Working through paradox vs. How successful leaders think

Article 1

100

True or false. The study's intervention phase (in the action research) involved conducting interviews to gather initial data on middle managers' emotional responses to restructuring at Lego. 

false ! At the groundwork phase

200

What is the role of middle managers in the process of organizational change?

Middle managers translate executive decisions into actions and manage team emotions during change.

300

How did the restructuring at Lego impact the traditional roles of middle and line managers?

It blurred hierarchical distinctions, forcing managers to adapt to self-managed teams.

400

What is the purpose of interventive questioning (in the action research) in managing organizational change? And name all of them.

It is to facilitate deeper reflection and understanding among managers as they navigate complex challenges. 

1. Linear Questions: Focused on identifying and understanding the issue at hand.
2. Circular Questions: Explored the issue from multiple perspectives, helping managers consider how others might view the situation.
3. Reflexive Questions: Encouraged deeper reflection on the consequences of their current approach to the issue.
4. Strategic Questions: Challenged managers to experiment with new ways of framing and responding to the problem.

500

Define sensemaking, and what are the key stages involved in the process?

Sensemaking helps managers interpret complex changes and guide their teams through the transition. 

• Mess: Managers presented issues that were undefined and unclear.
• Problem: Linear questioning clarified the issue, leading to problem identification.
• Dilemma: Circular questioning exposed tensions, framing the issue as a dilemma with conflicting options.
• Paradox: Reflexive questioning revealed that the dilemma required both/and thinking, recognizing it as a paradox.
• Workable Certainty: Managers developed a more complex but manageable understanding, allowing them to take action.

Article 2

100

Integrative thinkers don’t mind a messy problem. In fact, they welcome _________, because that’s where the best answers come from.

complexity

200

What is integrative thinking, and why is it important for successful leadership?

Integrative thinking involves resolving conflicting ideas - two opposing ideas and resolving the tension creatively to generate superior solutions.

300

True or false?
Integrative thinking cannot be taught or developed in educational settings, as it is an innate ability.

false

400

What are the four stages of decision-making that integrative thinkers follow?

• Determining Salience: Identifying key factors, with integrative thinkers embracing complexity while conventional thinkers overlook it.
• Analyzing Causality: Understanding relationships among factors, where integrative thinkers account for multidirectional connections.
• Envisioning the Decision Architecture: Recognizing the interdependencies of decisions, with integrative thinkers viewing the problem holistically instead of in isolation.
• Achieving Resolution: Creatively resolving tensions between conflicting ideas, avoiding simplistic trade-offs or solutions.

500

What was the example that was used in the Article about Bob Young- co-founder of Red Hat? Describe the 2 models and what he did.

He faced two unattractive business models in the software industry:

• Proprietary software model: high profit, closed-source.
• Free-software model: low-cost, slim profits.

Young synthesized both models, offering the software for free while creating a profitable service-based business model around it, focusing on corporate clients who needed reliability and support.