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Owain Smolovic Jones
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Post 1

20 October 2016, 12:29 PM Edited by Matthew Driver on 31 October 2016, 9:58 AM

Week 2, Activity 4, Your organisational identity

Think about the kind of person you tend to be in your organisation, rather than at home, socially or in the community. Make some notes along the way. Are you a commander? A facilitator? A provocateur? A mentor? Or someone else?

Think about where these identities come from – from your workplace or somewhere else?

Summarise and describe your thoughts in the forum. Now also ask a question of at least two other learners – these questions should help your fellow learners open up their thinking.


Ian Jones Post 2 in reply to 1

4 November 2016, 9:57 AM

There is much talk today about 'authenticity'. When I work with someone I want to see and understand the person. When people hind behind a particular workplace identity this can create unease which can evolve into mistrust. Does anyone else have a problem with the manipulation of purposeful identities that sometimes arise in the working environment which cause this unease?

Ian Jones Post 3 in reply to 2

4 November 2016, 11:20 AM

I think there are interesting relationships in the workplace between staff in various departments, finance, transport projects etc, also with trustees and partner organisatons in the voluntary sector and different public sector ones.

How do these different identities evolve, how do they interact and how are they continually re-assed by the other agents in the system?

Values directly influence behaviour, are the different aspect of collaborative leadership influencing different types of behaviour and how does this then affect working across the system?

Carol Jacklin-Jarvis Post 4 in reply to 3

4 November 2016, 4:23 PM

Hi Ian

Thank you for kicking off this conversation.  We look forward to seeing the responses of your fellow learners.  You make a really interesting point that workplace identities are often associated with different departments.  Does anyone have any thoughts on how these arise, and what this might mean for collaborating across departmental boundaries?

Carol

(co-author)

Stephen Elsden Post 5 in reply to 1

11 November 2016, 12:29 PM

A key identity for me at work is troubleshooter. However, while this identity was appropriate eight years ago when I joined Compaid and had to turn it around, it is less meaningful now, though I find it hard to shift this mantle.

A second identity is as mentor, particularly to my senior management team. I think this identity came to Compaid with me, and was initially formed around 20 years ago when I underwent Dale Carnegie training. This greatly shaped my skills and desire to understand how others think and help them to find their own solutions.

I am also a sober thinker at work, which I think stems from a rational upbringing and a love of problem solving.

A further key identity issue is that for the last few years, I have been the public face of the charity. I am aware that others, particularly those who use our services, have a key role to play in shaping our public identity.

Carol Jacklin-Jarvis Post 6 in reply to 5

14 November 2016, 9:59 AM

Hi Stephen

You make interesting observations about how your different identities relate to the organization, and the difficulty of shifting identities when the organization changes.  I wonder why that is?

Carol

Darren Smith Post 13 in reply to 5

25 February 2018, 4:54 PM
Hi- Does wearing so many hats mean that you need to collaborate more than you currently do?     

Jane Holdsworth Post 15 in reply to 13

1 March 2018, 11:55 AM

Hi Darren

I've begun on this course but as the discussion forum is so inactive, I haven't been posting and I've been working my way through the course and other tasks and am at week 6.. At last I have a fellow student. I'm on my last day of work before going on annual leave next week so I'm busy trying to get things tied up - so I won't be able to correspond yet but it would be good for me to go back to the discussion forum bits I've missed out on and catch up when I'm back at work. I work for an infrastructure organisation in Warwickshire.


Best Wishes


Jane 


Victoria Richardson Post 18 in reply to 5

17 May 2018, 12:47 PM

Hi Stephen,


Would you say that you have now changed your identity to fit the public's perception of yourself? If so has that changed how your coworkers have related to you?

Peta Wilkinson Post 19 in reply to 5

13 June 2018, 2:22 PM

Hi Stephen

You give some great examples with great clarity. I wondered how these relate to your personal values and where they come from.

Genevieve Rudd Post 7 in reply to 1

6 December 2016, 6:40 PM

I always tend to find myself in the role of 'facilitator/organiser' - the person who will develop and nurture the skills of others, and find new opportunities to do so. This has taken the form of my leading community arts projects 'on the ground' and of being a fundraiser for community projects. Now I think about it, in the groups that I get involved with, I will tend to always assume this role, to become responsible for the project in some way. I wonder if I've always been like this my whole life and my work-life simply follows - it must be the case because this identity feels natural for me.

John Hemming Post 9 in reply to 7

21 January 2017, 1:12 PM

Hi Genevieve,

I work with many groups and someone performing role your is almost always needed to progress.  There needs to be someone who will pick a project up and run with it.  This is especially true with volunteer organisations who may have no regular hours, only meet periodically and have other responsibilities.

Unfortunately I see many worthwhile projects fall by the wayside because of the lack of a driver.



Darren Smith Post 12 in reply to 7

25 February 2018, 4:49 PM

Hi Genevieve- You chose to call yourself a facilitator over and above being a commander or a mentor, which you evidently are as well. Is this a lack of confidence to call yourself a commander or leader? You are clearly a caring personality and take responsibility for organising events. Maybe giving ourselves just one identity gives greater focus on one task at a time?              



John Hemming Post 8 in reply to 1

21 January 2017, 12:59 PM

My identity is split into two.

My role is working with applicants for grants and presenting the it to the Trustee who make the final decision..  To the applicants I am a mentor, advisor, collaborator, expert and storyteller;  the object being a cohesive proposal for funding.

To the Trustees I am an advocate for the applicant and agent for change, challenging the prevailing values as to what or not is to be supported.

These identities have been shaped by past experience in accountancy, administration and project preparation, by the many amazing people I meet and the work they do and their struggles for funding and by the personalities of the Trustees, their preferences, priorities and biases.



  

Victoria Richardson Post 17 in reply to 8

17 May 2018, 12:44 PM

Hi John,


Would you say that your home life or social life show any reflections of these traits or is this just who you are at work?

Tracey Miller Post 10 in reply to 1

5 July 2017, 8:53 AM

I believe I am seen as a troubleshooter.  I feel that a large part of my role is handling problems/situations that arise.  I also have been in this role for some time and the knowledge that I have gathered over the years means that staff come to me with queries.

I feel that my workplace identity is different to my personal/social identity.  I more confident and methodical at work.  At home I am more relaxed and creative.

Darren Smith Post 11 in reply to 1

25 February 2018, 4:14 PM

Week 2 – Activity 4 My Organisational Identity

 

When at work, I am pulling together my personal qualities and professional training into sharper focus. I am on duty when working and want to do the very best to improve the lives of others. So the longer I work with colleagues, the more they are exposed to my personal traits and professional skills. And in doing so, that will allow them to build a proportioned identity of me with growing definition.

 

So irrespective of how my identity is characterised by my colleagues, or me, my identity has been assembled uniquely throughout my life as has everyone else’s. This will mean that even if I characterise myself as a facilitator, the other traits or qualities that make me, me, will be different to someone else also choosing a facilitator identity. In recognising identity diversity, it is easier to understand the value in collaboration. There is a time and a place for us all to be a leader or a follower.

 

Carol Jacklin-Jarvis Post 14 in reply to 11

1 March 2018, 10:02 AM

Hi Darren

Thanks for your contribution to this discussion.  Your reflection on the relationship between identities we put on at work, and a core identity that is uniquely assembled throughout life is an interesting one.  How do you think this relates to the decision as to when we should lead and when to follow?  I'm interested in understanding your thoughts on this better.

Carol

Victoria Richardson Post 16 in reply to 1

17 May 2018, 12:42 PM


I would tend to fall in the role of a mentor in my work place. 

This has come from having a great experience with mentors in my own past. The fact that my training has been education/teaching based. It has been an identity shaped by my own working life. Partly through skills and personal preferences in style and partly through need and training to behave in such a way.

I think the negative experience I have had with commanding leadership have also deterred me from following that leadership style. 

Jane Holdsworth Post 23 in reply to 16

27 July 2018, 4:13 PM

Hi Victoria

Thanks for your comment. What was negative about the commanding leadership and what makes mentoring so positive?

Best Wishes


Jane 

Julie Dawes Post 20 in reply to 1

28 June 2018, 4:05 PM

Within my organisation I enact the role of mentor to those I directly line manage and active supporter to other member of the team.  Generally seen as the logical facilitator who delivers and has much to contribute.  Mostly these identities have evolved in these over my working life but my strong work ethic which underpins all identities derives from home background.

Jane Holdsworth Post 22 in reply to 20

27 July 2018, 4:07 PM

Hi Julie

Thanks for your comment. I often think of mentors as being strong on the soft skills of emotional intelligence /empathy. Where do those relationship skills come from?


Best Wishes


Jane

Jane Holdsworth Post 21 in reply to 1

27 July 2018, 4:04 PM

I think that most of the roles I play in the organisation either come from a mixture of my personality, the training I have had and my experience. I am motivated by making change - so I'm drawn to impact work and evaluation. My professional background was in teaching so I continue to train and facilitate and the systematic nature of teaching in relation to aims/objectives and assessment helps me with writing funding bids/tenders and the quality system assessments I'm involved in. Since working in the sector I have been involved in, facilitated or led a wide range of partnerships and so I've learned  a lot about the challenges and benefits of partnership working. In addition, my personality is suited to working cooperatively with people for the greater good.