Scenario:
Imagine you are a new manager at the Pet Supply Company. The company has grown from a small, local pet-supply company into a large organization with locations in Manchester, New Hampshire and Denver, Colorado. It also employs remote staff. The manager you are replacing was with the team for two years and left on negative terms, which exacerbated an already concerning team culture.
You have been asked to present a management plan that addresses identified areas of concern, rebuilds the team’s culture, and aligns organizational practices to leadership.
Leadership has provided you with a management brief that outlines the key pieces of information you will need in order to make informed recommendations.
Directions:
Develop recommendations that will meet the needs of your new team and align with your organization’s mission, vision, culture statement, and goals.
Use the Presentation Template (attached) to create presentation slides that highlight key pieces of information, and use the Speaker Notes Template (attached) to outline what you would say when presenting your recommendations in a future meeting with leadership. Both templates are located in the What to Submit section.
Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:
A. Team Management
- Leadership and Management: Describe leadership and management practices that you feel would be best suited to manage the team. Explain why you believe these practices are in alignment with the organization’s mission, culture, and goals, as well as how they would be effective in improving the team’s culture.
- Followership: Explain how you would leverage your strengths as a leader to strengthen the team’s effectiveness and culture. Also explain how your strengths could be used to develop followership within your team.
- Decision-Making Models: Describe decision-making models that you believe will be the most effective for the team and management approach and their alignment with the organization, as well as how they would be effective in improving the team’s culture.
- Emotional Intelligence: Describe considerations for ensuring your management practices are emotionally intelligent and inclusive of diverse perspectives, needs, and roles within your team. Explain why you believe they are in alignment with the organization and how they would be effective in improving the team’s culture.
B. Communication and Collaboration Across Functions
- Forms and Functions: Explain how the various forms and functions of the organization impact the team; also explain how the team impacts the various forms and functions across the organization.
- Communication Practices: Describe the strengths and weaknesses of the current communication practices being used across functions, and recommend better ways to communicate that meet the organization’s needs.
- Organizational Mission, Vision, and Goals: Explain the general purpose of organizational missions, culture statements, and goals and what these three things say about the way an organization should operate. Take organizational structure, leadership and management approaches, and diversity and inclusion practices into account when considering an operation.
Full Answer Section
- Absence of a strong leadership presence
Recommendations
I recommend the following actions to address the identified areas of concern and rebuild the team's culture:
- Conduct a team culture survey. This will help me to better understand the team's current culture and to identify specific areas where improvement is needed.
- Hold regular team meetings. This will provide an opportunity for team members to communicate with each other, collaborate on projects, and receive feedback.
- Set clear expectations and goals. Each team member should have a clear understanding of their individual and team goals.
- Treat all team members fairly and consistently. This means enforcing company policies and procedures consistently and fairly, and providing equal opportunities for all team members.
- Be a visible and supportive leader. I will make time to connect with team members on a regular basis and to offer support and guidance.
In addition to these general recommendations, I also have the following specific recommendations:
- Implement a recognition and rewards program. This will help to motivate team members and to show them that their hard work is appreciated.
- Provide team members with opportunities for professional development. This will help them to grow and develop their skills, and to feel more invested in their careers.
- Create a more inclusive and welcoming work environment. This means ensuring that all team members feel respected and valued, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or other personal characteristics.
Alignment with Organizational Mission, Vision, Culture Statement, and Goals
The above recommendations are aligned with Pet Supply Company's mission, vision, culture statement, and goals in the following ways:
- Mission: To provide pet owners with the highest quality products and services at a competitive price.
- Vision: To be the leading pet supply company in the world.
- Culture statement: We are a team of passionate animal lovers who are committed to providing our customers with the best possible experience. We value diversity, inclusion, and respect.
- Goals: To increase revenue by 10% in the next fiscal year and to achieve a customer satisfaction rating of 95%.
Conclusion
I believe that by implementing the above recommendations, we can rebuild the team's culture and align organizational practices with leadership. This will lead to a more motivated and productive team, and it will help us to achieve our organizational goals.
Presentation Slides
Slide 1: Title slide
Slide 2: Introduction
- Pet Supply Company has grown from a small, local company to a large organization with multiple locations and remote staff.
- The previous manager left on negative terms, which exacerbated an already concerning team culture.
- I am committed to rebuilding the team's culture and aligning organizational practices with leadership.
Slide 3: Areas of concern
- Low morale and motivation among team members
- Poor communication and collaboration between teams
- Lack of clear expectations and goals
- Unfair and inconsistent treatment of team members
- Absence of a strong leadership presence
Slide 4: Recommendations
- Conduct a team culture survey
- Hold regular team meetings
- Set clear expectations and goals
- Treat all team members fairly and consistently
- Be a visible and supportive leader
Slide 5: Specific recommendations
- Implement a recognition and rewards program
- Provide team members with opportunities for professional development
- Create a more inclusive and welcoming work environment
Slide 6: Alignment with organizational mission, vision, culture statement, and goals
- Mission: To provide pet owners with the highest quality products and services at a competitive price.
- Vision: To be the leading pet supply company in the world.
- Culture statement: We are a team of passionate animal lovers who are committed to providing our customers with the best possible experience. We value diversity, inclusion, and respect.
- Goals: To increase revenue by 10% in the next fiscal year and to achieve a customer satisfaction rating of 95%.
Slide 7: Conclusion
- By implementing the above recommendations, we can rebuild the team's culture and align organizational practices with leadership.
- This will lead to a more motivated and productive team, and it will help us to achieve our organizational goals.
Speaker Notes
Slide 1
Good morning, everyone. I am excited to be here today to present my management plan for Pet Supply Company.
Slide 2