Role of Emotions in Decision Making

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In this video, Prof. Baba Shiv of Stanford University talks about the importance of emotion in decision making. After watching this video, reflect on two situations; one, in which you were extremely confident of the outcome and what your attitude was towards the subject; and second, a situation in which you would less confident or not so confident and how you felt about the situation. Based on this module's readings and this video write a reflection blog detailing the situations above and describing the role emotion plays in decision making. Identify three emotional reactions for each scenario.

To envision a leader without emotion can be a difficult task. In fact, as we think out who we believe were/are effective leaders, many if not all had some form of passion and energy that was contagious to their followers. Such emotion is important as Professor Baba Shiv (2011) discusses in this week’s assignment. Prof. Shiv noted the importance of evoking emotions in decision making as it has an essential impact on others and their behavior. According to Prof. Shiv (2011), there are three significant benefits to include emotions in decision making:

1) Passion is very persuasive.

2) Confidence is very contagious.

3) The extraction of the utility from the experience.

The fist example of when I became very passionate and confident as a result of decision making occurred while as a cadet in the Army ROTC. Prior to taking part in the ROTC program, I spent the majority of my time and energy getting stronger and faster for football and wrestling. Believing that my athleticism, strength, and explosiveness would help me be a good fit in the program, I learned quickly that those particular characteristics we not suited in a profession that required endurance and mental agility. Thus, guys half my size were out performing me in many aspects. I came to the conclusion that I needed to adjust my frame of mind and decided to focus more time and energy with endurance activities over holiday break in preparation from the following semesters physical training (PT) test. I put in countless hours training, running distance, and hills. When the new semester began, as a program, we conducted a PT test to see where everyone was at in fitness. Needless to say, physical fitness is an essential ingredient as an effective military leader. Going into the PT test I felt extremely confident in my ability to reach a perfect score (300 points). After completing the three events of: push-ups, sit-ups, and 2 mile run; I accomplished my goal of reaching a perfect score. Coming in as a bulky football play to becoming a physically fit in the eyes of the military, others cadets noted they felt there was hope for them. Furthermore, my efforts also demonstrated to my instructors that I was ready for increased responsibility and leadership positions.

The other example in which passion and confidence was lacking occurred while I was deployed and serving as an Iraqi Police Transition Team (PTT) Chief. At the time, there was a big effort to get Iraqi police stations (IPS) up and running with training and equipment in order to increase stability and local security. One of our main challenges was the complete lack of accountability Iraqi police leadership would place on equipment, weapons, and ammo. Wanting the police stations to be successful, my PTT leaders (US Soldiers) and I spent a significant amount of time working with the police leadership on tracking, accountability, and logistics in general. Of course, these efforts were communicated in my weekly/monthly assessments. However, at one point, we received notification that there was a massive shipment of equipment (from coalition forces) that would be used to complete fill each Iraqi police stations shortages. Initially we expressed the need for such equipment, weapons, and ammo, but that the systems involved in maintaining, tracking, and accounting for it was none existent. Long story short, we voiced our concerns about the likelihood of this equipment disappearing, but were nevertheless directed to ensure the equipment was delivered to the IPS. As dutiful Soldiers, we ensured that the task was successfully accomplished. However, as a result of the lack of passion and confidence, this did not feel like the “win” we were working hard for. In fact, this event although successful, felt more like a step backwards emotionally.

Reference

Shiv, B. (2011). Brain Research at Stanford: Decision Making. Stanford University. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRKfl4owWKc. 

Reflections on the Cynefin Framework

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Create a reflection blog based on critically thinking about how the Cynefin Framework can benefit your decision-making. Consider the chart on page 7 of the HBR article "A Leader's Framework for Decision Making" and discuss decision-making in multiple contexts; include two specific examples of decisions in multiple contexts that you have made. Detail the considerations from the various contexts that influenced your decision.  Critically assess the Cynefin Framework and describe 5 ways it can provide an improved context for decision making.

Leaders must process countless inputs and factors which affect how they make decisions in a given situation. In fact, one would expect to associate critical thinking as an important process to skillfully analyze, evaluate, and identify a suitable solution. According to Michael Scriven and Richard Paul (1987) “Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action” (as cited in CriticalThinking.org, 2015).

Indeed, a guide or an analytical process is essential to properly diagnosing a situation and choosing the most appropriate method to address the dynamics involved. Enter the Cynefin Framework, which means place or habitat. Initially developed in 1999 by scholar David Snowden, this framework is a sense-making model verses a traditional categorization model. As such, this framework assists its users to accurately evaluate their situation(s) and responded appropriately using a domain specific decision model (see below figure).

Now that I am retired from military service, the majority of my decision-making falls into the Simple domain. Thus, applying the decision model of Sense – Categorize – Respond requires minimal effort and critical thinking. For example, structure and routine help sort many of the possible friction points around our household. Should we sense a disruption with established routines, such as a last minute school/work event, we can very quickly recover with minimal overall disruption.

Yet there are occasions which forces me to reassess my position (Disorder domain). For instance, our family is in the process of PCSing (military move) and have to make important decision in our current location and at the location we plan to move to. One important decision that my wife and I need to make is finding a school for out seven year old in the new city we will be moving to. Where this somewhat complicated decision transverses into the complex decision is the definition and quality of a “good school” we both have. By and large, we share the same beliefs suitable academic standards, yet when tuition and school districts enter the consideration, the complicated just got complex. Needless to say, in an attempt to mitigate the resulting aftermath, we have enlisted the help of trusted sources for both schools and districts. In essences, we are in the process of Probe – Sense – Respond, attempting to set the conditions for an emergent solution.

I believe that the Cynefin Framework is an important tool in that it guides the user during the assessment and approach process. This process is only productive when leaders are willing to be open to change and accepting of other context. According to Snowden and Boone (2007), “Good leadership requires openness to change on an individual level. Truly adept leaders will know not only how to identify the context they’re working in at any given time but also how to change their behavior and their decisions to match that context.” Thus, as leaders, we must be adaptive and willing to work within context outside of our comfort zones. I also believe this framework will not only improve my decision-making abilities, but those of other leaders by expanding one’s perception, having the ability to see other context and move between them, and feel more at-ease with working through complexity. “It helps you avoid using the same management style or decision-making approach in all situations – a mistake that can be costly to your team or organization– by encouraging you to be flexible and adaptable when making decisions, and to adjust your management style to fit your circumstances.” (Mind Tools, n.d.).  

References

Defining Critical Thinking. (2015). CriticalThinking,Org. Retrieved from http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766.

The Cynefin Framework. (n.d.) MindTools.com. Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/cynefin-framework.htm.

Snowden, D. and Boone, M. (2007). A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2007/11/a-leaders-framework-for-decision-making.   

Cynefin Framework Reflection

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Based upon the above video on Cynefin Framework, reflect on the 3 ways each quadrant of the Cynefin Framework can facilitate decision-making using examples from your own experience.

The Cynefin Framework is sense-making model that allows its users to analytically process events depending on the dynamics involved. In essence, this framework is a decision-making model that provides various methods for leaders to evaluate their situation and begin sourcing the appropriate action. According to Dave Snowden (2010):

So the Cynefin Framework is a decision framework, it’s an analytical framework. It’s been used for decision theory, it’s been used for knowledge management, it’s been used for IT design, for project management because it recognizes the causal differences that exists between different types of systems and give people a very quick and easy way to flip between them so they can use the appropriate method for the appropriate domain (7:45).

The Cynefin Framework consists of the following five domains (Snowden, 2010):

1) Simple Domain: In this domain, the relationship between cause and effect is discernable and predictable. Moreover, this is an ordered system lending itself to the decision model of Sense – Categorize – Respond. For this domain, Best Practices are created.

2) Complicated Domain: Although an ordered system, the relationship for cause and effect in not evident and may have multiple right answers, which requires expert knowledge. Thus, the decision model for this domain is Sense – Analyze – Respond. For this domain, Good Practices are created.

3) Complex Domain: This system does not have an obvious relationship between cause and effect (only in hindsight). Thus, the decision model is in this domain is Probe – Sense – Respond. As result of experiments in this domain, Emergent order begins to transpire.

4) Chaotic Domain: In this domain, cause and effect cannot be determined, yet leaders must attempt to stabilize quickly in order to shift the situation into the complex domain. The decision model in this domain is Act – Sense – Respond. For this domain, Novel Practice is created.

5) Disorder Domain: This domain involves the state of not knowing. Thus, leaders assess the situation and the associated dynamic in order to identify what domain they are in. The assessment process, Snowden (2010) tells us that the problem in this domain is that we determine our situation as a result of personal preference for action.

The Cynefin Framework is a very useful tool for making decision in that it provides various context to evaluate a situation. While I was in the service, I typically made decision that spanned the complicated and complex domains. In the military, the simple domain is usually addressed and mitigated with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Nevertheless, there are instances where a “ball was dropped” and remedial action is focused more on the personal failure oppose to the procedural side. When making decisions in the complicated domain, I typically relied on subject matter experts (SMEs) I had access to. For example, as an organizational leader that is responsible for the family readiness group (FRG), I had little experience with event planning and it was out of my comfort zone. Thus, I brought in a spouse that had unique experience with planning and arranging large social events and she essentially established a good practice for the organization.

When entering the complex and chaotic domains, typically I rely on action and assessment of the situation. Action in the sense of mitigating damage or loss of resources or life, yet doing my best to assess where the biggest threat is originating from and what else lies in its path. Although Snowden (2010) clearly tells us that finding a relationship between cause and effect is futile, as leaders we must stabilize the situation enough to properly select the most appropriate method of working through the complex and chaotic situation. Such situations in my field (background) included terror attacks, security breaches, active shooters, and combative individuals to name a few. All situations in which can transition from one domain to the other in a split second.

I agree with Snowden (2010) that we as leaders (decision makers), we spend that majority of our time in the disorder domain. In fact, we apply significant effort in evaluating and assessing our surroundings, situational developments, and on-going factors (dynamics) in order to identify what domain we are actually in. Furthermore, I believe that this evaluation is heavily dependent on our personal preferences as Snowden (2010) explains. For example, I believe that we as leaders over time develop certain approaches that are based on previous experiences that may not apply. Therefore, its important for leaders to be able to expand their evaluation of context and explore new courses of action as prescribed in each domain. 

Reference

Snowden, D. (2010). The Cynefin Framework. Cognitive Edge. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7oz366X0-8. 

Collaborative Decision Making

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Reflect on the role of collaboration and getting to resolution in the process of decision-making. Rarely, if ever, do our decisions affect only ourselves. Consider the importance of getting other stakeholders involved; how can they help you make a better decision for all?  Detail a specific situation where you are faced with the decision, describe the process you went through and the outcome you were seeking. Identify 5 ways stakeholder involvement can help you make better decisions.  Did you achieve your objective?  Looking back at the decision you made and its consequence, was there anyone else that would have added value to the process? Identify 3 ways you may use this learning experience to make better decisions in the future?

Collaborative decision making is an important process that involves multiple stakeholders that contribute to the group’s overall success in many ways, such as an expertise and experience to name a few. Anthony Tisdall (2013), notes the some of the benefits as a result of collaborative decision making:

·       Sharing information leads to better decisions

·       Common situational awareness levels the playing field

·       Diverse stakeholders lead to increased knowledge and understanding

·       Building relationships, builds trust

·       Jointly developed tools and procedures allow stakeholders to quickly adapt in changing environments

It is essential that when forming a group of stakeholders for collaborative decision making that careful thought is given to who is participating (if discretion is available) and the conditions surrounding the group. Many of these factors will establish the tone and set the foundation for the group dynamics and success. In fact, Stuart Easton (2015) provides the following characteristics of what can potentially lead to a “Good” or “Bad” group:

Good group:

·       Clear goals

·       Clear communication

·       Good process and tools

·       Knowledgeable people

·       Collaboration

·       Good executive support

Bad group:

·       Be highly politicized

·       Poorly defined goals

·       No common understanding or communication of the goals

·       Poor group dynamics (e.g. political point-scoring, group think, etc.)

·       No clear process for making a decision and no tools to support consensus building

·       Ambiguous or weak executive sponsorship

While working for a state office as an inspector supervisor, I was tasked by the director to create a plan for training site inspections that spanned the entire state of TN and would last approximately six weeks. Thus, after sitting down with the director where she essentially provided her intent and vision of what she wanted to accomplish. I believe this was a vital step towards our team’s success because it was the starting point that set the conditions for the group I needed to form for the collaborative decision making process. Levine (2009) highlights that, “With intent and a specific vision, you quickly begin thinking about the result you want—the big picture of the resolution or collaboration, as well as a specific picture of what you want to create together (p. 179).

Due to the number of sites that needed to be inspected, the logistics involved, and the cooperation required from all the training providers; I established a group that consisted of subject matter experts (SMEs/stakeholders) that could discuss in detail many of the key considerations/factors involved, such as: what was to be inspected, the time involved in conducting multiple inspections per day per area, and moving a group of inspectors from one location to another.

Over the course of three weeks, the group was able to solidify a plan that would meet the director’s intent and vision within the parameters provided. I believe the collaborative decision making process in this case was effective because of the initial clear guidance and intent, the trust each stakeholder had in each other, but most importantly, the unified effort to accomplish a challenging operation.

References

Easton, S. (2015). Successful Collaborative Decision Making. Transparent Choice. Retrieved from https://blog.transparentchoice.com/strategic-decision-making-in-a-team-its-about-good-people-process-and-software-to-improve-your-decisions.

Levine, S. (2009). Getting to resolution: Turning conflict into resolution. Berrett-Koehler. Kindle Edition.

Tisdall, A. (2013). Collaborative Decision Making. ICAO. Retrieved from http://www1.atmb.net.cn/CD_web/UploadFile/2013122416074950.pdf. 

The High Cost of Conflict

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Reflect on a personal or business situation in which the cost of conflict was significantly greater than you would've preferred. Analyze the situation in relation to Stewart Levine's 10 principles of new thinking (p. 46). How would this have changed the situation? Could it have reduced the cost of conflict? What lessons did you learn from this exercise?

A situation the occurred a few years back where the cost of conflict was higher than I desired involved my effort to help one of my brothers who was having a difficult time at home. After speaking with my mother about some of the issues my brother was going through, I asked how she felt if I were to have my brother live with me in order to provide a new environment for a new start. At the time, I was in the military and stationed across the country, so a structured environment and separation from a volatile environment was something I could provide. Not to mention the supported and accountable family member.

After a few months, my brother initiated steps to improve his situation such as gainful employment and even enrolling in a local community college. Furthermore, he was exposed to activities that were not feasible or valued in his previous environment like fishing, traveling, and being around other personally and professionally driven adults.

Unfortunately, while I was away from a two-week training event, my brother felt it would be a good idea to return home for a visit. After listening to his plan from more than five states away, I highly recommended that he not return home, to the environment in which he left until he was better suited to deal with same stressors that contributed to his situation. Moreover, I explained that I would be back in a week at which point we could come up with a plan that would better ensure a positive visit.

Regardless of my recommendation and concerns, my brother decided to return home while I was away and found himself in the same situation I described that awaited him. He rekindled emotional disputes and many of his valuable were taken in the place he was staying. Needless to say, after I returned back to my home, I received a call from my brother indicating all of the issues that occurred and that he planned to fly back to my home. I explained that there was no need for him to return. I expressed my concern with him not taking my recommendation that would have prevented his situation. Furthermore, because it was so easy for him to disregard my time and effort to assist him in the first place, I was extremely concerned what the next situation would look like.

After reflecting on this event and the Ten Principles of New Thinking by Levine (2009), which include:

1) Believing in abundance

2) Creating partnership

3) Being creative

4) Fostering sustainable collaboration

5) Becoming open

6) Forming long-term collaborations

7) Relying on feelings and intuition

8) Disclosing information and feelings

9) Learning throughout the resolution process

10) Becoming ResponseAble

I believe I would have been able to handle the situation more effectively. For instance, I feel I could have used more empathy (or awareness) for my brother’s need to want to visit home. He was across the country living a new place with new people trying new things. Perhaps he felt the need to reconnect with something I did not see or understand because being in the military, new places, new people, new things were the norm. Furthermore, I am sure that there may have been a more productive resolution to the situation than immediately committing to my decision to no longer provide assistance because my recommendation was not heeded. Through this exercise and this week’s assignments, it has become clear to me that my beliefs and ideas about “resolutions” have been shaped in an unconscious way that associates it with winning and losing. According to Levine (2009):

The first step in the conflict resolution model is developing the attitude of resolution. This means choosing the thinking embodied in the ten principles. The attitude is developed by listening, sharing concerns, and knowing there is an agreement waiting to be discovered. The attitude of resolution is the opposite of thinking about winning or losing (p. 109).

Reference

Levine, S. (2009). Getting to resolution: Turning conflict into resolution. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Protected Values in Decision Making

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Reflect on the concept map that you created in the previous exercise and consider the Dan Gilbert video from module one. Discuss your protected values and how far you are willing to go to support those values. Explore the level of protection associated with each of your major values identified in the concept map and detail your thoughts on each. Finally, discuss how those protected values would influence your decision-making.

In our previous assignment, we discussed three protected values. The three I selected to discuss was education, safety/security, and the family unit. As protected values, we hold these values as a core belief in our lives that in some fashion affects our decision making. In other words, we shape our lives around these protected values by actions and/or decisions. Moreover, with such important values, we attempt to guard these protected values in an effort to prevent trade-offs. Yet, this doesn’t always prove to be effective. According to Irwin and Baron (2005), “People try to guard against inconsistencies by creating protected values, values that will never be traded off for another gain, but even these values can fade in certain contexts” (p. 244). This context is important as we explore how these values can shift or even fade when a particular context is in play. Thus, how does this affect how we make decisions? And how effective are we in making these decisions? According to Dan Gilbert (2005), “There are two kinds of errors people make when trying to decide what the right thing is to do and those are errors in estimating the odds that they’re going to succeed and errors in estimating the value of their own success” (2:16). Indeed, without continuously evaluating our protected values and ensuring they are capable of withstanding adversity (challenges), it is likely that as our experiences develop and our values are tested, our protected values may shift and with it the impact of our decisions.

The first protected value I identified was education. I firmly believe that education has the potential to provide the foundation for a productive personal and professional life. In other words, with an education, individuals have more potential for providing a great level of quality of life for their families and productively contribute to their chosen profession. Moreover, with an education, people are able to enjoy more options, which leads to more control over their situation. The associated protection level for this value involves both personal and professional commitments. For example, annually I go out of my way to support educational programs with financial donations or participation. This also includes shopping for and donating school supplies for grade school students that may not have access to basic school necessities. Professionally, I have always encouraged those in my organization to participate in educational programs. In fact, as a part of the formal counseling process, those pursuing higher education were assured that they would be supported (within reason according to military demands and duties) with the time and resources needed to focus on their academic responsibilities. More times than not, we (leaders) we able to adjust certain obligations that would allow these Soldiers/students the opportunity to leave early to study or prepare for exams. Finally, I also encouraged those in courses to share their progress with the organization to recognize their hard work and accomplishments.

The second protected value I highlighted was safety/security. I believe that everyone is entitled to live in a safe and secure environment. Although a tall order, I feel that having well trained and educated security professionals (police, to include other first responders) is important serving their communities, states, and nation. In fact, I have been deeply committed to this value that I actively committed myself to earning a criminal justice degree and volunteered over one-thousand hours at various departments to include the juvenile court system, police departments, sheriff’s offices, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service. Furthermore, when the time came to enter into a profession, I pursued and received a commission in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps, where I served (in my perspective) the greater good.

The final protected value I discussed was the family unit. Thought there are many dynamics to this protected value, I mean to address the importance of the whole as far as providing a nurturing, caring, and supportive environment that is widely accepted as a foundation for productive growth and development. Being a part of a military family, there are many challenges that we face on a constant basis. There are events that typically strain and test the family bonds (not forgetting that this is the case outside of the military as well) such as: professional military education schools that require the service member to be away from home for anywhere between 4-6 months, field training that usually lasts between 1-2 weeks (sometimes longer), and the occasional combat deployment that can last between 9-12 months (sometimes longer. There are even occasions where all of these events occur one after the other. Needless to say, the family unit is tested continuously. In fact, as a retired service member with an active duty spouse, we have endured many of these events as described, as many other military families have as well. The protection level associated with this value requires constant reinforcement and support by all in the family unit. Taking a supportive role and an initiative role is extremely fluid. Thus, in order to prosper and grow, all family units must remain vigilant, supportive, and flexible.

I believe that there is threshold for trade-offs for many protected values. Even though these values play a significant role in our decision making, attempting to apply these protected values in all context is not necessary productive. According to Irwin and Baron (2005), “When people say that a value is absolute and inviolable, they seem to subconsciously have in mind a violation of a certain magnitude and probability. In other words, even when holding protected values people have some threshold for when it is appropriate to hold this value and when it is appropriate to trade it off” (p. 255). With this in mind, I believe the most important factor to always consider when in a position of trade-offs is asking yourself,  “Can I live with myself after looking in the mirror?”

References

Gilbert, D. (2005). Why we make bad decisions. TEDGlobal. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_researches_happiness#t-124952.

Hoch, S. J., & Kunreuther, H. C. (2005). Wharton on making decisions. (1^st edition). Kindle Edition.

How Protected are Your Protected Values

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Based on Irwin and Baron's discussion (pg.251); Reflect on three of your major protected values, support those values with at least three major beliefs and show the pros and cons of each belief in terms of trade-offs you are willing to make to support or not support that belief. Do you feel as strongly about them as you did when you began this exercise?

Protected values are the values that people hold with such conviction that they are unwilling to yield to any form of trade-offs. According to Irwin and Baron (2005), “People often draw a line in the sand to create values that are protected from trade-offs. These protected values (PVs) are considered absolute and inviolable” (p. 152). After reflecting on my personal values, I have identified the following three protected values that have developed over time and personal experiences, they are: education, safety/security, and the family unit. Also during this reflection, I was able to identify the driving force of these beliefs and trace the origin (peeling the onion) to its establishment that further guided my actions, personality, and profession. For example, growing up as the youngest of three boys, raised by a single mother, specific terms kept coming to mind as I thought about it. Words like: struggle, ignorance, mental/emotional starvation (from nurturement), and uncertainty. To provide context, because our mother worked two jobs to provide the basic necessities for the family, the eldest of the kids (teenager) was left to help raise the other kids (youths). Needless to say, education was not among the top priorities, safety/security was relative, and the concept of a family unit was less than ideal. At some point I was able to break away from this environment and the family dynamics that seem to trap those unwilling to travel beyond their comfort zone.

Thus, through this journey, it started to become clear to me that education was a significant factor as it developed knowledge and growth, as well as revealed how much I truly didn’t know. I believe that education serves as the foundation for a productive and fruitful life. Ultimately, the individual decides where and how to use their abilities, that in and of itself, provides options. Having options as a result of education or specialty (trade) allows its possessor to have more control over their situation and circumstances. This compared to someone who has a limited education and is in a position of living reactively to their situation and circumstances. As a tax payer, I am willing to ensure that public schools have the funds necessary to provide a quality education to their students. Moreover, I believe that everyone should have educational opportunities at any stage of their life. The benefit of having education available increases the individual’s capabilities and earning potential, as well as ensuring that the community at large has productive contributors to the whole through taxes, involvement, and possible community leadership. The con is that this is an individual driven process. In other words, one cannot make another benefit from an education, merely make it law that those under a certain age attend school. Furthermore, this process is dependent on producing future contributors. Thus, when individuals fail to contribute by actively choosing to live off government services and not “replenish the well,” these actions can lead to the straining of the system. Nevertheless, I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to decide their course. With education, they chart a path that provides better opportunities, more options and positive control over their situation.

As I noted above, safety and security (safety/security) while growing up was dependent; in that we as a family and as kids raising kids lived reactively to our conditions and as a result of our own devices. Having witnessed first-hand the chaotic nature of merely surviving and the environment the survival mode breeds, I believe that everyone should enjoy safety/security in their everyday lives. In fact, as a high school junior, I concluded that I wanted to be a part of a strong, capable, and caring group to provide such safety to others and desired to enter the law enforcement profession. I felt so passionately about this course of action that I majored in criminal justice for my undergraduate degree. Through this experience, I expanded my scope of safety/security for others that I eventually pursued and received a commission in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps. I believe we as human beings or as a community have the obligation to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves. I mean this in the context of those actively hurting others (crimes) for any form of gain or malicious intent. No person (law abiding) should be forced to live under such duress in a way that it affects or impacts their lives in a negative manner. The benefit is that when communities operate in a safe environment, participation is encouraged and relationships are strengthened. The con side of this is again that individually driven. People decide (free will) to commit heinous acts against others. Even though the most effective and best trained police force cannot prevent all crimes, such a force would be postured in a way to educate and work with the communities it serves in order to better provide the safety/security that is needed.

The family unit I knew growing up was far from ideal. However, I believe that the family unit (according to any groups definition) should involve loving relationships, growth and development, and be a joint adventure. Unfortunately, there are many external and internal factors that challenge this value. In fact, it is these challenges that place its participants in a position of compromising or abandoning this value. According Irwin and Baron (2005), “But a deeper concern is that people sometimes abandon their values deliberately. This may be because these values are not well constructed and so only appear to be strongly held because they have not been put to the test” (p. 253). Indeed, such adversity and tests have the ability to refine our perceived values. Nevertheless, I believe that the family unit is among one of the most powerful and productive means to addressing many of the issues we as a society have self-created. The negative side to this equation is that there are time and situations in which attempting to keep a family unit would cause more injury than not. This factor cannot be ignored, because at every stage of our lives, our priorities change, our perspective expands, or we just happen to grow apart for whatever reason. These unfortunate events may set in-motion the strengthening of the family unit as a protect value or perhaps because the family unit was a protected value, the situation evolved to the family dismantling (safety concerns, etc.).  

Protected values are values that are inherent or develop over time and experiences. Through the course of life and different context, these protective values cause one at some level to reevaluate their values and/or the cost to benefit of making such trade-offs. According to Jonathan Baron and Mark Spranca (1997):

People who hold protected values may behaviorally trade them off for other things - by risking lives or by sacrificing nature or human rights - but they are not happy with themselves for doing so, if they are aware of what they are doing. They are caught in binds that force them to violate some important value, but the value is no less important to them because of this behavioral violation.

I believe that it is important to periodically take stock of our values. As we grow and our understanding of things/people/events around us expands, it would behoove us to stay abreast of our own protected values. Furthermore, it would benefit us to use situational (scenario) conditions that could affect or compromise our values in order to conduct our own testing of our values. For example, I was forced to conduct such an internal test of my values when as a young leader, I was deployed to Iraq. With the noted protective values above, would I be able to deprive someone (in a combat environment) of these closely held values of mine if put in a life and death situation. After much though and reflection, I was able to compromise (to a degree) that I would be able to hold the lives of others (non-combative & other coalition forces) above the belief that everyone is entitled to such values I held as I was fully aware that my service to a large group people required that I make the best decision in a difficult situation that ensure our success and safety.

References

Baron, J., & Spranca, M. (1997). Protected values. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Process, 70, 1-16.

Hoch, S. J., & Kunreuther, H. C. (2005). Wharton on making decisions. (1^st edition). Kindle edition.

Deception in Negotiations

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During the course of negotiations, people often misrepresent information to gain at least a temporary advantage. For example, a seller may fabricate existence of another interested buyer or a buyer may misrepresent the price and availability of an item from a different vendor. Reflect on deceptions in negotiations and describe four ways to evaluate information during negotiations. Relate an example of a recent negotiation in which you have been misled and one in which you may have overstated a claim.; define how far you would be willing to go to leverage your position.

According to the Business Dictionary (n.d.), negotiation is the “Bargaining (give and take) process between two or more parties (each with its own aims, needs, and viewpoints) seeking to discover a common ground and reach an agreement to settle a matter of mutual concern or resolve a conflict.” The act of negotiating is done, to some degree, on a daily basis. While this process may be common, so too is the deception that is associated with it. According to Maurice Schweitzer (2005), “During the course of negotiations, people often misrepresent information to gain at least a temporary advantage,” he continues by noting that, “Deception of some kind is an inherent part of human interaction” (p. 188).

Holding a temporary advantage in the negotiation process can lead to some people altering the truth of their intentions/position or outright fabricating their situation entirely. This deception typically occurs in the form of telling lies of omission or lies of commission. Schweitzer (2005) highlights,

One study found that 28 percent of negotiators lied about a common interest issue during negotiations, while another study found that 100 percent of negotiators either failed to reveal a problem or actively lied about it during negotiations if they were not directly asked about the issue (p. 188).

So how can we safeguard ourselves and the organizations we represent? The truth is that detecting lies can be extremely difficult. This is especially true when dealing with charismatic and seasoned negotiators. According to Leslie John (2016), “Humans are particularly inept at recognizing lies that are cloaked in flattery… We’re wired to readily accept information that conforms to our preexisting assumptions or hopes.” Yet the good news is that there some ways to evaluate the information during the negotiation process.

These four steps include:

Establish trust: This step is important in establishing a foundation of mutual trust before the negotiation process. “This tactic will reduce the possibility that others will employ defensive justification” (Schweitzer, 2005, p. 196).

Ask direct questions: Going into a negotiation situation, there will be certain information that is generally known and some information that may be assumptions or likely to be known. In either case, one method I like to exercise is to ask a direct question about something that we both know to be true or certain and note their response. Furthermore, I will also ask a direct question about something that I may not necessary know or they are under the impression that I do not know and compare this response with the “known” information response. This leads into the next two steps.

Listen carefully: As a designated negotiator, they (& you) are privy to certain information such as: bottom line factors, willing to sacrifice, and intentions. After entering the dialog phase, it is important to listen to what your counterpart is saying, how they are saying it (frame), and what they continuously highlight or work towards. When listening carefully, one may be able to pick-up on possible dodging or avoidance in responses.

Pay attention to nonverbal cues: Nonverbal cues are the body’s natural responses to certain stressors that occur very subtlety. In fact, as a former law enforcement professional, training in body language (nonverbal cues) is an essential survival skill. For someone who is not well versed in identifying and deciphering many of the bodies telltales, one may never even know they have occurred. Thus, when negotiating, it is important to know some of the most common nonverbal cues, such as: breaking eye contact (western culture), crossed arms/legs, clearing throat, deep breath, grooming gesture, Illustrators, shifting in chair, early response, and delayed response (Reid Technique, 2008).

After reflecting on recent negotiation where I have been misled, I found it difficult to come up with a suitable example for two reasons. The first, I have been out of the workforce as a result of retirement from military service for the better part of two years; the second, I have not purchased anything significant recently that would require a true negotiation situation as described above. In lesser more common negotiations, if I was misled, I was surely unaware of it. However, I am currently in the process of having significant repairs to my rv, to the point where an insurance adjustor has been actively assisting me repairing the damage. While discussing the needed work with the company that is repairing the rv, I have negotiated the installation of new or upgraded equipment into the rv that I purchased on my own, but under the agreed upon reinstallation rate established by the insurance company. For example, one of the repairs on the rv includes a roof replacement. To do this, everything on the roof needs to be removed and reinstalled. One such items to be removed and reinstalled is the old and outdated tv antenna. Thus, since the existing repair contract includes this work to be done, I have paid for a new antenna system (own funds) to replace the existing one. After discussing this with the repair company, they were more than willing to accommodate for two reasons; first, the repair to be done is a very profitable contract, second, they were going to reinstall a tv antenna regardless, which one made little difference to them. In this situation, it was a win-win scenario.

References

Hoch, S. J., & Kunreuther, H. C. (2005). Wharton on making decisions. (1^st edition.). Kindle Edition.

John, L. (2016). How to Negotiate with a Liar. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2016/07/how-to-negotiate-with-a-liar.

Negotiation. (n.d.). Business Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/negotiation.html.

Subject Interview Sheet. (2008). The Reid Technique of Behavior Analysis Interview Questions. John E. Reid & Associates.

Reflections on Decision Making

A632.3.4.RB

Shoemaker and Russo discuss the hazards associated with "frame blindness" and how to guard against it.  Discuss three ways you can avoid "framing traps" and provide a detailed example of each from your life experience.  Could you have framed each situation differently? What did the exercise teach you about complex decision-making? What additional tools or "frames" would've helped you through the process? How much "risk" do you feel was in your recommendation? What did you learn about yourself through this exercise? 

In chapter 8 of our course text, Paul Schomaker and Edward Russo (2005) define a frame as “a stable, coherent cognitive structure that organizes and simplifies the complex reality that a manager operates in” (p. 134). These frames allow us to filter situational information and focus our attention on certain aspects of complex problems in order to create possible solutions.  Furthermore, the authors highlight three types of frames that include: 1) Problem frames that are used to create solutions 2). Decision frames that are used to choose alternatives, and 3). Thinking frames that consist of a mental structure that are grounded in experience (p. 134).

Although frames provide a benefit that allows for quick and guided decision making, it however has a downside that include frame blindness and framing traps. Frame blindness is being unaware of the frames that affect our thinking and decision making process. According to Schomaker & Russo (2005), “All too often, managers look out at the world through one mental window and fail to notice the views offered by other windows,” the authors continue, “Worse yet, they may not even realize they are doing so” (p. 139). The other downside, are frame traps. Framing traps have the potential to distort ones thinking and impose limits on their ability to create solutions by affecting their perceived yardstick and reference points (Schomaker & Russo, 2005, p. 137).

The authors present three frame management steps to avoid these traps.

1. See the Frame by Conduction a Frame Audit: As a decision maker, it is important to identify and accept that our frames play a significant role in our thinking process. Thus, it is vital that we explore our frames by surfacing them and the frames of others (p. 142).
2. Identify and Change Inadequate Frames: As decision makers, we must continuously take stock of our frames, consider how current and effective they are, and confront their roundedness. In other words, “We must constantly challenge our own frames” (p. 146).
3. Master Techniques for Reframing: In order to develop better decision making abilities, we must be willing to revise our perspective and reframe; as well as explore multiple frames that could contribute to additional perspectives.

Schomaker & Russo (2005) provide valuable insight and guidance on the identification and management of frames. Furthermore, they provide a “Toolkit” to better frame as we operate in today’s complex environment.

One instance that comes to mind as I reflect on my decision-making frame was when I was an organizational leader in the military. I had a young Soldier with less than one year in service begin to have domestic issues with his young wife, who recently gave birth. Although this Soldier’s Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) support channels were actively engage from the beginning, the situation eventually elevated to my level due to military police becoming involved. As I weighed all factors involve, I could not help but to be influenced on my own experiences with the same situation of domestic issues growing up (reference point). This frame led me to believe that this behavior was a result of more significant issues within the family element that contributed to their situation.

It was only after talking with this young Soldier and his immediate NCOs (get others views) that I realized that this situation was a direct result of a young couple with limited coping skills and life experience that were having trouble with the constant stressors brought on with military service. Internally I had always known this to be a major factor, which is why I stayed away from such relationships during this time in my life. Yet, not everyone shared my point of view on the topic (rightfully so). However, my frame in this case was overpowering something I already knew. As I further reflected on the situation, I realized that my frame was not being helpful or useful as a decision maker and that this had the potential for compounding the situation had I not reframed and explored others perspective. Indeed, with this new frame, I decided on a course of action that involved greater support and leadership involvement, to include counseling that would provide much needed communication and coping skills. I am confident that if I remained stuck in my previous frame, neither the organization nor the young couple would have benefited.

References

Hoch, S. J. & Kunreuther, H. C. (2005). Wharton on making decisions. (1^st edition). Kindle Edition.