Post responses wk3

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond to two of your colleagues in one or more of the following ways:

• Compare the experiences your colleagues shared regarding divergent-thinking and convergent-thinking processes and how culture influenced them.
• Share an insight you gained from a colleague's post and offer ways you and your colleagues can systematically apply divergent- and convergent-thinking processes to your work environment and management strategies.
• Offer an alternative viewpoint about the solution your colleague selected and provide a rationale.
• Offer an additional solution specific to each colleague's problem that your colleague may not have thought about and explain the process you used to come up with your suggested solution.

POST1

In being asked what is the one problem that I am being faced with is getting my spouse to communicate. In the past I, didn't know how to communicate as I was always taught that my opinion doesn't matter.  I am from two cultures Iranian and Indian where females are taught to speak when spoken to and that the husband or male figures in the house who opinion matter.  

Divergent thinking refers to a way to solving the problem wherein a variety of possible solutions are proposed to find one that works.  This contrasts with convergent thinking which relies on focusing on a timeline number of solutions rather than proposing multiple solutions (study.com).

"Change like the weather, is a natural part of life.  In fact, we would argue that change is not just inevitable, it is essential to us as human" (Puccio, Mance, Switalski, & Reali, 2012, p. 4).  With that stated the following five solutions are ways that I feel can help with my current situation:

1. Learn to listen without always interrupting as this may make her feel as though what she must say is not important.
2. Stop expecting her to react the way I would or to communicate the way I do.  We are individuals.  It took me time to communicate so I should give her time.
3. Stop expecting her to change overnight.
4. Make her feel that what she must say does make a difference
5. Conduct an assessment that will help us determine how we like to communicate and from there we will understand how one another communicates best 

In reading our required reading Principles for divergent and convergent thinking, I can say that I have learned a lot about divergent and convergent thinking that I feel will help me not only in my personal life but in my professional life.  Per such reading, it gave four key principles to effectively enhancing divergent thinking.  Those principles are Defer judgment, go for quantity, make connections and seek novelty (Puccio, Mance, Switalski, & Reali, 2012, p. 2) Defer judgement- this is something I need to learn to do because the moment my spouse say something that is not true or if I feel I know where she is going with that I need to interrupt her immediately instead of just being silence and allowing her to have the floor. Go for Quantity-instead of wanting her to communicate like I do I need to help her search for other ways to communicate with me such as sending me a text with her thoughts, recording her thoughts then allowing me to listen to them or sending me an email, Make Connection-find an effective way of communication even if we are in need of a mediator to help us to really hear one another, Seek Novelty- this is most important that we create new ways to communicate with one another as what may have been acceptable in other marriage may not be accepted in this marriage. In regards to convergent thinking, there are also four key principles guide for effective convergent thinking "apply affirmative judgment, keep novelty alive, stay focused, check your objectives” (Puccio, Mance, Switalski, & Reali, 2012, p. 10).  Apply Affirmative judgment- I am determine to have a marriage where our communication is good and I know in order to accomplish that I must have faith and be patient through the storms, keep Novelty alive- know that there is a light at the end of that dark tunnel, anything worth having is worth fighting for so we will come up with solutions to get us over this hump, Stay focused- with everything that you want you must be persistent in order to see that light at the end of the tunnel if we just stay focused, check your objective- we will have to stay aware of the end results and work our butts off in order to accomplish such so that we have a happy marriage.

As I mentioned in the beginning of my posting I come from two different cultures where communication coming from a woman was unheard of unless a question was being asked. As I read the paradox of Samsung's rise I could relate to the Japanese customs in regards to not allowing outsiders in to our world and culture we were not allowed to date who we want, our marriages were arrange and if you did bring in an outsider there was much to pay for that; but as times has change some people have broken away from such traditions as their heart wanted

something more than what was embedded with us through our culture and custom.  In the sense of Samsung, the choice to allow outsiders in was not an easy task but a task that needed to be done.  I feel just because you allow outsiders in doesn't mean you forget where you come from it just means with change of time different measure must be in position to deal with such changes. 

Reference:

Khanna, T., Song, J., & Lee, K. (2011). The paradox of Samsung's rise. Harvard Business

Review, 89 (7/8), 142–147. 

Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., Switalski, L. B., & Reali, P. D. (2012). Welcome to the world of change: Life in the 21st century.

Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., Switalski, L. B., & Reali, P. D. (2012). Principles for divergent and convergent thinking: Becoming a better creative thinker. In Creativity Rising: Creative thinking and creative problem solving in the 21st century (pp. 51–70). Buffalo, NY: ICSC Press.

http://study.com/academy/lesson/divergent-thinking-in-psychology-definition-examples-quiz.html 

POST2

Problem: I have worked in the Customer Service (CS) industry for a decade and would like to change career paths to become a Senior HR Manager. I find it challenging to break away from what I know and pursue a career path that is foreign to me which is Human Resources.

Convergent possible solutions:

1. Attend school for this field and work as an HR intern to become familiar with the requirements of the job and to build my resume. Utilize my CS experience to my advantage.

2. Gain experience. Ask to shadow HR personnel while expressing interest in the field and networking to build connections with colleagues who may help me with my transition.

3. Seek out experts and mentors for tips and advice about how to make my dream a reality.

4. Present a PowerPoint to my current management team explaining why I would make a great HR manager for the company.

5. Seek out businesses who are actively looking to hire a Sr. HR Manager and have a face-to-face meeting with hiring officials on why I would be the best candidate for the job. This is a different approach than the traditional online application in which you cannot make a personal connection with them.

6. Reach out to firms and ask what it would take for me to hold an HR position with them? Complete their checklist and then exceed their expectations of the type of candidate they’re looking to hire. This shows I am willing to go above and beyond the current standards.

The convergent solution I choose is letter A. My justification: It is a very systematic way of overcoming my problem and reaching my goal of becoming a Sr. HR Executive. It provides a step-by-step approach to the problem.

• Step 1: Go to school, Step 2: Apply for internships, Step 3: Build my resume, and so forth. This type of action plan represents my affirmative judgment or positive perception of the problem.

• The novelty or originality of my approach comes from the way I plan on using my extensive CS experience to give me leverage in the HR world. I know how important CS skills are when dealing with employees and co-workers; you have to know how to talk to people. Using my CS skills is my way of staying true to my uniqueness and using what I bring to the table. This is a refined skill of mine that other candidates may not possess.

• By strictly outlining my steps it allows me to stay focus and focus all my energy in the right direction.

• Once all my energy is channeled towards my goal, I will check my objectives by reminding myself of the milestones I have to accomplish before becoming a top executive. Some questions I may ask myself are: I’m I on track for graduation? Am I utilizing Career Services to look for assistance in finding internships? Did I attend a resume or CV writing seminar for tips on how to make mine stand out from the crowd?

Divergent thinking solutions:

1. I will do my research on a particular hiring manager, discover their favorite things and use it to my advantage. If I find out the person responsible for hiring likes cake, I will have my resume printed on a cake and present it to them in the interview. Small things like this gesture will leave a lasting impression.

2. While I am waiting in the office for an interview, I would offer assistance to employees nearby. For example, if I notice the hiring manager's secretary making photocopies, I will offer to help. This technique generates good word-of-mouth about me and my work ethic.

3. One way I could make my HR dreams come true is to present ideas to my interviewer about ways the company can efficiently improve its practices. Most people show up for interviews to answer questions about themselves, but in this case, I am taking the initiative to show management what I can bring to the table. I will stand out from the crowd using this method, therefore one step closer to becoming HR personnel.

4. During the interview, I will ask for a task to complete to showcase my abilities on the spot. This approach allows me to show that I am capable of carrying out HR duties, even though my background is mostly in Customer Service.

5. Outside of the office that I'm trying to work, I could pay for a billboard and advertise my qualities on it in hopes that management will see it.

6. I could make a video CV versus a traditional written CV. It would be slightly easier to establish a connection with the interviewer when they can see my face. Papers sometimes get lost in the crowd, but a video would stand out.

The Divergent solution I chose is D. My Justification: This option does not worry about the possible judgment from others who may think I’m under qualified due to my lack of experience. Also, it represents me putting my fear aside, which is rejection and promoting myself in a positive light. This solution is innovative because it is a step up from the norm which is to tell officials what you can do for them. Here I am showing them what I can offer to the company. I am physically putting myself in front of executives to show them I am confident in my abilities to deliver results.

Analysis of my experience with both forms of thinking:

The experience of using divergent thinking and convergent thinking was an arduous mission. I am so used to thinking in a convergent way that divergent thinking was tough for me. The demanding part of the divergent thinking was having to think outside the box of what I've been taught and brainwashed to do.

I would not have arrived at the same solution without using the divergent and convergent thinking process because it challenged me to be creative in ways I didn't think was possible. For example, using the four principles of each process helped me to systematically order my thoughts in the direction they needed to go.

If I had not used these two theories, my solution to the problem would be quite basic. Convergent and divergent thinking motivated me to add layers to my solutions and not settle for the first idea that popped in my mind. The first idea that popped in my mind was always very common, but I challenged myself to think deeper on how to tweak my thoughts into something greater. As a future leader, I will use “these principles as guidelines to align thinking and ensure that everyone (my team) is pulling in the same direction” (Puccio, Mance, Switalski & Reali, 2012).

Aspects of culture that could either inhibit or support this creative process:

One aspect of culture that could inhibit divergent and convergent thinking is cognitive laziness. Individuals who do not challenge themselves to think of new solutions will significantly interfere with this process. “One of the many ways in which we have become cognitively lazy is to accept our initial perspective on problems” (Michalko, 2012).

Our culture supports this creative process by encouraging and acknowledging the unprecedented success of companies such as Samsung. In our resource, we learned that “twenty years ago, very few people would have predicted that Samsung could transform itself from a low-cost original equipment manufacturer to a world leader worth more value than Pepsi, Nike, or American Express” (Khanna, Song, & Lee, 2011). They were able to do this by using a few of the divergent and convergent thinking principles such as remaining focused on their goal. Advertised success like the Samsung example helps to support the creative process.

References

Khanna, T., Song, J., & Lee, K. (2011). The paradox of Samsung's rise. Harvard Business Review, 89(7/8), 142–147. Retrieved from http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/pl/20331266/20331388/b1ca78190cf840a2086fb2cb6756c076

Michalko, M. (2012, September 28). Cognitive Laziness inhibits creative thinking. Retrieved January 24, 2017, from The Creativity Post, http://www.creativitypost.com/create/cognitive_laziness_inhibits_creative_thinking

Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., Switalski, L. B., & Reali, P. D. (2012). Principles for divergent and convergent thinking: Becoming a better creative thinker. In Creativity Rising: Creative thinking and creative problem solving in the 21st century (pp. 51–70). Buffalo, NY: ICSC Press