Too Many Chiefs

Have you ever worked on a project and thought to yourself there are too many chiefs and not enough Indians? This often happens in the corporate world of business. My MIS students are working in small groups doing case studies.

I often see the same students work together, but this week I am re-assigning some team members. As a manager, they must learn to accept change, so it will be interesting to see how they handle it.

During the semester students will see who has leadership qualities, who is better at organizing, who is good at research, and of course who is great at creative writing. Each student is to contribute equally with assignments, but just like in business, there can be conflict. The tension could be that someone isn’t pulling their own weight or team members may not like how the chief operates.

However, a true chief leads by example, so others will want to follow.

Ps. Congratulations to Kansas City Chiefs on winning the Super Bowl. I am glad to see Patrick Mahoney, the youngest quarterback, give glory to God, his amazing coach, and his teammates for the win!

MIS Week 1

Tuesday was the 1st day of the semester at Marist College. I am teaching Management Information Systems (MIS), so I will share things I’ve learn while studying the new material. Our textbook is title: MIS, Managing a Digital Firm authored by the Laudons.

One new approach being used by digital firms today is called: Sociotechnical systems (STS) in organizational development is an approach to complex organizational work design that recognizes the interaction between people and technology in workplaces. The term also refers to the interaction between society’s complex infrastructures and human behavior (Source: Wikipedia).

This new approach actually includes asking the employees what they want. Many companies won’t bother asking for feedback from their employees, as they prefer not to change, or they could be afraid of the costs involved, or they don’t want to risk changing for fear of losing stock holder’s investments.

This new approach certainly outweighs the risks because: 1. It increases a company’s return on investment and 2. It is healthier way for businesses to run more effectively and efficiently.

Has your company ever asked for your personal input about their products or services? If so, did your feedback help bring about positive changes and increased the company’s revenue? Let me know your thoughts.