The butterfly effect was an accidental discovery by a man named Lorenzo when he was studying weather patterns. What he found was that “a very small change within a complex system can produce a very large difference to what would have otherwise happened” (Obolensky, 2010). Complexity can also be compared to a work environment. There are many individuals working within departments all within an organization and from an outsiders point of view it all looks chaotic; however if you detail in one can see it’s a steady flow of individuals working together to accomplish the tasks of being successful in what they do. What Lorenzo discovered is that within this chaotic unpredictable environment they all have one similarity and that is they are all attracted to one point and that in making smalls changes they yielded large results while remaining attracted to the same point. Comparing this to a business yields similar results.
Recently my Director informed me that he was going to hire an additional counselor to split my region as the enrollments and numbers had exploded causing me to be unable to maintain my workload efficiently. Luckily for me, I have a very supportive team whom took the initiative to jump in when I was sinking and help me maintain the chaos. Finding out I was finally going to have the help I have needed made me beyond relieved. Interviews were conducted and the job was offered and accepted. The new counselor will be starting in three weeks and I am already looking forward to all of the benefits of having an extra person. I will have more time to focus on my students and accomplishing their tasks. I will have more time to focus on important tasks rather than just focusing on the urgent ones which in return will reduce some of the stressors I have been experiencing. I will have more time to be proactive within my position. For example will be able to work reports which will make my processes more streamlined and help to decrease possible challenges that I typically would have never had the time for . With the new hire joining our team I am also looking forward to developing a relationship with them as we will be working hand-in-hand. It is important for us to learn from one another and develop new processes that may be even better then what I was doing prior.
Another small change that our department experienced that yielded an impact on our productivity was the constant moving of our office space. We work in cubicles and we are a rather small team when compared to some of the other departments so this can be a benefit as well as a downfall in that we can often be overlooked. When I started working at ERAU our team was working in what we called a suite. We were all in cubicles but in a room with a door that shut so we had privacy that others dreamed of. Shortly after coming on board with Financial Aid we were advised we were moving out into the open space to allow us to be able to work with other departments. No one in our department was happy about the move because we knew our responsibilities required us to communicate with our other team members in a way none of the other departments did. In Financial Aid we are consistently running into new situations which require us to bounce ideas off one another and speak openly about them, so that collectively we can solve the issue. This type of team mentality and operating was not preferred and shortly after moving we were always being told we were too loud. This change of atmosphere disrupted our efficiency and caused negative reactions. Recently we were asked to move again, but this time we were put in a corner which gave us a little more privacy.
Since the newest move our efficiency has returned to normal and we no longer feel as though we are walking on needles. Although these moves are considered small changes they played a very large role in our overall productivity; in my opinion. Working environments can be considered a stressor so adding to this stressor can have aversive reactions and affect the overall good of the organization. Luckily, we are a strong team center group and we were able to move forward. Going forward I can recognize that every action I take will cause another reaction so it’s important to consider all the alternatives and think in long term before jumping to a decision.
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