OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Symbolic Frame Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:
1. Describe the symbolic frame
2. Apply the symbolic 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.

Before constructing its newest site addition to the already robust facility, Switch

intended to verify that all of its buildings met the same standards, materials, and

technology. The company's overhaul required a different method. Research, requirements

collecting, development, and testing took a year. 15% of the requirements put us in a

dilemma, putting us in danger of not completing the TSCIFs promised to the clients.

TSCIFs may hold 20 to 24 server cabinets. The client needs to determine cabinet size and

server count. Climate, pressure, and electricity are regulated to standard setpoints in a

TSCIF, and certain materials and equipment are needed.

We visited with the procurement director, vendors, and sales manager. As Co-

Manager, I was responsible for communicating with the team, ensuring commitments were

met, and serving as a co-escalation point. As customer service liaison, I had to attend all

meetings to educate clients on our policies and processes. I'd go through the scope of work

with subcontractors who performed TSCIF's electrical work and provided materials to the

manager. We discussed our strategies, such as the hours and resources needed to finish the

project and the consequences of a resource and equipment deficiency. We recommended

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 delaying the project. The contractors, procurement director, and other management teams

failed to spot the critical pieces required to rectify the 15% technical deviance. My

department and other sources completed the project on schedule. However, the budget

needed adjustment due to the extra expense of using external sources to expedite the

process.

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

My previous employer came up with creative project titles and ideas. This business strategy

would help generate interest and excitement about future endeavors. During the project

kick-off meeting, all guests were given items with the project name and tagline, made

through the collaboration of multiple internal departments. In this case, the project name is

"Nap-2." It was also very concerned about its corporate image, with a minimalist logo.

Switch maintained client trust despite the "Nap-2" project delays. The organization

strengthened its hold on monitoring project scope deviation and the political effect internal

departments had on one another, among many other adjustments, as the company's beliefs

were founded on Karma, sustainability, collaboration, and innovation, to mention a few.

Clients have faith in the organization since it has a positive reputation and a top-notch

quality output of deliverables. The organization is a terrific organization, and this project

demonstrates how politics and ambiguous communication can delay projects and

undermine an organization's reputation.

3) Recommend how you would use organizational symbols for an alternative course of

action regarding your case.

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 Although the name of the project and its slogan were prominently displayed, many teams

were wholly undetected and lacked technical knowledge in TSCIF construction. A lack of

communication regarding what had been generated, how it was made, and who would be

participating in those processes on a regular basis was one of the factors that contributed

to the delay of this project.

My recommendation is that we highlight not only those people who participated

but also the ways in which they participated. Everyone who has questions would be aware

of who to contact, as opposed to providing a generic email address. When we were forced

to address the issues, we came to the realization that each team of function analysts,

business analysts, project managers, and engineers were centered on a different function.

These teams had adopted a team name and developed internal traditions that contributed to

a feeling of belonging together as a professional family. Nevertheless, the duration of the

project, as well as a shift in both external contractors and internal workers, contributed to

the organization experiencing several setbacks.

4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned

about this frame.

Communication and visibility are two aspects that are essential to the success of

any endeavor. During the course of the project, some problems surfaced, but nobody

seemed to notice them. In addition, failing to highlight the tasks that were completed by

the team and failing to provide the organization with more precise contact information did

nothing to assist in making the situation better. I would have updated much more

frequently, disclosed any problems or delays encountered along with their causes, and

provided the organization with access to contacts for each team member.

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 After gaining an understanding of the symbolic frame, I came to the conclusion that

the leadership within my organization and at my station is expressly based upon clearly

defined leadership roles but does not encourage leadership efforts from different levels of

the organization. I reflect on Bolman and Deal's (2017, p. 246) idea that “living logos,

human icons, whose words and deeds exemplify and reinforce core values."

My impression is that my department has returned to expecting leadership behavior

solely from individuals already serving in a designated leadership post. There is a great

deal of potential to be discovered, despite not everyone possessing the will to be a leader.

Suppose my organization's leadership, including myself, were to hold more individuals

accountable rather than just the leadership. In that case, I believe that more qualified leaders

may emerge from traditional organizational roles.

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 Reference

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and

Leadership (6th ed.). Jossey-Bass.