The Case Story
The Organization: History and Mission
I have been working as an intern at the Construction Bank of China. This is one of the widely recognized banks in the world today. The financial institution was founded in the year 1954. Its “original name was the People’s Construction Bank of China” (China Construction Bank, 2016, para. 3). The bank’s current name was adopted in March 1996. The “institution is currently owned by the Chinese Government Holding Company” (China Construction Bank, 2016, para. 2). The company has been focusing on the best initiatives in order to support the diverse needs of its customers. The firm uses a powerful mission in an attempt to promote its business model. The bank’s mission is “to provide superior services to the targeted customers, promote shareholders’ value and build up broader career path for associates, and assume full responsibilities as a corporate citizen” (China Construction Bank, 2016, para. 5). This mission is supported by powerful values such as prudence, integrity, and impartiality.
Targeted Situation
From personal experience, I believe that the Construction Bank of China uses the best initiatives to address the diverse needs of its customers and stakeholders. During my internship, I have acted as an assistant in the bank’s business department. As an assistant, my major responsibilities in the bank include assisting the securities business department to collect files. I always collaborate with different teammates to upload business receipts. The team also assists different customers to open new bank accounts successfully. These roles have led to numerous challenges at the institution (Oliphant, 2016). This fact explains why our team has encountered several challenges. For example, there is a time when the members of my team stopped communicating with one another. This issue made it impossible for us to address the needs of our customers.
Stakeholders Involved
The identified issue affected the quality of services available to different customers. This problem attracted the attention of different stakeholders such as the employees, the managers, and the customers. In order to deal with the situation, the assistant Human Resource (HR) manager used his competencies to empower the workers. The leader focused on the best initiatives to understand the potential causes of the problem. The next thing was to implement new changes capable of empowering the members of the team. The most outstanding fact is that the assistant HR manager embraced the best strategies to empower the workers (Oliphant, 2016). This practice addressed the problem and made it easier for the individuals to realize the targeted business objectives.
Description of How the Situation was Addressed
After realizing that our team was not delivering positive results, the leader embraced the best strategies in an attempt to transform the situation. The leader encouraged the individuals to come together and present their grievances. During the process, one of the team members indicated that the supervisor allocated the available resources unfairly. For instance, some of the interns and workers had not been equipped with adequate skills to address the needs of the customers (Oliphant, 2016). The department was unable to embrace the concept of work-life balance. Since the majority of the individuals were required to work for more hours, it became impossible for them to lead healthy lifestyles.
After identifying the nature of the situation, a powerful conflict resolution was embraced by the assistant manager. Different stakeholders such as the workers, the supervisor, and the affected clients were involved throughout the process (Oliphant, 2016). Specific skills such as communication, listening, and problem-solving were embraced throughout the process. I strongly believe that the manager used an approach similar to Kurt Lewin’s Change Model. This is the case because he examined the nature of the issues affecting the stakeholders. This approach made it easier for him to identify the most appropriate strategies towards transforming the situation (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). The leader was able “to unfreeze, freeze, and refreeze the situation” (Oliphant, 2016, p. 5).
The members of the team were empowered and encouraged to focus on the best outcomes. A powerful change emerged since the followers started to communicate with each other. The leader presented the best resources depending on the individual needs of the targeted followers. The other critical issue was that the individuals in the department were encouraged to develop their personal work-life balance philosophies. This initiative encouraged the followers to deal with burnout and stress (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). The concept of empowerment was redefined by the leader. The HR manager argued that every individual was encouraged to undertake various leadership roles. This approach demystified the meaning of leadership in order to empower the team members.
Results of the Undertaken Actions
As an intern at the company, I observed that more customers received better services after the assistant HR manager’s intervention. The implemented change led to new practices such as teamwork, collaboration, interaction. The members of the team were ready to focus on the targeted goals. The individuals were ready to act as leaders and guide their customers. The new wave of collaboration made it easier for the firm to achieve its objectives. Decisions were made much faster than ever before. Such attributes played a positive role in redefining the company’s organizational culture (Northouse, 2015). The implemented action plans made it easier for the workers to engage in various work-life activities. The outcomes explain clearly that the manager (short form for assistant HR manager) was the right person to deal with the situation.
The Analysis
The above case study shows clearly that leadership is a powerful approach that can address the major problems affecting every working environment. The manager embraced the best concepts and initiatives to transform the situation. The process of leadership is tailored in accordance with the encountered challenges and the expectations of different stakeholders. The Kouzes/Posner Five-Part Framework can be used to analyze the presented case story (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). The model outlines the achievements and best practices that can be embraced by leaders to address various challenges.
The first practice outlined in the framework is “Modeling the Way”. As a participative leader, the manager committed himself to the needs of the targeted followers. He used a powerful model to implement new practices and behaviors. The leader outlined specific practices in an attempt to drive performance. The leader encouraged the members of the teams to remain consistent, focus on the best initiatives, and engage in positive practices (Northouse, 2015). During the process, the leader encouraged the individuals to focus on the best concepts such as teamwork and collaboration. The workers were also encouraged to engage in continued conflict resolution (Oliphant, 2016). This practice has the potential to improve the performance and productivity of many workers.
The next practice is “Inspiring a Shared Vision”. After collaborating with the workers in the affected department, the leader encouraged them to have a clear focus. A new vision aimed at transforming the situation and improving productivity was communicated to the workers. The leader believed strongly that the issues affecting the team could be addressed successfully. The HR manager indicated clearly that a new culture was appropriate towards transforming the situation. He inspired the best vision and empowered the workers to act ethically. The supervisor was also reproached and guided to support all the followers equally (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). By so doing, the leader was able to generate a sense of excitement. The promotion of the work-life balance concept encouraged the workers to re-pattern their experiences.
The actions of the leader were in accordance with the third principle of the Kouzes/Posner Five-Part Framework. This step focuses on the best approaches to challenge the existing process (Northouse, 2015). The HR manager used his superior skills in an attempt to implement new strategies. The leader began by challenging the existing system and promoting new processes capable of empowering more workers. Throughout the process, the leader encouraged the members of the team to present the best ideas that could make a difference for the department. The manager used a powerful strategy to transform the situation. The process made the organization successful. The leader clearly understood that the existing situation was making it impossible for the team to realize its objectives.
The next practice outlined by the model is “Enabling Others to Act” (Kouzes & Posner, 2012, p. 39). After outlining the unique issues that were affecting the department to realize its goals, the leader was on the frontline to foster empowerment and collaborations. The members of the team were guided to make the most desirable decisions in an attempt to improve the level of performance. The leader created the best environment and encouraged the individuals to formulate their personal work-life balance philosophies. This approach made it easier for the team members to focus on the best outcomes. The team members felt powerful and more empowered than ever before. Consequently, every individual embraced the best approaches in order to deliver quality services to the targeted customers. The supervisor was encouraged to equip the followers with the right resources. The followers were also allowed to have a sense of responsibility (Northouse, 2015). The workers became motivated and ready to deliver positive results. This strategy made it easier for us to analyze and address the changing needs of the customers. This practice will play a critical role in making the bank successful.
Conclusion
The next process is “Encouraging the Heart”. The process focuses on the most desirable strategies towards empowering employees. The leader was aware of his personal goals and those of the followers. In order to produce the best outcomes, the assistant HR manager motivated and encouraged the workers to act independently (Oliphant, 2016). The leader recognized the achievements of different individuals in the department. This kind of recognition encouraged the workers to work hard and address the changing needs of the targeted customers. The leader was involved throughout the change implementation process. The practice increased the sense of belonging and encouraged the workers to perform better. The members of the team were willing to focus on the anticipated organizational goals. The supervisor supported the team members after the leader’s intervention. That being the case, the assistant HR manager proved that every person can take up leadership roles to transform the situations affecting his or her working environment.
References
China Construction Bank. (2016). Web.
Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2012). The leadership challenge: Workbook. New York, NY: Jossey-Bass.
Northouse, P. (2015). Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice. New York, NY: Sage Publications.
Oliphant, J. (2016). Applying Kouzes & Posner’s leadership concepts to poverty alleviation work in the developing world. The Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 9(1), 1-10.