be easily accessed, quickly completed, and is ready to be applied by the learners.” (Estima, 2017)

Each update follows the microlearning approach and provides participants with a short “microcontent” lesson, followed by the opportunity to apply the newly gained knowledge to their own work settings, through reflection questions and peer interaction. Each participant is expected to post an update on each of the Reflection Questions at the end of each lesson; and then comment on at least 3 other posts. 

(Note: I my Work 1 for this class, I investigated the usefulness of Microlearning for faculty training. You can view the published work at:

https://cgscholar.com/community/profiles/user-8317/publications/154724)

For additional information on the principles of Microlearning, you may also refer to the following white paper on the use of Microlearning:

Microlearning-Whitepaper.pdf

 

Participants are asked to complete the Pre-course Survey: 

LeadershipReadinessSurvey.pdf

For the Learner

The lessons in this module follow the MicroLearning model. Each microlesson contains a short video and maybe some additional graphs or information to help the learner become familiar with the concept being explored. Some microlessons also contain a link to a couple of assessment tools that can help the learner develop his or her self-awareness. 

At the end of each update, learners are asked to create a new update with personal reflections based on their previous experiences as supervisors and how they think they can apply each new concept or strategy introduced. 

Learners are also expected to comment on 3 other updates from their peers. They are encouraged to ask questions and provide suggestions to their colleagues and engage in a dialogue with the other participants. 

After completing all the microlessons, learners should complete the Action Plan detailed on the last update. This Action Plan will involve self-relection and application of the concepts presented during the microlessons. The Action Plan will be a peer-reviewed work, where all participants will provide feedback on each other's work. Please, refer to Update 8 for additional information and for a copy of the rubric to be used with the Action Plan. 

Learners are further encouraged to continue experimenting with some of the strategies presented in the lessons and then come back and post their results and reflections on what went well and what they continue to struggle with, or feel they may need additional help with. 

For the Instructor

For each update, the instructor will find additional information on the right-side panel. Each microlesson presented to the learner is intentionally kept very short and very direct, covering only one topic at a time. This is done intentionally following the principles of Microlearning, stated above. 

The right side of the lesson contains additional information the instructor can use to help further explain or explore more in depth each concept. In addition, the instructor should also use the reference list at the end of the module to gain further insight on any of the topics covered. 

In each microlesson, participants are asked to watch a short video and then reflect on their previous experience and the application of the concept to their current setting. Learners should create a new update for each lesson and also comment on their peers updates. Instructors are also encouraged to comment and interact with the participants and when appropriate, ask additional questions for self-reflection. 

 

Update 2 - Emotional Intelligence

For the Learner

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions; as well as the ability to be aware of the emotions of others and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.

Psychologist Daniel Goleman, in his book Emotional Intelligence, argued that EQ might actually be a better predictor of a person’s success in work and life, than the standard measures of intelligence – IQ. According to Goleman's research, when they investigated top leaders of fortune 500 corporations, looking for commonalities, the one factor they all had in common was a high EQ score. 

The following video explains what is emotional intelligence and what are some of the characteristics and skills related to EQ.

Media embedded February 15, 2018

(for a transcript of the video, you can visit: http://psych2go.net/7-signs-emotional-intelligence )

And the following graph can also help understand the 4 competencies involved in developing the whole emotional intelligence of a person.

EQ online Test:

Now, follow the link below for a free online version of the EQ test:

http://globalleadershipfoundation.com/geit/eitest.html

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Add a Comment: If you have any questions, concerns, or a comment for the facilitators, please add it as a comment to this update. 

 

Create an Update:

Reflection: Were you surprised with your EQ test results?  Based on your results, reflect on which quadrant, or aspects of your emotional intelligence you wish to explore and develop. What are some strategies or steps you might employ?

(Note: If you are interested in learning more about how to improve your EQ, you may be interested in the book: “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves. It comes with a code for taking the EQ assessment; and based on your results, it provides 60 different strategies for self-improvement.)

For the Instructor

In this section, the learner will watch a short video, explaining what is Emotional Intelligence; then take the EQ test and reflect on their results.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the ability to recognize and understand emotions in oneself and others, and the ability to use this awareness to manage behavior and relationships

Psychologist Daniel Goleman, in his book Emotional Intelligence, argued that EQ might actually be a better predictor of a person’s success in work and life, than the standard measures of intelligence – IQ.

Another psychologist, Howard Gardner, suggested that intelligence is not simply a single general ability. Instead, he suggests that there are actually multiple intelligences and that people may have strengths in a number of these areas.

These authors believe that the ability to understand and express emotions can play an equal if not even more important role in how people fare in life.

IQ represents abilities such as: Visual and spatial processing, Knowledge of the world, Reasoning, Working memory and short-term memory

EQ, on the other hand, is a measure of a person's level of emotional intelligence. This refers to a person's ability to perceive, control, evaluate, and express emotions.

 

EQ is centered on abilities such as:

  • Identifying emotions,
  • Evaluating how others feel,
  • Controlling one's own emotions,
  • Perceiving how others feel,
  • Using emotions to facilitate social communication,
  • Relating to others

 

Here is a short video (5 min), where Daniel Goleman explains what is Emotional Intelligence and why it matters.

Media embedded February 15, 2018

 

 

 

Update 3 - Situational Leadership

For the Learner

Leadership is not a “One Size Fits All”

Situational Leadership offers a very good model to help new supervisors learn how to deal with different types of employees and different situations.

Watch the video:

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Here is the graphic representation of the Situational Leadership Model.

Below are some ideas of possible strategies to use with employees at different developmental levels and the corresponding leadership style according to the Situational Leadership model:

Strategies for Directing Style

Setting goals and clarifying expectations
Telling and showing what to do, when and how to do it
Identifying priorities, clarifying roles, and establishing timelines
Closely supervising, monitoring and evaluating performance
Providing feedback

Strategies for Supporting Style

Asking for input and listening
Explaining rationale, involving the person in decision making
Sharing information, building rapport and trust
Encouraging employee to come up with solutions independently
Providing perspective, reassuring, praising

Strategies for Coaching Style

Communicate your expectations
Assess the coachee
Define the coaching
Agree on a coaching contract
Conduct coaching conversations
Create the coaching plan
Monitor and learn

Strategies for Delegating Style

Set a safe climate
Describe the task (set goals and objectives)
Explains the “Whys” (why choose this person, how the employee can benefit)
Plan and organize the work (Discuss negotiable parts of the assignment)
Ask for the employee’s input

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Add a Comment: If you have any questions, concerns, or a comment for the facilitators, please add it as a comment to this update.

 

Create an Update: 

Situational Leadership Case Studies

Now take a look at the 2 situations below. Choose one; then try to identify what developmental level the employee falls under; and then post your ideas and suggestions for what strategies to use with the employee.

1) One teaching team has had a practice of combining three sections, once a day, to introduce new grammar principles. The strongest teacher in the group gave lectures in English, to explain the new grammar. You felt that this practice was not in alignment with the department goals for maximizing the use of the target language in class. You stopped this practice, expecting that the new grammar will be presented and immediately used in the regular sections. Two sections are going well, but the third section is having difficulties. The teacher there is upset over the change in policy, and has stated he is not interested in teaching grammar. He sees his talents in another area, and prefers to teach geopolitics and facilitate round-table discussions with the stronger students.

a) What do you think is this employee’s current Developmental Level? and; b) What strategies can you employ to address the situation?

2) You have recently been moved to a department where the majority of the faculty has been teaching at DLI for over 25 years. The department has had a history of high student achievement, but the faculty feel that the new input of students is not serious enough. They refer to the students as “the entitled generation”, and make jokes about their lack of world knowledge. The team leader has been in your office complaining about the negative attitude of the students toward the target culture. As you walk around the department, you notice that this teacher is often not at her desk, and has a sticky on her computer that says “At Library”.

a) What do you think is this employee’s current Developmental Level? and; b) What strategies can you employ to address the situation?

3) Alternatively, you can also choose to describe one of your own employess (without names or other obvious identification markers). a) Describe the situation and what you think is this employee’s current Developmental Level and;  b) Based on the situational leadership model, what strategies you could try to employ to address the situation.

For the Instructor

The Situational Leadership Model is perhaps one of the most widely recognized and utilized leadership framework in use in the field of leadership development. This model can be very useful for new supervisors and program managers, in that it provides some clear and direct guidance for how to deal with diverse employees in different situations.

In this section, the learner will watch a short video, explaining how the model works; then chose one case study for reflection. They will post their ideas/suggestions for how to deal with each situation based on the model.

The Situational Leadership Model was developed by Dr. Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard in the late 1960s.

The Situational Leadership Model is based on the relationship between leaders and their employees and it serves as a framework to analyze each situation based on:

  • The amount of guidance and direction (task behavior) a leader gives
  • The amount of socioemotional support (relationship behavior) a leader provides
  • The readiness level that each employee exhibits in performing a specific task, function, or objective

Situational Leaders learn to demonstrate four core, common and critical leadership competencies:

  1. Diagnose: Understanding the uniqueness of each situation they are faced with
  2. Adapt: Adjust their behavior in response to the contingences of the situation
  3. Communicate: Interact with others in a manner most beneficial to the employee and to obtain the most productive outcome
  4. Advance: Deal with the current situation and stay flexible and vigilant of change. Keep moving forward.

The following Video provides a good overview of the Situational Leadership Model:

Media embedded February 15, 2018
 

 

For additional information on the Situational Leadership model, refer to Northouse (2015), chapter 5.

Update 4 - Decision Making

For the Learner

From a leadership perspective, one of the key jobs of a supervisor is deciding when you should make the decision yourself or when and how you could/should share it with your team. The following graph describes the options on a continuum from greater to lesser control on the part of the manager: 

(Bens, 2005)

And now watch the video describing the Decision Making Continuum:
 

Media embedded February 15, 2018

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Add a Comment: If you have any questions, concerns, or a comment for the facilitators, please add it as a comment to this update.

 

Create an Update:

Reflection Questions:

  • What types of decisions are typically made in your department?
  • Make a list of the types of decision you typically make and put them on the grid: try to come up with three for four examples for each column.
  • After you have completed the grid, look at the items on your list and consider if any of the items could/should be moved to the right, why and how?

For the Instructor

The Decision-Making Continuum

The Decision-Making Continuum Model examines the decision-making power and process on a continuum, from autocratic to democratic to delegating.

An autocratic (or directive) decision-making model requires that the leader make the decisions for the group. In this type of organizational structure, the leader is solely responsible for the outcomes of the group and dictates to the group in order to achieve those results. In some instances where quick decisions must be made or when physical safety is at risk, or in an emergency situation, this style may be required.

In a consulting decision making model, the leader asks for input from the participants and takes that into consideration as s/he makes a decision. This is still a leader-based decision-making model, but participants do have more of a voice, and potentially more influence, in the decisions that get made.

A democratic decision-making model allows for the group to work with the leader(s) to make decisions. Decision-making here is a shared task. This can be set up as a voting system, where each participant has a vote, or as a consensus-based system, where everyone must agree to the decision. In each case, terms and guidelines must be defined in advance to avoid confusion or dissent within the group once a decision has been reached.

In the delegating decision-making model, the leader steps back and allows the group to make the decision. The group can function autonomously without the leader. In this case, the leader must follow the group’s decision-making process without intervention.

Update 5 - Conflict Styles

For the Learner

Because no two individuals have exactly the same expectations and desires, conflict is a natural part of our interactions with others. Supervisors are faced with conflict on a regular basis; and need to learn how to resolve conflicts efficiently. Understanding the different conflict styles can be helpful in learning how to address and resolve conflicts.

The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Styles Inventory is based on a five-category scheme for classifying interpersonal conflict-handling modes: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating.

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And here is a graphic representation of the model explained in the video:

Now take the free online assessment to see what is your preferred conflict resolution style.

Conflict styles assessment:

https://www.usip.org/public-education/students/conflict-styles-assessment

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Add a Comment: If you have any questions, concerns, or a comment for the facilitators, please add it as a comment to this update.

 

Create an Update: 

Based on the results of your TKI inventory report, reflect on your primary style and consider:

  • When does this style work well for you?
  • When not so much?
  • Share some techniques or approaches you use to resolve conflict in your department, with teachers, other chairs and your supervisor

For the Instructor

In this section, the learner will watch a short video, explaining the TKI model; then take the TKI assessment and reflect on their results.

The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Styles Instrument is a model for handling conflict. The model organizes 5 conflict management styles based on two dimensions: Assertiveness and Cooperativeness.

Here are the five conflict management styles according to the TKI model:

  1. Accommodating – This is when you cooperate to a high-degree, and it may be at your own expense, and actually work against your own goals, objectives, and desired outcomes. This approach is effective when the other party is the expert or has a better solution. It can also be effective for preserving future relations with the other party.
  2. Avoiding – This is when you simply avoid the issue. You aren’t helping the other party reach their goals, and you aren’t assertively pursuing your own. This works when the issue is trivial or when you have no chance of winning. It can also be effective when the issue would be very costly. It’s also very effective when the atmosphere is emotionally charged and you need to create some space.
  3. Collaborating – This is where you partner or pair up with the other party to achieve both of your goals. This is how you break free of the “win-lose” paradigm and seek the “win-win.” This can be effective for complex scenarios where you need to find a novel solution. This can also mean re-framing the challenge to create a bigger space and room for everybody’s ideas. The downside is that it requires a high-degree of trust and reaching a consensus can require a lot of time and effort to get everybody on board and to synthesize all the ideas.
  4. Competing – This is the “win-lose” approach. You act in a very assertive way to achieve your goals, without seeking to cooperate with the other party, and it may be at the expense of the other party. This approach may be appropriate for emergencies when time is of the essence, or when you need quick, decisive action, and people are aware of and support the approach.
  5. Compromising – This is the “lose-lose” scenario where neither party really achieves what they want. This requires a moderate level of assertiveness and cooperation. It may be appropriate for scenarios where you need a temporary solution, or where both sides have equally important goals. The trap is to fall into compromising as an easy way out, when collaborating would produce a better solution.

By knowing your own preferred strategies and your default modes, you can improve your self-awareness. Once you are aware of your own patterns, you can pay attention to whether they are working for you and you can explore alternatives.

Here is another good video explaining how the TKI model works:

Video on Thomas-Kilman Conflict styles:

Media embedded February 15, 2018

 

 

Update 6 - Managing Across Cultures

For the Learner

Cultural differences can manifest in many different ways in the workplace.

The DLI is a perfect example of a multi-cultural organization, where we have representation from more than 60 or 70 different countries.

One of the ways in which cultural differences come into play is how to handle conflict.

In the following video, Professor Jeanne Brett discusses the difference between direct and indirect resolution of conflict. Eastern and Western ways of handling and managing conflict are very distinct and can lead to stress and misunderstanding.

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Another dimension of crosscultural communication is context = low-context versus high-context cultures. Dr. Verghese explains it in more detail in the following video:

Video:

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Add a Comment: If you have any questions, concerns, or a comment for the facilitators, please add it as a comment to this update.

 

Create an Update: 

Reflect on an issue or conflict you had with someone from another culture.

  • Briefly describe the situation (without mentioning any names or other obvious identification).
  • Describe how you felt, or what caused the issue.
  • Try to imagine how the other party might have interpreted the situation differently from your perspective.
  • What might be some steps you could take to resolve the conflict?

For the Instructor

The purpose of this section is not to talk about how to teach culture to our students. Here at the DLI, we have been discussing how to teach culture for a long time, and we all understand the importance of cultural awareness for our students and in language learning in general.

But, in this module we are interested in intercultural competence in leadership – how to be an effective leader within DLI’s multicultural environment.

While cultural stereotypes tend to be negative and can create an “us and them” atmosphere, leaders need to understand how people are both individuals and also products of their cultural background.

When we work in a place surrounded by others from our own group, basic awareness of human psychological needs and motivations was enough. But, in a place with such a diverse workforce as the DLI, we need the ability to decode cultural differences in order to work effectively with the students, the military, civilians, and colleagues from virtually every corner of the world.

The Cultural Iceberg

When we see an iceberg, the portion which is visible above water is, in reality, only a small piece of a much larger whole. Similarly with culture, the numerous observable characteristics of a group that we can *see* with our eyes - their food, dances, music, arts, or greeting rituals - are merely an external manifestation of the deeper and broader components of culture.

Below the surface are the complex ideas and deeply-held preferences and priorities known as attitudes and values.

Deep below the "water line" are a culture's Core values. These are primarily learned ideas of what is good, right, desirable, and acceptable -- as well as what is bad, wrong, undesirable, and unacceptable. In many cases, different cultural groups share similar core values (such as "honesty", or "respect", or "family"), but these are often interpreted differently in different situations and incorporated in unique ways into our daily lives.

Code-switching in intercultural communication.

(Intercultural Business Communication – by Robert Gibson – page 19).

The process of cultural learning can be helped along by experience, reflection, and training, Intercultural training not only provides information but also develops skills, and encourages attitudes to enable people to progress along the cultural learning curve.

At the lowest level is the belief that all people are alike. Then comes the recognition that there are differences, and acceptance of the differences, seeing ways of synthesizing the different ways, selecting, and making things run smoothly.

“Being culturally fluent means being able to enter a new context, master the norms, and feel comfortable doing so.” (Gibson, 2000)

Update 7 - Crucial Conversations

For the Learner

Crucial Conversations

According to Patterson (2012), a crucial conversation is defined as “A discussion between two or more people where the stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong.” (p.3)

Crucial conversations are a regular part of a supervisor's job, from conducting employee evaluations to intervening when conflict arises. Learning how to effectively deal with crucial conversations is important skill in leadership development. Patterson and his team provide some very useful tools for addressing crucial conversations. 

This video provides a quick review of the concepts in the book Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson.

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And here is a copy of the graph shown in the video:

The following video demonstrates the concepts of Crucial Conversations in action: Dealing with Evaluations. Watch 3 different ways the same interaction can take place.

Media embedded February 15, 2018

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Add a Comment: If you have any questions, concerns, or a comment for the facilitators, please add it as a comment to this update.

 

Create an Update: 

Reflect on a recent conversation you had with a subordinate of yours. Did the encounter go as planned?

  • Based on the Crucial Conversations model (see graph below), try to find evidence of each of the behaviors in each step.
  • Did you demonstrate evidence of all the steps below?
  • What could you have done differently?
  • Share your thoughts.

For the Instructor

 Crucial Conversations is a book by Kerry Patterson (2012), where he provides a series of steps for dealing with difficult conversations.

The steps are outlined below: 

Update 8 - Action Plan

For the Learner

 Supervisor Leadership Development Action Plan:

After you are done watching all the updates and reflecting on your own practice and engaging with peers by commenting on their posts, now it's time to start working on your action plan.

Create a plan of action for how you will develop your own leadership skills, behaviors and practice in each of the following areas:

  1. Emotional Intelligence: Based on your Emotional Intelligence Assessment, identify the areas you wish to work on and describe how do you plan to work on it.
  2. Situational Leadership: How do you see yourself as a leader? Can you articulate your Leadership Philosophy? What are you doing to develop your own leadership ability? 
  3. Decision Making: Reflect on how decisions are typically made in your department and describe your process for determining how each type of decision is made and steps you take to involve your supervisees.
  4. Conflict Styles: Based on your TKI Inventory Report, reflect on some techniques or approaches you use to resolve conflict in your department, with teachers, other chairs and your supervisor. Based on the TKI model, what style is your weakest? How can you improve your ability to use all styles and grow your weakest area? 
  5. Cultural Awareness: Identify a scenario or situation from your own experience where cultural differences played a role in the outcome. Try to analyze your own culture in comparison to the US. What are some of the techniques you use to become more culturally aware and competent? 
  6. Crucial Conversations: Practice using the steps outlined in the Crucial Conversations model. Then share the outcome of your encounter. What were some of the difficulties you encountered. Any successes? What questions or difficulties do you still face? 

 

Rubric:

​Following is the peer review rubric for the learning module, against which others will review your work, and against which you will do your self-review after completing your final draft. You can view this rubric while you draft your work in Creator.

Leadership_Action_Plan_Rubric.pdf

For the Instructor

Rationale:

Through this project, the participants have the opportunity to continue exploring and reflecting on the concepts explored in each of the updates. Participants will begin to articulate and develop their own leadership philosophy and also engage in dialog with their peers and provide and receive feedback for their work. 

The project will be evaluated three times through:

1) peer review

2) self review (post revision)

3) instructor/admin review

 

References

Bradberry, T., & Greaves, J. (2009). Emotional intelligence 2.0. San Diego, CA: TalentSmart.

Estima, S. (2017). Microlearning: New Approaches in Faculty Training.https://cgscholar.com/community/profiles/user-8317/publications/154724

Gibson, R., (2002). Intercultural Business Communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Harvey, T., Bearley, W., & Corkrum, S. (1997). The Practical Decision Maker. Lantham Maryland: R&L Education.

Hofner-Saphire, D., Mikk, B., & DeVries, B., (2005). Communication Highwire: Leveraging the Power of Diverse Communication Styles. London: Intercultural Press.

Moran, R., Harris, P., & Moran, S. (2007). Managing Cultural Differences. Oxford: Elsevier.

Northouse, P. (2015). Leadership Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Patterson, K. (2012). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high. New York: McGraw-Hill. Chicago