Part II CIKR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Part II CIKR - Essay Example With respect to this alternative approach, FEMA immediately began by sending to the region not only emergency management equipment and personnel but also a special team which has been subsequently termed as an â€Å"Innovation Team†. This innovation team was tasked with the responsibility of acting as a direct go-between for the stakeholders at the FEMA regional offices in New York City and the first responders on the ground. Prior emergency response had noted that a clear disconnect has been evidenced between the first responders and those individuals who are seeking to mitigate an action plan within the offices of the regional/local headquarters. As a means of providing a fresh set of eyes to the situation and acting as an attache to the different groups responsible for operations on the ground, the innovation team was able to connect internal and external groups to cooperate in a more efficient and time sensitive method. Naturally, even though the utilization of such a team necessarily took away from the overall manpower/resources which could be deployed with respect to emergency management operations, it was the understanding of FEMA, upon review and analysis of the operational plan and action of Sandy response, that the integration of the innovation team ultimately increase efficiency far beyond what could have been done if the same level of personnel were utilized in operations alone. Some of the most salient takeaways from post operational review of the innovation team and the means by which it responded denoted the fact that three specific areas within emergency operations were able to notice a marked improvement. The first of these was with regards to the overall level of emphasis that was placed upon communication. Naturally, after such a disaster, FEMA had traditionally been tasked with providing interoperable communications to all the stakeholders on the ground. However, the sheer complexity and interconnectivity of the existing communication s, as well as the damage that was performed, meant that FEMA’s role within interoperable communications and the provision of ensuring effective communications between key stakeholders needed a much higher level of emphasis. Yet, even with this oversight, the innovation team was able to point to these drawbacks and ameliorate them prior to these becoming a major pickup in the emergency response that FEMA was providing. A further level of growth and insight that the innovation team was able to provide was the fact that innovations that include cost savings and can produce most tangible and intangible benefits were the most beneficial towards the allocation of appropriate resources. Naturally, within the time of disaster, such as hurricane Sandy necessarily represented, the availability of these resources and the ultimate efficiency through which they could be provided was an element of the utmost importance. Accordingly, in order to ensure that these resources were utilized to a maximal and efficient level, the Innovation Team was able to provide useful feedback in order to determine how allocation of resources could be improved in the future. By analyzing the historical growth and appreciation for CIKR and the way in

Simmons Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Simmons Case Study - Essay Example Other than one of it's plants, they were all run military style, turnover was high and it appeared to no one was very happy to be coming to work and even more important the managers had no sense of responsibility for their staff other then to drive them in their jobs. The economy had turned sour after 911 and their competitors were beginning to do somewhat better. To top it all, they had lost good contact with customers and with suppliers and had just instituted a bad set of foam that made their mattresses smell bad. In this atmosphere, their CEO wanted to institute a training program that was very expensive and very innovative. When money is tight, it is most difficult to think about pushing forward into something new, especially if you are at the helm, the CEO. On the average, during a recession the employees are at their lowest moral and the worth of an excellent leader becomes more important than ever. According to Leb (2009), there are many things that the leader must be able to do and certainly the ability to do and one of those is to inspire those who are employed by him. In support of innovation during hard times is a survey done by Bloomberg Business Week (2009), in which they surveyed CEO's that had put in place new and innovative programs during hard times in the economy and in their companies. ... It is easy for the leadership of an organization to throw up their hands, similar to the employees, and say "there is just nothing we can do right now" and ride it out. The biggest problem with that kind of attitude is the fact that someone will pull out of head while you are waiting. In evaluating whether this should happen, a couple of things came to mind. Simmons believes in CHOICES which is the caring, history, opportunity, innovation, customers, empowerment, and support. The culture of the company does not provide for this belief. Only one plant in the several has managed to accomplish this kind of atmosphere, therefore, they need to change their values and cultural beliefs or the way they do things. The other is ethical beliefs of fairness, respect, integrity, and fostering growth and development in others. Under the present organizations culture, none of these things are happening at the level of the employees as the present managerial group continues to run the company like a dictatorship and employees are generally very unhappy (Casciaro & Edmondson, 2007). The main objectives of GGOL were to help people understand what their full potential at work might be. Their philosophy was that "profitable organizational growth is a result of satisfied and loyal customers; a committed, cooperative, and creative organizational culture; and a leadership team that empowers and serves the workforce." After seeing the video, it became obvious that this is built from the individual up, not the other way. Employees must understand where they fit in and how to interact without fear and with trust, in order to improve the processes that would lead to