My example revolves around my current career field, at a past facility. At some point throughout my first year there, my manager made it clear that our company was changing some of it's policies and that the facility management had the right to initiate those procedures to the best of their abilities and for what they thought would best serve their needs. Basically, they wanted to implement new procedures and see how it worked and they gave our manager some leniency to make it work. This particular implementation was focused around our schedule. The manager there worked 9-5, Monday through Friday while all of the controllers worked a rotating schedule with days off changing and time at work constantly flexing. The manager told us that he didn't see any reason to change anything at our facility, "we were all happy". His perception of the situation was incorrect. To be honest, we hated our schedule and disliked how the manager didn't assist us with our rotation burden. He had no sympathy for us, mostly due to him not ever being in our position.
He gave us the option to find a new schedule that the company would agree to (they initiated this change) and that the manager would agree to. As a group, we actually presented three different, in depth changes that her would be a part of and that we would love to work. Each time we presented them to him, he shot them down and said he didn't want to work them. Instead of working with the team, he worked against us. Not long after, I transferred to the facility I am at now. The remaining (and new) controller actually unionized and fought to have one of those schedules passed. It wasn't until after that happened and the company getting involved, did he actually get on board with the change. To this day (or so I've heard), he still resents everyone there and he is not an easy person to work for or with. It is much like the video we watched this week. Sometimes it takes power and vision to get things done. How can you make that known to people who are not interested in helping the organizations cause?
On a side note, dictionary.com defines pragmatism as a "philosophical movement or system having various forms, but generally stressing practical
consequences as constituting the essential criterion in determining meaning, truth, or value" (dictionary, 2015). I find that that manger focused and stressed to much about the practical consequences of the situation. He could have been more open to the idea initially and not drug out the entire situation for his personal gain. After all of that, he still ended up conceding to the new procedures. Was all of that worth it?
Dictionary.com(2015, January 1). Retrieved January 17, 2015, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pragmatism?s=t
Kohn, S. (2007, November 7). A Tale of Power & Vision. Retrieved January 17, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZVIWZGheXY
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