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A great opportunity has presented itself at my uncle’s midsized manufacturing business. I have been with the company for a while and now that I am graduating from college, the product development project leader was offered to me. Before taking on the position, my uncle brought a few issues to my attention.
Some of the major downfalls of the company involved, within three year span revenue on the business’ standard products have fallen considerably, no one is coming up with any fresh ideas for the improvement of the company, there is no lead for project managers, and the last project leader resigned from the company because of differences with peer managers and direct supervisors. This role can be very challenging. After careful consideration, I have accepted the position as the product development project leader.
As I have agreed to take on such position, along with the many task of improvement, there are a few areas that need to be addressed for the betterment of the company. The areas that will be discussed in this paper are the basic leadership skills need to succeed, methods used to build effective relationships tit superiors and peers, and figuring out what type of role one play in regards to participatory management in the business. My team and I want to make sure that this company gets through this downfall.
Leadership Skills First, we want to brainstorm and try to discover basic leadership skills in order for one to succeed with this position. As a valuable leader of a business, one should possess specific qualities and abilities that aid in making crucial choices as well as inspiring employees to be successful. Lacking basic managerial tools hinders a manager’s capability to help employees develop. It is important for company decision makers to be able to identify the basic traits of effective leaders.
Here are some basic leadership skills one has to develop in order to be successful. Communicate To function as an effective leader in a business, one must be capable of articulating thoughts and ideas to others clearly. To make this happen, you must have effective verbal and written communication skills. If that area lacks the aptitude to efficiently communicate through such means, then those who shadow you are prone to struggle when trying to stand by your directions. This characteristic is essential for leaders ND is the number one leadership skill (Grandstand, 2013).
Set Goals As an excellent leader, it is valuable to think strategically about where you want the company to be, not Just in present time but also the future. Think of your company goals as S. M. A. R. T. According to About. Com (2014), S. M. A. R. T. Is an abbreviation for the 5 steps of specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based goals. It is used by companies to go further than the area of vague goal-setting. As soon as you have created your five year goals, one can start to work back to the three year goals, one year goals, and to today.
After the five goal approach has been set, an implementation plan to begin accomplishing those goals should be the next step. You want to think of this process as a pyramid. The top is the five year goal, the middle is the three year goal, and the bottom is the one year goal. The first year is the foundation for the achievement of the future goals (Grandstand, 2013). Prioritize and Develop Now that the goals for the business have been set, it is now time for the execution process. Effective leaders know how to organize a task, prioritize it, and work professionally through effective time management.
Deprived of such abilities, the achievement of the goals will be unaccomplished. Be certain to allocate weekly reminders, which give progress notes on the advancement near your goals. There might need to be some alterations along the way, but remaining active will escape any redundant hindrances for the business (Grandstand, 2013). Motivate Employees A manager needs to be able to motivate employees in many ways, according to “Entrepreneur” magazine. Good management inspires employees to find more efficient ways of performing their Jobs, increasing productivity and adding revenue to he company bottom line.
Managers with good motivational skills also can convince employees to take an interest in the company’s success, making it their goal to add value to the company in any way they can (Grandstand, 2013). Follow-Up As a leader, it is important that you demonstrate good follow-through skills. If you set forth an organization initiative, or create a plan, you must see the plan through to completion. Leaders who lack follow-through skills will likely produce followers with the same deficiency.
Thus, a culture of underperforming workers is created (Grandstand, 2013). Methods for Effective Relationships Now let us reflect on methods that can be used to build effective relationships with superiors and peers. This was a problem the uncle had in previous years with his previous project leader. Having a positive relationship with subordinates and lead manager is important, but consuming an effective and wonderful functioning relationship with peers is as well critical for the success in your management or decision making role.
Some of the methods include: Look for Mutual Goals As being a leader, actively searching for common goals will aid in the advancement of he changes that are need to better the company. What is the common denominator? Think of how each member can add value to the company, and has being the project leader, offer guidance to help your peers in fields that you can inspire (5 Tips to Develop Effective Working Relationship with Your Peers, 2013). Establish Respect and Trust The 5 Tips to Develop Effective Working Relationship with Your Peers (2013) website says to generate an atmosphere of trust and respect with your peers of the company.
The actual way to begin that is to constantly display these behaviors: Never low yourself to put your peers on the spot: if there are any problems or issues with a peer working habits, be certain to discuss the matter in a private setting. This type of matter is not appropriate for staff meetings or emails, especially if the employee is unaware. This will create a lack of trust. Real professionalism should be displayed at all times: Shun away from speaking negative about your peers behind their backs or engaging in workplace gossips.
Hold on to your promises: If there is a task that you want to do by a certain time, do it and distribute it on time. Put an end to agreements with urgency: Address disputes as soon as possible. Unsettled conflicts will hinder advancement in relationship structure, building teams, and continuing assignments. Make sure that you are available: An open door policy is very important to have. Be accessible to listen, deliberate, and plan with your peers. Every now and then, make time for lunch dates.
Pursue Collaboration According to 5 Tips to Develop Effective Working Relationship with Your Peers (2013) Continuously ask yourself, “How well can I work Jointly together with my peers for the benefit of my organization? Contemplate on the following methods to work together with peers: According to 5 Tips to Develop Effective Working Relationship with Your Peers (2013), “Seek clarity on shared goals, roles and responsibilities. ” By starting on the right path, connect with peers and converse about assignments that you Jointly work on as a team.
There should be a well-defined understanding about the project goals, reviewing who is working on what and when the task is supposed to be completed. According to 5 Tips to Develop Effective Working Relationship with Your Peers (2013), “Negotiate fairly. When discussing enterprises, finances and resources, keep in mind that the needs of your business comes first, not desires. Select the high road and put more attention on the shared resolution. If there might be an unfavorable outcome that occurs, acknowledge the outcome without it becoming personal.
According to 5 Tips to Develop Effective Working Relationship with Your Peers (2013), “Celebrate success. ” No matter how small the success is, recognize it as it comes along. You want to make it a routine to rejoice every achievement made. Such celebrations endure your drive and enthusiasm to go further to complete main Laos. An example of a celebration can include a staff meeting that recognizes individuals for their substantial contributions. Make Time for Bonding There are times when organizations take bonding time for granted. It is imperative that you get to know your employees well.
Take a sincere attraction to their lives. One can spend time outside the off and do such things as lunch or dinner, bowling, or Just any activity of common interest. It supports building relationship which helps in creating a position of common respect and understanding amongst one another (5 Tips to Develop Effective Working Relationship with Your Peers, 2013). No Blame Game According to 5 Tips to Develop Effective Working Relationship with Your Peers (2013), “A man that points a finger at someone else, he should remember that four of his fingers are pointing at himself. -Louis Nicer. Instead of blaming others due to an issue, back up and assess the circumstances by doing this: Everything should be preserved as a learning experience. Each day that is given should be viewed as an opportunity to be better than the day before. Concentrate on these three viewpoints: Take a good look at what actually transpired. Figure out what is working and what is not working. Come to an understanding of what can be done differently in the future. Make the decision not to label yourself as the victim. Power will be lost by blaming others for everything that goes wrong.
Because of this, progress will not be made. As an alternative, be a little more modest. Identify your faultiness and know that you play a part in contributing to the problem that has occurred. Role of Participatory Management The Participatory Management (2011) website says that participatory management is system in which employees of a business organization take an active role in the decision-making process as it relates to the way the business operates. There are various approaches to the level of participatory management a business may engage in.
Some examples are self-managed work teams, professional enrichment opportunities, increasing levels of responsibility for employees and even employee- owned business ventures. Just to name a few styles of participatory management includes: Information management- shared information, such as financial reports, earnings, operational budgets, and strategic planning with employees. Mentoring and Training Management- offers training, skills advancement, professional enhancement and mentoring to employees of any level.
Teaching Management- a coaching module in which guides employees on the essentials of the decision-making method. Conclusion Taking on this role is not an easy task. You have to show strength, courage, and have a will to learn in the process. What was discussed in this paper is a great start to a promising future of the uncles company. The basic leadership skills need to succeed, methods used to build effective relationships with superiors and peers, and figuring UT what type of role one play in regards to participatory management in the business will aid in a bright future for the new product development project leader.