SundayJan 29 at 9:53pm
1. What is your primary DiSC style?
My primary Disc Style is the Affirming Leader.
2. Who are the various stakeholder groups in this situation? What do they value and care about? It may help to make a stakeholder matrix.
The various stakeholder groups in this case study include the residents of Strawberry Hill including both longtime residents and new residents, the neighborhood association, Harvey and the City Vision community development group, and local officials. Each of these stakeholders has an interest in the neighborhood. They each value community development and care about investing in the community.
Longtime residents of Strawberry Hill, including Slavic immigrants and their descendants, value their community and the Catholic Church parishes. They take pride in their neighborhood and care about improving the neighborhood by making needed renovations. The new residents of Strawberry Hill neighborhood, including Latinos, Asian Americans, African Americans, Bosnian Muslims, and other ethnic groups, care about the affordable house prices and love that the homes are modest but yet charming in Strawberry Hill. Both the long-term and new residents care about transforming old vacant spaces into retail or high-end condominiums. Meanwhile, the neighborhood association values and cares about keeping Strawberry Hill a low crime neighborhood. Mr. Harvey and the City Vision community development group care about restoring the community, especially restoring vacant buildings. Lastly, local officials care about restoring the neighborhood and downtown Kansas City.
3. What potential gains or losses could these stakeholder groups realize?
One obvious potential gain that could be realized from Harvey’s plan would be the development of an old historic building that has been vacant for nearly three decades. This would be a gain for all groups because they all would like to see something happen with the old building that is now an eyesore, other than it being razed. Another gain is that it would provide affordable housing for a number of people in the community.
On the other hand, many residents would consider it a loss because they would like the building to be converted into retail space or high end condominiums. They would also grumble that it will bring in many newcomers that may not share their same views for the neighborhood and potentially more crime to the area.
4. Using the perspective of YOUR primary leadership style, how would a leader (Harvey) typically approach this problem?
Based on the description of an Affirming Leadership style, if I were Harvey, typically my first response would be to create a positive and collaborative environment, avoiding conflict. As an affirming leader, I dislike conflict and thus try to avoid causing more turmoil in an already difficult situation. As noted by Sugerman et al. (2011), it is unusual to see affirming leaders in the middle of conflict. As an affirming leader, I am not typically aggressive or forceful with my ideas, therefore, instead of acting impulsively and jumping into action, my next step would be to neutralize and assess the situation. I would assess the situation from all viewpoints, considering the big picture. As noted by Sugerman et al. (2011), affirming leaders “tend to explore the situation more carefully” (p. 50).
Additionally, as an affirming leader, I would focus more on the positive and not the negative. My goal would be to create unity and cooperation among all members in the community. One way of accomplishing this goal would be to create a collaborative forum where all members of the community, including stakeholders, could voice their ideas and concerns about the new community development. As a result, everyone would feel valued and appreciated. In an effort to build trust and a cohesive group, I include input from members of the community in the final decision toward community development.
1. Would you move forward without the neighborhood association? Would you gain buy-in?
As an affirming leader, if I were Harvey, I would definitely not move forward without the approval of the neighborhood association. The Affirming leadership style is about building teams and togetherness and not about causing separation and conflict. As an affirming leader, my concern would be more about meeting the needs of the people and building a sense of cohesion among community members. As noted by Sugerman et al. (2011), affirming leaders are “less concerned with reaching deadlines or making profits” (p. 50).
As an affirming leader, I would definitely gain buy-in by encouraging all stakeholders to get involved. As noted by Sugerman et al. (2011), “affirming leaders want to encourage groups to succeed, to engage others in open communication, and create a positive, collaborative environment” (p. 127). I would clearly communicate to stakeholders the needs of the community, particularly the need to renovate old vacant buildings and how these needs can be addressed. This will help them to see the big picture, the grand plan of restoring the neighborhood. I would also encourage stakeholders to give their input and feedback. If stakeholders feel like their input is being considered, they will be more willing to support the renovation. Ultimately by gaining buy-in, stakeholders have a say in the final decision making, thus it is a team effort for the betterment of the neighborhood.
2. What are some of the costs/benefits of this approach?
A cost of this approach is that renovations will get delayed thus buildings will continue to be vacant and abandoned. Leaving buildings unoccupied can lead to crime and vandalism. Furthermore, dilapidated buildings not only cause the neighborhood to lose its charm but may also bring done the house market. The neighborhood may then see residents leaving and moving elsewhere.
A benefit of this approach is that all stakeholders especially the residents feel a sense of community. They feel connected to one another and understand that they are all working toward the same goal which is seeing their neighbor grow and prosper. Another benefit of this approach is that the residents feel valued. Residents feel that their opinions are being valued and their concerns are being considered. As a result, residents have more trust and connection and thus are more likely to support Harvey’s idea.
5. How do you typically respond or act when something important to you causes conflict?
My typical response when something important causes me conflict is to approach the situation in a calm and reasonable manner. I look at the cause of conflict from all directions and think of different constructive ways to respond to and resolve the conflict. I try to find opportunities for compromise in difficult situations so all groups can walk away with some level of satisfaction.
I also do not like for differences of opinion to escalate to the point that they become personal. I do my best to find common ground and shift the focus to areas that can be agreed upon to help alleviate frustrations and calm tempers. I think that, many times, groups or individuals that have disagreements are not really that far apart with what they want. Often they just do not fully understand or appreciate the other side’s perspective and if they take the time to try and see the issue through the other’s eyes, a compromise can be found.
1. How willing are you to act in a way outside your “leadership comfort zone?”
If you asked me this question four years ago, I would probably say that there was no possibility of me stepping outside of my comfort zone. However, with time, I have come to the realization that by not stepping out of my comfort zone, I am holding myself back from possibilities or growth and development. I have learned that if I want to grow as a leader, I must be willing to challenge myself and try new experiences.
In the past year and a half I have really taken steps to not only grow as a leader but also to advance my role in my job. I have taken on new responsibilities that normally I would have been scared to pursue for fear of failure. One of these responsibilities is taking a more active role including training new employees. I have also learned to be more outspoken including delegating tasks to other teammates instead of trying to do it all myself. Therefore, I am highly motivated and willing to step outside of my comfort zone and grow in my leadership.
2. What makes acting outside your comfort zone difficult?
I believe anxiety, uneasiness, and failure are the main factors making it difficult to for me to step out of my comfort zone. I also feel that lack of self-confidence in myself is another obstacle holding me back. While in my comfort zone, I feel comfortable and in control. I have a routine that I am familiar with and I know where my strengths lie. Therefore, in my comfort zone, I am confident in myself and my ability to get things done. I am afraid that stepping out of my comfort zone makes me vulnerable to failure, criticism, and disapproval.
I am often afraid to take risks or try something new for fear of failing. I am used to my routine and sometimes doing anything outside of that feels uneasy. For example, I am not a public speaker, it is one of my greatest weaknesses. Therefore, when I am given a task where public speaking is involved, I am greatly overcome with anxiety and panic. I will find any excuse to avoid public speaking. I also avoid being one of those take-charge leaders who is assertive and demanding because I worry that this will come off as domineering and others will dislike me. I also avoid being direct and forceful because I don’t like hurting someone else’s feeling. These are obstacles that hold me back from stepping outside of my comfort zone.
Response
FridayJan 27 at 5:38pm
1. What is your primary DiSC style?
Deliberate
2. Who are the various stakeholder groups in this situation? What do they value and care about?
John Harvey – wants to build loft apartments with affordable housing tax credits, revitalizing the neighborhood and downtown KC, and deep ties to the community
City Vision – revamping of Old City Hall to further revitalization
Slavic immigrants- maintaining community
Catholic Church parishes – the center of neighborhood life
Ethnic groups – Affordable home prices, diversity
Investors – Buying cheap housing for rental properties
Neighborhood Association – Aesthetically pleasing, low-crime, neighborhood pride, keeping out absentee landlords and use of affordable housing credits to build condos
Neighborhood residents – Renovating Old City Hall from an eyesore to retail or condos, fear of the building being demolished
United Government of Wyandotte County – Consensus from Neighborhood Association before moving forward with Mr. Harvey’s ideas
3. What potential gains or losses could these stakeholder groups realize?
John Harvey, City Vision, the Slavic immigrants, the Catholic Church parishes, the neighborhood association, and residents all want to maintain the aesthetically pleasing neighborhood with low crime. A great deal of neighborhood pride has centered around the Catholic Church parishes for years. They would like to see City Hall renovated rather than demolished. If the ethnic groups continue to move in, they feel their property values will decrease since outside investors are buying properties at a low price for rental properties. They strongly dislike using affordable housing credits to build condos even though John Harvey and City Vision, with whom they share many visions, would like to build condos with the credits.
The ethnic groups moving into the neighborhood add to the community’s diversity, enriching the community in many ways. They also enjoy the lower home prices in the neighborhood. The outside investors also want to be able to buy property at low prices to use for rental properties. If the “legacy” group successfully keeps out Mr. Harvey’s affordable condo units built with affordable housing credits, outside groups of people will not be able to move in as easily.
The United Government of Wyandotte County will need approval from the neighborhood association and residents to allow Mr. Henry to move forward with his condo project.
4. Using the perspective of YOUR primary leadership style, how would a leader (Harvey) typically approach this problem?
A typical approach would be doing the homework, getting all the facts and figures, and constructing a proposal. The homework would be to set up meetings with key players in the neighborhood association to find out their key issues and discuss the proposals that have been carefully laid out. Being confident in the proposals should instill confidence within the association that the proposal is best for the area.
a. Would you move forward without the neighborhood association? Would you gain buy-in?
As a Deliberate leader, I would only move forward with the approval of the neighborhood association. Deliberate leaders do their homework and dig into the issues before proposing solutions. The neighborhood association’s issues should be addressed one at a time in a well-organized, concise manner. The solutions should be presented in a succinct manner. Deliberate leaders feel a moral obligation to be right and to show expertise. Showing expertise keeps one on the offense rather than the defense when emotions may play too large of a role in decision-making. Moving ahead would be far too risky for a deliberate leader who has a fear of vulnerability. Being prepared and credible is very important.
b. What are some of the costs/benefits of this approach?
The cost of approaching this issue from a deliberate leadership position is that the fear of being vulnerable will prevent risk-taking of any kind and keeps emotions at bay. Trying to sell the concept to the neighborhood association will require some level of emotion and passion, along with logic. Doing the homework, being organized in fact-finding, and looking at issues from all sides take time. That time may translate into lost opportunities. The need to always be right makes deliberate leaders skeptical of others’ ideas, which can affect relationships with the neighborhood association members.
The benefit of approaching this issue from a deliberate leadership position is having all the facts and figures researched and presented in a well-organized, concise manner. Speaking in front of the neighborhood association, the deliberate leader can feel confident that his communication will be clear to the audience. The audience has more faith in the deliberate leader’s ideas and feels positive that they are well-researched proposals.
5. How do you typically respond or act when something important to you causes conflict?
As a Deliberate leader, I am skeptical of other people’s ideas. I want to avoid being associated with an idea that does not work or has not been thoroughly vetted. I can be stubborn but will continue to debate with facts and figures, even though I can feel emotional, even if the emotions do not show through. I do not like to have my credibility or integrity questioned, and sometimes, a disagreement about one of my ideas feels personal to me. I really do not want to take a risk without a reasonable expectation of success.
a. How willing are you to act in a way outside your “leadership comfort zone?”
I am more willing to act in a way outside my leadership comfort zone now more than ever. Some of that is an accumulation of experiences, but some is being put in different situations professionally, and personally, that required that I be more energizing, affirming, inclusive, and pioneering. The more I step out of my comfort zone, the more comfortable I feel. I have learned to listen and accept others’ ideas more readily and not be immediately dismissive. I still like to be prepared because that is what gives me confidence. I am not necessarily a “lone” problem solver anymore and welcome feedback and advice from others.
b. What makes acting outside your comfort zone difficult?
Acting outside my comfort zone makes me feel vulnerable to failure. Without proper research and homework, my ideas will lack substance, and my credibility will be damaged. I feel more in control when things are logical and orderly. I also like my personal space when preparing to solve a problem. I can ask others their opinions now, but I want to know what I think and why before I get another opinion. I also like to keep a tight rein on my emotions, probably due to my career in a male-dominated field.
