Alpha Bright Learning

Alpha Bright

E2 Resources

5 Functions of Management

The most widely accepted are the five functions of management given by KOONTZ and O’DONNEL:

Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, and Controlling.

Key elements of managing – use of power and authority, delegation, empowerment.

Power is the ability to influence people behaviour. Learn from French and Raven’s Bases of Power

How leader make better use of power – by Employee Empowerment

Employee Empowerment vs Delegation:

To achieve high performing results, leaders could extend use of power via employee empowerment. Employees are given power to decide and lead based on other source of power (expertise, information, referent). Extending power to employee beyond formal bases of power (hierarchal i.e. legitimate, reward, coercive).

Delegation is just assign tasks to someone (but retain power to decide), empowerment is giving autonomy to decide, and responsibility to achieve results.

Accountability, Authority and Responsibility

How Leaders hold employees accountable? Via management control process:

(1) Set expectations/targets

(2) Gain commitment

(3) Review progress (compare actual & targets)

(4) Provide feedback & correction action

Authority (decision-making power & use of resources) is empowered to the employee, he/she has the responsibility to achieve the targeted results, manager would regular review actual results vs targeted results, and provide constant feedback.

The Science of Persuasion – How to make people “agree and say yes”

Learning to influence others is one major competency of leaders. Learn from the experts in the science of influence, Dr. Robert Cialdini, and apply it to your work and daily life.

1. Reciprocity 2. Scarcity 3. Authority 4. Consistency 5. Liking 6. Consensus / Social Proof

These six principles can be used whenever there is a need to influence others and adopt certain
behaviours.

Creating High-Performing Team/ Winning Team

Belbin’s 9 Team Roles – Action, People, Thought Oriented Roles

  1. Shaper – Drive team moving, good in pressurised time, but can offend people
  2. Implementer – practical, efficient, dependable, but can be inflexible.
  3. Completer finisher – good at details, quality control, may be perfectionism.
  4. Co-ordinator – laying out goals and delegating tasks, over delegate annoy people
  5. Teamworker – avoid conflict, like good relationships, may be indecisive.
  6. Resource investigator- good generator of ideas, weak at follow up.
  7. Plant- problem solver, innovative, give original ideas, may be forgetful
  8. Monitor evaluator-rational, analysing options, objective, but may be slow.
  9. Specialist – experts in a specific field, may be single-minded, too narrow view
https://www.belbin.com/

Dysfunctions of Teams

  1. Absence of Trust 2. Fear of conflicts 3. Lack of commitment 4. avoid accountability 5. lack focus to results

How Can You Handle Conflicts Between Team Members?

Handling conflicts needs skills and strong communication.

  1. Tackle conflicts straightaway. If unsettle, could affect negatively on the team members.
  2. Encourage team members to resolve on themselves first. But if they fail to do so, you will step in to address the matter.
  3. STAR method:

S= Situation: Information are given in the pre-seen materials.

T=Task: Locate the source of conflicts, propose solutions to resolve conflicts

A=Action: Take actions based on best practices / model/theory/framework.

Let people involve in conflicts know you are aware of the conflicts, they would need to resolve their differences quickly. I would then monitor the situation and if things did not improve, I would take control.I would talk to everyone involved to establish reasons for the conflicts, and letting them how to resolve it. During the process I would remain impartial, do not take side, and have open communication. Once the conflict is over, I would speak to all team members to reaffirm our values and to give guidance on how to work together harmoniously and collaboratively.

  1. Examine reasons/sources for conflicts (Bell and Hart Model: Resources, Styles, Perceptions, Goals, Pressures, Roles, Personal Values, Unpredictable Policies

Thomas Kilmany Conflicts Model

Resolving conflicts

Thomas Kilmany Conflicts Model

Handling Conflicts