OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Choosing an Organization Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:
1. Identify an organization and situation you want to study over the remainder of the course.
2. Describe the organization and the 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) Name and describe your organization.

The organization I am a part of and will be studying is Aero Automatic Sprinkler

Company. Aero has been in the business of fire protection since 1985 serving customers in
Arizona, California, and Colorado. Aero’s moto is “Saving Lives and Property” by
providing efficient and code compliant fire suppression systems in new construction
buildings of many sizes and uses. Aero’s different divisions cover every facet of the
construction process, training of customer, and continue service to the fire suppression
systems. From Sales, Pre-construction, Design, Fabrication, and Installation the organization
provides code compliant and cost-efficient sprinkler systems to their customers.

2) Describe your role in the organization (it can be an internal or external role).

My current role in the organization is that of Senior Designer. In this role I am in charge
of designing sprinkler systems, communicate with owners and architects to accommodate
their needs for the project, coordinate with the different construction trades in order to
facilitate the construction process, create code compliant plans for city approval, create
fabrication lists, create installation plans, and support the construction department during the
installation process. Other duties include, training of new designers, assist the sales and
estimating department with technical questions, cover some of the project managers duties,
when necessary, among others. My role in the organization is very complex and could be
different from week to week as projects requirements change.

3) Describe the situation, including information you think the will help the reader
understand the most important elements of the situation. (This will require
selectivity: part of the art of case writing is separating the essential facts from the
mass of information that might be included).

1
 Over the years there has been many designers come and go, and other have been
promoted or given different opportunities in the organization. Others have been promoted in
the design department by title and given added responsibilities, but have not been given
much opportunity to learn other aspects of the business. I had brought up my desire to move
to the project management department and was told that as soon as there was an opening and
the timing was right with my design projects that I was going to get the opportunity. Time
went by and the opportunity did not come, and I decided to go back to school and get a
degree in project management. I did in with the intent of finding an opportunity with a
different organization once I got my degree. I few months back I was approached by a
different organization that found out I was interested in project management and was about to
finish my degree. They made me a compelling offer to take a job with them as a project
manager in training. I had decided to take the offer and went to break the news to my current
boss, soon after the executives of the organization wanted to have conversations with me and
wanted to know why I wanted to leave and if they could do anything to stop me from
leaving. I brought up the fact that I have been feeling stuck in my position as designer and
have not been given the opportunities I desired. They informed me that they had already had
a plan to transition me to the project management department by the end of the year. To
which I replied, “I would have been a good idea to inform me of those plans”. After a two
more days of conversations and negotiations, they provided me with a plan that provides me
with the opportunities I had been asking for in the organization, plus a couple other
concessions to my benefits. Now I am working on transitioning my projects to other
designers and will soon be managing projects instead of designing them. I am happy with
the efforts the organizations made to keep me happy and have me stay with them, but I still
believe that management has a big communication short fall. This is something that I have
brought up with management and I was asked to be part of a task force set out to help with
employee retention and organizational communication.

2
 Reference or References

Aero Automatic Sprinkler Company. Aero Sprinkler. (n.d.). Retrieved August 26, 2022, from

https://aerofire.com/

Bolman, L. G. & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership (6th ed.).

Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass