Architecting A Future of Growth: Ammar Al-Khateeb’s Role in Shaping The Station identity.

Introduction

Background of Mr. Al-Khatib

Ammar Al-Khatib, a passionate and dedicated leader with a background in management and a commitment to empowering individuals, assumed the role of Executive Director at The Station, a co-working space in Iraq. Before joining The Station, Al-Khatib had worked in various leadership positions in the public and private sectors, developing a solid understanding of the challenges organisations face in the region. His experience and expertise made him an ideal candidate to help The Station overcome obstacles and build a sustainable future.

Overview of The Station

The Station is a pioneering non-profit organisation and a co-working space in Iraq that aims to provide a creative and collaborative environment for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and professionals. Established in response to the growing need for flexible workspaces and professional networks in the region, The Station strives to empower individuals and organisations by offering resources, support, and opportunities for growth. As the first of its kind in Iraq, The Station has garnered significant attention and has played a crucial role in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the local community.

The Problem

The Station has faced several challenges since its establishment and had a series of short-term CEOs. Upon joining The Station, Ammar Al-Khatib quickly recognised the existing challenges within the organisation. Through empathy and open communication with staff members, he identified a chaotic work environment where employees felt insecure and unmotivated. This lack of morale and direction affected The Station’s overall performance and efficiency. Additionally, Al-Khatib discovered that the organisation needed more policies and regulations to guide its operations, leading to inconsistencies and confusion among staff members.

The problem at the heart of this case study revolves around the challenges faced by The Station regarding its internal management, policies, and overall organisational culture. Before Ammar Al-Khatib’s leadership, The Station faced various issues, including ineffective policies, a lack of clear communication, and an unsupportive work environment. These issues led to difficulties in decision-making, staff dissatisfaction, and inefficiencies in project implementation.

The problem statement for this case study can be formulated as follows: How can The Station, under the leadership of Ammar Al-Khatib, overcome internal management challenges, improve its policies and procedures, and foster a positive organisational culture to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of the organisation?

Discovering the Solution

Mr Al-Khatib’s solution to the challenges facing The Station involved the development of solid policies and internal regulations, promoting a positive and safe work environment, and focusing on collaboration with external stakeholders. His vision was to create an institution that meets the needs of its employees and clients and provides a model for effective leadership.

To achieve this vision, Mr. Al-Khatib took a strategic approach to address The Station’s various issues. He recognised the importance of creating clear HR policies and management procedures to ensure fair and adequate decision-making in project approval and recruitment areas. He also focused on developing communication policies and financial structures to provide a strong foundation for the institution’s operations.

In addition, Mr. Al-Khatib prioritised the development of a positive and inclusive work culture, emphasising the importance of resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to learn from mistakes. He encouraged a safe and collaborative work environment to support the institution’s and its employees’ growth and success.

Through regular meetings and collaboration with external stakeholders, Mr. Al-Khatib sought to expand The Station’s reach and impact while carefully managing donor relationships and project timeframes.

Vision:

Ammar Al-Khatib’s vision for The Station was to build a thriving and sustainable organisation that effectively serves its community and stakeholders. Central to this vision was achieving organisational stability, financial resilience and creating a supportive and safe work environment for all staff members. Additionally, establish a culture that fosters innovation, collaboration, and learning to empower the organisation to adapt and grow in response to the evolving needs of its beneficiaries and the wider entrepreneurship community in Iraq.

Strategy:

Ammar developed a comprehensive strategy to realise his vision that addressed the root causes of The Station’s challenges. The strategy included the following:

• Revamping HR structure and management procedures.

• Developing and implementing internal regulations and policies.

• Fostering a solid organisational culture rooted in shared values and emphasising resilience, adaptability, and continuous learning.

• Encouraging collaboration and communication across departments and with external stakeholders.

Approach:

Ammar employed a hands-on, participatory approach to tackle the challenges faced by The Station. He actively engaged with staff members, listened to their concerns, and collaborated to develop solutions aligned with the organisation’s goals and values. By involving employees in the decision-making process and fostering open lines of communication, Ammar built trust and instilled a sense of ownership among staff members. This inclusive approach contributed to developing more effective policies and procedures and helped create a positive and supportive organisational culture that underpinned The Station’s long-term success.

Developing a Positive Organisational Culture

Ammar Al-Khatib faced numerous challenges and obstacles when addressing the inconvenient work environment at The Station. He needed to overcome the existing culture of blame and criticism, change deeply ingrained habits and attitudes, and rebuild trust among staff members. Additionally, he had to establish clear goals and objectives for the organisation to provide direction and purpose.

Al-Khatib took several crucial steps to create a sense of direction and purpose for The Station and its staff. He started by articulating the organisation’s mission, vision, and core values, ensuring that these were well-defined and communicated effectively throughout the team. This provided a clear orientation for the team and an understanding of the organisation’s managers.

Al-Khatib also established transparent and inclusive processes for setting goals, priorities, and performance metrics. This allowed employees to understand how their contributions fit the larger picture, increasing their sense of ownership and commitment to the organisation’s objectives. He did not focus on how many hours employees work and when they arrive or leave rather than on the outputs they achieve towards hitting the goals and objectives. He was patient with the team members who didn’t perform well and gave them the space to adapt to the new work environment. Eventually, this approach results in high employee engagement and performance.

Effective communication was critical in overcoming the challenges of the inconvenient work environment. Al-Khatib fostered open lines of communication, encouraging staff members to share their ideas, concerns, and feedback. Also, Ammar still needs an office for himself as an executive director. However, he chose to sit in the coworking space with all the team and beneficiaries to get closer to them and reduce barriers. This created a sense of trust and collaboration among team members, breaking down silos and promoting a more cohesive and supportive culture.

Furthermore, Al-Khatib involved employees in decision-making, ensuring their voices were heard and valued. He used to involve every team member in discussions and asked for their opinions and feedback during the weekly and individual meetings. Thus, most decisions were taken based on the consensus of The Station’s team. He created a more engaged and committed workforce by actively empowering staff members to shape the organisation’s direction.

In conclusion, Ammar Al-Khatib successfully addressed The Station’s inconvenient work environment and lack of direction by focusing on developing a culture of learning and growth, prioritising effective communication, and actively involving employees in decision-making. His leadership approach transformed The Station into a thriving organisation with a value-driven solid culture.

The Impact of Mindset Development on Organisational Success

Cultivating a growth mindset in the workplace offers numerous benefits, including increased adaptability, improved problem-solving skills, enhanced creativity, and heightened employee engagement. A growth mindset encourages individuals to embrace challenges, view failures as learning opportunities, and continuously strive for improvement.

Al-Khatib’s focus on mindset development significantly impacted The Station’s overall success. By promoting a growth mindset, he created a work environment that encouraged employees to innovate, collaborate, and learn from their experiences. His emphasis on open communication, learning from mistakes, and fostering a supportive culture allowed employees to feel safe in taking risks and experimenting with new ideas, which led to the development of creative solutions to the challenges faced by the organisation.

The focus on growth mindset development was essential to The Station’s success. Mr. Ammar created a supportive work environment that spurred innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. This transformative approach allowed The Station to thrive as a values-driven organisation with a robust, resilient, and engaged workforce.

The Synergy of Policies, Processes, and Mindset Development

Policies and processes are critical in providing a solid foundation for an organisation’s operations. They ensure structure, efficiency, and adherence to industry standards and best practices. However, Al-Khatib understood that these alone would not guarantee a thriving work environment. He recognised the importance of integrating policies and processes with the desired culture and placing equal emphasis on mindset development to create a positive work environment and achieve long-term success.

Al-Khatib’s policy development and process improvement approach was designed to support and encourage the culture of learning and growth he sought to create. For instance, he developed procurement and financial policies focused on transparency and ethical resource allocation and cultivated a culture of employee accountability and responsibility.

Recognising the limitations of policies and processes alone, Al-Khatib placed great importance on mindset development. He focused on shifting employees’ mindsets by promoting open communication, discouraging blame, and fostering a learning environment. He encouraged employees to take risks, innovate, and learn from their mistakes by creating a safe and supportive work environment.

This synergy between policies, processes, and mindset development allowed The Station to adapt and grow in response to evolving needs, resulting in long-term success. Al-Khatib’s integrated approach emphasised the importance of cultivating a growth mindset throughout the organisation, recognising that this mindset, in combination with solid policies and processes, formed the cornerstone of a thriving, values-driven organisation.

In conclusion, while policies and processes are essential for creating a solid foundation for an organisation’s operations, their integration with mindset development and the desired culture is crucial for establishing a positive work environment and achieving long-term success. Al-Khatib’s approach exemplifies this, transforming The Station into a thriving organisation with a strong culture and values-driven approach.

Application of Values; Developing the System

Ammar Al-Khatib’s leadership approach at The Station was hands-on and participatory, focusing on collaboration, inclusivity, and learning from mistakes. He aimed to build a thriving, sustainable organisation that effectively served its community and stakeholders. Al-Khatib prioritised the development of robust policies and internal regulations while promoting a positive, safe work environment and fostering external stakeholder collaboration.

His vision went beyond policy implementation, as he recognised the importance of shifting employees’ mindsets to emphasise values like innovation, collaboration, and social responsibility. Al-Khatib understood that more than policies and processes alone were required, with a mindset shift to support them.

He encouraged staff to embrace change, learn from challenges, and seek growth opportunities to achieve this. He fostered a learning culture by discouraging blame, promoting open dialogue about mistakes, and creating a safe space for employees to share experiences and learn from each other.

Al-Khatib prioritised developing a positive and inclusive work culture, emphasising resilience, adaptability, and learning from mistakes. He supported the institution’s and employees’ growth and success by creating a safe and collaborative work environment.

Engaging with staff members, he listened to their concerns and collaborated on solutions aligned with the organisation’s goals and values. Involving employees in the decision-making process and maintaining open lines of communication built trust and instilled a sense of ownership. This approach contributed to more effective policies and procedures and helped create a supportive organisational culture facilitating The Station’s long-term success.

 

The Picture

In conclusion, Ammar Al-Khatib’s leadership at The Station demonstrated the importance of integrating values, policies, processes, and mindset development to create a thriving and sustainable organisation. He established a positive work environment that encouraged innovation and collaboration by prioritising a culture of learning and growth, fostering open communication, and discouraging blame.

Al-Khatib developed robust policies and processes aligned with the organisation’s values, ensuring they effectively served The Station’s mission and goals. These policies and processes, which included procurement, communication, and financial policies, as well as project approval, recruitment, and decision-making processes, provided a strong foundation for the organisation’s operations.

However, he recognised that more than policies and processes were needed for long-term success. Mindset development was crucial to creating a positive work environment that could adapt and grow over time. Al-Khatib cultivated a growth mindset throughout the organisation by encouraging staff to embrace change, learn from challenges, and seek growth opportunities.

His hands-on, participatory leadership approach emphasised collaboration, inclusivity, and learning from mistakes. He actively engaged with staff members, listened to their concerns, and worked together to develop solutions aligned with the organisation’s goals and values. This built trust, instilled a sense of ownership and fostered a supportive organisational culture underpinning The Station’s long-term success.

Overall, Al-Khatib’s ability to integrate values, policies, processes, and mindset development transformed The Station into a thriving, values-driven organisation. His approach is a powerful example for leaders seeking sustainable organisations that serve their communities and stakeholders effectively.

Key Component	Description
Culture of Learning and Growth	Al-Khateeb prioritised a culture that encouraged learning from mistakes, innovation, and continuous improvement. This was achieved by fostering open communication, discouraging blame, and creating a safe space for employees to share experiences and learn from one another.
Policies and Processes	Al-Khateeb developed robust policies and processes aligned with the organisation’s values and mission, including procurement, communication, and financial policies. He also implemented project approval, recruitment, and decision-making processes, providing a strong foundation for the organisation’s operations.
Mindset Development	Recognising that policies and processes alone were insufficient, Al-Khateeb focused on cultivating a growth mindset within the organisation. He encouraged staff to embrace change, learn from challenges, and seek growth opportunities, fostering resilience and adaptability.
Participatory Leadership	Al-Khateeb’s hands-on, inclusive leadership approach emphasised collaboration, inclusivity, and learning from mistakes. He actively engaged with staff members, listened to their concerns, and worked together to develop solutions aligned with the organisation’s goals and values. This approach built trust, instilled a sense of ownership, and fostered a supportive organisational culture.
External Stakeholder Collaboration	Under Al-Khateeb’s leadership, The Station developed strong partnerships with external stakeholders, including donors, clients, and partner organisations. These collaborations gave The Station valuable resources, support, and opportunities, enabling the organisation to expand its impact and reach within the community.
Board of Directors Involvement	Al-Khateeb involved the Board of Directors in policy development and approval processes, ensuring that policies were strategically aligned with the organisation’s mission and goals. This fostered a sense of shared responsibility and commitment among all stakeholders.

 

Role of the Board of Directors in Policy Approval

Recognising the importance of strong governance, Al-Khatib involved the Board of Directors in the policy development and approval process. By seeking input and guidance from the Board, he ensured policies were strategically aligned with the organisation’s mission and goals, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and commitment among all stakeholders.

Conclusion

The case study of Mr. Al-Khatib and his work at The Station highlights the importance of effective leadership and organisational culture in creating a successful and sustainable organisation. Through his leadership, Ammar Al-Khatib was able to identify The Station’s fundamental problems, develop a clear vision and strategy, and implement a comprehensive set of solutions that addressed the root causes of these issues.

This case study teaches us the importance of empathy and understanding the stakeholders involved in any organisation. By taking the time to understand the needs and perspectives of employees, donors, and other vital stakeholders, Mr. Al-Khatib was able to develop effective, sustainable, and well-received solutions for all parties.

Another key takeaway from this case study is the value of a comprehensive approach to organisational change. By utilising various methodologies, including design thinking, lean startup, and agile project management, Mr. Al-Khatib developed and implemented adaptable, iterative solutions and continuously improved over time.

This case study exemplifies effective leadership, problem-solving, and organisational change in a challenging and complex context. It underscores the importance of empathy, strategic thinking, and a commitment to continuous improvement in achieving success and sustainability in any organisation.

To manage the theory of change, Ammar identified the current state of the organisation, understood the root causes of the challenges faced by The Station, and developed a clear vision for the future state. He then created a roadmap with measurable goals and action steps to achieve the desired outcomes. Ammar also worked closely with the staff to ensure everyone was on board with the changes and understood their role. He regularly evaluated the organisation’s progress and made adjustments as necessary to stay on track towards the desired outcomes. By managing the theory of change in this way, Ammar successfully transformed The Station and created a more sustainable and impactful organisation.

Ammar used various methodologies to solve the issues at The Station. For instance, he used design thinking to develop The Station’s HR policies and approval procedures. He empathised with employees, listened to their concerns and challenges, identified their needs, defined problem areas, brainstormed solutions with his team, and iteratively prototyped and tested different solutions until they arrived at a final solution that was practical and effective.

Furthermore, he used the Lean Six Sigma methodology to develop The Station’s policy development and internal regulations. He identified the fundamental processes that needed improvement, analysed their performance, measured their impact on the overall operations of The Station, implemented process improvements, monitored the results, and continuously optimised the processes until they were streamlined and efficient.

Finally, he used Agile methodology to develop The Station’s program development and collaboration. He divided projects into smaller tasks that could be completed in short cycles, prioritised tasks based on their value to the organisation, collaborated with stakeholders to get their input and feedback, responded to feedback by adjusting priorities and tasks, and continuously delivered value to the organisation.

In conclusion, Ammar’s approach to problem-solving was a combination of different methodologies that he adapted and applied to fit The Station’s specific needs. Using these methodologies, he addressed the organisation’s complex issues, developed practical solutions, and achieved his vision of creating a sustainable and prosperous organisation.

What can we learn from this?

1.  Foster a culture of learning and growth: Encourage innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the organisation by creating an environment where employees feel safe to learn from their mistakes and share experiences.

2.  Align policies and processes with organisational values: Develop robust policies and processes consistent with the organisation’s mission and values to provide a strong foundation for operations and facilitate a positive work environment.

3.  Prioritise mindset development: Recognize that policies and processes are insufficient to create a thriving organisation. Focus on cultivating a growth mindset within employees, encouraging them to embrace change, learn from challenges, and seek growth opportunities.

4.  Embrace participatory leadership: Adopt an inclusive, hands-on approach emphasising collaboration and open communication. Engage with employees, listen to their concerns, and work together to develop solutions that align with the organisation’s goals and values.

5.  Build external solid collaborations: Develop partnerships with external stakeholders, such as donors, clients, and partner organisations, to expand the organisation’s impact, resources, and reach within the community.

6.  Involve the Board of Directors in critical decisions: Seek input and guidance from the Board of Directors in policy development and approval processes to ensure alignment with the organisation’s mission and goals and foster a sense of shared responsibility and commitment among all stakeholders.

7.  Promote transparency and accountability: Implement policies and processes that encourage transparency, fairness, and accountability throughout the organisation, building trust and cohesion among staff members.

8.  Encourage cross-departmental collaboration: Facilitate regular communication and collaboration between departments to ensure that all teams work towards common goals and foster unity within the organisation.

9.  Focus on employee well-being: Create a supportive work environment that prioritises employee well-being, ensuring that staff feel valued, included, and able to contribute to the organisation’s success.

10.  Adapt and evolve: Continuously review and update policies, processes, and organisational culture to respond to changing needs and challenges, ensuring the organisation remains agile and resilient in the face of change.

About The Author

Moslim A. Al-Hattab is the Head of Product Development department at Doinc for Business Development & Consultation. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Dentistry from Al-Yarmouk University College and an ongoing MBA at the International University for Applied Sciences. Moslim is passionate about the design of things and capacity building. He is interested in Organisational Behavior, social and organisational psychology, gamification, learning, and development. Moslim is committed to personal and professional growth and fostering real change.