OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Structural Frame Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:
1. Describe the structural frame
2. Apply the structural frame to your personal case situation

Complete the following making sure to support your ideas and cite from the textbook and other
course materials per APA guidelines. After the peer review, you have a chance to update this and
format for your Electronic Portfolio due in Module 6.

1) Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.

I will write my situation based on my experience in the military. I am a sergeant

in the Army National Guard, and in many situations we find ourselves struggling with
communication. I am a team leader, my squad leader does not like sending out group text
messages so when information comes in, he will send it to me and I will put it out in a
group chat. However, this causes conflict and an overlap in responsibility. There are
times when he does not check his email or phone to get the necessary information to put
out, my platoon sergeant started emailing me directly, and the squad comes to me with
any concern. I am acting as a squad leader without properly having that role assigned to
me.

2) Describe how the structure of the organization influenced the situation.

The military is huge on following our “chain of command” which would go (at
the unit level) by: team leader, squad leader, platoon sergeant, platoon leader, first
sergeant, and commander. It causes conflict to skip chain of command and it it overall
just courteous to follow your chain of command. Due to this structure I feel like
sometimes my squad leader is skipped over because of how he prefers to run his squad.
Although soldiers on my team are supposed to come to me with any questions or
concerns, he has made it to where the entire squad comes to me. Since he would rather
have me delegate assignments and put out information, it causes the rest of the squad to
call me with their concerns. This has also lead to even the platoon sergeant and those that
work in the office to email me directly.

This causes the situation of “Gap versus Overlap” that was described Chapter 4 of
Reframing Organizations by Lee Boleman and Terrence Deal. Instead of there being the
traditional chain of command, there is an overlap in roles and responsibilities which also
causes miscommunication. I have suggested that my squad leader run the squad

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 completely because I never want to feel like I am over-stepping but he prefers it the way
that it is. I have to remind him to check his phone for updated information and rather than
dealing with situations myself, I have to call him after every concern or email that is sent
to me. Although I don’t mind the extra work, I feel like the squad would function more
efficiently if it was run the way it usually is.

3) Recommend how you would use structure for an alternative course of action
regarding your case.

If I were in my squad leaders position I would accept the role I am in and take full
control over my squad. Room for miscommunication and misguidance is eliminated
when a leader defines the role that they are in. I do the best I can do as a team leader, but
it seems unorganized to have team leader and squad leader roles overlap in the way that
they currently are. I would keep my squad organized by gaining full accountability of
every soldier, clearly defining roles to my team leaders and dispersing information
myself. Any soldier that has a question or concern can discuss it with their team leader
first, but I will remain the squad leader.

Structure is huge and important in the military, but anyone who is or has been in
the military can attest that it is the biggest challenge. Part of being structured is being
organized, and every unit, all the way to the lowest level, should be organized and
prepared. This can prevent miscommunication or repetitive information. Leaders should
be organized and on top of things, checking phones and emails regularly and immediately
dispersing that information out to their team, squad, platoon, or unit. Structure starts at
the lowest level and because of that I would rearrange the way my squad is being run.

4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned
about this frame.

I have learned a lot about “Gap versus Overlap” and how that completely relates
to my situation. There is a reason why roles and responsibilities should be very clearly
defined. I think that you could never be too detailed with tasks and expectations. I also
think it is better to emphasize exectations in the beginning. Having an overlap in roles
can be like playing a game of telephone where eventually information could be lost or
told in the wrong way. My squad needs to get together and redefine which role belongs to
who and what they should do with that role. One thing I would do differently in my
situation is clarify this structure and my role in the beginning. I do not like feeling like I
am skipping over my chain of command or disrespecting my squad leader when my
platoon sergeant, first sergeant, or admin people call/email me with information directly.

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 Another concept I learned about was “Too Loose versus Too Tight” and
the struggle of holding an organization together without also holding it back. I feel like I
am also put in a situation like this at times, so I try my very best to make sure everyone is
in the loop and knows what is going on. If structure is “too loose” then people are
uninterested and if it is “too tight” then people are unhappy. I feel like it is important to
check on the well-being of my team/squad and make sure they are aware of everything
that is going on. Some leaders in the military are known to micromanage so I like to be
the leader that soldiers feel calm and comfortable turning to. I aim to have a balance of
not too loose but also not too tight.

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 Reference Page

Bolman, Lee G., and Terrence E. Deal. Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and
Leadership. John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2017, Perusall.com, app.perusall.com/courses/ogl-
481-org-leadership-pro-seminar-i-2020-summer-b/9781119281849?
assignmentId=Asmkdr8nrt73G9yx2&part=1.