Why did you choose the members you did? Why did you put each one in the role you chose?
- Lead Agent: Sam Somerfizeld – Sam has an experience working with the federal bureau of investigation (FBI) for 12 years, and has also dealt with national drug regulation. He has leadership experiences in past four assignments, which have all yielded positive results; therefore he is capable of leading his team to success in this delicate mission.
- Assistant Lead Agent: Ricardo Gonzales – Ricardo has worked for the FBI for 16 years, and his fluency in Spanish is an added advantage in the Mexico drug task, in addition he is a hardworking team player, who is preferred by all his superiors, Ricardo can work well under pressure, therefore creating an effective assistant lead agent.
- Intelligence Agent: Emily Marum – Emily is the ideal candidate for the above position; she has worked as an intelligence research specialist and she is also fluent in Spanish; her determination has earned her publication in forensic research, her admirable skills are essential for the team.
- Field Specialist: Antonio Johnson – Antonio is the ideal candidate for the field research position, which requires experience in the drug trade. Antonio’s teenage life involved drug trade, and therefore he is aware of the drug business. In addition he is fluent in both English and Spanish and has worked as a special agent in California.
Why did you choose to address Sam first?
Sam is the lead agent, therefore as a team leader; he should be addressed first, and listen to his concerns. In this case it is evident that there is lack of communication between the leader and a team member, which have led to misunderstanding between the two parties and affected the entire team.
What method would you consider using to handle Sam? Explain your choice
Being the team leader, I need to ensure that Sam understands the qualities of a good leader, one who fosters communication and motivates his team members. Participative method in this kind of meeting is relevant, whereby Sam is free to air his views, and as a team leader, am in a position to listen, analyze and respond.
You have chose Antonio to lead the meeting. Please provide your reasoning
In the previous meeting, I summoned Sam because he is the team leader, however, his efforts to increase the team’s productivity; conflicts are still evident, which are based on Sam’s conflicting directives.
Why is it important to have Antonio lead this meeting?
The importance of having Antonio lead the meeting is that the team members will feel free to air their grievances; as a result a solution to the arising problem is quickly achieved.
What are the benefits and risks of this decision?
The problems facing the team such as communication breakdown, competition and thirst for individual success rather than collaboration, can be well addressed by a team players, who are aware of the initial causes. Another benefit, is the attempt to create a balance between the team members and their leader, in this case Antonio is aware of the problems affecting the team members, therefore easier to resolve this issue as he is involved. Needless to say, this decision may create conflicts between the lead agent and Antonio, this may occur is Sam feels insecure about Antonio’s role in the meeting.
Please provide your reasons for choosing to keep Sam as the Lead Agent
The reason why Sam has being reinstated as the lead agent is argumentative, however, Sam has the required skills to lead and achieve quality results, and this is evident in his past role in leadership.
What are the benefits and risks associated with this decision?
The main benefit is the fact that Sam is an experienced leader, capable of achieving success. However the risk lies with his social skills which are not fulfilling, as well as his leadership style. In this case he displays an authoritative leadership style, one that does not require the team members approval, this is evident when Antonio tries to encourage him to give clear directives, which acts as a source of arguments’.
How do you think the team will react to this decision?
It is expected that the team members will be furious with this decision; however Sam’s willingness to change and embrace his team members’ views will be an added advantage.
What are the qualities of an effective team leader?
Qualities of a good leader include, compassion traits which are essential in transforming an organization, therefore compassion enables leaders to exercise equality and fairness among the members (Roka, 2006). A good leader is also non-judgmental and conservative, capable of facing and solving problems fast and amicably. He also ensures that communication is fostered among his team members; as a result mis-communication rarely occurs. An effective leader listens and responds positively to the grievances of his team members.
How has Sam displayed those qualities?
However Sam has only displayed few of these qualities, nevertheless, if Antonio is transferred to the leadership position, the field specialist position is likely to remain vacant, keeping in mind that Antonio is the only agent with experience in drug trade, making him the best candidate for this position.
Identify and briefly explain the benefits and challenges of at least two methods used for handling difficult team members.
Team conflicts are common, however the type of method used to solve them, is what makes a difference. Ignoring team conflict is a remedy for disaster, a team leader can chose to ignore a conflict, and save the time and energy used in finding solutions. However, the repercussions may range from, resignation, communication break-down, poor performance and lack of co-operation. A leader may also decide to solve the conflicts through three steps; acknowledging, understanding, re-solving conflict, and conducting follow-ups. These steps enable the team members to reach an agreement, and promotes co-operation and prevents the re-occurrence of a similar conflict, (Ukens, 2007).
This method also allows follow-ups, and ensures that quality decisions are made through engaging the team leader and team members. However the main disadvantage of this method is that it may consume a lot of time to arrive at an agreement, especially when difficult members are involved. Regular meetings in this case are evident which aim at ensuring that conflicts are solved.
Explain which method you used in your decision making process during this simulation.
Acknowledging conflicts, resolving and ensuring follow-ups are mechanisms of solving team conflicts which are evident in this case, especially in handling difficult members such as Sam; as a result we arrived at an agreement, whereby Sam promised to embrace change through changing his leadership techniques. As a result, positive results are expected among team members such as an increase team work, communication, performance, as well as motivation among team members.