Poor Interpersonal Skills - Essay Example

The dilemma I am facing occurred because I placed a young talented employee on a fast track towards a management position without ensuring the person was prepared for all the responsibilities associated with being manager of the accounting department. Some of the qualities that a good manager must possess include excellent interpersonal skills, leadership skills, being a team player, self-motivation, and conflict resolution abilities (Vercillo, 2011). Bethany has superb analytical abilities and accounting knowledge, we are aware of that, but she lacks the interpersonal skills to run the accounting department effectively.

I have to confront Bethany immediately about this issue. Managers are responsible for the performance of the employees of a company (Heizer & Render, 1996). The action plan to deal with the situation is to have a personal meeting with Bethany to address the issue. I must come prepared with evidence of the problem including employee complaints, a periodical evaluation of her performance, and any other source documents to establish a pattern of her inability to communicate effectively. In the meeting I should reiterate to Bethany that the company believes in her abilities as a professional in the accounting field, but that it is imperative for her to improve certain aspects of her behavior at work particularly those associated with her interpersonal abilities.

As a manager Bethany now has more responsibilities and the firm expects more out of her. In the meeting I will tell Bethany that her job is not at risk and that an action is going to be created to remedy the situation. After the initial meeting I will arrange another meeting in two weeks to provide an action plan for Bethany to improve her communication skills. I will seek the assistance of the human resource department in this matter. The human resource department is going to select an appropriate training and development plan for Bethany that will be geared at improving her communication deficiencies.

In order for Bethany to improve her communication skills she must learn to become an active listener. An active listener encourages people to say what they really mean (Shermerhorn & Hunt & Osborn, 2003). The training and development will consist of a combination of methods including in-house training, training performed by external consultants, and online trainings. The training and development will be completed by Bethany in a period of 120 days. Another technique that will be used by the company to improve the skills and abilities of Bethany is to place Bethany on special interdepartmental assignments in which she will be forced to work in team projects.

This type of work exposure will allow Bethany to work with other colleagues in an environment in which she will have to use communication skills constantly. The company will set up five special team projects for Bethany to participate in. In the 21st century team skills have become a critical success factor (Hertenian). Motivating employees is extremely important. Bethany must want to improve herself, otherwise the efforts to fix her communication deficiencies is bound to fail. As the CFO of the firm it is my duty to ensure Bethany is motivated to improve herself as a professional.

References Hertenian, L. Personal and Organizational Correlates of Team Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: How Do Team Players Get That Way. University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Retrieved July 17, 2011 from www.midwestacademy.org/Proceedings/2002/papers/Hartenian.doc Heizer, J., Render, B. (1996). Production and Operations Managers: Strategic and Tactical Decisions. (4th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Schermerhorn, J., Hunt, J., Osborn, R. (2003). Organizational Behavior (8th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Vercillo, K. (2011). 10 Good Traits and Characteristics of a Successful Manager. Retrieved July 17, 2011 from http://hubpages.com/hub/10-Traits-of-a-Successful-Manager