Post on 10-Aug-2020
ShowLeadershipintheWorkplaceBSBMGT401
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ElementsandPerformanceCriteria
1.Modelhighstandardsofmanagementperformanceandbehaviour
1.1Ensuremanagementperformanceandbehaviourmeetstheorganisation’srequirements
1.2Ensuremanagementperformanceandbehaviourservesasapositiverolemodelforothers
1.3Developandimplementperformanceplansinaccordancewithorganisation’sgoalsandobjectives
1.4Establishandusekeyperformanceindicatorstomeetorganisation’sgoalsandobjectives
2.Enhanceorganisation’simage
2.1Useorganisation’sstandardsandvaluesinconductingbusiness
2.2Question,throughestablishedcommunicationchannels,standardsandvaluesconsideredtobedamagingtotheorganisation
2.3Ensurepersonalperformancecontributestodevelopinganorganisationwhichhasintegrityandcredibility
3.Makeinformeddecisions 3.1Gatherandorganiseinformationrelevanttotheissue/sunderconsideration
3.2Facilitateindividual’sandteam’sactiveparticipationindecision-makingprocesses
3.3Examineoptionsandassessassociatedriskstodeterminepreferredcourse/sofaction
3.4Ensuredecisionsaretimelyandcommunicatethemclearlytoindividualsandteams
3.5Prepareplanstoimplementdecisionsandensuretheyareagreedbyrelevantindividualsandteams
3.6Usefeedbackprocesseseffectivelytomonitortheimplementationandimpactofdecisions
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Evidencerequirements
Thisdescribestheessentialrequirementsandtheirlevelrequiredforthisunit.
Knowledgeevidence
Tocompletetheunitrequirementssafelyandeffectively,theindividualmust:
• Explainhowtoidentifyanorganisation’sstandardsandvalueswhentheyare:
o Stated
o Implied
• Articulateorganisationalvaluesandexpectationsofbehaviour
• Explainbasictheoryofgroupbehaviour
• Outlinetheorganisation’sprocessforraisingquestionsaboutstandardsandvalues
• Give examples of behaviours and performance that would typically be considered
damagingtoanorganisation
• Explainconceptsincluding:
o Organisationalvalues
o Rolemodelling
o Integrityandcredibility
o Leadership
Performanceevidence
Evidenceoftheabilityto:
• Identifytheorganisation’sstandardsandvalues,whetherstatedorimpliedbytheway
theorganisationconductsitsbusiness
• Evaluateownbehaviourandperformanceagainsttheseandadjusttoachieverequired
standards
• Developandimplementperformanceplansandkeyperformanceindicators(KPIs)to
meetorganisation’sgoalsandobjectives
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• Useestablishedcommunicationchannelstoraisequestionsaboutstandardsandvalues
thatmaybedamagingtotheorganisation
• Ensureownbehaviourandperformancecontributestotheintegrityandcredibilityof
theorganisation
• Facilitateprocessestomakedecisionsthatarebasedon:
o Relevantinformation
o Examinationofoptionsandassociatedrisks
o Inputfromrelevantpeople
• Communicateaboutmakingandimplementingdecisionsincluding:
o Facilitatingagreementonthepreferredcourseofactionandimplementation
plans
o Monitoringandfeedbackontheimplementationandimpactofdecisions
Note:Ifaspecificvolumeorfrequencyisnotstated,thenevidencemustbeprovidedatleastonce.
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Introduction
Leadership has traditionally been recognised as a coremanagement function.Much has beenwrittenanddebatedon this issuewithingeneralmanagement literature.This tellsus that thetopicofLeadershipisnotonlyoneofcriticalimportancetoorganisationalsuccess,butcomplexinnature.
Themodernbusinessenvironmentisassociatedwithconditionsof:
• increasedcompetition• globalisation• scarceresources• increaseduncertainty,etc.
Giventheseconditions,theissueofeffectiveleadershiphastakenongreaterimportanceinmostorganisations.The leaderofanorganisation isexpectedtodemonstrateeffective leadership inmanydiverseandvariedsituations.
Thisunitaddressesanumberofimportantissuesandthekindofsituationswhereorganisationleadersmustbeable todemonstrate their leadershipeffectively.Theunit specificallyprovidesskillsandknowledgethatenablethelearnerto:
• alignandresourcegroupsandindividualstoorganisationalplans• motivateindividualsandgroups• supportinnovationandchange• makeeffectivedecisions• addressissuesintheexternalenvironment,and• communicateeffectivelyinsideandoutsidetheorganisation
“Leadershipistheartofgettingotherstodosomethingyouwantdonebecausetheywanttodoit.”
DwightEisenhower
“Thekeytosuccessfulleadershiptodayisinfluence,notauthority.”
KennethBlanchard
“Leaders aremore powerful rolemodels when they learn than whentheyteach.”
RosabethMossKantor
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Ensuremanagementperformanceandbehaviourmeetstheorganisation’srequirementsandensuremanagementperformanceandbehaviourservesapositiverolemodelforothers
When staff progress tomanagementwithin an organisation, theymust develop new knowledgeandskillsinordertofulfiltheirexpandedrole.
This usually involves completingmoremental (cognitive) tasks, as opposed to physical (psycho-motor)tasks.
Managers must analyse their own abilities as leaders, so they know what skills need to bedeveloped. Part of this is analysing their management style. There aremany different ways ofdescribingmanagementstyles– thevariety increaseswitheachbook/article that ispublishedonstaffmanagement.
However, there are four management styles that are traditionally discussed, and four othercontemporarymanagementstylesthatwillbeconsideredonthisworkbook. Thesestylesarenotexclusiveofeachother.
Manymanagerscanrecognisethemselvesincombinationsofstyles–dependingonthesituation,peopleinvolved,andtheworkrequired.
Thefourtraditionalstylesare:
• Dictator
• Authoritarian
• Democratic
• Submissive
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Dictator
Dictatorial leadersusethreats,punishmentandfeartopushstafftoperform.Thistypeofleaderusuallyobtainsexcellentshort-termresults,butthequalityandquantityoftheresultsarenotoftensustainable.
• Advantages: In some situations, a dictatorial style is very useful. For example: In an
emergency-staffmaynotbeabletomakeurgentdecisionsandneedtobetoldexactly
whattodo.Inaworkplacewheretherehasbeennomanagementorder,anewmanager
mayneedtotakeadictatorialapproachtogetthesituationbackontrack.
• Disadvantages:Adictatorpromotesunrestanddissatisfactionandhasahighstaffturn-
over.Thisresultsinlittlecontinuityintraininganddevelopmentwithinthebusiness.For
example, Staffmay perform their roles efficiently but are keen towork elsewhere, or
leavethebusinessassoonaspossible.
Authoritarian
Theauthoritarianleaderhasajob-centredapproach,usuallypreferringtomakeallofthedecisionsalone, and is unwilling to share decision-making and to delegate important functions. Theauthoritarian leaderworks largely on a “need to know”basis, and issues commands rather thaninitiatingdiscussionoraskingforstaffinput.
• Advantages:Anauthoritarianstylecanbeusefulwhenthereisnostaffwillingorcapable
ofcopingwiththerequiredresponsibilityorare immatureandneedclosesupervision.
ForexamplePeoplewhoareusedtobebeingtoldwhattodo,maynotrespondwellif
theyaresuddenlygivenchoicesandpersonalcontrol.
• Disadvantages:Thistypeofleaderusuallyobtainsgoodresultsintheshort-term,butthe
quality and quantity of results disappear dramatically whenever the leader is not at
work.Thisisbecauseotherpeoplehavenotbeengroomedorself-disciplinedtocopein
his/herabsence.Forexample,Storesalesmaybelowerwheneverthemanagerisnoton
thepremises.
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Democratic
Thedemocratic leader ispeople-centredandusesdelegation togroomcompetent staffwhocanadviseandparticipateindecision-making.
• Advantages: The staff members usually feel valued and are developed into capable
decision makers who can function well during the manager’s absence. For example,
There is a high degree of ownership of the company’s belongings and profitability by
staffmembers.
• Disadvantages: Poorly trained or unmotivated staffmay not respond to a democratic
leader because they do not have the motivation or self-discipline to participate. For
example,Staffmemberswhohavenothadpreviouspositiverole-modelsmaymakeno
decisionsorperformtaskspoorlyiflefttotheirowndecision-making.
Submissive
Submissiveleadersdonotreallyleadatallbutallowstafforaparticularstaffmembertomakethedecisions. They can facilitate decision-making and sometimes offer no leadership even if it isneeded.
• Advantages:Submissive leadersareuseful leadinghighlymotivatedand trained teams
whodonotneedleadershipinordertomakeandrespondtodecisions.Forexample,A
workteamofemotionallymatureemployeesmaybeabletouseappropriatedelegation,
prioritising,etc.tomanagetheirowndepartments.
• Disadvantages: Staff lead by a submissive leader can become sectionalised because
there isnotone leadershipplan for thebusiness. Thedifferentagenda candivide the
strengthoftheteamandstaffdonotalwayspullingtogetherinthesamedirection.For
example,Prioritiesmaybesetaccordingtowhatpeoplewouldliketodo,notaccording
towhatisinthebusiness’sbestinterests.
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Contemporaryleadershipstyles:
• Visionary leader
• Traditional
• Negotiating
• Charismatic
Visionaryleader
Visionary leaders are designers. They are architects of changewho are happy to designing newprojects,solvingproblemsandenjoytechnicalandadministrativeareas.
• Advantages:Theyaresupportive,andstaffwillfollowtheirvisionaryideas.Theyarenot
frightenedbyweightyproblemsbutwillanalyseandsolvethem.
• Disadvantages: They do not give praise readily and do not always tolerate people’s
mistakesverywell.
Traditionalleaders
Theyhavethecommitment,commonsenseandfollowthroughwithaction.Theyenjoytheofficialproceduresandformalityoftheorganisationandhaveastrongsenseofresponsibility.
• Advantages: Staffmembers feel that they can rely on the traditional leader. They are
verystabilisinginaworkplace.
• Disadvantages:Theyareimpatientwithpeoplewhodonotgettothepointquickly,and
theycanberesistanttochange.Theyarenotoftengoodcounsellorsormentors.
Negotiating
Theyarecompetentatcompletinga jobandareadaptable. Theyaregoodnegotiators,seekandwelcomechangeandwillnegotiatewithpolicies/procedures.Theygivesupportandappreciationtostaff.
• Advantages: They are flexible and able to take instructions from lower-level supervisors,
and are very good at keeping and developing teams.
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• Disadvantages: They may be carried away by a new plan and forget the current
requirements of the situation. Staff may find them unpredictable, and this can be
unsettling.
Charismaticleader
Theyhaveapersonalcharismaandfollowingbystaff.Theydisplayexcellentinterpersonalskillsandcannurtureanddevelopstaff.
• Advantages:Theyinspirehighworkoutputsandempowerstafftomakedecisionsand
contributions.
• Disadvantages:Theycanendupsappedofallenergy,andhavenosupportleftfor
themselves.
Managersmustcontrolandleadinmanyareasofthebusiness.Thiscanbebrokendownintoageneralskillscategoryandfourotherspecificcategories.
Eachcategorylistssomeoftheimportantskillsneededtofunctionproperly:
• Generalmanagementskills
• Planning
• Organising
• Staffing
• Directing
• Controlling
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GeneralManagementSkills
Theseencompassthefollowing:
• CommunicationSkills
o Bodylanguage;thisisapparentduringanyinteractionandshouldbepositiveand
non-offensive. Personal space and cultural sensitivity are important
considerations. Managersmust ensure that their body languagemirrors their
verbalmessages,ascontradictionscauseconfusionanddistrust.
o Verbal; thisoccurswith staff and clients, formallyor informally. The choiceof
language,theamountof jargonandthetoneandclarityofvoiceare important
considerations. Awareness of environmental and psychological barriers must
also be considered. The timing and the location of verbal communication can
affect successful outcomes. It can also affect future outcomes, as a positive
word,thanksorencouragementcaninspireteammemberswhilenoornegative
communication can lower morale and work outputs. Ensuring that verbal
communication is two-way by using feedback is essential to ensure complete
understandingbybothparties.
o Listening: this aspect of communication is often overlooked. Managers must
listen effectively and ensure that their team does the same, so the
communication will be effective. This includes focusing attention, showing
appropriatebodylanguageandlisteningtorememberandanalysethemessage
content.
o Written: memos, reports, emails, reports, etc.: Managers communicate
frequently in written form –manually and electronically and need to have the
requisiteskillstocommunicatewell.Managersmayneedtoreviseoraltertheir
writing style to produce appropriate workplace documents. All documents
should be clear and concise, and also, be grammatically correct and without
spellingerrors.Layoutandformattingshouldbeappropriateforthebusiness.
DecisionMakingManagersalsoneedtodeveloptheskillsneededtomakedecisions.Thisnormallyinvolvestheabilityto:
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• Researchthefacts
• Analysetheavailabledata
• Brainstormsolutions
• Evaluatetheoptions
• Implementandmonitorthechosendecision
Researchthefacts
Themanagerhastoclearlyunderstandtheproblem/issueandbeabletogathertherequiredinformationsothesituationcanbeidentified.Thismayrequireresearchintoareasincluding:
• Managementpractices
• Policiesandprocedures
• Employee’sopinions
• Otherstakeholder’sopinions
• Similar/relatedsituationselsewhere
AnalysetheproblemThemanagermustclearlybeabletoquantifytheproblemandallofitsimplicationssothatthedecisionthatismadewillbesound.
Thismayinvolveanalysisofthefollowingareas:
• Financialimplications
• Personnelissues
• Legalaspects
• Possiblecauses/effects
• Mitigatingfactors
BrainstormsolutionsThemostappropriatesolutionordecisionmaynotbethefirstonethat isconsidered. Managersmay need to think creatively, look further than their preferred options, and not jump toconclusions.Whilethebestsolutionsinvolvelogicandrationalthoughts,theyalsoneedcreativitytogrowtofruition.
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Brainstormingcaninclude:
• Freeassociationofideas
• Involvementofotherpeopletoofferideas
• Writtenlistsorwebsofideas
• Combinationsofearlierideas
EvaluationofoptionsThemanagershouldbeopen-mindedandpreparedtoacceptadifferentwayofachievingtheresultthatisneeded.
Thefollowingfactorscouldbeconsideredinlightofhowtheycouldinfluenceorimpactonthedecision:
• Technology
• Culturalimplications
• Economicfactors
• Personnelrequirements
ImplementandmonitorthechosendecisionThis initially involvesthemanagermakingthedecisiontogowiththepreferredoption.Deferringdecisions indefinitely shows poor leadership skills, unless the manager has to put into place aprocesstogetassistancewiththedecision-making.Implementingthedecisionmeansattentiontothefollowing,asapplicable:
• Planningtheimplementationprocess
• Communicatingthedecisiontoallappropriatepersonnelandstakeholders.
• Monitoring the decision-making to ensure that it is the correct decision and that it is
correctlyimplemented.
Timemanagementskills
Becausetheworkingdaycannotbeendlesslyextended,managementoftheallocatedworkdayiscrucialforsuccessfulmanagementofateam.Thisinvolves:
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PrioritisingtasksManymanagersuseasystemthatgradestheurgencyofthetasktobecompleted.Thiscouldinclude:urgent,importantandnon-urgent.
Thepriorityratinggiventoataskwilldeterminethespeedwithwhichitwillbedealtwith.
BeingdisciplinedandfocusedManagersmustcomplete tasksaccording to thebest interestsof thebusiness–notbyassigningtimeandefforttotasksbasedon,whatismore,enjoyableorinteresting.
Retailmanagersmay,forexample,deferimportantpaperworktasksandspendtimeonthesellingfloorassistingwithstock.Thismaynotbethemostappropriateuseoftheirtimeasmanager,butmaybeanenjoyablecomfortzoneforthem.
Developingandusingasystemtoevaluate/managetasks.Managersmustreassesstheimportanceoftasksastheneedsarise.Oncetheprioritieshavebeenrevised,managersmustusetheirtimeeffectivelytocompleteworkasitisrequired.
Oneusefulsuggestion isto“Onlydoanytaskonce”. Thismeansattendingtoeachtaskproperlyandcompletely,beforestartinganewone.Thisisespeciallyusefulwhendealingwithanunusualordifficultsituationwhereitmaybetemptingtokeepputtingthedetailsbackintothein-tray,insteadofdealingwithitproperly.
Managersmay need to develop a system for filing partially completed tasks so they can be re-startedlaterwithaminimumofrevisionofwhathasalreadybeendone.
DelegationofdutiesManagers delegate tasks as a major component of their own duties. This means having theauthorityandresponsibilitytohand-overappropriatetaskstotheappropriatepeople.
Managersmayhavetodelegateupwardsanddownwardsontheorganisationalscale. Theymustthenmonitorandevaluatetheprocessandtheresults.
EnhancementofcompanyimageandphilosophyManagersmustpromoteandaddvaluetothecompany’simage.Thismustbeobvioustostaffandtocustomers/clientsthroughthemanager’sappearance,behavioursandworkethics.Thisincludesinfluencing the company’s standards and values, by appropriate communication with andsuggestions for the appropriate level of management. It also includes the promotion of theappropriatebehaviourstostaffteammemberswithintheworkgroup.
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Planningskills
Planning involves determining the course of action to accomplish a business objective. Themanager’s seniority within the organisation determines the type of planning that has to becompleted.
Planningcanincludeday-to-dayplanningtocontroltherunningofthestore,toweeklyandmonthlyplanning of business objectives. Long-term planning to plot future direction may include timeframes of one to many years. Managers frequently have several planning projects runningsimultaneously.
ForexampleDay-to-daystaffingofthestore,nextweek’spromotionalplanning,animpendingpeaktrading period, next year’s budgets for sales and staffing and a long-term overhaul of adepartment/storelayout.
ImportantskillsforPlanning:
• Analysing
• Attentiontodetail
• Criticalthinking
Organising
Organising includesprioritisingwhat activities need tobedone toput a plan intooperation andthenmanagingthestafftoimplementtheoperation.
Theseniorityofthemanagerwilldeterminehowclosehe/sheistotheimplementationoftheplan.Themoreseniorthemanagers,themoretheyrelyondelegationtoothersfortheimplementationofplans.
Forexample:
• A Department Manager will plan and then probably physically work with the team to
organise the implementation of the plan.
• A Store Manger may plan and then delegate some of the main tasks to other staff,
although he/she may still physically assist with the plan’s implementation.
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• An Area Manager may organise a plan and then have to delegate virtually all of its
implementation to other staff – Store Managers and Departmental Managers.
ImportantskillsforOrganising:
• Delegation
• Motivation
• Prioritising
Staffing
Staffingreferstotheprocessfromrecruitmenttoterminationofemployees.Itincludesseveralfunctions:
• Recruitment:fromadvertising,interviewingtoemployingtheappropriatepeople
• Stafftraining:frominductiontoon-goingdevelopmentandup-skillinginskillsand
knowledge.
• Allocation:ofstafftoappropriateroleswithinthebusiness
• Promotion:tofillbusinessrolesandtomeettheabilitiesoftheemployees
• Demotion:tocomplywiththebusiness’sneedsandtomeettheabilitiesofemployees
• Counselling:forworkand/orpersonalissuesthatareimpactingonthebusiness
• Termination:whenpeoplechoosetoleavethebusiness,ormustbeaskedtodoso
Importantskillsforstaffing:
• Assessing
• Budgeting
• Counselling
• Documenting/recording
• Interviewing
• Training
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Directing
Directingreferstoguidanceandsupervisionofstaffwhiletheycompletethenecessarytaskswithinthebusiness.
This means that the manager must oversee all of the activities, either directly or indirectly, toensurethatthebusinessobjectivesarebeingmet,andtheplansarebeingimplemented.
Importantskillsforstaffing:
• Observation
• Liaison&coordination
• Motivation
Controlling
Controlling refers to investigating, analysing and acting on any alterations to bottom lineprofitabilitythatcouldimpactonthebusiness’ssuccess.Thismeansconstantcontactwithfactorsincludingsales,staffing,merchandising,unknownloss,andpromotions,etc.thatcanfluctuateandalterfromtheplannedbudget.
Importantskillsforstaffing:
• Bookkeepingduties
• Buying/selling
• Directingandadvising
• Moneymanagement
• Salesmanagement
Goodleadership
Therearemanyqualities that areattached to the term“good leadership”. They canbe found invaryingquantitiesinanyoftheleadershipstylesalreadymentionedandcanvarydependingonthemanagementarea.
Qualitiesincludethefollowing:
• Accuratesenseofurgency
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• Confidentiality
• Desiretolearnandgrowwithinthebusiness
• Empathy
• Enthusiasmforthepeople,productsandservicesofthebusiness
• Integrityandhonesty
• Realism
• Responsibility
• Self-discipline
• Trust
Becausepeoplearenotbornwithahighlevelofthesequalities,managersmustconsciouslyworktowardsimprovingtheirmanagementabilities.
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Developandimplementperformanceplansinaccordancewithorganisation’sgoalsandobjectives
Organisationalexpectations
Organisationshaveanorganisationalflowwhichfiltersthroughthedifferentlevelsofthebusinessandclearlydefinesthevaluesandthevisionofthebusiness.
ThisprocessusuallystartswithaMissionStatement,SetofValuesandVision.
ExampleMissionStatement:“Toprovideexcellentproductsandservicestoallcustomers,treatallemployeeswithrespectandtoprovideasafeandinvitingplacetoshop”.ExampleofValuesstatement:
• Customerfocused• Honestandwithintegrityinalldealings• Committedtocontinuousimprovement
ExampleofVisionstatement:TobethelargestretailerofhighfashionclothinginAustralia
Thesestatementsdefinetheholisticrequirementsofthebusiness. Theycanincludebroad, long-termpurposesandgoalswhichprovideabig-picture setof expectationsanddirections for staff.Theyareusuallyfairlybriefstatementsorlistsofdotpoints.
Organisationalexpectationshelptoachievethefollowing:
• Explaintheorganisationtoallstakeholders
• Provideanorganisationalfocusonspecificoutcomes
• Provideaframeworkforthebusiness’sgoals,policies,proceduresandrules.
• Actasareferencepointforday-to-dayandlong-termdecision-making.
• Promotetheorganisation’sreputation.
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Policy,proceduresandrules
Missionstatements,VisionsandValuesarenormallyrefinedintopolicies,proceduresandrules,whichgiveaspecificframeworktohowthebusinessoperates.
Forexample,Abusinessthatpromotesitselfasbeing“customerfocused”willhavespecificpoliciesrelatingtoeachcustomerserviceaspectofthebusiness.
Thiscouldinclude:
• Telephoneuse
• Personalcontactwithcustomers
• Aftersalesservice
• Dealingwithcomplaints
Forexample,Telephoneusepolicycouldbe:Staffwillansweralltelephonespromptlyandconductbusinessprofessionallyandefficiently.
ProceduresAprocedureisalistofprecisestepsthatexplainsexactlywhatisexpectedfromapolicystatement.
Forexample:
Apolicyrelatingtotelephoneusecouldstartwiththefollowingproceduresteps:
• Answerexternalcallswithinthreerings
• Identifyself,storeandasktoassist
• Obtainallrelevantinformationfromcaller
• Speakpolitelyatalltimes
RulesRules are an important part of policies and procedures and often relate to legal or ethicalrequirements. Theremaybesome leewayand interpretationallowedwithintheframeworkofabusiness’s policies and procedures. This could relate to regional management preferences,customer/culturalrequirements,physicaldistancesfromotherstoresinthegroup,etc.
However,rulesareusuallynotnegotiablerequirementsinthebusiness.Breachesofrulesmaybeconsideredtobeanoffencewherestaffundergoformalcounsellingorevenbeconsidered“grossmisconduct”forwhichanemployeecouldbedismissed.
For example, Rules could relate to employee theft, health and safety requirements, bullying andharassment.
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Establishandusekeyperformanceindicatorstomeetorganisation’sgoalsandobjectives
Performancerequirements
Toassistpeopletoperformattheirpeak,organisationsoftenprovideclearrolesandresponsibilitiesforspecificjobs.Thesedocumentscanbesetoutinavarietyofwaysandcanbecalleddifferenttitles-Jobdescriptions,Jobtitles–aretwoexamples.
Thefollowingdetailsmaybeincluded:
• Jobpurpose:
Thissectionputstheposition’sroleandresponsibilitiesintothecontextoftheorganisationasawhole.
• KeyresultsAreas:
Thissectiondescribesthemainareasofresponsibilityandaccountabilityfortheparticularjob.Theyarenotnecessarilyinorderofimportanceasallkeyresultsareasareimportanttothebusiness.Thereareusually5–10areaslisted.
KeyResultsAreascouldinclude:
o Salesachieved
o Staffinglevelandturnover
o Leadership
o Healthandsafety
o Industrialrelations
o Continuousimprovement
• Targets:
TargetsareindicatedtomonitorhowwelltheKeyResultsAreasarebeingmanaged.
Theynormallyincludereferencetothefollowingareas:
1. Cost
2. Quality
3. Quantity
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4. Time
5. Safety
Targetsmaybedividedintosubdivisionsthatgiveaclearguidetowhatisexpectedandwhathasbeenachieved.Theyarecalled:
• KPI’s:KeyPerformanceIndicators
• MOP’s:MeasuresofPerformance
SomeKPI’s andMOP’s can be easily determinedusing budgeteddollar amounts or percentages.Theseincludeareaswherethereisreadilyavailablequantitativedata–suchassalesresults,safetyrecords,stocklosses,etc.
Someareas are less easily identified. Thesenormally involve “soft”management skills includingcommunicationandstaffmanagement.
Inthesecases,organisations looktoquantifydetailsby includingevidenceofresultingsituations.This could include staff turnover, employee theft, accident rates, stock losses, etc. which giveindicationsofhowhappilyandefficientlythework-groupisfunctioning.
Anexampleofhoworganisationalexpectationscouldbesetoutisasfollows:
JobPurpose:StoreManagerToachieveorexceedsalesandothertargetswhilemanagingcustomers,staffandcontractorstocompanyexpectations.KeyResultsAreas:
• Salesbudgets• Stockcontrol• Customerrelations• Staffmanagement• Healthandsafety• Administration
Targets:KeyPerformanceIndicators(KPI):(Forsalesbudgets)
• Meet/exceedsalesbudgetforquarter• Meet/exceedsalesoverlastyearforquarter• Meet/exceedmarketpenetrationfigures
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MeasurementofPerformance(MOP):Thiswouldshowspecificdollar/percentageamountsthathavebeenachieved.Eg:
• 2.6%oversalesbudgetforquarter• 6.2%oflastyear’ssalesforquarter• .4%increaseinmarketpenetration
Togiveanindicationofyourmanagementabilities,completethefollowingPersonalManagementAudit.
Whileitisverytime-consumingtoincludeabsolutelyeveryskillareathatrelatetomanagementabilities,thefollowingauditmayhelpyoutoidentifyareaswhereyouneedtoimproveyourabilities.
PersonalManagementAuditSkills/abilities
Thecompanyandbackground
Poor Good Exc.
Knowsorganisationhistory,philosophy
Upholds/demonstratestheorganisationphilosophy
KnowsCompanystatus/relationshipswithinindustry
Knowscorporate/organisationalstructure
Knowsstaffstructure
Knows&upholdscorporateobjectives
Knowscustomerprofileforstore
Knowstargetmarketforstore
Total /8 /8 /8
Skills/abilities
Yourroleassalesperson
Poor Good Exc.
Approachescustomerspromptly
Greets/makeseyecontactwith/smilesateverycustomer
Usesappropriateopeningtechnique
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Buildsrapportwitheverycustomer
Usesappropriatequestioningtechniques
Listenstoandempathiseswithcustomer
Allowscustomertodomostofthetalking
Attemptsanadd-onforeverysale
Introducesatrialcloseassoonasappropriate
Handlesobjectionspositively
Handlesrequestsfordiscountsappropriately
Recognisesandactsofbuyingsignals
Usesappropriateclosingtechnique
Transactssalescorrectlyforallacceptablepaymentmethods
Usescustomernamewhenpossible
Wraps/packsgoodscarefully
Invitescustomertoreturntostore
Offersanyotherservices
Iscomfortableintheroleofsalesperson
Networksforsellingopportunities
Total /20 /20 /20
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Skills/abilities
CustomerServiceAbilities
Poor Good Exc.
Adjuststodifferentcustomerpersonalitytypes
Completes/maintainscustomerorderforms
Makesfollow-upphonecallstocustomerswhenappropriate
Iscourteousandprofessionalwhendealingwithcomplaints
Cancompletecustomercomplaintpaperwork
Generallyresolvescomplaints,socustomerissatisfied
Assists/back-upcustomerservicedecisionsmadebyotherstaff
Understandsthespecialneedscustomerswhocometothestore
Provideservices/assistancetospecialneedcustomers
Canassistmorethanonecustomeratatimewithoutflusterorfrustration
Knowslegalrequirementsandcompanypolicyforcustomerreturns
Cancompleteproductreturnspaperwork
IscomfortableintheroleofCustomerServiceprovider
Total /13 /13 /13
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Skills/Abilities
TrainingandDevelopingStaff
Poor Good Exc.
Cancompleteallinductionpaperwork,fornow,employee
Understandspapertrailofpaperworkfornewemployees
Informsemployeeofallentitlementspayrate,benefits,etc.asanemployee
Providesinductiontrainingfornewemployees
Providestrainingproductknowledgetrainingforstaff
Providesstore/operationaltrainingforstaff
Providessellingskillstrainingforstaff
Providestheft/stockcontroltrainingforstaff
Providescustomerservicetrainingforstaff
ProvidesOccupationalHealth&Safetytrainingforallstaff
Ensuresadequatesupervision/monitoringofstaffbyselforothers
Checksandrevisestrainingofstaffbasedontheirabilities
Re-trainsstaffwhenprocedures,etc.change
Recogniseshigherabilitiesinstaffandnurturesthem
Providesstaffwithopportunitiestolearnnewskillsandnotbebored/unchallenged
IscomfortableintheroleofTrainerandDeveloper
Total /16 /16 /16
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Skills/Abilities
AssessingAbilities
Poor Good Exc.
Informallyassessesstafftoobservetheircompetency
Formallyassessesstafftodeterminetheircompetency
Givesforwardnoticetostaffofassessment
Briefsstafffullybeforecommencingassessments
Isfairandobjective,withoutpersonalbias,whenassessingstaff
Keepsappropriaterecordsofassessmentdetailsforeachstaffmember
Putsstrategiesinplacetoimprovestaffabilitywhenassessmentrevealslowskills
Abletotellstaffthattheyarenotcompetentatthisstage
Debriefstafffullyafteranassessment
IscomfortableintheroleofAssessor
Total /10 /10 /10
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Skills/Abilities
PersonalAbilities
Poor Good Exc.
Abletomanageowntimeandownjobrequirements
Canfindtimeforunexpectedandimportantduties
Understandsandanalysesinformationregardingstaffbenefits
Promptlysendspersonalinformationtoappropriatearea/divisionofstore/company
Followsemployeediscountpolicy&procedureswithallstaff
Followscompanycounsellingpolicyandprocedureswithallstaff
Ensurescorrectsignonandoffproceduresarefollowed
Meetsallpayrolldeadlines
Meetspayrollbudgetrequirements
Providessystemtoensureallstaffreadandacknowledgeappropriatememos,letters,newsletters,forms,etc
Communicateswithstaffappropriately
Complieswithheadoffice/managementrequirementsforcontrolofpersonnelfilesanddetails
Keepspersonneltaskstidyandorganised
Maintainsconfidentialityofallstaffpersonnelmatters
Recruitsappropriatestaffforstoreneeds
Developsandplacesrecruitmentadvertisements
Handlesrecruitmenttelephonecalls
Interviewsrecruits
UnderstandsandfollowsDiscriminationandEqualEmploymentOpportunitylegislation
Referencecheckspotentialemployees
Notifiesallapplicantsofoutcomes
IscomfortablewhendealingwithPersonnelmatters
Total /22 /22 /22
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Skills/Abilities
Operations
Poor Good Exc.
Conductsdailyinspectionsinstore
Maintainsadequatemerchandiselevels
Maintainsconstantawarenessoftheftissues
Ensuresaccuratecheckingofstockdeliveries
Ensuresallstocktransfersareconductedproperly
Spotchecksonstockdetails/levels
Maintainsinternalsecuritychecks
Maintainsexternalsecuritychecks
Layby/claims,etc.areasmaintainedcorrectly
Comfortablewithallmerchandisingfunctionsinstore
Promotionsset-upanddismantledinanorderlyandtimelymanner
Promotionalstockquantitiescheckedaheadoftime
Displayspreparedinadvanceofpromotions
Correctsignageprovidedthroughstore
Correctticketingprovidedthroughstore
Stockrotatedappropriately
Appropriateliaisonwithheadoffice/merchandisers,etc.
Adviceisgiventostafftocontrol/repair/displayinmerchandisingareas
Opening/closingperformedaccurately
Issueswithopening/closingdealtwithappropriately
Abletobalanceregister/terminal
Registerbalancedetailsandvariancesanalyseandactedupon
Merchandiseholdsforcustomerssupervisedappropriately
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Merchandiselaybuyssupervisedappropriately
Generalhousekeepingstandardsmaintained
Inallareasofthestore
Stockroomorganisationappropriate
Stockroomcleaned/reorganised
Rubbishremovalappropriate
Firereductionstrategies,policiesandproceduresalwaysimplemented
Iscomfortableperformingalloperationalduties
Total /30 /30 /30
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Skills/abilities
BookkeepingAbilities
Poor Good Exc.
Moneycounted/bankeddaily
Creditpaperworkprocessedaccurately
Refundproceduresfollowedaccurately
Chequesprocessedaccurately
Discounts/price-matchingdetailsrecordedproperly
Weeklysalesdetailscompletedandanalysedfortrends
Pettycashdetailscompletedandanalysedfortrends
Controlandsupervisionofstoreequipmentincludingphone,fax,e-mail,etc.
Controlselectricityconsumption
Allcompanypaperworkcompletedinatimelyandtidyfashion
Iscomfortablewhencompletingcompanypaperwork
Total /11 /11 /11
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Skills/Abilities
Counselling&Discipline
Poor Good Exc.
Understandlegalimplicationswhencounsellingstaff
Complieswithlegalrequirements
Knowscompanyrequirements/proceduresforcounselling
Knowspaperworkrequirements
Documentsprocessescorrectly
Doesnotallowinfringementsofpolicy/procedurestobecomechronic
Isfair
Givesemployeeopportunityforfeedback/contributiontocounselling
Doesnotshowfavouritism
Comfortablewithcounselling/disciplinerole
Total /10 /10 /10
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Totalupyourscoresintoagrandtotal:
Total: Co. and background / 8 / 8 / 8
Total: Salesperson role /20 /20 /20
Total: Customer service /13 /13 /13
Total: Training & Development /16 /16 /16
Total: Assessing /10 /10 /10
Total: Personnel /22 /22 /22
Total: Operations /30 /30 /30
Total: Bookkeeping /11 /11 /11
Total: Counselling & discipline /10 /10 /10
Total: /140 /140 /140
Aretheresomefunctions/areaswhereyouneedfurthertraininganddevelopmentinordertobeamoreeffectiveandefficientmanager?
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Auditbyotherpeople
Partofagenuinemanagementskillsauditmustincludetheinputofotherpeople.
Thisshould includepeoplewhoarebothaboveandbelowyouontheorganisationalchartofthebusiness.Otherpeopleoftenseestrengthsandweaknessesthattheindividualisnotawareof.
Managers should survey/interview staff in order to obtain their feedback on their managementstyle and abilities. Frequently, managers perceive themselves very differently to how othersperceivethem.
SelfDevelopment
So far, youhave considereddifferent leadership styles, qualities and skills of a good leader; andhavehadanopportunitytocompleteapersonalmanagementaudit.
Youhavealsohadtheopportunity–orwillbeabletotaketheopportunity–toobtaintheopinionsofotherpeopleaboutyourmanagementabilities.
Thisleadsyoutoaself-developmentplan.
Asamanager,youmust leadbyexample–managersmustbewillingto learn,growanddevelopnewandimprovedskillsandknowledge,oritwillbedifficulttoexpectstafftodoso.
DevelopmentPlanDevelopmentPlansshouldbedevelopedasaguidetocontrolanddirectthegrowthofyourabilities.
Iftheyaretosucceed,plansmustbe:
• Realistic:Includingrealistictimeframes,expectationsandcontent.
• Achievable:Includingrationalanalysisofyourabilities,andyourcurrentprofessional
andpersonalresponsibilities.
• Challenging:Containingchallengestotakeyououtofyourcurrentcomfortzoneand
whichwillkeepyouinterestedandmotivated.
• Specific:Containingcleardetailsofwhat,whenandhowtheplanwillbeimplemented.
• Reviewed:Includingreviewstocheckprogressarenecessarytokeeptheplanoperating.
• Shared:Includingamentororpeersupportertoencourageandsupport.
Enhanceorganisation’simage
Qualityleadership…isdirectlyrelatedanddependentontheeffective
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communicationofclearandconcisevalues.
SimplytheBest–WorkplacesinAustralia’Hull&Read2003
Thefirststepinenhancinganorganisation’simageistounderstandtheorganisation’svaluesandstandards and apply them in all aspects of business operations. This information may beaccessedthroughpolicyandproceduresorstatedvaluesandstandards.
LeadersofallAustralianorganisationsarerequiredtooperatewithinalegislativeandregulatoryframeworkwhichdictatestheirresponsibilitiesandaccountabilities.Theyarerequiredtocomplywiththerequirementsoflegislationthatcoverssuchworkplacefactorsas:
• WorkHealthandSafety• DiscriminationandHarassment• EqualEmploymentOpportunity• Privacy• WorkplaceRelations• EnvironmentalIssues
Mostorganisationsalsoprovidetheirpeoplewithaframeworkorsetofguidelineswithinwhichitrequiresthemtooperate.Thisframeworkmayconsistof:
• Values,VisionandMission• ACodeofConductorBusinessEthics• Policies andProcedures (oftenbasedon the requirementsof theabove legislationand
consistentwiththevaluesandcodeofconduct)• Performancestandardslinkedtojobroles
In the section “Leading by example” –we discussedways inwhich leaders could support theperformance of individuals and teams by setting and communicating clear performance goalsandobjectives.Weidentifiedthattheseshouldbeconsistentwiththegoalsandobjectivesoftheorganisation.
Underpinning theorganisation’s goals andobjectivesare its values, visionandmission.Valuesareguidingprinciples,avisionprovidesaclearpictureofwhateveryoneistryingtoachieve,andthemissionishowthevisionwillbeachieved.
Inthefollowingsectionwe’llconsiderorganisationalvalues,policies,andprocedures,andhowtheyarecommunicatedinmoredetail.
Useorganisation’sstandardsandvaluesinconductingbusinessEverybusinesswillhaveacorporateimageandidentity,goodorbad,whichaffectstheperceptionsof the business by its customers. Many things shapes, reshape, enhance, or even tarnish thisperception.Forinstance:
• Doweabidebyourvision,mission,andotherguidingprinciples?
• Whatisourcustomerserviceapprovalrating?
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• Areweeffectivecommunicatorsbothinternallyandoutsideoftheorganisation?
• Do we use the company logo and colours in a manner that will ensure brand
consistency?
There aremany thingswhich affect corporate image is exhaustive and encompasses everythingthat influences an organisation’smindset (vision), behaviour (communication and performance),andvisibility(brandrecognition)haveonitsimage.
From corporate officers to service providers, businesses are engaged inmany relationships. It isimportant that each person receives a consistent “message” with which to build a perception.Businessesachievethisthroughadherencetoasetofguidingprinciples.Asthefront-lineorgroundlevelof leadershipwithinanorganisation,front-linemanagers,especiallythosewhohavecontactwithcustomers,willplayanimportantroleinmaintainingthesestandards.
Regardless of your positionwithin an organisation, any time that you have contact with peopleoutsidetheorganisation,representingtheorganisation;itaffectsthecompany’simage.Whilethatis definitely true of our relationshipswith customers, it’s not limited to customers.Our dealingswith vendors and suppliers, sub-contractors, government agencies and the public, in general, allaffecthowpeopleperceivethecompany,bothindividuallyandcorporately.
Mostcompanieshavepolicies,whichclearlydelineaterequirementsfordealingwiththoseoutsideofthecompany;specificallyinthecaseofbusinessdealings.Inmanycases,thepersonnelwhoareallowed to commit the company to a particular course of action, sign a contract, purchasematerials,committocustomersandmakepaymentsisspecificallydelineatedincompanypolicies.
This care in dealing with individuals and other companies is done to protect the company’sreputationandimage.Sincethewaywedobusinesswithpeopleoutsidetheorganisationgreatlyaffects the company’s image; it is important to ensure that people who are not aware of thecompany’sstandardsandrequirementsinthoseareasarenotpermittedtheopportunitytomakesuch commitments. Again, the whole purpose of this is to ensure that the company’s image isprotected.
Anyonewhoisamemberofmanagementorstaffisassumedtobespeakingforthecompanywhentheyspeakwithpeopleoutside thecompany. Itdoesn’tmatter if theyarespeakingabout thingsthatarepartoftheirjobornot.Anycasualcommentcanbecomeapotentialsourceofproblems.
This is why companies create policies which dictate who can speak to vendors, customers andotherswhoareoutsideofthecompany.Remember,thosepeoplehaveno ideaofyourcompanypolicy; so it’s up to you to make sure that you don’t step outside of the bounds of what isconsideredbyyourcompanytobeacceptablestandards.1
Organisationalvalues
1 http://students.fortresslearning.com.au/bsbmgt401a-show-leadership-in-the-workpl...
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Valuesare….whatapersonoranorganisationbelievesisimportant.Anorganisation’svaluesareitsinternalprinciplesthatguideitsactionsandthebehaviourofitsemployees.
Cole, Kris. 2012, Management – theory and practice, 5th ed, PearsonEducationAustralia.
Forexample,thevaluesofonetrainingorganisationare:
Achievement:asenseofaccomplishmentandmastery
Balance:work/homelife
Cooperation:workingwellwithothers;teamwork
Creativity:beingimaginative;innovative
Integrity:honesty;sincerity
Loyalty:mutualrespect
Personaldevelopment:useofpotential
Results:qualityoutcomes
Values are communicated to anorganisation’speople and its customers indifferentways, forexample through its policies and procedures. Many organisations have developed ‘codes ofconduct’thatdescribetopeopleinvolvedwiththeorganisationhowitdoesbusinessandhowitspeopleareexpectedtobehaveregardlessoftheirjobroleorposition.
Codesofconduct
Codes of conduct are often developed in consultation with employees and unions, and inaddition topolicies andprocedures formpartof the legalbasis forperformanceplanningandmanagement.Compliancewiththecodeofconductisgenerallyaconditionofemployment,andnon-compliancemayresultindisciplinaryaction,includingdismissal.
Examplesofbehaviouralrequirementsstatedincodesofconductinclude:
• Honesty• Sobriety• Courtesy/politeness/respect• Attendance• CompliancewithOH&SandEEOpoliciesandstandards• Personalappearance
Effectiveleadersknowthatit’snotenoughtofocussolelyonwhatpeopleachievebydevelopinggoalsandobjectives.Theyalsoneedtolookathowtheyachieveresults.That’swhyvaluessuchas achievement, respect for the individual, and respect for diversity are often part of anorganisation’sCodeofConduct.
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Valuesreinforcethathowpeopledotheirjobsisimportanttoanorganisation’swell-beingandsuccess.Forexample,apersoncancompleteaprojectonschedule–despitepoorplanningandlackofproductivity–byappealingtootherstoworkharderandfastertomakeupforlosttime.Even though the person achieved the short-term result (completing the project), partnershipswereharmed.Thedamagecanjeopardisethechancesofachievingpositiveresultsinthefuture.
The ‘hows’ are important for another and perhaps more obvious reason – people’s actionsinfluencetheirabilitytoreachtheirgoals.Peoplewhoconsistentlyreachtheirgoalstypicallyusean approach that is appropriate and effective over time. And when people have problemsreachingtheirgoals,thecauseoftheproblemcanoftenbefoundintheirmethods.
Someorganisations limittheircommunicationoftheircodeofconducttoapageattheendoftheemployeemanual.Basedonyourexperience,andasaresultofdiscussingthematterwithothers, do you consider that this is an effective method? What other methods would yourecommend?
Youcanfindsomegoodtipsabouthowtodevelopaneffectivecodeofconductonthewebsiteof the Australian Institute of Management www.aim.com.au . Read the article below called‘CodersKeepers,BreakersWeepers’fromtheAIMblog(May2001):
Employeeengagementisanon-negotiablefactorindevisingaworkplacecodeofconduct.
Overthepastfewyearsorganisationshavecometorelymoreandmoreonacodeofconductasa means of galvanising support for desired behaviors. However, unless the code has beendevelopedwithsignificantinputfromthepeoplethatit ismeanttocover, itseffectisseverelyimpaired.
Thecontraryexperiencehasbeenthat,whenemployees,unions,managersandemployerscometogethertodevelopacodeaccordingtotheirownneedsandtotheirownliking,theyaremorelikelytomakeagenuinepersonalcommitmenttoit.
Thesetofsix
Research has discovered six factors common to the development, establishment andmaintenanceofsuccessfulworkplacecodes.
Ownership. Employees aremore likely to accept and internalise a code forwhich they feel asenseofownership.Generally,employeeswillsupportandacceptacodethattheyhavehelpedtosetupinthefirstplace.Further, it isbeneficial ifcolloquialismsandjargonthatareusedbytheemployeesareallowed to travel into thecode. Informalyet commonlyused language isapowerfulreinforcer.
Relevance.Employeeswillacceptandinternalisethecontentofacodeofconducttotheextentthattheyseethatithelpsthemtocompletethetaskstheyhavetodoandaccomplishthegoalstowhichtheyarecommitted.Itisagoodidea,therefore,thatagroupmakeclearhowupholding
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an iteminacodewillhelpgoalaccomplishment.Relevancealsoreferstothedegreetowhichthe code responds to the fundamental rights and obligations of employees, employers andcitizens in general, as laid out in both common and statutory law in Australia. It is stronglyrecommendedthatallmembersofanorganisationorsectionofanorganisationbegivenabasiceducationinthissothattheycantransfertheirunderstandingintoasetofprinciples(containedinthecode)thatmakesensetothemforday-to-dayworking,negotiatinganddecisionmaking.
Legitimacy.Employeesneedto feel that there isahighdegreeof internalcommitment to thecode, and also see that others, includingmanagers, are prepared to be guided by it. Internalcommitmentcanbegeneratedthroughsuchactivitiesasthevaluesandethicsclarificationthatare an important aspectof employeesparticipation in the code’sdevelopment.Regarding thesecond element, that the code be seen to bind management and other staff equally, it isrecommendedthatthemanagementteamandunionorganiserssign-offontheircommitmenttoupholdthecode,evenby including it intheEBA.Theorganisation itselfoughtalsoto insistonmanagers behaving in accordance with the code. Otherwise, employees will quickly concludethatthecodeisofnomorevaluethanthepaperit’swrittenon.
Capability. Someemployeesandmanagerswill need to seeappropriatemodels forupholdingthe code, aswell as a chance to practise the desired behaviors especially if these are new inrelativesafety.
Reinforcement. There must be opportunities to reinforce positively the behaviors that arecongruent with the code of conduct, and to take action against any violation of the code.Reinforcementneedstobeasconstructiveandconsistentaspossible.Todothis,employeesandmanagement need some fundamental skills and a practical process for giving and receivingfeedback.
Flexibility.Becauseacodeofconductexistsprimarilytohelpindividualemployeesandteamstoachieve effectiveness and satisfaction, it needs to be flexible so that at any time moreappropriate itemscanbesubstituted. Inconsiderationofthis, itmaythereforebewisefortheseveralinterestedpartiestoagreeatthetimeofputtingthecodetogetheruponareviewperiodandprocess.
Policiesandprocedures
Policiesarecontinuingguidelinesontheapproachanorganisationintendstoadoptinmanagingits people and business operations. They are reference points when procedures are beingdevelopedandwhendecisions arebeingmade. Theyhelp todefine ‘theway things aredonearound here’. They provide frameworks within which consistent decisions are made andpromoteequityinthewaypeoplearetreated.
While a policy provides general guidelines on the approach adopted by an organisation, aprocedurespellsoutpreciselywhatactionsshouldbetakeninlinewithpolicy.Theexistenceofawell-writtenandpublicisedprocedureensuresthateveryoneknowspreciselywhatstepsneedtobetakenwhendealingwithsignificantandpossiblyrecurringissues.
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Whilepoliciesgenerallyapplyacrossanorganisation,theprocedurestoimplementapolicymaydifferfromdepartmenttodepartment,dependingonthefunctionofthatdepartmentorteam.
For instance,anorganisationmayhaveapolicyonWorkHealthandSafety thatdescribes theorganisation’s commitment to a safe and healthy workplace. However, the procedures toimplement that commitment may differ from the sales department, to the maintenancedepartment, to theHRdepartment.Office jobsmay focusonsafetyprinciplesconcernedwithdeskwork,whilethemaintenancedepartmentmayhaveproceduresrelatingtothesafeuseofladdersordangerouschemicals.
Challengingtheprocess
Leadershipandethics
Identifying both your own and the organisation’s values are important for individual andorganisationalsuccess.
To further develop our ability to show leadership in the workplace, we need to identify andformallychallengebehavioursandprocessesthathaveanegative impactontheorganisation’sreputation, credibility, performance, productivity, customer relationships and employeesatisfaction. This could include ethical dilemmas, fraud, bullying, inappropriate leadershipbehaviour,andlackofaccountability.Challengesshouldbemadethroughappropriatechannelswithintheorganisation,forinstance,throughpeopleleaders,andHRprofessionals.
We’llrefertoanotherofKouzesandPosner’s5PracticesofExemplaryLeadershiptoprovideacontextforourdiscussion–ChallengetheProcess.You’llrememberthataccordingtothismodelaleader’sroleistounderstandwhichworkplaceprocessesarenotcontributingtotheefficiencyoftheirworkplaceandchallengetheseprocesses.
Wecandothisby:
• Understandingandchallengingourownethics&workplacepracticesinthelightoftheimpacttheymayhaveonourorganisation.
• Questioningthestandardsandvaluesofothersthatcouldbedamagingtotheimageandoperationsoftheorganisation.
• Identifyingandusingestablishedcommunicationchannelsaswe‘challengetheprocess’.
Someworkplace situations aredifficult tomanage, as being true to theworkplaceethicsmayentailbehaviourthatiscontrarytoyourpersonalethicsorvalues.Confrontingourown‘ethicaldilemmas’ isanimportantstepinquestioningvaluesandstandardsthatmightbedamagingtoourowneffectivenessandthesuccessofourorganisation.
Considering your actions in challenging situations will help you to work within an effectivepersonal ethical framework in your workplace. To create this ethical framework you need toconsiderwhatethicaltestsyoushouldadopt.
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Ethicalguidelinesforleaders
In their book ‘Developing Management Skills In Australia’ (1997) Carlopio, Andrewartha andArmstrongsuggestthatthefollowingareusefulethicalguidelinesforleaders:
Know and live by your values - Be aware of your standards and be highly cautious aboutcompromising them. After taking our first step down the slippery slope of deception, theprocesscanbeverydifficulttostop.
Be ethically watchful - Seemingly innocent situations may gradually escalate into ethicaldilemmas. Seek advice fromexperienced colleagues about how todealwithpotential ethicaldilemmas.
Avoid euphemisms - Recognise terms such as strategic misrepresentation for precisely whattheyare–alie.Webelieveliesaftertheyhavebeenrepeatedenoughtimes.
Statementsareoftenusedinadvertisingtomakeitappearthatthestatement isasalespoint.Herearesomeexamplesfromwww.weaselwords.com.au
• "Ourproduct issogood, itwasevengivenaway incelebritygiftbags."(True,perhaps,butnotrelevant.)
• "SeewhymoreofourtrucksaresoldinsouthernCaliforniathaninanyotherpartofthecountry."(SouthernCaliforniaisabigvehiclemarket.)
• "Nobodyelse'sproductisbetterthanours."(They'reallaboutthesame.)• "Becominginvolvedwiththisproblemwouldbebeneficialtous."(Inwhatwaywouldit
bebeneficial?)• "Peoplesay…"(Whichpeople?)• "Iheardthat..."(Whotoldyou?Isthesourcereliable?)• "Thereisevidencethat..."(Whatevidence?Isthesourcereliable?)• "Experience shows that..." (Whoseexperience?Whatwas theexperience?Howdoes it
demonstratethis?)• "Ithasbeendecidedthat..."(Whodecidedthis?)• "Ithasbeenmentionedthat..."(Whomentionedit?)• "Popularwisdomhasitthat..."(Isitactuallypopularwisdom?)• "Itisknownthat..."(Bywhomisitknown?)
Recognisepeopleaspeople-Identifypeoplebytheirname,ratherthanbyalabelorthegrouptowhichtheybelong(eg,thetech-head,abeancounter,orthespacecadets).Peoplewhouselabelsbecomelesssensitivetotreatingotherpeoplebadly.
Refrainfromrationalising-Suchassaying‘everybodydoesit’or‘atleastI’m/we’renotasbadas‘X’.Youarepersonallyresponsibleforyouractionsandfailurestoact.
Find your balance - Manage the balance between organisational duties and personalstandards/responsibility. Accept key organisational values andnorms, and search forways tohaveanindividualimpactonthem.
Seekguidance - Seek theadviceofamentoror seniormemberof yourorganisation. Discussethicaldilemmaswithcolleaguesandchallengeyourassumptions,butusearangeofnetworks
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tomaintainobjectivityandtoavoidbecominginsularandisolatedtochangingvaluesofbusinessandsociety.
Leadershipandothers
Sofarinthissectionwehavediscussedtheimportanceofunderstandinganddealingwithyourownethicaldilemmasaboutvaluesandsituationsthatmightbedamagingtoyourorganisation.
When managing individuals and teams it is also important to understand and question theactionsofothersthatmightnotsupporttheorganisation’sstandardsandvalues.Therestofthissectionwillbededicatedtodiscussingthissignificanttopic.Wewilldiscuss:
• Whattypesofindividualbehavioursandvaluesmightbedamagingtoanorganisation?• Why people might behave in ways that don’t support the organisation’s values and
standards?• Howwecanraisetheseissuesinaneffectiveway?
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Destructiveteammemberbehaviours
Inanswertothefirstquestionaboveyoumightconsiderbehaviourssuchas:
• Fraud• Lying• Bullying• Failuretomeetperformanceorproductivitytargets• Inappropriatepersonalpresentationorlanguage• Misleadinginformation• Notkeepingpromises• Lackofaccountability• Conflict• Inappropriateleadershipbehaviour• Accidentsandmistakes• Absenteeism• Resignationsortransfers• Failuretoobservepoliciesandprocedures• Lowefficiency.
You’llnotethattheseexamplesofteammemberbehaviourscanalsobeviewedastheresultsofproblemswithintheteam.Asthefrontlinemanager, it isyourroleto findthecausesof theseproblems and develop ways to reduce or eliminate their effects on team performance.Understanding the causes of these behavioursmay help you to identify themost appropriatecommunicationchannelstousetoquestionthesebehaviours.
Research published by Cultural Imprints Pty Ltd 1996 ‘Leaders in Australia, The AustralianCultural Imprint for Leadership’ which was and confirmed in the study ‘Simply the Best –Workplaces in Australia’ Hull & Read 2003 found that being an effective team member (afollower) has a lot to do with personal identity and relationships. While not explaining allaspects of teammember behaviour, this researchmayhelp shed some light on the causes ofsomedamaging(andhelpful)behavioursweobserveintheworkplace
Atthedeepestleveltwokeyinteractingforcesimpactonrelationshipsandidentity:
• Thecapacity“toattach”or‘’todetach”totheorganisationsanditspeople:o “Toattach”meansbeingabletolistenandrespond,andtobeopentoinfluence.
o “Todetach”meansthatweareunableorunwillingtolisten,areisolatedandhardtoaccess.
• Thecapacitytobeeither“happy”or“sad”inourworkingenvironment:o Ifweare“happy”wecaneitherfeelsecureandwillingtoparticipateactively,thatis
weareaVolunteer.Alternatively,wecanbedetachedandcontenttosimplyoperateinaSurvivormode,doingonly somuchas isnecessary toensurewedon’tattractattention.
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o Tobe“sad”,meansthatwecanfeelinsecure,threatened,andbeactivelycritical.Ifwearealsointhe“attach”modewebecomeaWhinger.Ifwearein“detach”modewedenyourfeelingsandwebecomeaPrisoner.
Foranyparticular task,wecan say thatpeople fall intooneof these four categoriesor ‘teammembertypes’–Volunteer,Whinger,SurvivororPrisonermodes.
Peoplemayswitch fromonecategorytoanotheras theymovebackandforth fromsituationswhere relationshipsmaybeestablishedand seem secure andacceptable, tooneswhere theyfeel insecureorthreatened. Alongtheway,theexperiencetheyhave inonesituationmay, induecourse,greatlyinfluencetheirreactionstoothersituations.
You can find out a little bit more about team member behaviours – both destructive andconstructive-fromthewebsite
http://archive.tlt.psu.edu/suggestions/teams/student/responsibility.html
Causesofdestructiveteammemberbehaviours
While it is useful to identify possible behavioural problems, it is important to consider whatmightcausethesebehaviours,andwhatwecandoaboutthem.
Possiblecausesofbehaviouralandperformanceproblemsintheworkplaceinclude:
• Poororinsufficienttraining&experience
• Faultytools,equipmentormaterials
• Unworkableproceduresorequipment
• Unclearstandards
• Standardnotunderstoodorseenasimportant
• Lackofrecognitionorrewardforconstructivebehaviours
• Lackofinformation
• Lackoftime
• Poorjobplacement
• Poorteamworkordisharmonyintheteam
• Lackofappreciationfordiversity–sexism,racism,ageism
• Culturaldifferences
• Personalproblems
• Poormotivation
Herearesomesuggestionsaboutwhatyouasaleadermightdotoaddresstheseissues:
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Effectiveleadershipapproaches Specificleaderactions
Creatingasharedunderstandingof how team members areexpectedtobehaveatwork.
Setcleargoalsandstandards.
Helpteammemberstounderstandthesegoalsandstandards.
Identifying behavioural issueswhen they occur, and agreeingon action to address thoseissues.
Monitorteammembers’performance.
Bringbehavioural&performanceproblemstotheirattention.
Findoutwhythereisaproblem.
Agree on action to improve behaviours and bringperformancebacktostandard.
Doing things every day to leadand develop individuals so theycanachievetheirshortandlongtermgoals.
Manage by walking around (talk to your teammembersandbearoundthem).
Praisegoodperformance.
Coachteammemberswhenneeded.
Listentotheirconcernsandsuggestions.
Organisetrainingwhenneeded.
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Question, through established communication channels, standards and valuesconsideredtobedamagingtotheorganisation
Ifweaccept the concept thatweareeach individually responsible forhowouractionsaffect thereputationoftheorganisationthatweworkfor;thenit isn’tmuchofaleapoftheimaginationtosaythatwearealsowatchdogsoverthoseorganisations.WhatImeanbywatchdogisonewhoisonguardtoprotecttheimageandreputationofthecompany.Thatcanbefromexternalcommentsmadebythecompany,but itcanalsobefromactionsofthecompanyorthosewhoworkforthecompany,whoaredoingthingsthatcandamagethecompany’sreputation.
Let’sbehonestwithourselveshere,noteveryoneisourworldishonestorethical.Iftheyaredoingthings which can damage their own reputation, that’s one thing. But, it’s another thing entirelywhentheiractionscanaffectthereputationofothers.
We’ve already established the need for a company to have a positive image and reputation.Anything that candamage that image canbedetrimental to the company, especially to sales. Inthatsense,causingdamagethecompany’s imagecanbeseenasstealing(stealingsalesrevenue)fromthecompany.So,anyactionsbythecompanyoremployeesofthecompanycan“steal”fromthecompany.
Since not everyone sees things the sameway, some ethical issues and values can be hard for acompany to identify and establish procedures to control. Even worse, some employees of thecompanymaybetotallyunabletorecognisecertainactionswhichcouldcauserisktothecompany’simage.Whatyouseeaspotentiallydetrimentalmaybetotallymissedbyothers.
So,whatdoyoudo,whenyouencounter this sortofproblem? If you’re likemostpeople, you sitaroundthetabletolunchandcomplainaboutittoyourco-workers.Whilethatmayfeellikeittakessomeoftheburdensoffofyoursoul,itreallydoesn’thelprectifythesituation.
Inthecasewheretheactionsofindividualsarebeingdoneagainstthecompany’sexistingpolicy,itiseasytodealwiththeproblem.Youmerelyneedtofindoutwhotheoffendingpartyreportstoandbringittotheirattention.Fromthere,itisthesupervisor’sresponsibilitytodealwiththeproblem.
But, what about problems where there is no existing company policy or where the policy has aloopholethatsomeoneisusing.Asaresponsiblememberofmanagement,youneedtobringthoseissues to the attention of someone; demonstrating how that action can be detrimental to thecompany’simageandreputation.Youdon’twanttobeaccusingindividuals,especiallyiftheactionisnotsomethingmentioned incompanypolicyasbeingwrong.Whatyou’re reallyasking for isareviewandpossiblemodificationofthecompany’spolicy.Thosesortofdecisionsneedstobemadebyuppermanagement.
Yourfirststepneedstobewritingouttheproblem,alongwithanexplanationofwhyitisaproblem;thepotentialdamagetothecompanyandarecommendedfixorfixesfortheproblem.Makesure
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that you are dealingwith it as a company problem, not as an attack or accusation against anyindividual. Think this document through clearly, as it is essentially a proposal to change thecompany’spolicy.
Your proposal needs to be delivered, through the correct channels, to the necessarymembers ofuppermanagementsothattheycanreviewitanddetermineifactionisnecessary.Thereareseveralwaysofdoingthis:
• Throughyourdirectsupervisor–Inthiscase,preparealetteroftransmittal,withaone
paragraphsummaryofwhattheattachedproposaldealswith.Giveittoyoursupervisor,
explainingwhyyouaretakingthataction.Hopefully,hewillendorseit,beforesendingit
upthechainofcommand.
• Throughacompanyombudsman–Ifyourcompanyhassuchaperson,theyareacontact
pointforanyonewithinthecompanytobringcomplaintsandproblemstotheattention
ofmanagement.
• Throughthecompany’sinternalauditingdepartment–Manycompanies,especiallylarge
oneshaveaninternalauditingfunction.Whilethisismostlyconcernedwithaccounting,
theydobecomeinvolvedinotherareasofthecompany.
• Througha“suggestionbox”–Thisisan“ifallelsefails”wayofdealingwiththeproblem.
You are better off dealing with it personally, instead of this way. However, if your
supervisorrefusesyourreport,andyouhavenootheroption,thisisapossibility.
• Directlytoamemberofuppermanagement–Ifyouhaveregulardirectcontactwitha
memberofuppermanagement,youcouldgiveyourreportdirectlytothem.Becareful,
though,youdon’twanttooffendyourdirectsupervisor,bygoingovertheirhead.
Onceyou’vefiledyourreport,yourresponsibilityisfinished.Whetherornotuppermanagementtakesactionuponitisn’tyourarea.Youhaveactedasaresponsibleemployeewhoisconcernedaboutthecompany.Letotherstakeitfromthere.2
2 http://tae.fortresslearning.com.au/?page_id=6851
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Presentingapositiveimageofyourorganisation
It is very important that you represent your organisation in a positive way at all times. This isparticularly importantforabusinessororganisations,asthepublicneedstohaveconfidenceandtrustinyou,oryouwillnothaveanycustomersorclients.
The first thing you can do in order to represent your organisation in a positive way is to beprofessional. The public will expect to see you dressed in a certain way; for example, if yourorganisationhasauniformyouwillneedtobewearingitcorrectlyatalltimeswhenrepresentingyourorganisation inpublic.Youwillneedtofollowproceduresonaddressingpeople,distributinginformation,answeringthetelephone,meetingthepress,etc.
It is importantforyoutorealisethatwhenyourepresentyourorganisation,youarerepresentingthewholeorganisation.Thewayonepersonactswillreflectontheentireorganisation.
Staffmemberswilltakenoticeandformjudgementsontheimageyoupresent.Thisincludestakingnoticeofyourattitude,appearance,facialexpressions,thewayyouaddresspeople,toneofvoice,courtesytowardothersandyouroveralllevelofprofessionalism.
Itcanhelpifyou:
• Aresincere
• Arehelpful
• Usetheperson'snameortitleifyouknowit
• Avoidsarcasmandflippancy
• Suppresstemperoutbursts
• Answerphonecalls,emails,letters,etc.promptly
• Respondtoquestionsappropriately
• Behelpfulwhenaskedquestions
• Thankanypeoplewhomayassistyou3
Neverunderestimatethepowerofobservation. Ifyou lookunclean,scruffyoruninterested,yourorganisationalsolooksthatway.Alwaysensureyoumeetthestandardsoftheorganisationbothinappearanceandbehaviour.
Thereareanumberofthingswhichpeopleregularlydo,whichcandamagethereputationofthecompanytheyworkfor,asoneofintegrityandcredibility.Someoftheseinclude:
• Notbeingresponsiblefortheirpersonalfinances
3 http://www.weegy.com/?ConversationId=020F97AA
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• Speakingbadlyabouttheircompanyoritsproductsinpublic
• Personalhobbiesthatareagainstthecompaniesstandonanissue
• Beingstingyinyourpersonalbusinessdealings
• Speakingbadlyaboutmembersofmanagement
• Parkingonthestreet,infrontofneighbourshouses
• Excessivedrinkingoranydruguse
Atthehighestlevelsofmanagement,personalactionsandcommentscancausedrasticchangesinthecompany’sstockvalue.Evenarumourofakeymemberofmanagementleavingacompanycancausethestockvaluetoplummet.
Thepointofallthisisthatinasense,therereallyisn’taseparationbetweenyourpersonallifeandyourprofessionalone.Yes,therearecertainhoursoftheday,whenyouleaveyouroffice,and“hangup”your corporatehat. Thatdoesn’tmean that you canhangupyour corporate identitywith it.Anyonewhoknowsyouandknowswhoyouworkforwillseeyouasrepresentingyourcompany.Ifyouhave integrityandcredibility; thatshowsthemthatyourcompanydoesaswell.Ontheotherhand, if youhaveamonumental lackof integrityand credibility, theywill interpret that tomeanthatyourcompanyisthesame.
While all this is especially true for those who directly represent the company, such as salesprofessionalsanduppermanagement; tosomeextent, it is true forallmembersofmanagement.Maybeyouthinkthatasafirst level, front linesupervisor,yourpersonalreputationdoesn’taffectthecompanymuch.Nothingcouldbefartherfromthetruth.Peopleyouknowcouldlookatyouinthebarandsaytothemselves,“Ifthatcompanypromotesjerkslikethistomanagement,whatelseare they doing wrong?” On the other hand, if your personal integrity and actions are abovereproach,theycouldlookatyouandthinkthatallthemanagementinyourcompanyisasgoodasyou.4
4 http://students.fortresslearning.com.au/bsbmgt401a-show-leadership-in-the-workpl...
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Summary:EnhancetheOrganisationsImage
-Understandingourvaluesandthesourceofourownmotivationshelpsustosetpersonallyworthwhilegoalsanddirectourbehaviourinproductivedirections.
‘SimplytheBest–WorkplacesinAustralia’Hull&Read2003
Afterdeterminingwhatanorganisation’sexpectationsare,wethenneedtomonitorourownbehaviourtoensureitisinlinewiththeorganisation’svaluesandstandards.Weneedtobeawareofthedifferencesbetweenourpersonalvalues,ethicsandbehavioursandhowthisimpactsonotherindividualsandgroupsbothwithinandexternaltotheorganisation.
Theorganisationalvisionandvaluesbecomeevidentinouractionsasleadersandmanagers.Theyaretheevidenceofourcommitmenttotheorganisation’svisionandvalues,particularlytheCodeofConductThefollowingdiagramshowstherelationshipbetweenourvalues,ourattitudesandourbehaviours.
You’llnotethatwhatyoudon’talwaysseethatdrivesbehaviours.Wedonotactually‘see’thevaluesofanorganisationoranindividual.Theyareoftenmoreconceptualthanconcretebuttheysupportwhatweseeonthesurfaceiepolicies/proceduresetcthatdrivebehaviours.
It’sabitlikeaniceberg–youcanonlyseethetip:
Understandingthisrelationshipisimportantbecauseourbehaviours–ourwordsanddeeds-needtobecongruent.Weneednotonlyto‘doaswesay’buttobut‘sayaswedo’.
Todothis,wemustbeabletoclarifyourownandother’spersonalbeliefsandvaluesinordertounifypeoplearoundthesharedorganisationalvalues.
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Therearenumerousbenefitstounifyingpeoplearoundsharedorganisationalvalues:
• Itfostersstrongfeelingsofpersonaleffectivenessandcommitment.Peopleareclearabouthowtooperate,andtowhatstandards.
• Itfostersteamworkandfacilitatesconsensusbyprovidingcommonground.• Itencouragesethicalbehaviourbecausevaluesarethebasisofethicalbehaviour.• Itreducesstressandtensionbecausepeoplehavethetools(visionandvalues)tobetter
choosebetweenconflictingdemands.• Itfosterspridebecausepeoplearebehavingaccordingtotheirvalues.• Itfacilitatesunderstandingaboutone’sjobbecausepeopleknowwhatisexpected.
Theimportanceofpersonalvalues
Ourpersonalvaluesaredeeplyandstronglyheldvaluesandprinciples.Theyaresomuchapartofus that theyareoftenburiedbeneathourconsciousawareness.Ourpersonalvaluesystemcoverssuchthingsaswhatwebelieveisrightorwrong,goodandbad,shouldandshouldn’tbe.Itprovidesan‘innercompass’thatguidesouractionsanddecisions.
Trying to reconcile our valueswith thoseof a rapidly changingworld is confusing andmakingdecisions based on our personal values can be difficult when we are under pressure. As wemature,weareexposedtodifferentvaluesystemsandwemaydecidetoacceptorrejectthesenewstandards.
Culturalandorganisationalpressuresmayinfluenceourattitudesandbeliefs;wemustchoosetoagreeordisagreewiththesenewcriteriaaswell.Ourvaluesarethereforedynamic-constantlychanging-andsometimestheyarelooselydefined,eventoourselves.
It’shelpful to identify thosevalueswhichprovidedirection inour lives. Asenseofpurpose isessentialtoanyplanforsuccess.Aswehaveseenorganisationsknowthis,sotheymayspendvastamountsofenergy,timeandmoneyrefiningtheirvalues,visions,andstandards.Withoutadefined value system somepeople canbe indecisive and inconsistent. They canwaste energyandtheirpotentialmaybeleftuntapped.
Nodoubtyoualsowanttomaximiseyoureffortstorealiseyourownpotential,especiallyinyourworkinglife.Justaswithabusiness,yourpersonalplansmustbeginwithsuchquestionsas:
• WhatdoIwantoutoflife?• Whataremyvalues?• Whatismydefinitionofsuccess?
AswediscussedinLeadingbyexample–oneofthebestwaystoimproveyoureffectivenessistobetterunderstandyourselfandothers.Thenyoucanbuildonthatunderstandingtocreateanenvironmentmostconducivetoyoursuccess,adaptyourbehaviourtotheneedsofothers,anddevelopstrategiestoinfluencethebehavioursofotherstoreflecttheorganisation’svaluesandstandards.
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Implementingvaluesandstandardsintheworkplace
InLeadingbyExamplewediscussedKouzesandPosner’s5PracticesofExemplaryLeadership.Welearnedthatasleaderswemustpayconstantattentiontohowwe,andothers,arelivingthevaluesintheworkplace.
Herearesomeotherideasonhowto‘modeltheway’andmakeyouractionscount.
Identifythevaluesofyou,theteamandtheorganisationandthen:
• Allocate time according to what is valued. Do this by checking your diary/meetingagendas.What is thedurationof thesemeetings,whoattendsandwhopresents. Arethesemeetingsconsistentwithwhatisvaluedbytheorganisation?
• Use story telling. To do this collect stories, get into the habit of telling stories. Useanalogiestosupportthevaluesoftheorganisation.
• Remember your audience and your purpose. Stories around critical incidents areopportunities to teach values and the norms of behaviour. Create stories to remindpeopleofwhattheyhaveaccomplishedandwhytheeffortwasworthit.Storiescanbeusedtoreframesetbacksaslearningexperiences.
• Usesymbols,artefactsandcelebrationsasvisibleremindersofkeyorganisationalvalues.Anything can be used for example, posters, buttons,mugs, pins. Celebrations can beofficial and spontaneous. They can indicate a transition, a new beginning, a loss, atraditionandevenanachievement.
• Consciouslydesignandmanagethephysicalspacewherepeoplework.Usethespacetoencouragethepreferredwaysofinteractingandworkingtogether.
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Makeinformeddecisions
"Inanymomentofdecisionthebestthingyoucandoistherightthing,thenextbestthingisthewrongthing,andtheworstthingyoucandoisnothing."TheodoreRoosevelt
Introduction
Beingabletodealwithday-to-dayissuesandproblems—andmakegooddecisions—isanimportantskillyouneedasaleader.Sometimesyouhavetomakequickdecisionsontherun,andothertimesyouwillbeabletotakemoretimetothinkaboutyouroptions.
Oftenthenatureofproblemswefaceintheworkplaceisobvious.OthertimesthehardestthingaboutsolvingaproblemandmakinganinformeddecisionistoworkoutexactlyWHATtheproblemisinthefirstplace.
Forinstance,wemayknowthatourbusinessreturnsarefalling,butnotknowwhy.Thenwemightrealisethatwedon’thaveasmanycustomersasweusedtoorthattheoneswehavearespendingless,butwedon’tknowwhy.
Tomakeinformeddecisionsinresponsetoworkplaceproblemsweneedtobejustthat–informed.
Gatherandorganiseinformationrelevanttotheissue/sunderconsideration
Makinganinformeddecisioninvolvespresentingabusinesscaseforwhyanopportunityis,orisnot,worthpursuing.Inthecaseofane-marketingcampaign,thisinvolvesconsideringeachandeveryfactorinvolvedinsuccessfullylaunchingandeffectivelyrunningthecampaign.Italsoinvolvescomparingthebenefitsthatwillbegeneratedbyyoure-marketingcampaignwiththecoststhatyourbusinesswillincur.
Weareusingane-marketingcampaignasanexample,butthestepsandprocesseswillbesimilartoanydecisionthatyouneedtomakeinanorganisation.
Inordertomakeaninformeddecisionregardingwhetherornottolaunchane-marketingcampaign,youneedtoanswerseveralquestionsincluding:
• Whoaremytargetcustomersandwhataretheirneedsandexpectations?
• Howcanmybusiness’svaluepropositionmeetorexceedtheneedsandexpectationsof
mytargetcustomers?
• Willonlinemarketinghelpmetoeffectivelyconveymybusiness’svaluepropositiontomy
targetcustomers?Ifyes,how?
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• Whataretheexpectedelementsofcustomerbenefits(includingemotional,economic
andfunctionalbenefits)thatwillbegeneratedthroughmyonlinemarketingefforts?
• DoIhavethecriticalresourcesneededtodelivercustomerbenefitsthroughmyonline
offerings?
• DoIneedtoacquireanyneworadditionalresourcestodelivercustomerbenefits
throughmyonlineofferings?Ifyes,howamIgoingtoacquiretheseresources?
• Whatarethecriticalreasonstobelievethattheidentifiedresources(bothexistingand
new)willbeasourceofadvantageoverthecompetition?
• Howwillmybusinesscaptureaportionofthevaluethatitwillcreateforcustomers
throughonlinemarketing?
• Whataretheestimatedfinancialbenefits(bothinshortandlong-terms)thatmy
businesswillgeneratethroughonlinemarketing?
• Whataresomeofthecriticalunderlyingassumptionsthatmustbetrueinorderformye-
marketingcampaigntobesuccessful?
• Whataresomeofthekeyriskfactorsassociatedwithpursuinganonlinemarketing
campaign?5
Gatheringinformation
Gatheringtheinformationyouneedpriortomakingthedecisionisvitaltomakingthecorrectchoicefortheorganisationandforshowingstaffmembersthatyoucanbereliedupontomakegoodchoicesinatimelymanner.
5 http://toolkit.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au/part/27/139/653
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Tomakeinformeddecisions,itiscrucialthatorganisationshaveaccesstoinformationthatisnotonlyrelevantbutalsoaccurateandcurrent.6
TypesofInformation:
PrimaryInformation
PrimaryInformationcomesfromfirst-handexperienceandhasnotbeenanalysedorchangedinanyway.
PrimaryInformationmayinclude:
• Recordsofconversations
• Invoices,statementsandsignedcontracts
• Censusdata
• Minutesform
• Meetings
• Emails,faxesorletters
• Diariesordiarynotes
SecondaryInformation
Secondarysourcesofinformationmayincludereflection,reviewandinterpretationofinformationontheevents.
SecondaryInformationmayinclude:
• Textbooks
• Biographies
• Resultsfromfocusgroups,producttrials,samplingandpiloting
• Productiontargets
• Financialfigures
• Marketingreports,plansandbudgets
6 http://www.health.qld.gov.au/consent/documents/ic-guide.pdf
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QuantitativeData
QuantitativeDateismeasurableandcanbeexpressedinnumberssuchassalesfigures,dollaramountsornumberofpeople.
QualitativeData
QualitativeDataisanynon-numericalinformationthatcanbecaptured.Itisoftenthewhy.
InternalSourcesofInformation
Inmostwork-relatedinstances,therewillbeinformationavailableoraccessiblefromwithinyourorganisation.
InternalSourcesofInformationmayinclude:
• Files
• OtherStaff
• Reportsorsurveys
• TheIntranet
• StrategicInformation
• SpecialistMaterial,suchassalesplans,promotionalmaterial,agreements,etc.
ExternalSourcesofInformation
Oftenitisnecessarytogobeyondsourceswithinyourorganisationinordertogathertheinformationyouneed.
ExternalSourcesofInformationmayinclude:
• Governmentdepartmentsoragencies(inparticular,theAustralianBureauofStatistics)
Representativeassociationssuchasemployerbodies,institutes,unionsandprofessional
associations
• Majorcorporations
• Newspapersandmagazines
• Televisionorradio
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• TheInternet
• Libraries7
Informationgatheringtechniques
Observation
Weoftenunder-estimatethevalueofsimplytakingtimetoobservewhatishappeninginourworkplaces.
Forinstance,observingcustomersandteammembersduringaserviceencountercanbeveryrevealing.Usingobservationwecansometimesobtaininformationthatthecustomerorteammemberareunwillingorunabletoprovide.
Thebenefitsofobservationarethatitcanbedoneinaworksettingorinanoff-sitesetting(‘simulation’)andthatitcollectsprimary('first-hand')datathatmaynotbeavailableelsewhere.
Thenegativeaspectsofobservationarethat:
• Itcanbecostlyandtimeconsuming.• Itcannotbeusedtogatherdataaboutinfrequenteventsorbehaviours.• Theobservermustremainobjectiveandconsistentindocumentingtheobservations,and• Theactofobservationcaninfluencethebehaviourofthepeoplebeingobserved.
Surveyquestionnaires
Asurveyquestionnaireisawrittenmethodofcollectingprimarydatabyaskingpeoplequestionsabouttheirattitudesto,andthoughtsandbeliefsabout,variousissuesandproblems.
Somehotels,forinstance,collectthistypeofdataviaon-linePost-StayGuestSurveys.
Surveysareuseful:
• Whenyouneedinformationaboutalargeorwidelydispersedgroup• Whenthespecificissuesortopicstobeexploredareknown,or• Whenyouneedtominimisethecostsofyourresearch.
Oneofthenegativesofsurveysisthatdevelopingsurveyquestionnairesthatwillobtainaccurateandconsistentanswersisquiteanart.
Youmustbesurethatthequestionsaskedare:
• Notambiguousorconfusing,andwillyieldtheinformationbeingsought.• Notpresentedinabiasedway.• Writteninawaythatdoesnotindicate'socialdesirability,'sothattherespondentswill
answerhonestly,notthewaythattheythinkthey'should'.• Openquestionsthatdonotlimittheresponses.
7 http://coursemill.lennoxinstitute.com.au
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• Constructedinsuchawaythattheresponsesareabletoberecordedandassessedinordertoyieldusefuldata.
Testingadraftquestionnaireorpilotsurveywithseveralpeoplepriortousingitisimportant.Thetest-runresponsescanbeanalysed,andunclearitems,inconsistencies,perceivedbias,andotherdefectscanbecorrectedbeforethesurveyispresentedtothetargetaudience.
Surveyquestionnairesarethemostwidelyusedmethodfordatacollectionbyorganisations.Oneofthemajoradvantagesofsurveysisthattheycanbeveryflexibleandcanobtainarangeofdatafromdifferentgroupsofpeople.
Adisadvantageofsurveysisthatsometimespeopleareunabletoanswerthesurveyquestionsbecausetheycannotrememberorhaveneverthoughtaboutthequestionsyouareasking.
Therearefreeon-linesurveytoolsatthefollowingwebsites:
www.kwiksurveys.com
www.surveymonkey.com
www.freeonlinesurveys.com
www.zoomerang.com
Interviews
Althoughinterviewscantaketime,theyareoneofthebesttoolsforgatheringdatarelatingtoworkplaceproblemsissimplytotalkwithpeople.
Interviewsarecrucialwhenthegoalistohelpindividualsorgroupslearnmoreaboutthemselvesandhoweffectivelytheyareworkingwiththecustomer.
Aninterviewisalsothebestdata-collectionmethodwhen:
• someofthequestionsmayrequireclarification,• someoftheanswers(responses)mayhavetobeexplained,• notalloftheissuesareknown(soyoucannotdesignasurveyquestionnairearound
them),and• youmaywanttopursuetopicsfurtherastheycomeup.
Nomatterwhatthetypeofinterview(facetoface,focusgroup,ortelephone)determiningwhotointerviewisacriticalstep.Ifyoucannotinterviewallofthepeopleconcerned,itisimportanttointerviewarepresentativesampleofthatgroup.
Herearesomemoretipsonconductingsuccessfulinformation-gatheringinterviews:
Theinterviewshouldbefreeofinterruption.
Theperson(s)being interviewedshouldbeputateaseso thatmore information (andmorehonestinformation)willbeoffered.
The procedure should be explained, and permission should be obtained if the interview is to berecorded.
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The interviewershouldaskneutral,open-endedquestionsasmuchaspossibleto avoid “leading the witness” and to allow the interviewees to explain theanswers.
Lesscomplicatedandlessthreateningquestionsshouldbeaskedfirst.
The interviewermust be careful to remain objective and consistent from oneinterviewtothenext.
Schedulingmany interviews back-to-back can be tiring and confusing and canreducingtheinterviewer'sobjectivity.Usingpreparedscriptscanhelptoensurestandardisationofmultipleinterviews.Recordingverbatim,onstandardisedforms,whattherespondentssaycanhelptoensureaccuracyofthedata.The interviewer also should watch for nonverbal cues that may need to befollowedup.Activelisteningalsocanhelptoelicitmoreinformation.
After the interviews, the collecteddata is recorded and reported in someway to thepeoplewhohavebeeninterviewed.Ifitisgroupdata,itisgenerallydiscussedwiththegroup, which can then be given the opportunity to correct anymisinterpretations orinaccuraciesinthedata.
Theinterviewfindingsarethenusedtoidentifyproblemsandunderlyingissues,andtodevelopworkablesolutions.
Focusgroups
Focusgroupsareaspecialisedformofinterviews.Theynormallyinvolveasmallsampleofthepeopleorgroupyouareinterestedinconsultingorinvolving.
Thisisavaluabletechniqueifyouareinterestedinseekingopinionsordeterminingissuesthatareofparticularimportancetothesmallgroupyouhaveselected.Duetothetimeanddetailrequired,focusgroupstendtobetooexpensivetobeusedwidely
Mostworkplacescontain,orprovideaccessto,awealthofwritteninformationthatcanbeusedtohelpusunderstandmoreabouttheissuesweface,andwhattodoaboutthem.
Someexamplesofwritteninformationinclude:
• Intranet
• Internet
• Organisationalpolicies,proceduresandguidelines
• Publications(workplacepublications,newsletters,magazines,periodicals,newspapers,researchpapers)
• Reports(egbudgetreports,customerresearchreports,annualreports)
• Governmentandprivatewebsites
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Facilitateindividual’sandteam’sactiveparticipationindecision-makingprocesses
Consultationandparticipationindecisionmaking
Makingthedecisionabouttheparticularstrategiestobeemployedisbestdoneusingateamdecision-makingprocess.Ateamwillhavegreaterownershipofandcommitmenttostrategiestheyhavedevelopedthroughaconsultativedecision-makingprocessthanofthoseimposeduponthem.Thespecifictypeofconsultativeprocessyouusewilldependonthenatureofyourbusinessandyourteam,theareaofplanninginvolved,andthetimeandbudgetavailable.
Yourconsultativeprocessmayinclude:
• Researchconductedbyteammembersandreportedbacktotheteamforconsideration
• Considerationofavailableinformation(forexamplefromanenvironmentalscanand/or
researchintoyourinternaloperatingenvironment)
• Futurescanning,forexample,scenarioplanning
• Informationsharingandanalysisbytheteam
• Generationofideas,usingcreativethinkingtechniquessuchasbrainstorming,mind-
mapping,visualising
• Decision-makingusinganappropriatemodel,preferablytoachieveaconsensusdecision
Decisionmaking
Yourapproachtodecisionmakinginyourteammaybebasedonavarietyofmodels,including:
Decisionsmadefortheteamby:
• Theteamleaderandcommunicatedtotheteam
• Theteamleaderbasedonoutcomesofconsultationwiththeteam
• Anoutside‘expert’andcommunicatedtotheteam
Decisionsmadebytheteamusing:
• ‘Average’or‘mostcommon’ofindividualdecisions
• Majorityvote
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• Minoritydecision,wherethosedecidingmayhavespecialexpertise
• Consensusdecision(whereallmembersareheardandmustacceptthedecision)
Oftheseapproachestodecision-making:
• Consensusdecisionsarethemosteffective.Consensusisreachedthroughdiscussion,
wheremembersraiseissues,possiblydisagreeandeventuallyreachadecisionall
members‘canlivewith’.Thisisatime-consumingprocessbutismosteffectiveinterms
ofownershipofthedecisionbyallmembers.Thisisparticularlyimportantforits
implementation.
• Amajorityvoteislikelytosplitthegroup.Whilethisprocesstakeslesstime,theremay
be‘winners’and‘losers’andthedecisionmaybeunderminedifthecommitmentofall
membersisrequired.
• Mostcommon(oraverage)decisionsmaybepoordecisionsandcommitmentislikelyto
beweak.Thosewhoagreemaynotnecessarilyhavetheknowledgeorexperience
requiredtomakeagooddecision.
• Decisionsbytheteamleaderonthebasisofconsultationhighlydependontheskillsand
knowledgeoftheleader.Thistypeofdecision-makingcanresultinbehaviouroriented
toimpressingtheleader.
Relevantmodelsincludingstagesofgroupdevelopmentandstagesofchange
Whenworkingwithgroupsitisessentialthatyouanticipatetheneedsofindividualsinanygroup–youcanbelongtomanygroupsfordifferentreasonsandyourneedswilldifferineachone.
Groupdevelopmenthasbeenstudiedbymanypsychologists,withthemostnotablebeingBruceTuckman,whocameupwiththefivestagesofgroupdevelopmentin1965.Thefivestagesare:
• Forming
• Storming
• Norming
• Performing
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• Adjourning/Mourning
Thesestagesaredescribedbelow.
FormingBasicallytheformingstageiswhenmostoftheteammembersarepositiveandpolite.Somemaybeanxiousastheydon’tfullyunderstandwhatliesaheadandsomewillbeexcitedaboutthepossibilitiesofachievementwithinthegroup.Asaleaderyouplayadominantroleinyourgroupbecauseyourparticipant’srolesandresponsibilitiesaren’tclearyetandtheyaregettingtoknowoneanother.
StormingStorming is thenextphasewheresomeparticipantswillpushtheestablishedboundaries. It is inthisstagewheremanyteamswillfail.Dependingonthetypeofgroupyouarerunning,conflictmayariseduetodifferentlearningstylesorsomeparticipantsmaynotfeeltheyneedtocontributeasmuch as they are being asked to and resist taking on tasks. For example, team members maychallengeyourauthority,or jockey forpositionas their rolesareclarified.Or, if their rolesaren’tclearlydefinedpeoplemayfeeloverwhelmedbytheirworkload.Thiscanbearealbarriertogroupperformanceandaffecttheoutcomesforeveryone.
NormingThe next stage is called norming where differences are resolved, and the participants start toappreciate the strengths of team members and respect your authority as the team leader.Participantsmight socialise together, ask eachother for help andprovide constructive feedback.Newtasksintroducedtothegroupmaycausethemtolapseintothestormingstageagainsotherecanbeoverlapofthesetwostages.
PerformingOnce cohesion is established, the team start to perform, the final stage of the group. Activityproceedswithoutfrictionandthestructuresandprocessessetupinthebeginningbyyouandthegroupsupportthisphasewell.Atthisstage,asaleaderofthegroupyoucandelegatemuchofyourworkandconcentrateondevelopingindividualswithintheteam.Itshouldfeeleasytobepartofthegroupatthisstage.8
Adjourning/MourningThe fifth and final stage of adjourning is not always available to groups, certainly in mostprofessionalsituationshoweverincommunitygroupsitcanbebuiltintothelastsession.Thiscanbeatimeforhandingoutcertificatesortrophiesandacknowledgingindividualcontributions.
Any groupwhichexists for a fixedperiod such as a yoga groupwhich runs all termor a theatregroupworkingonaplayhavetodisbandatsomepoint,evenifitisuntilnexttermorthenextplay.
8 http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_86.htm
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Nobodyknowsforcertainifallmemberswillbebackandthosewholikeroutineorwhohavegrownclosetootherteammembersmayfindthisstagedifficultwhichiswhythisstageisalsocalled‘mourning’.Youmaybeabletoorganiseagettogetherforthegroupafewweeksafterthefinalsessiontohelpeasethetransitionawayfromitforthoseteammemberswhofindchangechallenging.
• Ensurethatallgroupmembershavecommitmenttothegoalsofthegroup.Ifgoalsor
rulesareimposedfromoutsidetheyarelesslikelyto‘own’them
• Whenformulatingthegoalsofthegroup,theindividualneedsofgroupmembersmust
beconsidered
• Beaneffectiveparticipatorifyoucan,aswellasleadingthem
• Providefeedbacktothegroupontheirprogressandachievements.Uselotsofpositive
reinforcement.Peoplegenerallyaremuchmorelikelytobemotivatedbypositive
reinforcementthannegativity
• Ensureallgroupmembersarelistenedtoandtreatedwithrespect
• Rememberthatsomeofyourgroupwillneedmoreencouragementthanothersand
whatispraiseworthycanbeveryspecifictoeachindividual
Examineoptionsandassessassociatedriskstodeterminepreferredcourse/sofactionOnceyouhaveconsultedtherelevantstakeholdersinthechangeordecisionthatneedsmakingyouwillneedtolookateachoptionanddecidewhichoneisthemostappropriateforyourorganisation.
Todothis,youwillneedtoassesstherisksofeachoption.
AssessingriskscanbecomplicatedsometimessotoassistyouIhaveincludedafewquestionsforyoutoaskyourselfabouteachoption:
• Willitbenefittheorganisation/business?
• Willitcauseanyharm(physical,emotional,etc…)?
• Doesitfitintotheprescribedbudget?
• Willitcausedisruption?
• Willitmakethedifferencerequired?
Answeringthesequestionswillassistyoutomakethedecisionthatisrightfortheorganisationandultimatelywillberightforthoseaffectedbythedecision.9
9 https://cuttingredtape.gov.au/.../australian_government_guide_regulation...
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Therearethreegeneralwaysthatdecisionswillbemade.
• Brainstorming
• Forcefieldanalysis
• Causeandeffectdiagram
BrainstormingBrainstormingisatechniquethatmaybeusedwithgroupstocreatenewideas,solveproblemsanddevelopandmotivateteams.Brainstormingisparticularlyusefulwhenyouarelookingforcreativeandinnovativesolutionstoproblems.
Youshouldbeginabrainstormsessionbyclearlystatingthesession’sobjectives,forexample:
• Developaremindersystemforpatientappointments
• Formulateapromotionalactivityforthelaunchofanewproduct
• Opportunitiesforcost-savingusingelectronicconferencefacilities
• Findwaystobuildbetterrelationshipsbetweenthecustomerserviceandsiteteams
Concludethesessionbyadvisingteammemberswhatwillhappennextandmakesureyoukeeptheparticipantsinformedabouttheoutcomesofthesession.Thiswillencouragethemtocontinuetoparticipateinfuturesessions.
CauseandEffectDiagramsCauseandeffectdiagramsarealsoknownasfishbonediagramsbecausethecompleteddiagramresemblesafishbone.Thepersonrecordingshouldpositiontheproblemorissueattheheadofthefish.
Possiblecausesoftheproblemorissueshouldthenberecordedonthebonesthataregrowingoutofthespineofthefish.Thebenefitofthismethodisthatitseparatestheproblemorissuefromthesymptomsoftheproblem.
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ForceFieldAnalysisForceFieldAnalysisisausefuldecision-makingtechnique.Ithelpsyoumakeadecisionbyanalysingtheforcesforandagainstachange,andithelpsyoucommunicatethereasoningbehindyourdecision.
Youcanuseitfortwopurposes:todecidewhethertogoaheadwiththechangeandtoincreaseyourchancesofsuccess,bystrengtheningtheforcessupportingchangeandweakeningthoseagainstit.
ForceFieldAnalysiswascreatedbyKurt Lewin in the1940s. Lewinoriginallyused the tool inhiswork as a social psychologist. Today, however, Force Field Analysis is also used in business, formakingandcommunicatinggo/no-godecisions.
Youusethetoolby listingallof the factors (forces) forandagainstyourdecisionorchange.Youthenscoreeachfactorbasedonitsinfluenceandaddupthescoresforandagainstchangetofindoutwhichofthesewins.
You can then lookat strengthening the forces that support the changeandmanaging the forcesagainstthechangesothatit'smoresuccessful.
TocarryoutaForceFieldAnalysis,useablanksheetofpaperorwhiteboard.
Thendescribeyourplanorproposalforachangeinaboxinthemiddleofthepaper.Listtheforcesfor change in a columnon the left-hand side, and the forces against change in a columnon theright-handside.
Asyoudothis,considerthefollowingquestions:
• Whatistheproblem?
• Whendoesitoccur?
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• Wheredoesitoccur?
• Howdoesitoccur?
It'simportanttoidentifyasmanyofthefactorsthatwillinfluencethechangeasyoucan.Whereappropriate,involveotherpeople,suchasteammembersorexpertsinyourorganisation.
Next,assignascoretoeachforce,from,say,1(weak)to5(strong),andthenaddupthescoresforeachcolumn(forandagainst).
For a visual representation of the influence that each force has, draw arrows around them.Usebiggerarrowsfortheforcesthatwillhaveagreaterinfluenceonthechange,andsmallerarrowsforforcesthatwillhavelessofaninfluence.
Forexample,thecustomerenquiriesarebecomingmorecomplexandpreventingthereceptionistfromachievinghertargets.However,theseenquiriesarealsothedrivingneedforchange.Asyoucanseeinthediagrambelow,restrainingforcescanalsobeforcesforchange.
UsingYourAnalysis
Onceyou'vedoneyourForceFieldAnalysis,youcanuseitintwoways:
• Todecidewhetherornottomoveforwardwiththedecisionorchange• Tothinkabouthowyoucanstrengthentheforcesthatmaysupportthechangeandweaken
theforcesopposingitsothatthechangeismoresuccessful10
RiskAssessmentOnceyouhaveidentifiedalistofyourpreferredsolutions,youwillneedtoexamineandassesstheriskassociatedwitheach.Insomecases,youmaydecidethattheassociatedrisksoutweighthepotentialbenefitsandtheneliminatethemfromyourlist.Youmaydecidethatthepotentialbenefitsaregreatenoughtojustifypursuingawaytomitigateorminimiserisk.
Thisprocessmayinvolve:
• Identifyingrisksandtheircauses
• Classifyingriskaccordingtotheirimpact:financial,operational,servicedelivery,
compliance,workplacesafety.
• Assessinghowrisksmightaffectachievementoftheorganisation’sorteam’sobjectives
• Prioritisingthelistofrisks
• Potentialriskminimisationstrategies
Whatisriskmanagement?
10 https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_06.htm
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“Takecalculatedrisks.Thatisquitedifferentfrombeingrash.”
GeneralGeorgeSPatton1885-1945
An important part of the decision-making process is risk identification, assessment andmanagement. Individualsandorganisationsmakedecisions regarding riskseveryday.Theymightuseaformallyrecognised,documentedprocessorgowiththe“sink-or-swim”approach.Whenthestakesarehighand the resultsof actions likely toaffectmanypeople–as theyoftenare in thebusinessworld–thelatterapproachisvery‘riskybusiness’.
Althoughmanyofuswouldbenefitbyanalysingtheriskswetakeinourdailylivesmoreeffectively,themanagementofrisktendstobefocusedonorganisations.This isbecausethe implicationsofpoorriskmanagementcanhavesignificantimpactsonawidernumberofstakeholdersaswellasonnationaland localeconomies. It’salsobecausethenatureofriskwithinorganisations is farmorecomplexthatthesimpletaskswehavetomanageasindividuals.
Riskmanagementisthereforegenerallyrecognisedinternationallyasakeybusinessprocesswithinboththeprivateandpublicsectors.Whileriskmanagementmayincludethetreatmentofidentifiedrisks(risktreatment)itisabroaderandmorestrategicprocess.
Riskmanagementinvolvesapplyingskills,knowledge,andriskmanagementtoolsandtechniquestoallaspectsandfunctionsofanorganisationtoreduceriskstoanacceptablelevelwhilemaximisingopportunities.
Benefits
Managingriskshasthefollowingspecificbenefits:
Greatercontrol
Controlofadverseeventsisenhancedbyidentifyingandtakingactionstominimisetheirlikelihoodandreducetheireffects.
Greaterconfidence
Peoplewillhavemoreconfidenceintheirunderstandingofrisksandtheircapabilitytomanagethem.Thisalsoencouragestheseekingofopportunitiesaspeoplefeelsafertotake‘calculatedrisks’.
Improvedplanning,performanceandeffectiveness
Effectiveplanningisfacilitatedbyaccesstostrategicinformationabouttheorganisation.Thisalsoenhancestheorganisation’sabilitytoseizeopportunities,mitigatenegativeoutcomes,andtoachievebetterperformanceandproductivity.
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Improvedstakeholderrelationships
Communicationandconsultationareessentialprocessesineffectiveriskmanagement.Thedevelopmentofdialoguebetweentheorganisationanditsstakeholdersincreasesmutualunderstandingofandinsightintothewants,needsandmotivationsofbothparties.
Enhancedreputation
Organisationsthatareknowntohaveasoundprocessformanagingrisktendtoattractinvestors,lenders,suppliersandcustomers.
Accountability,assuranceandgovernance
Throughthedemonstrationanddocumentationoftheriskmanagementapproach,variouspartsoftheorganisationarefocusedonconformingtorequirementsandenhancedperformance.
Personalwellbeing
Generally,whenweeffectivelymanagepersonalriskweexperienceanincreaseinourhealthandwellbeing.
Considerthis:
Therisksofsuccess
“OneofthefirstandmostimportantlessonsanysuccessfulAustralianbusinesspersonlearnsisthereisriskassociatedwitheverydecisiontheytake.Butoneofthemainreasonstheybecomesuccessfulratherthanunsuccessfulisbecausetheyunderstandthereareevengreaterrisksinnottakingthem.”
LeeForrest
Theriskmanagementprocess
Sometimesitseemsthatthereareasmanymodelsdescribingriskmanagementprocessesastherearebookswrittenaboutthesubject.Thiscanbecomeconfusing.IntheinterestsofsimplicityandconsistencywithacceptedAustralianpractices,wewillreferheretoaprocessadaptedfromtheAustralian/NewZealandStandard‘RiskManagement’4360:2004.
AustralianStandardforriskmanagement
Thediagramonthefollowingpagerepresentsthemainelementsoftheriskmanagementprocess.Theyareoutlinedhereanddescribedinmoredetailintheabovereference:
a) Establishtheriskcontext
Establishtheexternal,internalandriskmanagementcontextinwhichtherestoftheprocesswilltakeplace.Criteriaagainstwhichriskwillbeevaluatedshouldbeestablishedandthestructureoftheanalysisdefined.
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b) Identifyrisks
Identifywhere,when,whyandhoweventscouldprevent,degrade,delayorenhancetheachievementoftheobjectives.
c) Analyserisks
Identifyandevaluateexistingcontrols.Determineconsequencesandlikelihoodandhencethelevelofrisk.Thisanalysisshouldconsidertherangeofpotentialconsequencesandhowthesecouldoccur.
d) Evaluaterisks
Evaluatetheestimatedlevelsofrisksagainstthepre-determinedcriteria.Considerthepotentialbenefitsandadverseoutcomesoftreatment.Makedecisionsabouttheextentandtypeoftreatmentandsetpriorities.Ifnotreatmentisrequired,monitorandcontrolthesituation.
e) Treatrisks
Developandimplementspecificcost-effectivestrategiesandtreatmentplansthatmaximisebenefitsandreducepotentialcosts.
f) Monitorandreview
Eachstepoftheprocessshouldbemonitoredandreviewedtoenablecontinuousimprovement.Risksandtreatmentmeasuresshouldbemonitoredtoensurethatchangingconditionscanbetakenintoaccountindeterminingtreatmentmeasuresandpriorities.
Formoreinformationandsomeusefultoolstohelpyouidentifyandmanagetherisksinvolvedinyourdecisionsyoucouldrefertothefollowingwebsites:
www.riskdecisions.com–followlinksonHomePageto‘Articles’for‘TrueEstimatesReduceProjectRisk’,andWhitePapersfor‘UsingRiskManagementforStrategicAdvantage’
www.riskinstitute.org–followlinksonhomepagetoPublications,Tools,Resources,toRiskManagement,toRiskManagementStarterKit–andmanymore
Communicationandconsultation
The importance of communication and consultation right through the riskmanagement processcannotbeunderestimated.Riskmanagementisenhancedbyallpartiesunderstandingeachother’sperspectives and, where appropriate being actively involved in decision-making. People’sunderstandingsofrisksareimproved,theviewsofstakeholdersareconsidered,andallparticipantsareawareoftheirrolesandresponsibilities.
Communication canbe two-wayor one-waydependingonwhat youwant to achieve. There aretimes when one-way communication is required – when information such as annual reports,meetingminutes, and newsletters are provided.Where the goals of the communication include
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sharingperspectives,beliefs,positionsetcbetweendifferentpartiesandbetweentheorganisationanditsstakeholders,thebesttypeofcommunicationistwo-way.
Consultationinvolvestwo-waycommunicationbetweenstakeholdersonanissuepriortomakingadecisionordeterminingadirectiononaparticularissue.Thismakesriskmanagementexplicitandmoresoundlybased,andaddsvaluetoanorganisation.
Communicatingdecisions
Rememberthatoncedecisionsaremade,it’simportanttocommunicatethemtothepeopleinvolvedandaffectedbythem.Youmaychoosetocommunicatethedecisionbeforeplansaremadetoimplementit.Thiswillopenthewayforpeopletobeinvolvedinplanningandimplementingthedecision.Thisinturnusuallyincreasespeople’scommitmenttothedecisionanditsultimatesuccess.
Youmayalsochoosetocommunicatethedecisionaftertheplanhasbeendevelopedandbeforeitisimplemented.Methodsyoucanuseinclude:
• Intranet
• Memo
• Discussion
• Informationsession
• One-on-onediscussions
• Teammeetingsorbriefings
• Voicemail
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EnsuredecisionsaretimelyandcommunicatethemclearlytoindividualsandteamsandPrepareplanstoimplementdecisionsandensuretheyareagreedbyrelevantindividualsandteams
Communicatingdecisionstotheteam
Onceadecisionhasbeenreached,youwillneedtoensurethatanyapprovalsrequiredhavebeensecured,andallrelevantpersonnelbothinsideandoutsideoftheorganisationhavebeenadvisedofthedecision.
Itisimportantonthoseoccasionswhentheimplementationofthedecisionwillimpactonclients,otherdepartmentsorworkareas,orotherorganisations thatyouprovide timelyadvice to thoseconcerned.Thisisparticularlyimportantifthereisanegativedecision.
Openandtimelycommunicationwillhelptominimisethelikelihoodofgossipandrumours.Youarealsomorelikelytosecurethesupportandcommitmentofotherpeoplewhentheyfeeltheyhavebeeninvolvedintheearlystagesofthechangeprocess.
Youshouldinvestigatetherangeofmethodsavailabletoyoutofacilitatecommunicationacrosstheorganisation.Newsletters,reports,email,meetings,onlineconferences,social-networkingsoftwareand workshops are methods that you may wish to consider. You also need to consider theinformationneedsofthepeopleyouarecommunicatingto.
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Usefeedbackprocesseseffectivelytomonitortheimplementationandimpactofdecisions
Gatheringfeedback
Oneofyourmajorrolesasamanageristoprovideconstructivefeedbacktotheworkersthatyousupervise.Thisisseenasanopportunitytomonitorexistingskillsanddecidejointlyongoalsforthefuture.
Itprovidesyouwithanopportunityto:
• Support
• Encourage
• Motivate
It also helps towards ensuring that the workers in your organisation have current skills andknowledgeandperceivethatyouareinterestedintheirfuturewell-being.
Toensurethatyoureceivethesametypeofsupportandinformation,thatyourecognisetheskillsand knowledge that you have and that you set goals for your future you also need to receivefeedback.
Byenteringintoperformanceappraisalforyourself,youarealsomodellingappropriatebehaviourfor theworkers. If you arewilling to do it and to follow up on the process, then there ismoreincentiveforthemtodothesame.
Itcanbedifficulttoactuallygetfeedbackfrompeoplethatis:
• Meaningfultoyou
• Notseenasachorebythoseyouask
• Notseenasyoutryingtohearawholelotofgoodnews
Youcanreceivefeedbackinanumberofwaysandconcentrateonspecificsormoregeneralareas:
• Whenattemptingtocollectfeedbackyouneedtobeclearaboutwhatitisthatyouare
collectingfeedbackabout.Differentpeopleintheorganisationwillseedifferentpartsof
youandobservedifferentskillsinaction.
Itmaybeofnouseforyoutoaskyourteammemberaboutyourabilitytoplanforthefutureiftheydonotactuallyseeyoudoingthis.Theywillhaveanunderstandingthatyoudoitbecauseyou
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bringideastothegroup;opportunitiesarefollowedup,andtheorganisationhaspositiveoutcomesandismeetingitsgoals.Theymaynotbeabletocommentconstructivelyonthequalityofyourwork,orworkwithyoutoimproveyourskillsandsetnewgoalsinthisarea.
Youalsoneedtodecidewhomyouaregoingtoask.Dependinguponwhatareasyouarelookingforfeedbackin,youwillneedtolookatavarietyofpeopleatdifferentlevelsinyourorganisation.Youmaywishtoincludesomeofyourpeersoryourclients.
360DegreeFeedback
The360-degreefeedbackmodelmayhelpyoudecidewhoitisthatyouwillask.Ifyouaskarangeofpeople,youwillgetarangeofresponses.Thisisimportantifyouwishtogaininformationaboutallofthethingsthatyoudo,orpeopleindifferentcircumstancesperceiveyou.Youmaychooseinsome cases to focus on a group of skills, and, therefore, a smaller group of people may beappropriate.
In the360-degree feedbackmodel, you choose those individuals that youbelievewill beable toprovideyouwithconstructivefeedback.Youcanaddordeletepeopletomeetyourneedsatthetime.
Consider the 360-degreemodel and the possible options that you have in your workplace. It isimportanttothinkcarefullyaboutthepeopleyouchoosetoprovidefeedback,toexplaintothemwhatyouaredoingandwhy.Whatyoudon'twant is forpeople to feelembarrassed,puton,orcoercedintohelpingyou.
Listentoyourself
Youareanintegralpartofyourownperformanceappraisal,andyoushouldmonitoryourperformanceonanongoingbasis.Todothis,youwillneedtosetgoalsforoutcomesthatyoucanmeasure,andtomonitorwhetheryouareachievingthem.
Usingfeedbacktomonitordecisions
Theprocessofcommunicationwithinateamisacriticalone.Teammembersarenotaseffectiveastheycanbeif:
• Theydon’tcommunicatewellamongthemselves
• Theydon’tfeedinformationtotheirmanager
• Theirmanagersdon’tprovideenoughinformationtotheirteams
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Oneofthemostimportantelementsinthecommunicationprocessisfeedback.Theprocessofprovidingconstructivefeedbacktoateamisasignthattheteamistrulyworkingtogether.Peoplewhodon’tseekorgivefeedbackarerunningtheriskofworkinginaninformationvacuumorisolatingtheircolleagues.Thisincludesmanagersaswellasteammembers.
Gettingusefulfeedbackfromteammemberscanbeinvaluable.Aswellaslearningaboutwhatyoucoulddotoimprovenexttime,youcanbenefitfromtheexperienceandinsightsothersprovide.
Feedbackcanbesoughtandprovidedinmanysituations,bothformallyandinformally.
Whatcangowrong
Readingsignsfromateamthatthingsaren’tastheyshouldbecanbetricky.Youneedtobeawareandaddressproblemsastheyarise,notaftertheevent.Symptomsofateamthatneedshelpcaninclude:
• Agenerallackofenthusiasm
• Non-stopbickeringandtheinabilitytoagreeonissues
• Personalagendasbeingplacedaheadoftheteam
• Dominantteammemberspressuringorovershadowingtheircolleagues
• Notmeetingdeadlines
• Teammemberswhodon’tsharetheworkequally
Complaintsandfeedbackfromindividualteammembersshouldbetakenseriously.Ifsomeonehastakenthetimetosharetheirconcernswithyouandyou,havebeenencouragingcommunicationandfeedbackwithintheteam,listentowhattheyhavetosay.Askthemwhatideastheyhavethatwouldbehelpfulandperhapsevenwhattheywouldlikeyoutodo.
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Leadership:Apracticalperspective
Problemsolving-Asimplemodel
Thissectionwillshowyouamethodfor'thinkingthrough'youroptions.Itprovidesyouwithasimplemodelforproblemsolvinganddecisionmaking.
Ifthisapproachisnewtoyou,itmaytakesometimetogetusedto.Butifyoupractiseitnow,you'llfindthatovertime,youwillfeelmoreconfidentaboutmakingsounddecisionsthathavethesupportofyourteamandyourmanager—evenonthosedayswhenyouhavetoactquickly!
Step1:Considertheproblem
Haveyoueverheardthesaying‘Foolsrushin’?
It’sthesamewithproblem-solvinganddecision-making.Ifyoumakehastydecisionswithoutknowingallthefacts,youwillfindithardertogetgoodresults.Youwillgetbetterresultsifyouconsidertheproblemandtalktothepeopleinvolved.
Describetheproblem
Remember,aproblemisn’talwaysathreatoranegativething.Aproblemmaybehowtotakeadvantageofanopportunitythatappears.Forexample,acompetitorgoingoutofbusinesspresentsthe‘problem’ofhowtoservicetheiroldcustomerbase!Manyworkdecisionsareconcernedwiththispositiveapproachtoproblem-solving.Keepthisinmindwhenyouidentifythesituationswhereyoucanusethisprocess.
Thinkaboutthingslike:
• WhatdoIthinkiswrong?• Whatistheissueorsituationthatneedstoimprove?• WhatistheopportunityIneedtorespondto?• Whatarethesignalsthattellmethereisaproblem,issueoropportunity?• Isthisreally‘my’problem?Doesitreallybelongtosomeoneelse?HowcanIbestbringit
totheirattention?
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Ken
Ken,asupervisorinaplantbakery,noticesthatTimisn’treportingequipmentfaultswhenheusesfaultyorwornmachinery.OtherteammembershavedroppedhintstoKenaboutTimbeing‘slack’andit’scausingfrictionintheteam.
Shauna
Shauna,ateamleaderinapostaldeliverycentre,hasfoundoutthatthetargetsfor‘on-time’deliveryhavenotbeenmetforthelastthreeweeks.Hermanagerisn’thappy.ShehasaskedShaunatoinvestigatetheproblemandmakerecommendationsforimprovingthedeliveryprocess.
Identifytheoutcomeyouwant
Thinkaboutthingslike:
• WhatresultdoIwant?• Isthisarealisticgoal?(Ifyouransweris‘no’,thenre-thinkwhatyouaresettingoutto
achieve.)
Examples
Ken
Kenwantsallequipmentfaultstobereportedimmediately.
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Shauna
Shaunawantsthedeliverytargetstobemet.Shealsowantstodevelopabettersystemforreportingdeliverytimessosheisawareofaproblembeforeit’stoolate…threeweeksisalongtimefortheproblemtogounnoticed!
Askforhelp
Don’tfeelthatjustbecauseyou’reamanagerorsupervisorthatyoumusthavealltheanswers.Likewise,youdon’thavetosolvethingsalone.It’sallaboutconsultingotherpeopleasyougatherinformation.Ifyouaskotherpeoplefortheirhelpinsolvingproblems,youaremorelikelyto:
• getbetterresults• gainthetrustandconfidenceofpeopleyouworkwith.• Peoplewhocanassistyouinclude:• thosewithadditionalinformationabouttheissue• thosewhohavehadpreviousexperienceinasolvingthesameorasimilarissue• thosewhohaveastakeintheproblemandtheoutcome(stakeholders).• Dependingontheproblem,thepeopleyoutalktomaybe:• yourteammembers• yourmanager• otherteamleaders• yourcustomersorsuppliers.
Examples
Ken
KenhadaprivatetalktoTim.HetoldTimhowhesawhimuseequipmentthatturnedouttobefaulty,butwhenKencheckedthemaintenancelog,hecouldseethatTimhadn’treportedit.Kenalsogaveotherexamplesofwhenthishadhappened.Kenexplainedthatheneedseveryone’shelptomakesureallmachineryinthebakeryisworkingproperly,andaskedhimwhythiswasnothappening.Timsaidthathepanickedbecauseitalwaysseemedtohappenatthesametimeashehadtopreparematerialsforthenextshift,andthatwasreallyimportant.AlsothefaultsheetwasinKen’sofficeandsometimesthedoorwasclosed.Timadmittedthatbythetimehe’dpreparedforthenextshift,orthedoorwasopenagain,he’dforgottenaboutreportingit.
Shauna
Shaunatalkedwitheachmemberofherteamtofindoutwhatwashappeningintheirpartofthewholeprocess.Shedidthiswitheachpersonseparatelysoshehadachancetoobservehowtheyhandletheirjobtasks.Asshetalkedtoeachpersonsheaskedforideasonhowtoimprovetheprocess,andshecameawaywithafewoptionsuphersleeve!
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Step2:Findasolution
Younowhaveinformationaboutwhattheproblemreallyis,andwhattheoutcomeisthatyouwant.Nowit’stimetofindasolution,andimplementit.Thefollowingbriefguidelines,plusthemoredetailedinformationinthenextsectionofyourreadingnotes,willhelpyou.
Developoptions
Thinkabout:
• differentwaystodealwiththesameproblem• comingupwithtwoormoreoptionssoyoucanmakethebestchoice• howyoucanusetheinputyougotfromotherpeoplewhenyouaskedfortheirhelp.
Examples
Ken
Kenhascomeupwithtwooptions:
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Shauna
Shaunahascomeupwiththreeoptions:
Considertheconsequences
Takeeachoftheoptionsyoudevelopedaboveandthinkabout:
• whatresourcesyouwillneedforeachoption(people,materials,moneyortime)• thepositiveandnegativethingsthatcouldhappenifyouimplementanyoftheseoptions• howyoucouldpreventordealwiththenegativeconsequences.
Examples
Ken
Kenhasthoughtabouthistwooptions,andthinksthesethingscouldhappenifheimplementedthem:
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Shauna
Shaunahasthoughtaboutherthreeoptions,andthinksthesethingscouldhappenifsheimplementedthem:
Sofar,you’veanalysedtheproblemby:
• lookingattheoptions• weighinguptheirpositiveandnegativeconsequences.
Now,you’llneedtodecidewhichoptionismostlikelytogetyoutheresultyouwanttoachieve.
Makethedecision
Onceyouhaveanalysedtheproblemandidentifiedsomeoptions,youcanmakeafinaldecisionaboutwhatactionyouwilltake.
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Lookateachofyouroptionsandthinkaboutthesethings:
• Howdothepositiveandnegativeconsequencescompare?• Howmuchtimewillittake,andisthatrealistic?• Whatresourceswillitneed?
Sometimesanoptionmaylookgoodonpaper,butisjustnotfeasiblebecauseitwilltaketoolong,betooexpensive,ortakeuptoomanypeople’stime.
Ifthat’sthecase,thenworkthroughyourotheroptions.Whichotheroneswillmeettheimmediateneedwithoutcausingotherproblems?Youcanprobablyseenowthatformorecomplexproblemsyoumightneedtogothroughthisprocessseveraltimesbeforeyouarriveataworkablesolution.
Examples
Ken
Kenthinksthebestdecisionistoplaceextrafaultsheetsaroundtheplantsoit’seasiertoreportfaults.HelikestheideaofmakingiteasierforTimtoreportfaults,ratherthanlettinghimgetawaywithnotdoinganimportantpartofhisjob.
Shauna
Shaunadecidesonatwo-stageapproach.Firstshewillcollectvolumestatisticsdailysoshecankeepacloseeyeonthingsandconfirmwherethebottlenecksare.Thenafteraweekshe’llconsultherteamaboutchangestotheroster.
Developanactionplan
Thisisyourplanforhowyouwillimplementyourdecision.Yourplanshouldincludetheactionsyou&otherswilltake,whatresourcesareneeded,andtimelinesforcompletionofeachaction.
Actions
Compilealistofactionstoachievetheparticularplan’sgoalorobjective.Youcanusethefollowing6questionstoidentifytheactionsrequired:
• What?• Who?• Where?• When?• Why?• How?
Useyouractionplantoarrangeyourlistoftasksinalogicalorder.Foreachtaskyouneedtohaveameasurethatallowsyoutoknowwhenthetaskissatisfactorilycompleted.
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Timelines
UsetheinformationonyourActionPlantodevelopatimelineforachievingyourgoal.Beginningwithatimepointlabelled‘Now’andendingwithapointlabelled‘Goalachieved’,buildatimelineonwhichyouallocatedates,bywhichyouintendtocompleteeachoftheactionslisted.Itisimportantthatyougetbothsequenceandtimingrightifyouaretoreach‘Goalachieved’effectively.
RemembertoaddamilestonerelatingtowhentoreporttomanagementandtheotherpeopleinvolvedintheachievementofgoalsinyourActionPlan.
Resources
Money,equipment,materialsandpeoplemustbeallocatedtoeachactionstep.Iftheseresourcesarelimited,orfallshortofrequirementsatanystage,itmaybenecessarytoreturntoanearlierstepandrevisetheActionPlan.
Possibleproblems&solutions
Considerallofthethingsthatcouldgowrongintheprocessofachievingaparticulargoal.Listtheseproblemsandidentifythecausesandpotentialsolutions.Wewillexaminewaystoassesstherisksofaplanofactionlater.
Monitoringprogress
Monitoring is theprocessofmeasuringandcomparingactual resultsorwork inprogresswithplannedperformance.Howwillyoudeterminewhetherornotyourprogresstowardsyourgoalsissatisfactory?Monitoringletsyouknowifyouareontarget,andifnot,whatchangesyoumightneedtomake.
Listways inwhichtheprogressoftheactionplancanbemonitored. Thesemonitoringstagesshould also be included on the timeline. You can gather data by looking around and askingquestionstoseewhat ishappening,and listeningtothe informationthatothersgiveyou.Youcanalsousedifferentinformationsystemstogiveyoudatathatisrelevanttoyourplan.
Estimatecosts
Giveconsiderationtoanyexpenditurerequiredtocompletethetasks.Allcostswillhavetobetakenintoaccountwhenpreparingabudget.
Iffundsarenotavailable,taskswillhavetobereviewedand,wherenecessary,revisedoreliminated.
CommunicateyourPlan
Communicateyourplantothosethatareinvolvedorimpactedbyyourplan.Youmaychoosetodothisby:
• Meetings• Informaldiscussions• Memos
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• Noticesonstaffnoticeboards• POSinstructions• SMSmessages
Whatevermethodyouchoose,thereshouldbeawayforpeopletoaskquestionsandtoclarifypointsthattheyareunsureabout.
ImplementthePlan
Implementationofanactionplanrequiresacquiringandallocatingresources,settingupabudgetandaschedule.
Oneofthebestwaysto“lead”theplanistorelateitsoutcometotheorganisation’svaluesandthevision
Otherwaystoensurethesuccessfulimplementationofaplanareto:
• Involvethosewhowillbeimplementingthedecisionsintheplanning.Thisnotonlysupportstheimplementationbutitcanalsoimprovethequalityofthedecision,because:o Theirknowledgeandinformationisused
o Theiralternativesareconsidered,anda
o Theyhaveabetterunderstandingofthedecisionresults
• Provideappropriaterewardstotheteammembers.• Exploreconflictingideasbeforeattemptinganimplementationoftheplan.• Breakupandbreakdownlargeplansintorealistic“do-able”pieces.• Askforvolunteers.Thisallowspeopletoowntheiractions,forexampleask’whatneeds
todobedone?’,‘who’sgoingtodowhat?’• Givepeoplechoices!Itletsthemfeelpersonallyresponsiblefortheirdecision/action.By
choosingtheyaresayingtheybelievetheycandowhatisrequired.• Givetheteammembersarealisticpictureofthe‘journey’thattheywillbeinvolvedwith
inimplementingtheplan.
Checkyourprogressagainstyourplan
Monitoringisyourinsurance.Ifyoudonotcheckthatyouroriginaltargetsandtimeframearebeingachieveditwillnotbepossibleforyoutomeasurethesuccessorpotentialfailureofyourdecisionandyourplantoachieveit.
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Actionplanexamples
Ken
Kenlovesdetailandcameupwithanactionplanthatcoveredallthebases:
HowIwillgoaboutit
(Actions)
WhoIneedtoinvolve/consult
(People)
WhatresourcesdoIneed
(Physicalresources)
Finishbydate(When)
Arrangeteammeeting
AdminAssist Meetingroom Monday
Placefaultreportsheetsneareachmajorpieceofmachinery
Checkthatteammembersagree/understand
EnoughblankformsPens
Tuesday
Organiserostertomonitor&replacesheetsandensurefaultsareactedon
Onepersononeachshift
Tuesday
Evaluatetherosterandfaultreportingsystem(Feedback)
Team Teammeeting After1week
MeetwithTimtoevaluatehisworkloadandmonitorhowheisfeeling(Feedback)
Tim Nil Following1weekoftherosterbeinginplace
Monitorrosterscheduleandteam’sworkload
Team Meetingroom Fortnightly
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Shauna
Shauna’sactionplanneededtobeflexible.Whetherornotshegoesaheadwiththerosterchangeswilldependonwhatshefindsoutwhenshegathersdailyvolumestatistics.Reportingbacktohermanagerwasalsoapartofheractionplan:
HowIwillgoaboutit(Actions)
WhoIneedtoinvolve/consult
(People)
WhatresourcesdoIneed(Physicalresources)
Finishbydate(When)
ReportactionplantoManager
Manager Email Immediately:30April
Collectvolumestatistics
Team Spreadsheet Daily
Reviewstatisticsandcheckwheredelaysoccur
TeamManagerAnnabel(courierteamleader)
Spreadsheet 7May
Identifypossiblerosterchanges
TeamAnnabel(courierteamleader)
StaffingcalendarNoticeboard
8May
Implementnewrosterifnecessary
Payrollofficer Staffingcalendar 15May
Reporttomanager Email 22May
Asyouhaveseen,acriticalconsiderationinmaking&implementingdecisionsisinvolvingandconsultingothers.
Step3:Review
Reviewingyourdecisionandyouractionplaninvolvesgatheringandanalysinginformation.Youcouldreferbacktotheprevioussectionforideasabouthowtodothis.
Evaluating&reviewingyourownperformanceasateamleaderisalsoareallypowerfulwaytolearnfromyourownexperience.
Startreflectingonhowthingsaregoingassoonasyoubegintoimplementyouractionplan,andagainwhenit’sallover.Askyourselfthesequestions:
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• Didthingsgoaccordingtoplan?• HowdidIdealwiththeunexpected?• DidIfeelOKwiththeresult?• WhatfeedbackdidIgetfrommyteammembers,manager,customersandsuppliers?• Howaremyproblem-solvinganddecision-makingskills?Aretheyimproving?
Thereisno‘right’waytoreflectonyourownexperience.Herearetwowaystoapproachit.
Examples
Ken
WhereKenworksit’srequiredthatsupervisorswriteinajournalafteranystaffperformanceissuehasbeendealtwith.Here’swhatKenwrote.
IthoughtitwasgoingtobetoughtalkingtoTim,asI’mhisbossnow(andforyearswewereonthesamelevel).Iwasdeterminedtofocusontheissueandnotletpersonalfeelingsgetinthewayoffixingtheproblem.I’msureallmystaffwerewatchingmehandlethisproblem.TalkingtoTimoffthefloorworked,itwasneutralspaceforbothofus.IwasalsosurprisedthatTimwasscaredofmakingmistakesandwasfeelingpanicked.Ihadalwaysthoughthewasaveryself-assuredguy.OneofthethingsthatIwasreallyhappyaboutwasthatTimwasstraightwithme,andmadesureIlistenedtowhathesaid.ThestaffgavemefeedbackthattheywerehappythatI’ddealtwiththeproblem,andTim’snowreportingmaintenancerequirements.IsupposewhatIwilldodifferentlynow,istonotwaitforstafftocomplainaboutanindividual,buttowalkaroundalotmoreandobservewhat’shappening.
Shauna
Shaunatookadifferentapproachwhenitcametoreflectingonhowshedid.Shemadenotesinherworkdiaryeveryfewdays.Shealsotalkedtoanotherteamleaderaspartofherownwayof‘reflecting’.
30April:Talkedtomymanager;shewashopingI’dhaveaquickfixsoIdon’tthinkshewastoohappy.ButwhenIstartedtalkingthroughthoseoptionsshecouldseeI’dgivenitsomethoughtandgavemeherOK.2May:Notsurethisisworking,andmyteamisgettingannoyedaboutallthemonitoringI’mdoing.Iheardthemcallme‘NosyShauna’.Ijustlet
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itgobutIfeltabitdepressedaboutthat.4May:Itakeitback—I’vespottedabigproblemwiththewaydeliverytrucksarescheduledtodopickups.ThisissomethingIdidn’texpect!WilltalktoBobandhisdriversaboutit.6May:TomorrowiswhenIreviewthefigureswithmyteam.IthoughtI’dbenervousaboutthismeeting,butoverthepastfewdaysthey’veseenhowI’mnothavingagoatthem.ItoldthemwhatI’vefoundoutandtheyhavesomeideasforhowtomakethenewrosterwork.Annabel[ateamleaderinadifferentsection]isreallygoodvalue—Ichattoherabouthowit’sgoingandbetweenusweseemtocomeupwithgoodideasforimprovingoursections.
Leadershipmyths
Theartofleadershiphasbeenresearchedandstudiedbymanypeople,particularlyduringthelast50years.Whilepeoplehavedifferentviewsofwhatmakesagoodleader,herearesomeofthemorecommonmythsaboutleadership.
Myth1-Leadershipisarareskill
Nothingcanbefurtherfromthetruth.Whilegreatleadersmayberare,everyonehasleadershippotential.Moreimportant,peoplemaybeleadersinoneorganisationandhavequiteordinaryrolesinanother.Thetruthis,leadershipopportunitiesareplentifulandwithinreachofmostpeople.
Myth2-Leadersareborn,notmade
Don'tbelieveit.Thetruthis,majorcapabilitiesandcompetenciesofleadershipcanbelearned.Wearealleducable,ifthebasicdesiretolearnisthere.Thisisnottosuggestthatitiseasytobealeader.Thereisnosimpleformula,norigorousscience,noformulathatleadsinevitablytosuccessfulleadership.Instead,itisadeeplyhumanprocess,fulloftrialanderror,victoriesanddefeats,timingandluck,intuition,andinsight.
Myth3-Leadersarecharismatic
Someare,mostarenot.Charismaistheresultofeffectiveleadership,nottheotherwayaround.Thosewhoaregoodatitaregrantedacertainamountofrespectandevenawebytheirfollowers,whichincreasethebondofattractionbetweenthem.
Myth4-Leadershipexistsonlyatthetopofanorganisation
Infact,thelargertheorganisation,themoreleadershiprolesitislikelytohave.
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Myth5-Leaderscontrol,direct,prod,andmanipulate
Thisisperhapsthemostdamagingmythofall.Leadershipisnotsomuchtheexerciseofpoweritselfastheempowermentofothers.Leadersareabletotranslateintentionsintorealitybyaligningtheenergiesintheorganisationbehindanattractivegoal.Leadersleadbypullingratherthanpushing;byinspiringratherthanordering;byenablingpeopletousetheirowninitiativeandexperiencesratherthanbydenyingorconstrainingtheirexperiencesandactions.
Leadershipmodels
This unit is primarily an applied one. It requires you to demonstrate effective leadership in anumberoftypicalsituationsencounteredbyorganisationalleadersinperformingtheirrole.
Tobe able to apply effective leadership, it is assumed that youhave anunderstandingof themaintheoriesofleadershipthathavebeendevelopedwithinthegeneralmanagementliteratureandthroughmanagementpractice.Itistheknowledgeofthesetheoriesthathelpsleadersapplythemosteffectiveleadershipapproachinparticularcircumstancesortoparticularissues.
TherearemanyleadershiptheoriesandmodelsthatareusefultoolstoFrontlinemanagers,butitmustbestressedthatnotoneorallofthemodelstellthewholestoryaboutLeadership;theyaretoolsthatcanhelpfurtherdevelopyourownLeadershipskills.
Whilemanydifferentleadershiptheorieshaveemerged,youcanclassifythemintoeightmajortypes:
1.“GreatMan”theories
GreatMantheoriesassumethatthecapacityforleadershipisinherent–thatgreatleadersarebornnotmade.Thesetheoriesoftenportraygreatleadersasheroic,mythic,anddestinedtoriseto leadership when needed. The term “Great Man” was used because, at the time it wasdeveloped,leadershipwasthoughtofprimarilyasamalequality,especiallyintermsofmilitaryleadership.
2.Traittheories
Similar insomewaysto“GreatMan”theories,traittheoryassumesthatpeople inheritcertainqualities and traits thatmake them better suited to leadership. Trait theories often identifyparticularpersonalityorbehaviouralcharacteristicssharedbyleaders.Butifparticulartraitsarekey featuresof leadership,howdoweexplainpeoplewhopossess thosequalitiesbutarenotleaders?Thisquestionisoneofthedifficultiesinusingtraittheoriestoexplainleadership.
3.Contingencytheories
Contingencytheoriesofleadershipfocusonparticularvariablesrelatedtotheenvironmentthatmightdeterminewhichparticularstyleofleadershipisbestsuitedforthesituation.Accordingtothis theory, no leadership style is best in all situations. Success depends upon a number ofvariables,includingtheleadershipstyle,qualitiesofthefollowers,andaspectsofthesituation.
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4.Situationaltheories
Situationaltheoriesproposethatleaderschoosethebestcourseofactionbaseduponsituationalvariable.Different stylesof leadershipmaybemoreappropriate for certain typesof decision-making.
5.Behaviouraltheories
Behavioural theoriesof leadershiparebasedupon thebelief thatgreat leadersaremade,notborn.Rooted inbehaviourism, this leadership theory focusesontheactionsof leaders,notonmentalqualitiesorinternalstates.Accordingtothistheory,peoplecanlearntobecomeleadersthroughteachingandobservation.
6.Participativetheories
Participative leadership theories suggest that the ideal leadership style is one that takes theinput of others into account. These leaders encourage participation and contributions fromgroupmembers and help groupmembers feelmore relevant and committed to the decision-makingprocess.Inparticipativetheories,however,theleaderretainstherighttoallowtheinputofothers.
7.Managementtheories
Managementtheories(alsoknownas“Transactionaltheories”)focusontheroleofsupervision,organisation,andgroupperformance.Thesetheoriesbaseleadershiponasystemofrewardandpunishment.Managerial theories are often used in business; when employees are successful,theyarerewarded;whentheyfail,theyarereprimandedorpunished.
8.Relationshiptheories
Relationshiptheories(alsoknownas“Transformationaltheories”)focusupontheconnectionsformedbetweenleadersandfollowers.Theseleadersmotivateandinspirepeoplebyhelpinggroupmembersseetheimportanceofthetask.Transformationalleadersarefocusedontheperformanceofgroupmembers,butalsowanteachpersontofulfillhisorherpotential.Theseleadersoftenhavehighethicalandmoralstandards.
Theoriesofleadership
Adair:Action-centredleadership
This model, called Functional or Action-centered Leadership, was developed in 1986 by JohnAdair while he was lecturing at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy. It combines aspects ofbehavioural,participative,andmanagementtheoriesofleadership.
Adair developed hismodel from the observation that, to be effective, amanager and leadermustensurethatthreedistinctareasofneedaresatisfied.Hisresearchindicatesthatasleadersweneedtoconsiderallthreeareas.Ignoringanyoneareaofneedwillhaveanadverseeffectontheotherareas.
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Thethreeareasofneedthatleadersneedtoconsiderare:
1.TASKneeds
Theneedtosucceedinachievingsetgoalsbygettingthejobdone.Leadershipskillstoaddresstheseneedscouldincludeplanning,monitoring,andacquiringresources
2.TEAMneeds
The need for the group to work well together. Leadership skills to satisfy these needs couldincludecoordinatingtheworkoftheteam,settingandmonitoringteamstandards,andresolvingteamproblems.
3.INDIVIDUALneeds
Theneedforeachpersontofeelsatisfiedwithherorhiswork.Leadershipskillstosatisfytheseneedsmay include setting individual performance standards and goals, training and coachingeachteammember,andprovidingfeedbacktoindividuals.
Formore information about thismodel go to www.businessballs.com and follow the links to‘Adair’sAction-CentredLeadership’.
Kouzes&Posner:5practicesofexemplaryleadership
‘TheLeadershipChallenge’byKouzesandPosner(1995)providesanothervaluableframeworkforleadership.
Theywerefascinatedbywhatmadesomepeoplebesomeoneotherpeoplewantedtofollow.Theysetouttodiscoverwhatittooktobecomeoneoftheseleaders.Theywantedtoknowthecommonpracticesofordinarymenandwomenwhentheywerearetheirleadershipbest–whentheywereableinspirepeopletodothingstheyhadn’tdonebefore.
Theiranalysisofthousandsofcasesandsurveysledthemtoidentifywhattheycalled‘TheFivePracticesofExemplaryLeadership’.Theyrefergenerallytoleadershipinmanysituations–andtheyareespeciallyusefulwhenconsideringleadingpeopleintheworkplace.
These5practicesare:
Practice1:Modeltheway
Leaderssetanexampletoothersintheworkplaceviatheirprofessionalism,integrityandcredibility.
Practice2:Inspireasharedvision
Leadersdevelopplanswiththeendinmind;they“see”theresultsbeforestartingaworkplaceinitiative.Thisiscalled‘strategicthinking’.
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Practice3:Challengetheprocess
Aleader’sroleistounderstandwhichworkplaceprocessesarenotcontributingtotheefficiencyoftheirworkplaceandchallengetheseprocesses.
Practice4:Enableotherstoact
Aleaderenablesotherstoactbyestablishingcooperative,sharedgoalsandobjectivesintheworkplace.Theyfostercollaborationnotcompetitionintheworkplace.
Practice5:Encouragetheheart
Leadersrecogniseeffortandrewardprogressbylinkingrewardswithperformancetowardsthegoalsandobjectives.
Tolearnmoreaboutthismodelofleadership,gotowww.leadershipchallenge.comandfollowthelinkstoabout-approach-video.
Advantagesanddisadvantagesofleadershipmodels
Adair:Action-centredleadership
Adair’sAction-CentredLeadershipModelismosteffectiveifusedaspartofanintegratedapproachtomanagingandleading,andalsoshouldincludeastrongemphasisonapplyingtheseprinciplesthroughtraining.YoucanfindoutmoreabouttheimportanceoftrainingforleadershiponJohnAdair’swebsite:www.johnadair.co.uk.
Adairalsopromotesa'50:50rule'whichheappliestovarioussituationsinvolvingtwopossibleinfluencers,egtheviewthat50%ofmotivationlieswiththeindividualand50%comesfromexternalfactors,amongthemleadershipfromanother.Thiscontradictsmanyotherleadershiptheoristswhoassertthatmostmotivationisfromwithintheindividual.Healsosuggeststhat50%ofteambuildingsuccesscomesfromtheteamand50%fromtheleader.
Kouzes&Posner:5Practicesofexemplaryleadership
Inhisarticle‘Kouzes&PosneronLeadership–ACritique’MitchMcCrimmonsuggeststhatthismodelhasmotivatedalotofpeopletorisetosignificantchallengesintheirorganisationsandotherareasoftheirlives.However,healsobelievesthatwhileKouzesandPosnerprovideaverythoroughportrayalofacertainkindofleadership,theirtheoryexcludesatypeofleadershipthatisincreasinglyvitalinourknowledgedrivenworld:thoughtleadership.
Thoughtleadershipreferstoanyinstanceofinfluencingotherstoacceptadifferentideaornewwayoflookingatthings.Wheneveryouareinameetingwithcolleagues,whethertheyreporttoyouornot,andyouconvincethemtoadoptyourideaofhowtoproceedonanytopic,youaredemonstratingthoughtleadership.Suchleadershipisnotaposition;itcanshiftcontinuouslyaroundthetable.
ThefocusofKouzesandPosnermightbecalledvaluesleadership.Thoughtleadershipreferstohownewideasaregeneratedandassimilatedwhilethevaluesleadershipreferstohowwe
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shouldlive.McCrimmonbelievesthatatisessentialtodevelopatheoryofthoughtleadershipifwearetounderstandtheimpactofinnovationonorganisationalsuccessandprogressinlifegenerally.Itisnotjustthatthoughtleadershipisimportantinitsownright,butthataone-sidedconcernwithvaluesleadershipmaycreateadistortedpictureofleadershipingeneral.YoucanreadMcCrimmon’sarticleonwww.leadersdirect.com
Yourleadershipstyle
Justasweeachhaveourownuniqueappearance,skills,andtalents,weallhaveourownuniquewaysofdoingthingsandrelatingtoothers.Weallhaveourownpatternsofbehaviour,includingourleadershipbehaviour.
Thepurposeofthispartofourleadershipdiscussionistohelpyoulearnhowtoincreaseyoureffectivenessandreducefrustrationsinworkingwithotherpeoplesothateveryonebenefits–you,yourcolleagues,yourteam,andyourorganisation.
Oneofthebestwaystoimproveyoureffectivenessistobetterunderstandyourselfandothers.Thenyoucanbuildonthatunderstandingtocreateanenvironmentmostconducivetoyoursuccessaswellasdevelopstrategiestoadapttotheneedsofothers.
OneoftheearliestauthoritiesonLeadershipStyleswasKurtLewinwhoidentified3stylesofleadership.
(Thisinformationissummarisedfromaveryusefulwebsiteonbusinessmanagement:www.businessballs.com)
1. AuthoritarianstyleissometimescalledtheAutocraticstyle.
2. ParticipativestyleissometimescalledtheDemocraticstyle
3. DelegativestyleissometimescalledtheLaissez-Fairestyle.(“Laissez-Faire”isFrenchfor“Letitbe”)
Authoritarian(Autocratic)style
Itiswhereleadersspelloutthegoals,deadlinesandmethodswhilemakingdecisionsontheirownwithoutanyormuchconsultationwithothers.
Here,theleaderdoesn'tusuallygetinvolvedinthegroup'swork.
Notsurprisingly,researchershavefoundthatyouarelesslikelytoseecreativedecisionsunderthisstyleofleadership.
However,itisadecisivewayofleadingandcansuithigh-risk,short-timescaledecisions;thekindthatsurgicalteamsandfirecrewshavetotake.
Lewinnotedthatleaderswhoadoptthisstylecangotoofarandbeseenbyothersasover-controllinganddictatorial.
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HealsonoticedthattheyoftenfindithardtomovetoaParticipativestyle-inotherwords,theygetstuckinonemodeofbehaviour.
Participative(Democratic)Style
Thisiswheretheleaderexpresseshisorherprioritiesandvaluesinsettinggoalsandmakingdecisions,butalsotakespartinthegroup'sworkandacceptsadviceandsuggestionsfromcolleagues.
However,theleadermakesthefinaldecision.
ThisstylecanproducemorecreativeproblemsolvingandinnovationthantheAuthoritarianapproachsoitmakessensetoadoptitincompetitive,non-emergencysituations.
Delegative(Laissez-Faire)Style
Laissez-Fairemeans“Letitbe”inFrench.
Lewinclassesthisasaleadershipstyle,butsomemayfeelitisnon-leadership.
TheDelegativestylemeanstheleaderhandsoverresponsibilityforresultstothegroup.
Heorsheletsthemsetgoals,decideonworkmethods,defineindividuals'rolesandsettheirownpaceofwork.
Itisverymuchahands-offapproachmeanttoencouragea“self-managingteam”
Itcanworkwellprovidedthegroupsharesthesameoverallintentanddirectionastheleaderandifheorshetrustsallmembersofthegroup.
However,thereisalwaysariskthatindividualsmaybecomedissatisfiedwiththeirrolesorthegroup'sgoalsandlosemotivation.
SituationalLeadership®
PaulHerseyandKenBlanchardwrote,ManagementofOrganizationalBehaviour:UtilizingHumanResourcesin1982.
Situationalleadership®theorysaysthateffectiveleadersmustchangetheirbehaviour(leadershipstyle)accordingtothecharacteristicsofthefollower.
(The“follower”termisusedtoindicatethemembersoftheteam)
(SituationalLeadership®isaregisteredtrademarkoftheCentreforLeadershipStudies–thisisthereasonfortheregistrationmarkbesideitsname)
Theyidentified4leadershipstylesthataleadershoulduse,dependinguponthe“follower”characteristics..
Thisisamodel,ratherthanastylebecauseitisdesignedasatooltoteachushowtobesuccessfuloreffectiveasleadersHerseyandBlanchardsaythatagoodleaderusesdifferentstylesofleadershipdependinguponthesituationandthepeople.
The4stylestheyidentifiedare:
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1.Telling 2.Selling
3.Participating 4.Delegating.
TellingstyleappearstobethesameasLewin’sAuthoritarianstyle.
SellingandParticipatingstylesseemtobeLewin’sParticipativestyle,dividedinto2areas–onebeingexplainingandmotivatingandtheotherbeinginvolvedwiththegroup.
DelegatingstyleappearstobethesameasLewin’sDelegativestyle.
Oneoftheproblemswiththisapproachisthatteamleadersarelikelytohaveamixtureoffollowertypes.Sothismodelworkswhenyouaredealingwithanindividualbutnotwiththeteamasawhole.
Let’sconcludeourdiscussionaboutleadersandleadershipstylesbyconsideringtheimportanceofpassioninsuccessfulleadership.
Groupbehaviouranddynamics
Groupbehaviourtheoryreferstothesituationswherepeopleinteractinlargeorsmallgroups.
Groupdynamicstheorylooksathowsmallgroupsworktogether.
Allgroupshavethefollowing4characteristics–andthisappliestoworkteams:
Interdependence:
Inorderforonepersontoachievetheirroletheydepend,tosomedegree,ontheoutputsofothermembersofthegroup.
Inordertobeeffectivetheymusttrusteachotherandsupporteachother.
Socialinteraction:
Inordertoworktogether,communicationmusttakeplacewithinthegroup.
Effectivecommunicationwillenablethegrouptoworktogethertoachieveacommongoal.
Perceptionofagroup:
Allmembersmustseethemselvesasbelongingtothegroup.
Effectivegroupsare“inclusive”.Nomemberofthegroupistreatedasanoutsider.
Commonalityofpurpose:
Allthemembersofthegroupcometogethertoachieveacommongoal.
Effectivegroupshavethe“bigpicture”.Theyfocusongoalsratherthanindividualtasksandthisenablesthemtoprioritisethetasks.
Tuckman-Stagesofgroupdevelopment
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Team/GroupDevelopmentStages
Many(butcertainlynotallgroups/teams)progressthroughaseriesofstagesintheirlife,fromformationtoabandonment.ThestagesdevelopedbyTuckman(1965)arefrequentlyusedtodescribethelifestagesofagroup/team.Thesestagesare:
• Forming• Storming• Norming• Performing• Adjourning
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Forming-theinitialentry/formationofthegroup.Characterisedbylackofunderstandingofgroupandindividualexpectations
Storming-theworkingoutofpowerandstatusandroleswithinthegroup
Norming-thedevelopmentoffeelingsofcohesiveness.Groupnorms,rulesandrolesareagreedupon
Performing-thegroupdirectsitsenergiestothesuccessfulperformanceofvaluedtasksi.e.itsreasonforexisting
Adjourning-theterminationstageresultingfromtaskcompletionorotherorganisationalorpersonalreasons
Asateamleaderintheworkplace,theteamshouldbeinthePerformingstage. Tuckmanwaslooking at groups that come together all at once. In yourwork role the group (or team)willusuallyalreadyexist.
Ontheotherhand, ifyouthinkaboutasituationwhereanewteammemberisemployed,thefirst 3 stagesmaywell be seen in relation to that teammember and theway that the othergroupmembersbehavetowardsthem.
Forgroupsuccessitiscriticalthatthegroupmanagestosuccessfullyprogresspastthestormingstage.Ifthisstageisnotsatisfactorilyresolveditisunlikelythegroupwillsucceedorachieveitsfullpotential.Itisalsocriticalthegroupdoesn'tconcernthemselvessomuchwiththenorming
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stage that they fail to progress to the performing stage. Likewise attention to adjourning isessentialtoensurethegroupdoesn'toutliveitsusefulnessandbecomeacostburden.
Lewin–GroupDynamics
Kurt Lewin –who identified the3 leadership styles thatwediscussedpreviously - coined thetermgroupdynamicstodescribethepositiveandnegativeforceswithingroupsofpeople.
Groupdynamicsisabranchofsocialpsychologywhichtriestoexplainhowgroupsinteractandtheresultsofthatinteraction.
Group norms are a set of rules or guidelines that a group accepts in terms of the way theyinteracttogether.
They are unspoken and often unwritten informal rules that govern individual behaviours in agroup.Groupnormsvarybasedonthegroupandissuesimportanttothegroup.Withoutgroupnorms,individualswouldhavenounderstandingofhowtoactinsocialsituations.Agroupnormwouldbetosay“goodmorning”whenyouarriveatwork.
Roles in this sense refers not so much to the job role as the roles that people take whencommunicatingorsharingideas. Theseroleschangewiththeenvironmentandcircumstances,aswellasthepersonalityoftheindividual.Wewilldiscusstheseonthenextslide.
Relationshipsbetweenmembersofagroupwilldetermineits“cohesion”–whethertheybondtogethereffectivelytoachieveacommongoal.
Groupdynamicstheorysuggeststhatpeoplewhoaresimilar(forexamplethesameagegroup,raceorculture)aremorelikelytoformacohesivegroup.Ontheotherhand,workteamsmayhaveonlyonethingincommon–thegoalsoftheteam.
Researchhasshownthatworkteamsaremoreeffectivewhentheyhaveamixofdiversepeople.Membersoftheteammaybespecialistswhousetheirknowledgeandskillstocontributetotheteamgoal.
GroupRoles
Grouprolesarediscussedhereintermsofthewaysthatateamwillinteractduringmeetings.
Devil’sAdvocate
Takesapositionoppositetowhatthegroupthinks.Thiscangeneratedeeperthinkingonissuesbutcanbefrustratingtoothergroupmembersbecausethispersonneverseemstoagreewiththegroup.
Listener
Listenscarefullytothethoughtsandopinionsofothersinthegroup.Theirideastendtobewellthoughtout.Theyoftenremainquietsothegroupcannotbenefitfromtheirideas.
IdeaGenerator
Generatesideasconstantlyonavarietyofsubjects.Theyareabletohelpmoveagrouptowardscreativeandmeaningfulsolutionsbysubmittingideasfortheteamtobuildupon.Theteammay
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getfrustratedwhentheyarereadytomovetowardsadecisionandtheideageneratorisstillpresentingoptions.
Helper
Awareofteamdynamicsandhelpstheteamtoimproveitsoveralleffectiveness.Helpersmaybeunwillingtodisagreewithotherteammemberswhentheyshould.
Clarifier
Asksquestionsorseeksadditionalinformationonbehalfoftheteamtomakesureassignments,roles,ordecisionsareclearlyunderstoodbyeveryone.
Aclarifierisveryusefulinateammeeting,becausetheyaskthequestionsthatotherswouldliketoask,butarenotalwayscomfortabletoask.
Mediator
Smoothsoutconflictsandmaintainspositiverelationshipsbetweenteammembers.Themediatormaybemorerelationship-orientedandfocuslessonthejob.
Joker
Isfunandlightheartedbutcanalsobeadistractionandcausetheteamtolosefocus.
Sniper
Shootsdownideas.Someideasneedtobeshotdownwhileothersmaydeservefurtherconsideration.
DecisionMaker
Drivesthegrouptomakedecisionsandact.Theyareanessentialcomponentofawell-functioningteam.Theymaynotgiveenoughtimeforplanstodeveloportheprocesstowork.
Dominator
Canprovidegoodleadershipinagroupdiscussionbutcanalsomakeitdifficultforotherteammemberstoparticipate.
GroupPerformance–SeekingSynergy
Themajorlegitimatebusinessreasonforformingworkteams/groupsistheperceptionthatteamprocesses can facilitate improved productivity i.e. that team output is greater or better thanwhatcanbeachievediftheindividualteammembersworkedonthesametasksseparately.Thisoutcome, teamoutputbeinggreater than the sumof theoutputof its individualmembers, iscalledtheSynergyeffect.
Inreality,therearemanyfactorsthatinfluencetheactualproductivityofteams.Someofthesewillassist inenhancingproductivitywhilstotherswillreduceproductivity.ThisrelationshiphasbeendefinedbyShaw(1976)asthefollowingequation:
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Factorsbearingongroupperformanceinclude:
• Themerepresenceofothers• Thesizeofthegroup• Groupcompositionsandresourcesavailability• Memberroles• Statusofmembers• Groupnorms• Groupcohesiveness• Taskcharacteristics• Rewardstructures• Organisationalculture
Eachofthesefactorscanhavebothpositiveandnegativeeffectsonteamperformance.Forexample,themerepresenceofothersmayresultineitherthesocialinhibitioneffect(decreasedperformance)orthesocialfacilitationeffect(improvedperformance).
Acriticalroleformanagersandteammembersisassessingtheimpactofthesefactorswhenestablishingteams,monitoringactualimpact,andwherenecessarymakingadjustments.
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Aframeworkforunderstandinggroups
GroupDecisionMaking
Animportantaspectofteams/groupsisthatgroupdynamics,i.e.theforcesthatoperatewithinateam situation, can impact on individual member decision-making, i.e. individuals may makedifferent decisionswithin a group situation than theywould independently outside the groupsetting.
Threeimportantoutcomesare:
Conformity - Asch's (1951) famous experiment on the effect of group pressure on individualjudgementhighlightsthatindividualjudgementmaybesuppressedtoconformwiththeoverallormajority group judgement, even in the face of concrete evidence to support the individualjudgement.Whilsttheuniversalityoftheconformityeffecthasbeenquestioneditdoeshighlightthatsometeammembersmaywithholdwhatmaybevital informationbecauseofpressuretoconformtothegroupview.
Polarisation - Risky Shift/Conservative Shift - this is the phenomenon that groups maymakeeithermoreriskyorconservativedecisionsthanwouldindividualmembers.Thisresultsfromtheanonymity afforded individuals within groups and the impact a particularly influential groupmembermayhaveontheoverallgroupdecision-making.
GroupThink-thisistheoutcomethatmayresultwhengroupmembersaresoconcernedwithmaintaininggroupunity that theyunintentionallysuppresscritical thoughtsanddon'tcriticallyquestionstatementsanddecisionsmadebygroupleaders.Inotherwords,thedesiretocometoanagreeddecisionoverridesarealisticevaluationofdecision-makingprocesses.
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Itisimportantforateamleadertounderstandthisissueandtakeactiontoensurethequalityofteamdecisions.
TheIllusionofTeams
Perhapsthemostcommonmistakethatoccurswithteamprocessesisthebeliefthatthemereformationofateamresultsinaneffectiveteam.Allthepreviousdiscussionshighlightthemanyfactorsthatcontributetoactualteamperformance,andhow,ifnoteffectivelyaddressed,theywillresultin"teams"providingdecreasedproductivity.
Theillusionofaneffectiveteamgenerallyresultsfromlackofmanagementknowledgeconcerningteamprocessesandwhatneedstobeundertakentoenablethemtooperateeffectively.
DickandHearn(1988)suggestthefollowingbasicgroundrulesasguidelinesforeffectivegroupfunctioning:
• Havecommongoals• Sharetimeamonggroupmembers• Sharegroupinfluenceevenly• Bewillingtodisagreeandhaveyoursay• Listen• Buildonideas
Ourunderstandingof"taskandmaintenance"factorshighlightstheneedfortheapplicationofguidelinesthroughoutthewholelifeoftheteam.
Dunphy(1981)andDunford(1996)emphasisetheimportanceofTeamBuilding,i.e.interventiontechniquesdesignedtoimprovethefunctioningofthegroup.Keyinterventionstrategiesinclude:
• Goalsettingandgoalclassification• Roleanalysisandroleclassification• Groupproblemsolvinganddecisionmaking• Understandingandcontributingtogroupprocesses• Reviewingandrevisinggroupnorms
Implementationofthesefactorscanhelpdevelopandmaintainthecommonobjectivesnecessaryforeffectiveteams,andhelpovercomeanyacrimonyanddifferencesinperceptionsthatmayexistbetweenindividualswhoareexpectedtoworktogetheraspartofateam.
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Performanceplans
Inordertobeeffective,teammembersneedtobeclearonwhatisexpectedofthem.
Thisiswhyyoushoulddevelop(anddocument)performanceplans.Thepurposeofaperformanceplanisto:
• clarifyexpectations• reachagreementonworkfocus• negotiateperformancegoalsandsetexpectations• enabletheteammembertounderstandhowtheirrolecontributestotheorganisationas
awhole• identifyanyareasforimprovementordevelopmentofskills,knowledgeorexperience
Whenindividualteammembershaveaclearperformanceplanit’smucheasierforthemtoworkwithoutconstantsupervision.Thisisbecausetheyknowwhatisexpectedofthemandwhattheyareaccountablefor.
Asateamleader,youneedtodevelopperformanceplansfortheteamasawholeandforeachindividualwithintheteam.
Fortheteamplan,youshouldinvolvetheteaminthedevelopment.Thishelpsthemtofocusongoals,ratherthantasksandgivesthemasenseofownership.Theywillbemotivatedtomaketheplanasuccessiftheyareinvolvedintheplanningphase.
Thesameappliestoindividualperformanceplans.
TeamPerformancePlan
Performancegoalsdescribewhatyouwant toachieve.Theyensure that teammembersknowwhattheyaredoingandwhytheyaredoingit.
Focusontheresultsthatareneeded,ratherthanthetaskstobeperformed—whereyouwanttobe,ratherthanwhatyouwilldotogetthere.
Theteamperformanceplanmustshowhowyourteam’sgoalscontributetotheorganisation’sstrategicgoal–soyoumayneedtorefertotheorganisation’sstrategicplan,operationalplanorbusinessplan(orallofthem).
Thenextstepistoidentifythetasksthatneedtobeperformedinordertoreachthegoals.
Oncethetasksarelisted,youcanidentifytheteammemberswhowillperformeachofthetasks.When allocating tasks, you will need to think about the skills and knowledge of the teammembersandtheirworkload. It’salsoworthconsideringat thisstagethe interestsofeachoftheteammembers. Iftheyhaveapositiveinterestintheareaofworktheyaremorelikelytoperformtheworkwell.
Youcanseehowimportantitistoinvolvetheteaminthisplanning.Theyneedtoworktogetherto achieve the team goal and they need to think about how they will work together mosteffectively.Ideallytherewillalwaysbeabackuppersonforeverytask.
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IndividualPerformancePlan
Oncetheteamperformanceplaniscompleted,youshouldworkwitheachindividualmemberoftheteamtodesigntheirownperformanceplans.
Thegoalsneedtoshowhowtheycontributetotheteamgoals.
Thetaskswouldhavebeenallocatedintheteamplans,butthisisthetimetogointomoredetailfortheindividual.
Thelaststepistodesignwaystomeasurewhethertheindividualissuccessfulinmeetingthegoals.ThesearetheKeyPerformanceIndicators(KPIs).
KeyPerformanceIndicators(KPIs)
KPIs(KeyPerformanceIndicators)aredesignedinordertomeasuresuccess.
Thequestionyouneedtoaskis“howwillweknowwhetherwearesuccessfulinachievingourgoals?”
Theansweristhatyouneedsomesortofmeasure.
SomePerformanceStandardscan’tbemeasured,whichmeanstheyarenogoodfordevelopingKPIs.
InordertobemadeintoaKPI,aPerformanceStandardmustmeetSMARTcriteria.
STheymustbespecific:
Ageneralstatementsuchas‘improvecustomerservice’doesnotprovideenoughdefinitionabouttheareaandmethodofimprovement.
MTheymustbemeasurable:
Ifyoucan’tmeasureitinsomewayyouwon’tknowwhetherthegoalhasbeenachieved.
A Theymustbeachievableandwithinthepoweroftheteammembertoachieve.
RTheymustberealistic:
Inotherwordstheyneedtoberelevanttoachievingthegoalsoftheteam.
TTheymustbetime-framed:
Thereshouldbeapre-setperiodafterwhichtheperformancecanbemeasured(forinstanceamonthlytarget)
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References
Cole,Kris(2001)Supervision.Thetheoryandpracticeoffirst-linemanagement.FrenchsForest:N.S.W:PearsonsEducationAustralia.
Civil,Jean(1997)Leadershipforsuccess.WardLock.http://coursemill.lennoxinstitute.com.au/course/LI_BSBMGT401A/sca/BSBMGT401A%20Learner%20Guide%20v140526.pdf
Section2–EnhanceOrganization’sImage(3)|TAE.(n.d.).Retrievedfromhttp://students.fortresslearning.com.au/bsbebu401a-review-and-maintain-a-website
Explainthepurposeofpresentingapositiveimageofself...(n.d.).Retrievedfromhttp://www.weegy.com/?ConversationId=020F97AA
ForceFieldAnalysis-Decision-MakingSkills...-MindTools.(n.d.).Retrievedfromhttps://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_06.htm