Addressing Challenges of Groups and Teams

Communication has been the cornerstone for interrelationship between human beings, and since humans have learned to communicate, they have shared information and ideas to create things faster and more accurate than done by separate individuals. History has taught us that working together as groups or teams not only the load is lighter, but we can accomplish greater things and in a more efficient way. This paper will propose a strategy plan in order to ease the allocation of resources while on capitalizing on added services to generate profit needed at Dessert Communications inc.
Before presenting any change is important that management develops clear objectives and goals according to the corporation and to develop job descriptions and roles for the new duties to be assigned to each employee. Also, is necessary that management make an evaluation of the necessary skills, experience, and talent to perform the new assigned duties.
As managers is important to use adequate methods to communicate changes to employees. The first thing is to present clearly the resources change suggested by the corporation and the genuine reasons for the change. Speak to employees with the truth help us to have an open communication path with them while earning their trust. A suggestion would be to perform a meeting like a team building to present the company’s goals and ask to employees for their ideas and strategies to achieve the new objectives and goals for the company. This type of exercise helps us to achieve the involvement of all employees and their commitment to the organization’s success. “At the same time we engage workers in decisions that affect them and increase their autonomy and control over their work lives, they will become more motivated, more committed to the organization, more productive, and more satisfied with their jobs” (Robbins & Judge, 2011).
At the moment of presenting operational changes is important to provide the necessary tools and adequate resources to employees to perform their new roles. It includes (among others) adequate staffing, timely information, positive encouragement, and proper equipment. Also, is indispensable to provide them with a detailed structure to help them when needed to call the right person if any unusual situation occurs and develop a reward program to encourage them to achieve expected goals (Robbins & Judge, 2011). This will contribute to perform as an effective team.
Organizations have come to understand the importance of training within the organization, train employees and improve in performance as a result increasingly faster pace. There are different types of training that can be implemented, but not all of them can be applied in an organization, will depend on the cost of implementation, and delivery of training, since it has to be able to help the organization to compete, with challenges of globalization.
One of the most common types of training is the Technology Based Training (TBT). TBT is a form of training in which digital technology is applied to function as a tool to deliver knowledge, skills and abilities required for performance improvement in the workplace. It is transmitted in different ways, such as Computer-Based Training (CBT), including help menus, tutorials, simulations, and games for a single user, network-based Training (NBT), including multiuser games tutorials or local or regional networks and systems, electronic performance support (EPSS), Web-based training (WBT), including e-learning programs, and finally Training through digital devices from different teams, as some forms of vide and simulation booths.
The best model of training proposed for Desert Communications is the Computer Based Training (CBT), this training will consist of the necessary information from the new plans offered and answers to common questions customers would ask. Training will be accessible from all computers in the company and will be mandatory for all employees to take. This model will include assessing the rates of customer satisfaction.
The differences between teams and groups is that people form teams that complement each other to achieve common goals, and groups of people with skills who are committed to a particular goal. As mentioned by Mintzberg, Lampel, Quinn and Ghoshal, (2003), there are several ways to influence people to collaborate with the success of a business alliance. Adaptation of what they say to an environment of organizational restructuring, as performed by Desserts Communications, leaders and followers did the collaborative process as a personal commitment. Once you have the commitment in order to be easier to implement, mutual respect and trust between employers and employees is essential to the process.
To successfully carry out computer-assisted training for Dessert Communications at least two procedures should be added to the training program. According to Yukl (2010) "to achieve a more effective learning process in teams and groups of the reviews after the activity and dialogue sessions are two procedures that are critical to successfully implement a training". Meetings will be used as a way to obtain input and feedback on what can be done to improve in processes. At these meetings, objectives, procedures and problems will be reviewed to objectively to find solutions to apply in future situations. Second method is to maintain dialogue sessions, in which there will be discussions to discuss aspects of the processes in question and the opinions of each member.
To identify any possible conflict among team members and management, a feedback from every single member of the team must be included in the communication process to ensure that the information provided was understood by all parties, and if there is some misunderstanding or unclear expectations, the issue could be resolved at that moment and if necessary, look for more detailed info to resolve possible issue. Prompt actions to unresolved issues must be given top priority to avoid or minimize any possible conflict.
According to Yukl, G. (2010) guidelines to help out in solving problems include: to identify the most important/critical issues than can be truly solved, look for links that interconnect problems with each other, experiment with new ideas to provide for innovative solutions and when issues/problems are identified, and prompt decisive actions must be taken in order to deal/manage with crises. There must be complete interactions among all the parties involved in order to create a problem solving environment with all team members.
Participative Leadership could be used also in order to identify, minimize and in the best scenario to integrate that need strategy to generate that needed increase in sales in Desert Communications. According to Yukl, G. (2010) group meetings can be created to foster participation among team members helps in the decision making process, communication, and cooperation and at the end helps in conflict resolution.
With all these, there are always ways to around problems in order to find ways to solve them, positive attitudes are always needed to create that needed problem solving environment to foster new creative ideas.
According to Dunkel, (2007-2013) when in practice, collaboration (among others) achieves and exceeds expected goals, when improving on commitment among members, sense of belonging, respect, and mutual trust. Negative collaboration affects success. Collaboration can be affected when a lack of focus occurs. In this case if the management of Desert Communications fail in defining the new vision is more likely that collaboration will fail too.
When implementing new ideas is important to be considered to create a plan which will be used as a guide in a step by step process towards implementation of new (among others) standards, rules, and rubrics. The absence of an evolvement plan will leave managers without guidance and misleading events can occur.
To achieve a positive effect is important to empower employees, give them necessary tools to perform better, and give them a sense of participation in the team. It’s important to let them be heard, employees are the base of the company and its biggest asset. A positive collaborative work culture is where we as managers obtain more out of employees and employees get more satisfied. In this way the outcomes are better and the investment by employees is bigger. “A truly engaged workforce is more productive and effective, one capable of achieving stronger results.” (Dunkel, 2007-2013).
Management needs to identify work teams and work groups in his/her staff to achieve company’s goals with the upcoming operational changes. According to Robbins and Judge, (2011) a work groups interacts primarily to make decisions and share information, helping team members to perform in his/her area of responsibility.
Desert Communications Inc, needs to establish work groups and work teams, and identify key members for those teams and their responsibilities. It’s important to establish work groups composed of the same roles so they can report to the same manager. This type of group helps us to share techniques and approaches to reach the costumer and share unusual experiences with clients. This technique would help the group to manage different types of clients and situations. Also is necessary to establish work teams composed of different functional areas as marketing, customer services, and finance to work together to achieve expected goals. This team will be responsible to create innovative promotions taking in consideration the costumer population, and at the same time will evaluate the opportunities areas of the company to develop strategies to use this opportunities in our favor. This work team would provide direction to the work groups. It’s clearly evident that Desert Communications is no different, as any other company. Communicating policies, new ideas, new goals, and new expectations must be clearly defined and implemented at all levels of the corporation to avoid possible misunderstandings among top management, management and first line workers. Any doubt and unclear expectations must be avoided at all costs. As any other plan, adaptation and resilience to changes is critical to evolve in businesses and with a comprehensive approach and a detailed framework to address situations Dessert Communications can and will endure hardships to gain expected gaining profits.

References

Dunkel, L. (2007-20013). Collaboration: Harnessing the Power to Engage People, Solve Problems, and Manage Change in Business. Retrieved from http://www.interactionassociates.com/ideas/collaboration-harnessing-power-engage-people-solve-problems-and-manage-change-business
Mintzberg, H., Lampel, J., Quinn, J. B., & Ghoshal, S. (2003). The Strategy Process: Concepts, Contexts, Cases (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational Behavior (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Yukl, G. A. (2010). Leadership in Organizations (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.