The Assistant Director and his staff have not found the synergy to work together. It is usually, problems between counterparties rises due to not correctly determined responsibilities and duties on the job, either controlling level or executive level (Kaiser, 2010).
It is necessary to find a creative solution. The problem is becoming more prominent and with the time will be uncontrollable if a solution is not found. Therefore, it is necessary to think in some innovative solutions to improve the relationship between the parties. It is essential that employees feel the importance of being part of a team, and receive compensation for their responsibilities (Boje, 1982). The creative solution should focus on rebuilt synergy cooperation regarding compensation/salary vs. responsibilities. Besides, an original problem-solving approach is needed for the team to function as a team. The problem must be identified, solutions reviewed, evaluate the problem, discuss the answers, make a decision and implement the solution to get the team in one accord.
This situation is a group problem, and both parties need to be willing to cooperate and change the behavior:
- Create individual goals (Assistant Director, each staff member) by weekly, monthly and quarterly. Therefore, every single employee will know what to do during the period and will be responsible for achieving the goals (Amabile & Khaire, 2008). However, additional paperwork actions concerning the goals like weekly, monthly or quarterly definition works will not contribute on solving the problem. Although, it will add more scrutiny on basic/routine work shift of the team. It is necessary to review the employee’s motivation bases and points that encourage them to move forward.
- Create bi-weekly meetings with the Assistant Director and each staff member. Therefore, the staff member will feel more protected at the moment to give and receive feedback from the Assistant Director, and the Assistant Director will provide his feedback without any problem of misunderstanding the concept of the goals.
- Talk to the director to identify and remove the team members with poor group participation and without an attitude of change. Therefore, the energy and the cooperation inside the group are going to grow again (Amabile & Khaire, 2008).
- One alternate decision could be robust proceeding the rules and 100 percent obliging them by controlling/managing staff/board of chair, otherwise penalizing the member.
- One more alternate solution could be appointing for upper-level leading positions those employees who have enough time experience in executing levels.
- Group bonding (Forming)– Have a group meeting to define the roles & responsibilities of each member in the group (Kaiser, 2010).
- Group conflict and fragmentation (Storming) – Let every member share their ideas and make sure you have a note taker.
- Group maintenance and the developing of norms (Norming) – Meet with the group weekly to ensure all ideas are heard and reviewed (Amabile & Khaire, 2008).
- Group working and achieving its aims (Performing) – Create monthly timelines to ensure everyone is contributing to solving the problem.
- Group disbanding (Adjourning) – Complete self-evaluations following up with quarterly reviews to identify the strengths and weaknesses of every team member.
The problem and the solution will not come only from one party. It is essential that all the parties are willing to cooperate and help to solve the situation. The Director needs to bring back the armory in the group. He needs to create the opportunities to heard, understand and give solutions to the issues or possible problems (Boje, 1982). The Assistant Director needs to listen to the advice from the Director, hear his team members and his difficulties and give them information to help them to achieve their personal and group goals.
And the team members need to cooperate with the action plan of the Assistant Director and the Director. Additionally, Assistant Director shall have to build the Pattern Problem Solving System (PPSS), which if includes specific members of the team while handling the issue, and further will give the team an opportunity to manage it again with the participation of previous members on short time without “shaking and waking.” Finally, it provides the team with already processed decision for a pattern problem among the group (Harvard Business Review, 2013).
An implementation plan, and the action steps the Director should take to get the solution implemented:
• It is necessary to let the team know that the solution is not going to come only in one day and try to choose one party and the other one is not the correct alternative.
- Talk to the Assistant Director and let him know about the situation. Then, give him feedback about the way he should communicate to their team members. It is important to show him the importance of having a strong team. Besides, it is essential that the team members need to feel protected by him (Amabile & Khaire, 2008). Therefore, the team will work to complete the group goals.
- Explain in a meeting with the Assistant Director and the team members that everyone is going to have weekly, monthly, and quarter goals.
- Create and join biweekly meetings with the team members and the Assistant Director. Therefore the Director will understand both parties. Besides, the team members and the Assistant Director will find a synergy to communicate in the one-on-one meetings.
- The Risk Leveling Procedure (RLP) should be provided while the process of estimating the risks is maintained. Any alternative way should be directly executed by Assistant Director regarding finance if potential failures could appear (Anthony, 2012).
- It is necessary a complete involvement in the situation at the beginning. Therefore, the group and the Assistant Director will feel confident at the moment of creating a new task, suggesting an idea, giving feedback, developing career plans, and solving problems.
The Assistant Director could feel unprotected for the circumstances. He could feel upset and unprotected by his Director, and perhaps he could just leave the company (Anthony, 2012). Besides, if the Assistant Director leaves the company will create confusion in the group and more work for the Director. Additionally, potentially negative consequences may concern if chosen main decision will meet failure and hits financially the company which finally damages the company (Harvard Business Review, 2013).
- Definition. There is a communication problem between Assistant Director and his staff. The issue is deterring the relation, and it is causing problems in the group performance. Furthermore, it needs to be rebuilt system of responsibilities and duties by the proper motivation/compensation of each member of team (Boje, 1982).
- Solution. It is necessary to reconstruct the communication, the support and the trust between the Assistant Director and the team again. Attach the PPSS for continuing/upcoming issues to decrease time manner to be spent for solving the problem.
- Action Plan. First, indispensable to identify the main problem. Second, it is essential to create goals for all the team members. Then, it is critical to developing meetings to have open and one-on-one communication between the parties. Besides, the Director and the Assistant Director need to meet and check if the implementation the possible solution is working. Further, it is vital to identify the members without group commitment in the group and remove them from the team. Then, the Director and the Assistant Director should meet again and review and analyze the group results to generate other alternatives to improve the performance. Finally, widely use the individual/personal method of punishment if decision meets failure, to avoid the team discouraging out of forwarding the initiatives (Boje, 1982).
The director needs to process as a leader. It is important to show to the Assistant Director and the team that everything will be fine if everybody cooperates. Besides, the Director will explain to the Assistant Director the way a leader can gain the respect of the team members to improve the communication between the Assistant Director and the staff (Harvard Business Review, 2013).
References
- Kaiser, Michael. (2010, August 16). An Implementation Plan. HuffPost. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-kaiser/an-implementation-plan_b_682921.html
- Boje, D. M. (1982, October 1). Making a Horse out of a Camel: A Contingency Model for Managing the Problem-Solving Process in Groups. Retrieved from https://blackboard.cuchicago.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-2949007-dt-content-rid-9944783_2/courses/5932.201820/Boje-MakingaHorsefromaCamel_Red.pdf
- Amabile, T. M., & Khaire, M. (2008, October). Creativity and the Role of the Leader. Retrieved from https://blackboard.cuchicago.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-2949008-dt-content-rid-9944771_2/courses/5932.201820/AmabileHBR2008Creativity%26RoleofLeader.pdf
- Anthony, S. D. (2012, September). The Big Idea. Retrieved from https://blackboard.cuchicago.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-2949003-dt-content-rid-9944787_2/courses/5932.201820/AnthonyHBR2012NewCorporateGarage.pdf
- Building Group Cohesiveness. Skills You Need. Retrieved from https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/group-cohesiveness.html
- Harvard Business Review. (2013, April). Community Powered Problem Solving. Retrieved from https://blackboard.cuchicago.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-2949013-dt-content-rid-9944767_2/courses/5932.201820/GouillartHBR2013CommunityPoweredSolving_Red.pdf
