Youth and Community Management - Case Study Example

Youth and Community Management Introduction ‘If you can manage the production of cars, you can manage anything’ The manufacturing process of a car entails a huge number of processes that have to be managed together. Car manufacturing involves assembly of numerous parts that are sourced from quite a number of suppliers and put together by the different concerned department at the assembly station. The company employs thousands of employs. Car manufacturing is deemed to be one of the most complex manufacturing processes that combine the efforts of the number of stakeholders within the production of a single car. The above statement that posits that if one can manage the manufacture of a car, the person is capable of managing almost anything. However, the above statement cannot be said to be universally true. The case for management of cars is a technical one. Organizational set up is quite different between small and large corporations. The management skills and knowhow required for managing a large and complex establishment is quite different in small companies where fewer people and things have to be managed. In this context, the management of youth and community work does not have such large and complex operational procedures at all. This implies that management of youth and community work needs a more emotional set of skills that technical knowhow in management of work oriented towards the social good. The paper is organised as identification of the leadership and management aspects involved in youth and community work followed by a theoretical and critical analysis of the frameworks and skill set required in youth and community work and concluding in an appraisal of the ethical management dilemmas and issues in anti oppressive management within youth and community work. Leadership and Management in youth and community work Leadership is deemed to be important in improving the performance of an organization. Hence the implication is that leadership within social work organizations also becomes equally important. Review of leadership literature might present that management and leadership are almost similar and linked to each other, however, leadership styles in the context of social work tends to be somewhat difficult and different in case of social work than in organizational perspective. Companies can and should necessarily have leaders with autocratic leadership traits such that such leaders take quick actions devoting least time to decision making and happens to be the most knowledgeable in the group. In social work, decisions are a long drawn process where consideration for each factor being affected needs to be considered. Within youth work, the authoritative leadership style leaves the youth with little or no independence to make decisions. The laissez faire leadership allows too much of autonomy and makes the role of a leader quite redundant. Hence, the best leadership style suited to youth and community work is democratic leadership where open discussions are encouraged and comprehensive set of rules and decisions are taken with sound justifications. Each member of the group is held equally responsible for the task and results while mistakes are corrected together (Harrison et al., Leading Work with Young People, 5). It has been observed that our role models for leadership often emerge as leadership heroes who have been capable of solving each problem and overcoming every crisis through their charisma, communication ability and their perception of the right. However, when it comes to social work and youth leadership, such styles do not generally work. In citizen centred processes, leadership needs more compassion and ownership to task. Youth and community work cannot function well under leaders who cannot attain the trust of their subordinates. Leaders try to do the right thing through innovative thinking and development of focus while being oriented towards its people and have an eye for the horizon. Management simply works to correct things to become the right. Social work needs direction but such direction has to come from elimination of turn issues and buying in of everyone into the decision making process. Such leadership calls for either servant leadership or transformational leadership. The leader in the social work context is more of a manager who deals with the problems of the people and tries to seek solutions to it by empowering them with the ability and power to do the same. Transformational leadership seeks to achieve change by providing its people the power to create change through their vision and understanding (Hafford-Letchfield et al., Leadership and Management in Social Care, 38). The above statement that one can manage anything is one can manage car production does not hold true. Leadership and management in the context of social work seek more involvement than plain direction. It requires compassion and understanding than sharing of vision to create change. Charismatic and transactional leadership work in the organizational context and servant and transformational leadership function within youth and social work. Key components of effective people and service management People form the most essential component for any organization and therefore it becomes important to draw the best out of such resources so that projects can be successful. Youth and community management requires a different set of managerial skills other than those required in managing organizations. The diversity in culture in community work is the main premise for developing effective management skills that can help to manage complex situations and ensure effective management in social work. According to the national Occupational Standards, effective management of people and service management require managers to provide leadership to their team, check and allocate work within team members, selection, recruitment and sustenance of the colleagues and providing enough support to workers. Leadership provides work related as well as efficient attainment of task related guidance to subordinates. Proper checks and appropriate allocation of work among team members assigns a sense of responsibility and accountability among the members which is essential for team motivation and group task attainment. Proper team selection and recruitment of qualified and suitable staff is necessary to eliminate any issues that might arise in inappropriate assignment of tasks of insufficient selection of group members. Support is important for new incumbents to get acquainted with the surroundings and for other staff to get along smoothly with their work. The important tasks for people managers involve doing only those tasks that shall guide to success. The managers have to make sure that the work environment which might be culturally diverse, is well organized and efficiently manager and each member of the organization or the staff is aware and understands his role within the organizational set up. The manager is to also make sure that each staff is empowered and supported for managing risk effectively and such risk management gets enough and appropriate supervision for success. Additionally, when times are unfavourable, the people managers have to make sure that people do not feel burdened by changes in their work or roles. This also invites an additional responsibility of assuring that conflicts are managed well if task assignments get unacceptable. People managers have to understand that clarity of roles and responsibilities is most essential for sustenance of people within their jobs. Additionally, it is also important to make sure that subordinates and staff have some authority and control over their jobs which also provides them with a sense of competence. This also brings in the additional responsibility of being accountable for what they do. Control, competence and accountability together seek rewards and recognition for accomplishment such that the staff is always motivated (Hafford-Letchfield, Management and Organisations in Social Work, 52). In case of social work and youth management people also need motivation for performing tasks that are meant for public good, control over their tasks which also brings in responsibility for their roles played in relation to the societal work. Helping the charitable trust involves responsibility of putting the money or materials to appropriate use and also making sure that the goods provided are not damaged or harmful. Also charity must be appreciated so that people are motivated to work further. Theoretical approaches to management of people and services Supervision is defined as the construction of individual learning plans for the staff by their managers in the organizational context. The systematic way in which supervision is implemented within organizations is known as a supervision model. The three basic types of supervision models are development models, function models and stages model. Within developmental model, the concept of supervision, the supervisees undergo a four stage process of supervisions The first stage is characterised by the self centred level where the supervisor develops a mechanism for supervising through self analysis of approaches and his personal skills. The second level is client centred where the supervisors direct supervisees and might also seek help from his supervisor in such attempts. The third level is process centred where the supervisees receive supervision on the management and implementation of various processes and display continuous motivation for supervision. The fourth level is process in context centred where the process in consideration is analysed and supervision changes at any level of this process can be initiated and given. The developmental model can be too rigid and it is important to note that in matters of social service, it is more important to match the supervisor and the supervisee relationship through the model. Hence the model needs due consideration of individual needs and supervision style prior to establishing levels of supervision (Hawkins & Shohet, Supervision in the Helping Professions. 4th ed., 2012) The Kadushin’s functional model has identified 3 functions within the supervision role. These have been identified as Education, Managerial and supportive. The education function seeks to develop every worker to the fullest of his capabilities through educational development. The managerial function seeks to promote good maintenance of work standards through coordination of procedures and policies and efficient running of the workplace. The supportive function requires harmonious relationship maintenance. The model seeks to develop an environment for social work where people are enabled to work for change and work together in harmonious relationships. Strategies and Responsibilities of Effective Managers The relationship between the management of the company and the leadership is one that has an inbuilt paradox of being overlapping in nature. Management is primarily associated with planning and organisation of activities while leadership is associated with creation, adaptation and planning for change. For the purpose of effective management of youth and community work, it becomes essential to recognise that management has to have elements of leadership in order to attain and manage tasks and goals effectively. It has been argued that leaders cannot be made but are born to become one. It is also said that characteristics of leader like charisma, vision, interpersonal skill, integrity and selflessness but other important and more functional traits like operational skills, knowledge and communication ability can be gained through teaching and experience (Anning et al., Developing Multi-professional Teamwork for Integrated Children’s Services., 60). Management should also undertake a planned approach to organize the available resources, coordinate different activities and control the process as well as the outcome in order to gain the desired results is a systematic manner. Leaders and managers have to have the following strategies and responsibilities in order to manage the changes that are caused by external and internal agents during any activity or task undertaken by them. 1. Identification of the urgency and the needs associated with the process of change. 2. Proper selection, recruitment and designation of team or change agents for the designated task of change. 3. Devising and developing an appropriate vision statement that shall serve as the outcome of the undertaking change process. 4. Involving in proper communication of the objective of desired change to the team members and associated parties with utmost clarity and precision. 5. Providing enough authority to the members of the team who act as agents of change in order to facilitate the process of change. 6. Making short term targets for systematic achievement of the long term goal 7. Employing a proper reward mechanism to acknowledge good work and also providing motivation to the members of the team 8. Establishing a systematic controlling and monitoring framework to institutionalise the members of the organization. Youth and community work involves each stage and such steps are common to both organizations as well as social work. Community work requires a synchronised activity towards the attainment of the final goal which desires proper organising, planning, selection of group, goal determination, effective communication, power exchanges for attainment of designated tasks, rewards and motivation framework and control management in order to attain the end result. Leader to this process also act as managers of the team who work in mutual consensus and extensive discussion for the greater societal good. Key Skills for Effective Management The process of globalisation and liberalisation has brought about societal changes that have evolved over the years and increased the complexity and concern for social issues and global matters. This in turn has resulted in an increase in the demand for community work oriented organizations and leaders and managers that are directed towards social work. Additionally, the youth has become more aware of the global scenario and this has brought about a global perspective to the management of the youth population. Hence there has been a specific set of skills that are required of people managers who are engaged in the leadership and management of youth and staff oriented towards social work. Motivation: The key driver for continued and efficient work after compensation is motivation. Motivated workforce tends to perform more efficiently than the ones who lack it. Youth are excited at the initial stages of the task and it seems to wane out after some point in time. People managers have to make sure that such motivation is persistent through communication, rewards and public appreciations in order to keep them going. Ethics and Values: maintenance of ethical standards and accountability are deemed to be the most critical components of management skills with regards to social and community work. Youth and community management desire high maintenance of ethical standards in the absence of which the entire purpose of community work gets absolved. Feedback: Feedback for task done forms a critical component of appraisals. It is as necessary to communicate the evaluation of work done as it is to evaluate. Performance for future work can be enhanced only after due checks are made of the work done and errors are rectified. Youth and Adult Development: development of the youth and adult encompasses the essentials of creating awareness to work towards the community, the need for involvement of young thought in community work and the appreciation of cultural diversity and differences in social work. Risk Management: Managers are expected to have good knowledge of basic regulations and laws and also the ability to manage risk and crisis to be rated as highly successful managers. Figure 1: Key Management Skills Strategic thinking: managers have to look at the bigger picture rather than concentrating on days’ performance. This calls for review of systems, processes and encouragement for innovation in work. Collaboration: People managers have to overcome four barriers to communication which are distance from subordinates, dominance in terms of changes in the importance of roles, discomfort in working for the good of others and Dissonance is procedures and systems that might come in the way of collaboration. Emotional Intelligence: managers have to work with empathy, trust, optimism and act as a source of energy for better management of relationships with the group. Managers have to appreciate the resilience is the key to effective leadership and comes in to be extremely useful in times of stress and trouble. Communication: Bosses who are unable to communicate their thoughts and motives clearly emerge as failures in attainment of desired objectives. Communication is also necessary to enable proper motivation and leadership action. Diversity Awareness: The people managers have to appreciate the diversity in community and youth management in terms of culture, caste, creed and sex. Such diversity is the root for major issues at times. It is important for managers to appreciate and understand the values of such cultural differences and also be aware of them so as to align his motives and though in collaboration and consideration of the difference within the teams (Gray et al., Effective Leadership, Management and Supervision in Health and Social Care, 75). Issues and problems Youth and Community work Issues in Developing: youth work has resulted in reduced relationships, classroom service for students is a youth work that is so pressurized by the targets of results, syllabus, projects and checking that teachers can hardly find any time to communicate with the students and hence the development of youth service is halted. The study of management has become a tool for access of those who have the power to get the education. However, this has deprived the main purpose of strengthening the market with potential managers has been reduced down to easily identifiable terms of packages. Issues in Delivering: One of the more critical problems associated with youth work is improper goal setting and clarity in tasks. This also speaks of problems in communication of short term and long term goals. The government intervention in social and youth work leads to a more generalised structure for goals that has to go through a lot of bureaucratic formalities. This delays attainment of objectives and often leads to misguided tasks and blurring of ultimate objectives. Informal education by the youth, for example, shall have to comply with a series of government specification in terms of location, manner of imparting education, qualification of youth and age constraints. This hampers the specification in goal setting for the impartment of informal education by youth (Ord, Critical Issues in Youth Work Management, 43). Issues in Resourcing: Community and youth work also often face shortages in funding and finance to carry out their desired task which hampers the development of the activity. People who want to get involved in youth work often do not get adequate compensation. The need for money often drives away potential social workers from doing social work. Hence resources constraints also come in the form of shortage of work staff. Issues in Monitoring: Youth work does not get proper accreditations that might allow for proper monitoring for example reduction of tension among the youth is a service targeted for the youth community but since it is not provided with accreditation, the service projects get marked down and go unmonitored (Infed, “Transforming youth work - resourcing excellent youth services”). Such hindrances like shortage of finance cannot come from bank loans. People who want to work need money for giving their time and effort. Social work does not provide compensation as high as the corporate. Government interferences cannot be replaced by compliances in matters concerning public delivery of service. Hence managing cars is much different from management of social work. Theories and dilemmas of ethical management Ethical management is defined as a dynamic process wherein individuals and group values play a significant and often and unappreciated role. The NHS leadership framework talks about personal integrity maintenance where personal integrity is a strong sense of personal commitment towards open attitude, honest behaviour, inclusiveness and maintenance of high standards while undertaking a role in leadership. Ethical dilemma is simply a mental conflict between the moral imperatives. Such a conflict arises when one moral thought of not stealing contradicts with the other moral though of caring for the family that is hungry and one cannot feed them without money. Ethical dilemmas are caused by pressures that managers experience for performance and success of company. Such pressures come from the management in the form of achievement of profits by employing immoral measures, the ambition to achieve higher goals and as a tactics for negotiating best deals (Hoggarth, A Practical Guide to Outcome Evaluation, 89). The principal of utilitarianism in ethics states that any action taken is ethical only if it produces the most goods and harms the least among those who are affected by such decisions. It states that ethical judgements are based on a cost benefit analysis where the manager puts focus on the results and not the measure of result attainment. The core assumption is that the end result shall in turn justify the mode selected. Ethical decisions need proper consideration on impact of one’s actions on others. For example, the top management should consider the impact of their decisions on their stakeholders while the production manager has to focus on the impact of his operational decisions on the suppliers, working staff and the end customer. The identification of ethical issues calls for suggestions and though on the alternative measures or alternative actions that can be taken in order to eliminate the unethical practice. It is argued that since most companies do not provide adequate training on ethics, it becomes difficult to think alternative courses. And so a fair minded thought is desired to evaluate the best possible way out of the ethical dilemma. Here in terms of youth and community work, the ethics of care comes into play where a morally correct action that cares for most individuals is involved. Such theories sometimes talk about affirmative action where special and prejudiced relationships might not work for the larger good but for the good of a disadvantaged section of the society (Banks et al., Managing Community Practice 2nd Ed, 99). Managing people and services in an anti-oppressive way Anti oppressive practice came to the forefront in the light of providing some challenge to inequality. Such a challenge might be painful to the group which is being challenged but it is important to be aware of the affects of communication, social standing and group association to the individual. As per Burke and Harrison, the set of challenges faced by people who desire to work in an anti oppressive manner: Black women have been discriminated within the NHS as per research. They have been deployed in performing the ancillary tasks and main jobs were restricted to the white. They also had limitations in career opportunities and training programs. Such racial discrimination is often a part of groups oriented towards social work who want to eliminate such problems within their teams. People oriented towards anti oppressive practice want to involve views of the oppressed within the group. Their challenges come through retaliation and resistance to changes in practice. Oppressed people are viewed differently and have to be provided with special benefits and right that is often unacceptable for the non oppressed section because such attempts might leave them with lesser benefits and opportunities. Reservations for backward classes are often met by challenges and retaliation in countries who want to provide benefits to the oppressed. Such a practice within community and youth management might also seek frequent changes in strategies and involvement of multidimensional schemes for the greater good. Power of people might also be challenged through special benefits allowed to the oppressed section (Lambley, Proactive Management in Social Work Practice, 86). The anti oppressive approach towards ethnic diversity and differences shall come forth with the acknowledgement of the impact of racism within groups and teams. The second step shall seek challenges to the existing practice in planning, recruitments, staffing and selection of individuals. The end result sought is difference in the persisting racist and ethnic discriminatory practice (The Open University, “Diversity and difference in communication”). Conclusion To conclude, the difference in management of corporations and groups and organizations involved in youth and community work comes from the involvement of the types of people within the task. In case of organizations, tasks are meant for the satisfying the needs of the people by way of producing goods and services. The case might be similar for social work organisations as well. However, the difference lies in the motives, corporations work for the motive of profit while social work and youth and community organizations work for the general welfare and greater good of the society. Both types of management have to deal with issues like cultural differences, compliances, strategies and goal attainment issues but in case of corporations, leadership is task oriented while in case of community work leadership is more collaborative and involves empathy. Reference List Anning, A., Cotterell, D., Frost, N., Green, J., Robinson, M. Developing Multi-professional Teamwork for Integrated Children’s Services. (Maidenhead: Open University Press/McGraw Hill, 2006) Banks, S., Butcher, H., Orton, A., Robertson, J. Managing Community Practice 2nd Ed. (Bristol: The Policy Press, 2013). Gray, I., Field, R., Brown, K. Effective Leadership, Management and Supervision in Health and Social Care. (Exeter: Learning Matters, 2010) Hafford-Letchfield, T. Management and Organisations in Social Work. (Exeter: Learning Matters, 2009) Hafford-Letchfield, T., Leonard, K., Begum, N., Chick, N. Leadership and Management in Social Care. (London: Sage, 2009) Harrison, R., Benjamin, C., Curran, S., Hunter, R. Leading Work with Young People. (Milton Keynes: Open University Press/Sage, 2007) Hawkins, P., Shohet, R. Supervision in the Helping Professions. 4th ed. (Maidenhead: Open University Press/ McGraw-Hill, 2012) Hoggarth, L. A Practical Guide to Outcome Evaluation. (London: Jessica Kingsley, 2010). Infed, 2002. Transforming youth work - resourcing excellent youth services. A critique. Lambley, S. Proactive Management in Social Work Practice. (Exeter: Learning Matters, 2009). Ord, J. Critical Issues in Youth Work Management. (London: Routledge, 2012) The Open University, 2011. Diversity and difference in communication. Read More