Abstract
Lack of communication skills and team spirit is a major crisis that can bring down any business or organization. In areas of management, different departments should always support each other to help organization achieve both its short-term and long-term goals.
On the other hand, young managers should be ready to exercise their leadership skills and they should take full charge in whatever capacity they are working or exercising their duties. In addition to this, all experienced managers should advice such young managers and help them grow or develop their management skills (team spirit).
In the workplace, there is a need to emphasize on development of communication skills and team building so that employees can work effectively. Such skills are also necessary in ensuring that both managers and employees are able to share ideas and hence work as a team towards one common goal. The company especially the top management should prioritize company’s goals.
Similarly, all subordinates should be dedicated and respectful to their seniors so that they can work towards achieving positive goals for the organization. To create equilibrium, the management should distribute human resource in a manner that promotes company’s objectives.
In any work environment, both the employees and managers should work as team to ensure that company’s goals are meet. Teambuilding combined with good communication skills are success ingredients, which are basic in the workplace (Proctor and Doukakis, 2003).
It is therefore important for managers to create a workable environment so that all stakeholders can work effectively towards one goal. However, in a situation where some employees are reluctant to cooperate, company’s goals are rarely meet. This paper evaluates and discusses a number of skills required for success in a work place.
Discussion
Core skills
Three most important skills at play in this case are teambuilding, resource allocation, and leadership skills.
Team building is the ability to organization and brings team members together so that all stakeholders can work towards a common goal (Mackin, 2007). Managers should create a workable or favorable work environment to accommodate all members in a team. Team building is not just an issue of one department; several departments should work together to enhance team spirit.
Project members lacked team spirit and commitment to the program. They were not ready to attend meetings when scheduled by the project manager. They always came up with excuses not to participate in project planning and implementation. The top management was not supportive either. This is a sign of poor team spirit as a result of poor team building skills.
Good leaders are able to plan appropriately and influence others. Tim Aston was inadequate in this area since he was not able to influence his subordinates. On the other hand, Tim decision to present team’s problem to the higher management showed that Tim clearly understood his roles and duties as a manager. Looking for a solution from the higher management is a good decision.
On the other hand, the top management lacked leadership qualities and that is why it did no support Tim. Good leaders are able to assist others in problem solving. Thus, it is important for the executives’ staff to participate and support the project management team for company’s success (Proctor and Doukakis, 2003). As a new employee, Tim Aston needed adequate support from the company especially from top managers.
It is clear that top executive did not accord him the right support to solve the crisis. The project director was not ready to assist Tim in instilling discipline to reluctant employees. This is a sign of poor leadership. Good leaders offer support to junior staff or managers.
The ability to control personnel assignment is a key resource allocation skill. From the case study, there was a crisis in areas of resource allocation. The project manager and the accountant manager could not agree on allocation of human resource. Tim was committed to make the program successful and he even looked for human resource with desired skills to be part of the program.
He identified a dedicated and interested employee from the accounts department who could be appointed to the project management team, but the accounts manager refused to release this particular employee. The accounts manager cared about his interests rather than the wellbeing of the company.
The accounts manager should have provided Tim adequate support considering that the employee in question had a special interest in project management.
Tim Aston’s effectiveness
Tim Aston was conscious about communication and team spirit. He always emphasized on the importance of communication requesting team members to open up and share ideas for development and progress of the project.
Although, Tim understood on the power of team spirit and communication at the work place, he was not effective in team building since he was not able to influence team members to be committed to the program.
As a new employee and a young project manager, Tim Aston worked hard to make project management successful. Tim had resource allocation skills since he was ready to source for other employees to join the project management team.
He identified an employee from the accounts department who was interested in joining the project management team. This clearly shows that Tim Aston was an energetic manager because he was looking for opportunities to improve on his team for the good of the company.
However, Tim lacked effective leadership skills since he was not able to take charge and influence his subordinates. In addition, Tim Aston did not make firm and tough decision as a leader. A good leader takes charge and influences others (Proctor and Doukakis, 2003).
Management’s support
Tim Aston was not accorded the necessary support needed to manage the project and the entire team. Instead of providing Tim with support and advice on how to manage and organize his team, the project director gave excuses why other employees were reluctant to cooperate.
It appeared that the top management supported employees’ behaviors by arguing that it was part of the company’s culture since most employees had worked in the company for many years. The management did not support him in terms of human resource either. When Tim indentified a talented and dedicated accountant who was interested in the project management, the management did not support him.
The top management did not provide Tim the necessary support. Employees’ attitude towards work and attainment of the organization goal were negative. To address this issue, the higher management had a role to play. The management should have supported Tim by talking to employees reminding them of company’s objectives and their roles as well (Mackin, 2007).
This way, employees would dedicate themselves and take managers’ (Tim’s) directives. Lastly, the management should have taken an appropriate action against all employees who violated company’s policy. Leaving work early before time and failing to appear for meetings is a violation of work policy.
Recommendations
To make all employees work towards achieving company’s goals effectively, the management should motivate them. The management should create leaves or time off (Lauby, 2005). This should act as a reward. The company should set targets for all employees. Once employees have achieved set goals, they should be rewarded time off.
This will motivate employees to achieve company’s goals with minimal supervision (Lauby, 2005). For instance, to avoid cases where employees walk out of meetings, as a manager, Tim Aston should create a policy that says if workers come to meetings early, they get to leave early. The company should embrace team spirit.
In addition to this, Tim Aston should act and take stand as leader. A project manager is a leader in his capacity and therefore Tim should practice his leadership skills and take full charge as required of a manager (Keezener, 2009).
In terms resource allocation, there is need to allocate resources according to priority. Human resource should be distributed according to qualifications and interests. This way, employees will have a positive attitude towards work. In addition, there should be delegation of duties for all employees. This will ensure that all employees become responsible in their respective areas hence meeting all set targets or goals.
In general, managers should create a workable environment and they should always encourage or emphasize on the importance of developing communication and teamwork skills. This is because these elements are very essential for success.
To reduce cases of reluctant workers, the management has a big role in outlining and structuring a clear work policy so that employees can avoid violating work policy, which slows achievements of organization goals.
References
Keezener, H. (2009). Project Management , A systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. (10th Edn.). New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Lauby, S. J. (2005). Motivating Employees. Virginia: American Society for Training and Development.
Mackin, D. (2007). The Team Building Tool Kit: Tips and Tactics for Effective Workplace Teams. New York: A division of the American Management Association.
Proctor, T., & Doukakis, L. (2003). Change Management: The Role of Internal Communication and Employee Development. An international Journal, 8(4): 265-277.