How Engineers Became Managers - Assignment Example

How Engineers became managers How Engineers Became Managers Table of Contents Executive summary 0 Introduction 1 Aim of Assignment 4 2 Order of information 4 2.0 Recommendations for assessing the development needs of the engineers 2.1. Why are accessing the development needs of staff important 5 2.2 How should FORD assess the development needs? 2.3 Why should Ford use these methods? 3.0 Recommendations for Learning strategies 3.1 Definition of skills 3.2 Learning strategies 3.3 What strategy should FORD follow to teach its engineers? 3.4 Why should Ford follow this strategy? 3.5 Who should impart this type of training? 4.0 Recommendations for Evaluations 4.1 How should FORD evaluate the training methods? 4.2 Why should it do so? 5.0 Conclusion 6.0 References Executive Summary: The present era of industrialisation, which is shadowed by the global recession demands usage of technical and managerial skill in performing tasks. Engineers who are technically skilled when are given the responsibility of management may fail in developing a strategy to interact with the human resource or work force as well as the customers and clients. In order to enable the engineers to face these challenges by acquiring techno-managerial skill, proper training is essential. Therefore, a detailed study is made here on the needs to give training and how these engineers or technical people should be equipped with the required potential of know-how, so that they can recreate the industrial ‘mechanism’ to its own progress and to the welfare of the society as a whole. 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Aim of Assignment The aim of this assignment is to study the policies followed by Ford Australia in making their engineers as managers. The engineers seeking senior management positions in the company need to undergo training for acquiring proficiency in design skills to interpersonal skills, and finally management cum business skills. The training course must encompass topics like recruiting of staff, development of interpersonal and team skills, imparting leadership skills and customer service and how to interact. This will increase the level of effectiveness of the engineers aspiring for senior management posts. How does Ford Australia impart training to its engineers so that they can be shaped into successful managers will be analysed through this assignment. A through study of the company was conducted and it was found that the managers who were former engineers lack in many areas of management because of which the company has come down to level from where they are trying to come up to a stage where they were in the beginning. 1.2 Order of information The first section talks about why is HRDNI necessary and what are the leadership qualities which an individual must possess so that he becomes a prospective manager bringing success to the company. This section tells us as to why Ford should assess the development of its staff and how? The next section of the assignment tells the different recommendations for learning strategies which managers have to follow. How and why should they follow the same. The final section will evaluate the findings of the research work conducted and present the same in the form of a report. This section also tells us as to how should Ford evaluate the training imparted to their engineer managers. 2.0 Recommendations for assessing the development needs of the engineers 2.1. Why are accessing the development needs of staff important HRDNI is necessary because: One Australian survey showed that 70% of training was a waste (Stone 2002). Need to know that any HRD intervention should be based on a thorough HRDNI, and should be designed to achieve goals that meet certain learning outcomes HRDNI ensures that appropriate training is conducted so that the day to day activities are carried out effectively and efficiently. The Human Resources Development Needs Identification is an essential process prior to any actual implementation of training session. It is an organized study of the way things are and the way they ought to be. These "things" are usually associated with organizational and/or individual performance (Stout, D, 1995). Normally an HRDNI has two parts to it. They are: I. Present situation: Determination of the current condition of skills, knowledge, and abilities of the present and/ future employees. This analysis should also observe the organizational goals, climate, and internal and external restraints. II. Preferred or necessary situation: The preferred or essential circumstances for organizational and personal achievement have to be identified. This analysis centres on the essential job tasks/standards, as well as the accomplishments, knowledge, and powers required achieving these successfully. It is significant that the critical tasks essential should be identified, and not just observe the present practices. Also actual needs should be distinguished from perceived needs or wants. Leadership development is a process of transforming an individual to acquire the required potential to meet the challenge of the societal environment and to find solutions to its problems. Thereby, the individual become capable enough to guide the fellow members to do the same towards the attainment of certain goals. It is creation of a positive attitude of responsiveness to problematic stimulations and to imbibe virtual responsibility to oneself and to others. It is the making of foundation today to face the tomorrows. The above process consists of individual psychology in relation to the group psychology and reflects qualitative and quantitative performance. The elements of psychology and sociology together with the responsiveness form the solid framework for the transformation of engineers to the managers. The interaction strategies will build up a harmonious approach in managing the activities of industries and communities. This will also analyse and address the relationship between the government and stakeholders and also facilitates avoidance of any shortcomings in the administration of the work force as well as workplace. The approach on the skills formation strategy will provide proper understanding of skills and the labour problems. It will enable the manager to plan well in recognising the workforce and in the development of the organisation. It will identify and solve the issues confronting industry and the community and provides support to their overall growth. (http://www.trainandemploy.qld.gov.au/client/industry/skills_formation.html, viewed on 11th May, 2009). 2.2 How should FORD assess the development needs? Ford can make use of a mix of different methods of finding the development needs of its staff. The company can conduct a question answer session in which the staff take part and answer questions pertaining to their department. With the knowledge gathered from this session it can be easily known as to whom, how much and what training needs is required. They can also use observation methods. An employee can be observed when he carries out his daily task. Based on the observations inferences can be drawn and he can be trained accordingly. 2.3 Why should Ford use these methods? With special reference to Ford it is a must that it assesses its employee needs because: Ford had initially employed up to 14,000 employees, but because of a range of important issues has condensed this over time to 5000, with roughly the same level of production in terms of vehicles. Yielding a higher mean level of skill for each employee was a key change obligatory to achieve the advanced level of productivity.  As a result, training has become more important for the enterprise, to guarantee that all employees have the level of skill needed, domestically and internationally. Ford also has to meet a range of legislative or regulatory requirements relating to HR development and management and this is yet another reason for it to impart training to its engineers so that they can become successful managers in the future. 3.1 Definition of skills The success of the leader depends upon his strategy in making interaction with the target group by applying a characteristic style that is impressive and convincing. To achieve this, a strategy must be conceived to have proper awareness of facts and figures, and knowledge as to how to deal others with a psychological approach. By doing this the tendency to exhibit susceptibility can be restrained. If the leaders strategy fails an alternative should be worked out. The psychological profile of the leader will generate a posture for exposure to create opportunities. If this procedure of course correction is applied as a tool to professionals like engineers it would increase their executive will to compromise with the challenging environment. (http://www.oeinstitute.org/articles/ leadership-development.html, viewed on 11th May, 2009) 3.2 Learning strategies Staff induction is not only the issue of a human resource department. It is the concern of all the relevant business units (such as security, IT, assets, etc), to make certain that new starters are given a full picture. It is normally accepted that the induction of new members of staff is an all important activity for any organisation to get right. If it is done poorly it can severely strike the individual related and can effect in a speedily de-motivated and confused member of staff. Such people will take a long time to reconcile into their new job. If it is done productively, then it can result in a real encouragement for the individual referred and will assist them become completely structured and fully functional members of staff at the earliest. Important to successful induction is a prearranged scheme which ensues in a great deal of interaction between the new member of staff and their manager. The function of a Manager is multifaceted, and as managers advance in an organization, they try to develop their own individual styles of managing and interacting with others. This style of management is often established on their own experiences of being managed in a particular style. Engineers when they become managers they are not aware of managing human as a resource. They have to be trained to manage the human force in an organisation. They should be taught to appraise their staff every now and then and encourage them and motivate them to get the best out of them. Appraisals helps in identifying the short comings in an employee and the manager can train that particular individual and try to motivate him so that he also performs well. Interpersonal skill also includes the development of leadership quality and also group management skills. Engineers should be trained in these areas also so that they prove that Engineers can also be managers. 3.3 What strategy should FORD follow to teach its engineers? The following strategy either one by one or a mix of all can be taken up by FORD to teach its engineers: Conference The conference training method is a mode of problem solving approach. This method will have a lot of trainee participation. The trainer can make use of different modes like lecture, panel and seminar so that the training session is interesting. Role Playing This is also a method wherein the engineers can be given a role in management and asked to carry out the role. This will teach them the practical ways of how they should react when they are in the field. Case Studies This method of imparting or learning can be adopted for senior personnel. They can be given a real life situation and asked to solve the same. This mode will help the trainee to apply all his knowledge and skills. Mentoring Mentoring is also a good method to teach the trainees. A mentor helps others in their learning by tutoring them(http://www.essortment.com/all/jobstraining_rshn. Htm. Retrieved on 13.05.09). 3.4 Why should Ford follow this strategy? Ford Australia is very keen on developing leadership skill of its human resources including people who are aspirants for senior executive levels. The company is bent upon in translating the knowledge, skills and abilities of employees into effective reflection of themselves in the quality of their products. The well coordinated performance of its workforce brings in commendable financial output in all the departments. The company considers its employees as human assets, and they are decently maintained and protected and also developed with high motivations. This is not an automatic process. The company does not avoid any practical measures to convert the human assets to organizational motivation by deploying and directing them toward the common objective which in turn produces value assets or products. The company is aware that leadership is the quality that focuses and transforms the raw human potential into material results that give satisfaction and gains to all who are involved. Ford Australia always commit to the notion that its employees need to be cultivated through continuous investment. This concept is the basis for the company’s ultimate progress and prosperity. 3.5 Who should impart this type of training? The training should be imparted by the senior managers of the FORD company. Since they are more experienced they will be able to easily guide the engineers in their new posts. 4.1 How should FORD evaluate the training methods? Ford can make use of question answer session to evaluate the training methods. 4.2 Why should it do so? When an employee answers a question he will do it with much concentration. The answers of the trained will tell the trainer as to how much the person has learned and whether that particular mode of training fits him or not. 5.0 Conclusion In conclusion, it is recommended that to assess the development needs of the engineers, question and answer session can be selected by the company. To teach the engineers skills like induction of staff, customer service, leadership, team building etc., and the various methods outlined in the report can be undertaken. 6.0 References 7.0 Bass, Bernard M.. Bass and Stogdills Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, and Managerial Applications. 3rd ed, The Free Press, 1990, 1216pp.  8.0 Goldstein, I.L., Ford, K.J. (2002) Training in Organisations; Needs assessment, development and evaluation. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Thomson Learning. 9.0 Jung. Dong I., Effects of Leadership Style and Followers Cultural Orientation on Performance in Group and Individual Task Conditions. Academy of Management Journal, 04-01-1999  10.0 Morrison, James L, Identity Is Destiny: Leadership and the Roots of Value Creation. Journal of Education for Business; 01-01-2001  11.0 Salton, Gary J. (1996). Organizational Engineering: A new method of creating high performance human structures. Ann Arbor: Professional Communications.  12.0 Salton, Gary J. (2000) Managers Guide to Organizational Engineering. Amherst: HRD Press.  13.0 Soltysik, Robert (2000), Validation of Organizational Engineering Instrumentation and Methodology. Amherst: HRD Press. TeamAnalysis and LeaderAnalysis are trademarks of Professional Communications Inc.  14.0 Stout, D., "Performance Analysis for Training", Niagara Paper Company, Niagara, WI,1995. Read More