People and process essay

How can you best describe a ” process consultant’?

Process consultants employ techniques, which helps to understand, improve and resolve interpersonal issues of the staff. It aims to teach to diagnose problem areas and to find appropriate solutions. Consultants do not try to solve problems, but investigate the reason of conflicts.

Describe the two major components of group problem-solving

Firstly, group activities should be coordinated and organized. Secondly, the team should be held together through team-building, encouraging and compromising.

What are the basic implications of the model for conflict resolution?

Conflicts may hamper the work of departments and employees. Therefore, consultants should investigate the reasons for them, identify solutions, help the parties to cope and mitigate the effects. These steps reduce the cost of conflicts and help to improve efficiency.

In a third-party consultation, what skill must the third party develop in order to be successful?

The third party consultant must be aware of the group dynamics and the role each member takes within the group. He/she should work in a way that would not affect the effectiveness of the group and would not harm the results of the consultation. Therefore, consultants must perform conflict mediation and arbitration and have expertise in labor relations, law and conflict resolution.

The results of team building can be classified into three main areas. What are they?

Firstly, team work improves process measures, such as decision making and production cost. Secondly, it improves the hard measures such as employee withdrawal and productivity. Lastly, it affects process variables, such as communication and problem-solving.

Outline five forms of intervention. When are they used?

T-groups are used to improve employee communication and behavior, solve internal problems, and give feedback to the managers. It is used in exceptional circumstances, helping to resolve issues. Team building clarifies team and group goals as well as norms. It helps to identify the role of every individual within the team and it is often used both for the permanent and the temporary teams. It aims to improve visioning, leadership and task accomplishment within a system of the entire organization.

What are the characteristics of a system-wide process intervention?

System-wide process intervention is the change program, which aims to improve direct problems such as organizational issue resolution and task accomplishment between groups and tackles the major subsystems of an organization or the whole organization.

Identify the characteristics of intergroup conflict resolution methods.

It is designed to help departments to resolve conflicts and change the perception of the groups about each other. It involves cooperation with the manager, intergroup activities and interviews, goal definition, developing of the “ perception list” by each group and further sharing it with the others. Groups analyze the discrepancies between their answers and work out the way to a consensus.

What are the two basic assumptions about managerial behaviour in the management grid?

Firstly, the manager is responsible for the team-building activities, despite the fact that consultants are available. Secondly, the objective of the consultant is to teach the manager to continue team-development, minimizing the need for the consultant’s help.

What are the steps involved in improving interdepartmental/ intergroup relationships?

Firstly, a neutral consultant is chosen. Next, the two groups meet outside of work, having defined the objectives of the meeting. Then, the groups describe their department and the one of the other group. The results are then compared and analyzed. Having worked out the reason for discrepancies, the two groups develop a common action plan for problem-solving and schedule a follow-up meeting to report on the progress.