Roles and Responsibilities of Leaders - Literature review Example

Community care setting critical discussion Name Institution Introduction Management and leadership are two aspects that have come to the foreground of many studies since earlier times. There are a number of theories that explain management and leadership. For instance, frameworks such as contingency theory, characteristic theory and conditional theory explain the concept of leadership and management[Mar01]. Studies have also focused on the relationship between good and bad leadership and its effect on the organization performance. The role of management in an organization is complex, and while leaders in organizations adopt leadership from a different perspective, it explains the difference in employee motivation, culture, and performance[Dos08]. The leader uses different approaches in exercising their mandates, and some of the examples include autocratic, democratic and bureaucratic. A study by Fry (2003) explains the manner in which leader’s activities while executing their mandates affects employee association and performance. Employees are satisfied when the management exercises good management skills. Some of the management skills that have been identified as favorable for positive employee engagement include collaboration, promotions and acknowledgment, monetary incentives such as bonuses and good communication. Another study by Allen et al. (2005) attempted to explain the motivators of employee performance. According to the authors, employees work optimally if they function in a favorable condition. The favorable working environment is characterized by fostering positive employee attitudes, cultivating an efficient working environment and facilitating of proper employee behaviors. The management style adopted in a particular organization can be a factor of these factors. The ability of an employee to be committed to a company and their jobs depend on their level of satisfaction, their kind of supervisors available and opportunities for career development. According to the author, employees that are efficiently managed are likely to present positive reviews concerning their job satisfaction levels and employee turnover. On the contrary, those who perceive their managers as poor and ineffective score poorly in job satisfaction levels, organizational commitment and performance. Managers/Leaders roles and responsibilities Effective managerial performance cannot be effective without getting everyone involved in the process. Having engaged and informed leaders, managers and employees is a recipe for a good working relationship and achievement of high participation rates for quality performance management. One rule of the thumb for managing people is initiating clear communication to everyone of what their responsibilities and roles pertain. The role of a manager is to reinforce strong performance in their employees. They are also tasked with identifying and encouraging improvement when necessary. Performance in the eyes of management should be viewed as a multiple discussion that is continuous throughout. Subjects should not be astonished by the response or relating pertaining their official performance in their jobs. The role of the professional leader or manager include but not limited to[Dos08]: Management of the overall organization Just as the name suggest, managers are tasked with management roles. Every professional manager should acquaint himself with the different management needs of different generations of those below them and deliver appropriately. Employees from different generations may exhibit different needs. For instance, those from millennial generation have different needs than those from other generations. They require constant feedback and recognition in addition to opportunities for career advancement. Workers outside this generation have different needs and learning their motivators could be a big difference in managing them properly or not. In the same way, a professional manager is expected to improve the management and management skills of those under them. For instance, a regional manager overseeing branch and line managers in big organizations require solid management and motivational skills[Don13]. Coaching abilities to foster communication The professional manager should be in a position to coach and motivate in a two-way approach to foster communication and reinforce the desired behavior. Coaching should be directive or non-directive. For example, a manager should coach to focus on specific aspects of employee’s management or provide employees with overall information concerning any aspect. In all these processes, the subjects should be advised ahead of time on what the professional requires discussing. The focus should also be shifted towards describing the expectations of desired behavior instead of the gaps existing within the framework. With respect to performance, focusing on the gaps is not as effective as describing the ideal situation. The responsibility of a professional manager is to understand why the situation is the way it is e.g. performance and take ownership and take ownership of the situation to improve performance. Support of professional and career development of others while making them accountable for it Professional managers not only support others through career advancement but also identify areas of improvement and resources at their disposal. Managers should ensure that each employee understands their job definitions and responsibilities as well as the key competencies and skills they ought to possess in order to advance in their careers. Further, followers need the time and suppleness to commence, end and support their development. Finally, the skills and competencies adopted should have an impact on performance. This is an evaluation role that the manager need to undertake[Jos07]. Oversee day to day activities by delivering positive and constructive feedback One of the important roles of professional managers is overseeing the day to day activities of those managed. In doing so, they should deliver regular and constructive feedback that guide the followers in their regular functions. By giving employees feedback on one-on-one sessions and informally as possible, they gain confidence in the manager. Second, commenting on employees in front of their peers raise their self-esteem and performance. Managers should make performance notes about each employee in periodic conversations so as they have concrete examples to share and motivate others. While doing this, managers should note that the goal is to facilitate positive behavior rather than dwelling on undesired behavior. Manager makes known of the organization rules, regulations, and standards Managers have a role of communicating the organizations standards and expectations to employees. The communicate helps employees differentiate between what is desired and unacceptable, resultantly reducing misunderstandings and coalitions. Managers are also tasked with gathering information from multiple sourcing and benchmarking them against organizational standards. They may do so using a 360-degree feedback mechanism to collect and validate their observations[Dul13]. Constant evaluation and review of employees Professional managers have a role of reviewing the progress, growth and development of the subjects with respect to organizational requirements. For example, lack of exhaustive employee performance review portrays little or no recognition. Such activity may delay any pay or performance related bonus creating discontent. Professional managers are also expected to be leaders. Leaders require a mix of qualities to properly execute their mandate and develop strategies that will change the world. The 21st century challenges require a new breed of management styles that are effective and sustainable. Leadership initiative, implementation and evaluation for impact on client care This leadership initiative involves health promotion in the community. The goal of this project is to deliberate on the leadership functions as applied in the management of a health promotion community project. Cardiovascular diseases is a major health issues in the community. Being one of the health issues affecting many people in the community, especially the elderly, this project seeks to document the leadership approaches for the frameworks, techniques and approaches put in place to detect, treat and manage cardiovascular diseases. The leadership approach accorded to this project differs in a big way in determining its success of failure probability. While some theories claim that a leader is born and hence can lead and manage any project that comes before them, the contrary is true as some literatures claim that leaders are made. The Great man theory is one such approach that is founded in behavior of the leader and claims that actions matter more than the internal qualities of a leader. Although the leadership model was more common in the 1950s, current theories of leadership belief that great leaders can be mentored by training. On the other hand, managing a project may involve setting the frameworks and establishing boundaries and activities that shape its success. The initiative involves a community project intended to increase awareness for cardiovascular diseases in the community. The project involves using strategies such as educational programs to disseminate information regarding the signs of the disease, prevention measures, risk factors and overall management. The project takes the form of a community health promotion program. Using such structures as pamphlets, the program will be spread throughout the community. Pamphlets will be availed to those various strategic areas in the community with a high population of people. For instance, it will be availed in schools, hospitals, and shopping areas. Through pamphlets, the population is invited to attend sensitization meeting at community halls where volunteer health experts will assist them. These activities demand some level leadership. The project should be organized and actions planned so that those affected by the disease are helped by health professionals. Through conjunction with hospitals and health facilities in the vicinity, the victims are arranged to receive medical attention and care. A project leader is elected. The project leader will be responsible for marshaling support from partners, health care professionals and community leaders. Apart from getting all the participants in the project, the bulk of the task is coordinating all the functions related with this project. The project manager will appoint representatives to assist in the execution of the task. However, the overall management of the project lies with the project manager. The leadership style that is appropriate is that of collaboration and opinion seeking. Since there is no standard framework to define how the activities will be conducted, input from every stakeholder need to be considered. The victims of cardiovascular diseases will have their say in describing their experiences with the condition. Health professionals such as nurses and physicians willing to volunteer to the project will be enrolled and their opinion counted. The leadership of the project will be evaluated on a regular basis. Basically, the leadership approach accorded will reflect the success or the failure of the project. The project is evaluated based the improvement of the health status of the community. The leadership will define the project aims during the inception stage. The milestones to be achieved to flag the project as successful and effective will be known. During periodic assessments and evaluations, the milestones will form the benchmark for success or not. For instance, the variables that will be considered include: The number of citizens enrolling to the program. Large number of citizens and high retention rates will be recorded when the leadership of the project is not questionable The project will be supported by corporate institutions in the community. The relationship between the leader of the project and corporate entities will be a factor of their increased engagement in the project. High levels of accountability especially with finances is required. The participation of hospitals and health facilities both private and public Health facility data on diagnosis, mortality and morbidity rates and if any increase or decrease is notable The attitude of collaborators in the project such as nurses and doctors. Health professionals are likely to be committed to the project if there is transparent and result-oriented management and leadership. Given that they are offering their services for free, the leadership approach will be critical to their continued engagement The input of a leader determines the dissemination of health activities. The management of victims of cardiovascular conditions in a community level is an intensive activity that requires a great deal of effort. As a leader and manager, the leadership approach utilized should be in tandem with the requirements of the various stakeholder. The whole population requires information on how to detect the signs and symptoms, seek appropriate advice and be engaged in preventive and management activities. The skills that define good leadership such as good communication, encouragement for collaboration, critical thinking and analytical skills and good attitudes are mandatory to manage the wide spectrum of stakeholders. References List Mar01: , (Marian N. R., 2001), Dos08: , (Dosen, 2008), Don13: , (Donaldson, 2013), Jos07: , (Joshua, 2007), Dul13: , (Dulewicz, 2013), Read More