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.

I am the interim Senior Enlisted Leader within an Air Force Organization. This is similar
to an executive leader within a business. I fill a role within a "triad" that houses the
Commander and First Sergeant. I act in an advisory capacity to the Commander, a division
head. I am also responsible for strategic oversight of all operations and the health, morale,
and welfare of the people in the organization. There are roughly 570 members in my
organization. These members are multi-generational and are both military and civilian.
There are 11 different divisions which are called flights. A flight is a smaller unit within
the larger structure of a Squadron. Flights are lateral to each other but subordinate to the
Squadron. A Squadron must have at least two flights and is the lowest level in command
within a headquarters element (DoD, n.d.).

Each Flight has its mission set that supports an 11,000 base population and 45,000
customer base (About DM, n.d.).

The Commander assigned a project that required collaboration between three flights. Each
Flight is responsible for a different function within the Squadron. One Flight call the
Resource Management Flight, its primary purpose is stewardship, financial management,
contract solicitation, mobilization, and management. The Community Flight is responsible
for revenue-generating operations, and the last Flight, Sustainment Flight, offers support
services and provides readiness capabilities.

The project was a hybrid restaurant and readiness training facility for airmen (Legate,
2022). The Flight leads experienced interpersonal conflict systemic of many factors, and it
caused delays in task and project execution.

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

The United States Air Force is an organization that is rich with symbolism. For this
personal case analysis, I will focus on the symbolism associated with the mobilization of
the hybrid restaurant. Planning persists because it plays a starring role in an
organization's enduring drama (Bolman, 2021). In this case, the Plan of Action and
Milestones (POAM) played a starring role in this organization's drama. The POAM is a
commonly used to communicate project or program status to executive leaders. Some
POAMs have a stoplight feature that represents the current status, green for complete or
on time, yellow for in progress or has a potential delay, and red for past due or halted.
Color and universal signage are used as symbols. The POAM advertises progress to
executive leaders, and no one likes to look bad. The POAM highlighted several missed
targets, and this led to finger-pointing, anger, and confusion. This cause-and-effect tango
derailed the project and led to an abysmal grand opening. A new POAM, redirection of
attitudes, and re-launch were necessary to get the project back on track.

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

Organization as theater. In this case, a simple sentiment could be perfect employment as

an alternative course of action. The director of this play would set a scene or set that
echoed or complemented the project's purpose and goals. There was no central location or
area where collaboration occurred. Each Flight completed tasks separately in their area
and only came together to review the POAM. Each act should have had a curated set that
amplified task completion according to the POAM. Meetings could have more have been
more structured, but also there could have visual cues, like a thermometer or funny
feelings chart, that acknowledged and reframed group feelings. This helps bring humor
and play into the organization.

Also, bringing the cast together is essential; this is how the members become the team.
Knowing your role or roles allows for empowerment. A visual representation or flow
chart assigning roles would level the playing field in regard to power and influence.

The meeting structure could allow for real-time feedback following milestone
completion. This would allow for team members to pivot. A visual representation or flow
chart assigning roles would level the playing field in regard to power and influence. It
would allow Flight leads to feel empowered when taking concerns to Commander for
decision. Furthermore, a structured meeting and review of the POAM create a ritual.
Ritual breeds comfortability and direction.

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

This case is one that I have reflected on and ruminated on for many months following the
project. There is a lot that I would do differently. I would begin by implementing the
ideas outlined in question three of this analysis. If I had been a director by theatrical
definition, I could have created an environment to work through conflict, ambiguity, and
misdirection. I could have allowed for a space for the humans to be humans, feel what
they feel, process and use it toward project completion. Letting humans do what we do
fosters diversity and inclusion. Each team member feels valued.

A lot of what should have been would have to feed the felt need of the 36 people that
were a part of this team. Creating reliability, trust and a mechanism for them to do what
they are trained to do. The lack of cues or norms exacerbated and added to the derailment
of the project. A better example could have been modeled to promote cohesion and
synergy amount three differing flights to meet mission requirements.

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 Reference

355TH FSS (n.d.). DAVIS MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE FORCE SUPPORT SQUADRON.
355TH FORCE SUPPORT SQUADRON DAVIS-MONTHAN AFB. Retrieved January 24,
2023, from https://www.dmfss.com

355TH WING (n.d.). Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. DM Units. Retrieved January 24, 2023,
from https://www.dm.af.mil/About-DM/Units/

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2021). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership
(7 th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Legate , K., SSgt (2022, July 27). Fast BRRReak Grand Opening. Davis-Monthan Air Force
Base. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from
https://www.dm.af.mil/Media/Article-View/Article/3107185/fast-brrreak-grand-opening/

US Department of Defense (n.d.). Military Units Air Force. Defense.gov. Retrieved February 19,
2023, from https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/Military-Units/Air-Force/#intro