Strategic Mobilizer

Evidence of Knowledge Acquisition

The competency of strategic mobilizer is largely focused on having a vision and being
able to communicate it. According to Kotter (2012), vision is a picture of the future with some
implicit or explicit commentary on why people should strive to create that future (p. 71). Kotter
(2012) further explains that a good vision clarifies the direction of change, motivates action, and
coordinates the actions of various people (p. 71). In order to be an effective strategic mobilizer, a
clear and realistic view of the future must be communicated so that others can believe in the
vision. Moreover, specificity is key in establishing a vision (Kotter, 2012). There is a balance,
however, as effective visions are open ended enough to allow for individual initiative and for
changing conditions (Kotter, 2012, p. 79). In order to effectively communicate said vision, the
strategic mobilizer must portray it in a way that is understandable to all by utilizing metaphors
and examples (Kotter, 2012). Additionally, communicating the vision frequently, and in a variety
of forums will allow clarity and avoid rumors and misunderstandings (Kotter, 2012).
Additionally, a strategic mobilizer focuses on the strengths of others in order to build a
team that can lead based on their own strengths when necessary. Rath and Conchie (2008) state
that having people of various strengths on a team allows organizations to continuously grow and
create an impact. Further, embracing different strengths and incorporating them onto a team
allows a team to function more effectively without the leader when necessary. The leader is able
to delegate tasks and authority to others and be confident that work will be done successfully. A
strategic mobilizer keeps these ideas in mind when leading a group, as capitalizing on strengths
will allow for a more cohesive and overall effective organization.
Interpretation of Knowledge

Strategic mobilizer is the competency in which I feel I have grown the most, and also still
have the most room to grow. The various components of the competency were ones that I was
vastly unfamiliar with, and had no idea how to improve upon. The aspect of strategic mobilizer
that has been most impactful in my journey since beginning the MAiL program is capitalizing on
the strengths of others. In planning events, completing projects, or simply finishing tasks at
work, I generally felt that I had to rely on my own abilities in order to achieve anything.
Learning the significant benefits to delegating according to strengths has allowed my own work
to become more fruitful and successful. Not only am I able to learn much more from others now
that I ask questions and request help in various areas, I also have found that my staff and I work
better together now that we rely on one another for our different strengths.
Another concept within this competency that has altered my mindset is the way in which
challenges are addressed. Previously, I do not believe that I approached challenges in a strategic
way. Rather, I approached them attempting to devise the best short-term plan; essentially putting
a band-aid on the issue rather than truly solving it. After taking classes such as Creative and
Collaborative Leadership, I am able to see the usefulness in taking a step back and analyzing the
fullness of an issue before making a decision. Although this is still a constant challenge and work
in progress, having the awareness now of my inclination to only look at pieces of a problem has
allowed me to continue slowly improving.
Application of Knowledge
Professional. Several months ago, I was delegated the task of planning the departments
bi-annual retreat for all 130 employees. Although I worked together with my supervisor every
step of the way, the details and communications of the retreat were all my responsibility. It
became almost my full time job for the months leading up, as there were so many details to be

accounted for throughout the process. Looking back, planning this retreat forced me out of my
comfort zone and required me to become a strategic mobilizer in many ways. First, I had to
create a vision for what the retreat would look like, which then had to be communicated to
several levels of management before it was communicated to the department. The vision had to
be altered and adjusted many times before everyone involved was satisfied. Rather than having a
professional or educational aspect, we landed on the idea of allowing staff members to simply
have a day to relax and enjoy one another. Thus, the vision was to create a retreat day that
incorporated fun, relaxation, and entertainment in order to build community within the
department.
There were several other ways in which I had to use the components of strategic
mobilizer during this process as well. I had to find and purchase all of the entertainment aspects
of the day such as games, lunch, dessert, and decorations. I was given a budget and had to find
the best options in each category while also staying within the allotted amount. Additionally,
many challenges arose along the way that I was forced to handle. For example, there were
employees that fought me all along the way with negative attitudes, and there were logistical
issues from start to finish regarding vendors. Because this event was time sensitive, I had to deal
with each challenge as strategically as possible in order to continue moving forward.
I was also able to request help from others throughout the planning, but enlisted many
helpers for the day-of setting up. There is no way that I would have been able to put everything
together by myself on the day of the retreat, so utilizing others strengths and willingness
allowed me to function more effectively. Finally, throughout the planning we communicated
with the department by sending out save-the-dates, invitations, and reminder emails with
information as well. I also utilized a Google form in order to retrieve a count of how many

people would be attending so that I could plan the rest accordingly. Overall, this was the first
large event that I have been in charge of planning, and I found the strategic mobilizer tools and
concepts extremely helpful throughout the planning process. I believe that I was able to plan
more effectively and create a more successful event after having learned more how to handle
such situations. Attached below are both the invitation to the retreat, as well as the department
picture that was taken the day-of.
Academic. In the Organizational Behavior class, we were required to create an ideal
organization with the other members of our group. Our organization was being created from our
own knowledge of leadership and was supposed to function as ideally as possible. In order to
create this organization, we had to act in very strategic ways. We had to meet regularly to discuss
ideas such as what the vision of our company would be, how the employees would be chosen and
categorized, what means of communication would be used throughout the organization, and what
the leadership would look like. We worked together to build an organization that would succeed
financially and would have the right people in place to ensure that it thrived in all other ways as
well. This project required vast amounts of strategic creativity and problem solving along the
way. We were able to utilize strategic mobilization not only through our interactions as a group,
but also through the creation of this ideal organization. Below is the PowerPoint that was used to
present our organization.
Creation of New Knowledge
In my day-to-day life, there are many ways in which I believe I could improve at this
competency. Specifically, I would like to become more adept at casting visions. Being a very
detail-oriented individual, I find that attempting to see a larger picture into the future is difficult
for me. It is not a skill that comes naturally to me, which is why it is one that I need to begin
working on in order to improve. Visions do not need to be exclusively thought of as work

related, I would like to start small and personal in order to begin feeling more natural at the art of
creating a vision. My goal is to begin small by attempting to see the future possibilities rather
than focusing solely on the present details. During the next year, I will begin having
conversations regarding future possibilities and directions in my home life in order to begin
casting personal visions for the future. Following this practice, in six months I will challenge
myself to begin applying that to work and attempting to see a vision there as well. After thinking
about a vision, I will write it down and begin discussing it with my staff in order to receive
feedback and additional thoughts to make it more well rounded.