Management and Personal Development Issues - Essay Example

?Exploring Self: Activity According to the MBTI Test, I am ENFJ. I'm responsive and responsible. I feel real concern for what others think or want,and try to handle things with due regard for others’ feelings. I can present a proposal or lead a group discussion with ease and tact. I'm sociable, popular and sympathetic. I am also responsive to praise and criticism. I like to help people to achieve their potential.  The results were true to a great extent. I don’t find it difficult to work in a group. Rather, I feel that I do better when working in a group. Throughout my working experience, and also as a student, I found it easy and fun to work as a team. I efficiently manage to convince people and persuade them to do a certain task or job. While working at Mutira Malaysian Restaurant as a manager, I used to train and coach new staff. I taught them the required skills and their effective application which also included proper group coordination and aiding each other in the tasks. One has to be open to criticism to develop oneself personally and also professionally. Though, the word criticism invokes a negative image in our minds but if taken positively it can be supportive and one of the sources of taking a person towards his/her success. Most people tend to take it as offensive, discouraging or insult and are unable to handle it without difficulty. And yes, criticism can make a person defensive, mad and nervous. (Naren, 2008) I used to have the same reaction to criticism but as the time passed, I learnt that a person cannot be perfect and somebody has to point out the flaws in him. Different people have different knowledge and perspectives about the way the world works. Each person can help to bring a unique and distinctive perspective to the table. Listening to this perspective and acting upon it may help to make the work better. Interacting with people and developing sociable contacts has always been a dominant character of mine. I always feel very comfortable while learning about people and in carrying out conversations. It gives me a sense of affiliation. While working at Sheraton Hotels as a service waiter, I managed to serve people while providing them with an effectual and interactive experience. For teams to work effectively, the right people have to be selected to ensure effective performance of the team. The members are usually chosen on the basis of individuals’ willingness and group expectations. But at times, it may happen that the members are not working with enough enthusiasm and they need some motivation or inspiration to make them work to their full potential. I can facilitate people to bring out the best in them as I am capable of relating to them and making them comfortable. Only when each and every member of the team is working effectively and efficiently can an organization expect to reap the benefits of faster production, increased revenue, lower costs and improved qualities. There are six basic requirements of team members in order to be effectively working together. 1. Each member of the must be keen to support the team mission and work towards achieving team goals. 2. All members of the team should understand their role within the team, and should also be well aware of what skills, abilities, and knowledge they have to contribute to ensure team's success. 3. The members must be willing to decide unanimously about team principles, ground rules and their code of conduct. 4. All members must commit to working within the team's priorities and plans, including training deemed essential for the team and presence at meetings. 5. Members must be willing to work collaboratively and enthusiastically on problem-solving and should not be resistant change as part of process improvement. 6. Team members should be respectful of each other, establish both accountability and trust within the team and welcome diversity. (Lee, 2011) When working in a team, the members have different roles, some are self oriented, while others take the role team maintenance or task facilitators. Self oriented are those who focus only on their individual needs, maybe at the expense of the group. They try to capture authority by manipulating the team or certain individuals in the team. Task-facilitators, as the name suggests, facilitate and coordinate decision-making tasks. They are initiators who offer new ideas and also suggest solution to team difficulties. They offer facts or relate experiences relevant to present problems. Members who take the role of team maintenance are warm and solidarity towards other members. They mediate within group conflicts and alleviate tension. They encourage others to work and sometimes also end up controlling the self oriented members. While working in a team, I usually work as a task facilitator but if the need comes then I take the charge of reconciling group conflicts. Some of the attributes were inherently present in me but I worked to acquire some of these traits to bring out the best in me and be an effective team member. Activity 2 Over the years I have worked at hotels, restaurants and stores serving different positions. Sometimes, I worked as a waiter, while at other times I worked alongside the manager or as a manger myself. My first ever job included setting tables, taking orders, waiting tables, serving food and building customer rapport in a professional manner. First part of the job can be easily done by anyone but when it comes to building customer relations it requires certain skills. To build a positive relationship with customers, a person has to make them feel comfortable with him/her. A smile and relaxed body posture is an invitation by the person in such a position to the customer to approach for help. Frowns, scowls, and folded arms create restrictions and make it difficult for the customers to open up and give suggestions and feedback. (Booher, n.d) Relating to others is an excellent quality especially while working for a service industry. Service industry involves the provision of services to the consumers. It is all about people and how to relate with them. Throughout my working experience, I have worked in the service industry where a great amount of time is spent while interacting with different people. People who relate well to others are usually open to new learning, are aware of how their actions and words can impact others and are aware of when to co-operate and when to compete.  Through relating well to others, new ideas, approaches and ways of thinking can be achieved. It is important for hotels and restaurants to keep their customers and attract new ones. As I am capable of relating to others in a good way, therefore I was responsible for ensuring high standards of customer service within the resort including handling complaints, seeing to guest’s needs, checking VIP guests in and out and allocating rooms to guests Liaising with colleagues, guests and other contacts to develop excellent working relationships. When a customer complains service received, consider it a blessing in disguise. I have been dealing with customer complaints correctly and as efficiently as possible, following them up and maintaining when possible, contact with the guest upon their next stay in the hotel. (Kurtus, 2007) I have been conducting training for new staff to ensure they are equipped to handle all eventualities and at one work place coordinating all recruitment and selection activities including interviewing and appointing candidates. There, I learnt how to interact with ones subordinates and how to make them work efficiently. I also realized that at interviews, people are usually trying too hard which mostly does not give the true picture of their abilities. It is important to make them comfortable and at ease so that their true personality can be seen and analyzed if they are fit for the job. At some jobs, I was required to maintain a proactive attitude towards all staff in various departments and keeping the team moral high. As I am sociable and popular among my colleagues, I enjoyed doing such tasks. Though, my sympathetic side has posed a number of problems for me during my career. At times, I tend to get too involved in others’ problems that, in turn, affects my efficiency. It has also happened that I have been taken advantage of and been lied to. If I see a co-worker in some sort of difficulty I feel obliged to help them, because of which I end up doing work of others or not punishing my subordinates and being too lenient with them. Activity 3 Duty Managers are given a huge responsibility to supervise the effective and efficient management and operations of all areas of the service, overseeing staff and a varied range of clients, ensuring the right operation and correct management of technical equipment and maintaining the centre in safe, clean, hygienic and presentable conditions. (Duty manager qualification, 2009) The duty manager is generally required to keep a physical presence in the organization when on duty. It is prerequisite for duty manager to have relevant and appropriate qualifications in the field of the employment, and usually previous management experience as well. Hospitality-related course offer a wide range of study options, both generalist and specialist. A familiar thread in all the associated disciplines is a focus on understanding, identifying and responding to the wishes of customers, which enables one to provide an excellent customer experience. These courses also help to develop other general skills required by a range of employers and also the duty managers. These skills include critical, analytical and problem-solving skills, developed through research, evaluation and presenting arguments and data. IT skills are also important for the managers as they have to collect, analyse and present information in databases and spreadsheets. (Hemingway, 2009) A manager has to work with various departments. He must be able to give guidance and direction to others i.e. employees and colleagues as part of fulfilling one’s job. He should be capable of adapting method and style of leadership to the individuals, situation and tasks involved. (Zhivago, 2010) The duty manager is in charge for the general maintenance of the organization’s facilities, including offices, storage areas and the basement. He is responsible for the tidiness and cleanliness of the offices. It is his duty to ensure regular servicing of the organization's facilities. When on duty, he addresses problems instantaneously as they happen. It is his duty to meet with top management and inform them about the running of the organization, problem areas and recommendations. Duty manager handles the complaints from clients. He is responsible for the security issues and safe locking of the facilities and resources of the organization. A duty manager must have good organizational skills. He should have a strong presence and must be disciplined. It is important for him to be professional, have public relations skills and should be good at customer service. He must be good at resolving conflicts or any other issues. Negotiation and teamwork skills help a duty manager to perform these tasks in a better way. These skills maybe developed through working both independently and on group projects A duty manager ought to have an outgoing personality, and should be dependable and reliable. He must be able to work as an effective team member and also have the ability to work under pressure and prioritize what is more important. (Muchira, 2010) It is important for a duty manager to have good communication and coordination skills to liaise and coordinate effectively with different departments. The duty manager is also expected to be alert and informed at all times of what is going on in the organization. Duty manager usually has a busy schedule. He must be able to make his opinions and ideas clear to others using clear language, gestures and other forms of non-verbal communication. (ITIL service manager, n.d) He is required to assure best possible guest relations that are synchronized with managing and supervising staff members and departmental managers. It is his job to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for the guests that encourages them to return and also suggest the lodging facilities to their acquaintances. It is important for him to study the demands and needs of the client and work towards catering to it in the best possible manner. The clients are the most significant asset for any business; their requirements and desire should be anticipated. High priority must be given to willingness to provide service satisfaction to the customers. Employers in the hospitality industry are just as interested in personal qualities of a person as they are in his degree subject. The hospitality sector’s strong customer orientation means a person must be able to express a genuine concern in providing excellent customer service. It is a social business too, one needs to be friendly and have good networking skills. The position of duty manager requires exemplary supervisory, motivational and customer service skills. He should have the power to persuade others. He must be capable of convincing others of a specific viewpoint using the correct method and style and be able to attempt to achieve agreement for certain ideas, plans or products. (Duty Manager, 2010) A hotel duty manager should inspire and instigate the staff to put customers' needs first and constantly exhibit a professional and gracious attitude. To delegate and prioritize jobs and to maintain smooth daily operations organizational skills are necessary for the duty manager. Practical experience is an invaluable benefit for a person applying for a duty manager’s job, as it helps to develop subject-specific and transferable skills further. While at the same time, it also helps in providing experience and to prove the abilities to the future employers. Business functions such as human resource, finance and marketing are also often important but the characteristics mentioned above are very important for a duty manager who wishes to work in a hospitality industry. These skills are necessary to ensure profitability and success. Some of the qualities required by the duty manager were intrinsically present in me. Some, I acquired through studying and others, while working at different restaurants and hotels. Initially, I had some anger displacement issues which were a great disadvantage to me, especially when leading teams, and managing and resolving conflicts among the group members. At times, it also posed a great deal of problems when interacting with the customers. Though, usually I am a very cool and calm person, but if provoked, I lose my temperament in seconds. Dealing with customers is a very sensitive matter and should be dealt with extra care. I have overcome this problem and now I can very artfully and competently interact with the clients and also with the co-workers. Activity 4 An action plan can be considered as a road map that will get you from point of choosing an occupation that I chose to be a Duty Manager at a hotel to becoming employed in that occupation.(Mckay, 2011) While working on fulfilling the conditions to get the desired job, one needs to analyze the career and personal drivers. I know my strengths and weaknesses. I understand the importance of acquiring skills, experience and knowledge through personal and professional development. The first requirement, as for any career, is the degree. I have got a diploma and I am doing BA (Hons) in Hospitality Management which fulfils the criteria of degree needed. I have got previous experience as I have worked at a number of hotels and restaurants. Activity 5 Assertiveness is a critical skill for building one's career. In workplace, being assertive is extremely important. When it all comes down to it, the bosses and superiors care very little about person’s attendance record, or how nice a person he is. Being assertive is all about respecting standing up for one’s own rights and needs without hurting the feelings of the opposite party. It is essential to present assertive behaviour in this highly competitive world. It is only to make the co-workers respect and not take a person for granted. Assertiveness is not aggressiveness. It has nothing to do with being forceful and/or rude to others. Assertiveness is simply putting your thoughts in a strong yet gentle way so that others at the workplace notice you and take you seriously. (Chattopadhyay, 2011) Possessing listening skills is one of the most significant requirements for holding a job in hospitality managing.  That may not seem understandable initially, but when you think about all that is involved in restaurant and hotel management, this proclamation makes just what the doctor ordered sense.  Hospitality is defined as benevolence to strangers and as a relationship course of action.  The top definition focuses on the connection and process characteristics, because anyone working in the hospitality business knows that it takes continuous consideration and thoughtfulness to suitably serve people in a way that will please them. Being a good hospitality manager means being able to recognize the needs of staff and customers. This repeatedly comes down to being an excellent listener.  Good listeners pay notice when people talk and do not incorporate the information with predetermined thinking.  A good listener is able to take apart the imperative information from the rest of what is said and use that information to progress service.  In other words, good listening skills are well thought-out to be both a motivational and customer service instrument. (Hotel & Restaurant Training) The hospitality business is a fast rate of knots and challenging.  The more the staff works like a team, the smoother the process.  Managers are accountable for synchronizing the efforts of an assorted group of people.  However, staff also will have enormous thoughts about how to perk up operations and how to attach or pick up services to get better customer satisfaction.  A sign of a good manager is one who is able to listen to the ideas and then make decisions as to their use in a way that motivates and does not discourage staff. Hospitality management is all about creating customer satisfaction in a highly competitive and fast-paced milieu by motivating employees to provide great service and by making employees work in teams and the outcome accomplished be very efficient.  That is why listening skills are needed in hospitality management. Workplace conflict can be one of the most disparaging behaviours and handling conflict is one of the most testing tasks of managers. Our natural retort when met head-on with conflict is to either run away or hang about and fight it out. These circumstances can be fruitfully managed when you are outfitted with the acceptable techniques that allow disagreement to be resolute and a reciprocally good enough compromise to be accomplished. This electrifying program, highlighting how to handle argument in the workplace and conflict management, will provide delegates with practical modus operandi they can use to carry out effectively in any complex work situation. (Effective Conflict Management at Workplace) For example, I worked as a manager in a hotel. The hotel served people ranging from middle class to lower elite class. It was a small inn with a limited staff. I worked part time and I believe that I learned a lot from that experience. Once a meeting was held in context to how to serve the customers that come to hotel for honeymoon booking. The meeting was held because a few weeks back a couple came for honeymoon and they were not satisfied with the hygiene conditions of the bathroom service. They believed that the towel was not washed properly and other such issues. The employee did not take it seriously and the client complained to the manger since he thought his complaint was ignored. This created a conflict between the management and the employee. Since, according to the employee he dealt with the issue very efficiently, yet the manager was unhappy so he got a little bit rude. Similarly, in a business like hotel management, listening to customers is very important. Being the manager for the HR department, I had to train the employees on basics of listening skills, since the owner was complaining a lot about the employees not being attentive to the customers. I focused on the point that good listening skills engross much more than just earshot what people are saying.  As a restaurant or a hotel manager, you have to be able to examine between the lines and conclude what services or problems need to be addressed.  People often articulate ideas or unease circuitously and it is up to the manager to properly understand what is being said.  The hospitality industry is extraordinarily competitive and that creates customer satisfaction a pinnacle main concern. Activity 6 For the next 12-18 months, I need to work upon my feelings towards others. I tend to get way too considerate about how others feel about a particular issue and I can’t bring myself to go against someone, thinking that it might hurt them. While working in an organization, the person’s foremost priority should be the interests of organization, as if the goals of the organization are achieved, only then the people working there can accomplish their own objectives. Other problem that I often face is meeting the deadlines. Meeting deadlines at work carries a lot of importance. I can very well understand this significance as I have worked on both sides of meeting deadlines i.e. the side where I'm working to meet a deadline and the side where I am waiting for someone else to deliver the work on deadline. Submitting the work on time ensures smooth and even work flow. Sometimes, the work is required to be completed before some other event takes place. For example, a report is due on Wednesday from which the Information is to be used on a meeting on Friday. True, that the meeting is not until Friday but the manager/boss needs time to read the report and check into specifics of the report. The boss might even need to meet up with the person who wrote the report to clarify any confusion. Hence, the report needs to be submitted on time. If everything doesn't go according to schedule, the time-lines lag, which results in a decrease in the productivity. (Whittenhauer, 2009) I also need to get a better understanding of how to deal with people from diverse cultures. The job for which I am opting for in the future requires me to interact with people from different cultures. I need to understand the norms and values of other cultures. As already mentioned above, customers are the most important asset of any organization and especially the service industry, I would not want my customers to get upset or angry due to a misunderstanding. 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