Saturday, January 28, 2012

OA Chronicles: EmPOWERment!

When talking about organizational empowerment, we deal with the planning and organizing. And what does this two words even mean? How do they differ? The first thing that springs to my mind when I hear the word organization is the Organizational Chart. I believe that behind every organization, there are people responsible in every tasks or planned activities. By having this idea, we will know what is the difference between planning and organizing. Planning is deciding what to do and Organizing is deciding how to do it.

After careful thought, I started analyzing the organizational chart of our institution. How are the numerous tasks and responsibilities divided and who are the people behind it? Since our organization is one of the largest schools in Mindanao, there are really various individuals or groups assigned with different tasks. In the main campus, all of the administrative officials are there starting with president, vice president, and board members. Then under their level are the in-charges of different departments: Finance, Human Resource, Payroll, etc. Then the dean of every college in the institution followed by the faculty. In the case of the branches such us our campus, we don't have the same hierarchy of officials like the main campus. The person on top is our Director, followed by the Dean of College. Then right under are the Department Chairperson for every college department, and followed by Program Heads for every program under a department. I had the privilege before of talking with our own Program Head in the Computer Science program. We talked about the responsibilities and tasks given to him as the Program Head and how it differs from the tasks and responsibilities of a Department Chairperson. In my opinion after that talk, there was an unequal division of labor or responsibilities in the institution, but I think that's how the administration sees it would work.

It is very important in an organization to have proper organizing. The assigning of planned tasks to various people or teams are crucial. It is proper to understand the organization design decision, the decision made about the structure of the organization, and the job design organization, the decisions made about the nature of  jobs within the organization.

Now, let's talk about Organizing Strategies and how are they important in an organization. Leading -- means getting other to perform necessary tasks by monitoring them to achieve the organization's goals. Controlling -- a process by which a person, group, or organization consciously monitors performance and takes corrective actions. I can still recall back in college when I became the president of the Computer Science Program. I was given a very high position yet a very difficult responsibility. It is never easy leading an entire department and you will come across different students of different attitudes. Also, one of the challenges  as a president was to get my constituents to do their assigned tasks. You have to establish a sense of responsibility, team work, job enrichment, and show them how important their positions are. You should be able to control and monitor them, making sure that it's not only you working alone. It was not an easy task to become a president, but I think it really helped developed myself on how to handle people and how to become an effective instructor that I am now.

In any organization, whether big or small, it is very important to know that the employees or members are its greatest assets. Employee involvement really matters. Employees should have their say on any matter. Soliciting their own opinion and considering their inputs gives employees an empowerment to the organization.  It is very important to make them feel that they belong to the group and they are part of its growth. We should  always remember that empowerment doesn't only include the organization but also refers increasing the spiritual, political, social, racial, educational, gender, or economic strength of its individuals.

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