Saturday, January 25, 2020

Developing Leadership and a Team

Developing Leadership and a Team What is Team? According to Dee Hock (1999), Founder and CEO Emeritus of Visa International says, Control is not leadership; management is not leadership; leadership is leadership. If you seek to lead, invest at least 50% of your time leading yourself for your own purpose, ethics, principles, motivation, and conduct. Invest at least 20% leading those with authority over you and 15% leading your friends. If you do not understand you work for your mislabelled â€Å"subordinates,† then you know nothing of leadership. You know only tyranny (an absolute power). Team Development Participating in or observing the development of a team is absolutely interesting, sometimes it is disturbing, often both. So many factors influence the process, whether the team is to work face to face or electronically or in some combination of contexts. Developing by Stages It is traditional to talk about phases of team development, if each group or team followed a nice linear growth sequence. Most teams however, are not that predictable. Each develops through its own process but each also manage issues that brings its members together, drive them apart, push them to accomplish goals, hold them back, move them forward. These issues arise in different sequences for different teams, being aware of them can help to share leadership as we recognise the development issues in your team. Consider the following â€Å"phases† not as specific periods but as development issues that vary from team to team. Phases as Development Issues Researcher has noticed that short-term groups not teams proceed through orientation through groups, conflict, emergence of a proposed decision and mutual reinforcement as well as commitment of the group to a decision (Fisher, 1970). Other observations have similarly classified stages as forming (orienting to one another), storming (conflicting), norming (becoming a team with processes for managing strife), performing (getting the job done), and adjourning (saying good bye). (Tuckman and Jenson, 1977). Source: Self-Copied from http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/infokit-related-files/tuckman-model-pic Developmental Issues for Specific Team The developmental patterns just discussed to understand the processes a group might experience, but the most useful information is that how your team develops depends in part on its type and its purpose or purposes. Gersick (1988) observed real world project teams, fund raising committees, corporate and health care teams and university teams. All had specific projects and tasks, used shared leadership and met for an extended period of time. Gersicks observations directly relate to the kinds of teams most people experience, He found a general pattern: 1. At their first meetings, teams activities varied with their respective tasks 2. Several meetings dealt with conflicts, getting information, and working through issues 3. The mid point crisis meeting was focused according to the teams purpose. Various teams dealt with decisions about goals, revising drafts of reports, outlining programs or managing conflicts. 4. After this transition, teams went through another series of meetings to wo rk out details of their tasks. 5. This led to the final completion meeting, in which each team finalised its work according to the type and purpose of the team. Leadership skills, approaches and strategies Most recently, two theories of leadership has emerged. Bass (1990) first distinguished between two of them: transactional leadership, which exchanges rewards for performance and transformational leadership, which elevates, motivates, inspires and develops the team. Transactional leaders set goals, clarify desired outcomes, provide feedback and give subordinates rewards for good work. On the other hand, transformational leaders motivate their followers through more subtle- but very effective means and these strategies tend to result in high worker satisfaction (Sparks and Schenk, 2001). The key achieving sustainable business success is to have excellence in leadership at all three levels. Strategic, operational and team leaders need to work harmoniously together as the organisations leadership team. The most common and most expensive error that organisations are making at present is to focus leadership development on their more senior managers, so that become their entire ‘strategy. In doing, they are completely ignoring their team leaders. Yet it is the team leader who is closest to the customer. Make sure that the strategy embraces all three levels. There is useful distinction to be made between strategic thinking and strategic planning. Leadership strategy should evolve and guided by a small steering group as a part of overall business strategy. It should be longer term, for a strategy worth the name should be three dimensional: †¢ Importance-it really has to matter †¢ long term- it takes time to grow trees †¢ multi factored-it takes more than one element or approach to make strategy Different Leadership styles This style works just fine for a team of real experts who want to share leadership and charge ahead. For other teams, however, productivity, quality, involvement and satisfaction suffer. Authoritarian (or autocratic) leadership is just what it sounds like. The authoritarian leader keep tight control, runs meetings by the book, sets schedules, and may use coercive or reward power. Authoritarian leadership often increases productivity in the short term, but it also increases aggression and turnover rates among members. Some people equate authoritarianism with leadership, however and their expectations are met by an authoritarian leader. Democratic leadership fits the western ideal. The democratic leader ensures that everyone is heard, guides and facilitates discussion and decision making, and shares power. Democratic leaders do three important things. First, they make sure everyone in the group feels responsible for outcomes. Second, they enhance the groups feelings of empowerment. Finally, they create processes through which the team can make effective decisions. Overtime, each member in the group develops the expertise (and, hopefully, the desire) to perform these ro les as well; ultimately everyone can take turns serving as both leaders and followers. According to Likert, R. in 1961 distinguished between four key styles or systems of leadership. System 1: Exploitative autocratic- which is the essence of authoritarian style System 2: Benevolent authoritative- is basically paternalistic style. There is a limited element of reward, but communication is restricted. Policy is made at the top but there is some restricted delegation with in strictly defined procedures. System 3: Participative-The leaser has some incomplete confidence in subordinates, listens to them but controls decision making, motivates by reward and a level of involvement and will use the ideas and suggestions of subordinates constructively. System 4: Democratic- Management gives economic rewards, rather than pats on the head, utilises full group participation and involves teams in goal setting and improving work methods and communication flows up and down. There is a close psychol ogical relationship between superiors and subordinates. Decision making is permitted at all levels and is integrated into the formal structure with reference to the organisational chart. He recognised that each style is relevant in some situations; for example in a crisis, a system 1 approach is usually required. Alternatively when introducing a new system of work, system 4 would be more effective. It shows that effective managers are those who adopt either a system 3 or a system 4 leadership style. Both are seen as being based on trust and paying attention to the needs of both the organisation and employees. Developing Leadership skills It is very easy to explain leadership, but it is hard to practise it. Action comes first in leadership and then skills. People always like to follow the good leaders because they trust and respect them, rather than following the leadership skills they have. Leadership depends on the skills of Management but it is quite different from Management. Management really depends on the planning, company and communication skills. Leadership should have such type of qualities like integration, honesty, and commitment; also have knowledge to share the ideas with his team members and mutual understanding, sincerity, passion. New and experienced leader alike, decision making has gown more complicated then ever. Leaders must make choices quickly often with the small information at hand. If we want to develop a greater tolerance for ambiguity and be willing to constantly reinvent the way your teams operate. Also want to gather more input on key decisions from people at every level of your organisation, as well as learn how to assess the reasons behind a decision before taking the force and implementing it. In 1999, for example, management thinkers and executives from the private and non profit sectors gathered at a conference summon by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), a think tank in Greensboro, NC. The goal was to examine current leadership practices and needs. Participants focused on the fact that changing conditions in many organisations require leaders to develop new skills and perspectives. References: Businessballs.com Harvard Business School, (2005). Becoming an effective leader, Publish in USA ISBN: 1-59139-780-9 The Role of Communication in Leadership Strategic communication has never been more important than it is today. Employees expect to know about their companys plans, and they assume that they will participate in their companys growth. That means that leaders must take communication a personal priority and drive its value throughout the organisation. Mai and Akerson argue that leadership communication is not simply a technical skill, but â€Å"the critical leadership competency for guiding organisations through conditions of heightened transition and turmoil.† Any competitive company they said has three critical goals: †¢ To attract and retain talent †¢ To maintain a steady course through transitions †¢ To stay at the leading edge of its industry through constant innovation and renewal To accomplish these goals, leaders must do three key things: 1- Create a Community First leaders must be community developers, fostering trust and creating meaningful work environment. A direct approach often works well. Saturn, where plant or unit managers take the time to welcome each new hire and explains the companys philosophy. Employees coming from organisations where they had never spoken one-on-one with a senior manager are pleasantly surprised by this. Such personalised face-to-face communication with employees conveys honesty and sincerity. Transparent, honest communication is essential: when leaders communicate candidly, employees are likely to reciprocate, extending confidence back to the company. 2- Steer a Steady Course Leaders should act as navigators, setting direction and instigating action, particularly during times of transition. At the annual meeting, the companys leaders met in groups to discuss the organisations future, stimulated by worksheets that provided them with information about deregulation across other industries, statistics and possible new company configurations. After the meeting leaders took the work sheets and held similar meetings of their own with in their individual divisions. 3- Commit to continual renewal Case Study of Tesco Tesco uses critical success factors as a basis for its management and leadership competencies. According to Helen Cecil, head of HR, the emphasis at senior management level is on developing leaders rather than managers. This aim, she says is based on the companys recognition that â€Å"the difference we deliver to our customers is through our people. Management levels in stores have been reduced from seven or eight down to three and She also said that Staff now expects much more from managers. Managers have to be able to inspire, initiate change and motivate staff to deliver results. The company also recognises that the potential benefits of new technology, new management systems and new organisational structures cannot realise without effective leadership. Tesco is developing global leaders as the business becomes more international. The company uses business schools and external consultants, with in company assessment panels that identify future leaders whose development is focused on strategy, operations and human resource management.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Executive Support System

Executive Support Systems (ESS) †¢ supply the necessary tools to senior management. The decisions at this level of the company are usually never structured and could be described as â€Å"educated guesses. † Executives rely as much, if not more so, on external data than they do on data internal to their organization. Decisions must be made in the context of the world outside the organization. The problems and situations senior executives face are very fluid, always changing, so the system must be flexible and easy to manipulate. The Role of ESS in the Organization Executives often face information overload and must be able to separate the chaff from the wheat in order to make the right decision. On the other hand, if the information they have is not detailed enough they may not be able to make the best decision. An ESS can supply the summarized information executives need and yet provide the opportunity to drill down to more detail if necessary. †¢ As technology adva nces, ESS are able to link data from various sources both internal and external to provide the amount and kind of information executives find useful. As common software programs include more options and executives gain experience using these programs, they're turning to them as an easy way to manipulate information. Many executives are also turning to the Web to provide the flexibility they need. Benefits of ESS †¢ As more executives come up through the ranks, they are more familiar with and rely more on technology to assist them with their jobs. Executive Support Systems don't provide executives with ready- made decisions. They provide the information that helps them make their decisions. Executives use that information, along with their experience, knowledge, education, and understanding of the corporation and the business environment as a whole, to make their decisions. Executives are more inclined to want summarized data rather than detailed data (even though the details must be available). ESS rely on graphic presentation of information because it's a much quicker way for busy executives to grasp summarized information †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Simple for high-level executives to use Operations do not require extensive computer experience †¢ Provides timely delivery of company summary information †¢ Provides better understanding of information †¢ Filters data for better time management †¢ Provides system for improvement in information tracking Disadvantages †¢ Computer skills required to obtain results †¢ †¢ Requires preparation and analysis time to get desired information †¢ †¢ Detail oriented Provides detailed analysis of a situation †¢ †¢ Difficult to quantify benefits of DSS How do you quantify a better decision? †¢ Difficult to maintain database integrity †¢ †¢ Provides only moderate support of external data and graphics capabilities Examples of ESS †¢ The Sutter Home Winery uses mostly external data, including information from the Internet, in its ESS. It organizes the information in order to help executives make decisions based on trends in th e marketplace. The information includes data on competitors and information from market research. Sutter uses its system output to determine sales forecasts, marketing campaigns, and investment plans. Managers at the Royal Bank of Canada are able to choose their own criteria (from among 15 choices) to drill down and navigate data through easy-to-use interfaces. They don't have to accept data in formats chosen by someone else who may not understand individual manager's needs. Data analysis is more timely because the information is quicker to obtain and more convenient than before. †¢ Characteristics of ESS †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Degree of use High, consistent, without need of technical assistance Computer skills required Very low -must be easy to learn and use Flexibility High – must fit executive decision making style Principle use Tracking, control Decisions supported Upper level management, unstructured Data supported Company internal and external Output capabilities Text, tabular, graphical, trend toward audio/video in futur e Graphic concentration High, presentation style Data access speed Must be high, fast response ESS Applications †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Manufacturing Medical Government Financial summary †¢ Executive Support Systems meet the needs of corporate executives by providing them with vast amounts of information quickly and in graphical form to help them make effective decisions. ESS must be flexible, easy to use, and contain both internal and external sources of information

Thursday, January 9, 2020

A Leading Airline Group With Effective Security Systems...

‘A leading airline group with effective security systems and culture’. Qantas requires an organisational culture of behaviours that support its security vision, policies and procedures. With direction from the Board, the airline has embarked on a journey to identify its current security culture and develop a method to assess and improve the culture going forward. There is little evidence to suggest that this has been accomplished elsewhere, particularly within aviation, and the findings will play a key role in Qantas’ ability to influence regulators. The focus for this project is on the Australian market and the 65% domestic market share, however there is evidence to suggest that considerations will also need to be made in the new and growing Asian markets. Qantas engaged PwC to assist them with this project. PwC consulted some 332 Qantas employees including Executives to understand the desired future state for security culture, and a cross section of Middle Management and the Frontline to establish the current state. Findings from Executive conversations were largely consistent with what emerged as ideas for change from the Middle Management and Frontline levels. Overarching themes encompassed the need for greater engagement including collaboration and a clearer understanding as to how security culture fits into the broader culture, specifically how security supports safety and is aligned to the brand values and desired organisational behaviours. PwC also engaged anShow MoreRelatedFunctions Of Senior Manager And Influence Of Strategy Essay1045 Words   |  5 PagesOrganising This is the process of determining the goals, what needs to be done to complete tasks, how to achieve positive output and who will put efforts to accomplish those goals. 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Wednesday, January 1, 2020

The Nuclear Family - 910 Words

The idea of the nuclear family was highly valued in the American culture during the 1950s, where romantic love was the central reason for marriage in America; however, love in modern America is not enough to make a marriage last. Likewise, the 1950s was the time for many American marriages to undergo many socioeconomic changes including the rise of the gender minority in the workplace. Due to these developments, marriage is under enormous socioeconomic pressures have given the rise to family structures such as those headed by single parents, multigenerational families and gender roles. The 1950s nuclear family was defined as a heterosexual married couple with children. In addition, social expectations were attached to this idea which was the predictable gender roles of male breadwinner and a female homemaker. The 1950s definition of a nuclear family has for long been engraved as an ideology in America society, but we have failed to see that the contemporary America has experienced dissolution of the 1950s nuclear family. The gradual dissolution of the 1950s nuclear family has had both positive and negative social effects. However, the problem of the 1950s ideology of a family is no longer functional or representative of the contemporary American society. In order to address the negative effects and strive for more positive outcomes, contemporary American must attempt to understand that family structure are in continuous change, that there is not one ideal way to defineShow MoreRelatedThe Nuclear Family1156 Words   |  5 PagesAmerican families have changed tremendously over the past years. Families did not only face the change in their status or social behavior, but also faced a change in their lifestyle. Now there are different types of families with different types of norms and values. 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In thisRead MoreThe Nuclear Family Replaced the Extended Family After Industrialisation679 Words   |  3 PagesThe Nuclear Family Replaced the Extended Family After Industrialisation Talcott Parsons believed that the nuclear family developed mainly as a result of industrialisation. He thought that before the industry took over the functions of the family, the families were extended units of production. This means that the work and home lives were combined and so each family member taught another one skill for life such as education. Parsons says that the extended family stayed togetherRead MoreNuclear Family: Definition, Advantages Disadvantages993 Words   |  4 Pagesand elsewhere, assess the view that the nuclear family is no longer the norm. 24 marks The traditional nuclear family is defined as being a family consisting of a heterosexual couple with 2 or more dependent children (own or adopted) with a clear division of labour. Meaning the men are the instrumental role (breadwinner) and the women are the expressive role (domestic and caring/childcare). Over time this has changed and the nuclear family as become less dominant, some sociologistsRead MoreMarried with Children: The Evolution of the Nuclear Family1396 Words   |  6 Pages Constance Ahrons, a doctor who coined the term â€Å"binuclear family† once said, â€Å"Pessimists say that the family is eroding. Optimists say the family is diversifying. Both points of view are right. Families are more diverse and they are more in trouble-but not because of their diversity. The families of today-whatever their size or shape-are in crisis because our economy is failing, our national resources are shrinking, and our governmental policies to support them are inadequate.† This quote givesRead MoreThe Effects Of Nuclear Family On Modern Society950 Words   |  4 PagesOver the past few decades social scientists have been engaged debates about family change and influences in modern society, with one of the main themes being the strength and relevance of the nuclear fami ly. Those who believe that the nuclear family unit is breaking down often site the fact that social structures holding up the nuclear family, such as marriage, are collapsing ‘The chances in some societies are now less that 50-50†¦ that a child will live continuously to adult-hood with both naturalRead MoreInfluence of Nuclear Family to Development of Antisocial Behaviour795 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction A nuclear family is a family comprising of parent(s) and children. This model of family is an important aspect in modeling the future of the children. It is within the family environment that a child learns the art of socialization. The family is the first teacher of any child. Therefore, the family a child grows in has a major part to determine how a child will turn out to be later in life. A child is a product of his/her family. There has been a major evolution of the structureRead MoreWhat Does Your Family Fit The Nuclear? Essay1303 Words   |  6 PagesQuestion: To what extent does your family fit the ‘Nuclear’ family, which is still, against the evidence seen as the norm in Western society? Growing up, I never really understood what a â€Å"normal† family was supposed to look like. Before I was even born, my parents had split for good (although the were never married). I stayed primarily with my mother, and it was just the two of us for about four years, although we stayed with others along the way. I interviewed my mother about this time in herRead MoreThe Nuclear Family : America s Ideal Misery Essay1359 Words   |  6 PagesThe Nuclear Family: America’s Ideal Misery Many of us overlook the importance of something as simple as â€Å"family† because it has been something we are familiar with since our first day on this planet, never thinking twice about to topic. Truth be told, the family unit is crucial to who we are and what we value, and even in the bigger picture, the cultural importance it has on society. When we explore one of the most signature family units to date, the nuclear family, we learn its optimistic appealRead MoreExamining the View that the Traditional Nuclear Family is in Decline1344 Words   |  6 Pagesthe View that the Traditional Nuclear Family is in Decline When evaluating the view that the traditional nuclear family (of two opposite sex married parents living in a household that contains only them and their own dependant children), is in decline, I will be taking various pieces of research and evidence from Sociologists, Journalists and other sources, into consideration in order to try to determine how true this view is. The nuclear family would appear to be found