il€¦ · il national library of canada bibliothèque nationale du canada acquisitions and...

National Library I*l of Canada Bibliothèque nationale du Canada

Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques

395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON KI A ON4 Canada Canada

Your fi& Voae refërmce

Our fi& Notre relerence

The author has granted a non- exclusive Licence allowing the National Library of Canada to reproduce, loan, distribute or sell copies of this thesis in microform, paper or electronic formats.

The author retains ownership of the copyright in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantiai extracts fkom it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission.

L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive permettant à la Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou vendre des copies de cette thèse sous la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique.

L'auteur conserve la propriété du droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés ou autrement reproduits sans son autorisation.

canada

AM McGougan and Lee Rome gratefully acknowledge the support of the following persons and organizations:

Project Sponsor and Mentor Terry Esch, MSW, Partner

Global Vocational Services Inc.

Faculty Advisor and Mentor G d Gibson, Phd

Persona1 Mastery Program Funder "Making a Living in the New Economy"

Human Resource Development Canada, Cowichan Region

All the participants in our focus groups and Persona1 Mastery Program who generously and honestly shared their experiences and aspirations with us.

Royal Roads University -4nn McGougan Master of ,Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Chapter 1 - Study Background

Chapter 2 - Literature Review

The Changing World of Work Existing Career Thinking And Resources Personal Mastery Addt Learning Models Action Research

Chapter 3 - Conduct of Research Study

Research Methods Information Gathering Tools

Focus Groups Interviews Written Evaluations

S tudy Conduct Introduction Focus Groups Literature Review Curriculum Development Personal Mastery

Chapter 4 - Research Study Results

Findings - Focus Groups Findings - Participant Outcomes Findings - Employment Related Outcomes Study Conclusions Study Recommendations

Chapter 5 - Research Implications

Organization Implementation Future Research

Chapter 6 - Lessons Learned 66

Royal Roads University . hn McCougan Master of Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

Research Project Lessons Learned Program Lessons Learned Additional Competencies Developed - Lee Rome Additional Competencies Developed - Ann McGougan

Bibliograp hy

Appendix A - Program Evaluation Form

Appendix B - Making a Living in the New Economy - Curriculum O u t h e

Royal Roads University .Un McGougan Master of Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

Executive Summaw

We began this project in September 1998 with the proposition that Peter Senge's concept of personal mastery would be a useful addition to employment transition programs currently being offered. We believed that the qualities that Senge reports hding in individuals with high levels of personal mastery, were exactly those required to obtain and maintain a career in today's rapidly changing employment market. From this assumption two questions arose; (1) Can we create a program that increases a n individuals' personal mastery and, (2) How will it effect their relationship with the economy? The research that followed was designed to answer these questions.

In chapter one of this report, we discuss our proposition in more detail, and provide an overview of the changes taking place in the world of work, along with some of the effects of these changes on individuals. Chapter two relates our review of the appropriate c u r e n t literature, where we look more deeply into changes in the workplace, existing career transition programs, personal mastery theory and several models of adult learning. In this chapter, we also investigate action research, our chosen methodology for the project.

The structure of the research project itself is the subject of chapter three. In it, we discuss the focus groups we hosted, in o u effort to both check the opinions of local employers, and the perceptions of employment seekers. We outline the three-week program that we subsequently developed and the information gathering tools we used to identify any changes in the participants as a result of their participation.

In chapter four, we discuss Our findings. Here, we report on the outcomes of the focus groups and individual program participant outcomes. This ïncludes a narrative segment on each participant and an employment related outcome report. Mso included in our findings is a report on our program curriculum efficacy fkom the perspective of the participants. Chapter four also contains the conclusions regarding our original proposition, followed by our recommendations. We conclude that personal mastery skills were clearly beneficial to the program participants, and we also conclude that the program could be improved upon. O u recommendations reflect that conclusion.

Chapter five indicates how our conclusions can be used within our organization to benefit ernployment seekers in the future. It also contains several possible future research initiatives suggested by our work. In chapter six we discuss the parts of this research project that we feel could have been handled better for the benefit of any who might follow. We conclude with a summary of o u learnings a s researchers, facilitators and collaborators.

Royal Roads University h n McGougan Master of -hîs - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

CHAPTER I - STUDY BACKGROUND

"Most people are like a falling leaf that drifts and turns in the air, flutters and falls to the ground. But a few others are Like stars which travel one d e h e d path: no wind reaches them, they have within themselves their guide and theit path." - Hermann Hesse

The ProblemlOpportunity

The purposes of this major project are to:

1. develop a program in personal mastery for individuals in career transition.

2. explore with them the effect of the program on their lives.

The researchers believe that the development of persona1 mastery skills will assist individuals in dealing effectively with the changing world of work, both in making career transitions and in developing their future career paths.

Existing career transition programs are based on a mode1 that has been effective in an industrial economy but is no longer relevant. These programs advocate identiS.ing transferable skills, developing an effective resume and hitting the pavement to look for jobs. Other programs defined as employment readiness programs, help individuals look at career choices in a group setting. Most of these programs are based on personal interest inventories, aptitude surveys and behavioral modules that address characteristics such as communication, assertiveness, self-esteem, and t h e management. These characteristics are useful but they are not enough to ensure survival in the postindustrial econorny. The researchers believe that economic survival now depends on a clear understanding of both self and the environment to an extent that was never before necessary. In the opinion of the researchers, the development of personal rnastery is the key to developing this understanding.

The industrial economy could be described as offering opportunities for workers that were static in nature, in that they remained stable for decades. One of the characteristics of the new economy is that the opportunities it offers are anything but static. The opportunities change rapidly requiring the worker to change with them. The intention of this project is to develop a program offering individuals the opportunity to explore issues of motivation, accurate self-awareness, economic awareness and personal vision with the intention of better preparing them for this new world,

Royal Roads University -Am McCougan Master of Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

3

Significance of the Project

Our work in previous transition programs has made us aware of the signifïcance of unemployment in the lives of individuals. Its effect is often devastating to their wellbeing and that of their family. These effects are now compounded due to the rapidly changing nature of work itself. New work patterns emerge weekly, and existing transition programs, with their emphasis on "hd ing a job," are no longer as effective as they once were.

Workers in transition are oRen ill equipped to navigate through the increasing complex process of deterrnining and implementing a career path that is right for thern. Our curriculum design will be one intended to facilitate in people the development of personal mastery skills and awareness needed to profit f?om the changes we are now experiencing, rather than being victimized by them. Our intention is to provide an opportunity for individuals to empower themselves to chart their own course through the changing economy. We further believe that individuals so empowered wiLL provide the creative energy and motivating force required to shepherd and empower our organizations so that they too thrive in this same changing, complex and cornpetitive economy.

Background

Several hundred years ago the world changed in a fundamental way when we moved from farms and villages to larger centers. We gave up Lives of multiple, organically sequential and varied tasks and allowed ourselves to be organized around schedules designed to support the new industries. We %ad" jobs, they belonged to us, we no longer "did" jobs as they were needed. For many, life became simpler, controlled by a new fundamental arrangement whereby we produced for the industiy and received the payment. With this simplicity, however, came dependence. If the industry stopped or we failed to please it, our payment stopped; a t e r r w n g prospect for the worker no longer able to grow their own food. In the language of social science, our individual locus of control had moved fiom inside to outside; that is to say we had put our destinies in the hands of others. It was the modern age, and prosperity flowed for the majority.

Prosperity grew for many decades and, with the notable exception of the great depression, continued to provide increasing we alth and opportunity. Within this great wave of material progress, there were changes. Over the last century, about one third of workers have moved from industrial employrnent to the service sector as the domain of machines has increased. Workers, Tom time to time, endured a transition fiom one kind of work to another, rnoving fkom one job to the next. Now, two hundred years later, it is the job itself that is disappearing. Work remains to be done, but it does not always corne packaged as a job in the way we understand "job."

Royal Roads University Ann McGougan Master of Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

The effects for the individual worker in transition are nurnerous, but the main one is this: it is no longer possible to be dependent on an employer. I t is &se to depend on others to create ways for us to make a living. In this the postindustrial world, the worker must take the responsibility for maintainhg employment. The dependence of the worker upon an individual employer, engendered in the early stages of the industrial revolution, has now become a source of vulnerability for that worker. The locus of control must now be retrieved and internalized if a secure attachment to the workforce is to be achieved.

In the postindustrial economy, employers want employees who are self motivating and able to independently take on a variety of tasks and responsibilities. In this new world, sought after skills are often not those specifïc to the industry. These desired skills could include written and oral communication, problern solving, ability to work with numbers, team building, facility with cornputer applications, and persona1 management. The concept of persona1 mastery can include aU these and more; but a t its root, it is not so much a skill set as it is an empowered approach. We will explore this concept in much greater depth in the literature review.

Reading, as well as experience in the field of career counselling, have indicated that there is little literature or curriculum material available that addresses a U the issues of finding and keeping work in today's economy. A few new books and workbooks offer options other than the traditional job structure as possibilities for today's worker, but they are in the minority. Of those that address the changing world of work, most have identined the need for career changers to i d e n t e persona1 missions, visions and values. There are many self help books on the market that advocate fmding work you love and pursuing your "right livelihood or "calling."

AU of this is important in today's economy but it is not enough. Those in career transition are facing the emotional effects of unemployment. In a society tha t marks a person's worth by their purchasing power, the loss of employment can also represent a serious threat to the self-image of a n individual. The idea of pursuing right livelihood, finding ones calling or following one's passion can seem ludicrous. The majority believe that what they need is a job in order to support their lifestyle and, often, their debt. The paradox presented to those who would provide help for these individuals is t h s : we must find a way to help them move fiom a state of mind characterized by fear of the future to one of excitement about the possibilities offered by that future, horn worrying about sunrival to contemplating creative responses, fkom being reactive to being proactive.

Bridges (1997, p. ix) refers to the problem inherent in searching for traditional jobs in the following way:

Royal Roads University Master of ,kts - Leadership and Training

,juin McGougan Lee Rome

"Jobs were created because they were the most efficient way of getting work done in the world that created them. They aren't so effective today because the way we are most productive has changed. That is why they are being replaced by temporary work, outsourced work, the use of consultants, cross- trained teams, or self managed telecornmuters.

That is why a job is largely a short-term solution to an individual's vocational problems and why looking for one these days is so fiustrating. A better course of action is to End the work that actually needs doing and present yourself to whoever needs it as the best way to get it done."

This project takes a closer look a t a workplace that is rapidly becoming "de-jobbed" as well as a deeper look at the needs of workers in transition. We will lay the foundation for a program in personal mastery that WU help individuals design a personal career transition strategy that is relevant to the new world of work. The researchers believe that these skills are critical to the wellbeing of individuals as well as that of the organizations in which they are involved. Following the participant's involvement in the career transition program we will explore with them the effect of the program on their lives.

Royal Roads University h n McGougan Master of - Leadership and Training Lee orne

CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature Review

This review will cover five main domains. The fist will address workplace change in order to understand the dynamics in the workplace of today. I t is our contention that the changes in this area are a critical piece of the puzzle facing individuals in transition. Our purpose wïü be to identfi attributes and attitudes beneficial to the modern worker. Next, we wiU look at the employment programs currently offered to discern which aspects of them meet the needs of workers in transition and which areas need to be updated. We will then look into the literature on personal mastery to draw Tom it an outline of how those principles can be used to meet the needs outlined above. FoIlowing that, our review will focus on the adult learning literature to ensure tha t the program we develop has the best chance of meeting the needs of the participants. Finally, we will address the subject of action research as a methodology for this project.

The Changing World of Work

Davis & Meyer (1998) put workplace change in an historical perspective when they point out that for 100,000 years, we were hunter-gatherers; for 10,000 years we were agrarians; and for the past 200 odd years we have enjoyed the fruits and endured the mechanical protocols of the industrial age. Each of these great shifts in the way we live have destroyed old ways of working and have created new ones. The sands are shifting beneath us again. According to these authors, the information econorny, which began in 1950 is half over and like the major changes that came before it, has brought sweeping changes in the world of work. Since 1950, computers, the driving force behind the recent changes, have been used principally as data management tools. They were essentially used as an adjunct to industry performing routine functions such as data processing and later word- processing, and were seen as labor saving devices more than job stealers. In recent years, they have becorne more invasive as designers have greatly increased the speed and capacity of the machines (Tapscott, 1995). Technology has been displacing workers since the beginning of the nineteenth century but the speed of this displacement has increased exponentially following the advent of these modern computers. AU indications are that this will continue to happen.

Bridges (1994) makes and supports the claim that work is not disappearing because of this change. Work remains but it is being packaged differently; it is no longer necessarily found in the "job". In fact, according to Bridges (1994), the economy is

Royal Roads University Master of Arts - Leadership and Training

.Ann McGougan Lee Rome

being "dejobbed". The job, he argues, is a social artifact left over fkom the industrial age where it was developed to serve the rapidly growing factories.

"Today's organization is rapidly being transformed from a structure built out of jobs to a field of work needing to be done. Jobs are artincial units superimposed on this field." (Bridges, 1994, p.1)

This is a threatening prospect for the worker acculturated to work in the industrial age, as the tried and true practices of gaining and maintaining employment are no longer effective. A closer look at the jump kom the development of computers to the dejobbed world will reved more detail on the nature of the threat to established ways of working and provide some clues as to strategies for individual survival.

Davis & Meyer (1998) maintain that the main factors afîecting organizations today are speed and connectivity. The speed of business has increased they report, to the point where products are designed for a lifecycle measured in months or days and not years, and the time between concept and product is often measured in days. Organizations need to be able to change direction rapidly in response to changes in the marketplace, or innovations by cornpetitors. Senge (1990) and Tapscott (1995) support this claim. One casualty of this need for rapid response has been middle management. The time required for new information to get fiom the marketplace to the C E 0 and for any resulting directive to filter back down through the system was simply too great. Many of these jobs have been eliminated and wiU not return (Ritkin, 1995). Ri£kin notes that former MIT professor Michael Hammer predicts that up to 80% of those engaged in middle-management tasks are susceptible to elimination. Bridges (1994) notes, "Instead of smart machines replacing aJl the manual labor on the factory fioor, they are replacing the mental labor in the middle- management offices."

Another casualty of this organizational need to constantly evolve is the job description (Bridges, 1994). Clear job outlines and routines were a creation of the industrial age, a time when product cycles were sometimes decades long and workers duties could be described with clarity. In the information age workers cannot cling to Senge's (1990) "1 am my position" disability. Cornputers are speeding up communication to the point where all business WU be conducted in real time with no delays related to publication or distance. Changes in the world must be responded to with changes in the organization creating the need for changes in the task of the individual worker. These changes will not be encumbered by concrete job descriptions; it is the nature of the work that wiU change. Even the worker who has successfully found employment will need to endure and preferably thrive in this ever-changing working environment.

Another outcome of the changes undem-ay wiU be the end of the stable solution. Technologies and economies will be in constant flux and production lines are being

Royal Roads University - h n McGougan Master of Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

continuously updated. The mode1 of the year wiU become the mode1 of the moment. As seMces and products become bundled to the point of being homogenized and the microchip makes its way into al1 products, software components will be upgraded via the Internet and products will become the new models instantly (Davis & Meyer, 1998).

Many organizations are attempting to become more flexible in this new world by entering into new relationships with workers. After downsizing the permanent workforce, they grow by outsourcing and by establishing contracted positions. In this way, they can reduce their size painlessly if their market contracts and increase it again when business improves. One of the outcomes of this change is the formation of the largest single workforce in the United States. A Company called Manpower (with 560,000 workers) provides temporary workers who fil positions £rom clerical workers through engineers to CEOs (Bridges, 1994). In the industrial age, there was an unspoken contract between the worker and the economy; the worker arrived with the appropriate training and the economy gave that worker a full time job until retirement age. This contract has clearly been broken in the information economy. In Canada, the number of part time jobs is on the rise as is the number of Canadians who hold several jobs (AAECD, 1996).

Davis and Meyer (1998) address the impact on the individual worker of the destruction of distance by technology. Connectivity is the word they use to describe this linking of information technologies. Tapscott (1995) refers to the phenornenon as networked intelligence. Because the Internet has made communication both immediate and global, information that was once sequestered and local is now available to anyone with a cornputer and modem. This raises the expectation of required knowledge for all workers. Workers can now find themselves in competition for opportunities with other workers across the globe. Tapscott (1995) coined the term "Wtual aliens" to describe this trend. He points out that the largest group of English speaking high school graduates in the world is found in China. A larger impact on the worker than the virtual &en is the availabfity of information. The individual may not be in direct competition with others around the globe but standards of innovation and creativity are driven constantly upward because of the ready access to information.

The third greatest impact on organizations and individuals, after change and connectivity, is what Davis and Meyer (1998) call the "Intangible." In a world where fortunes are made in software design, entertainment and professional sport, the intangibles are growing at a greater rate than the tangibles. "The most valuable thing you have is your knowledge, which includes all the relationships and other intangible assets you've accrued over the course of your career. " (p. 148)

As to strategies for surviving in this new world, they suggest:

Royal Roads University Ann McCougan Mascer of .W - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

"First, the importance of speed means a shiR £rom relying on prediction, foresight, and planning to building in flexibility, courage, and faster refiexes. In addition, with intangibles as the driver of value, your strategy must constantly focus on ways to increase the nonphysical component of what you make and sell. High levels of Connectivity mean that strategy can no longer be a matter of "us versus them". In the future, it will consist of early recognition of the right players to link with. Most importantly, it should revolve around the quest to set the standard" (Davis and Meyer, 1998, p. 104).

The result of these changes on the individual worker has been profound. Secure lifetime employment is now in the possession of a very few. According to Alberta Advanced Education and Career Development (1995), new and more common working arrangements include: consulting, contracting, talent pooling, par t - the , work sharing, job sharing, multi tracking and entrepreneurship. The skills and attitudes required for obtaining and maintaining the above kinds of work are Meren t than those required for the traditional job.

The world of the successful worker has indeed become more cornplex. Individuals must now pay more attention to their career and its continuous upgrading and development. Above all, they must direct it and take responsibility for it; a theme that will be expanded on in the personal mastery segment of this review.

Exisüng Career Transition Thinking and Resources

In the 1970s when the economy in most parts of Canada was still relatively solid and jobs were not difncult to obtain if or& one knew how, career transition counselling was seen primarily as assisting people with an effective job search (Bolles, 1970), helping them to find traditional jobs in traditional industries. During this time employment counselling meant working in groups or with individuals to assist them in finding jobs and was limited to such things as job hunting, resume development and learning how to manage interviews. Some private and public agencies also placed individuals in jobs through enhancing employer contacts in their communities. In the late 1970s and early 1980s an awareness of 'target groups' of individuals who had a difncult time finding employment began to grow. This awareness was initiated by womeds groups who emerged fkom the feminist movement and identined inequities in wages and types of employment between men and women. As a result, the first employment assistance programs that were government funded were focused on wornen. Later, other groups who were considered employment disadvantaged because of their lack of access to paid employment, were targeted for assistance. These groups included people with disabilities, new immigrants, aboriginal people, people who had been in prison, and those recovering fiom drug or alcohol addictions. Also during this period, but fkom

Royal Roads University .bn McGougan Master of Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

a completely difFerent body of knowledge, there came a growing interest in job changing for people already employed but looking for advancement. This was the era of headhunters and placement agencies. What Colour 1s Your Parachute (Bolles, 1970) became the job changers' bible, and in 1975 Nelson Bolles began producing a new edition every year.

In the mid 1980s employment assistance programs began to look at the possibility that people were now unemployed because of the s w i n g economy and not because they lacked ambition or ability. In her book, Losing Your Job - Reclaiming your Sou1 (Pully, 1997), P d y makes the point that many of us grew up believing that if we worked hard and were loyal to a Company then we would be rewarded with job security and advancement. This was a myth developed in the 1950s when the economy was çtrong and jobs were plentifid. For the next several decades this myth held true but into the early 1980s it became invalid due to the changing nature of work including ùicreased dependency on technology and global competition. Our myths become dysfunctional when they are strongly disparate from our social reality. Our paradigms about work were no longer serving us because they were based on old ways of doing business. As a result of these changes, career transition programming needed to address the issues specific to displaced workers. Models such as the job h d i n g clubs and the traditional life skills program have become less relevant to the majority of unemployed workers and as we moved into the 1990s, a new body of literature emerged.

In the 1990s "What Colour Is Your Parachute" (Bolles, 1990 - 1998) is still going strong but i t has changed its approach to career transition. The book addresses the differences in the 90s world of career planning and job finding. The issues the book now addresses include the rapidity of change in the workplace including merguig, downsizing, delayering and reorganizing. It addresses the large number of workers affected and the fact that there is much less warning of changes. Applying our old paradigms about work, we would Say that there is more injustice in the workplace because companies are now answering only to the bottom fine. Also addressed is the fact that because of the global market many new jobs offer lower wages. The workforce is increasingly divided into a two-class Society, those who are well off and those who have diffïculty meeting their basic survival needs. The book has moved f?om a 'how to' book for finding a career and then job to one that explores the larger issues in the labour market. Bolles (1998) addresses many of the issues faced by individuals in career transition but doesn't address the personal attitudes and attributes that people need to make the shift to the new economy workplace.

Another prominent approach of career transition books in the 90s is h d i n g your "right livelihood or passion as a means to taking control of a career (Boldt, 1993; Lore, 1998). These books Vary in how they approach working with meaning but they agree on the general principle that ifyou are working in a n area that nourishes you and does no harm to others, if you work because you choose to, then


- b n McGougan Lee Rome

you are more likely to be successful. Part of h d i n g your right livelihood involves i d e n t m g who you are, what your nature, abiding interests, innate talents and personality are and how they combine as a way to make a living. Again, respected books as far as they go but aside fkom espousing a belief in positive thinking, these books do not provide the reader with a mode1 that is effective in making vision a reality.

Some of the Literature has gone a step further and has combined the need to f h d your passion with the need to address ways of working in the new economy (Bridges, 1997; Krannich, 1998; Radical Change In The World of Work - The Workbook, Alberta Advanced Education and Career Development, Information and Marketing Branch, 1996). These books address changes to the world of work such as the move away f?om traditional full time jobs to 'just in tirne' hiring. Solutions to inefficiencies in the traditional way of operating include the ability to change quickly, focus on quality, focus on service, be creative, cost effective, and quick. It is easier for businesses to create these ways of operathg when workers are only paid when their services are needed, workers and the work they do can be switched, and workers work on specifïc projects with specEc end dates. This leads to a concept that is addressed in several of the above-mentioned books which is the one-person business. Individuals who want to do the work are packaging themselves in different ways; they see and sen themselves as a one-person business. Ta do that it is necessary to discover and describe the unique mix of resources one brings to the workplace. In addition, an individual who is adopting this way of making a living must develop an eye for the market and search for the best places to market one's talents just as any business does.

In "The Best Jobs For the 21s' Century" (Krannich, 1998), the authors stress the point that the best jobs of the future will go to those who empower themselves with a capacity to shape their future and take responsibility for their own employability. They also note that these turbulent times can be dangerous time for people who faii to anticipate and adjust to changes. If individuals assume that their jobs are guaranteed or that we will return to previous times they are engaging in wishfid thinking. These are beliefs commonly held by individuals who are victims of the disappearing jobs in declining industries.

The career as we once knew it has died but if we think of the new career as a series of lifelong work related experiences and persona1 learnings it will never die. (Hall, 1996) The current contract between employee and organization is based on the length of tirne that there is value in the employee's contribution to the bottom line. The down side of this contract is that not everyone has the skiUs, support, self- esteem, past experience of success, persona1 optimism, health o r the resources to be a continuous learner, which is required to create a workable career. A career in today's market is indeed an individual's responsibility and there are problems in that as well as much potential for individual fkeedom and f idEbent . Pully (1997)

Royal Roads University Xnn McCougan Master of .Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

provides a hopeful look a t the potential for individual control of career paths in the following:

"Sailing seems like a better metaphor for travel in today's world. #en sailing, you must be continuously responsive to shifts in wind and waves and to storms you may spot in the distance. Yet a t the same time, it is possible to chart out a destination and get there. I t is just that you cannot do it via a straight line, nor can you necessarily predict the exact route you wïü take in advance. The extent to which you control your journey is the extent to which you can dance with forces beyond your control." (Pully, 1997, p. 166)

Career transition resource materials have been evolving since the early 1970s and they have made an effort to keep up with changing economies. The deficit in the content of these materials is that they have taken a typical hierarchical approach to teaching individuals what they need to know about career transition. As the economy has changed and traditional jobs have disappeared, it has become more and more important for all of us to f5nd our own path. Even the books that provide insights into todayls economy are only effective for what is happening now and as the world continues to change these solutions will also become obsolete. What career changers and those of us who are presently working and living in a world of change need to know is that we must develop the ability to constantly reevaluate our current reality. We must be scanning the horizon for new developments. We must learn new skrlls in order to make the transitions we need to make. We must keep an eye on our vision and not lose sight of our purpose. People who are able to do this have absorbed persona1 mastery skills as Senge (1994) defines them.

The researchers believe the key to this, however, is in providing the opportunity for individuals in career transition to f hd the strength to embrace the changes necessary. It is not enough for us to add our solutions to the solutions already presented; we must develop a process that allows individuals to explore their own rneaning of purpose and vision. Holding true to purpose and vision in itself creates the strength necessary to overcome the barriers facing us.

"In mastery there is a sense of effortlessness and joyousness. It stems fkom your ability and willingness to understand and work with the forces around you." (Senge et al, 1994, p. 194.)

Personal Mastery

We will begin with an overview of the work of Peter Senge, as it was Senge who k s t used the term, personal mastery. In his 1990 book, The Fifth Discipline, he

Royal Roads University Ann McGougan Master of ,b-t.s - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

describes personal mastery as one of the five disciplines required for an organization to become a learning organization. The researchers believe that his concept of mastery provides a useful container in which related information on personal leadership and personal development c m be accumulated and organized for effective use. KTe will look into some of the related work that does not use the term mastery but explores some of the same terrain. We believe that these works augment the concept of mastery a s presented by Senge and help to create a foundation for human growth and adaptation.

Senge (1990) opens his discussion of personal mastery with the following:

"Personal mastery goes beyond competence and s u s though it is grounded in competence and skills. It goes beyond spiritual unfolding or opening, although it requires spiritual growth. It means approaching one's life as a creative work, living life from a creative as opposed to a reactive viewpoint." (p. 141)

In this passage, we see that persona1 mastery is not described a s a destination but more a way of travelling, a way of being in the world or a discipline. It could be said to be an approach to He and not a goal in itself. Horner (1995) postdates that there has been very little research into personal mastery, not because it is a diff5cult concept to grasp but because it is difacult to quant*. I t is a n individual construct and appears differently in everyone who practices it.

"The whole idea behind personal mastery is that it is not a prescribed way of behaving or method of thinking. Instead, it is a n abstract concept that by nature of design becomes shaped and molded into something different in each person who applies it to their We." (Horner, 1995. p. 6)

How then are we to grasp it and indeed recognize it in those who possess it? Senge (1990) cornes to our aid here with a list of qualities that he finds in individuals with a high level of persona1 mastery:

They have a sense of purpose that lies behmd their goals. Their vision is more Like a calling than it is like a good idea. They see c u r e n t reality a s an ally, not a n enemy. They are committed to seeing reality more and more accurately. They are extremely inquisitive. They do not resist, but work with, the forces of change. They feel connected to others and to life itself. They feel that they are part of a larger creative process that they can influence but cannot unilaterally control.

Royal b a d s University .hn McCougan Master oE.4rt.s - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

Senge's practitioner of personal mastery lives in a world with two poles. The first is current reality, (where am I now?) and the second is vision (rny goal). When these two are kept firmly in mind, a force that Senge names creative tension is awakened. This is not a psychological force mobilized in the individual by an act of will but a natural outcome of the individual holding the two poles (vision and current reality) in mind. Creative tension is what Robert Fritz (1980) would c d a structural force, outside the will of the individual, and its effect is to pull the two poles together. Victor Frankl commented on this in 1946:

" To be sure, man's search for meaning may arouse uiner tension rather than inner equilibrium. However precisely such tension is an indispensable prerequisite of mental health (Frankl, 1959, p. 126).

We have then, the two, vision and current reality, being pulled inextricably together. The question becomes; wiU current reality move up and He become more like the vision or will the vision be pulled down to become more like current reality? The answer lies in the ability of the individual to withstand what Senge refers to as emotional tension. This force represents al l of the individuals' limiting beliefs; the, '1 could never do that' beliefs. If the emotional tension overcomes the creative tension the individual's vision will be pulled down by creative tension to replicate current reality. Nothing will be achieved. If, on the other hand, the individual maintains their grasp on the vision, current reality will adjust itself upward to realize that vision. The illustration below, adapted &om Senge (1990) illustrates a metaphor developed by Robert Fritz showing the two forces in opposition.

Royal Roads University Master of .Arts - Leadership and Training

-Ann McGougan Lee Rome

Senge compares the forces to two great elastic bands, one pulling toward the vision and the other pulling back toward Limiting beliefs and the status quo. It is a mark of maturity in the individual who can retain a focus on their vision when emotional tension, in the form of h i t i n g beliefs, is uppermost in their mind.

In i d e n t w n g reasons that personal mastery is not more widely practiced, Senge (1990) focuses on two. The fïrst is that very few individuals take the time or make the effort to discern exactly what is important to them.

Without that effort, a personal vision will be elusive. Covey (1995) cornments that we have, a s a society, so acclimatized ourselves to urgency that we as individuals, rarely consider what is truly important to us. The second is that people in general spend little time working to cl- their perception of current reality. Referring back to Senge's list of attributes found in individuals with a high level of personal mastery, we see that they are comrnitted to seeing reality more accurately. They are committed to seeing the world more clearly and equally important, to seeing their own emotional patterns more clearly. Covey (1990) maintains that the individual who would change must fkst understand their own paradigms; the underlying patterns that influence thoughts and responses. A commitment that Senge refers to as disarmingly simple and yet piofound is the fïrm commitment by the individual to tell the truth.

" . . . it means a relentless wdlingness to root out the ways we limit or deceive ourselves f?om seeing what is, and to continually challenge our theories of why things are the way they are" (Senge, 1990, p. 159).

People with high levels of personal mastery are, therefore, more clearly aware of the emotional contlicts that underlie their own reactions. The stronger our awareness of current reality, the stronger our foundation for mornentum towards o u r vision. Horner (1995) s u s it up nicely, "personal mastery, then, is a process of getting fkom where we are to where we want to be while being honest with ourselves about where those places are." (p. 2)

hlastery, a s illustrated above, is not something we do to the world but as Horner (1995) points out, is soniething we do to ourselves. We master ourselves by coming to understand how we think and how we are inclined to respond. In a segment entitled 'By Design or Default', Covey (1990) urges us to accept that all things are created twice. The first creation is in our minds intluenced by scripts that we are for the most part, unconscious of and the second creation is in our lives. I t follows that part of clearly understanding our current reality is becoming aware of our own inner scripting pathologies.

"Whether we are aware of it or not, whether we are in control of it or not, there is a f i s t creation to every part of our lives. We are either the second

Royal Roads University - h n McGougan Master of Art.s - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

creation of our own proactive designs or we are the second creation of other peoples agendas, of circumstances, or of past habits." (Covey, 1990, p. 100)

The choice then, is whether we wish to ïive by our own design or by default (the will of others, past and present). Once we become clear on th2 nature of these inner scripts, we can free ourselves to respond to situations rather than react; we can be proactive rather than reactive. Any objective view of current reality must include these inner realities. Siebert (1996) refers to another element of interest to the self- observer. In his research into what he calls the 'survivd personality', he suggests that individuals possess the ability to respond creatively in differing amounts. Those who have little creative ability are more incluied to judge their surroundings versus those a t the other end of the spectrum who are inclined to observe. The second group posseses the ability to respond creatively to a greater degree. This second group has greater abïiity merely because they are inclined to observe and inquire rather than judge and reject.

Siebert offers a diagram (duplicated below) to illustrate the point that the obseMng person will find more options for creative response in any situation than the person who is more inclined to judge. The choice then, is whether we wish to live by our own design or by default (the will of others, past and present). Once we become clear on the nature of these inner scripts, we can fkee ourselves to respond to situations rather than react; we can be proactive rather than reactive. Any objective view of current reality must include these inner realities. Siebert (1996) refers to another element of interest to the self-observer. In his research into what he calls the 'survival personality', he suggests that individuals possess the ability to respond creatively in differing amounts. Those who have little creative ability are more inclined to judge their surroundings as versus those at the other end of the spectrum who are inclined to observe. The second group possesses the ability to respond creatively to a greater degree. The greater neutral zone in this diagram reflects one of the attributes of people with a high level of persona1 mastery as described earlier by Senge (1994); they are extremely inquisitive. It must be noted that Siebert (1996) offers this diagram in the context of a number of traits that can be altered by the individual. They are not cast in stone.

O bserving Person:

1 accepts 1 neutrd 1 rejects 1 Judgmentai Person:

1 acceptsl neutrd1 rejects I Although he does not use the concepts of mastery, current reality or vision, Bridges (1994) takes a similar tack. He posits that the changing work place of today


Xnn hlcGougan Lee Rome

demands more of individuals. We must understand clearly who we are, what our strengths are and further, we must understand clearly, where it is we want to go. With this self-knowledge (current reality) and the understanding of where we want to go (vision), we will be able to manage our careers and liveç with greater effect. Bridges (1994) does not consider the pivotal concept of persona1 mastery a s described by Senge, that being creative tension. Bridges' model for personal knowledge gathering is one the researchers consider useful as well, and therefore we will explore it here. It forms a useful fkamework for individuals who wish to come to a clear understanding of their current reahty. Any obse~at ion of current reality as it applies to career must include more than a reflection on the inner scripts and ways of perceiving mentioned above.

In his model for personal knowledge gathering, Bridges uses four main categories. These are desires, abllrties, temperament and assets. Abilities in tbis context include skills of all kinds but more importantly, it includes what underlies skill. The general ability to learn complex instructions quickly versus the more specific ski11 of operating a particular software program; or the general ability to read people efficiently versus specXc sales experience are two examples. These abilities, according to Bridges, often have to do with a personal style of obsening or a natural learning style and learning is particularly critical in transition. "Whenever things are changing fast, what people already know becomes obsolete quickly. Only the ability to learn lasts" (Bridges, 1994, pg. 87). The third of Bridges' (1994) categories is ternperament. He points out that when the individual is aware of their temperament they are more able to determine situations where they will thrive and conversely those where they will h d difficulty. Bridges (1994) strongly endorses the use of the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory as an indicator of temperament. In Bridges' (1994) final category, assets, he refers to those things that we have at our disposal. He means by this any physical or intellectual forces that we may bring to bear on our current situation. These may take the form of financial resources, real property, tools or credentials. Together, the three categories of abilities, temperament and assets contribute substantially to the clear understandmg of personal current reality. The 'desires' category falls within the realm of vision, one of the two great poles of persona1 mastery.

When discussing vision, it is worth repeating Horner's (1995) definition of persona1 mastery, "personal mastery, then, is a process of getting fkom where we are to where we want to be while being honest with ourselves about where those places are." The essential part of this phrase when considering vision is, "while being honest with ourselves." Bridges (1994), Senge (1994), Seibert (1996) and Fritz (1989) agree that we are al1 acculturated to disregard to the point of unconsciousness, what we really want in life, making it difEcult for an individual to arrive at a personal vision. This difEculty notwithstanding, a vision is required to generate the forces of creative tension in the individual that WU lead to mastery. "The essence of personal mastery is learning how to generate and sustain creative - --


:hn McGougan Lee Rome

tension in our lives" (Senge 1990, p. 142). What we need now then is a clear understanding of vision.

Robert Fritz (1989) begins a discussion of vision with the suggestion that the place to begin the creative process is at the end. Echoing this assertion Covey (1989, p.97) urges us to 'begin with the end in mind'. Fritz suggests this approach as it helps us conceive a beneficial outcome without the necessity of understanding every step of the process required to get there. He further claims that any premature consideration of the means to acquiring a n outcome endangers the creative act by limiting us to solutions that we are already aware of. This, he argues limits us to replicating our past. He points out that our schools are culpable in encouraging this approach by consistently focusing on the 'how' of creation a t the expense of the 'what', It seems self-evident tha t if we are not clear about what we want or where we want to go, thinking that we know how to get it or how to get there is presumptuous.

When applying his principles of creativity and vision to people's lives, Fritz maintains that, there are three important points. Firstly, the individual must consider what they want. According to Fritz (1989), this is a step that few of us take and he urges us to take it fiequently. He assures us that when we make it a habit, it WU become second nature to be clearly aware of our desires. This awareness of what we want creates a fact and in his way of thinking, a fact is far more valuable than speculation in empowering us to act. Secondly, Fritz (1989) maintains that we must consider what we want independent of process considerations. Process is a n indicator of what worked in the past, but when considered before the vision, limits our ability to escape historical limitations. FinaUy, he suggests that we separate our considerations of what we want Tom our cu ren t beliefs about what is possible. He cautions that if we limit our visions to what we think we can get we misrepresent our wants and therefore are dishonest with ourselves. When we are dishonest with ourselves, we create inner stresses that limit Our abilities and &ect our health.

A vision created in this way, according to Fritz (1989), becomes a n organizing principle for action and response to external conditions. I t also becomes, when well developed, almost a n identity of its own, moldable by our wills a s though it were a creation external to ourselves. Fritz (1989) urges us to consider our lives as independent creations. In this way he claims "You can succeed or fail without the added burden of an identity crisis" (Fritz, 1989, p. 131).

Whde Fritz talks about the way to vision, Senge comments on the nature of vision itself. He equates it to a sense of calling within the individual, something far deeper and more personal than mere desires. Agreeing with Fritz in stating that very few of us make the effort or take the time to discern our calling or build a vision, Senge (1990) suggests that we are actually culturally predisposed to deveiop

Royal Ronds University Pvlaster of .Arts - Leadership and Training

Ann McGougan Lee Rome

negative visions. When asked what we want we tend to fkame it around what we do not want, as in 'Anything that's not like what I'm doing now'. UnLike visions founded in a deep and personal sense of purpose, these have very little positive effect on our lives. To create one of the two poles necessary for the production of creative tension and to be a powerfd force in the life of an individual, a vision must be rooted in this sense of purpose. Such a vision might be more useful if stated as '1 want to do something that is aligned with who I am.'

From a program design perspective, the issue then becomes, how do we encourage individuals to experiment with the discipline of persona1 mastery? Senge (1990) cautions those of us who would influence others. He maintains that no one can create or increase personal mastery in another; "We can only set up conditions which encourage and support people who want to increase the5 own."

Adult Learning Models

The development of a curriculum model designed to facilitate the acquisition of personal mastery skills presents unique challenges in that achieving personal mastery requires self-direction and cannot be imposed externally. We have examined the adult learning literature in order to develop a persona1 mastery program for individuals in transition. Although the language of adult learning is often difYerent fkom that found in the persona1 mastery literature, there is a strong correlation between their philosophies. Wherever possible we have drawn p a r d e l s between the adult learning models and the personal mastery models. In the review of several models of teaching and facilitating adult learning, a number of authors (Galbraith, 1991, Vella, 1997, Brookfïeld in Mezirow et al, 1990) referred to the necessity for facilitators of adult learning to view themselves as participating in a dialogue between equals. This approach to adult learning, the dialogic learning method, seems particularly conducive to the empowerment of learners and supports the concept of persona1 mastery. This model of adult learning is primarily based on the Popular Education Method of Paulo Freire (1974) which has its roots in Marxist ideology .

Heaney (1996) refers to the historical context of adult education as covering a whole range of teaching practices that Vary £rom highly manipulative to participatory They have been designed to (among others) correct deviant behaviour, teach specific ski11 sets and support social change agendas of oppressed communities. Over the years, many of these adult learning models have been promoted as the rnost effective regardless of the course content and the needs of the learners involved. Our premise is that participatory models are the most appropriate to career transition and personal mastery as they allow a signûicant measure of self- direction.

- --

Royal Roads University Master of Arts - Leadership and Training Lee ~ o k e

Heaney (1996) dso refers to the arrogance of some educators in assuming that their work will be the remedy for social problems ranging fkom inequality to teen pregnancy. As educators, our assumption is often that if the participants have the knowledge they camot fail to implement solutions to their problems so we have tried to f5.U our students with information that we see as the solution. He goes on to state:

" That schooling has consistently failed to make a significant clifference in the social and economic situation of most learners seems not to dampen educators' confidence in the singular importance of education to social change" (Heaney, 1996, p.8).

In the interest of making adult learning more relevant to the learners, many adult educators (Vella, 1995; Mezirow, 1990, Brookfïeld, 1990) are working to develop a new paradigrn of adult learning that wïü facilitate a process not only of ski11 development but persona1 growth in adult learners. The work these educators are doing seems most relevant to the development of personal mastery skills.

In considering appropriate tools for a career transition program we felt it important to explore a range of learning models in order to identify the most effective model for self exploration. Philosophical foundations of adult learning explored by Barer- Stein and Draper (1993) include:

1. The liberal model which is intended to liberalize the human spirit through the development of rational and critical thinking capacities. It is teacher centered and lectures are the predominant teaching method.

2. The progressive model's intention is to free students fkom primarily rational or scientific thinking and to value their own experiences. The teacher is seen as an organizer and guide and provides opportunity to experience real life situations thus making the education more relevant.

3. The behaviorist model utilizes a task-oriented approach to learning and the teacher is charged with ensuring that learning modules are followed and successfully completed in a way that is measurable. In this model there is little attention paid to students' choices or previous experience.

4. The humanist model provides a focus for the learner on the social context of their learning and on an individual's ability to promote social change through recognizing their own potential. The teacher is again a participating facilitator who is open to personal learning opportunities.

5 . The radical model most closely approximates the Popular Education Method (Freire, 1974). In this model the intent is to change power relationships between teacher and learners and engage both in a dialogue that is focussed on

Royal Uoads Universis. Ann iklcGougan hlaster of .kts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

21

developing learning opportunities for all parties. Together teachers or facilitators and students or participants develop a definition of what is to be learned and lay out the parameters for study. There is no assumption that the facilitator is the expert at the front of the room, the assumption is that all members of a learning community can learn fiom the others.

In considering these models of adult learning it became apparent to us that an appropriate one to be used in facilitating the development of personal mastery skills in individuals in career transition would be an amalgam of several styles. We were drawn to the humanist and radical models with a tendency to incorporate parts of the Popular Education Method. AU of these are also consistent with the principles of transactional learning Brookfield refers to, which are:

o " The fist principle is that adults participate in learning because of their own volition.

O The second principle is that all participants must respect each other's self worth.

o The third principle is the existence of a collaborative and participatory component in the education activity."

Through our experience with career transition programs, we have experienced the value of these particular principles. UtiLizing the principles of transactional learning provides a vehicle for the development of persona1 responsibility for learning. If we adopt these principles as a foundation for the adult learning model most appropriate to the development of persona1 mastery skills, we begin to build a participatory, transactional, learning model specific to the development of personal mastery. Facilitators play a critical role in the development of opportunities for learning and growth but do not take the role of expert in the learning environment. Galbraith (1991) emphasizes that the essential characteristics of facilitators are that they are warm, loving, caring and accepting of learners, have a high regard for the learner's self planning abilities, view themselves as participating in a dialogue between equals and are themselves open to change and new experiences. Vella (1997) refers to a need for mutual respect and dialogue between learner and teacher and among learners. She also refers to the need for accountability of the teacher to do what he or she proposed to do. These principles call for a new role for a teacher that demands a cornmitment to teamwork, viewing learners a s equal team members, and engaging with both the learners and the process. Thus the environment created for learning is equally important to the learner as the content of the learning and must include their safety and a mutual respect among learners and between learner and teacher. In creating this environment, we are setting the stage for participatory or transactional learning.

Virginia G r S n (Barer-Stein and Draper, 1993) makes reference to holistic teaching. This model is consistent with the concept that persona1 mastery requires

Royal Roads University Ann McGougan Master of ,Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

a clear understanding of current reality and a strong personal vision. Holistic teaching addresses both concrete learning and personal development and Gr- states that the six capabilities that enhance learning are ". . . emotional, relational, physical, metaphoric or intuitive, spiritual and rational" and says that engaging metaphoric or intuitive capability means:

o "Knowing with certain@ that learning wiu occur

a Temporarily suspending or quieting the rational mind

a Remaining open to the expected but more especially to the unexpected."

These capabilities, we believe, are often the most diEcult and the most critical for participants to internalize in the search for personal mastery. In order to facilitate learning with adults and to help them to "remain open to the unexpected" it is necessary to discover how they experience learning, for instance, what fears are preventing progress and how to develop a n environment that is conducive to iearning (Galbraith, 1991). Jane Vella (1997, p. 3) refers to the dozen principles of adult education necessary to creating an environment that aIlows people to learn what they need to learn in a way that is cornfortable for them. They include:

''(1) needs assessment, (2) safety, (3) a sound relationship between teacher and adult student, (4) sequence and reinforcement of content, (5 ) praxis - that is, action with reflection, (6) learners as subjects of their own learning, (7) the use of ideas, feelings, and actions in learning, (8) immediacy, (9) a new role for the teacher, (10) teamwork, (11) engagement, and (12) accountability."

Some of the tools of transactionai adult learning models also come fiom the therapeutic models of group dynamics and, as such, are designed to facilitate persona1 growth. These are essential components in a holistic learning model as d e h e d by Griffin (Barer-Stein and Draper,1993); they include the recognition of an interna1 expectation for change, building trust relationships, risk taking and a n exploration of the participant's world. (Kottler, 1994) Critical reflection is also one of the tools used in therapy and a necessary requirement of transactional adult learning. Mezirow (1990, p. 1) refers to the means of triggering leaming through critical reflection as follows:

Royal Roads University Master of Arts. - Leadership and Training

- h n McGougan Lee Rome

" To make meaning means to make sense of a n experience, . . . when we use this interpretation to guide decision making or action, then making meaning becomes learning. Reflection enables us to correct distortions in our beliefs and errors in problem solving and critical reflection involves a critique of the presuppositions on which our beliefs have been built."

In assisting adults with the process of career transition, the concept of critical reflection is particularly appropriate because of the changes in the economy and in the world of work. Victoria Marsick (Mezirow and Associates, 1990) refers to today's turbulent economic environment and makes the case that critical reflection is most necessary in businesses. She points out that business used to thrive on the employee's mindless repetition of the tried and true but today employees are expected to think differently, to deal with ambiguity effectively and to problem solve as situations change. These are skills that are transferable from the mastery of career transition to the mastery of work in the new economy. Marsick (1990) states that people "are being called upon to make subjective judgments, take risks, and question the assurnptions on which they have operated." Thus in facilitating the development of personal mastery skills in adults in career transition, we are fostering recognition of the need for these same skills in the new world of work. We are encouraging people to constantly engage in environmental scans with a view to redefining current reality as it changes.

Methods for developing these personal rnastery skills must address the participant's individual ways of learning or "making meaningl' of their experiences. As Gould (Mezirow and Associates, 1990, p. 134) states:

"When individuals meet the demands of current, evolving life situations, they have to revise a meaning perspective of the past and change behaviour patterns and attitudes that were once adaptive. Even though these patterns are outdated, they continue to make the person feel safe and comfortable. There is an illusion of safety attached to each familiar pattern of behaviour, whether or not that pattern of behaviour is truly adaptive."

Developing strategies for the facilitation of personal mastery skills, therefor, means encouraging participants to define their own need for change and their own ability to take risks. An important part of creating persona1 rnastery skills is the identification of the emotional tension that may be holding individuals back in their search to attain their vision. Kennedy (Mezirow and Associates, 1990) suggests asking questions about critical events or relationships in a person's life that have made them think about their beliefs and question whether their stated beliefs are consistent with their actions or underlying assumptions. Often these are turning points or seminal events that have caused a rethinking of Me and may reveal other incidents where stated beliefs and actions are not congruent. He states that it is usefûl to explore the forces or influences that have shaped an individual's

Royal Roads University JUin McGougan Master of :lm - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

experience as a way to examine what is real, what has meaning for us a s we are today and what we do that is simply the 'given' based on the past. Argyris (1993) refers to this as the "theory espoused" and "theory of action" and reiterates the importance of individuals being aware of the discrepancy between them.

Lukinsky (Mezirow and Associates, 1990) argues that journal writing is also a n effective tool for critical reflection. It d o w s the writer to explore thoughts and feelings in more depth and, with practice, to get past negative thoughts to determine appropriate action. As Senge (1990, p. 167) writes on persona1 mastery

"As individuals practice the discipline of personal mastery, several changes gradually take place within them.. . especially: integrating reason and intuition; continually seeing more of our comectedness to the world; compassion; and commitment to the whole."

Journal writing records that process and allows the individual to recognize differences between their perceptions and their actions. As learners become more refiective and i d e n t e within themselves more capacity for change and growth, the adult learning experience can become increasingly a n equal dialogue between facilitator and learner. If a learner can develop the skills needed to become critically reflective and thus develop the attitudes and aptitudes necessary for a high level of personal mastery, they will live in a continual learning mode. (Senge, 1990)

Mezirow (1990) refers to the earlier works of Shor and Freire (1987) in his description of a dialogic method of teaching that enhances critical reflection and transformation. Learning is based o n the learner's real H e problems as they are expressed in their own words. Using needs assessrnent as a foundation the facilitator helps learners place the subject matter of the course in the context of their own reality " through a n examination of how social norms and cultural codes affect learners' perception and judgment." (Mezirow, 1990). He goes on to remark that although for Shor and Freire (1987), transformation meant social transformation, the dialogic model is equally effective in creating "epistemic and psychic transformation". (Mezirow, 1990)

In conclusion, it is our belief that the most effective way of facilitating the development of persona1 masteiy skills in individuals in career transition is a dialogic method of teaching. The dialogic method encompasses holistic learning, transactional learning and is based on the Popular Education Method. There are many Adult Learning models that provide a participatory learning experience and much can be drawn fkom all of them. In many cases, it is only the language that differentiates one kom the other. We have identfied popular education, transactional learning, the radical learning model, and holistic learning. From each of these, we have reached the conclusion that the best way to provide a rich and

Royal Roads University h n McGougan Master of .Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

empowering learnuig experience is to change the relationship of teacher and learner so that all members of the learning communïty are a t once learning and teaching. They are in dialogue as equals. If learners can reach their own conclusions based on their own definition of the world, if they can explore that world and its realities, if they can create their own vision and purpose, they can reach the happiness that results £rom Living consistently with that purpose and vision a s a guiding force. As George Bernard Shaw (Man and Superman, preface) put it so succinctly:

"This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one ... the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfïsh little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."

Action Research

Of the documented methodologies, action research most closely resembles what we intend. We believe that it is the appropriate methodology for several reasons. The first and most obvious is that at the heart of the project is an action or intervention in the form of a program developed and delivered to aid individuals in employment transition. Action research is also the appropriate choice, a s this program is not intended to be a conclusion. We intend it to be the beginning of an ongoing series of investigations into our subject. The program we will present is a compilation of existing program ingredients with the added heuristic of personal mastery. I t is our intention that this program will form the beginning of a new learning cycle for both the program participants and the researchers. Any resulting conclusions about the benefits of persona1 mastery for individuals in this group will inspire future new actions and collaborative inquiries with others. Approaches found to be beneficial will be spliced into other programs, then offered to new and different groups of individuals in transition and those results will be observed and reflected on, and so on. In this way, it resembles what Stringer (1996) calls the Action Research Interacting Spiral (illustrateci below).

THINK


luin McGougan Lee Rome

Following Stringer's model, we will begin with the first look, we will then make our assessments and proceed to act. The Look-Think-Act cycle will then began anew with the next look and so on. This model provides the image of an ever-increasing level of sophistication in relation to the area of inquiry.

Guba offers the following comparison between action research and methodologies that are more conventional:

"Inquirers do not 'discover' knowledge by watching nature do its thing from behind a thick one-way mirror; rather, it is literally created by the interaction of the inquirers with the 'object' (construct) inquired into." (in Stringer, p. x)

In our study, we wiu design and deliver a three-week program. We will then assess, in collaboration with the participants, any effects of the program in their lives. The level of interaction between the researchers and the participants will be signincant.

The purpose of this project is to explore the effects of personal mastery. In the fiterature review section on personal mastery, we see that it is not so much a possession as it is a way of being and not so much a position as it is a process. Quoting Horner again:

"The whole idea behind personal mastery is that it is not a prescribed way of behaving or method of thinking. Instead, it is an abstract concept that by nature of design becomes shaped and molded into something different in each person who applies it to their Me." (Horner, 1995, p. 6)

If, as Horner suggests, personal mastery is an abstraction and its effects are different in each person who applies them, the complexity possible when contemplating potential outcornes becomes profound. It could be said that mastery is an interior function in that it exists within the mind and heart of the individual. Only the individual can really interpret its effects. The researchers know of no quantitative indices that could usefully describe the effects of this kind of development in the human being. It is for this reason that we believe that any methodology chosen must be qualitative in nature, as is action research.

Another condition that makes action research the appropriate methodology is that the researchers themselves subscribe to a constructivist epistemology, a way of thinking that doesn't accept the notion of an ultimate all-encompassing and discoverable reality. Constructivism suggests that the meanings we make fiom Our experiences are more important than any overarching reality and that we are affected by these meanings more than we are by any experiences directly. These meanings are entirely personal in nature and we believe that it is the task of each individual to discern for themselves what constitutes meaning.

Royal Roads University Master of .Arts - Leadership and Training

- a n McGougan Lee Rome

When discussing the merits of action research a s it relates to more conventional research in the social sciences Guba maintains:

"That action research may not conform to conventional criteria of research vigor is much less important than that it takes a more democratic, empowering, and hurnanizing approach; assists locals in extending their own understanding of their situation; and helps them to resolve the problerns they see as important." (in Stringer p. xi)

When speaking of the conventional criteria for research, the concept of v a l i d i ~ looms large and indeed the true validity of action research may only be found in what Palys (1997) refers to a s its catalytic validity.

"the extent to which the research empowers people by enhancing 'self- understanding' and facilitating social transformation. . . . catalytic validity enhances people's understanding of themselves and the world, providing insights into how both they and their world might be transformed , should they wish to do so." (p. 410)

As discussed above, the development of this program was influenced by a combination of dialogic and transactional adult learning models. In the review, we see that Galbraith recornmends that facilitators of adult learning be warm, loving, caring and accepting of learners and view themselves as participating in a dialogue between equals. This parallels Stringer's (1996) description of the appropriate demeanor for practitioners of action research. He describes it as democratic, empowering and hurnanizing. This is not a surprising correlation when we see that both the chosen infiuences £rom the literature of adult education and Action Research have Paulo Freire in their ancestry.

As researchers, we will work to establish an environment that is democratic, collaborative, accep ting, safe, respectful and philosophically and psychologically nourishing for the participants. In the next segment, we will look a t our data gathering and evaluation strategy.

Summary

In determining the appropriate domains for this literature review we considered the following: persona1 mastery, leadership, group dynamics, career transition, the changing economy, adult learning and action research. We then narrowed the focus to the domains of the changing world of work, existing career transition thinking and resources, personal mastery, adult learning and action research. We chose these domains because they seemed the most relevant to the needs of our participants. The domain of group dynamics was combined with the adult learning


-2nn McGougan Lee Rome

study and leadership literature was used in the exploration of personal mastery principles. Throughout our reading, we discovered many parallels between personal mastery literature and participatory adult learning literature. Our literature review established the history and c u r e n t thinking in the area of career transition programs and resources as well a s explored changes in the economy and how they affect individual workers. From this we went on to use literature in the areas of personal mastery and adult learning to ident* solutions to some of the changing needs of individuals facing career transition. Finally, we explored the principles of action research where we again found a strong correlation between it and participatory adult learning literature.


CHAPTER 3 - CONDUCT OF RESEARCH STUDY

Research Methods

The methodology chosen for this research project was action research. If the researchers felt secure enough in the traditions of research to name a new methodology, we might have c d e d it collaborative intervention and evaluation inquiry as that name more correctly describes the nature of our effort. We applied a n intervention in the lives of individuals and evaluated the effects of that intervention. As the subject of the intervention was personal mastery, it was necessary that all activities be carried out with the willful cooperation of the participants and so it was indeed collaborative in nature.

After reviewing current literature in career transition, personal mastery and adult learning, and with the changes in the economy in mind, we developed a curriculum that we feel rneets the needs of today's career changers. We built the curriculum on the foundation of career transition programs that we have been using in the past and added a focus on personal mastery both through the content of the materials and by utilizing adult learning models that effectively facilitated empowerment in participants. Structurally the program was loosely divided according to the primary principles of personal mastery. We began by addressing the issue of current reality, explored issues of creative tension and emotional tension and then addressed the participant's persona1 vision. The curriculum was based on the Popular Education method developed by Paulo Freire and more recently adopted by Jane Vella (1997) otherwise known as dialogic learning and on the principles of transactional learning examined by Mezirow et al (1990).

Our belief is that career transition programrning is simply a vehicle for the presentation and development of persona1 mastery skills. The content of the program reflects career transition skills facilitated in a way that encourages the development of persona1 mastery in participants.

As outlined in the literature review, we used a research structure similar to Stringer's (1996) Action Research Interacting Spiral mode1 (Look, Think, and Act). First we 'looked' at the situation by holding focus groups then we made an assessment of the information we collected (thought) and using that information developed a persona1 mastery program (acted). As we review the outcome of the program, we will revisit the cycle in new and improved iterations of the persona1 mastery program. In the next section, we wdl look a t our information gathering and evaluation strategy.

Royal Roads University - . n McCougan Master of ,kts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

Information Gathering Tools

Focus Groups

We chose to use focus groups to initiate the research phase of our project partly because of our commitment to participatory programming and partly because of our need to determine what the general unemployed public perceived a s the problems facing individuals in career transition. We were also curious as to employers' perceptions of their changing needs in terms of worker attributes and wanted to see if there was a resonance between the information on the economy we were reading in Bridges and others and the local econorny. We felt that it was important to convene three focus groups of unemployed individuals because ail of the groups had different target group participants. The &st one was comprised primarily of individuals with disabilities, the second of people who were in transition due to changes in the economy and the third were individuals whose commonality was that they all had some post-secondary education and were unemployed. As stated in Morgan (1988, p. 32)

" one important determinant of the number of groups is the number of different subgroups required.. .if there are several distinct population segments ...y ou may want or need to run separate groups in each

Our goal was to ensure that the focus groups we consulted did not have particular biases unique to their groups. Krueger defines a focus group as a:

"carefully planned discussion designed to obtain perceptions in a defined area of interest in a permissive, non-threatening environment" (1994, p. 18)

In our attempt to make the focus group experiences as effective as possible the researchers carefully practiced the discipline of listening to others in a group setting, we took extensive notes of the discussion and used the participant's own language to record comments. While we led the discussion by asking questions we were non-reactive and non-directive once discussion had begun. We were cognizant of the commitment of time being made by the focus group participants, kept discussion focussed and ended the focus group interviews at the times we had agreed to.

The focus group notes were then analyzed by the researchers with a view to identi&mg trends or patterns in language or concepts used either within individual focus groups or across all the focus groups. As qualitative research in general, and action research in particular, relies on the words of participants and the

Royal Roads University Master of k t s - Leadership and Training

.hn McCougan Lee Rome

observations of the researchers focus group interviews assisted approaches to career transition

31

to express reality, the information gained fiom these the researchers in developing new and creative based on the words of those in career transition.

Interviews

Our purpose in the interviews and with the written evaluations was the search for evidence of personal mastery. We were guided by Senge's (1994) list of qualities found in individuals with a high level of personal mastery and we were looking for evidence of these in client responses:

They have a sense of purpose that lies behind their goals. Their vision is more like a c a l l i n g than it is like a good idea. They see current reality as an &y, not an enemy. They are committed to seeing reality more and more accurately. They are extremely inquisitive. They do not resist, but work with, the forces of change. They feel connected to others and to Me itself. They feel that they are part of a larger creative process that they can influence but cannot unilaterally control.

Our principal data-gathering tool during and after the program was the conversation. Kvale (1996) puts the qualitative interview in a context with which we feel in harmony, when he states, "Interviews are conversations where the outcome is a coproduction of the interviewer and the subject."@. xvii)

Each Friday during the program the researchers met for a half-hour with each participant to chat about their progress or difEculty. In this way, we would get a read on their situation and some information on their responses to the exercises and discussions of the week. This also allowed us to da* concepts that the participant was having difficulty with and to refine our needs assessrnent for the following week. We did not attempt to direct these conversations; they often began with the queiy, "So, how's it going?' This simple open question offered us rich and u s e N responses.

Written Evaluations

We used an evaluation form at the completion of the three-week program. It contained a segment on each of 21 different components of the program and asked about the usefulness of the component, and, in some cases the clarity of the presentation. Participants were asked to score each item on a scale of one to five. This scoring was in no way an attempt to quant* anything other than the strength


h n b1cGougan Lee Rome

of the participant's feelings about the usefulness of the component. On each of the 21 items, there was also a space for written comments. Our objective here was twofold. First we wanted ascertain the value that each participant placed on the component under review or in some cases the clarity of o u presentation. Secondly, we hoped that participants would use the space for written comrnentary to broaden the space for reporting. We did not know what would emerge but were hopeful that a design would present itself.

Attached to this was a n additional form with five questions on the participants' experience of the program with space for written comments. The five questions were:

1. How would you describe your experience of this course? 2. In what ways, if any, has this course benefited you in your employment

transition? 3. Do you feel more in control or less in control of your future after attending

this course? 4. Which portions of the program were most useful to you? 5. Which portions of the program were least useful to you?

The Ecst two of these questions were intentionally open in the hope of generating unsolicited but usefd data. The third, fourth and tifth questions were direct and directed in order to gain the benefit of this group's perception. The third question is more direct and might be considered a leading question. At the time we drafted the questions we had corne to think of this group as true collaborators, not subjects and we wanted their direct comments. We felt that the direct approach would provide the information we were looking for and would not skew the responses.

Also attached was an evaluation for the facilitators o n our presentations and presentation style. This was arranged with a section for each of the facilitators. Our hope in including these questions was that we would obtain direct and useful advice on how we might improve a s facilitators.

The participants spent about one hour completing these evaluations.

Study Conduct

Introduction

We began this project, "Eqloring the Effects of Training in the Discipline of Persona1 Mastery on People in Career Transition", by considering our c u r e n t

Royal Roads University -4nn McGougan Master of ,Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

knowledge and practice of working with individuals in career transition. We developed a workuig assumption that people in career transition would benefit fiom developing the Personal Mastery skills that Senge (1990) outlines in The Fifth Discipline. We based that assumption on our knowledge of the changing world of work and the new demands it is placing on workers. At the time, it seemed that we were beginning our project a t the 'act' part of the action research cycle, (look, think, act), as we had or ig indy proposed to develop a career transition program based on our existing knowledge.

As we began our literature search, we found that there is a body of literature in both the personal mastery and adult education domains that supports our assumption, although it bas not previously been applied to career transition strategies. We developed our project and its curriculum after integrating the information we collected with the assumptions we were making £rom personal experience.

Throughout the research and the development of a curriculum we did in fact complete two fuU action research cycles (Stringer, 1996) as follows:

First Cycle: O Look - identified a need for focus groups and developed focus group questions,

established literature review domains o Think - reading relevant literature, holding focus groups a Act - writing literature review, developing curriculum focus

Second Cvcle: O Look - reviewing focus group findings a s a needs assessrnent for potential

program participants a Think - writing curriculum including developing group exercises based on

research findings o Act - offering three week career transition program based on principles of

persona1 masterq-: reviewing outcome of program through evaluation, interviews with participants and discussion

The following is a description of the steps completed during the conduct of this study. We will describe the steps considered and taken toward completion.

Royal Roads Universi5 - A m McGougan Master of -Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

34

Focus Groups

We identified a need to have focus groups comprised of unemployed Canadians who had not been enrolled in career transition programs in the past and of employers who represented a range of labour market sectors. In the case of the three focus groups for unemployed Canadians, we drew the participants hom programs offered by Global Vocational Services. The three focus groups were participants in the Employment Idea Generator Program, Bridges to Employment and Making a Living in the New Economy (our project group). The questions we asked these focus groups were a s follows:

a What doyou thinkemployers are l o o h g f o r ? o How do you think jobs have changed since you fïrst started working? O What do you think it takes to get back to work? a What have been the effects of unemployment on you?

In asking these questions we were trying to determine the general attitude of unemployed people to today's work world and to determine their overall understanding of what today's employers expect of workers. Of course, because of our working assumption that personal mastery is a n important skiU set for workers in transition, we also looked for an awareness of the need for these skills in the focus group members.

In the case of the employers' focus group, we drew the participants £rom a variety of labour market sectors in the Cowichan Region. The participants represented government, education at the public school and post secondary levels, non-profit organizations, hospitality, and environmental consulting. The questions we asked this focus group was as follows:

o What do you look for in prospective employees?

In asking these questions we hoped to elicit information on the changing nature of the workplace and of employers' expectations of employees. Again, we were looking for either corroboration or lack of evidence of our assumption of the need for personal mastery skills in employees in the new economy.

Literature Review

In determiMg the appropriate domains for the literature review for this project we considered the following:

a Persona1 mastery O Leadership

Royal Roads Universi- Master of :& - Leadership and Training


O Group dynamics a Career transition a The changing economy a Adult learning a Action research The literature review comprised a search of related print media obtained fkom both academic libraries and the popular press. In addition, we used Internet resources extensively in order to obtain the most current materials on our subjects.

We narrowed the Iiterature review domains to personal mastery, career transition, the changing economy, adult learning and action research. Leadership was combined with personal mastery and group dynamics with adult learning.

Curriculum Development

We developed the curriculum based on materials currently in use in career transition programs and materials discovered in the course of our research. We identified the curricdum materials according to the different areas of personal mastery that they addressed. The areas included the identification of current reality, the awareness of creative tension and emotional tension and the development of vision.

The curriculum included the following components:

Introduction

Theory of persona1 mastery - current reality, vision, creative tension

Current Realitv

o Participant needs assessrnent O Discussion of workplace changes. O Creation of dyads where each partner took the role of biographer and

interviewed the other about life experiences. Chronological CV development in order both to i d e n t e work history and to record what individuals learned in each of their experiences about the experience and about themselves.

a Theory of action vs. theory espoused (Argyris) to explore why people may not get reactions to their behaviours that they are expecting fiom others. Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator and review of temperaments and their implications.

Royal Roads University Master of h-ts - Leadership and Training

Ann PrIcGougan Lee Rome

Emotional Tension and Creative Tension

O Discussion of benefits of journalling. o Visualization used both for relaxation and to give the participants a n

opportunity to get past self limiting beliefs. o Discussion of emotional tension and its effect.

Mining critical incidents (Brookneld in Mezirow, 1990) for evidence of assumptions we make about the world around us.

Vision

a Personal mission building. a Exploration of personal vision.

Implicit in the development of the curriculum was the principle of beneficence or positive effect for the participants of the study. As the Canadian Psychological Association's principles state (Falys, 1997) the following are of primary concern in working with participants:

o "Principle 1 - Respect for the Dignity of Persons .. . each person should be treated as a person or an end in hidherself, not as an object or a means to and end.. . all persons have the right to have their imate worth as human beings appreciated.

o Principle 2 - Responsible Caring . . . standards include conduct that displays general caring; an appreciation for the strengths and limits of one's competence and self-knowledge; ... attempts to maximize benefit for research participants.

a Principle 3 - Integrity in Relationships ... honesty and forthrightness in all relationships in which psychologists might find themselves." (Palys, 1997, pp. 102 & 103)

These standards or principles are consistent with the Popular Education Method or dialogic learning standards as stated by Vella (1997):

a "Safety in the environment and the process. Q A sound relationship between teacher and learner for learning and development. P Respect for learners as subjects of their own learning." (1997, p. 4)

Throughout the curriculum design, our concern was that we approach the participants in a respectful way that honoured their learning and essence. As personal mastery is not something that can be imposed externally (Senge, 1990), it was particulaïly important that we design a program that alIowed the participants

RoyaI Roads Universis. Master of Arts - Leadership and Training

Ann McGaugan Lee Rome

the opportunity to make meaning for themselves of the principles of personal mastery.

Personal Mastery Program

After designing the curriculum for a career transition program with a personal mastery focus, with funding from Human Resource Developrnent Canada, Cowichan Region we offered the three-week program to their clients as a pilot project. The program was called "Making a Living in the New Economy". Our criteria for the participants in this program were the following:

O Unemployed. o Some post secondary education. o Previous attachment to the workforce.

We hoped to offer the program to ten participants but only nine participants registered. One participant decided after the fkst day that she was not able to continue, as she felt that she was not ready for such introspection in her Me. All participants completed an information and consent form and were informed of the nature of the research study and its applications. During the f i s t morning of the program the participants functioned as a focus group. We asked them to do this partly to enhance our understanding of the attitudes and beliefs of unemployed individuals and partly to enable us to do a needs assessment for the group so that we could tailor the program to meet their needs.

The program followed the above curriculum outline Monday to Thursday for each of the three weeks. On Fridays we asked participants to come in to meet with us individually in order to discuss their experience of the program and any impact it had on them. At the meeting we simply asked participants how they were doing in the program, what they liked about it and what we could do better.

Participant Feedback and Evaluation

4 s mentioned above we had feedback sessions with individual participants each week, in addition we asked participants to complete an evaluation that included a rating of each of the curriculum areas as well as narrative feedback on the general usefulness of the program and the effectiveness of the facilitators/researchers.

Following the program we have had telephone contact with the participants on a biweekly basis to ask for further information on their progress or implementation of the principles of persona1 mastery in their everyday lives. We i 7 . l continue to follow the participants for a period of ten weeks after the end of the program.

Royal Roads University .hn PvlcGougan Master of -kts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

CHAPTER 4 - RESEARCH STUDY RESULTS

Findings - Focus Groups

We conducted three focus groups with individuals in employment transition and one with employers representing several sectors of the local economy. It was our intention to both check our sssumptions (developed while doing previous employment transition programs) and to compare local views and experiences with the current literature. We also wanted to see to what extent individuals were aware of global changes in the economy and to ascertain their feelings about these and any strategies they might have for dealing with them. The groups were conducted with an eye to any emergent design that might present itself and we were not disappointed. Our h s t surprise h d ï n g was the speed a t which the groups came alive and started working as dynamic entities. When asked to perform as co- researchers with their experiences and opinions being carefully documented, they seemed to come dive. The focus group sessions were two hours in length and previous experience would have suggested that a group of strangers would enter and a group of strangers would leave when it was over. With these groups however, the level of interaction was stiiking. They entered a s strangers but by the time the first h o u had passed, they were working like collaborators. It was such a marked change hom previous groups we had facilitated that we are considering starting more of our workshops with a focus group or 'research' phase. A visiting facilitator d s o remarked on this phenomenon with enthusiasm and surprise.

The groups made up of individuals in transition were asked the following four question:

1. What do you think employers are looking for? 2. How have jobs changed since you started working? 3. What do you think it takes to get back to making a living? 4. R l a t have been the effects of unemployment o n you?

Emploment Seekers Group One

The h s t group was made up of people who had enrolled in an employment transition program presented for individuals with disabilities that impeded their work life. These impediments ranged &om multiple sclerosis through damaged backs and knees to depression. The group was made up of eleven people with eight females and three males.

Royal Roads University Ann McGougan hIaster of Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

In their answer to question one this group ranked trust as the most important factor employers were looking for. This was also the quality most highly ranked by our ernployers group when asked what qualities they were looking for. m e r trust, came experience for group one and that was followed by flexibility, a quality tha t tied for second place with our employers. Group one showed an awareness of changes in the world of work with other qualities they listed, namely: people skills, multi-tasking ability, self motivation and problem-solving ability.

In response to question two, this group has witnessed many changes in the work place. The top five they listed were: the greater need for qualifications, higher expectations all around, higher education required, fewer jobs available and more multi-tasking on the job. The personal responsibility to upgrade SUS was mentioned but it was placed a t fourteenth in their ranking, a much lower position than it would receive £rom the authors currently writing on the changing workplace

For question three, the top five things required to get back to making a living were Listed as: confidence in your abilities, a realistic assessment of where you are now, health, more educatiodupgrading and motivation-

The fnst two, confidence in your abilities and a realistic assessment of where you are now, reflect a surprising correlation to current reality, one of the building blocks of persona1 mastery. Of the complete list of 32 items, there were three, luck, age and pohtics that we believe represent a n external locus of control orientation (factors over which the individual has no control), Twenty-nine items on the list represent a n internai locus of control orientation (factors over which the individual accepts responsibility and can take control).

In answer to question four, we received the next of our emergent surprises. When asked about the effects of unemployment, the one they listed as most important was h a n c i a l hardship but fully 50% of the effects listed were positive in nature. Number two on the List of 42 was more family time and number three was more time to reevaluate lifestyle. These along with the other effects considered as positive fall into two great themes, connection with others (both family and community) and reevaluation of the meaning of He.

Emplovment Seekers Group Two

Our second group was comprised of individuals in employment transition; each of who had registered in a program billed to generate new employment ideas. There were 12 in number with six males and six females, coming from a number of fields including forestry, public service, s m d business, hospitality and sales. With this group, we asked the same questions in the same rnanner and order as we had with

Royal Roads University Master of .L\rts - Leadership and Training

Xnn McGougan Lee Rome

the previous group. Group two also presented the same rapid shift fiom strangers to enthusiastic collaborators that we had witnessed in group one.

For question one this group generated 32 qualities that they felt employers were looking for and the top five they identifïed were experience, education, team work, dependability and honesty. As mentioned above honesty is the one criterion mentioned by our employers group as most desirable. Group two also listed good communication skills, flexibility, multiple skills and motivation but they were farther down the List than they would be if the List was developed by the current writers on workplace change or our employers panel.

For question two this group listed 29 points with technology, high education required, no job security, high workplace pressure and more diverse requirements of workers as the top five changes in the workplace. Their Est also included more stress, more part time jobs, lack of employer loyalty, fewer benefits and smaller stafEng all trends commented on in the literature. Like group one they showed some understanding of the trends. Group two responses were all fi-amed in terms of employee losses. It could not be said of either group that they saw workplace change as an opportunity.

In response to question three, this group Listed 23 things that would be required for them to get back to work. The top five listed were motivation, imagination, education, risk taking and 'knowing what you want'. This last represents an impression that clarity of personal internal current reality is a useful asset, a belief harmonious with the Literature of personal mastery. With the exception of one of the 23 (luck), all represented an internal locus of control orientation. This group shares with group one the belief that despite changes in the workplace driven by factors outside the& control, the responsibility to get back to work and the power to do it is their own.

Reporting the personal effects of unemployment, this group lists 'opportunity for change' as the most important but go on to List 11 negative effects including depression, frustration, 'mass confusion', and lowered self-esteem. Three other effects were considered positive by the group members. They were motivation, a more 'realistic outlook', and the ability to 'look a t their community as a whole'.

Emplovment Seekers Group Three

For o u third focus group, we used the participants enrolled in the three week program that was a part of this project. They had registered for a program in 'personal mastery as it relates to employment in the new economy' and ail had some post-secondary education. As they were unaware of the specifïc content of the program we were to offer, we felt that this would not skew research outcomes in any

Royal Roads University .hn McGougan Master of k t s - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

way. We started the &st day of the program with a focus group. This seemed useful as a n information-gatheruig device and a program component. By this t h e , we had corne to believe in the benefits of the focus group as a process tool. There were nine people in the group with seven females and two males.

For question one, this group listed 13 qualities tha t employers were looking for. The top five ranked were trained, multi-functional, experienced, reliable (competent and in good health) and possessing good communication skills. Multi-functional represents an accurate perception of todayJs workplace as represented in the literature. Further, this was the only group that included communication skitls in their top five. The literature indicates that in today's rapidlq- changuig world of work, the ability to communicate efficiently with fellow team members is a required skill. Our employers' focus group ranked communication skills as second only to trust in their List of desirable employee traits. At 13 items, this group provided the shortest list. It included such things as cornputer skills, professional attitude, versatility, community involvement, flexibility and self-reliance, making it the one that most closely resembled an accurate synopsis of the c u r e n t literature. I t also closely resembled the List provided by our ernployers group. This may be attributable to the higher levels of education and professional development that those in this group possessed and the fact that the rnajority had had some management experience.

Group three lists more technology, higher education, more part-time work with fewer benefits, the demand to always do more with less and a wider gap in the pay scale between upper management and workers as the five biggest changes in their workplaces. They also recognized the trends toward more self-employment, less manual labour, less job security and constant changes in the workplace. As with the other groups, their answers to this question conform to the staternents on workplace change found in the literature.

This group responded to question three with a list of 13 things that it would take to get them back to making a living. In ranking their List they put ski11 upgrades, adequate wages, accessing hidden jobs, interesting opportunities and staying motivated in the top five positions. This seams a curious mix of answers as it almost confiicts with itself. Our reading has ski11 upgrading, staying motivated and accessing hidden jobs as productive activities whereas awaiting adequate wages and interesting opportunities would seam to evolve fkom a different mindset altogether. We can only guess that subgroups within the larger group were such that this 'multiple persondi@' response was the outcome.

Group three listed 15 effects of being unemployed with h a n c i a l strain, a future on hold and depression as the most important three. Seven of the effects listed are positive in nature with ' t h e to re-assess the important things in life' ranked as the nfth most important eEect.

Royal Roads University iMaster of ,Arts - Leadership and Training

.G* MC& uga n Lee Rome

For our employers' focus group, we invited six people. We chose them £rom several sectors in the Cowichan Valley. From education, we chose a high school principal and a manager in Human Relations from the local Community College. From the public sector, we invited the local manager of the Human Resources Development Canada. From the private sector, we invite the comptroller of a province wide research Company and the owner of a local restaurant. From the First Nations community, we invited the Executive Director of a nonprofit agency servuig the needs of urban Aboriginal people. We invited two prominent people from the forest indust~y but neither was able to attend. The meeting was limited to 90 minutes as that was a.ll the various schedules allowed and asked two questions: What do you look for in prospective employees and, how have your hiring practices changed in the 1 s t ten years?

The group generated a list of 34 qualities that they found attractive in prospective employees after much discussion. m e r the group meeting we delivered a copy of the List to each participant and asked them to rank their top five qualities in order of importance on that list. We then tabulated the results of this ranking and came up with a prioritized list of 13 qualities. From most important to least the list reads:

Good communication skills -The ability to share ideas and non defensively receive feedback Trust Ability to manage change independently and in teams Flexibility Understanding of the organization and how their skills fit in Enthusiasm Innovation Energetic Trainable

10. Technologically literate 11. Self reliant 12. Life experience 13. Committed to own personal wellness

When discussing changes in hiring practice over the last ten years they reported that ten years ago they hired only for basic task oriented skills. Now common practices include: o Consideration of the individual's fit with the organizational culture. a The use of intuition and team feedback to consider the personal characteristics

of prospective employees. a Avoiding primadonnas.


..hn EvlcGougan Lee Rome

o A srnaller degree of hierarchical thinking. a Ensuring that prospective employees understand the organizational culture and

how they would f i t in it. a Less importance placed on stereotypes regarding appearance and presentation. O Awareness that employment positions are often temporary and yet the work is

still valuable and important.

Summary - focus groups

Through the compilation of the results of the focus groups, we discovered that all of the focus groups agreed with the conclusions we had drawn through our own experience in the field and through our literature review. The conclusions reached supported our premise that individuals need a higher degree of persona1 mastery in order to weather career transitions and to maintain employment in today's economy.

Findings - Participant Outcornes

In this segment of our report, we will look a t the effects of our program on the lives of the individuals who participated. The effects were different for each and we will therefore look a t each individually before drawing any general conclusions about the effects of the program as a whole. In looking a t the stories of each participant as they journeyed with us through the program we looked for several indicators of change. These indicators fall into two areas related to personal mastery. These areas are not signincantly different, but represent different nIters through which we looked for evidence of change in the outlook of participants.

The fïrst of these fïlters is the list of qualities found in people with high levels of personal mastery by Peter Senge (1990):

They have a sense of purpose that lies behind their goals. Their vision is more like a cal l ing than it is Iike a good idea. They see c u r e n t ieality as an ally, not an enemy. They are committed to seeing reality more and more accurately. They are extremely inquisitive. They do not resist, but work with, the forces of change. They feel connected to others and to life itself. They feel that they are part of a larger creative process that they can idluence but cannot unilaterally control.

The second filter we used in our observations screened for the four ingredients of personal mastery itself, those being:

Royal Rozids University Master of Arts - Leadership and Training

h n McCougan Lee Rome

Awareness of current reality. 0 Possession of a clear personal vision.

Awareness of personal emotional tension. The creative tension that propels individuals toward their vision.

Client Number One

Client number one is a male in his mid forties. He describes his family of ongin as being very hard workers and perfectionists with a reputation for putking work ahead of family. The family history also includes a father and mother who entered organizations in menial capacities and through t h e 5 dedication and hard work, moved up to middle management positions. He is a dedicated and cornpetitive athlete on weekends but reports not taking a single holiday in his working life as his focus was on his work. This is the fist time he has experienced unemployment in 35 years.

The client's work history replicates both the pattern of rising Born menial positions to management positions demonstrated by his parents a s well as the capacity to work hard and bring real dedication to his work. This pattern led him through a number of positions where his role was 'fixer', with a consistent pattern of improving the performance of his departments. As a manager, he tended to make up for the shortcomings of his staff by working harder himself. He tells a story of a series of significant management accomplishments with some bitterness; the source of which seems to be difncult relationships with underlings. Until this period of unemployment, he has always had standing offers of employment.

Client number one entered the program with the stated objective of staying motivated and making sure of his focus. He is enrolled in the fast-track Business Administration program at the University of Victoria. It was his hope to complete the program and make his way back into a middle management position.

During the interview a t the end of the Grst week, a strong interest in teaching became known. He has done some instructing at the community college level and in the organizations in which he worked. During this interview, we asked each client to complete a personal SWOT analysis (a self conducted analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). This client reported strong time management, teaching, analysis, computer and organization skills and 20 years of management experience as his strengths. He lists weak conflict-resolution skills while working and keeping his emotions in check while unemployed dong with a lack of computer accounting skills as his weaknesses. Under opportunities, he mentioned that many people in the work force were due to retire and under threats,



he notes the current economy. He reported no real changes in his own situation or in his perception of it since beginning the program.

During the second weekly interview, client one reported enjoying the discussions. He also reported being impressed with the changes taking place among his cohorts. The family work history question and the critical reflection exercise had stimulated strong emotional responses in several of the participants and this client wondered if they were looking for transition help o r were looking to clear up their relationship difaculties. He reported a clearer understanding of the process and his own responses to it and said that the course had reinforced the impression that he would corne out of his transition better than before. This client found the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) very useful and found the opportunity to work with the concepts and talk them through with others very usem. "This mode1 allows for way more growth because it's not top down".

At the end of the third week, he completed our program evaluation form (see appendix). In this, he noted that the personal mastery theory was useful to him as it gave him the opportunity to "know what the heck I am and work with it". He reported that it allowed him to clar* his vocational direction. He also found that becoming aware of his own patterns of emotional tension was a "huge step".

Describing his experience of the course, he mentioned growth, expanded persona1 knowledge and co6dence. When asked how the course benefited him in his employment transition, he responded that it had "highlighted awareness of his skills and capabilities" and increased his sense of his options, most importantly "who and what 1 am and why; now 1 can work with that to improve and adapt . . ."

When asked if he felt more or less in control of his future after attending the course he reported that his fear of failure still h i t e d his feelings of control. "But 1 feel there are way more options now and less limitation; so that more positive feeling may be interpreted as having more control".

As to the portions of the program that were most useful to him he noted the smaU group discussion and the creation of visual images reflecthg program principles etc. that were created and hung on the wall. Components of Little use for this client were the guided visualizations. He reported finding it di£6cult to slow down and relax enough to actually viçualize, but noted that this awareness in itself was a useful piece of personal knowledge.

In the post program interview in December, this client reported that he was very happy he had taken the program. It had given him the opportunity to look at his strengths and develop the codidence that was damaged when he had lost his job. He had registered for the fast-track Business Administration program at the

Royal Roads University Master of =\rr - Leadership and Training


46

University of Victoria and he had added the intention of continuing on to complete an MBA at Royal Roads University.

By January he was enrolled and engaged in the Business Administration program.

Program Effect Summarv for Client One

Both the client and the researchers noticed sigdïcant changes in several areas. The f i s t was a much clearer understanding of both current reality and personal emotional tension. From the perspective of changes in clarity of persona1 vision, this client has moved irom enrollment in a business course to a long-term professional development plan. His plan now iocludes completing the business course followed by a Masters Program leading to a career as a consultant. Decisive action in the direction of the vision following the program also indicates the development of creative tension. From the perspective of Senge's list of qualities, this client seems to be more committed to working with the forces of change and less Uely to be victimized by them-

Client Nurnber Two

Client number two is a fifty year old male. His father was a railway conductor and his mother a psychiatric nurse. He describes an early family Life med with sports and recreation where his parents wanted theii children "to enjoy growing up". It was an atmosphere of possibility where "there was no such thing as can't do". Upon leaving high school, he entered university to study Sociology and Journalism graduating with a degree in Journalism. He went on to graduate work in Calfornia and completed a Master's degree in Planning. His focus as a planner was and is on the social side of that field rather than the architectural. While attending university, he was active as a campus journalist and a sports coach with an emphasis on swimming.

His working Me includes positions as a Futurist for the Government of Ontario and as the Chief Planner for a Regional District over a number of years. He followed these with a series of economic development initiatives carried out on behalf of regions, municipalities, native bands and non-profit societies. These initiatives included the encouragement of light industry, tourism and employment creation. Some of these involvements were carried out as an employee and in later years, he has operated as a consultant. He reports having a strong desire to make a better world, and many of his working experiences have reflected this desire. He is a passionate traveler with a great deal of experience in the Far East where he has involved himself in importing and exporting as well as touring.

Raya1 Roads University Ann bfcGougan Master of .Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

Client number two arrived with the short-term vision of t a h g an entrepreneurid course and starting a s m d manufacturing operation based around a single wood product. His long-term vision (five years hence) includes a move to the Far East where he will be semi-retired. He feels very well connected there and thinks that he will have no difliculty finding work. Personal and family reasons keep him in Canada for the next five years and it is for this period that he is seeking employment. He feels out of touch with the Planning cornmunity as he has not intentionally retained contact and in recent years he reports that his "phone has stopped ringing''. He alço reports being very uncornfortable with the idea of marketing himself.

In the interview at the end of the fu.st week he reported feeling very apprehensive about self-employment and had some difnculty imagining feeling secure with it. In the program so far, he has found value in the ideas of goal setting and vision. In completing a personal SWOT analysis, he identined his strengths as having high standards, being able to do tedious work, having varied interests and appreciating fYee t h e . Client two identified his weaknesses as being unable to maintain steady employment and apprehension about self employment. His opportunities were identified as having contacts in other countries and his threats as downturns in the economy (both local and worldwide).

During the interview at the end of the second week, client two reported havuig obtained a different perspective and "new idea who you are and better understanding. . . little pieces of the puzzle". He enjoyed the perspective provided by the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator and stated that he was finding the course very use ful.

In the program component evaluation at the end of the third wec-k, client two reported f i n h g the segment on emotional tension useful as he did the concept of creative tension. He also found useful a video presentation on the effect of paradigms as he did one on vision. Client two reported also that his understanding of his current reality was much improved.

Client two describes his o v e r d experience of the course, "Broadened my understanding of self, goal setting and vision". He reports that the program allowed him to broaden his scope of potential jobs available and gave him a greater sense of control over his fûture than he had at the outset. At the end of the third week, he maintained that the program was well constructed with one aspect building on the previous one. He very much enjoyed the discussions that were central to ali stages of the program.

In the post program interview in December, it was still his intention to go into business with his kiend in light manufacturing. He had registered in the New Entrepreneur Program (a four week business start-up training program). Looking

Royal Roads University - h n McGougan Master of -bts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

back, he observed that the program had been very useful for some of the participants but did not see how it had been useful for him. He went on to say that it had been interesting and that he had enjoyed the discussions.

When contacted in January he reported that he was attending the New Entrepreneur Program and was considering applying for a Self-Employment Assistance grant.

Promam Effects Summarv for Client Two

This client presented the researchers with a puzzle. His program evaluation uicluded reports of sigdicant gains in his understanding of his own current reality and in his sense of clarity regarding his personal emotional tension. He also reported a clearer understanding of the process of visioning and goal setting. The post program conversation did not support this. His long-term vision remains unchanged and we have obsemed nothing that would indicate the growth of creative tension.

Client Number Three

Client number three is a fernale in her mid forties. She tells a brief story of ber family of origin, recounting a story of a lean existence on a farm in rural Nova Scotia. Her rnother, father and all the children worked hard to survive. Lwruries were unheard of. Choices were not discussed much and the emotional environment she describes as "just do what has to be done".

She moved West as a young adult and obtained work in the banking industry. After 17 years in banking, client three moved to a private mortgage lending organization that contracted mortgage lending for chartered banks. Her role there was a loans officer. m e r several years with this organization as an employee she was downsized but continued to do the same work as a contractor. Over the subsequent two years, the flow of contract work had gradually diminished reflecting the nature of the local real estate market. She had maintained herselfduring this time by borrowing and was now in a desperate financial situation. The borrowing had allowed her t o retain her home but her personal debt had become too large to manage. Consequently, she was very depressed and considering bankruptcy.

At our fhst interview, client t h e e had already made some decisions. She reported that she had arrived o n the f i s t day convinced that she had to find an office job. Since arriving, she had corne to believe that now she must look at education fïrst. At the same time, she would move to bring her financial situation to a head. This would be improved if she took steps to remedy it rather than wait for repossession. Client three informed us that she had enrolled in the program because she needed

Royal Roads University Master of ATS - Leadership and Training

-4nn blcCougan Lee Rome

to feel okay and to learn how to take the next step. She went on to Say that her expectation had already been met as she was now feeling okay and ready to let it (her troublesome financial situation) go. In completing the personal SWOT analysis, she listed her strengths as organizational skills, Listening skills, common sense, honesty, empathy and the ability to work independently. Under weaknesses she listed empathy, single sector knowledge banking), a lack of cornputer skills, her expectation of integrity in others and lack of exposure to the 'real world'. Client three was unable a t this point list any opportunities. Her list of threats included having no financial means, no family support and that her tirne has run out and bankruptcy cost $1,000 to declare.

At the next interview, client three reported, "I'm cornfortable. I am enjoying it; it's giving me a better understanding of myself. 1 feel more settled. I'm making some progress in my He".

In the program component evaluation, this client gives all components of the program very high marks with the exception of the journaling component; a fact on which she did not elaborate.

In her comments on the program evduation she states that a t the outset she was uncomfortable and that she didn't know where we were going. She had not been involved in anything like this before and was very apprehensive. Determined to "stick it out" she found the experience "less painful" than she had anticipated. When asked about any benefit of the course to her in her employment transition she stated, "1 have a clearer vision of my strengths and desires and possibilities. The roadblocks are real and are a normal part of everyone's Me. Understanding this can help me go beyond and focus on my vision. 1 have much more clarity". When asked if she felt more in control, "1 feel more in control knowing that it's okay to feel the things 1 do. 1 feel my strengths are strong and my weaknesses are manageable. 1 also recognize that the things that motivate me and make me really happy are to be a larger part of my working Me. The two do not have to be separate".

Client number three could not be reached for a December interview but was contacted in January. '4t that time she had completed a computer-upgrading course and had obtained part-time work as a home support worker. She was awaiting word £rom her church on a position in Israel. Her house was for sale and she had managed to avoid bankruptcy. Reflecting upon the course, she said that she was very grateful for the three weeks of the program as it had been a very 'spiritual' experience and had really changed her feelings about herself and 'where she is' in Me.


-4nn i'vIcGougan Lee Rome

Program Effect Summarv for Client Three

With this client, we observed significant change. Her sense of her own current reality has grown, as has her understanding of her personal emotional tension. She does not yet enunciate a clear vision but speaks of bringing her working life into a l i m e n t with her sense of purpose. The researchers see a lightness and a general sense of direction in her that was clearly not present at the outset so perhaps some creative tension has been generated. She has completed a computer-upgrading course and is now self-suEcient.

CIient Nurnber Four

Client number four is a fernale in her late twenties. She describes a turbulent family history centered on a mother who was a constant 'doer'. Her story includes few other constants though, and she had attended fourteen schools before grade seven. A sumival strategy she developed early was "if it's not working, bail out". She describes herself as having developed a con man's understanding of manipdating people by quickly observing their real needs and weaknesses. It had been her assumption, developed at an early age, that she would attend university. She reports that her mother had a very professional attitude, and that she too possessed the same. In addition, in her early life, she developed noticeable talent as an illustrator. She was given much attention and praise for this talent. Client three is a voracious reader of fiction and non fiction as well as a student of mm,

She worked as a graphic designer and then took training as a secretary. She performed well in both capacities, but felt that both of these endeavors represented 'giving up her dreams' of university and a professional life. Her 'bail out' pattern referred to above, showed itselfin her working and social life, and she came to Vancouver Island with the hope of starting over and developing a community of her own.

At the outset of the prograrn, client four reported only despondency and confusion when thinking of her career. Her stated reason for enrolling in the program was the desire to get help in defining ideas that were not gelling because of her fear and anxiety. M e r four days in the program, she reported that her position had changed radically. She felt that she had a clearer understanding of the changing economy, that she had identified emerging markets and was eager to develop a long-term vision. In completing the persona1 SWOT analysis, client four identifies intelligence, multiple talents, empathy, positive attitude, creativity, Type A- achiever and leadership qualities in list of strengths. She identifies her weaknesses as a tendency toward self-defeating and withdrawal, intolerance, perfectionism and an unreasonable sense of urgency. Under opportunities, she lists the facts that knowledge has become a commodity and that she has a network of like-minded

Royal Roads University :Inn McGougan hifaster of Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

individuals. Client four sees her threats in the form of bureaucracy, the limiting beliefs of others and her own cynical attitude.

In the next interview, client four continued her enthusiastic appraisal of the program. Like the majority of the other participants, she found the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator to be particularly useful, realizing how her temperament had affected her personal and work relationships. She reported a few 'eureka' moments in the previous week, giving her a clearer understanding of where she fits in. "I'm so satisfied with what I'm getting out of this program. I have identified where 1 am and what 1 can do about working with others". She also reports having identified many new emplo-ment opportunities. " I'm loving every minute of this, a real shot in the arm"-

In the program component evaluation, this client rates almost all components highly. No one component was given a low rating but journaling, treasure maps and the guided visualizations were the lowest. There were several components that she rated particularly useN. The Grst of these was the exploration of family work history. Next, she found the concept of emotional tension useful, claiming a radical shift in awareness afier exploring it. She found the exploration of critical incidents extremely useful. Finally, she found all the current reality components valuable.

In her comments on the program evaluation, she describes her experience of the course as being extremely challenging. She had challenged herself to participate with a high level of public honesty. As to the benefits of the course, she reported that she had been given information, exercises and feedback that she can apply to planning her future. Her short-term focus was on acquiring communication skills. In response to the question about her sense of control she responded, "1 absolutely feel more in control of a lot of things since attending this course". She felt that the most important parts of the program for her were the segments on current reality and the group exercise segment of the Meyers-Briggs.

In the December post-program interview, client four noted that she found herself fkequently questioning her assumptions about other people and their intentions and said that it has helped her stop being so defensive. She also reported being more aware that she needs life skills, particularly communication skills to help her manage her self-defeating behaviors. Following our program, she took the initiative to move one of her plans forward. She developed and presented a self-defense workshop for young women that was well received by the participants. In the January post-program interview, this client reported that she was moving to Vancouver to explore opportunities in the film industry. Her exploration of her skills and aptitudes indicate to her that she would be a successfd continuity person on a film set. During this interview, she indicated that she was grateful for the program as it has enhanced her self-awareness and has allowed her to look at ways she can grow as a person and in relationships.

Royat Roads University Master of Arts - Leadership and Training

Ann PYIcGougan Lee Rome

62

Promam EEect Summarv for Client Four

Client four also reports signincantly greater understanding of her current reality and her personal emotional tension as a result of the program. Like client three her vision is not yet clear but she feels there is a vision on the way and she is hastening in that direction. Referring to Senge's list of qualities, we see a renewed sense of purpose, a commitment to see reality more and more accurately and the inclination to be extremely inquisitive. This client is now employed in an interim job while she continues to explore future possibilities.

Client Number Five

Client number five is a twenty-seven year old female and was brought up on a farm as the child of fïrst generation Canadians. Her father was always busy with the farm and mom worked in the house. She was raised with strong traditional values in terms of both gender roles and Christianity, having been educated in a Christian school. In her family, she stated "Dad was the dreamer and Mom wanted to stay safe" and squelched any big dreams. M e r leaving high school, this client traveled for nine months with a fiiend through the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand. They backpacked around, picked up a bit of work and client five felt that she was just following her fkiend and not taking too many personal risks. When she returned she worked in clerical positions and at a summer camp for kids with special needs. In order to work with the children effectively the client took an American Sign Language course.

Through her experience in working with children with special needs and because of her family's expectations, client five decided to attend university and began a BA in general studies and psychology. Part way through her degree she felt that she needed more counseling skills in order to work a t helping people so she switched to social work and graduated with a BSW. After graduation the client accepted an exchange posting to Japan where she worked at a care facdity for adults with special needs.

In her initial description of herself, client five didn't feel that she was independent and capable on her own although she has strong beliefs regarding the equality of women. She says that since leaving high school her experiences have allowed her to "develop the ability to adjust to uncertainty and be comfortable with ambiguity". She identXed a need to find her own voice. She has a strong interest in working with people, not particularly in an office setting, but in doing things with them. She has a fascination with the mindhody connectiori.

During the h s t individual interview at the end of the fïrst week, client five reported that when she entered the program she had an interest in social work and wanted

Royal Roads University hfaster of ,Arts - Leadership and Training

n/fc&g;in Lee Rome

to explore more mindhody 'stuft' but was vague about her vision. She reported that she was feeling "more confused and had more enthusiasm". She felt that she was "on the verge of something". She felt okay about being in the research phase rather than the knowing phase. What she liked about the program at that point was having a place to research self, a place where there was encouragement and a Little direction, as she needed motivation. Using the personal SWOT analysis, client five identinied her strengths as an eagerness to learn, flexibility, adaptability withïn a team environment, attentiveness, thoroughness, ability to be process oriented and self-reflective. She identined her weaknesses as discounting her own knowledge, indecisiveness, needing approval, and having a 'blocked vision or goal'. The opportunities she saw arising hom these strengths and weaknesses included the opportunity to be a continuing student of Me, the abfity to be self-employed or a consultant/contractor and the willingness to be a multi-task-contributing member. The threats she identifïed included self-doubt, fear, discounted dreams, minimized dreams, maximized "shoulds" and "should nots" and a perceived lack of experience.

After the second week, the interview simply covered what was going well and what we could change about the program. Client five reported that the program was going well for her and gave her lots to think about. She reported "even the exercises that did not seem particularly relevant to my own situation were useful when 1 could apply them to how they worked for others". She felt that there was an information overload in the second week and did not have a sense of completion about the material covered.

In the evaluation after the third week of the program, client five reported that her experience of this course was that it had been "revealing, insightfid, signincant, grounding, soul-searching, inspiring and interesting". In reference to the goals of the program which were to develop a clear understanding of current reality, to i d e n t e sources of creative tension as well as emotional tension and to develop a personal vision, the client exhibited an increased understanding of her own present and fiiture. She stated that in terms of current reahty she was more aware of her strengths, skills and resources and had fewer tendencies to discount these things. She discovered through the visioning process that she had a strong desire to help people £ïnd their voices, and to facilitate the process of empowerment. At the end of the program she had identifïed a number of women's organizations she thought might be appropriate vehicles to enable her to develop her vision.

At the time of the December post program interview this client was researching job opportunities in the social work field and was spending most of her time in the Lower Mainland. She reported that she was much more confident in seeking these positions.

At the time of the January post program interview client five had obtained employment as a social worker for a mental health program in the Fraser Valley.


Ann McCougan Lee Rome

54

This is in keeping with her long term vision as she felt that she might have to get into the social work field in order to develop the experience and network that would enable her to move into work that met her own needs.

Program Effect Summarv for Client Five:

Client five now has a sense of purpose that lies beyond her goals and a vision in which she sees herself as a facilitator of empowerment, and of enabling people to h d their "voices". She is learning to see her current reality as an ally and is trying not to let doubt about her abilities impede her learning. She is committed to honest reflection on her current reality and is aware of how self-doubt causes emotional tension for her- Client five defines herselfas "a constant Iearner who is curious about things" she doesn't understand. Our observation is that her commitment to her vision enhances the creative tension she feels and is beginning to reduce the emotional tension.

Client Number Six

Client number six is a fernale in her early thirties who grew up in a family where both parents were professionals and committed to upgrading theV skills. There were no gender role separations and the client and siblings all participated in all family activities. There was a strong involvement by the whole family in fitness and athletic activities and any vacations and extra monies were committed to outdoor activities, From the time she was m e e n client six played on the Women's Provincial Volleyball team and went on to spend seven years playing on the Women's Canadian National Volleyball team. During this time she participated in the Olympics.

Client six, in the midst of this, enrolled in the University of Victoria and completed a Bachelor's degree oves a nine-year period. During this t h e the client worked summers in recreation programs and at one time was involved in coaching for wheelchair sports including coaching for Rick Hanson. Her involvement in volleyball on a national level took her around the world to innumerable cornpetitions and she credits this experience with her flexibility and ability to adapt to varying situations and types of people.

Following her experience in national sports, the client spent a year in the Professional Beach Volleyball circuit in Australia. When she came back to Canada, she spent a year a t Whistler working in a grocery store and skiing for pleasure. She states that she loved this lifestyle.

Royal Roads University hfaster of - Leadership and Training


From there, she obtained a position as the Women's VoUeyball coach at a university where she stayed for six years. In her position at the university, the client discovered an aptitude for supporting and mentoring the team members she was workulg with. She learned that she is "a very democratic person and that committed to dealing with the whole person in coaching". In this context, she researched problems like bulimia and anorexia and went on to do motivational speaking to young women on self-image issues. She got great satisfaction from being able to help in this way. In the context of this job, the client also developed good media relations skills, public speaking skills and self reLiance and discovered that she has an incredible level of "common sense". The funding for the volleyball program was cut and her position ended.

At the end of the first week of the program, in the interview with client sÏx, she stated that she came into the program with an interest in self-employment and a "need to get busy, to get back to working with people". She stated that she is new to the community and does not really know where she fits in at this point.

Client six stated that afker the f i s t week of the program she was aware of her lack of vision and her tendency to take on short term projects while she's waiting for the real work to corne dong. She most appreciated the persona1 leadership approach that the program took and really enjoyed the interaction with a peer group. In the personal SWOT analysis, she identifïed her strengths a s her common sense, patience, administrative and soft skills, integrity and health. Weaknesses she identined were specsc job related skills, sensitivity, and lack of experience. Opportunities for her included using people skills, mediation and negotiation s u s , conflict resolution skills and her network of contacts in the sports field. What she saw, as threats to her progress, were procrastination, lack of vision, the fact that she is new to the community and lack of connections in any area other than sports.

During the interview process after the second week, client six said she had particularly enjoyed participating in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as it "provided a much clearer idea of strengths and weaknesses". She went on to Say that the process this week has made her think about her lack of vision and has helped her past her resistance to vision. She also stated that she was getting a lot more out of the process than she anticipated. She felt that she had a lot of negativity about this process because of team planning experiences with large organizations where lots of planning was done but the action step was never accomplished. Her overall view of the program so far was that she was " r e d y enjoying the group, hearing what some of the other people have done was inspiring" and she was "enjoying the intellectual stimulation".

In the evaluation of the program after the third week, client six observed that she was "pleasantly suiprised by the content" and that she was taking away a great deal more persona1 insight. She also stated that she has a much clearer persona1

Royal Roads University Master of -kts - Leadership and Training

- h n McGougan Lee Rome

56

vision. She felt that she was "more in control", that she wouldnft be as easily side tracked and that her vision, although not of a specific job, would guide her not only in her current transition but also in any future transitions in her life. She felt that the "sense of trust in the group was very soothing" and that the open discussions were "fabulous". One of the things she found most usefd was the Myers-Briggs Type indicator and felt the discussions around it really helped her understand what her current reality and emotional tensions were.

At the tirne of the December post program interview this client reported that she was preparing for Christmas and not doing much about career planning. She had made and appointment to see our Meyers-Briggs facilitator to inquire about the training required to administer the test. She stated that she was still a little restless and was exploring her true desires.

At the time of the January post program interview client six was enrolled in the New Entrepreneur Program and her plan was to build and operate greenhouses raising bedding plants on her property. She had a partner with the horticultural experience and felt that this would meet her immediate needs and would allow her time to assess her long term vision.

Program Effect Sumrnarv for Client Six:

Our observation of client six is that she is having a dif5cult time finding a vision to direct her goals. As she has been so goal and performance driven in the past, she appears to be having a difncult time identi@mg a passion to guide her and her lack of vision is creating emotional tension. An outcome of the program for her would appear to be that she has a clearer idea of her current reality including her temperament and interests. She has the gift of curiosity and this WU help her to research more possibilities and ultimately d e h e a clear path for herself. Until the time when she is able to identify her vision creative tension will not help her. She is an empathetic listener and participant and was able to see many ways the program helped other participants but sometimes had d35culty seeing its relevance to her own He.

Client Number Seven

Client number seven is a fernale in her early m i e s who came to the program with the clear idea that she wanted to be a secretary. She stated that her reason for coming was that she was "new to the community" and she hoped that it would be an opportunity for her to get "job leads and develop new contacts1'. As a iesult she had a difncult t h e becoming Mly engaged in the process of exploring career transitions and personal mastery.

Royal Roads University Ann McGougan Master of -Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

Client seven's early history included a father who did a lot of work behind closed doors, who didn't t a about what he did for a living, and a mother who rarely worked outside the home. When she did, in client seven's adolescence client seven took on home and "mom" responsibilities. Throughout her teen years the client seven's family moved a great deal and she hated making fhends and then leaving thern. From this she identified a need to create "normalcy" for her children by living in one place while they were growing up.

This client has not worked for five years after an injury on the job while she was working as a care aid at a hospital. She stated that she felt "isolated, out of the loop" and is having a difncult t h e returning to fidl time employment. Possibly as a result of her perceived alienation, the client has a tendency to talk about herself in the third person. The researchers found this a little disconcerting. Client seven's favourite saying is "What is meant for you won't go past you." When discussing personal mastery, she continued to support this principle and others that indicate a comfort with having an external locus of control.

In the interview following the first week of classes she stated that her goal of obtaining a secretarial position was s td prevalent but that participating in the class has given her a stronger sense of community. She stated that she "enjoyed connecting with people in the same boat" as it has given her an opportunity to learn about her new community.

In the personal SWOT analysis, client seven identified her strengths as her ability to be a leader, a survivor, and a listener. She stated that she is happy with her new knowledge of the positive effect she has on people and her ability to make people laugh. She reports that a critical strength for her right now, is that she thrives on changes. She has recently had in her life a new home, a new community and a new signifïcant other and she is working toward a new job. The weaknesses she identified that may inhibit her success included allowing her children to manipulate her, fear of taking a typing test and always staying so busy helping others that she doesn't take time to realize her own needs. Opportunities identined were a commitment to developing a network in the community and the main threat identified was the fear that five years out of the work force was too long and employers might not see her as employable after all this time.

During the second week this client missed several days of the program and during the interview after the second week said she felt a "little lost and alienated" because she had missed so much of the content. She did state, however, that she thought having to look at who she is had been beneficial to her.

During the third week she missed more days, in fact was rarely in attendance and we do not have an evaluation from her on the project as a whole.

Royal Roads University .Am McGougan Master of - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

At the time of the December post program interview, this client had gone to work as an executive housekeeper at a congregate care facility. She felt she would have a n opportunity to use both her care-giving skills and her administrative skills in this position.

At the time of the January post program interview this client was still employed a t the congregate care facility and was unavailable for an interview.

Program Effect Summarv for Client Seven:

Client seven had very strong goals when she came to the program and our observation was that it was diffTcult for her to step back £rom that position enough to challenge the purpose driving the goals. She had committed tirne, energy and money to the achievement of the goals and was sure that they were what she wanted. She tended to take a fatahtic (exterior locus of control) approach to her current reality and appeared to be resistant to exploring her situation in any depth. Client seven has made several life changing decisions in the past two years and she is workmg hard to ensure that she is accepted in her new roles by her children and community. The researchers felt that it was unfortunate that Client seven did not have an opportunity to look at her vision before she began the return to work process. She seems to have chosen a direction and then made ail the other pieces fit, including adjusting her vision to accommodate the direction.

Client Number Eight

Client Number eight is a female in her mid forties who grew up in a profoundly dysfunctional family. When her father left her mother he took the children and went to live with another woman. Her father and stepmother were extremely critical and physically abusive. In order to silence the children her father would threaten to abandon them with their stepmother. Her father worked in real estate and did very well but was never home. Client eight later married and had two children and was divorced shortly after. She chose to stay at home wïth her children until they were in school and then she went back to school and took a Human Service Worker course. On completion of the course, client eight went to work in a group home for profoundly handicapped kids. In this position, she states that she "got way over-involved and burned out". She "couldn't handle the bureaucracy getting in the way of real help for the kids". Although she really liked the connection with the kids and had fun feeling out their capabilities she decided that she had to do something less stressful. She tried working in a daycare but discovered that she just couldn't work in a helping position because of her complete bunout.

Royal Roads University Ann hlcGougan Master of Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

Following this experience, client eight went to work as a volunteer coordinator for the volunteer centre where she developed cornputer skills and discovered a facility for and love of cornputers. She really enjoyed the variety, constant learning and the creativity she could use in developing brochures, leafiets and handouts. Again, however, she felt that the bureaucracy was gettïng in the way of real helping. At this time the client's health was affecthg her job and she had to leave it. Her illness, while not caused by stress, is certainly aggravated by stress and the client recognizes that she now needs to work in a way that is healthy for her. She also recognized that to be healthy, work needs to allow her alone time to regroup and needs to allow her to work with people on a one to one basis rather than in groups. A passion this client has that has helped her with her own psychological health is Jungian psychology and she would like to find a way to learn more in a formal setting and use the knowledge in her work.

Following the first week of classes, client eight stated that her long-term vision was to become a psychologist. This vision hasn't changed. As a resdt of the program, she has now clarined the emotional tension that has been the cause of her having a difficult time believing in her vision. She also stated that she had chosen to come to the program because of the appeal of developing personal mastery and said that she knows that she is the one getting in her own way. Client eight has been away due to stress created illness for a couple of days in the &st week as she found the exploration of persona1 history very dï€6cult so she did not complete the persona1 S WOT analysis.

Following the second week of classes, in her interview, client eight obsemed that she" would prefer the persona1 biography be done in a less stressful way" because she wasnft clear about what the relevance was when it was done. She felt that the material codd be safer and more contained in the beginning. What was great about the group, though, is that it was made up of people who are all willing to look at their own "stdl" in the interest of growth. The client really U e d the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator not so much because she understood herself better, but because she was able to use it to articulate whom she is to others so that they understood better where she wâs coming hom. She said that she was beginning to recognize that what caused her illness, both in the class and in previous jobs, was the emotional tension that we talked about. She ïealized how it was getting in the way of doing work that is healthy for her. Her closing comment was "this program was exactly what 1 needed right now and it was a great group with many intelligent people with great ideas".

In her £inal evaluation of the program, client eight noted that as painful as the initial phase had been, it had led her to the "root of a complex" she felt was affecting her relationships. She had also been able to address the problem with her family. She said that her experience of the course was very emotional and difticult but discovered that it was very effective. She also stated that the struggle to overcome

Royal Roads University Master of :bts - Leadership and Training


the stressful parts of the program had been worthwhile, as she felt much surer of what she really wants to do at the end of the program.

In the December post program interview client eight stated that the best part of the program was that we offered it in a respectful way and that we gave value to her participation in it. She commented that she loves that we're here because we are "really respectful of people". She said we make it feel Like we're all just people on our own journey getting together to learn nom each other. She was negotiating with the student loans administration to have an old loan forgiven and she had applied to Vocational Rehabilitation Services for assistance.

In the January post program interview client eight was enrolled in the New Entrepreneur program with a view to starting a small desktop publishing business out of her home that will support her while she pursues the goal of being a psychologist. In commenting on the effect of the program client eight said that although it stirred up "emotional tension" for her it also created the "aha" moment that has allowed her to start dealing with it.

Program Effect Summary for Client Eight:

Client eight has a strong passion for Jungian psychology that has guided her persona1 growth and relationships for many years. Through exploration of her current reality and vision, she realized that she has needlessly given up her passion because of blocks she has created for herself that caused overwhelming emotional tension. Client eight is learning to see her passion as her vision and is realizing that her current reality can be a stepping stone. Client eight recognizes her predisposition to depression and her tendency, when depressed, to isolate herself hom her community and support group. She also recognizes that she needs to be in touch with others in order to maintain the creative tension needed to achieve her vision. Although she found parts of the program stressful, she realized that the process was important to overcoming the emotional tension caused by the conflict between her passion and her perceived lack of ability to follow that passion (or vision) in any meaiiingful way.

Findings - Employment Related Outcornes

On completion of the program, Client 1 enrolled in a fast track commerce program at the University of Victoria in January and on completion of that will be looking for management positions based on his experience and new education. He will be applying for one of the MBA programs a t Royal Roads University once employed. This client, through the program, realized tha t he had not set high enough goals for himself and that his vision was considerably larger that what he was working

Royal Roads University Master of -4t-t.s - Leadership and Training

Ann McCougan Lee Rome

toward. He now feels that working toward an MBA will provide the creative tension he needs to be successfd.

Following the program Client 2 took the New Entrepreneur Program in December and is working with a partner to start a value added wood products business. He will be applying for the Self-Employment Assistance program as funding to start the business. This is a "meantirne" occupation as the vision of this client is to move to Thailand in five years time. Because he is determined to do this, he is having difnculty seeing his activities in Canada as having a real purpose.

During the program and until February of this year Client 3 was enrolled in, and completed, a cornputer applications course. She has accepted a position as a relief homemaker while she looks for office jobs. In conversations with her she has said that she feels cornfortable now with taking a job that isn't the one she's looking for and can now see it a s only a ternporary measure, a stepping stone leading to her real vision rather that a roadblock,

Client 4 moved to Vancouver in early February to take a job in property management. His intention is to use this job as a way to make a living while she gains the skills and contacts to work in the film industry. She realized that she needed to move to Vancouver if she was to realize her dream.

Client 5 has accepted a position as a Social Worker with Mental Health in Port Coquitlam. Again, she sees this position as a stepping stone leading to her vision of working with women and other disen€ranchised people to help them h d their "voice". She is much more confident now than she was prior to enrolling in the program and has realized that the creative tension caused by understanding her cu ren t reality, including her strengths, will help her stay on the path to her vision.

Client 6 at completion of the program had stilI not identified a strong vision but she had decided that she wanted to stay in this community. This client owns acreage in the region and is working with a partner to build greenhouses on her property in order to cultivate bedding plants. To this end, she has recently completed the New Entrepreneur program and will also apply to the Self- Employment Assistance Program for funding. Client 6 is also still following a cuiiosity about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and intends to take training in order to adrninister this assessrnent tool.

Client 7 has accepted a position as an executive housekeeper a t a congregate care facility and will be able to combine her new office skills with her care-giving skills. She is convinced that her destiny is to work in a clerical position and attributes very little of her success to her creating a vision and working toward it.

Royal Roads University braster of .Arts - Leadership and Training

-4nn McGougan Lee Rome

Client 8 has just completed the New Entrepreneur Program as well and plans to start a home based desktop publishing and data management business that will accommodate her chronic illness. She will apply to the provincial government's Vocational Rehabilitation Services for assistance with the equipment she needs for this venture. In her leisure time she will continue to pursue courses in psychology, particularly Jungian psychology, which is her passion. She is very excited about the possibility of actually obtaining a degree over time and being able to work in the field of Jungian psychology. She readily admits that her emotional tension was so strong that she had given up on a vision that was attainable for her.

Study Conclusions

In the opening paragraph of this report we stateds

"The researchers believe that the development of personal mastery skills will assist individuals in dealing effectively with the changing world of work, both in making career transitions and in developing their future career paths."

Our obsemation is that the directions that the participants have taken since the completion of the course have proved this. Not all of the participants are working in jobs that directly relate to their visions. What they have in common, however, is that they now understand how their progress can be intentional and how their clear understanding of both vision and cuirent reality can cause a synergy that enables them to keep moving closer to the vision.

Evidence gathered fkom participants indicates that they were able to clearly define their c u r e n t reahty, at least understand the concepts of vision and personal mastery and ident* for themselves the emotional tension that has prevented them fkom reaching their vision. Al1 have indicated increased confidence and focus a s outcomes of the program. It would seem, therefore, that the program has served the purpose it was designed for to a greater or lesser degree for each participant.

In our reading on career development programs we have identified the issue prevalent in unemployed individuals of an inability to overcome the overwhelming implications of unemployment. As we stated in the introduction

" The paradox presented to those who w o d d provide help for these individuals is this: we must find a way to help them move from a state of mind characterized by fear of the future to one of excitement about the possibilities offered by that future, fiom worrying about survival to contemplating initiating creative responses, &om being reactive to being proactive ."



This program has clearly addressed these issues and was effective in assisting clients to look a t their Lives fiom a larger perspective. In the beginning of the program, two of the clients saw their lives as being desperate and saw their situations a s being so mired in poverty that they had to take any job they could find. The program allowed them to step back enough to realize that a vision and clear understanding of their current reality would actually be a more effective and expeditious way of h d i n g work.

Throughout the program the participants were able to look a t the changing needs of work and to ident* attitudes and skills they needed in order to survive. The most important quality identined by the employers focus group and the current literature and recognïzed by participants was communication. This was a ski11 that was practiced in the program and that participants came to value as a tool for their own progress. The second most important quality was identifïed a s trust and participants also had an opportunity to develop trust relationships among themselves and with facilitators. The third most important quality was the ability to manage change independently and in teams. Throughout this program the participants had the opportunity of examining their own responses to changes in their Lives.

Study Recommendations

In order to improve the program before presenting it again we recommend the following changes:

Improve the introduction to the course so participants have a better idea of the process and projected outcorne. Provide participants with a clearer o u t h e of the program at the outset. Change the personal Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis to a self-assessrnent tool used at the beginning and end of the program and explain more thoroughly what we mean by opportunities and threats that affect the client's career transition. If it were used a t the beginning and end it would be a good measurement tool for changes in thinking on the part of participants. Integrate exercises better to create more continuity &om one section to the next. Some participants commented that the exercises oRen built on the previous ones and we could improve that flow in some areas. One example would be the videos on vision and paradigms. We need to spend more time exploring their relevancy to the rest of the program through discussion. Look a t planning strategies to assist vulnerable participants if disclosure is uncornfortable and brings up old issues for them. Increase the Zength of the program to four weeks to allow more time for action planning based on exploration of subjects in program. This is a concept that

Royal Roads University Ann McGougan Master of ,kts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

Jane Vella (1997) refers to as praxis. She feels it is very important to put the concepts one has learned into practice in order to reinforce the learning.

0 We plan to continue following this group's progress as our observation of several of the group members indicates to us that we have merely planted a seed and that it will take time for that seed to bear Buit. Following the process will enable us to better design future programs.

a For others considering a collaborative project we recommend that they should take the time in the beginning to clam assumptions, definitions and underlying beliefs. During this project we discovered that a lack of clarity in those areas caused several misunderstandings between the researchers.

Royal Roads University -4nn hlcGougan Master of .Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

CHAPTER 5 - RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS

Organization Implementation

Existing Programs of Global Vocational Services Inc.

Global currently offers two career transition programs: Bridges to Employment for individuals who have medical conditions that affect their employability, and Employment Idea Generator for individuals who have been afîected by the changing economy. The researchers are involved as facilitators of these two programs and have already begun to integrate some of the exercises and philosophies with these currently delivered programs. We have identined parts of the existing models that address current reality, vision, emotional tension and creative tension and we are tying these to discussions that corne £kom the pilot program offered as part of the major project.

New Programming

Global is considering offering a stand-alone program based on the program offered as part of this project several times per year, particularly for clients who have a fairly strong employment background and some post-secondary education. As a stand alone, this program worked very well for this client group. They are often overlooked or not challenged enough by existing career transition programs.

Future Research

Through our experience with this project we have identined several directions that future research could take. It would be interesting to study the effectiveness of teaching persona1 mastery skills in this way in other contexts, particularly within industry. Another area of research that would be helpful in increasing the effectiveness of this program would be the development of a measurement tool for the assessrnent of increasing personal mastery skills.

In the irnmediate future, we would like to deliver the program again, integrating some of the recommendations we have made in the previous section. In the tradition of action research, we would then enter the next cycle.

One area of interest to us in the development of personal mastery skills has been the subject of interna1 and external locus of control. We believe that it would be usefd to do research on locus of control and any effect it has on employment success.

Royal Roads University Xnn McGougan Master of-- - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

CHAPTER 6 - LESSONS LEARNED

Research Project Lessons Learned

When reviewing the conduct of this study, we feel that there are things we w o d d do differently next time. The following suggestions are based on those reflections.

First, for those who would collaborate on a project such as this, we suggest preparing s ghssary of a.U terms to be used. If this were done in the early stages, any differences in underlying assumptions between the collaborators would corne to light and be handled appropriately. There was a point during the conduct of our study where we found it necessary to bring the project to a halt for an entire day to discuss the issue of assumptions about the meaning of key concepts. In our case this difficulty resulted in s i w c a n t learning for the researchers but it was pa id id and confusing at fïrst.

Second, we recommend that the steps leading to the onset of a project include the creation of a thoroughly thought out W n g system to manage project documents and notes. This too is especially important for a collaborative project simply because the number of places a missing H e could be, uicreases with each collaborator.

Third, we recommend that anyone considering a project of this kind ensure enough t h e for pre-project interviews with clients. In our situation, a combination of work scheduling, available classroom space and project timelines required that we start without these interviews. Our training program had been ongoing for four days before we were able to conduct individual interviews. At that tirne the interviews and persona1 SWOT analysis we conducted showed signs of being affected by the program content. This gave us a heartening sense of the catalytic validity of our work, but the baseline had clearly been altered. In qualitative research this sort of event can be absorbed, but we would have preferred otherwise.

Program Lessons Learned

1. Provide Leadership

The completion of a collaborative project of this magnitude provides many opportunities to demonstrate leadership skills. Our involvement allowed us to provide leadership in a team setting as well a s in a group facilitation setting. Transformational leadership skUs are very similar to the facilitation of learning

Royal Roads University Ann McCougan ktaster of Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

67

utilizing the Popular Education Method. Both our own analyses of our participation and comments from participants indicate tha t we have effectively demonstrated skills in this area.

Apply systems thinking to solution of leadership and learning problerns

In considering the systems implications of unemployment we felt that the '&es that fail' mode1 developed by Peter Senge (1994) is the one best applied to traditional career transition programs. The goal of our project was to help participants to create "virtuous cycles" (Senge, 1994) in their relationship with the economy. Post program comments by participants indicate that we were successfd in douig this.

Identify, locate and eualuate research findings

In the completion of this project we were involved in a literature review utilizing both print media and the World Wide Web. In this phase of the research we were required to assess the relevance of materials developed by writers f?om around the world and apply them to the project question.

We also conducted four focus groups comprised of both employers and unemployed individuals and again we needed to collate the information and evaluate it for its effect on the project. The third type of research involved in the project was an action phase where we applied the information we had gathered and observed the impact on the participants of the program.

This project report, fcom literature review through findings is a clear demonstration of our abilities-

Use research methods to solue problems

As stated in the previous competency, our role in this project was to take the research material and apply it to the problem of people in career transition. To that end, we studied the changing economy, career transition and personal mastery literature. We then applied what we learned to develop a new approach to career transition programming.

Program results indicate that we have been successful in doing this.

Communicute with others in writing

Throughout this project we have been required to comrnunicate in writing, particularly in the writing of the project report. In addition to this, we have developed curriculum materials to support discussion and learning.

Royal Roads University -uin McGaugan Master of Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

68

Both researchers have signi6cantly improved the c l a . of our writing through completion of this project.

Additional Cornpetencies Developed (Lee Rome)

Demonstrate leadership characteristics.

1 worked throughout this project to practice transformational leadership with both my project partner and the program participants. Our objective as facilitators was to empower each participant to rec~gnize and live up to his or her own highest ideals and vision. Feedback suggests that we were successful in this-

Eualuate and enhance leadership style.

This project, with its' collaboration, presentation, confZict resolution and facilitation components has offered me the greatest variety of leadership challenges I have faced. 1 am happy with the manner in which 1 met these challenges.

Evaluate and plart one's role and fiture within an organization.

Our organization, like the rest of the world, is in constant transition. While working with clients involved in their own employment transitions, 1 have had to consider rny own responses to constant change. 1 have recently decided that 1 will work with this organization only in ways that are in harmony with my own vision. This has made it necessary for me to express my lack of complete support for one of the programs that 1 have been teaching. In order to maintain financial stability without this program, 1 will need to market my skills and services outside of the organization. 1 have corne to believe that my future will not be in any one organization.

Help others learn.

Our exploration of dialogic learning has given me a new focus for the way I want to work. Client comments: 'Tou do a terri& job of reaching everyone on their level". "The passion suits the needs of the course. Tons of examples to relate to".

Evaluate learning innovations and determine appropriateness to new contexts.

This project represents an evaluation of the two learning innovations of persona1 mastery theory and dialogic learning as we could apply them to career transition

Royal Roads University Ann McGougnn Master of .Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

programming. O u r experience indicates that these are powerful innovations both for creating a potent Iearning environment and for helping individuals move forward in their fives,

6. Evaluate the impact of techrzology.

During the preliminary research phase, we explored extensively the impacts of technology on the workplace. This knowledge is captured in the Literature Review section of this report.

7. Interpret oral communication.

For me, listening does not corne naturally. I have to work at it. The program we facilitated has been my most sigpuficant challenge to date. 1 feel that my ab* to listen has grown considerably and 1 am very happy with my progress. Client comment: 'You were able to ask some very helpful, clar-g and exploring questions of each person''. 1 believe that one can only ask the right questions after listening effectively.

8. Commurticate orally.

Client comments: "1 valued your presentation style . . . you made each topic interesting". 'Tour enthusiasm was evident and really made it interesting". "Very dynamic speaker".

1 am very happy with the growth in my communication and leadership skills over the past two years and especially through the completion of this project. 1 am also proud to have received so many favorable comments fiom our clients concerning my skills in these areas. 1 believe that there is room to continue growing and for the future, 1 am committed to their further development.

Additional Cornpetencies Developed (Ann McGougan)

1. Recognize eethical consiclerations

Throughout this project there were many opportunities to consider my persona1 ethics. 1 believe that 1 have enhanced my understandmg of ethics as they apply to working with people in career transition by adopting transformational and empowering leadership or facilitatioo models such as the Popular Education Method. (Vella, 1994)

2. Evaluate and plan one's own role within an organization

Royal ~ o a d s ~ n i v e r s i t ~ hfaster of -4rt.s - Leadership and Training

-- Xnn McGougan

Lee Rome

70

As an owner of Global Vocational S e ~ c e s Inc., the sponsoring agency, 1 have the luxury of choosing a direction for the Company in collaboration with my business partner. We have been committed since the inception of the business to providing a respecthl and empowering environment for the clients we work with. We are presently working to expand the business in order to incorporate some of the material identifïed in the project and to include international work. 1 am happy to be planning a role in our new ventures.

Help others learn

Through this project there have been innumerable opportunities to practice this competency. In particular 1 have had the opportunity to work with the clients of the project as they exploreci their career transitions through the curriculum we developed. One client remarked "the wealth of knowledge and experience you have is very usefid to all of us who are struggling to find our way.. ." 1 have been able to help my collaborator, Lee Rome, with learning about specinc topics covered in the project a s he has helped me. Finally, I have been able to take the things 1 have learned in this project and help our staff learn about the concepts that were particularly helpfid in working with people in transition.

Communicate orally

Prior to starting this project 1 felt that 1 communicated quite well orally and was surprised to learn that I was sometimes not as clear as 1 would have liked to be. I had an opportunity to assess the underlying reason for the lack of communication both with participants and with m y collaborator, Lee Rome. The reason seemed to be that 1 was not confident my role in the program as it was a pilot project. In spite of this however a participant cornmented "your presence in the room was always very grounding for me, you have an open and gentle nature that is very reassuring" and others stated that they appreciated the honest feedback and support. One participant said that he felt encouraged by me to "journey alongl'. 1 am convinced that in another session of this program 1 would have the confidence to communicate more clearly.

Contribute to team success

Mthough 1 have worked in a collaborative work environment for many years, 1 found that collaborating on a major project required a new set of skills. 1 learned that it is important to work at a similar Pace so that both partners understand the overall picture. 1 learned that it is important to courageously ident* and address your own biases and assumptions and to communicate openly and clearly with your partner. I learned that you need to talk and talk and talk.. .until you both agree on what has been said. I learned that it is important that you have a similar value system and beliefs so tha t although you

Royal Roads University Master of -4rt.s - Leadership and Training


may find compromises in process and content you don't need to compromise your underlying philosophy. Amazingly, 1 think, we did work out all of these things and we became an effective and cohesive team in completing this project.

Royal Roads University Master of ,&-ts - Leadership and Training


Bi bliography

Alberta Advanced Education and Career Development (1996). Radical Change in the World of Work - The Workbook, Information and Marketing Branch Alberta Advanced Education and Career Development. (1996).

Argyris, C. (1993). Knowledge For Action: a guide to overcoming barriers to organizational change, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco

BaresStein, Thelma and Draper, James A (Editors), (1993). The Craft of Teaching Adults, Culture Concepts Publishers, Toronto, Canada,

Beck, N. (1993). Shifting Gears, Harper Collins.

Beck, N. (1995). Exceleration, Harper Collins.

Boldt. Laurence G. (1993). Zen and the Art of M a h g a Living, Pen- ARKANA, New York.

Bolles. N. M. (1970 -1998). What Colour 1s Your Parachute: a Practical Manual for Job Hunters and Career Changers, Ten Speed Press,.Berkeley

Bridges, W. (1994). Job Shifi, Addison Wesley.

Bridges, W. (1997). Creating You & Co, Addison Wesley.

Campbell, Colin (1994). Where the Jobs Are: Career Survival for Canadians in the New Global Economy, Macfarlane, Walter and Ross, Toronto, Ontario

Canadian Mental Health Association (1992). Handling Unemployment Groups - Leaders Manual, CMHA, Toronto

Cashman, Kevin (1997). Seven strategies for mastery of leadership fkom the inside out, URL: http://proquest.umi.com/p~dwer?TS=90583379.. . l&Fmt+4& Sid=1 l&Idx=18&Deli=l&RQT=309&Dtp=l

Covey, S. (1990). Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, Toronto

Covey, S. (1995). First Things First, Simon and Schuster, Toronto

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997). Finding Flow, Basic Books.


Dash, D.P., (1998). Problems ofAction Research - As I See It URL: ht~:llwww.lincoln.ac.uk/lsm/schoor,ages EtesearchAVorking Papers/Working;O14.html

Davis, S. and Meyer, C. (1998). Blur: The Speed of Change in the Connected Economy, Addison Wesley, Reeding, MA.

DeJong, P. and Kim Berg, 1. (1998). Interviewing for Solutions, BrookslCole Publishing Company, Pacifie Grove, CA.

DeShazer, S. (1994). Words Were 0riginal.I~ Magic, Norton.

Drucker, P. F. (1993). Post-Capitalist Society,: Harper-Collins PubLishers, New York

Fisher, Anne (1998). Starting anew: thousands of corporate dropouts are charging back into the fkay - with great result, if they do it right, Fortune, March 30, 1998, vol. 137, no. 6, p. 165

Frankl, V. E. (1985). Man's Search for Meaning, Washington Square Press, Simon and Shuster Inc., New York.

Fritz, Robert, (1989). The Path of Least Resistance: Learning to Become the Creative Force In Your Own Me, Fawcett Books, London.

Freire, Paulo, (1974). Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Seabury Press, New York.

Galbraith, Michael, W., (Editor). (1991), Facilitating Adult Learning, A Transactional Process, Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida.

Hall, D. T. and Associates, (1996), The Career is Dead Long Live the Career: A Relational Approach to Careers, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, CA.

Heaney, Tom, (1996). ,4dult Education for Social Change: From Center Stage to the Wings and Back Again, ERIC Monograph, URL: http://mlu.nl~edu/acu/Resources/Docurnents/ERIC.html

Herrick, James , (1995). Empowerment Practice and Social Change: The Place for New Social Movement Theory, URL; http://weber~u.washin~on.edu/-iamesher/herrick.htm

Hesse, H. (1974). Siddhartha, Bantam Books Inc., New York.


-!un McGougan Lee Rome

74

Horner, Melissa, (1995). Creating Our Pewonal Best: The Power of Mastering Our Future, University of North Texas, Texas, URL:

Hurst, John, (1995). What is Popular Education?, URL: http://www- pse.berkelev.edu/Admin/ ExtReYeducatod spring95texts/popular-educ-html

Johnson, Lynn D., (1996). Ways of Listening, URL: httr,:llwww.xmission.com/reblin,~lpubllisteni-tabes.html

Kottler, Jeffrey A. (1994). Advanced Group Leadership, BrookslCole Publishing Company, Pacific Grove, CA.

Kouzes, J. M. and Posner, B. 2. (1997). The Leadership Challenge, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco.

Krannich, R. and Cary1 R., (1998). The Best Jobs for the 21sc Century, Impact Publications, Manassas Park, VA.

Krueger, Richard A., (1994). Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research, second edition, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California.

Kvale, S. (1996). An Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks.

Lerner, Sally, (1994). The Future of Work in North h e r i c a : Good Jobs, Bad Jobs, Beyond Jobs, URL: http:l/csf.colorado.edu/futurewo~'k/

Lewis, Melinda, (1995). Focus group interviews in qualitative research: a review of the literature, URL: http://www.beh.cchs.usvd.edu.a~d~arow/Reades/r~ewis.htm

Lore, N. (1998), The Pathfïnder, Fireside Books (Simon and Schuster), New York.

Mahalik, James, R., (1996). Client vocational interests as predictors of client reactions to counselor intentions, Journal of Counseling and Development, MadApr 1996, URL: http://proquest.umi.com/pdqweb?TS=9058357.. .44&Mtd=l&Fmt= 3&RQT =37~5&Did=00000000973'7844

Martin, Robin (1996). The Role of Self-Directed Learning in Career Development, URL: http :/l~.inspiredinside.com/learnin,a.1ibrarv/arti~1e~/~eIf-dir. htm

Royal Roads University Master of -Arts - Leadership and Training

Ann hIcGuugan Lee Rome

Masters, Janet, (1995). The History of Action Research, URL: http://www.beh.cchs.usvd~edu~au/-arow/Reader/rmasters~htm

Mezirow, J. and Associates, (1990). Fostering Critical Reflection in Adulthood: A Guide to Transformative and Emancipatory Learning, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, CA

Morgan, D.L. (1988). Focus Groups as Qualitative Research, Sage Publications, Newbury Park, CA

Moses, Barbara, (1997). Career Intelligence. Stoddart Publishing Co. Ltd., Toronto

Ohio Literacy Resource Centre (1994). Guidelines for Planning Action Research Projects, URL: htt~:l/~chon.educ.kent.edu/OasislPubs/0200-'08.htm

Orpen, Christopher (1998). The effect of performance measurability on the relationship between careerist attitudes and career success, The Journal of Social Psychology, February 1998, vol. 138, no. 1, p. 128.

Palys, T., (1997). Research Decisions, Qualitative and Quantitative Perspectives, Harcourt Brace, Canada.

Pully, M. L., (1997). Losing Your Job - Reclaiming Your Soul, Jossey-Bass Publishers. San Francisco, CA-

Scott, C.D., Jaffe, D.T. (1989). Managing Personal Change: A Primer for Today's World, CRISP Publications Inc., California.

Seibert, A. (1996). The SuMvor Personality, The Berkely Publishing Group, New York.

Senge, P. (1990). The Fifth Discipline, Currency Doubleday, Toronto

Senge, P. (1994). The Fifth Discipline, Curency Doubleday, Toronto

Senge, P. et al. (1994). The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook. Currency Doubleday, Toronto

Seymour-Rolls, Kaye; Hughes, Ian (1998). Participatory Action Research: Getting the Job Done, URL: http://www~beh.cchs.usvd.edu.au/-arow/Reader/resevmour.htm

Shaw, George Bernard (1987). Man and Superman, Viking Press



76

Shor and Freire (1987). A Pedagogy for Liberation: Dialogues on Sransforming Education, Bergin and Garvey, South Hadley, Mass.

Stringer, E.T. (1996). Action Research - A Handbook for Practitioners, Sage Publications Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA.

Tapscott, D. (1995). The Digital Economy, McGraw- W.

Thompson, E.Y. (1995). Crawford, S.Z. (1994), Hartvigsen, J (1993), Parrish, Kris, (1993), Thomas, L. (1993), Overview of Qualitative Research, URL: http://www.colo~t ate.edu/Depts/Eng.. . es/e600/proiect/ethno.html

Tye, J. (1997). Never fear, never quit: adopt these 10 principles for moving confidently towards your goals, Nursing, Dec. 1997, vol. 27, no. 12, p. 71.

Vella J. (1997). Leariiing to Listen Leaïning to Teach - The Power of Dialogue in Educating Adults, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, CA.

Warner, Melanie (1997). Working at Home - the right way to be a star in your bunny slippers, Fortune, March 3, 1997, vol. 135, no. 4, p. 165.

Williams, Lee (1997). First Enliven, Then Enlighten: Popular Education and the Pursuit of Social Justice, URL: http://uac.rdp.utoledo.ed~ddocs/si/williams~htrn

Yukl, G. (1994). Leadership in Organizations, Prentice Hall, Englewood, New Jersey.

Zemke, Ron (1998). In Search of Self-Directed Learners, Training, May 1998, URL: http://proquest.iirni.com/pdqweb?TS=904'71125.. .14&h:Iid=4&Fmt=;3& RQT=375&Did=0000000296340 14


h n McGougan Lee Rome

Appendix A

Program Evaluation Form

Royal Roads University -4nn McGougnn hiaster of .Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

Making a Living in the New Economy - Program Evaluation

Please rate each answer on a scale of 1 - 5 with 5 beîng very high and 1 being low.

How well did the faciMators explain the focus of the program during the orientation on the first day? Comments:

How well was the concept of journalling explained? Comrnents:

How effective was the initial biography exercise? Comments:

Was the concept of personal mission and values explained and used effective1 y? Comments:

Was the Joel Barker video on vision useful? Comments:

Was the use of guided visualization useful? Comments:

Was the theory of personal mastery presented in an effective way? Comments:

To what degree do you feel that the information on the theory of personal rnastery will be useful to you in your future vocational planning? Comrnents:

Was the concept of emotional tension explained in a way that was useful to you? Comrnents:

To what degree are you clearer on your own emotionai tension? Comments:

To what degree is this understanding usefid to you in your vocationd planning ? Comments:

Was the concept of creative tension explained in a way that was useful to you? Cornments:

Royal Roads University Master of Xrtç - Leadership and Training


Was the exploration of cntical incidents and our assumptions useful to you? Comments:

To what degree was the video and discussion on the effect of paradigms usefùl to you in your vocational planning? Cornments:

Was the picture of the changing economy clear to you? Comments:

Was the Meyers Briggs Type Indicator useful to you? Comments:

Was the "if you had one year to live" exercise useful to you? Comments:

Was the concept of current reality clearly presented? Cornrnents:

To what degree do you feel that you have a clearer understanding of your current reality? Comments:

Was the personal vision exercise presented in a way that was usefül to you? Cornrnents:

Was the Treasure Map version of personal vision usefùl to you? Comments:

Royal Roads University Master of .iris - Leadership and Training

,hm hicCougan Lee Rome

Participant Evaluation

How would you describe your experience of this course?

In what ways, if any, has this course benefited you in your ernployrnent transition?

Do you feel more in control or less in control of your future after attending this course?

Which portions of this program were most useful to you?

Which portions of this program were least usefd to you?

Royal Roads University Master of ,Arts - Leadership and Training

h n nilchugan Lee Rome

As the facilitators of this program, we would appreciate your input on o u - presentations. It will help us irnprove our performance in future programs.

Do you have any comments for Ann?

Do you have any comments for Lee?

Thank You

Royal Roads University Master of -kts - Leadership and Training

.Un McGougan Lee Rome

Appendix B

Making a Living in the New Economy

Curriculum Outline

Royal Roads University Ann McGougan blaster of ,Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

Making a Living in the New Economv

Week 1

The objective in week one wiU be the development in each client of a clear understanding of current reality. Clients will enhance their understanding of their personal current reality by developîng a personal inventory of transferable skills and the ability to discern natual abilities underlying acquired skills. They will also acquire an enhanced perception of current reality as it relates to the changing economy. An ancillary benefit will be the development of personal and interpersonal inquiry skills.

Dav 1

Dav 2

Dav 3

Dav 4

Dav 5

Complete intake requirements, Complete initial needs assessment (in place of individual intake interviews - designed t o provide facilitators with information needed to customize the needs of individual participants) Workplace change presentation and discussion Icebreakers to enhance group process - "Getting to know You"

Distribute binders Introduce Journal use as a tool for growth Chronological CV development (process purposes) Explore underlying abilities as related to skills Begin persona1 inventory

Continue with day two activities

Introduce the concept of the persona1 mission and values Discussion and development, group and individual process exercises Introduce concept of vision, video and group discussion

Personal Interviews

Royal Roads University Master of -ts - Leadership and Training

h n PvIcCougan Lee Rome

Week 2

Week two will enhance the understanding of current reality acquired in week one with the exploration of the roots of personal assumptions and preferred ways of perceiving. The objective wiu be to dissolve outmoded ways of organizing information and clarify perceptions of both self and environment. Clients will deepen the& understanding of the vision process and further develop their own personal vision.

Review historical critical incident responses 8 Guided visualization - Wishes versus Desires 8 Journal

Dav 9

Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator, introduction and testing Introduction of paradigm concept Exploration of cultural and persona1 paradigms Discussion of Senge's "Ladders of Inference"

Review theory of personal mastery - current reality, vision, creative tension Discussion of emotional tension and undermining beliefs? Discussion - Who are your heroes? Why are they? What does that mean? Discussion of cultural assumptions and beliefs. Economic assumptions changing Vision: Guided visualization on family and future. Journal results of visualization Guided Visualization - You and your family

Meyers-Briggs interpretation and discussion Who's running the show (interna1 or external control) The comprehensive and inclusive personal Vision

Dav 10

8 Individual Interviews

Royal Roads University -4.m McGougan Master of Arts - Leadership and Training Lee Rome

Week 3

The objective in week three will be bringing it all together. The client will have a clearer understanding of current reality and will have developed and articulated their personal vision. They will have met and clarifïed their undermining tendencies and will now develop strategies to overcome them. These strategies will include re-scripting, values based time management and the development of ally networks that will encourage their development.

Day 11

a

a

Day 12 a

a

a

Dav 13 a

a

Dav 14 a

a

O

Dav 15 a

Review of temperaments including meanings and implications Relationship building - knowledge of who you are in relationships, overcorning codiict, working in teams.

Values based time management Review of emotional tension 1 Exercise to personalize emotional tension information Relation building - theory and practice

Fine tuning of Vision and current reality Draw it and write it (conceptual mapping)

Cause and effect Choosing direction and developing a plan ( based on results of concep tua1 mapping) Be a researcher in your life

Participants will be monitoied over the next ten weeks. Facilitators WU either meet with participants or if that is not convenient for the participant w f l maintain telephone contact. The objective of this monitoring will be to determine whch components of the program were useful. A further benefit will be the opportunity to coach clients as they take their newfound understanding of themselves and their careers into the world. It is expected that this course will represent a new understanding for the majority of


,hn McGougan Lee Rome

participants. Past experience has shown that such new understanding can be undermined when the client moves back into their environment and away fiom the support of fellow participants. This follow up therefor, aids in our research and provides a support for participants.

Royal Roads University hhster of -Arts - Leadership and Training

h n EvlcGougan Lee Rome

i*l€¦ · i*l national library of canada bibliothèque nationale du canada acquisitions and...

Documents

il€¦ · il national library of canada bibliothèque nationale du canada acquisitions and...