Relocation of an office is associated with numerous difficulties. The most apparent challenge is the risk of losing valuable employees. The following case study provides the information on approaches that are expected to mitigate these risks and outlines leadership theories relevant to the situation.
Relocation Concerns
The most important element that needs to be emphasized in the communication plan is the regular and timely updates on the situation at hand. As can be seen from the case study, no information is available to the company management regarding the reasons behind the decision to move the office. Under such conditions, it is reasonable to expect that at least some of the employees will feel powerless and may lose trust in the company. On the other hand, it is evident that the human resource director is closely familiar with the majority of the workers, which, in turn, suggests the existence of an established connection within the department. Thus, once the information is available on the reasons behind the decision, or changes in the initial scenario, it would be necessary to communicate it to the participants. In this way, the employees will retain the feeling of control over the situation.
The approach is also expected to contribute to the empowerment of the employees in the relocation process (Sarkissian, n.d.). Next, to ensure employee retention, it would be necessary to take into consideration the families of the employees. One of the main reasons behind the reluctance to move is the difficulty of organizing social life at the new site (Smith, 2013). Therefore, it would be necessary to at least partially address these issues either by providing the essential services (e.g. finding schools and daycare for children) or by partially covering the associated expenses. Considering the number of employees in the office, it would be reasonable to delegate the task to a team of managers experienced in the matter. Finally, considering the fact that the performance expectations are to remain at the usual levels, it would be necessary to clarify this issue outright and honestly clarify the expected challenges associated with the goal. In this way, it will be possible to establish the realistic vision of the oncoming change and gain the support of the employees who are committed to the success of the company, who will perceive their input as important.
The article by Daniels (2014) contains two important points that can be used in the situation at hand. First, the author provides advice on the situation where a strategic decision that the leaders need to pursue is unpopular with their team. In the described case, the situation is further complicated by the fact that the strategic benefits of the decision are not apparent even to a leader. Thus, it is possible for me as a director to establish myself as a positive reinforcer by advancing with the task gradually and steadily despite the restrictive time frame (Daniels, 2014). In addition, it would be necessary to communicate strategic priorities of the relocation rather than delegate small-scale tasks to the employees. In this way, the entire team will be able to attain a sense of direction and, after the relocation process is initiated, a sense of progression. In this way, it would be possible to ensure sufficient engagement of the employees since they will have an opportunity to observe the results of their work. Second, it would be necessary to communicate the mutual dependence of the stakeholders in a manner similar to that exemplified by the Marne Corps’ motto. This would allow for greater involvement of the employees who already trust me and enhance my positive reinforcer image.
Based on the information from the case, it is possible to characterize Mr. Davis’ leadership style as participative leadership. Throughout the case, he approaches me on equal terms and seeks my advice based on my expertise rather than communicates the orders. He also makes it clear that he puts extra trust in me and considers me the only person who is capable of handling the situation. It is also notable that participative leadership is often employed to resolve the scenario where time is an important factor.
The first leadership theory that can be applied to the situation is the trait theory. Its advantage is in its simplicity and focused nature. While it is true that the theory cannot provide a definitive set of traits, it can be used to outline a model catered specifically for the described scenario (Changing Minds, n.d.). The second theory is the style theory of leadership. As can be seen from the information above, trust plays a central role in the proposed solution, which can be interpreted as a necessity to introduce democratic leadership style for a successful resolution (Morgan, 2014). Finally, it is possible to suggest the situational leadership theory as a fitting approach. As was mentioned above, the described situation is uncommon for the company and necessitates emphasizing certain features both in leaders and their team (Morgan, 2014). In other words, theories allowing for unique approaches are the most relevant for the described case.
It is likely that under the described conditions a certain number of employees will leave the company. However, it is possible to mitigate the adverse effects by following the outlined approach. In this way, it would be possible to minimize the risks of losing valuable staff and retain trust and commitment of the team.
References
Changing Minds. (n.d.). Trait theory. Web.
Daniels, A. (2014). Semper Fidelis! A recipe for leading others. Supervision, 75(9), 6-8.
Morgan, S. (2014). Ten leadership theories in five minutes [Video file]. Web.
Sarkissian, A. (n.d.). How does empowerment affect an employee’s motivation & performance?Web.
Smith, J. (2013). 8 tips for a successful job relocation.Forbes. Web.