Leadership in Practice and Plan to Modify Behavior - Assignment Example

Leadership in Practice Contents Contents 2 Incident 3 Incident 2 5 Comparing and contrasting incidents 6 Reflection and Learning 7 Plan to Modify Behaviour 9 Conclusion 10 Reference List 12 Incident 1 The staff of Ledus Manufacturing had been experiencing certain problems in recent times with the change in their management system. One year ago the CEO of the company had implemented a computerized system in all the departments for quicker processing of the work. This was done with the objective of improving the coordination between all the departments so that they can improve the pace at which the work is to be done. The plan was good on paper but implementing it was not an easy work. It was found despite the beneficial idea most of the employees struggled with the work and it had led to a situation where pace of work had become slower compared to what it was before the implementation of the system. The productivity of the organization had suffered as a result and the outcome was almost paradoxical. Lack of computer knowledge and miscommunication between departments were the chief factors that had led to the conflict. The employees became frustrated unable to complete their individual tasks let alone the organizational goals. The sales department was exceptionally late in uploading the reports which in turn delayed the marketing department in their course of action. The senior manager was baffled at the outcome and could not comprehend the way in which this impasse could be resolved. The individual departments blamed each other for the delay in work and this made the whole organization suffer. The subordinates started to blame the senior management and the working environment became healthy. Implication I was working in the marketing department of Ledus Manufacturing. I believe that the leadership style was the management was the main reason that had led to this problem in the first place. The idea was a novel one as fast working could result in catering to a large number of clients and improved the profitability of the organization. I think the leadership style exhibited by the CEO of the company was essentially a transactional one which was based on a goal-reward based approach without addressing the internal dynamics of the problems (Northouse, 2012). The CEO had clearly mentioned the benefits that could be achieved if the goals could be met by the employees. This was mainly to motivate the employees and help them achieve their individual goals. The theories of leadership state that, in transactional leadership, the leader uses path goal framework to achieve organizational goals. In this case the classic problem was that clear directives were given to each of the employees by defining their job roles but the inherent problem in the system was neglected. Individualized consideration of transformational leadership focuses on the needs of the employees and the emotional support provided to the subordinates to help them achieve organizational goals (James and Barry, 2012). If I was in charge of the system I would have handled the matter in a slightly different manner that could have benefitted the employees in a general manner. Firstly, I feel that it was important for the leader to arrange for detailed training session for the employees. Training was given to the employees but the framework was very rigid which made it impossible for the employees to clear their doubts. Inadequate classroom training was provided to the employees. I would have changed this situation by hiring professional computer trainers who could explain the employees about the basic requirements. Secondly, I feel lack of communication was a major factor that had led to the underperformance of the organization as a whole. There was no coordination between the works that had already been done by the members. More communication in the form of meetings and doubt clearing sessions could have helped to improve the situation. Thirdly, I feel while the employees were facing the difficulty there was not much participation on the part of the organizational management to resolve the crisis. The employees were constantly complaining about the problems they were facing in the office. Proactive role of the leader could have created an environment where the leader could have listened to the problems of the individual employees and resolved them in an effective manner. The problems face by Ledus could have been easily improved with following a few preventive measures, the primary one being the failure of taking training sessions seriously. It was assumed the employees would become efficient through learning by doing. This assumption did not work specifically as all the employees could not grasp the technological aspect and this was not assumed by the leader. The trainers that were appointed should have given better directives regarding the way in which they can train the staff. Also the leader should have conducted regular reviews to monitor the progress of the employees. Incident 2 “Purify” is blossoming solar water Purifier Company that had amassed strong revenue growth over the last five years. The management of the company had undergone changes in the recent year when the previous Senior Manager of the sales department was replaced by new Senior Manager. The new manager had taken some very strict regarding to improve the productivity of the company by improving the sales performance of the individual employees. The sales targets that were set were extremely high according to the opinion of the employees and this had led to the de-motivation of the workforce. The manager was extremely rude to the employees when they were repeatedly failing to accomplish their individual goals. This had created a situation where the employees were forced to leave their job and join other organizations. The work environment was essentially suffering as the attrition rate became higher. The high employee turnover was not only detrimental for the organization but also for the employees as a whole. Firstly, as the number of employees had fallen the existing employees had to bear the additional work pressure by increasing their personal targets. Secondly, it was detrimental for the organization because Purify had to print advertisements in newspapers to hire new employees. The new employees had to undergo through the training process for which cost had to be borne by the organization. Hiring new employees was hardly a solution as novice employees had to undergo through learning process before they could become fully productive and efficient. As a result the sales of the company had started to fall and the performance was weaker compared to previous year. Implication I was an employee working in the sales department of Purify. I think the leadership of the organization was a chief problem that had led to the crisis situation. According to the findings of Gabbott and Hogg (1997 cited in Conchie, 2013) organizational outcome and performance of the employees are related aspects as employee performance is the key driver of organizational success. Researcher had pointed out that if there is inadequate alignment in goals of an organization and its human resources then this will result in an effective response in the broader business environment (Wright, Moynihan and Pandey, 2012). Motivation provided by leaders of an organization plays a very important role in improving the mental health of employees. Demotivated employees have often been found to be depressed and victim of anxiety. Motivation theories in the exiting literature have established that leaders have a vital role to play in understanding the innate needs of the employees through meeting their employment needs. If I was in the place of the senior manager then I would have definitely amended the situation by taking appropriate steps. Leadership is an extremely important asset of an organization as leaders are the people who manage the performance of the employees through monitoring goals, communicating them and providing feedback on performance (Pedler, Burgoyne and Boydell, 2010). Firstly, I would have revised the goals for the individual employees and set practical goals. This could have been achieved by raising the sales target for each employee by 2% on a quarterly basis. This would have given the employees some buffer time before meeting the deadlines. Additionally, review of individual employees at the end of each month would have been able to help in the proper monitoring of the employees and predict any deviation from the set path. Secondly, the senior manager was trying to achieve too high too fast. This was leading to a situation of burnout. I would have kept the sales targets legitimate by following the record of the previous years and set forecasted value based on them. Thirdly, I would have definitely avoided the rude behaviour with the employees as this was the major factor causing the high attrition rate. I would have set individual meetings with each employee to understand the problems they are facing and provided suggestions to them by ways in which they can improve their performance. Finally, I would have applauded the performers in front of all the employees to boost their performance. Additionally, I would have definitely encouraged the underperformers and motivate them to achieve their targets the next time. Recognition and appraisal for the work done can act as huge source of motivation for the employees. Comparing and contrasting incidents The two events that have been described in the previous section have similarities as well as differences between them. Both of the incidents involved role of effective leadership that could have solved the crisis of the organizations. Both of the leaders had shown ineffectiveness in taking charge of the situation and this has led to dissatisfaction of the employees. The nature of the problems in both the organizations was not similar. In both the cases effective transformational leadership could have improved the situation. In the first case the leader of Ledus should have involved the employees in the decision-making process and informed them about the change to be done in the organization. Consideration of secondary activities like training of employees and listening to their problems could have resolved the conflict within the organization. Effective communication within the departments was an essential part in implementing the change within the organization. In the second case the connection was between transformational leadership and motivation of the employees. The leader had focused only on the productivity of the organization without considering the well-being of employees. Strong and effective organizational leadership has the capability of understanding the importance of employees in organizations as the key aspect to achieve goals. The leader of Purify could have improved the performance of the existing employees by recognizing the skills that should have been acquired by the employees to overcome any skill gap. Training programs could have been arranged on the recognition of skill gaps to improve the productivity of the existing employees. Employee appraisal and feedback on the job done could have acted as a positive force to develop the competency of the individuals. In short it can be said that effective transformational leadership could have resolved the organizational crisis and helped the leaders achieve their desired goals. Reflection and Learning There has been extensive research in the academic literature that has focused on the aspect of learning through reflection. For instance the theory proposed by Kolb had pointed out that there is a cycle of learning through experiences. There are four major phases in the cycle. The first one is undergoing an experience as it happens; second one is to reflect on the experience, third one is learning from the experience and the fourth applying the learning in another setting (Moon, 2005). Reflection through work based learning has received importance in the works of Boud and Garrick (1999 cited in Cseh and Manikoth, 2011) who had stated that learning can be achieved through reflecting on the work that is being done by the individuals. This type of a learning helps in learning about one’s one self and improving the process of self functioning (Armitage, et al., 2011). The learning process that I have underwent through the two job experiences can be treated as a work based learning. The concept of single and double loop learning focuses on using the errors and rectifying them eventually. In a single-lop learning process there is no need to question the governing variables and subjecting them to scrutiny. Revaluation of strategies can be done through change of the governing variables. Single loop learning wants to make the learning process more efficient. Single loop learning can be effective to provide solutions to present problem. However, this type of learning is not reflective in nature. In short, this type of learning does not explore the causes of the problem and only focuses on finding the solution. Double loop learning on the other hand explores the causes behind the problem by questioning the strategies and assumptions. Double-loop learning takes into consideration about the governing variables that determines the outcome. Double-loop learning helps in reformulation of strategies in dealing a particular situation. Both the first and the second cases can be treated as a classic case of double-loop learning. I believe when the respective authorities have implemented the measures they were deeply focused on the aspect of productivity. With the future being uncertain it is very difficult to comprehend the outcomes from beforehand. I would have first observed the outcomes from the implementation of the new polices and then acted accordingly. In the first case introduction of a computerized documentation process in Ledus was a necessary change. Despite the rationale behind the novel idea the shortcomings were proving to be regressive. Sharing of opinion with the employees and taking their advice often makes them to work harder as they feel the leaders are engaging them (ILM, n.d.). In case of Ledus the employees would have been in a better position to inform the leader about the exact nature of their problems and this could have improved the training and development sessions. Most importantly this could have acted as a benchmark to solve any complex crisis in the future by acting as a resourceful experience. In case of Purify the problem was deeper. The goals set by the leader were almost irrational in the first place and the behaviour exhibited by him was arrogant. I would have wanted my subordinates perceive me as a person who is concerned about them rather than being a leader who maintains a strictly professional relationship with their subordinates. Being emphatic to the employees is a great method to deal with their frustrations and provide solutions to their problems (Gong, Huang and Farh, 2009). Lack of motivation and rude behaviour were the chief factors that had caused to the conflict with the employees. If I were in the position of the leader then I would have first evaluated the main reason that is causing the stress for the employees. This would have been immediately followed by responses that could have rectified the underlying problems. The strategies could have been modified accordingly to solve the crisis. Plan to Modify Behaviour In order to improve the situation of Ledus Manufacturing the following set of plans could have been implemented by the CEO to resolve the organizational crisis. 1. Involving in decision making process: The communication management plan is a noble way to communicate both with the leaders and the subordinates. The main audience in this plan would have been the immediate subordinates across the department’s especially mid-level managers and supervisors. The main change in the organization should be communicated to them so that they can prepare for the future. This behaviour on my part or on the part of any leader implies that they are involving the employees in the decision making process. 2. Training Plan: There was a dire need to understand the need for each hierarchy and provide technical training based on the needs. In the initial approach generalized training was provided to the employees who were unable to resolve their specific doubts. The training plan should be able to integrate the individual goals of the organization with that of the employee goals for ensuring success. 3. Effective Listening: Empathetic listening is a crucial way in which behaviour my behaviour could have been modified. If I allowed the employees to engage with me once the inefficiencies entered the system then I would have been able to understand the cause of the problem if any. This could have helped me to discover additional problems in the system and rectify them accordingly. 4. Monitoring Plan: This implies regular monitoring of the employees to see the progress they have made in the due course of time. In case of Ledus this meant coordinating the work of all the departments and making regular review of the progress made. The drawbacks of particular departments could have been highlighted in this manner. The situation of Purify was slightly different. In order to resolve the critical situation in the organization the following steps could have been implemented. 1. Evaluating goals: I would have made a clear evaluation of the goals achieved in the previous year by following the internal reports of the company. Breaking the goals quarter wise and making them measurable via financial success would have been the first step taken by me. I believe this would have helped me to set achievable goals that would not have been contested among the junior level. Additionally, I would have set the goals for employees by following a reasonable time frame. 2. Motivation: Motivating the employees would have been a major step to retain them. High employee turnover could have been avoided by proper motivation of existing employees. If employees were too distressed with their goals then I would have taken special care to listen to their constraints and try to resolve them. I would have avoided hurting the self-esteem of the employees. If someone provided me with their resignation, I would have listened to their problems and help them rather them letting them go. 3. Systematic Planning: Regular monitoring would have helped me to understand the underlying deviations from the set goals. If this deviation was within 5% of the set goal then it would have been acceptable. Any deviation higher than 5% would have been dealt with evaluation of skill set of the employees by training them. 4. Celebrating Success: I would have celebrated the success of my employees if they met their goals by involving all other employees irrespective of whether or not they achieved their goals. This would have motivated all. Conclusion Effective leadership is a key way of solving critical situations in an organization. Transformational leaders have the capability of listening to the problems of employees and solving them. Though the nature of the problem described in case of Purify and Ledus were different yet there was one major factor that connected them-leadership. I believe that if I were in the position of the leader I would have handled the situation in different way. I believe listening to the problems of the employees is the ultimate sign of a good leadership attribute. This would provide a sense of security for the employees and make them understand that their leader cares for them. If I was in a similar situation I would have tried to decipher the main factors that were causing the problems in the first place. This would have helped me to understand the root cause behind the problem and take steps to remove them in a phased manner. Furthermore, I would have involved the employees and listened to the problems faced by them in a patient manner. Reference List Armitage, D., Berkes, F., Dale, A., Kocho-Schellenberg, E. and Patton, E., 2011. Co-management and the co-production of knowledge: Learning to adapt in Canadas Arctic. Global Environmental Change, 21(3), pp. 995-1004. Conchie, S. M., 2013. Transformational leadership, intrinsic motivation, and trust: A moderated-mediated model of workplace safety. Journal of occupational health psychology, 18(2), pp. 198-218. Cseh, M. and Manikoth, N. N., 2011. Invited reaction: Influences of formal learning, personal learning orientation, and supportive learning environment on informal learning. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 22(3), pp. 259-263. Gong, Y., Huang, J., and Farh, J., 2009. Employee learning orientation, transformational leadership, and employee creativity: the mediating role of employee creative self-efficacy. Academy of Management Journal, 52(4), pp. 765-778. ILM, No Date. Great expectations: Managing Generation Y. [pdf] Ashridge Business School. Available at: [Accessed 9 Aug 2014]. James, M. K. and Barry Z. P., 2012. The leadership challenge: how to make extraordinary things happen in organizations. 5th edn. San Francisco: Wiley imprint. Moon, J., 2005. Guide for Busy Academics No. 4 Learning through reflection. [pdf] The Higher Education Academy. Available at: < http://www.york.ac.uk/admin/hr/researcher-development/students/resources/pgwt/learningthroughreflection.pdf> [Accessed 9 Aug 2014]. Northouse, P. G., 2012. Leadership : Theory and practice. 6th edn. London: Sage Publications. Pedler, M., Burgoyne, J. and Boydell, T., 2010. A manager’s guide to leadership: An action approach to learning. 2nd edn. New York: McGraw Hill. Wright, B. E., Moynihan, D. P. and Pandey, S. K., 2012. Pulling the levers: Transformational leadership, public service motivation, and mission valence. Public Administration Review, 72(2), pp. 206-215. Read More