The Performance of the Council on Service Delivery - Essay Example

ORGANISATION PERFORMANCE REPORT Table of contents Summary-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 2. Problem findings ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 2.1. Employee survey ---------------------------------------------------------- 3 2.2. Customer survey ----------------------------------------------------------- 4 2.3. Council budget problems------------------------------------------------- 4 2.4. Council performance ----------------------------------------------------- 5 3. Solutions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 3.1. Change in structure culture and human processes---------------------- 6 3.2. Change in strategic plans-------------------------------------------------- 9 3.2.1. Real time change------------------------------------------------------- 9 3.2.2. Trans-organizational development --------------------------------- 9 3.2.3. Mergers and acquisition ---------------------------------------------- 9 3.2.4. Use of Charles Summers’ approach--------------------------------- 10 4. Conclusion ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 4.1. Limitations ----------------------------------------------------------------- 10 4.2. Recommendations --------------------------------------------------------- 11 4.2.1. Employee assistance programs -------------------------------------- 12 4.2.2. Consulting external experts ------------------------------------------ 12 4.2.3. Change management practice--------- ------------------------------ 13 5. References------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14 1. Summary The study setting is a county council which has faced numerous challenges on achieving optimal performance while at the same time taking into consideration its operating costs. Basically the county council encompasses a huge workforce who does not meet the expected results to improve service delivery in the council (Keller& Price, 2011). This makes the council to look inferior in the eyes of the common citizen. This report is formulated to pinpoint those problems which are pinning down the council from achieving its set objectives and gives recommendations on improving performance. 2. Problem findings Leadership of the council was entirely convinced that a number of changes had to be made to improve the performance of the council on service delivery. They also believed intuitively in the employee-customer-business performance linkage. However, despite possessing these various databases, no effort had been extended toward their integration. We worked with this leadership team to examine these linkages and to provide recommendations for enhancing the council’s performance. 2.1. Employee survey An employee survey was conducted to portray the performance of the council towards its clients; in essence it was an establishment of employee-customer relationship in the council. The main questions framed under this platform were; how well and efficient is the workforce in the council? And what are their operating speeds? A survey is conducted on all the employees and the relevant information is read out to the appointed committee to take considerations where necessary. Based on factor analysis and internal mechanism the following dimensions were found to clearly point out to the employees: customer satisfaction, internal and external customer feedback, senior management and supervisor quality assessments, use of measurement schemes and work group commitment in the council (Stiffler, 2006). It was found that the employees led to malfunctioning of the council, it can be depicted that they were reluctant to improve their skills further. This factor makes them prone to under-performance since with the changing environment, the council will no longer be able to operate effectively. Efficiency and high performance will be met if the council takes an initiative to sharpen the skills of its employees so that they remain competitive. However, measuring the scale of the council’s employees on a scale of ten will depict that they barely measure four; this is very detrimental to the performance of the council. 2.2. Customer survey This is the direct people in contact with the performance of the council. A survey was conducted to determine whether the customers surveyed were really contented with the services offered by the council or it was merely useless to them. Information was simulated from suggestion boxes and questionnaires which were posted to few individuals sampled from the whole region. Apart from the direct consumers, another group of individuals who were assessed were the suppliers of the council. It was found that customers were not entirely contented with the performance of the council, customers complained on poor standards of services and other products offered by the council to them. This depicts the poor performance of the council. 2.3. Council budget problems The budgetary of the council was another aspect of key consideration; this is because without a proper linking budget the council was doomed to fail. A survey team assessed the council’s budget and ensured that all its components need to have a correlation with the council’s performance. To brush off any discrepancies that may be experienced, the team had to conduct a cost benefit analysis, this was in the best interest of the council. The budget was found to be overstretched but not taking care of critical activities in the region. This means that the budget was not put into proper use as required (Adrien et al, 2002). 2.4. Council performance A wide array of council performance measures was available. Interviews were conducted with selected leaders to better understand the performance measures, and to solicit their opinions regarding which of these measures provided the best reflection of branch performance and were most under the control of council personnel. After a thorough discussion with the chairman and other internal matters the team decided to focus on the following aspects: productivity, which is entirely concerned with the level of services in the council. This is arrived at by finding the ratio of employee services and the employee number in the council. If the ratio is big enough then the council can be termed as a busy organization (Mclean, 2006). Generally the council’s performance was very poor; this is because there were a lot of complaints from both the suppliers and the customers. Also employees determined the level of performance in the council, with low level of skills as it’s the case they were deemed to give poor results and poor performance was the resultant effect. The council has not sealed off any chances of losses that arise in its performance; this instead leaves a framework for more losses to be experienced due to leakages. Since the council cannot authenticate the channeling of its funds it means that efficiency is not met. Council’s performance is essentially an amalgamation of numerous factors ranging from the employees to the financial resources. 3. Solutions The team came up with a number of solutions to the problems which were facing the council and streamlined the related solutions on the same. This relied on the effective management skills that will spearhead the performance of the council to meet its obligations in the most comfortable manner. Thus, it takes into perspective the employee-customer and organizational drives that will ensure that the council operates optimally. 3.1. Change in structure, culture and human processes Further the team sort to depict that the best change would come to the council if it adopted Robert Golembiewski’s model and applied it immensely in their daily activities. This model depicts that if individuals can change then in the same way an organization can change over time (Burtonshaw-Gunn & Salameh, 2009). Thus, it stipulates the following changes to approach positive change. Priority change at individual level From To Acquiring skills Learning Satisfaction of new needs by belonging to the council Various needs satisfied by belonging to the council Socialization with narrow roles and goals Socialization with a wide range of roles and goals Satisfaction from less permanent skills Satisfaction from more permanent skills Priority change at council level From To Stability Predictability and loyalty to the council Hierarchy and constraint from few to control many Stable work relationships within the council Change of choice Creativity and dedication in fulfilling the tasks Freedom materialized in self-direction and self-control Satisfying working environment Change priorities at bureaucratic level From To Setting a routine Programmed decisions Competencies, technologies, and stable simple markets On-again-off-again activity Stable products and programs Requirements coming from the hierarchy Department oriented Creativity in theory; adaptability in practice New decisions Competencies, technologies and variable complex markets Continuous activity Continuously changing products and programs Requirements related to tasks, technologies and professions System oriented The model depicts the interrelationship between different components that will be of preference for management to make changes. The human processual approach is mainly skewed towards the changes that management will make that will foster attitudes, values and the skills among the employees. Thus, for the council to improve it has to come with training programs that will encourage employees to handle different tasks. Further interpersonal skills are likely to crop up from this model. Management will foster the way in which individuals in the organization interact. Another criterion management will adopt is the consideration of a process approach, this will structure the way management and the employees interact with the council as a system (Burtonshaw-Gunn & Salameh, 2009). Thus some of the alterations include i. Acceptance to be interrogated on various issues ii. Introduction of the possibility of free choice iii. Employees allowed giving their opinions on management without subjection iv. Mutual interaction and assistance to the community 3.2. Strategic change planning of the council 3.2.1. Real time change Management of the council has to work in collaboration to attain the changes in the council. Failure to come into collaboration will mean that the changes will not be effected. Some of the strategies the council can use include the open space meeting. An open space meeting will give all the stakeholders a chance to discuss any relevant topic that relates to the council. By doing this the council creates an environment that gives all members freedom to give their opinions on the functionality of the council. Further an open space meeting is effective for the council in creating the agendas that ought to be reviewed. Stakeholders will be able to give their concerns on the functionality of the council under this emblem. The data collected is further analyzed by the council to come to a conclusion of the real changes that need to take place. This is a very important approach the council will undertake since it culminates all the employees and other stakeholders. Real time change will be expected to take a short duration of time to be applied, for instance a meeting can be summoned any time in a weekly basis to address the arising issues within the shortest time possible (Evans & Evans, 2011). 3.2.2. Trans organizational development It is very difficult for the council to offer all services qualitatively. Thus, to improve on its service delivery endeavors the council should consider partnering with other organizations who will aid the provision of the services. Trans-organizational development is a mutual collaboration that is developed between companies to hasten the level of production and service delivery. This means that the council must stick to what it can produce better and outsource the expertise of other third parties on what it cannot achieve effectively. This approach will see the council trim down its costs and expenses and most importantly improve the level of its services. This is a long time solution majorly taking a period of six months and above (Solomon, 2009). 3.2.3. Mergers and acquisitions It cannot be thwarted as one of the best solutions to the problems facing the council. Management of the council ought to consider acquiring those companies that can effectively undertake the same processes that the council undertakes. It will be a means to increase the council’s capacity and capability to offer efficient and effective services. Acquisition and mergers take a long time to effectively come to an agreement, for instance it can take up to a year to plan for a merger or acquisition (Blenko, Mankins & Rogers, 2010) 3.2.4 Use of Charles Summers Approach This approach gives four main questions that management must ponder about in a period of monthly or bi-monthly basis. The major questions that will lead to change are i. What is the present strategy of the council? ii. What are the opportunities and threats of the council? iii. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the council? iv. What future strategies will minimize the threats and maximize productivity? After answering all these questions management will be having the solutions to the problems that are affecting the productivity of the council. 4. Conclusion 4.1. Limitations The above solutions of the immediate problems facing the council are subject to limitations which hamper their full performance. People often are subject to a number of alterations depending on the direct environment they are in contact with; this stipulates that environmental factors greatly impair the functionalities of some of the solutions to the problems facing the council (Wentland, 2009). Different employees react to different scenarios depending on the kind of conditions which they are subjected to, in the case of the council, team work may not be achieved if gender disparity is not addressed this means that the female group will not be able to co-exist with the male counterparts. Management styles in most county council offices are often managed from a command of control perspective. This makes it hard to adopt a democratic leadership forum. Government offices over time have been accused of not taking consideration of the welfare of the employees; this is to a large extent because of the kind of leadership techniques encompassed by the managers in those offices. It makes it quite a problem to change the norm which has always been installed in the society. This limits the introduction of the democratic form of leadership. However, some instances call for a command of control or autocratic leadership form since some standards will never be addressed under the emblem of democratic society (Zhan, 2005). It is an uphill task to ensure that each employee in the council embraces a positive can do attitude, this is because an attitude is essentially individual controlled and the implications by a third party will not attain the standards that an individual himself will achieve if they decide to inculcate the attitude into their performance endeavors. This limits this solution immensely. For instance sometimes a manager may exhibit this attitude but in the real sense they have huge personal problems, there reaches a point whereby the problems will out-weigh their pretense and thus they will succumb to the pressure. This means that covering up your face with a pretense mask is not an ideal method of ensuring that high performance is attained, however certain degrees of it should be adopted (Sato et al, 2012). Working conditions are the most ideal techniques to foster performance, however working conditions is subjective in the sense that one individual may prefer certain working conditions while the other may prefer the opposite. This limits the working conditions as a measure of performance or improving performance in the organization. To attain efficiency the county council has to adopt more than just an improvement of the working conditions in the council and amalgamate with other performance indicators (Greve, 2003, p. 12). It is apparent that ensuring good performance is not just a one step process it must encompass other procedures which must be conjugated. It is never imperative to just employ one solution to a given problem simply because each time a solution is implanted in an organization it gives a resultant related outward pressure which might be either positive or negative. This means that a negative pressure must be thwarted with another solution endeavor otherwise performance optimality will never be achieved. If the council was to rely on customer feedback it means that continuous communication has to be established (Giacalone, 2003). 4.2. Recommendations 4.2.1. Employee assistance programs (EAP) The council has to come up with a framework which will always monitor the performance of the employees. This will ensure that employees are constantly updated on the most recent happenings ranging from the workplace measures to external factors like technological advancement. EAPs will be the foundation to monitor the employee attitudes and a means to the solution of any impending negative effects that may arise in the organization touching of the employees. Once the council has tackled psychological factors and employee attitudes it will stand in a good position to ensure effective performance (Halachmi, 2006). 4.2.2. Consulting external experts Sometimes the council will not be able to possess all the required skills to approach some problems or scenarios that may arise. It will be ideal to consult an expert in that particular section to chant the way forward. This will be ideal for two main reasons; one, this will aid the council to concentrate on core issues since it I cushioned by external expert. Two, it will enable the council to cut on costs since it does not need to employ an expert on a permanent basis to perform an occasional task (Zaccaro & Klimoski, 2001). 4.2.3. Change management practice Employee skill levels will be scrutinized and a threshold set for which the employees must meet. This will facilitate the need for employees to get relevant skills that will enable efficiency in the council. The manager may consider conducting a reshuffle in various managerial positions. This will help the general manager know which individual is well suited in each department. Management may consider a need to allow for a democratic kind of leadership in the council, it will enable the employees to feel free and point out the mistakes that are done in the council. Reviewing of the councils policies in such a way that they will accommodate whistleblower rights is very crucial. Whistleblowers in the council will be the eyes watching for any discrepancies done in the council. Management should consider coming up with motivational trends in the council, this may include pay rates, commissions and days off when a particular employee attains the set standards or targets. Overall management should adopt a more employee involving kind of environment. Reference list Adrien, M.-H., Anderson, G., Garden, F., Lusthaus, C., & Montalván, G. P. 2002. Organizational Assessment: A Framework for Improving Performance.n.p Blenko, M. W., Mankins, M. C., & Rogers, P. 2010. Decide & Deliver: 5 Steps to Breakthrough Performance in Your Organization. Boston, Mass, Harvard Business Review Press. Burtonshaw-Gunn, S. A., & Salameh, M. G. 2009. Essential Tools For Organizational Performance Tools, Models and Approaches for Managers and Consultants. Chichester, U.K., Wiley. Evans, J. R., & Evans, J. R. 2011. Quality and Performance Excellence: Management, Organization, And Strategy. Mason, Oh, South-Western Cengage Learning. Giacalone, R. A. 2003. Handbook of Workplace Spirituality and Organizational Performance. Armonk, Ny [U.A.], Sharpe. Greve, H. R. 2003. Organizational Learning from Performance Feedback: A Behavioral Perspective on Innovation and Change. Cambridge [U.A.], Univ. Press. Halachmi, A. 2006. Organizational Performance and Measurement inthe Public Sector. Westport, Conn. [U.A.], Quorum Books. Keller, S., & Price, C. 2011. Beyond Performance How Great Organizations Build Ultimate Competitive Advantage. Hoboken, N.J., Wiley. Http://Www.Books24x7.Com/Marc.Asp?Bookid=43168. Mclean, G. N. 2006. Organization Development Principles, Processes, Performance. San Francisco, Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Http://Www.Books24x7.Com/Marc.Asp?Bookid=11865. Sato, Ryuzo, Ramachandran, Rama V., & Hori, Hajime. 2012. Organization, Performance And Equity Perspectives onthe Japanese Economy. Springer Verlag. Solomon, C. 2009. Select A Performance Management System: Performance Improvement. Alexandria, Va, American Society For Training & Development. Stiffler, M. A. 2006. Performance Creating the Performance-Driven Organization. Hoboken, N.J., John Wiley. Wentland, D. M. 2009. Organizational Performance ina Nutshell. Charlotte, Nc, Information Age Pub. Zaccaro, S. J., & Klimoski, R. J. 2001. The Nature of Organizational Leadership Understanding The Performance Imperatives Confronting Todays Leaders. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass. Http://Public.Eblib.Com/Eblpublic/Publicview.Do?Ptiid=120717. Zhan, L. 2005. A Case Study of Network Organization, Performance and Librarians Attitudes In Taiwan, R.O.C. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2005. Read More