Case 2: The Human Perspective

Case 2: The Human Perspective

Presented by:Group 14

Justin Abraham, 91913Linus Blomkvist, 21326Valerie Clarberg, 21350Annie Li, 21061Colette Li, 21339Henrik Tengvall, 21324

Agenda

Problems and Causes

Short-term Strategy

Long-term Strategy

Risks

Executive summary

Problems and RootsConfusion about the company’s goals, conflicting management styles, chronic lack of communication, and low faith in management resulting from a poor long-term vision and lack in management skills.

Short-Term StrategySeveral group and individual meetings are suggested to establish communication, unison, a long-term vision and a new set of objectives

Long-Term StrategyA change in organizational and communication structure, including more communication from the President, paired with courses for upper managers are suggested to continue on with the short-term strategy

RisksShort-term risks include a lingering doubt and crippling indecisiveness. Long-term risks include costs, a reluctance to go along with change, difficulty in measuring success, and over-politicalization of the organization.

Executive Summary

Agenda

Problems and Causes

Short-term Strategy

Long-term Strategy

Risks

Executive summary

Lack of manageme

nt skills

Lack of clarity

related to organisational structure

No vision

Confusion about the company's

goals

Conflicting Management styles

Bad communicati

on

Poor decision making

policy and decision

unmaking

Cronyism

Lack of

trust

The top managers have ”outgrown whatever managerials skills” they had as the company grew. Moreover a clear and structured vision for the company was never clearly designed or at least updated. These two issues triggered the

numerous problems that have been established, which led to a lack of trust and communication within the organisation. Wthout these factors there can be no

motivation and no coordination, meaning poor results.

Root Causes of Problems

What Went Wrong…

•Brennan’s optimism concerning the top managers’ will and capacity to improve

•Lost credibility

•Eliminated whatever hope middle managers’ had begun to build.

•Arrival of officers enhanced the cynicism and dishonesty.

Underlying Problems•Not all managers had a prior knowledge about the Newport meeting

•Confusion concerning the present meeting and its purpose

•Prejudice against Brennan due to previous experience with consultants

•No honest expressions

What happened at the meeting?Prejudiced assumptions versus optimism led to a failed meeting

Agenda

Problems and Causes

Short-term Strategy

Long-term Strategy

Risks

Executive summary

Making an Impact: Goals

Establish urgency

Goals How?

Set a Timeline

Create a Coalition Dialogue Map

Develop a Vision Matrix Organizational Structure

Communicate VisionSpeeches from President Larry

Campbell

Empower Staff to Act Management Courses

Set Goals

Short-term Long-term

Full Meeting (All Management)

Analyze all meetings, develop long-term

vision

Mediation Meetings

One-on-One Meetings

Goals Timeline Week 1 Week 3 Week 4Week 2

Timeline

Full Meeting

Mediation meetings

One-on-one meetings

Week1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

Set goals for the project’s overall

aim


Week 1 Goal: Clarify the objectives and the process of this projectWeek 1 Objective: Arrange a big meeting with all the managers and the president (11 Nov)

Week 1: Set goals for the project’s overall aim

Objective settings:

1. Aim : A statement of the project’s overall goal2. Objectives : It should be well defined and realistic3. Actions : A plan4. Outcomes : Describe the result


Aim:• Convince the middle managers the top managers are serious about

improving their working methods• Stimulate the middle managers to participate in implementing changes

Week 2: Mediation meetings


Week 2 Goal:

Clear the air with the middle managers

Week 2 Objective:

Brennan arranges group meetings with each division (14-16 November)

In This Meeting:

Remove the bedrock assumptions by asking:

Why are you assuming that some people in the top management will not change?

Do you think there’s a solution to this challenge? If not, why?

Compile the answers and observations (17-18 November):

What are the attitudes in each divison?

Try to construct a cause and effect plan of the assumptions stated by the managers

Brainstorm ways of controlling the causes in order to monitor the effects

Plan the next meeting

Aim : Increase open mindedness and creativity

Compile the answers and observations (24-25 November): Are there any attitude changes? Compare the meeting with the last

one Analyse the result of the team skills

exercise

Week 3: Mediation meetings


Week 3 Goal: Reduce the hierarchy and improve teamwork

Week 3 Objective:Talk in groups again but with a top manager and the president included (21-23 November)

In This Meeting:

Create a good atmosphere – Sit in a circle, don’t place the top manager and the president next to each other

Let the middle managers discuss openly about the issues with the top manager and president, encourage confrontation

Discuss about the effort that each of them will contribute in order to change

Do a team skill exercise (Belbine)

Aim : Build trust and relations, increase the transparency and improve the working relations

Week 4: One-on-One meetings


Compile the answers and observations (30 Nov. – 3 Dec.)

Give the collected data to top managers and president. The dominant ideas and views will be taken into account by top managers when deciding upon a new vision.

Week 4 Goal: Solve personal problems in management

Week 4 Objective:Individual meetings with the middle managers (28 – 30 November)

In This Meeting:Empower the managers with Outcome-frame thinking by asking:

What is your vision for this company?

What kind of contribution can you offer in order to improve the company?

Aim : Engage and motivate middle management

Make them feel part of the change and the new vision

Agenda

Problems and Causes

Short-term Strategy

Long-term Strategy

Risks

Executive summary

Making an Impact: Goals

Establish urgency

Goals How?

Set a Timeline

Create a Coalition Dialogue Map

Develop a Vision Matrix Organizational Structure

Communicate VisionSpeeches from President Larry

Campbell

Empower Staff to Act Management Courses

Set Goals

Short-term Long-term

Full Meeting (All Management)

Analyze all meetings, develop long-term

vision

Mediation Meetings

One-on-One Meetings

Goals Timeline Dialogue MapMatrix

Organizational Structure

Presidential Speeches

Management Courses

Establish Urgency: Timeline

Matrix Organizational

Structure

Management Courses

President Speeches

6 Months 12 Months 18 Months 24 Months

Customer Service & Marketing

Engineering & Manufacturing

Dialogue Map




Management Courses

Create a Coalition: Dialogue Map

What? A dialogue map is a tool that will establish dialogue in an informal setting that allows people to communicate more effectively and solve problems

Why? This tool is needed to solve lasting communication problems and to manage the change into a new organizational structure

Who? All middle managers working alongside a consultant

When? After all the short-term goals have been accomplished

Benefits

• Creates a culture of communication

• Establishes teamwork

• Lays groundwork for change into matrix organizational structure

• Allows self-reflection and reflection of others creating more effective employees

Goals Timeline Dialogue Map


Structure Presidential Speeches

Management Courses

Create a Coalition: Dialogue Map1. Create a group

2. Set Objectives and Time Frame

3. Develop objective for each area of map

4. Test with Pilot Group

5. Revise and Draft Map

6. Implement

All Middle Managers

Objective: stimulate interdepartmental communicationTimeline: Starting as soon as possible, continuously

updating

Areas of map: dissatisfaction, satisfaction, complaints, complements, future plans, etc.

See how pilot group responds to questions. Test for team building and communication increases

Change any areas that were not effective in stimulating communication and team building

Run dialogue map with all middle managers to stimulate communication and team building




Management Courses

Sample Dialogue MapSatisfaction and Dissatisfaction (25

mins):•What are you satisfied/dissatisfied with at work?

•What makes you happy/unhappy in a team setting?

Complaints and Complements (30 mins):

•What are your team members weaknesses?

•What are your team members strengths?

Future Plans (30 Mins)•Where do you see yourself in five years?

•Where would you like to see the company in five years?

Situational Questions (45 mins)

• If you are under a lot of stress how do you react?

• How do you act when faced with a deadline?




Management Courses

Develop a Vision: Matrix Organizational Structure

What? A Matrix Organizational structure consists of teams built from all areas of the organization

Why? This structure is often used by organizations to dispel communication problems, bridge the gap between departments and deal with intricate problems

Who?Needs to be implemented first by President Larry Campbell, followed by upper

management and personnel manager H. Wheeler, who will organize the teams and final structure with consultants

When? After dialogue maps have been completed with all middle managers, should start in the next 12 months

Benefits

•Recognizes the real life complexity of the business environment

•Brings departments together by eliminating the pillars in the current structure

•Increases communication and innovation

•More effective at solving problems and accomplishing goals




Management Courses

Sample Matrix Organizational Structure

Team 1T. Sisco Manager, Customer Service

Customer Service

D. GrayData

Processing Manager

R. GibleyMaterials Manager

M. LustMarketing

L. Owens Engineering

Manager

Finance Manufacturing Marketing Engineering

Team 2B. Fowler Vice President,

Marketing

Marketing

N. HanzenEngineering

Manager, Food Processing

P. PattisonPeripheral Products Manager

M. Pestronk, Controller

S. Wright Software Supplies Manager

Engineering Manufacturing Finance Customer Service




Management Courses

Communicate Vision: Presidential Speeches

What? A speech every six months to all employees by President Larry Campbell discussing vision, goals and the company

Why? Speeches will allow a united vision in the corporation, and allow the President to get crucial points across to everyone

Who? Needs to posted through memos by all managers to their employees notifying them of the time and date, Larry Campbell needs to organize speech notes

When? One within the next month expressing confidence in top management, then one every six months afterwards to communicate important things

Benefits

• Employees will listen and be inspired by the visions presented by the head of the company

• Can be used to unite the company and start channels of communication between departments

• Can build faith in upper management by vouching for them publically




Management Courses

Empower Staff to Act: Management Courses

What? Specialized management courses at a well known university for upper managers

Why? Courses will increase manager credibility and effectiveness, thus increasing the faith of lower level managers in upper management

Who? The four upper managers without recent training: Bob Fowler, Tom Sisco, Scott Palmer and Walter Jackson

When? Since credibility is lowest with Bob Fowler and Tom Sisco, they will go first, followed by Scott Palmer and Walter Jackson

Benefits

• Increases credibility and faith in upper management

• Makes upper management more effective at decision making

• Will allow for better vision and ideas from upper management




Management Courses

Long Run Problems

Interdepartmental Communication

Lack of faith in Management

Long Run Solutions


StructureManagement

Courses

President’s Speeches

Dialogue Map

Long Run Summary




Management Courses

Agenda

Problems and Causes

Short-term Strategy

Long-term Strategy

Risks

Executive summary

Analyzing Risks: Short-Term

• Even with a great effort it is possible that the scepticism amongst middle managers will not cease

• Top managers may not improve in attitude and working methods

• Indecisiveness when establishing a long-term vision to follow. An absence of vision would leave no basis for objectives. Without objectives it is difficult to set directions...

thus preventing any further progress within the organisation

Analyzing Risks: Long-Term

Presidential Speeches:• Hard to find a venue

• May be perceived as overly political

• President needs to become more vision-oriented to effectively communicate vision

Dialogue Map:• Quite costly to implement with consultants

• Will take lots of people-hours to complete map with all managers

• Hard to measure success

Matrix Organizational Structure:• Takes a long time to implement

• Expected backlash from upper management

• Costs associated with travel for meetings

• Might need to reorganize buildings to be more effective

Management Courses:• Expensive

• Some managers may still not have faith despite the courses

• Needs to be paired with bottom-up trust building

• Managers need to take time off work to complete courses

Questions?

Case 2: The Human Perspective

Documents

Transcript of Case 2: The Human Perspective