Unit 7 Developing Manager Merit Copy

Introduction

The fast paced world today, coupled with intense competition and a massive rat race for success has forced organizations to look inward and find ways to develop with the changing times and creating a structure that is flexible and embeds the virtues of assessing and changing according to the need of the hour. Flexibility is an important characteristic that can help an organization adapt to the ever changing market condition and change according to the need of the hour. This is where the Unit 7 Developing Manager Merit Copy comes in and lends his useful contribution to the organization. The developing manager handles the critical function of controlling and managing the organization in all its processes of transformation, ensuring that the change has been carried out properly without causing an alarm of uncertainties. The  developing manager also has the important task of creating an environment of improved communication where the information has been easily and adequately interchange between the management and the employees, thereby, bridging the important gap between the employers and the employees. Another important role played by the developing manager is managing any resistance or apprehensions that may arise due to the process of change, thereby by bringing the entire organization on board for the process of change.
This paper attempts go deep into the intricacies of the role of the developing manager, the responsibilities and the duties and attempt to answer many finer questions about the same.

Task 1

1.1 Different management styles in two organizations

There are several different management styles that have been adopted by several companies and managers across the spectrum of different organizations and industries. There, this section attempts to answer the same from the context of two of the giants of the automobile sector, Thomas Cook and Ford Motors and assess the different styles of management followed by these organizations.

Directive strategy of management: has been adopted by several tourism companies like Thomas Cook Group. The aim of unifying the various processes in the organization and focusing on developing a unique system that can integrate the entire organization falls solely on the shoulders of the manager, whose experience and ability lends a concrete direction to the organization. . This process uses all the strengths of the organization and focuses on delivering high quality service. So, the directive management strategy depends on the abilities, qualities and the experience of the manager to give directives and instructions to the organization to ensure that it functions to the best of its abilities (Khandwalla, 1976).

Thomas Cook is a leading name in the travel and tourism industry. The company has served thousands of happy customers and have brought smile on tyh4e faces of thousands of tourists, providing them a memorable experience. This concentrated effort in bringing about an organizational integration and efficiency helps Thomas Cook ensure satisfaction of the customers which has played a key role in establishing the organization as one of the largest names in the tourism space (Porter & Parker, 1993).

Affiliate management: is a different style of management which focuses primarily on achieving organizational goals by creating an organizational environment which is harmonious and focuses on the values of co-operation, mutual benefit, mutual trust and mutual respect. This helps create an environment that sympathizes with the needs of the employees and motivates them. So, to sum up, the affiliate style of management focuses on creating a harmonious working atmosphere and a bond between employees.

One of the most considerable highlights of the organization at Tenon tours is the affiliate style of management. The company has had a 130% rise in growth. The highlight of this style of management is the focus on satisfied employees to ensure better customer satisfaction. It is believed that Affiliate management brought with it new values like enthusiasm and energy which contributed to the growth of the organization. (Beechler, Bird & Taylor, 1998).

1.2 - Leadership characteristics

The leadership at Thomas Cook has been long talked about and discussed in industry circles. The intriguing leadership style seen in Thomas Cook Motors has invited the keen eye of several experts. One of the most distinct characteristics of Thomas Cook is the inspirational leadership that is evolving and updating with the changes in time and business conditions. The company’s flexibility has also been a significant talking point. Recently, the company has decided to streamline its process iof management to decrease the time taken for the implementation of the procedures in order to increase efficiency. The leadership at Thomas Cook has also taken steps to improve the commitment of the employees to improve its services and register higher profit numbers.

To stay on its path towards continuous improvement, Thomas Cook motors has laid special emphasis on its skilled workforce and imparting them more skill and knowledge through training programs. The company has also added more efficiency in its planning and execution through a process of streamlining the processes and strategic implementations of the organization.

Harriet Green, the manager at Thomas cook takes a special interest in personally looking through all the mails of the organization and also takes focus on having an outside perspective of the organization and the tourism industry at large from the investors, stakeholders and the press. 

The company also has a policy that allows it to connect with their customers directly through the social network. This allows the company to engage in a deeper level with the customers to produce service that they seek. It also ensures that the management at the company has a clear idea of the needs and the likings of the customers, which would help it create more delightful service and offer greater customer satisfaction.

1.3-Evaluation of communication processes

The success of Thomas Cook motors has intrigued observers and experts to look closely into the organizational features of the company that has paved way for its many successful endeavors, creating a line services that have engaged customers for decades. The company has seen several ups and down, but yet has managed to go from strength to strength and script more success in a highly competitive, challenging and volatile market.

One of the key points that experts have pointed about the organizational structure of Thomas Cook is the deep focus of the company in optimizing its channels of communication that would help the organization work together in unison. The managers at Thomas Cook have put in significant effort in creating a healthy channel of communication in the organization where every block has knowledge of the company’s objectives and performance. One of the striking and significant features of Thomas Cook’s communication strategy is that complete information is shared within the organization, across departments and roles. An important feature of this strategy is the focus in sharing information and knowledge with all its stakeholders. This keeps them informed, engaged and ensures their participation in the affairs of the company, thus maintaining a healthy organizational culture.

So, much of Thomas Cook’s success can be attributed to its communication process which is an amalgamation of strategic integration and sharing of information. This process helps in sharing all necessary information with the stakeholders of the company and keeps then in the know of the company’s goals, objectives, proposed practices and current performance indicators. This process helps the company to forge a bond with its stakeholders and ensure their active participation and commitment in the affairs of the company (Morgan & Liker, 2006).

The process of communication is significantly dependent on a series of information being shared between the stakeholders and the company. The objectives of the company need to be communicated to the prospective customers for the audience to convey the purpose and practices of the company. Similarly, properly communicating the strategy of the company to the audience helps them understand the vision of the company. The process of measuring the success of the company is not just an internal exercise, but involves the feedback of the prospective customers and existing customers. So, it would be prudent to observe and conclude that much of the organizational strength of Thomas Cook motors which has contributed to its success comes from a process of fair and transparent communication (Shim, Warkentin, Courtney, Power, Sharda & Carlsson, 2002).

1.4 - Analysis of organizational culture and change

Thomas Cook’s success and quality of service and customer satisfaction have invited the attention of several experts and industry observers who have looked into the organizational features of the company. One of the most crucial aspects that have contributed to the success of the company is the organizational culture of the company. The company is run though top down approach where the top management make analysis and evaluations and decisions and pas them through to the organization structure which conveys to the same to the various departments, sub groups and teams.

One of the reasons behind Thomas Cook’s success in the market has been its wide range of choices and tours for its customers who could find the best package based on his budget, and travel requirements. .The company also has a wide tie ups and connections with different organizations who could provide discounts and rebates to the customers to enhance their traveling experience (Langfield?Smith  & Greenwood, 1998).

Thomas Cook’s organizational structure also involves its focus and commitment towards maintaining a strong and customer engagement department which has significantly contributed to the company’s engagement and communication with the customers. This commitment and focus has been the heart behind Thomas Cook’s delivering of high levels of customer satisfaction. The engagement of the customers on the social networking websites allows the company to forge a deeper bond and understanding with the customers. Though the travel and tourism industry has been facing several challenges, particularly die to the rising political tensions in some parts of the world, Thomas cook’s package policies have helped customers earn a valuable travelling experience.

Task 2

2.1 - Assessment of own management skills performance

Assessment of personal managerial skills is important for the personal development of an individual. Some of these have been listed here as follows:

Personality Tests are a popular method used to assess the managerial skills of individuals. The benefit of personality tests is that it can help in the assessment of an individual’s abilities that are necessary for a manager. The personality tests have helped me assess my capabilities as a good communicator that would help me in my efforts as a manager. The tests have allowed me to evaluate my strengths as a communicator which would help me upgrade my communication skills for better improvement of the same. As sound understanding of the theories of communication and the different approaches to the same would help me improve my communicating skills which would contribute towards my development as a manager.

These tests also evaluate an individual’s skills in improving the present conditions of the organization by focusing on the positives and strengths and making decisions which could help in the improvement of the present conditions, skills by an assessment of the potential and opportunities in the near future. The test has shown that I would need to improve my abilities in analyzing situations which is an essential quality of an manager.

Functionality Assessments have been trusted as an important method in evaluating the managerial skills of individuals. This method of evaluation is based on putting across a series of questions, queries and challenges that one can come across in one’s daily life that helps test the abilities of decision making and analysis. One of the most important features of the test is that it helps in the analysis of the perceptions, ideas and knowledge of the individual that could make one turn into a skilled and capable manager.

The tests have further substantiated the need for me to improve on my analytical skills. The manager needs to be able to analyze the present situation from the limited information that he has at his disposal and make informed decisions of the patterns and trends of the present and also the foreseeable future.

Analytical Assessments are extremely useful in assessing the capabilities of an individual in identifying patterns, trends and making an analysis which would form the basis of all decisions. The abilities of the manager to make analysis and assessment of the present conditions and extrapolating the same to understand the conditions and market environment in the near future is a key quality of a capable manager. So, the ability of the manager to make an analysis based on limited information that is available is an important quality of a good manager (Cameron & Quinn, 2011).

2.2 - Analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

SWOT is an acronym that is used to analyze the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and threats of an organization or an individual. This analysis helps in arriving at a complete assessment of the strengths and weakness of an organization, forming the basis of analysis of the competencies of the organization or the individual. The opportunities and threats also present a picture of the scopes and challenges in the foreseeable future.

To complete this assessment, we would look into the SWOT analysis of Thomas Cook and assess its possible strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

 

Strengths of Thomas Cook, a leading tourism company would definitely be the wide range of package choices that the company is able to provide to its customers. The tourism business thrives on natural and man-made marvels that can attract tourists. Government initiatives to promote tourism are a major strength for the tourism industry. Thomas Cook brand name, reliability and the faith that the company has been able to earn over years of hard work is one of the company’s major strengths.

Weaknesses of Thomas Cook can be perceived from the point of view of the challenges and issues of the economy of the county it is based in. A strong and robust economy can help tourism companies whereas problems of a weak economy and high inflation can hamper the business and growth. The economic slowdown had posed several challenges for the company and the tourism industry on the whole which had to depend on government bailout package to recover some of its losses and restart operations with a new energy.

Opportunities for Thomas Cook can be looked upon from the perspectives of a growing economy and government initiatives in promoting tourism. A strong hospitality industry can significantly help tourism. A strong hospitality brings with it high quality hotels and hospitality service, which adds to the experience of tourists. A well structured, modern and capable transportation service also helps a tourism company. The presence of a strong system of connectivity through roads, waterways and air travel is necessary for the growth of the tourism industry.

Threats for Thomas Cook have grown in recent times. The deteriorating conditions of world peace have jeopardized several tourist destinations. Frosty bilateral ties between nations also adversely impact a tourism company. Social unrest, troubled internal political conditions and security concerns have challenged the tourism industry and posed several problems for a tourism country. The tensions in the Middle East and Africa have been a major thereat for Thomas Cook, who had to re-strategize due to these problems.  (Rue, Byars & Ibrahim, 2012).

2.3 - Prioritizing objectives and targets to develop own potential

Prioritizing objectives and goals is a crucial task for the performance of an individual. The SMART approach of prioritizing tasks is a useful method for this purpose.

Specific: targets and goals are necessary to prioritize objectives. The assessment of my target of being a capable and skilled manager would help me understand the qualities that would help me reach my goal. The specificity of my target would allow me to have a precise view of the knowledge and skill that in need to inculcate.

Measurable: goals help in prioritizing the target and objectives. A task that is measurable can be broken down into smaller target and an adequate timeframe can be set to achieve each of them. I need to assess my goals and set clear measurable targets that can be assessed and evaluated. A target that carries greater importance and significance needs to be prioritized.  

Attainable: goals are important since it makes the task of prioritizing much easier with the help of analysis and assessment. The advantage of setting attainable goals is that it is realistic and helps in the complete evaluation of the task, its importance and the required resources. Attainable goals would help me perceive the difficulties of each task and prioritize them accordingly. I could either complete the easier tasks, first, leaving me more time to complete the tougher ones or take the vice-versa approach.

Realistic: goals are arguably, the most important feature of task, goal or objective.  Realistic goals can be assessed, evaluated and analyzed prom the perspective of past results, present conditions and future needs.

Timely: completion of tasks is without doubt the most important aspect in any target or objective. The successful completion of a task would not just depend on the achieving of desire3d results but on the timely completion of the same. (Pickton & Wright, 1998). 

Task 3

3.1 - Motivating a team to achieve agreed goals or objectives

Motivating the team, a department or the entire organization is an important task of a manager. The motivational skills of the manager could often determine the level of commitment of the employees which has a massive bearing on the performance of the organization.

Lending the faith and the confidence: among the employees is crucial to create a strong organizational structure that thrives on mutual trust and co-operation. At Thomas Cook, the leadership takes great care in motivating the employees since it creates an environment where every employee is allowed the voice to speak his mind and the confidence to present one’s own views and perceptions creates a strong bond in the organization. The management at Thomas Cook believes that an organization where the employees feel confident and motivated works more efficiently towards achieving its goals.

Motivating by setting of examples: is one the most strong indications of the skills and capabilities that enthuses the staff and all the employees to follow the leader’s examples and put in the same effort in order to achieve similar results. Peter Fankhauser, the CEO of Thomas Cook sets examples for others to follow through his own skills and expertise which lends the employees can the required motivation they need.

Accommodating employee views and ideas: is a method used by several companies to motivate their employees. Thomas cook follows a structure where the employees present their feedback about their ideas and perceptions regarding the functioning of the organization or the changes they would want to see in the organization. Managers at Thomas Cook organizations have adopted this method to accommodate the views, ideas and desires of the employees to engage them in the organization through a feeling of mutual trust and mutual benefit. This helps the employees feel wanted and important and in turn makes them more committed towards the goals of the organization, giving their best for the fulfillment of the goals of the organization. This process also helps create a strong, nurturing and cooperative environment at the organization that thrives on mutual trust and benefit. (Hunt & Weintraub, 2010)

3.2 - Justification for managerial decisions made to support achievement of goals

The manager can often be regarded as the driver of any organization. It is his decisions, analysis and assessment that directs guides and moves the organization towards its desired path. This is one of the most critical responsibilities in an organization and therefore, it is needless to point out that these decisions are also open to scrutiny and criticisms. But, managers need to base their decisions on certain analysis and understanding to be able to justify their decisions in the event of a criticism. 

Risks: demand quick decisions and prompt actions. Such situations are difficult and require deft handling. I, as a manager do not have access to all possible information to assess a situation of risk or foresee a possible risk that could challenge the growth of my organization. So, assessment of the same requires all my skills of analysis, assessment and evaluation of relevant data that are present.

Uncertain times: in the market and unforeseen situations can pose several challenges for the manager. My analysis and decisions during these uncertain times could dictate the company’s chances of survival in a volatile market. So, although I as a manager would use all my skiulls to gauge on the possibilities in the present and in the foreseeable future, yet, it would be prudent to state that assessments can be subject to perceptions and analysis which is why, these skills don not have a universally accepted standard (Jung, 2007).

Task 4

4.1 - Managerial and personal skills supporting career development

Shaping the careers of an individual is an important task in the path of development and growth of an individual in one’s transformation as a young enthusiast with talent to a matured professional with skill and knowledge. I could help shape the careers of individuals in different ways. Career development can be looked upon as a sequence of specifically designed events and opportunities that can help in the implementation of knowledge and skills at the work place and show one’s own prowess and earn a position of greater significance. I could promote skill development and training programs that would present young learners with the opportunity of learning in a work place environment and understanding the nitty-gritty’s of professional development and conduct.

Personal determination: is an important value that can help in the career development of an individual. I could monitor and observe the determination and commitment of an individual and motivate them towards building a brighter career. A determined individual would be lot more motivated towards fulfilling his objectives with high levels of efficiency. I could identify a skilled, capable, committed and motivated employee and provide him with better career opportunities. This would help create a bond with the employee who would also reciprocate by completing his tasks with greater efficiency and contributing more for the success of the organization (Van Der Vegt, Emans & Van De Vliert, 1998).

4.2 - Review of career and personal development needs development plan

It won’t be an exaggeration to say that most of the important things in life need preparation and hard work. Career development being such an important part of the future of an individual needs great preparation and planning.

Review and analysis of personal development targets would allow me to look closely at my development requirements and assess how I could reach the desired goals. This would mean setting a particular target and goal and assessing personal skills. If there are certain skills that I would need which I do not possess, I would need to create a plan to achieve them.

Skills development: comes after assessment of own skills and targets. The skills that I Do not possess needs to be achieved by undergoing programs that can cater to my learning needs and teach me the skills that I require. Once I have undergone the skill development program, I can assess my learning needs to further improve my skills.

Self-assessment: is the last step in the series of plans devised for my personal growth. I would need to sit and assess my growth and evaluate the areas that need further improvement. I would also need to monitor the progress that I have made from the recently undergone program. (Cameron & Quinn, 2011).

Conclusion

There is a popular saying that with great power comes great responsibility. Although the saying comes from a popular comic magazine, it sure holds good for the daily walks of life. And if one were to extrapolate the same to the context of a business organization, it would open a dimension to look at the performance of a manager. The manager has huge powers in an organization, has several benefits that other employees don’t enjoy, but his job has huge responsibilities and challenges. The intense scrutiny, criticism and the limited information to base decisions on makes the job of a manager challenging and testing. Yet, it’s his abilities that guide an organization on its desired path and direct it to the path to success. 

References

Beechler, S., Bird, A., & Taylor, S. (1998). Organisational learning in Japanese MNCs: four affiliate archetypes. Multinational Corporate Evolution and Subsidiary Development. London: Macmillan, 376.
Bryman, A. (1992). Charisma and leadership in organizations. Sage Pubns.
Cameron, K. S., & Quinn, R. E. (2011). Diagnosing and changing organizational culture: Based on the competing values framework. John Wiley & Sons.

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