OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Human Resource Frame Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:
1. Describe the human resource frame
2. Apply the human resource 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 work for the Air Force and am stationed in a specialized construction unit in Germany. I
work mostly as a project manager in an 18-person section and have one person working directly
under me. Outside of my direct report, I still work in a leadership capacity for the unit at large.
The situation this study is based on is that our unit (hereby referred to as the squadron) doesn’t fit
into our Wing’s (a higher-level tier in the military structure) mission which is all combat-
oriented. Construction does not seem to have a place in it. The Wing Commander has personally
told our Squadron Commander that he doesn’t know what to do with us. In response, the
Squadron Commander stood up a working group to figure out what we should do.

2) Describe how the human resources of the organization influenced the situation.

People and how they are utilized are at the center of any functional organization. “The human
resource frame centers on what organizations and people do to and for one another” (Bolman and
Deal, 2021, p. 116). Our squadron presents a unique personnel issue; unlike most military units,
every person in the squadron was specifically hired to be here. They were all selected for being
exceedingly individually talented and driven. However, many find the mismatch in management
to be demoralizing. As the odd unit out, there is an undercurrent of disinterest within the
squadron in regards to the larger organizational goals of the Wing.

This situation immediately presents a human resource impasse: the Wing Commander cannot
figure out a proper way to utilize our talents. Thus, the squadron functions mostly autonomously
from the Wing. This laissez-faire approach has manifested precisely how Bolman and Deal
(2021) predicted of this style: aimlessness and confusion. Without clear direction, squadron
members are unsure of how to conduct themselves and where to direct their efforts.

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

One course of action the squadron could take is to examine the other units within the Wing.
Specifically, look at the people in those units and see what skills they possess that could be
obtainable by our squadron. If the Wing cannot find a way to utilize our current talents, what can
we be trained in to make us more easily accessible? The squadron is already in a good position to
try this by following Bolman and Deal’s (2021) principle of hiring the right people. We have
skilled, motivated, and diverse people in droves that could easily be trained in something new.

This method is further reinforced by the interpersonal relationships squadron members have
with others in the Wing. “Teams with more informal ties are more effective and more likely to
stay together than teams in which members have fewer connections” (Bolman and Deal, 2021, p.
180). These connections could be easily leveraged by squadron members to find opportunities to
make the squadron more in-line with the Wing. It also demonstrates the power of teamwork; an
entire squadron working towards solving a problem will be exponentially more effective than
only the Squadron Commander trying to find a solution.

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

Overall, I like the Squadron Commander’s approach of forming a small working group to
solve this issue. It is a good first step to lay the groundwork before broaching the issue with the
squadron at large. Our working group is also large enough to have at least one of each informal
role: contributor, collaborator, communicator, and challengers (Bolman and Deal, 2021). It was a
smart, human-resource-centric approach to take.

Beyond solving the core issue, standing up a working group to solve such a flexible topic
helps the individual development of the group members. By delegating the question of where we
belong, the Squadron Commander is investing in the development of the team. In effect, it is a
display of the concept of fostering self-managing teams (Bolman and Deal, 2021). The intent of
the issue was given to us, information was provided, and then we were left to solve it as best as
possible. In return, the group members get to grapple with a high-level issue, which is valuable
experience to have and makes for a more well-rounded person. Personally, the intrinsic reward of
being part of such a high-level and flexible task has been worth the time and effort I’ve had to
put into it.

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 Reference

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2021). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership.
John Wiley & Sons.