Management techniques

Executive Summary Through management there are many techniques to learn on how to be successful in the organization. The management techniques are important to learn, and master these techniques so that the organization gets the most that they can from the manager, and the employees. Without the knowledge of organizational behavior and how to motivate employees, understand the organizations dynamics, become a goodleader, and lastly how to communicate effectively through the virtual world, the organization will have a loss. They will not be at the top of the calibration that they could be at, and will not be getting reaching the highest performance level. Key Management Techniques to Success Organizational behavior is a key management technique to success in companies. It is about trying to understand people. It is about people who will find, or are looking for fulfillment in their lives and jobs through many different venues and times throughout their lives (Schermerhorn, 2005 p. 18). It is important to understand how organizational behavior works the workplace. Organizational behavior has many different techniques that aid in the success of managers like learning how to motivate employees, learning the group dynamics, understanding how to be a leader, and also how to manage diversity. Success through the workplace will depend on how to respect and how to learn the human behaviors through the techniques already listed (Schermerhorn, 2005 p. 18). Organizational Behavior Organizational behavior is the study of human behavior in organizations. It is a multidisciplinary field devoted to understanding individual and group behavior, interpersonal processes, and organizational dynamics. Learning about organizational behavior will help develop a better work-related understanding about me and other people. It can also expand the potential for career success in the dynamic, shifting, complex, and challenging new workplaces of today and tomorrow (Schermerhorn, 2005 p. 18). As a manager it is important to find out how the employees will react within the organization, including groups and corporate culture since people could react differently throughout the company. For example, when I first worked for Bed Bath and Beyond, I started my employment in Iowa. The culture there was a midwestern atmosphere, be nice to everyone and be dependable. In the Midwest as a culture they push good morals, values and dependability from the employees. They usually get it to because that is how midwesteners were typically raised. I took pride in my job, and was proud of the things accomplished at my job, and I was recognized for it. So it only made me more proud of my job and pushed me harder to become the best. I then transferred to Arizona, in a large city, well outside of the midwest. My first step into the Arizona market was completely different. It is amazing how much a company culture can vary from state to state. The goals that I had learned in Iowa were completely different in Arizona. My transition was not smooth either. I kept on doing things throughout my job like I did in Iowa but was getting reprimanded. I was never sat down and explained the differences. I felt they looked down on me because I was so different, or had a different knowledge on how things should work. As seen through this example it is evident that human behavior is very unpredictable. I had thought going into Arizona everything would be the same, but through each group that I go through I need to know that each subsystem of the group will work differently and I need to be ready for that change. Through proper training my managers may have been able to manage my differences and would have been able to help me through my transition. It is key to learn how to be able to manage through the differences in the workplace. So what is the purpose of organizational behavior? What could have helped my transition? If my managers had practiced the principles of organizational behavior they would have improved my performance by understanding my differences. They felt I should know how their group worked because I came from the same company yet they did not understand that each group has their own behaviors and cultures. The result was that I was cast aside until I adapted to the differences between the two areas. Motivation Motivation is a key management technique to determine success because with motivation it is achievable to make the employees excited about what they are doing, it gives them goals to meet, promotes competition, promotes satisfaction of job, and many other things, but managers are seeing this as a tall order. ” In today’s day in age it is found that the average worker is only using 60% of their potential on the job” (Buhler, 2003 p. 20). Obviously managers are asking themselves how to I get my employees do 110% on their job. Motivating employees is a key aspect to any job if each of my employees is doing only 60% of what they have the potential to do, then as a manager I am failing. My employees are not motivated enough to fulfill their responsibilities. Motivation is also going to vary from person to person, so a good manager is able to find what motivates his or her employees and understanding the differences among them. It could be as simple as letting them know they did a job well done, or showing them someone who is in doing a little bit better than them, laying down the employee’s goals, and saying that those goals are reachable, and that he or she could be the best at the position at that point. So what is motivation? ” Motivation refers to the individual forces that account for the direction, level, and persistence of a person’s effort expended at work” (Schermerhorn, 2005 p. 166). It is the ability to work hard, complete the task, and continue to do the task when things get hard. To understand one person’s motivation is to understand the key components of organizations. There are many different approaches on how to understand motivation, they are the following; Herzberg’s Two-factor Theory, Expectancy Theory, Equity Theory, and lastly is the Goal-setting Theory. Herzberg Two-Factor Theory The Herzberg two-factor theory is known as ” hygiene factors” and ” motivators.” They portray different factors as the primary cause of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of a person’s job (Schermerhorn, 2005 p. 171). Below is a graph of how the hygiene factors and motivators broken down into groups of how each affects satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The hygiene factors are those factors in which it affects his or her dissatisfaction in their job. It is associated with job context or the settings in which they work. They are the factors that are focused more on the environment than the work that is to be done (Schermerhorn, 2005 p. 171). For example, when I was working at Bed Bath & Beyond, I was sometimes motivated to get the job done, but my real motivation was to increase sales and have me look better to reach the goal of me getting my raise. Of course I met my goals and I got my raise but I was disappointed in my raise, and it never changed the atmosphere of my job. In the end I was wishy-washy about how much I liked my job. There were days I liked my job, and there were days I hated my job. The increase in pay was only motivation for a couple of days but it was not able to keep me motivated throughout the year. It only made me want more money now. I thought I deserved more. I would say it made me money hungry and I never became fully satisfied. Herzberg found through his research that the hygiene factor did not make people satisfied with their job, but only kept them from being dissatisfied (Schermerhorn, 2005 p. 171). The motivation factors are those to which contribute to people doing their work. Herzberg believes that, if used, these motivations will link people to other people’s job performance. He also thinks that when the opportunities, listed in the chart, are not available to the employee he or she become unsatisfied with his or her job (Schermerhorn, 2005 p. 171). These opportunities promote motivation, and performance. From what I have learned from Herzberg, if my company would have given me the proper motivation, instead of given me short lived motivators like my salary, I most likely would have stayed with the company and would have been a dedicated employee. No one wants to leave a company that knows how to treat his or her employees with respect and value that he or she deserves. So it is important to understand what effectively motivates the organizations employees so that there is an employee who effectively works 110% for the company. Group Dynamics Groups fulfill a whole range of functions. It is fairly clear that some groups exist primarily to achieve the satisfaction of their members. Other groups may be oriented towards the satisfaction of the group the needs of the members (Underwood, 2003). Being a team player in a group is very important and is a learned technique. It is very important to become a team player, no matter what level in the company that he or she is in. It is important for managers, and employees to work well with each other in the group atmosphere. ” The term group dynamics refers to the types of interaction which take place within groups” (Underwood, 2003). As a manager it is important on working the on steps to take so that the interactions within the group are completed. The steps taken in the group may not be smooth transitions but missing a step will only make the task not as obtainable (Watson, 2005, Lecture 3). When operating the dynamics of the group it is important to understand development stages of the group. There are four different stages that the group develops through so that they will ultimately bring the highest level of success the group could obtain. The four stages are: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. Forming: This is the stage when a group first comes together. Team members are typically filled with optimism and excitement because of the possibilities that lie ahead. Conflict is seldom voiced because individuals do not want to be seen as difficult. They are trying to determine, who fits where as well as the strengths others bring to the team (McDonald, 2005 p. 3). Storming: This is the stage where the newness and excitement has worn off and individuals start to understand the task may be more difficult than they envisioned. Storming teams may experience personality clashes, little issues getting blown out of proportion, dwindling communication, and individuals stop taking responsibility (McDonald, 2005 p. 3). Norming: This is the stage where the team begins to recognize the merits of working together. Team members develop a sense of security and are listening to one another and making progress. Differences are accepted and communication is open and honest (McDonald, 2005 p. 4). Performing: This is the stage where the outcome is clear and achievable. The team functions with a system-based on an open exchange of views and high degree of mutual support and respect (McDonald, 2005 p. 4). If these steps were effectively completed we would expect the group to have met their goals. It is important to realize the importance of group dynamics and the rolls that they play because effective groups throughout organizations are going to be an importance source of the organizations performance, creativity, and enthusiasm. Leadership Good leaders make people feel that they are at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organization. When that happens people feel centered and that gives their work meaning (Bennis, 2005). As a leader it is important to know that the group must be lead correctly so they will follow. ” Leadership can be defined as, the ability to discern what is and what should be and then to bridge the gap between so that others will achieve the end result” (Dossenbach, 2002). It is a give and take relationship. Employees have a hard time following those who talk the talk but do not walk the walk. For example: I used to manage a bedding department at Bed Bath & Beyond. We constantly had change going on through our department. I had to train my employees how I like things to look and how I like things to operate. I could have told them in the beginning what to do until I was blue in the face, but sometimes it takes actions, or clarifying what I truly was seeking from them. In the end, I participated in accomplishing the goals with my employees. I never held myself above them. In the end I saw my employees rise to the occasion and were outperforming what I had once known them to be. Through leadership I showed them what was expected through what I did, and I encouraged them to keep on reaching the goal. Below is a graph that shows us how to lead groups the most effective way. They break it into two sections; leading by task and leading by maintenance. ” Task activities are the various things members do that directly contribute to the performance of the important group tasks” (Schermerhorn, 2005 p. 302). The group will not accomplish the objective to the level that is needed when the task activities are not well performed. Members in an effective team will all contribute to the task that is needed (Schermerhorn, 2005 p. 302). ” Maintenance activities support the social and interpersonal relationships among group members” (Schermerhorn, 2005 p. 302). The maintenance activities help the teams stay intact. When these activities are not complete they discourage the group members and that creates conflict (Schermerhorn, 2005 p. 302). Great leadership is compiled from five areas they are: consistent, positive, strong, compassionate, and creative. A consistent leader is the same day in and day out. They do not change how they manage because they are holding a grudge against someone, or because he or she is having a bad day. They also treat all their employees the equally and they do not show favoritism. A positive leader is one who keeps a positive attitude when things are bad. I used to have a negative manager. He always thought that he was being set up for being fired. It was always sad to see, that asked about how things were going, he always gave a negative remark about how he thinks he will be let go. I respected this man but it was hard to respect his leadership over me because he did not know how to be positive when thing got tough. It only made me negative in my job, so that is defiantly a bad trait for a manager to have but it is so easily to feel that way. A strong leader is one who is able to effective and sure of his or herself. A week leader will be inconsistent and undeceive. Compassionate leaders are leaders who have a heart for everyone. They take personal interest in their employees and are sensitive to their needs. Creative leaders find their way through the challenges that the organization brings. Successfully organizations approach the challenges with creativity ((Dossenbach, 2002). Virtual Communication here are many different forms in which we can communicate and technology is allowing us to work, and communicate from everywhere. Communication from a distance is called Virtual Communication. Through virtual communication it is possible to form teams, like done at the University of Phoenix, and create a virtual team. Communication is done through the chat rooms, email, and the telephone. What is so unique is being able to achieve the team atmosphere over geographic differences. Having this kind of technology brings cost-effectiveness and speed to the group when it is not feasible to meet face-to-face. As a leader of a virtual team it is important to be ” interpersonal, communication, and cultural factors, to overcome the limitations of long-distance teaming” (Kaplan-Leiserson, 2005). Here are some tips to use when communicating in a virtual team atmosphere: (McMahan, 2005) The most important information through virtual communication is communicating the WRITE way. There are instances where conflict arose through virtual communication and creates what is called ” flaming.” ” Flaming is a term used to describe tirades of opinion which some users send in response to opinions with which they disagree” (Chesher, 1992). Now there are some techniques that are available so that it is possible to communicate the WRITE way. Here is a break down of how to effectively communicate the WRITE way throughout the virtual teams. Warmth 1. Use the telephone when necessary. 2. Send sensitive information to private mailboxes. 3. Incorporate warmth into text. Responsiveness 4 Set deadlines, or otherwise be consistent, in terms of when he or she gives online feedback. 5. Remember to provide occasional reminders. Inquisitiveness 6. Be sure to ask questions. Online defensiveness tends to be reduced if questions are aksed rather than always making statements. Tentativeness 7 Use tentative language, unless the situation calls for assertiveness, when online. It might be more constructive to lead off with ‘ it appears’ rather than asserting that something ‘ is.’ Empathy 8. Put yourself in the shoes of your online audience (Watson, 2005, Lecture 5). Effective communication in whichever medium you choose is very important to the organization. It is important that through all things we effectively communication. Everything else can soon be taught, but if we cannot communicate with one another, then the potential for a great organization is lost. Throughout this research we have learned that with effective managing it can lead to greater success. If we learn how to manage differences we can increase performance. Once the performance has increased if we motivated correctly we can keep the performance on an increasing incline. We then need to focus on how our group develops. Effective groups are only going to continually grow in the overall behavior of the organization, through performance creativity and enthusiasm. These groups will also have effective leaders who will be consistent, positive, strong, compassionate, and creative, but most of all if we can communicate through our organization we will develop, lead, and have a chance for the ultimate motivation in our organization. The thing to remember is through all these techniques it is important to know they will all aid you in being an effective organization. Each technique has a different importance but putting them all together to form complete effectiveness in an organization will result in a higher success. References Bennis, W. (2005). Great Leadership Quotes. Inspirational Quotes, Retrieved November 11, 2005 from http://www. inspirational-quotes. org/ leadership Buhler, P. (2003) Managing the new Millennium. Supervision, 64 (12) 20. Retrieved November 11, 2005, from the EBSCOHost database. Chesher, C. (1992). Colonizing Virtual Reality. Cultronix, Retrieved November 13, 2005 from EBSCOHost, database. Dossenback, T. (2002). Three Drivers of Success. Part 1—Leadership. Wood & Wood Products, 107 (6) 27. Retrieved November 12, 2005 from EBSCOHost database. Kaplan-Leiserson, E. (2005). Virtual Work: It is not just for members of the Jedi Council. American Society for Training and Development, Retrieved November 12, 2005 from EBSCOHost database. McDonald, T. (2005, November). Building an Effective Team. The Newsletter for Health Care Registration Professionals, 15 (2), 3-4. Retrieved October 28, 2005 from EBSCOHost database. McMahan, K. (2005). Manage a Virtual Team. Journal of Accountancy, Retrieved November 13, 2005 from EBSCOHost database. Schermerhorn, Jr., J. R., Hunt, J. G., & Osborn, R. N. (2003). Organizational behavior. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. 9. Retrieved November 3, 2005, from University of Phoenix, Resource, MGT331— Organizational Behavior Web site https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/secure/resource/resource. asp Underwood, M. (2003). Group Dynamics. Cultsock, Retrieved November 11, 2005 from http://www. cultsock. ndirect. co. uk/MUHome/cshtml/groups/groups4. html Watson P., (2005). Week 5 Lecture & Week 3 Lecture, [UOP Online lecture]. Message posted to UOP Online, Retrieved November 8, 2005 from MGT