Review the following scenario. You will be required to develop an action plan which outlines the steps you would employ to develop competent teams.
Scenario
You are the newly appointed reservations manager of PlacesToGo Holidays, a tour wholesaler which specialises in selling air and accommodation packages to America (USA & Canada). PlacesToGo Holidays sells these packages to both travel agencies as well as direct to the general public.
The role of the reservations manager's position entails:
• Managing a team of eight junior and senior reservations staff, this includes the documentation (ticketing) staff of two
• Operational activities including monitoring budgets and sales
• Liaising with other departments in the organisation - namely product department, sales and marketing, accounts and management.
One of your first duties is to meet with Carlo, the newly appointed General Manager, who has only been in his role for two months. You discuss some of the issues that have been undermining the performance of the reservations and documentation teams. The main problems seem to revolve around the following issues:
• General lack of overall communication between departments
• Low team morale, unmotivated and disengaged
• Bookings and gross sales well down from previous years
• Lack of cohesion and communication between senior and junior reservations staff, where junior staff are often overwhelmed by difficult tasks and operate without direct supervision and assistance
• Some reservations consultants meeting very high sales targets whilst others have very low targets and results, causing friction and conflict between team members
• Mistrust between staff and management due to previous managerial team
• Sloppy work, errors and subsequent complaints from customers - usually relating to bookings made by two to three particular staff members
• Complaints from travel agencies on delays in receiving requested quotes and booking confirmations
• Documentation team issues; only two staff members, always behind with issuing documentation according to organisation deadlines. This is especially a problem when one staff member is on sick or annual leave. Problems include often omitting issuing one or more documents in error, or issuing tickets incorrectly which then need to be re-issued. (This documentation team comprises a junior staff member and a senior staff member who are under pressure, stressed and unsure of direction). These issues have caused conflict and friction between the documentation and reservations teams.
• Product department staff; miscommunication of product inclusions and prices to reservations team with reservations staff wasting time trying to solve these issues themselves
• Management requires newly created organisational goals to be communicated to the team
• No supervisor/s or senior staff appointed to direct teams; currently no effective leadership with staff just doing their own thing without apparent guidelines or set priorities.
While each of the team members was selected for their role on the basis of demonstrated skills and expertise, they seem unable to work together effectively. Your initial role, therefore, is that of trouble shooter, problem solver and team facilitator. You need to bring this group of people together to form a cohesive, effective and productive team.
Task
a) Develop an action plan and outline the procedures you would use to resolve these issues in order to develop a competent and unified reservation and documentation team.
b) Explain, in logical sequence, what methods you would use to develop the effective working capacity of your team.
c) Give reasons for your actions and your expected outcomes. Structure your action plan according to the following steps:
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1.
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Model high standards of performance and behaviour
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2.
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Develop team commitment and cooperation
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3.
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Manage team performance
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You will need to incorporate the following:
• Explain the leadership style you would adopt and explain why you consider this to be the most effective.
• List any communication and interpersonal skills you could offer to provide effective support and motivation to your teams.
• Explain how you would motivate the teams in order to manufacture a positive team spirit.
• Suggest ways to rebuild the principles of teamwork including how you can develop the characteristics of an effective team, and to enhance the organisation of the teams in order to promote the benefits of effective teamwork.
• Consider roles and responsibilities you expect your team members to adopt, in order to be consistent with achieving organisational goals.
Some concepts you will need to consider:
• consult with the team
• set team and individual goals
• lead by example
• develop the team
• support the team
• improve the team
• recruitment options
• manage performance
• delegate tasks and authority
• improve lines of communication
• improve morale
• foster respect both within the team, departments and with management
• self-assess your role and skills.