Reframing Organizations: Sharon’s Case

Subject: Case Studies
Pages: 2
Words: 712
Reading time:
3 min

Assuming Sharon is qualified for the project, what should determine whether you do indeed assign the task to her rather than doing it yourself we’re looking for another way?

Assuming that Sharon is qualified for the project, several factors have to be taken into consideration in order to determine if I would assign the task to her or do it myself. First of all, I would make sure that our frames on the project assigned “tell a similar story” (Bolman & Deal, 2017, p. 21). To do that, I would conduct an analysis that would include a number of questions and demonstrate if Sharon will be able to follow all the stages of the project and successfully complete it. I would assess her motivation and uncertainty, as well as technical constraints and scarcity issues she might face.

Identify the advantages and disadvantages of the three possibilities outlined previously

Options Advantages Disadvantages
Tell Sharon what is wanted and let her do it in her own way.
  • This frame is flexible and time-efficient in terms of providing instructions
  • Allows strengthening Sharon’s managerial skills
  • Might create misunderstanding and lead to unsatisfactory results
  • Poses certain risks; for example, Sharon might not take the project seriously enough, seeing that the manager does not express too much interest in its implementation
Provide Sharon with expected results, a procedure or other instructions, and a schedule or deadline.
  • Sharon would have a more comprehensive understanding of the tasks that have to be completed for the project
  • Sharon would also have a full picture of the project’s structure and stages to go through
  • It is time-consuming to provide Sharon with all the information needed
  • This frame does not help to fully develop Sharon’s managerial skills
Tell Sharon what is wanted, recommend an approach, and turn her loose.
  • Compared to the first approach, this frame provides more guidance
  • It is flexible and will provide Sharon with an opportunity to apply her creativity and resourcefulness in the project
Poses risks, such as unsatisfactory results due to the lack of guidance

Which of the three approaches should you most seriously consider following? Why?

From the three approaches discussed, I would most seriously consider following the third one. It appears to be a balanced solution that incorporates all the important aspects of efficient decision making. Because it does not provide too much information on how to complete a task, Sharon will be able to develop her own ideas and strategies, applying her creativity and time management skills. At the same time, she will have a set direction to move in, as I will give her some recommendations and discuss some initial ideas with her. Other frameworks can also be considered, as they may provide additional insights on the ways to develop the most effective, structured, and result-oriented approach. However, the third model seems to be the most suitable to serve as a basis for developing a project strategy.

How do insights from the various frames inform the strategy you should take? Which ones are more helpful in this situation and why? Which ones are less helpful here and why?

It can be stated that every approach has its limits and strengths. Although a chosen script or scenario can be altered in case it fails to perform well at any stage of the project, all preliminary insights have to be taken into account in the development phase. In relation to this case, the insights from different frames show that the preferred strategy has to be time-efficient, and my involvement in this project has to be limited. The insight about flexibility is also an important one, because it will allow more opportunities for reframing. The second approach, on the contrary, does not provide much flexibility. Therefore, in case there is a need to reframe, it will be more difficult, because Sharon will be following the procedures and schedule that had been set. Thus, the need for flexibility is one of the most important insights in this project. I also think an insight that is less helpful in comparison to the others is the connection drawn between Sharon’s managerial skills development and the three approaches. This is mainly due to the fact that all the models present growth opportunities in varying degrees.

References

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership (6th ed.). Jossey-Bass.