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PCA:  Symbolic

Willie Tucker

College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State University

OGL 481: Org Leadership Pro- Seminar I

April 18th , 2022

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PCA:  Symbolic

Situation

Going back over the situation, it was an ongoing debate about the timeline that work

could and would be completed. I believed the expectation that the property manager was setting

with clients was not realistic. When meeting with clients to gain their business she would tell

them that properties could be turned within two weeks which would not often happen. Being the

person completing the turn I argued that it would take up to thirty days to get the work

completed. This was because of the availability of vendors and the fact that we working with a

limited selection. I argued that it was done in the past because we had less volume but as the

organization grew we had to expand our vendor list or obtain an exclusive contract. In the end,

the two-week standard was not changed and it often lead to upset clients and inflated costs.

Symbols

       There were many symbols that had an effect on this situation. Some of them were

actions of the leaders in the group and some of them were norms set within the group. However,

I think the largest symbol was a lack of a symbol. As an organization there were no defined core

values or goals there were ever set. Some days the client( homeowner) and the service provided

to them were the most important, others days the was the customer (renter), and some days it was

the bottom line that mattered the most. Further things like accountability, fairness, teamwork, or

diversity were never discussed. This allowed the property manager to freely set policies and

decline policies as she pleased. Further, there was a culture of every person for themselves,

support was only given if the tasks that needed to be completed impacted someone else’s work.

With that combination along with the fact that there were clear in and out-groups another symbol

that presented itself was that if you were not in the in-group you were easily replaceable.
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Aside from those factors the space was arranged in a manner that meant for the property

manager to have the ultimate overwatch. Within the office, the property manager had an office as

well as one of the assistant property managers and myself. But the maintenance staff and the

other assistant property manager set desks that were set up in the view of the property manager's

office. Further, even though I had an office the property manager could clearly see into my office

from hers and as she often did could yell things across the room at me. This created a feeling that

we were all being micro-managed and watched at all times. I also think the organizational history

played a huge part in this situation. As previously mentioned the property manager was the

owner's girlfriend and had been there to build the business with him. Prior to having any staff,

she handle all functions that the staff was currently delegated.  This often lead to her believing

her way was the best because it was the way it was done in the past. However, she would not

consider the growth of the organization and the impact that had on the process and procedures.

Alternative Course Of Action

Starting from the beginning there are several things alternative courses I would have taken. The

first is the structure of the organization. I believe one person had too much power, thus this

person was able to set all of the organization's standards. Even though they were not involved in

all phases of the business. Next, I would have clear values and goals set for the organization.

Some of my values would have included honesty, fairness to both the client and the customer,

teamwork, and innovation. I think a lot of great ideas were brought to the table along the way

that could have potentially helped the team reach the deadlines the property manager set. But

because they were not even given consideration the opportunities were missed. Some of my

goals would have included goals of growth for the organization and decreasing the amount of

time it takes to turn a property.

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I also would have assigned the staff cubical so they could work freely and without the

pressure of being watched. The space was not the issue, there were several cubical available the

office space was huge, but they were never assigned because the property manager did not want

them. Further, I would have allowed for more autonomy within the group, I think this would

have fostered a culture where people cared for their work. My biggest change however would

have come in the culture and rituals. I would have been more inviting to new team members and

spent more time developing those already on the team. Because the staff was so small when a

new team member joined I would have had an office lunch to that everyone could get to know

each other.

What I do the same and what I would change

         From this situation, I learned several things some of the positives that I will use in the

future and other negatives that I will be sure not to practice. One area that I would have kept the

same is the number of people completing the tasks. I believe from a financial standpoint no more

employees could have been obtained or profits would not have been possible. I also would have

kept the culture in place that timeliness matters, this is not to say rushing tasks would be

necessary but they would need to be completed quickly and efficiently. Finally, I would have

continued to make the client a priority may be the top priority. The reality of the situation was

that we could find new renters very easily but clients were not the case.

         With all of that, there are still several things that I would have done differently. The first is

the size of the office space, I feel it was truly a waste of space since it really was not being used.

This could have reduced overhead and allowed for more staff to be added. Next, I would have

monitored processes and procedures more. Have meetings at minimum quarterly to what is
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working and what is not. Finally, I would have created a culture where people felt welcome to

ask questions, rather than being shamed for it.