Understanding the Management Role to Improve Managerial Performance - Revive - Assignment Example

cover sheet Every assessment must be authenticated as the work of the d learner. This is a regulatory requirement, so to support centres we recommended that this cover sheet should accompany every assessment submission- for both assessments being carried out by the centre or through the ILM Assessment service (ILMA). While using this cover sheet is not mandatory learners must, in some way, make the declaration of authenticity using the statement below. Any submission that does not carry this statement cannot be verified. Centre name GMCVO Centre number Learner name Patience Okekearu Learner registration number Unit(s) covered in this submission Understanding the Management Role to Improve Managerial Performance Date submitted Statement of confirmation of authenticity By the act of making this submission, the learner declares that this is the work of the learner named above. The work has not, in whole or in part, been knowingly presented elsewhere for assessment, or where assessment has been built on a previous assessment, this has been identified. Where materials have been used from other sources it has been properly acknowledged. If this statement is untrue, the learner acknowledges that an assessment offence has been committed. Attention is drawn to the plagiarism and cheating policies of both the centre and of ILM. Plagiarism can result in a learner being withdrawn from a qualification. Permission for ILM to use this script ILM uses learners’ submissions – on an anonymous basis – for assessment standardisation. By submitting, both the centre and the learner agree that ILM may use this script on condition that identifying information is removed. However, if you are unwilling to allow ILM use this script, please refuse by ticking the box: □ ILM Level 4 Award in Leadership and Management Understanding the Management Role to Improve Managerial Performance Work Based Assignment Candidate Name: Patience Okekearu Date Submitted: Contents Page Introduction Learning Outcome 1 Understand the specific responsibilities of middle managers in enabling an organisation to achieve its goals Learning Outcome 2 Understand how communication and interpersonal skills affect managerial performance in the workplace Learning Outcome 3 Be able to assess personal development opportunities to improve own managerial performance References Bibliography Appendices Introduction Mission “To accompany and support refugees and asylum seekers in a way that is informed by Christian values of compassion, equality and respect for human dignity. To walk beside them in their difficulties, irrespective of race, ethnicity, age, gender, or religious belief” Company profile Revive is a charitable organisation that was established in 2002, as a project of the Spiritians. The service provides practical support to refugees and those seeking asylum, many of whom have complex lives and multiple needs. The organisation is made up of a manager, a volunteer coordinator, an immigration advisor, two social workers, social work students and volunteers. Service users are offered detailed case work and a network of other activities, including weekly drop-in sessions and enrichment projects, which aim to support an individual move from crisis to self-help and self-advocacy. The case work is undertaken, through outreach work, by social workers and social work students, immigration advisor supporting those whose needs cannot be met through attending the weekly drop-in sessions. Initial assessments and risk assessments, when necessary, are undertaken, support plans are then developed between the service user and the team. The author is a Middle level Manager as well as volunteer coordinator at the office of Revive. The author is responsible for managing 43 volunteers along with day to day operations of the organisation. The charity supports marginalised and oppressed group of individuals. The organisation undertakes a therapeutic approach towards problems as explained by its clients and emphasize on resolving it by relationship building. The immigration advisor of Revive is compassionate towards refugees and asylum seekers and has sufficient knowledge regarding management of the same. Moreover, through its social workers the company offers Immigration and other Social services. Revive also runs enrichment and support projects for many of our more vulnerable service users. Many individuals that are supported by Revive are physically and or mentally affected from their past experiences which are often exacerbated by the difficulties they face in securing international protection within the UK. Our core aim is to provide effective support, that is free to all, for individuals through their asylum claims, provide social work support to those in need to help improve their mental and social wellbeing and to empower individuals in becoming successfully integrated into local communities. Learning Outcome/Section 1 - Understand the specific responsibilities of middle managers in enabling an organisation to achieve its goals AC 1.1 Describe the goals and objectives of your organisation Revive’s aims/goals are Organisational goals The goals of an organisation are defined as the desired state of affairs that the organisation plans to achieve in the near future. The goals have high business value in the organisation. Well-defined goals differentiate between success and failure of the organisation. It adds direction to collective effort of the organisation and acts as a source of motivation. Well-defined goals help in achieving high degree of commitment among the members (Davidson, Wood and Griffin, 2009). The organisational goals of Revive are explained below: To provide emotional and practical support, specialised casework, advocacy to refugees and people seeking asylum. Provide social work support to those in need to help improve their mental and social wellbeing, in particular support people who are impacted by and have suffered trauma in their home countries. Provide immigration advice to our service user as a path to community integration. Family reunion – With all the cuts in legal aids to migrants, Revive is committed through our immigration advice section to continue to facilitate a family reunion for our refugees as soon as they get their status. To create awareness and to campaign against discriminatory policies and legislations faced by refugees and asylum seekers. To empower and improve the confidence of our service users, through the use of enrichment projects, such as the women’s group, allotment project and the campaign / advocacy programme. To empower individuals in becoming successfully integrated into local communities. To assist in accessing housing, medical care, financial support, legal representation, and education. To effect change of personal circumstances - that allows people to better participate in society and community life. Community integration – through reciprocal generosity, volunteering and involvement in the project. Social exclusion – working with those on the margins of society with the least access to services. SMART Objectives The main goals or aims of the company is to improve quality of life of the service-takers of Revive and to provide them quality housing that are affordable. The short term and long term objectives of Revive can be better explained using the SMART technique. SMART technique explains that the goals of an organisation should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. In this regard, it is important to mention that the objectives of Revive should align with its overall goals. In spite of generalised goals of the organisation, the objectives should be specific, measurable, realistic, achievable and defined within a timeframe. The likelihood of achieving a project increases as the objectives are defined using SMART technique. SMART objectives are focused on the organisational goals; provide efficient planning and effective measure of performance. The rationally behind employing SMART objectives is to help Revive in identifying the main elements of planning and performance measurement. Since these objectives quantify the goals of the organisation, it is easy to evaluate the accomplishments of the organisation. SMART technique provide blueprint of the activities which the organisation can consult from time to time so that its objectives adheres to the long-term goals of the organisation. In the following section, the objectives of Revive has been discussed which the organisation is planning to achieve within a specific timeframe (Davidson, Wood and Griffin, 2009). Short term objectives The organisation is planning to build around 500 new houses in the Manchester area within a period of 12 months. Since these houses are meant for refugees and oppressed section of the society, affordability is an important constraint in this regard. Revive will ensure that these houses are within affordable range and the price complies with the government guidelines of xxx for year 2012. The other objectives of the organisation include renovation of around 1000 existing social housing properties that has already been allocated in the Manchester area. Post renovation, the organisation aims at populating these properties with tenants, having immediate housing requirements. The timeframe for this project is also 12 months. Long term Objectives To provide services to at least 70% of refugees and asylum seekers through proper guidance and information to enable them to deal with emotional, practical needs and technical guidance to live in the UK Revive will by 2016 engage with local authorities and stakeholders through advocacies, campaigns and sensitization to influence positively at least 50% of the key policies and procedures that hinders or militate against the successful integration of refugees and asylum seekers. The aim being to at least sensitize the policy makers and public on the difficulties and challenges these policies and procedures cause to refugees and asylum seekers To increase by at least 20% (based on number of cases received) number of families reunited through the family reunion service of Revive. To provide services at short, medium and long term to at least 60% of refugees and asylum seekers that visit Revive and help at least 20% of service users through training, integration into local communities, encouraging others to become less dependent on the system and be productive, once status is granted. To ensure that the Revive Action Group visits at least 50 schools to sensitise, educate and raise awareness about refugees and asylum seekers through the use of drama by the end of December 2016. To ensure the enrichment projects within Revive would empower and equip at least 70% of our service users who have enrolled with the skills to enable them integrate smoothly into the society by end November 2016. To train staff and at least 30 volunteers adequately by the end of 2016 to be skilfully equipped to deal with increasing needs of Revive clients The above mentioned objectives are well-defined, specific, time-bound, attainable and highly realistic in nature. These will improve effectiveness of the operations the organisation undertakes to achieve these objectives. AC 1.2 Evaluate the specific responsibilities of middle managers in enabling your organisation to achieve its goals Managers at all level of management and departments, perform four primary tasks, irrespective of the nature of the organisation. These tasks are, planning, organising, leading and controlling. In planning process, the manager is responsible for selecting appropriate goals and respective course of action for achieving these goals. The managers are responsible for determining the strategies related to resource allocation and management. Organising helps in defining working relationships structure within the organisation. Through this structure, members co-ordinate and interact with each other for achieving organisational goals. As a part of organising, managers are responsible for defining line of authority and chain of command. The process of organising causes formation of organisation structure. It is a formal system that coordinates task and reporting activities among members. Leading or directing is an important component of an organisation as in absence of directions and leadership, confusion and ambiguity develops in activities. Through controlling, managers ensure that goals are achieved within a given timeframe and quality of operations is maintained. In an organisation, there are mainly three types of managers who handle various activities at different level of management. They are: line managers, middle managers and senior managers. In context of the paper, the middle managers are mainly responsible for applying optimum way to organise and utilise human as well as other resources. The middle managers are responsible for balancing skills of employees and know-how, for improving effectiveness and efficiency of the functions. Revive operates as a project of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit Provincial Administration and as such derives its legal status and executive control through the organization. The Congregation of the Holy Spirit are thus the trustees of Revive. The trustees appoint members of an Advisory Committee who oversee the work of Revive. The Advisory committee is responsible for direction and planning of Revive’s objectives and goals. The direction is discussed and jointly collaborated with the Manager (Senior Manager) of Revive when appropriate. The daily operational running and management of Revive’s activities is managed by an onsite Manager (Senior Manager), a volunteer coordinator (Middle Manager), Social works Coordinator (Middle Manager), an Immigration Advisor (Middle Manager), students and volunteers. Management and Staffing Structure for Revive Project  . As the Volunteer Coordinator of Revive, I have overall responsibility for actively promoting all aspects of volunteering, including coordinating, offering supervision, support and professional development, drawing up policies and system strengthening at Revive. Leading and managing a pool of 35 active volunteers, it is important that we comply with the Law and policies around recruiting and motivating volunteers, as well as ensuring DBS checks are carried out, as most of our service users are children and vulnerable adults. Being the middle manager of the organisation it will be my responsibility to develop a plan to achieve the short-term and long-term plans of the organisation. From time to time, I have to discuss progress of the activities the social workers and volunteers are pursuing. It will be under my purview and supervision that the refugees and others are provided sufficient local information. As middle manager of Revive, resource allocation and employee management will be under my supervision. Learning Outcome /Section 2 - Understand how communication and interpersonal skills affect managerial performance in the workplace AC 2.1 Evaluate how interpersonal and communication skills affect managerial performance. Interpersonal communication skills are of paramount importance in an organisation. Communication skills are defined as the ability of individuals to share and exchange meaningful information among themselves, which is understandable to the other person. Communication can be classified as verbal and non-verbal mode of communication. Verbal communication can be further categorised as oral and written communication while non-verbal communication is to express one’s thoughts through body language and facial expressions. Each type of communication is important from organisational perspective and has respective merits and demerits. Oral communication is flexible and adaptive in nature. It is the easiest method of commanding attention. Oral communication methods such as conversation, speeches, telephonic conversation and video conferences, are vivid and stimulate enthusiasm and motivation among individuals. On the other hand, written communication is more formal in nature and is expressed through letters, mails, memos, reports and fax. Written communication methods are generally less effective compared to oral communication method. The non-verbal communication methods such as gestures, body language, postures and facial expressions along with oral communication are considered most effective communication method in an organisation. According to the communication theory, there are 7 Cs of communication: Clear, Concise, Concrete, Correct, Coherent, Complete and Courteous, which affect communication system of an organisation (Bambacas and Patrickson, 2008). Interpersonal communication is highly influenced by individual perception and expectation. It is also influenced by various environmental, cultural and psychological factors that affect interpretation of information. Thus, success of communication depends mainly on ability of the sender to encode the message in such a way that it influences the perception of receiver and convince them the meaning of the original message. However, the receiver’s interpretation frequently deviates from true meaning of the message. To understand and deliver the actual meaning of the message and protect it from distortion, it is important to have extensive knowledge of perceptual process and right blend of verbal and non-verbal communication techniques. Thus, managerial performance is greatly affected by interpersonal communication skill. In this regard, it is important to note that open and two way communications between managers and employees foster stronger work relationships. Interpersonal communication skills also help in reducing organisational conflicts and complexities. However, there are certain barriers to interpersonal communication barriers such as, cultural differences, semantic barriers, mindsets and perception and leadership skills (Hargie, 2010). Outline will consider the following: How interpersonal and communication skills within the context of emotional intelligence guides the Manager to: Regular supervise/appraise volunteers and management  Support staff and volunteers with clear instructions lead without ruling the staff and volunteers ability to address volunteer poor conducts/performance charismatic and approachable leadership good listening skills to ensure understanding effectively managing emotions to ensure reporting lines are not made to be apprehensive high level of tolerance to manage challenges and inadequacies of volunteers who come from diverse background with varying temperaments giving positive or constructive feedback AC 2.2 Evaluate strategies to overcome barriers to effective managerial communication and interpersonal skills. The major challenges or barriers in interpersonal communication and managerial skills are misinterpretation of the coded message, difference in perceive values and culture, language barrier, leadership skills and noise. The barriers and the relevant resolving strategies have been explained as follows: Message misinterpretation: An unclear message frequently results in ambiguous interpretation and miscommunication of information. Misinterpretation can occur from verbal as well as non-verbal communication. Within an organizational setup, it is possible for individuals to misunderstand body language of the sender. Such issues can be resolved by setting a semi-formal structure of communication within the organization. Employees should be encouraged to practice common body languages that comply with organizational behavior. Cultural difference: In global organizational framework, cultural difference is very common and often results in organizational dispute. In a multi-cultural environment, individuals get defensive about their own culture and cause disruptive behavior. Cross-cultural training is one of the effective methods of mitigating cultural difference as communication barrier. Leadership skill: In interpersonal communication, leadership style can often prove to be a reason of communication barrier in an organization. For instance, in autocratic leadership style, communication generally flows downward and there is no scope for constructive feedback which hinders open flow of communication. In such a situation, the possible strategy is to implement participative leadership style. Semantic barrier and noise: Semantic barrier occurs, when in an organization, individuals do not share a common language. Such kind of barrier can be removed by ensuring that all verbal communication in the organization takes place in a common language, generally English. Noise is defined as any external influence that distorts, disturbs and slows down the effectiveness of communication system. Noise can be eliminated by practicing effective listening skills, avoiding personal judgments and biasness and encoding message in a simple and understandable manner (Hartley, 2002). Will consider this within barriers such as: confrontations disagreement competition for relevance or recognition keeping all focused to achieve or contribute to organisational goals change in organisational strategies clearly communicated Ensuring noise is filtered in mediums of communication Learning Outcome /Section 3 - Be able to assess personal development opportunities to improve own managerial performance AC 3.1 Assess own knowledge, skills and behaviour, and their effect on own managerial performance. In context of skill and knowledge assessment, an ideal manager should possess certain abilities according to Henri Fayol, as discussed below: Forecasting Planning Organizing Commanding Coordinating Controlling A manager should be capable of forecasting future changes in the market and other related areas so that sufficient measures can be taken to avoid risk associated with the change. Forecasting is to take calculative measure to avoid uncertainty based on current and past market trends. Forecasting can of different types, namely, economic forecast, technological forecast and demand forecast. Forecasting is important because economic, technological and demand changes has positive as well as negative impact on performance of an organization. Furthermore, forecasting helps in planning process. Planning is one of the important functions of a manager. It is the fundamental function on which the other functions are dependent. Planning is the process of devising a plan regarding the goals and objectives that are required to be achieved by the organization within a given time frame. Planning is mainly about “what to do, how to do, when to do and who to do” regarding a project or operation. It helps in planning the resources and processes in advance and reducing overall cost substantially. A manager is an organizer of resources and is also known as resource allocator. Organizing facilitates vertical and horizontal integration of work relationships and resources. Effectiveness of organizing depends on work specialization, line of authority, chain of command, span of control, delegation and centralization. Commanding, also known as task delegating, is the process of allocating jobs to employees as per their role and qualification. Task delegation is a complicated function and requires their manager to be cautious as wrong job may result in low morale and de-motivation among individuals. An effective and efficient manager always delegate right task to right resource. An organization comprises numerous elements among which coordination is very important. The coordinator mainly ensures that the activities and processes in a particular operation are coordinated with each other so that the flow of operation is smooth and continuous. A manager must coordinate various processes, resources and with different departments to increase effectiveness and improve productivity. It is one of the most creative tasks that require to be handled very carefully. Controlling is generally considered as a negative term from organizational perspective. However, it does not always stand for strict laws, regulations and punitive acts. Controlling is mainly exercised by managers to keep the activities aligned to organizational requirements. As a part of controlling, managers set up standards or benchmarks for activities so as to determine deviations and undertake corrective measures (Huy, 2002). After conducting a self-assessment test, the following skills and knowledge areas were developed by the author: Improve self knowledge on the legal and social issues affecting service users and the challenges Revive staff face Managing pressure and Stress level – Playing a dual role as a volunteer coordinator, and operations assistant, there is always conflict as well as stresses me out which I transfer on the team. Maintain an approachable and positive proactive persona. I work well under changing situations Multitasking ability and appropriate delegation of tasks among team members Ability to display emotional support and a willingness to support any member of staff with tasks outside my role Relating presence or lack of skills to managerial performance In absence of sufficient knowledge associated with legal and social challenges faced by the organisational members and its clients, the decision making abilities of the manager can be hindered. It will be difficult for the manager (volunteer coordinator) to propose appropriate redressal measures in case of criticality. Role conflict is considered harmful for managerial performance as the manager may find it difficult to meet requirements of different roles. However, multiple roles ensure greater efficiency and better control of activities on the part of the manager. It provides better opportunity for planning and organizing for the manager. It is wrong approach to transfer stress and conflict to the team as such an approach weakens the organisational strength. By coordinating and balancing the tasks related to operations and volunteers, the managerial performance can be improved. Positive and approachable attitude is very essential for a manager. It makes sure that the employees share their problems and concerns with the manager openly. It helps in building an open communication system throughout the organisational structure. Task delegation is one of the important functions of management and is essential for improving performance. The author’s ability to pursue multiple task at a time and delegate task appropriately, will increase efficiency of organisational activities and level of satisfaction among employees. Another important managerial quality the author exhibits is empathetic attitude. It is important that the manager understands the problems of employees and take part in resolving those problems. Empathetic attitude will enhance the image of the author as a people-friendly manager to his employees (Huy, 2002; Koontz, 2010). AC 3.2 Identify areas for personal development to improve own managerial performance The author is a middle level manager and after having an elaborate discussion with the seniors and other supervisors, the following areas for improvement were recognised by the author: Effective system thinking An organisation is similar to a biological system, where every activity, intervention and changes have impact on the organisation as a whole. The system approach explains that all components of an organisation are interlinked and interdependent and it is important for the manager to focus on the big picture so that adversity can be avoided with recognised pattern and trends. As a system thinker, the author will be able to avoid organisational complexity and increase productivity. Advanced analytical thinking By developing advance analytical thinking the author will be able to have better understanding of problems and evaluate possible solutions. It will be easier for the author to forecast potential threats and opportunities by developing advanced analytical thinking. Furthermore, the author will be able to establish relationship and linkage between various pieces of information. Advance analytical thinking helps in identifying root causes of an issue and its consequences so that adverse effects can be mitigated. Building a self-directed performing team Self directed teams are generally high performer by nature as every member of the team is equally accountable for failure and success of operations. In a self-directed team, individuals feel connected to a particular task and their sincerity is reflected in their performance. The author must select the appropriate resources (manpower) for creating a high performance self directed team. Strategic communication to promote performance and actions Open flow of communication is important for enhancing performance of individuals and teams. The author must develop communication skills so as to communicate with employees from every level of the organisational structure (Koontz, 2010). AC 3.3 Produce a personal development plan to improve own managerial performance Name – Pat Okekearu Date – Job Role – Volunteer Coordinator, Middle Manager Line Manager – Project Manager, Revive Development Need and Performance Objective Achievement of Performance Objective by Forms of development and resources required/date if available Method of evaluation for each form of development Review dates Comments to enhance ability to think outside the box and communicate strategies clearly to the team Building a self performing team through effective communication of REVIVE strategic directions for a given programme period Improve knowledge on mental health and the social difficulties that faces our service user volunteers March 2015 March July personal learning and practice consultation refresher courses team assessment to ascertain baseline capabilities of members training of team rotating tasks for members documentation Training and refresher courses from the Social works and Immigration, as well as general team trainings teams Self assessment using baseline marks External assessment through seeking of feedback Participatory team appraisals External reviews by peer teams Keeping abreast of legal and policy changes April 2015 June 2015 August 2015 Will require contacts and consultations to achieve Will require support and approval of REVIVE executive management . Will require support from team and REVIVE executive management Reference List Bambacas, M. and Patrickson, M., 2008. Interpersonal communication skills that enhance organizational commitment. Journal of Communication Management, 12(1), pp. 51-72. Davidson, P., Wood, S. and Griffin, R. W., 2009. Management. Australia: John Wiley and Sons. Hargie, O., 2010. Skilled interpersonal communication: research, theory and practice. London: Routledge. Hartley, P., 2002. Interpersonal communication. London: Routledge. Huy, Q. N., 2002. Emotional balancing of organizational continuity and radical change: The contribution of middle managers. Administrative science quarterly, 47(1), pp. 31-69. Koontz, H., 2010. Essentials of Management 8E. India: Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Bibliography Luthans, F., 2010. Organizational behavior: An evidence-based approach. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Parker, L. D. and Ritson, P. A., 2005. Revisiting Fayol: anticipating contemporary management. British Journal of Management, 16(3), pp. 175-194. Popova, V. and Sharpanskykh, A., 2011. Formal modelling of organisational goals based on performance indicators. Data & Knowledge Engineering, 70(4), pp. 335-364. Terry, D. J. and Jimmieson, N. L., 2003. A stress and coping approach to organisational change: Evidence from three field studies. Australian Psychologist, 38(2), pp. 92-101. Read More