Team Management and Conflict Research Paper

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Applying Organisational Consulting Strategies

Consulting fundamentals can be of great value to an organization. This paper explores the application of consulting strategies to functional areas within an organisation, notably leadership, organisational conflict, organisational communication, organisational ethics, as well as employee motivation and team management. Attention is specifically paid to the importance of each area, the information and metrics that may be used to assess each area, and the consulting strategy that would be most effective in addressing each area.

Leadership

The importance of effective leadership -- both at the executive and middle management levels -- in any organisation cannot be overemphasised. Effective leadership is important for influencing a group of people to work toward achieving a defined goal or objective (Sperry, 2002). Any organisation strives to achieve a certain goal or objective. It is the role of leadership to initiate the action necessary to achieve the goal or objective as well as incentivise followers to put their best fruit forward. The role of leadership also entails providing guidance to followers and coordinating tasks associated with the implementation of organisational goals and objectives. Effective leadership is also important for building confidence, cultivating an efficient work environment, and empowering followers. Indeed, leadership can be likened to the engine of the organisation.

An important aspect that can tell the extent of leadership effectiveness is the organisational design. Organisational design is essentially concerned with the manner in which aspects such as decision-making, communication channels, lines of authority, task allocation, and coordination and supervision are structured (Sperry, 2002). Data and information relating to these aspects can be useful in diagnosing leadership effectiveness. For instance, a design with several, complicated lines of authority and communication may hinder decision-making by creating bureaucracy. As a result, the leadership may not effectively empower and motivate subordinates to execute organisational goals and objectives, which may in turn hamper organisational success. Conversely, a design where decision-making authority is more decentralised can quicken decision-making and be a source of empowerment for individuals within the lower ranks of the organisation.

Information about organisational design may provide vital metrics that may be used to gauge leadership effectiveness. These include employee metrics such as job satisfaction, retention, and turnover, as well as financial metrics such as revenue and profitability. Employee metrics are particularly important metrics as far as leadership effectiveness is concerned. An increase in job satisfaction and employee retention levels, for example, may be an indication of leadership effectiveness. Equally, increased employee turnover can be a pointer to poor leadership. Changes in financial performance can also demonstrate the extent of leadership effectiveness. A major characteristic of most high performing organisations is effective leadership. Instances of organisations collapsing due to poor leadership are not rare.

A consultant can be valuable in addressing leadership issues. As a change agent, a consultant can play an instrumental role in changing organisational culture. Block (2011) reiterates the need for consultants to view every interaction they have with clients as an opportunity to understand organisational culture and offer solutions to detrimental elements of the culture. In particular, solutions to leadership issues must be found in the present without necessarily having to wait for the future. This approach to addressing leadership issues provides a strong foundation for dealing with the often-uncertain future.

Organisational Conflict

Conflict is a virtually inevitable phenomenon. Individuals within an organisation tend to experience conflict with one another mainly due to differences in views, opinions, beliefs, values, objectives, and priorities (Martin, 2005). Though not every conflict is detrimental to an organisation, conflict can generally disrupt harmony and stability within an organisation.

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It may create hostile interpersonal relationships, reluctance to work alongside some individuals, unhealthy management-employee relationships, and reduced morale for work. These outcomes can significantly hinder both individual and organisational productivity and performance. In some cases, conflict can even result in the loss of valuable employees, who may leave the organisation for a more fulfilling and peaceful work environment. Indeed, inadequate attention to conflict can be costly to an organisation. It is, therefore, imperative to effectively manage organisational conflict.

A number of aspects can be relied upon to assess organisational conflict. These include leadership style, peer-to-peer relationships, supervisor-subordinate relationships, and conflict management style. Leadership style can be a major source of conflict In an autocratic leadership context, for instance, there could be bitter relations between managers and subordinates. An autocratic leadership style may also not allow effective management of conflict. With such a style, focus may be more on competition as opposed to collaboration. Organisational conflict may also be assessed by examining the character of relationships between individuals in an organisation. This involves determining aspects such as the extent to which colleagues are willing to work together and how colleagues perceive one another, especially in terms of trust and respect. Assessing these aspects can tell the source and nature of conflict in an organisation.

Organisational conflict can result in outcomes that can tell how well an organisation is doing in terms of managing conflict. Three key outcomes that may be useful in this regard include significant absenteeism, reduced employee morale, and stress (Martin, 2005). Ordinarily, no one enjoys a climate of conflict. In response to conflict, some employees may resort to more absence from work. The absenteeism may be even greater if the conflict has escalated to a level that is stressing to the affected individuals. Staying away from work may offer relief from the stressful and conflict-rich atmosphere. Reduced employee morale may also be as a result of organisational conflict, particularly when the conflict involves the management against employees.

Consulting fundamentals can as well be useful in addressing organisational conflict. One of the important skills of a consultant is the ability to collaborate and cooperate with others (Block, 2011). Consultants interact with clients every day in the provision of their services. They must, therefore, have effective people skills. Effective collaboration can be vital for addressing organisational conflict. With effective collaboration, individuals in an organisation can change their attitude toward conflict. They would be more inclined to resolve the conflict in a manner that benefits everyone.

Organisational Communication

Communication constitutes an important functional area Indeed, effective organisational communication is crucial for virtually every aspect of an organisation -- from strategic planning and human resource management to marketing. Effective communication ensures clear understanding of organisational goals and objectives as well as individual roles and responsibilities (Lewis, 2011). It is also important for clarifying expectations, minimising conflict, building strong interpersonal relationships at various levels of the organisation, encouraging creativity, and innovation, as well as strengthening teamwork. It can, in fact, be seen that effective communication is crucial for organisational success.

Communication effectiveness in an organisation can be assessed using various aspects. These may include the type of channels used to communicate, the frequency of communication, and the characteristics of the message (Lewis, 2011). An organisation can rely on various channels to communicate, including internal memos, emails, staff meetings, management presentations, as well as informal setups such as staff parties and team building activities. Assessing the multiplicity of communication channels can tell the extent of communication effectiveness. The use of multiple communication channels….....

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