MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATIONS ASSESSED ASSIGNMENT 2

Submitted by, Prem Prakash, iD # 938511 Windsor Cohort, HULT International Business School, London.

HOW I APPROACHED THE CASE: Now that I am the leader of the team, changing the culture from Stress-oriented to achievementoriented is the most important task for me. Second most important task is to ensure that irrespective of my personal-feelings about other members of the team, my every action results in all the 3 objectives below: 1. 2. 3. Achieving the TASK Building the TEAM Developing the INDIVIDUAL

In the meantime, Ill have to address some urgent and/or important issues with people up-and-down the organizational hierarchy. Common Approaches for addressing each of the 5 situations: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Ill address each situation by evaluating it on Coveys Quadrant1. Ill address each situation from an Adult mindset, and will try my best to retain it during the communication. My primary conflict resolving style will be collaboration. In each situation, Ill seek out to expand the Johari-window2 Arena of the Characters. My primary Influencing3 approach will be Collaboration.

1. LYNN:
What I think about Lynn: Good: Competent and experienced; can be part of my succession-plan after polishing some behavioural-edges. Bad: Her negative attitude towards some other people in the team is a concern for me. Ugly: Her office-politics-player image is a concern for me, for the team and, worst still, for her! Fox4 Lynn: I have evaluated her recent office-politics behaviour (e.g. not informing me of work-at-home, going straight to my boss etc), and I think her political-behaviour is best described as THE FOX (politically aware & plays games).

What Lynn thinks about me: She is in conflict with my new leadership role, and is using competition to resolve the conflict. What Covey thinks about this situation: On Coveys Quadrant, this situation is Urgent-but-unimportant. It qualifies as a B task. I should address it soon-and-short. What Actions Will I Take and How? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Ill book a meeting-room away from our work-floors and ask her to meet me for the 1-1 meeting. Ill create an easy-mood by offering to make her coffee. Ill then ask her about why she thinks, despite the expertise and experience, she was not promoted? Was there something beyond these qualities, which she lacked in the eyes of senior management? Ill then direct the conversation by explaining her how valuable she is to the team (experience, competence). The second part of my conversation will be to tell her (subtly but firmly) that she needs to get rid of her office-politics-player image so that she doesnt get turned-down a promotion again. Also, Ill ask her if she thinks she is biased against some team-members? Ill then explain her that if she can show improvements on the politics and bias, Ill be happy to delegate her powers to take the day-to-day decisions. Ill clearly explain her that delegating the tactical day-to-day decisions to her will be a winwin for both of us; she will be able to work according to her competence, and Ill be able to focus on more strategic issues. Finally, Ill put forward the point that if shes not able to change her behaviour on these two fronts, then Ill have no option but to ask the HR department to find a more appropriate position for her (which means I dont need her in the team).

Theoretical evidential basis and/or intellectual rationale behind my course of action: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. I have designed the 1-1 meeting in agreement with the various requirements of accomplishing difficult conversations. In step 2, Ill help Lynn to expand her Johari-window Arena by encouraging her to disclose to me her perspective, hence pushing down the Facade. In step 4, Ill help Lynn to expand her Johari-window Arena by providing feedback on her behaviour (which might be due to her BE STRONG driver), hence pushing-away the Blindspot. In steps 3 to 6, Ill prepare the ground for a collaborative conflict resolution, building the win-win case for both of us. This approach addresses all 3 of my objectives as a leader (TASK, TEAM, INDIVIDUAL)5. So, its the right-approach, irrespective of the ultimate outcome of this meeting. In step #7, Ill consolidate my leadership-position, building on my Adult conversation-mode. The Collaborative approach of Influencing will be used, rather than persuasion or Directive, increasing the chances of a favourable behaviour-change. If she agrees, Ill be able to delegate better, hence sparing more time for building the clock rather than telling the time6; also, delegation will help me change the company culture from stressed one to achievement-based.

2. KRIS:
What I think about him: Good: He is humorous and has a creative bend of mind. Bad: He is regularly-late, both for internal meetings and external ones. Ugly: He thinks coming late to work is part of the relaxed company culture. Lazy Kris: He comes late to every meeting, wasting between 10 to 30 minutes of others time who attend the meetings. I think he suffers from flat-tyre syndrome; he thinks he can always have an out-of-my-hands excuse for coming late. Now that I depend on him for certaintasks, his unpunctuality can lead to degradation of the trust I have in him.

What he thinks about me: He thinks Im un-necessarily making a fuss about his coming late to meetings. In his view, contributing to the team (by virtue of his creative, out-of-box thinking) is what matters, rather than coming on time BUT contributing little or nothing. What Covey thinks about this situation: At first glance, this situation qualifies as Not-Urgent and Not-important on Coveys Quadrant. It qualifies as a D task. (Important Note: But actually its an Important but Not-Urgent task; a C task on Coveys Quadrant, where I must invest time and effort. Kris coming late is a personal-competency and time-management problem. But his perception that coming-late is part of company-culture makes me sit-up and think about it. I would go deeper into this, and if I find it a real company-wide cultural-problem, Ill work towards eliminating it from the company-culture I build). What Actions Will I Take and How: Coming back to Kris, Ill not take any urgent and out-of-routine steps at present. I still have a good rapport with him, and so there is a lot of scope for Non-difficult Conversations. Ill wait for the regular weekly 1-1 meeting to bring about the issue of his coming-late. 1. 2. 3. 4. Once we meet, Ill explain him that I value his contribution to the team, and coming on time will further increase his value to the team. Ill ask him if he manages his time well, both on-office and off-office; What he thinks abouthow does coming-late affects his relationship and performance? If he agrees he needs help in managing his time, Ill offer him Coaching on time-management, preferably by an outside-person. If he doesnt acknowledge the fact that his coming-late is a problem, Ill tell him that under the new company-policy, employee-performance will be appraised on- among other thingspunctuality. Ill tell him that not coming on time is non-negotiable, and how it can be demoralizing to the other team-members; and how it can be rewarding for him in terms of better performance appraisals. As a parting comment, drawing from the good rapport we share, Ill also talk about how his coming on time will help my personal agenda- the greater cause of bringing in a fresh change in the company-culture. Ill ask him to come back to me in 2 days time, in case he thinks he needs a Coach.

5. 6.

Theoretical evidential basis and/or intellectual rationale behind my course of action: 1. 2. In step 1, Im building ground for collaborative influencing. In step 2, Im helping Kris expand his Johari-window Arena by providing feedback on his behaviour (which might be due to her HURRY UP or BE PERFECT driver), hence pushingaway the Blind-spot.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

In step 3, Im enabling him by Coaching, hence Developing the INDIVIDUAL. In step 4, Im establishing my leadership role, while still sticking to collaborative path. In step 4, the discussion wears a Difficult-discussion hat, and Im well prepared to steer the communication, in case it happens. In step 5, drawing from the good-rapport bank-balance I am also trying to influence Kris using the Visionary-strategy. In step 5, Im basically trying to hook-up my Natural-Child with Kris Adaptive-Child or Nurturing-father. But Ill take this step only after Kris stops listening to my Adult in steps 1, 2, 3 and 4.

3. JOE:
What I think about Joe: Good: Expert, Ambitious (looking for opportunities to expand), Expat (near to the customer and market), Talented. Bad: Didnt show interest in the new business expansion opportunity; Might not be comfortable with the new boss-subordinate relationship Ugly: Apparently he is struggling with work-life balance; a long-distance relationship. Reluctant Joe: I am taken aback by the unexpected, vague and Im not interested response from Joe. By some reason, he is reluctant to go for this opportunity, though he had shown great interest in expanding business previously. I need to delegate with him in a better way. Also, I must try to clear any confusions/misconceptions he has about the opportunity.

What Joe thinks about me: He might be thinking that now Im the boss, Im trying to exercise my newly found authority on him. Also, he might think that Im being insensitive to his need for a better work-life balance- exactly when he needs it most- by sending me out to a new location.

What Covey thinks about this situation: On Coveys Quadrant, this situation is Urgent and Important. It qualifies as A category task- the stuff leaders need to do. I must address this situation immediately and with full attention.

What Actions Will I Take and How: As this is a very important opportunity for Joe and the business, I need to call him over phone, or better still an audio-visual medium (if present) like video-conferencing. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Ill set a conversation-time that suits both of us (taking in account the different time zones). Ill set a friendly tone, saying how I have enjoyed working with him previously, and how I value him as a team-member because of his expertise and ambitiousness. Ill try to learn more about his perspective, by asking him why doesnt he want to go for this opportunity. Ill also tell him that once the deal is thru, I will make sure he gets some vacation time as soon as possible. Ill explain to him that I have great faith in his expertise, and that I want him to achieve his potential, and this opportunity can be a defining thing in that direction. Ill show him how the potential expansion will increase his value to the team, and to the company. Ill try to address as many of his concerns as possible, but will be firm with the fact that he must grab this opportunity. Finally, Ill fix the time for next conversation with him, so that we can finalize things faster. Ill send him a minutes-of-conversation.

Theoretical evidential basis and/or intellectual rationale behind my course of action:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

In steps 1 and 2, Im sending a soft-message that I have concern for his needs, thus trying to build up the much-needed trust, a must-have to lead virtual-teams. In step 3, Im helping Joe to expand his Johari-window Arena by encouraging him to disclose to me his perspective, hence pushing down the Facade. In step 4, Im trying the collaborative approach to Influencing, trying to hook-up his personal whats-in-it-for-me. In step 5, Im Delegating with him from an Objective point-of-view, rather than the Task. In step 6, Im trying to very-subtly Influence him using the Visionary-approach. In step 7, Im establishing my stand as a leader. In steps 8 and 9, Im setting ground for an effective-meeting, with clear agreed-upon areas and the way-forward.

4. LESLEY:
What I think about Lesley: Good: Promoted me over others. Bad: Didnt acknowledge my contribution to Project Alpha. Ugly: She has hi-jacked MY project-alpha. Bad Boss Lesley: She has broken the team spirit by sabotaging my contribution and hard work.

What Lesley thinks about me: She thinks of me merely as the resource who was asked to work on a project and prepare some notes to take to the board. What Covey thinks about this situation: On Coveys Quadrant, this situation is Urgent but less Important. It qualifies as B category task. Other important observations: 1. 2. It a case of upward-delegation. Hence it qualifies as a Difficult-conversation. I will try to contain my emotions under control, and will never graze out of my Adult.

What Actions Will I Take and How: Ill call for a formal meeting with Lesley. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. In the meeting, Ill explain her how hard I have worked for project-alpha, and what were my expectations from this project. Ill also voice my concern that the board doesnt see my hard work and contribution as mine, and how it can affect my future-motivation behind doing a project. Ill tell Lesley about my expectations from her as a boss. Ill ask her about her expectations from me as a team mate. Ill explain her that Ive full confidence in her leadership, but I want to grow under her as well. At the end, Ill listen to her attentively, so that I can set realistic expectations from the work and from Lesley.

Theoretical evidential basis and/or intellectual rationale behind my course of action: 1. 2. 3. 4. In steps 1 and 2, Im trying to mould my upward-delegation towards Objective-based and divert it from the specific task-based. In steps 3 and 4, Im set out to balance our Johari-window Arenas, both by asking and giving her feedback (pushing-back the blind spot) and giving my disclosures and receiving her disclosures (pushing-down the faade). In Step 5, Im using the collaborative Influencing approach. In step 6, Im trying to find common-ground for the collaboration approach to conflictresolution.

5. ALEX:
What I think about Alex: Good: Satisfactory project-execution ability Bad: Lacks team-management skills. Ugly: Sends me formal e-mail communication, blaming Claire for the imbalanced project report. Mule Alex: He seems to be playing office-politics against Claire in the Mule-mode. After evaluating various factors involved, I observed that Alex needs to be coached on using Influence (and not mere power) to enhance his team-management skills. Also, I need to clearly communicate him the team-ethics, so he stops being the Mule.

What Alex thinks about me: He apparently thinks that I am not aware about what going on in the office-politics. He also thinks he can use me against Claire to realize his own vested interests. What Covey thinks about this situation: On Coveys Quadrant, this situation is Urgent and Important. It qualifies as A category task- the stuff leaders need to do. I must address this situation immediately and with full attention. What Actions Will I Take and How: Ill talk to both Alex and Claire at the same time. Ill fix a meeting room away from the work-floors. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. First, Ill ask Alex to come and see me. When we meet, Ill ask him how he thinks he can enhance his team-management skills. Ill offer him to get Coaching on team-management if he thinks so. Ill also advice him to use Influence rather than simply authority. 30 minutes after we start, Claire will come into the room. Ill ask both of them to clearly and openly talk about the project report imbalance issue. Ill then ask both of them to be collaborative and straight-forward with work so that the team doesnt suffer more office-politics. Ill end the meeting by explaining both of them that they have a collective-responsibility towards providing me with good quality, balanced progress-reports.

Theoretical evidential basis and/or intellectual rationale behind my course of action: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In step 1, 2 and 3, Im helping Alex to use Coaching, hence realizing my 3-pronged goal to enhance TASK, TEAM and INDIVIDUAL. In step 4, Im sending a message that I as a leader will not allow and tolerate office-politics. In step 5, Im engaging both of them to help each other in expanding the Johari-window Arena. In step 6, Im using collaborative conflict-resolution approach. Also, Im sending a clear message that office-politics will not be tolerated at any cost, irrespective of relativehierarchies within the team. In step 6, Im building ground for their working-together, by inculcating the value of collective-responsibility.

ADDENDUM 1: Check-mate

I think he/she is They think I am My actions My reasons

LYNN Fox, competent, Incompetent, insecure Collaborate or go-away No politics

KRIS Creative, late-comer Fuss-creator Visionary Camaraderie Achievementculture

JOE Expert, Reluctant Insensitive, show-off Collaborate TASK, TEAM, INDIVIDUAL

LESLEY Boss, Exploitative Mere employee Upward delegation Teamstrengthening

ALEX Mule, OK-kind Un-aware, Sheep Collaborate or go-away No politics

ADDENDUM 2: Learning Log 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Ive learnt that office-politics is a reality, and I should be pro-active in using it positively. I learnt about a new category of office-politics namely the Mule. Ive learnt that Influencing is a far better way of effecting favourable outcomes, and collaborative Influencing style should be practiced wherever possible. Ive learnt how to use meetings for better and fast decision-making. I learnt about the Time-Robbers, and how avoiding them can help us manage our time better. I learnt the difference between Mentoring and Coaching, and how coaching can help us become an effective manager and a better leader. I learnt how to make effective presentations, and how to be always in command thru the use of Check-mate.

References:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Stephen Covey, 1994, First Things First Luft & Ingham- The Johari Window Influencing Strategies- Dr. Roger Delves (classroom slides) Baddeley & James, 1987 Not bosses, but Leaders, John Adair, 1987 Collins & Porras, 1994, Built To Last