Final Presentation Exhibition

Saint Mary’s University of MinnesotaOL 615 – Critical Thinking and Research

Mary Ellen Lynch, InstructorDecember 15th, 2013

Week 8 – Final Presentation

I’ve put on my thinking cap!

I think I have gotten more from the

interaction with my classmates and the

activities than from a general classes

reading textbook and writing papers.

This has been a great help in moving through the research process and helping to remind (myself) to think creatively in every aspect of life from work to play.

Divergent thinking is spontaneous,

taking a challenge and attempting to

identify all of the possible

drivers of that challenge

and then listing all of the ways

those drivers can be addressed,

like the arts and humanities (Guilford,

1959).

This is my kind of thinking! As an artist,

this is my way of thinking,

with poetic flourish!!

“This is how we have always done it / we’ve never

done that before”Is no longer in my

vocabulary!!

Jenn’s Reflections

"some people fear change“ – But Not

ME!

I will not be hung up on procedural

barriers (Davis, 2004). 

I am constantly questioning what I see,

how I perceive, interpret,

images, situations and interactions

around me.

Every cause, effect,

action, reaction,

and inaction

affects who we are

and how we react to a situation.

I’ve used both sides of my brain!

We learned about Nelson Mandela and then he

passed.

We got to dive into his life,

inspirational works, and how he brought

a community together.

Then we got to see how loved he was

by his nation, by the world,

after his passing.

Mandela was using the team and the sport to bring the people together,

by creating connections

that can be usedto strengthen the

nation and help heal the racial divide.

Mandela was playing an infinite game with his people to create positive changes (Cone).

Invictus was a good movie.

It was quite inspiring.I liked that it showed

a man rising above hardship

and moving forward with a positive

message.

Mandela is a great person

who leads by example.

(To be honest, if I was imprisoned

and had to deal with some of the hardships

he experienced, I am not sure

that I could have stayed

as positive as Mandela did.)

With all the hardships

and incarceration Mandela

experienced, he rose above that

and kept a clear, positive message of unity and peace,

and tried (successfully)

to bring his racially divided Country together to make it whole .

Jenn’s Reflections

 Mandela uses racism and hatred

as an example of forgiveness and leading by

exampleIn order to try and

heal the racial inequality

In his country.

Mandela’s plan was to bring people

together over rugby

and try to heal the racial divide

in his country.

I like that as an example of Mandela’s goal, he goes to small villages

and helps the team and people mix together

by teaching the villagers to play rugby.

Mandela was a

strong and

courageous leader.

I’ve seen The Hats I WearI wear different hats all day

every day. I am a mother, sister, auntie,

boss, coworker, student, volunteer,

leader, follower, judge and jury.

I am an artist, an IT Project Manager,

a Treasurer of a non-profit, a wife, a mother,

a daughter, a roommate.

With all of these hats I wear everyday,

why wouldn’t I consider wearing multiple hats

during my issues my projects?

De Bono gives us a model of how to look at an issue from multiple directions

in order to find the best possible

outcome.How many hats do you wear everyday? Do you wear them

without knowing?

Do you try on each color hat when you work through an

issue or a problem?

Circles of trust are more difficult for me.

I have different levels of “trust” in my life. I keep work life, home life

and social life separate.  I have developed a new circle with my classmates, especially the few people I have worked closely in groups with for OL614 & OL615.

I have found I trust them and can asked them questions, have open,

honest conversations and get great thoughtful feedback.

 It has been helpful to talk with classmates regarding school work, shared stress

with balancing school, work and home life.

I like my new circle of trust with my SMU colleagues!!I’ve expanded my Circle

of Trust

I

am…

I will…

I can…

I should…

I want to…

Me

The creativity and activities made it easier

for me to ‘get’

the information better.

Because the objectives were related

to hands-on activities and creative ‘art project’

style assignments, this made

learning the objectives easier for me.

 I agree with Sutton article in that many business,

say they want innovation and new ideas,

but don’t try to cultivate them (Sutton, 2002)

and often times turn away, saying they are a waste of time.

This makes it hard for creative types

to work under managers in large companies

because of the feeling that their creativity

is being stifled.

The article by Sutton gave me hope

in thinking that there may be a future for creative people

in the workplace, but also made me stronger in

my resolve that I can be BOTH

a working business professional and a creative body!

The literature review links to the research question by defining the purposeand helps focus the scope of the review.

This helps to define the topic as a clear research question

and will aid in focusing,

analysis and evaluation.

This gives you purpose

to your search. 

Jenn’s Reflections

I believe that when you are researching something, it is your responsibility

to make sure that you review and cover

every side or instance of your research.

Jenn’s Literature ReviewHow do Organizations Identify and Develop Leaders to Increase Employee Retention?

What defines leadership? How do we successfully train and retain our leaders?

Executives ask this question every time they choose a new leader or train their current leaders.

Organizations must understand the fundamentals of leadership

before making decisions about their leadership.

Leaders are not created overnight.

Becoming an effective leader involves considerable time and effort

to hone the necessary skills and abilities.

Training is considered as a key to develop leaders, however understanding the concept of leadership is also vital for leader’s development.

Jenn’s Literature ReviewHow do Organizations Identify and Develop Leaders to Increase Employee Retention?

Organizations face intense competition for talent and confront major challenges in attracting, retaining, and

developing people they need in many leadership roles.

Leadership development has always been a concern for senior professionals.

Organizations are facing the challenge of identifying and developing these emerging leaders to fill these depleting positions.

Companies need to identify qualified candidates to fill the leadership roles,

and they need to develop extensive leadership programs to prepare and foster the leaders of tomorrow.

Jenn’s Literature ReviewHow do Organizations Identify and Develop Leaders to Increase Employee Retention?

These leaders need to be identified early in their careers, developed through leadership programs and mentor relationships with other experienced leaders and allow flexibility for engagement and retention.

With careful care and consideration, quality mentors and leadership development programs

and changing workplace flexibility, it is possible to identify, develop and retain

top-performing leadership talent within an organization.

The study of leadership continues to be an engaging undertaking.

The importance of leadership and it’s study has not been diminished since the start and the future of leadership will use past theories.

Leadership is crucial in times of war and peace and will continue to be studied going forward.

Whether Curves or

Sharps,

Rounded or Edgy,

Colorful or Gray-scale

Living Life, Moving Forward,

ChAnGIng …

Shapes …

Day by Day…

I am more than a single shape

I learned…

I will not be defined By one shape alone!

I am every shape!I will not wear only one hat!

I wear every hat!

I am… MEI am a leader, follower,

mentor!!

Friend

WIFE

FurBaby Moth

er

Auntie to 8 boys!!

Artist Volunteer

Sister & Daughter

Granddaughter, Niece,

Cousin & Daughter

I AM

I am an Undergraduate Graduate!!

Associate of Arts in Health Information TechnologyandBaccalaureate Degree in Healthcare Management and CommunicationsFromSaint Catherine UniversitySaint Paul, MN

I am A Future Graduate Student

Graduate!!

Resources• De Bono, E. (1999), Six Thinking Hats. Newport Beach, CA: Back Bay Books. pp. 1-14,

pp. 176-177.• Guilford, J. P. (1959). Three faces of intellect. American Psychologist, 469-479.• Davis, G. (2004). Creativity is forever. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing

Company.• Sutton, (2002). Harvard Business School, Archive

Weird Rules of Creativity: Think You Manage Creativity? Here’s Why You’re Wrong• Badke, W. (2011). Research strategies: finding your way through the information

fog.Bloomington, IN: IUniverse, Inc.• Eastwood, C., McCreary, L. (Producer), & Eastwood, C. (Director).

(2009). Invictus[Motion picture]. United States: Warner Bros. Pictures.• Zimbardo, P. G. (2007). Power, conformity and obedience. In The Lucifer effect:

Understanding how good people turn evil. New York: Random House.• Cone, J. G. (2011). Authentic accountability: Tapping the power of the infinite game.

In J. D. Barbour & G. R. Hickman (Eds.),Leadership for Transformation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.