Bad News, Good News

Posted on September 25, 2011 by alexk

This is a quick post, my ride will be here shortly.  I have had a crazy week at work. I was at an off-site for 4 days and, in the evenings, grappling with catching up on work initiatives. We have 3 significant programs launching in the next month so things are hectic.

I did manage to have a informative phone call with a key stakeholder that was both “good” and “bad”. The positive aspect was clear commitment to partner with me on data collection. The challenge was there are no existing channels to do my survey!! We both agreed to brainstorm and he has already sent some information.

I can add one more positive though. As I have been thinking about a range of issues (data collection challenges, desire to provide a unique contribution, managing scope etc.) I came up with a unique adjustment that may just work to address all three. Hopefully, I will have more on this next week. If it works out this will be a significant “aha” for me. I spent a good part of today writing -redoing my abstract, starting my November Colloquium deck, updating my project plan. Think the act of writing and reflecting has led me to an elegant solution…

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Networking Galore

Posted on September 17, 2011 by alexk

It has been a very full and productive week.  I met with my thesis supervisor, and two research think tanks, one in Canada and the other in US via phone.  It was useful to have a deck about my research study written in lay-person language, very easy to quickly customize and leverage as a pre-read before meetings, or an overview document during or as a follow-up to a meeting. I was able to glean a great deal of information on the landscape of research in the Credit Union space in North America.  Additionally, there is possibility for me to present my study at CU conferences and colloquia in 2012 and 2013 in addition to attending as a leader in the CU industry.  I was referred to an other Canadian researcher and have set up a call with him.

I had two additional  “wins” this week .  The first was a meeting with a recent Henley DBA graduate who provided a great deal of guidance and openly shared his path to doctorate.  It was so energizing to speak to someone who understands the journey that I am on and has recent enough knowledge of the path to share useful strategic and tactical tips.  He has very kindly offered to be an ongoing mentor for me and I have gratefully accepted.   The second  was my increase my productivity during the work week.  I started to read Bass’s Handbook of Leadership in the evenings and a Statistics Without Tears en-route to work.  Both were relatively easy to complete and keep me linked to the “macro” as I am grappling with the “micro” of my dissertation.  Based on advice from both my supervisor and the recent DBA graduate I am going to try and push myself and write at least a paragraph or two that recaps what I have read for the day.  I continue to get advice about the importance of writing as I go, but I still haven’t fully  operationalized it.

It has been a very  full week on the work-life front.  Work has been crazy busy, but it continues to be energizing because of the impact that we are having on the organization and my team is wonderful!!   I managed to have a short visit with family, and also a friend recovering from some serious injuries in a rehab center.  It was very inspiring to see how she is grappling with a very tough situation and a good reminder to me about the importance of relationships and gratitude.

I did not get as much exercise as I would have liked, but managed to attended a cardio-tennis class which was a great deal of fun.  Last night my partner and I saw a great Japanese film as part of Mid-Night Madness at the TIFF.  Suffice it to say returning home at 4am in the morning did not lend to an early start at the library this morning!   That said, I am here now and am very focused given my shorter window to work.

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Leveraging Connections

Posted on September 11, 2011 by alexk

It has been an interesting week and productive Saturday so far.  I was initially feeling that I have not been productive but now recognize that I am in a “connecting” zone and this is a important part of my dissertation journey.  There has been a fair bit of dialogue, via Linked-In, with my Henley cohort as we all grapple with finishing off the MSc and commencing the DBA stage.  I have enjoyed reading updates on how people are faring and comforting to know that we are all “muddling through” a range of issues.  Now that I have learned that several of my fellow researchers are planning to attend graduation this month I am a little sad that I will not be joining them.  That said, I have way too much on my plate right now to squeeze in the trip.

I have also been liaising with “think-tanks” and researchers in my field.  Next week I have set up two important meetings, one in Canada and the other in the US, via telephone.  Additionally, I am meeting with my supervisor as well as a recent Henley DBA graduate.  Not surprisingly, I have spent this morning planning agendas for these meetings and creating some new decks to present.  I also wrote up the notes from a very energizing call that I had yesterday with a American professor who has conducted leadership and results research in the past and is currently working on a new study.  It was great to talk to someone who understands my research interests and is passionate about both theory AND practice!  She also provided some very useful general advice and I look forward to staying in touch with her.  

I am going to have a lunch break now and then resume work, which will focus on my favourite task: updating my spreadsheet!  I am going to input three papers, and then if there is time remaining I am going to read a bit of a statistics text.  I have plans to meet my girlfriend on a patio to enjoy nachos and beer at 4pm .  Suffice it to say with this in mind, I am highly motivated to have a focused afternoon!

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Gone Fishing…

Posted on September 3, 2011 by alexk

I am thoroughly enjoying vacation.  Tennis, day trips, visiting with family, it is ALL very good.  I am departing shortly for brunch with some girlfriends.

I have officially mapped my path to VIVA which I am hoping will occur in May 2013.  It is scary to see the key milestones on my whiteboard, but comforting to have a path to follow.  French toast calls!!  Back in the saddle next Saturday!

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Getting Back in Gear II

Posted on August 20, 2011 by alexk

Perhaps I should title this post “getting things done” instead.  It feels like I am often trying to get back into a rhythm.  Between work travel and family travel –I am departing on an unanticipated trip this Friday- I feel that I am constantly trying to get into a routine!   I am beginning to think that I need to let go of this “routine/rhythm” ideal and just focus on doing what I CAN do within the framework of what is occurring in any given week.

I will be departing the library in 30 minutes.  I am pleased to say that today I populated two papers in my spreadsheet and completed project planning today.  It is definitely best for me if I make this my first priority because I actually get it done.  I also then feel somewhat virtuous because I did the “icky task” and this emotion fuels me for the rest of the day.  My other accomplishments today included completing significant edits to my “Study Participant Deck”, creating a short list of papers to print before I depart, and organizing my folders.

I also spent about 30 minutes thinking about and summarizing what I have learned over the past few weeks:  data collection constraints, existing and very similar research on my topic, deepened understanding of mixed methods research.  I am increasingly beginning to see that flexibility and persistence will be important traits in the dissertation journey.  Many unexpected things have happened already and I am only a few months in!  The good thing is that my perspective is pretty upbeat.   I can see opportunities to refine my research approach and still meet my objectives of a solid contribution to theory and practice.  Let’s hope that I can maintain this positive mindset!

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Odds and Sods

Posted on August 14, 2011 by alexk

I am currently on the VIA train returning from a weekend with my family which was lovely.  Because of this personal travel and three days of business travel earlier in the week, it has not been a very productive academic week.  That said, I did manage to move some things along.  I closed the loop regarding the use of LDQ and the MLQ, conducted my first “pitch” meeting with an organization, and set up a meeting with a key stakeholder for mid-September. 

I also encountered my first significant data collection hurdle and have been reflecting on alternatives ever since.  Given other initiatives they have planned, the first organization that I met with is unable to commit all leaders to participate in the study.  We discussed some other options and additional data that they can make available which is promising.  That said, I was hoping that this first meeting would be a “slam dunk” so I was a tad disappointed.  I will see where I am at after the next few meetings and will have to adjust my research approach accordingly.

This week I received information about the graduation ceremonies for the MSc which are in late September.  I have decided not to attend.  I have already booked a vacation with my partner during this timeframe and also unexpectedly have to take a trip south in two weeks.  I look forward to receiving the degree in the mail and will definitely attend the DBA ceremony.

Plan to get back into a groove this week and enjoy being at home.

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One Down, One To Go!

Posted on August 6, 2011 by alexk

Today was a very productive day at the library.  My approach was slightly different and I am pleased with the results.  Instead of beginning with reading and thinking, the first tasks that I completed were project plan status updates and creating a plan for the upcoming week.  I typically do these tasks at the end of my stint at the library and am often rushing.  The other task I tackled early today was summarizing two research papers in my spreadsheet.  This took about two hours!!  Now I truly understand why I avoid this task, it is exceedingly time consuming.  That said, my grasp of both papers is  much deeper now so there was an immediate pay-off.  Going forward, since this is the task I dislike the most, I am going to tackle it first. 

I have spent the last 90 minutes mapping out my path to VIVA.  I know that there will be many refinements along the way, but I now have a defined plan with key milestones.  If things progress well, I should be able to complete my program by June of 2013.  I thought that this was an appropriate time to do this planning since I received an official letter stated that I have completed my MSc in Business and Management Research.  Woohoo!!  At this point, I am uncertain if I will attend graduation ceremonies, but plan to celebrate tonight with several glasses of bubbly and a tasty meal!

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Beginning With The End In Mind

Posted on July 30, 2011 by alexk

It is the tail end of relatively productive day and week.  I am in the midst of a 4-day weekend so I definitely feel more relaxed given I had a “free” day yesterday.  I saw “Cowboys and Aliens” which was highly entertaining.  I also thoroughly enjoyed a delicious dinner out last night with my partner.  I plan to depart shortly and head to the tennis courts.  I will then see what the evening has in store for me, take-out and TV is sounding pretty good!  It is supposed to be another beautiful day tomorrow so I am hoping to take a drive to the country to visit some wineries and famers’ markets.  Should be good.

Today I decided to bit the bullet and begin writing my dissertation!!  This was advice that was suggested to me while I was at Henley and aligns well with my belief that one should “begin with the end in mind”.  I first reviewed the structure of  4 dissertations from my field of study and created a spreadsheet to capture key information such as abstract details, section length, and table of contents headings.  I still have to finish populating the spreadsheet but I had enough information to draft my own Table of Contents and begin to write my abstract.  This was simultaneously exciting and overwhelming.  It was exciting to actual officially begin to write my dissertation but at the same time daunting to review the average length which ranged from 275 – 350 pages!!  The upside to this was that it reinforced the importance of starting to write now and continuing to write regularly.

This week I did a focused review of the LDQ.  Despite my initial enthusiasm, I think that my original choice, the MLQ, is a better fit for my research study.  I was especially pleased to learn that there is a Team MLQ that I can use to assess the dominant leadership style of the C-suite.  I have been struggling with how to do this for a few months, so this was a significant discovery.  Also, upon review of the sample reports that the leaders would receive I think that my study participants may be better served by the MLQ report.  To address my budget constraints I have decided to insert an “optional investment” slide in my deck and present the organizations with the opportunity to pay for these reports for their leaders. 

Overall the practical aspects of the data collection are slowly coming together.  I have a meeting booked on Friday with one organization and an upcoming meeting with an important stakeholder who has influence with the remaining three organizations.  This week I am traveling for work but will refine my “research participant presentation” so that it is ready for use on Friday. 

I feel like I am on track.  I also recently received a promotion at work and now have an additional portfolio which is great news.  Of course, this means more on my plate, but I am excited about the challenge and opportunity to deliver more integrated solutions to our firm.  Have to fly now, my ride will be here shortly.

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Running Out of Juice

Posted on July 24, 2011 by alexk

My laptop battery has about 17minutes of power left so I am going to make this a quick post.  I started the day with early morning tennis with my girlfriend and then had a quick coffee and scone at one of my favourite coffee shops.  I am now at the library and have worked for the past 5 hours.  It has been a tough slog, I really struggled with fatigue.  Thankfully I am without a car, so I was incented to stay put!  I have decided though that I need to take a break because I have a core level of tiredness that is not abating.  I am going to take a vacation from research for 1 week in August and again in October.  I am contemplating doing a cottage mini-break with my girlfriends in August.  In October I have my annual NYC trip with my partner which will be swell.  

I have spent much of today reflecting and planning.  I now have a lengthy “To Do” list based on actions required from several recent events including:   the Henley Colloquium, my preliminary investigation into the LDQ,  my meeting with my supervisor, and a meeting with a colleague about my study.  I also did a draft deck to present to the organizations that I would like to include in my study.  Now that I review this post, I realize that I have accomplished a lot this week, especially given I was still recovering from my UK trip!  The other highlight from this week was discovering a “think tank” that focuses on the Credit Union industry and has several research papers that will be useful.  All very good.

My partner will arrive shortly and I am thinking dinner and a movie will be a nice close to a full day.  Looking forward to church tomorrow morning and then chillaxing all day Sunday!!

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The Lonely Journey Begins

Posted on July 19, 2011 by alexk

I am returning home from the Henley colloquium feeling relieved and fuelled for the journey ahead.  My presentation went well I think.  It certainly was not stellar, but it was a sound presentation that yielded very useful feedback.  Perhaps the most significant take-away is the possibility that I may use another instrument to measure leadership style.  It is called the Leadership Dimensions Questionnaire and was created by two Henley academics.  I need to do some additional investigation but there appears to be several benefits.  Firstly, the instrument measures not only leadership style but also organization context and performance.  Secondly, I would be able to provide the participants with a report which would likely increase survey completion levels.  Finally, I can use the instrument at minimal cost.

The other highlight from the colloquium was catching up with friends from my academic cohort.  It was lovely to see them in person.  I was simultaneously saddened by the fact that there were so few of us there though.  Increasingly folks will be a different stages and schedules so it is starting to feel like the “lonely journey” that is often associated with a doctorate.  I am going to make an effort to get to Henley at least twice per year and also attend some academic conferences.  Clearly creating my own network and community that goes beyond my supervisors will be important.

I have just summarized all of my take-aways from the colloquium and identified my next steps.  The upcoming week will be very busy.  Tomorrow I will need to get back into “work mode” which will likely happen the second I step into the office!!  On Thursday I have a meeting with my supervisor which I am looking forward to.  It will be good to debrief with her and get her thoughts on my strategy and plans to officially begin my dissertation.   Wow, “officially begin my dissertation”, a sentence that definitely bears repeating!

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