Free Essay

Mental Model

In: Business and Management

Submitted By topone91
Words 1078
Pages 5
Mental Model/Mindsets
Top One
OI/361
May 13, 2012

Assuming the role as part of the Human Resources management team for AAA Transportation, located in Waukegan, WI. AAA Transportation is an interstate trucking company that focuses on transporting wholesale produce in refrigerated trailers around the Midwest. AAA Transportation has been recently acquired, and the new owners coming to take over the company, want to plan and make some changes that add more services than are currently offered. The changes the owners plan to make are to add the delivery of nonperishable food products such as canned foods, spices and sugars to the delivery routes. Considering that many of the routes do not require a full load and, there is plenty of space left for the nonperishable food products the new owners want to take advantage of this. The new owners also plan to provide the delivery at a much lower rate than they are currently paying their competitors. Vernon and Bud, two of the company’s strongest employees, are not responding to the changes the way the new owners would have liked. Vernon supervises the company’s drivers and Bud works in the corporate offices. Vernon does not think expanding the core business of AAA Transportation is a good move for the organization. Bud does not think AAA Transportation is strong enough to compete with the competitors currently delivering nonperishable food products. For more than 20 years, Vernon and Bud have been employed by AAA Transportation and have a reputation with other employees. This paper will review the mental model/mindset and the impact it has on employees. The four steps to changing the mental model/mindset along with the five forces that influence those mental model/mindsets will be discussed.

Mental model/mindsets are principles, thoughts, and verbal images that individuals form from experiences (Wind, Crook, & Gunther. 2005). To succeed in today’s business world, it is imperative to have the right mindset to achieve success. It is beneficial to have flexible employees with the mindset to adapt well to changes especially when changes are made. The improvement of technology is a continuous process that continues to grow every day having the right mindset when new technology is made available for a company that employees are willing to learn that new piece of technology. This can be challenging because some individuals are not interested in new technology and get stuck in old fashion methods. This is what AAA Transportation is currently facing with Vernon and Bud. Both employees are resistant to the changes suggested by the new owners. Vernon does not think that it is a smart move to expand their core business, while Bud thinks AAA Transportation is not yet strong enough to compete with their competitors who offer the suggest addition with lower delivery rates.

There are four steps that the new owners of AAA Transportation can take to change the mental models/mindsets of Vernon and Bud. The first step is to identify the limits and control of the models (Wind, Crook, & Gunther. 2005). Step two is to test the new approaches of the mental model against the changing environment and to generate new models (Wind, Crook, & Gunther. 2005). Step three is to overcome inhibitors such as lack of trust, lack of information, and the expectations of others (Wind, Crook, & Gunther. 2005). Step four is changing the mental mindset of Vernon and Bud and also to continuously strengthen the model (Wind, Crook, & Gunther. 2005). These four steps will help Vernon and Bud overcome their current mindset and adapt to new changes within the company.

The five forces that influence the mental model/mindset are: education, training, the influence of others, rewards, and personal experience (Wind, Crook, & Gunther. 2005). Education may guide individuals as it is the foundation as how we see the world. This will play an important role in how Vernon and Bud see the plans of the new owners. Training is similar to educations but more specific as it teaches them to learn new tasks. Training can guide Vernon and Bud towards new operations of the new owners. Influence of others is how Vernon and Bud can get the rest of the employees at AAA Transportation to adjust to the new plans. With both of them being employees for many years, it will be easy for them to influence others to get on board with them. Rewards have a great influence on individual’s mindset by attracting them to what will be and incentive for them. When an employee is rewarded, that employee feels as he/she is wanted and will continue to strive at work. Personal experience will limit the employees, Vernon, and Bud if they do not think outside the box. Personal experience may hinder one's professional growth. The new management can take the influence that Vernon and Bud have to make other employees adjust to the new plans. Rewards and offering additional training to employees will make for a faster and smoother transfer of the core business.

Innovation is what guides me at work. Always trying to come up it a new method or process to run more effective at work. Applying new ideas and showing coworkers is a drive that everyone should have. When new methods and processes are made available employees with the right mindset are willing to try it and seek new ideas as well. Influencing others and rewards are what employees including myself look forward too. Being recognized for achieving goals and improving the organization is a motivation that will make employees go above and beyond.

In conclusion, AAA Transportation employees have to have the right mindset in order for the organization to succeed. Vernon and Bud will have a greater impact than the new owners once they are on board with the new changes within the company. If both employees continue to show resistance, this will hinder the company as other employees will start showing the same resistance. The four steps to changing mental mindsets were discussed along with the five forces that influence those mental mindsets. The new owners have many things to do, and it all can be done with all the employees having the right mindset for the growth and success of AAA Transportation

Reference
Wind, Y., Crook, C., & Gunther, R. (2005). The power of impossible thinking:
Transform the business of your life and the life of your business. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall/Pearson.

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