Being A Good Manager Because Of People Skills Management Essay

Being A Good Manager Because Of People Skills Management Essay Being a good manager has less to do with knowledge of a companys main field of activity and more with displaying a range of so-called â€Å"people skills†. While this detail is common knowledge in todays business world, what exactly are the main skills in a managers arsenal remains a rather grey area. This situation stems from the fact that considering the management needs in the 21st century, the field of management as a whole has become increasingly divided and fragmented. If not long ago management was split into clear areas (such as HR management, financial management, operational management and others), today specific management positions may require processes from multiple areas thus blurring the borders. Therefore, correctly identifying a manager’s toolkit of skills can prove to be a challenge in itself. The Professional Development Module attempts to settle this grey area using a study by the Association of Graduate Recruiters. This study conducted among a larg e number of employers tries to identify the main management skills considered to be in short supply in today’s market. The study names â€Å"commercial awareness† and â€Å"communication skills† as the very top shortages identified by employers. With each harnessing the attention of 60% of the respondents, they stand well ahead of the next identified shortages: â€Å"leadership†, â€Å"teamwork† and â€Å"problem-solving abilities†. â€Å"Conceptual ability†, â€Å"Subject knowledge and competence†, â€Å"Numeracy† and â€Å"Foreign languages† follow, but each being named by less than 20% of the respondents. â€Å"Good general education† is the last of the skills considered in this study. The results confirm the initial premise that the aforementioned â€Å"people skills† are considered much more relevant in the field of management, while at the same time being severely scarce. Thus, the Professional Development Module places emphasis on these skills, while aggregating them into more focused categories. The Module accurately describes the manager’s toolkit as containing: communication skills, presentation skills, negotiation skills, and cross-cultural awareness, networking skills, team skills as well as conflict management skills. Having a head start given by an accurate identification of the market’s needs, the Professional Development Module proceeds to train these skills in an effective manner. It is notable that the module is divided into sections covering each of the identified skill categories. Each of these sections takes the time to properly define its area of emphasis, underlining its relevance and importance within the toolkit before proceeding to develop the subject and use real-life examples and exercises to help develop the skill. Facilitation is certainly one of the most important skills in the set described above. Sometimes presented as mediation or negotiation, in fact facilitation is a broader term that describes the activity of creating the proper environment so that participants in a meeting or discussion can reach a satisfactory agreement. The Professional Development Module segment dedicated to facilitation does a great job at describing the issues that fall under a facilitator’s jurisdiction. While meetings are part of any core process of any corporate activity, they can also be the very Achilles’s heels of the process they are used in. Since meetings bring together different people with different goals, different hopes, different expectations, different personalities and different view of the world altogether, conflicts appear very easily. Conflicts can result in disagreement, aggression or frustration, which lead the meeting away from its intended purpose and alienate the participants. While conflicts are the most common choke point in a meeting, there are many other pitfalls that can turn a meeting into a counterproductive activity. Having an individual or small group dominate the discussion is one such pitfall just as letting an otherwise productive discussion fall into running around in circles when conclusions are called for.

Organizational Change Model Assignment Term Paper

Organizational Change Model Assignment - Term Paper Example While reductionist and normative approaches have their uses in managing projects, it is vital for managers in charge of implementing any type of change to learn of more responsive processes such as those involved in action research to improve their efficiency as project managers (Gustavsen, 2003). Understanding action science also helps in developing interpersonal within the organization. In larger contexts, such as that of XYZ Inc.’s expansion into Shanghai, China, action research is more political as well as complex, and tends to be coordinated across several change processes. In such a context, action research also includes a variety of stakeholders who have are invested in the organization. Kurt Lewin is believed by many to be the man who came up with the first form of an action research model (Gustavsen, 2003). The action research model is mostly used to implement organizational change in multifaceted social situations where the workers and customers whose lives or circum stances will be affected ought to participate in creating and implementing the change that will affect their lives. The action research also is being increasingly used for expansion objectives in international settings. In this case, XYZ Inc. is creating a branch in a developing nation with a thriving economy. The changes involved do not just mean relocating operations to a different geographical location, but also include taking into account new customer demographics, and cultural work values of workers from a different nation. In addition, the action research model is rooted in American notions of what change entails. For instance, the action research model actually perceives change in a different way from Eastern cultures such as that of China. Implementing this model of change will thus mean that a more deep-seated foundation is laid when the Shanghai branch is being created, as the action research model will even have to have its basic doctrines revised to fit in more with its society. In order to achieve success in such settings, the action research model is created to address different cultural assumptions when necessary. This model can also be applied to promote innovation and social change, as is evidenced by successful global social change projects. Its suggestions are also meant to rectify imbalances in resource allocations and power structures across different groups. This will be vital in traditionally bureaucratic societies such as the Chinese society as it will deal with any feelings of disgruntlement among workers. In recent times, the action research model has made adaptations such as the involvement of workers in any organization’s change process. This is referred to as ‘participatory action research’ in corporate circles. This is a big contrast from traditional approaches towards change where change practices are created and then implemented by hired consultants (Gustavsen, 2003). While XYZ Inc. is not headquartered in a nation that has bureaucratic leanings, it still has to change its structure so that it changes from being too management oriented to being more of a customer-centric institution. This can be made possible through the action research model. In addition, action research, as a method of organizational change, is likely to be accepted in the Chinese society which has a systemic understanding of the world. Nations with a large majority of Buddhist adherents, such as China, tend to be

Feasibility Analysis For Establishing A Teen Mom Residential Facility Essay

Feasibility Analysis For Establishing A Teen Mom Residential Facility - Essay Example Especially in light of the welfare reform rules which require that all minors reside in supervised settings as a criterion for the receipt of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), these facilities prove to be a viable source for such supervision. Despite this, very little is known about these facilities. To date, there has been a minimal set of empirical studies to indicate their efficacy. As such, this study set out to examine the feasibility of such an implementation by examining seven facilities throughout the United States. This study aims to (1) document the implementation of residential facilities for teenage mother and (2) explore the feasibility of implementing such a facility. This study examines seven residential facilities for teenage mothers within the United States. Since the aim of this study was to asses the feasibility of establishing such a facility, our emphasis lied on programs with the highest potential for inclusion. In conducting the research, the researcher initiated numerous telephone interviews with various employees within the study facilities. The inquiry focused on the following areas: Management. The study facilities were managed utilizing both a networked management topology and an independent management topology. Four of the study facilities were networked and the remaining three were independent facilities. The networked facilities were essentially multi-site facilities operating under a unified management body while the independent facilities were single-site facilities. By virtue of the varying topologies, the managerial structures as well as the size of these facilities were inherently different. Funding Sources. The study facilities were predominantly funded through grants from a variety of governmental funding sources. In fact, these funding sources account for over 70% of the funding necessary for these facilities is garnered from private donations and other fundraising efforts. Eligibility Rules. The fundamental requirements involved specific guidelines with regards to age, pregnancy and motherhood status and the qualification for state-subsidized programs. In general, the programs accepted residents as young as 13 years of age and as old 29 years old. Services Provided. All of the facilities provided a general set of core services. These services include housing, supervision and structure, case management and parenting and life skills. Staffing and Costs The range of monthly per family expenditure ranged from approximately $1,100-$8,500. The lion's share of this cost was realized in the costs associated with the staffing needs and the direct supervision of the residents. In fact benefits and compensation accounted for as much as 70% of the program fee. Within these programs there was intensive supervision which mandated an allocation of staff members who are in direct contact with the residents for a substantial part of the day. The remaining costs were those associated with the provision of housing. CHAPTER I: DEFINITION OF THE