TEAM WORK 1

TEAMWORK

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Professor

Course

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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................3
SECTION 1: MISTAKES BY GREGORY.............................................................................................3
SECTION 2: RECOMMENDATIONS TO GREGORY.......................................................................5
SECTION 3: ORGANIZATION CHART...............................................................................................7
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................10
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INTRODUCTION
ABC Company has undergone various struggles before, and by the time Gregory was

purchasing the company, it was not doing well. He has, however, injected various resources and

new strategies, which helped the company to rise again into profit-making. The company has

been doing well, focusing on services and spares for Recreation Vehicles. Initially, the company

focused on retail sales, but amid competition from other wholesalers who sell at very low prices,

sales have drastically dropped. Most of the buyers opt for catalog shopping, where they compare

prices between businesses before deciding on when to purchase. This posed a big challenge and

compelled Gregory to also shift to the wholesale approach to bargain for lower prices from the

manufacturers. The company is still struggling, and he is keen on enhancing the effectiveness of

his approach by trying other management methods. One of the methods he seeks to implement is

the team management approach, which, according to him, will help improve the performance of

the organization.

SECTION 1: MISTAKES BY GREGORY

Considering the decisions that Gregory has been making in the running and general

operations of the company, it is clear he has made various mistakes. The decision to adopt a

team-based approach in the management of the organization is not an easy decision to make and

often requires consultation to be made on the impending situation and the problems that will be
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solved. Gregory has made this decision too quickly without taking into consideration the need

for consultations with other key stakeholders. This type of decision is usually made through a

procedural approach to avoid making mistakes. The decision should be made in two stages

consisting of formulation of the decision and the preparation of the decision implementation

approach.

Gregory first needs to discuss this new decision with the top management. The top

management plays a very important role in the running of the organization, and it is always

important to engage the top management, which will also get an opportunity to weigh on the new

decision. It is also important to establish a leadership plan for the new change that is being

planned for and organize for a steering committee that will be in charge of the planning. This

group will be charged with the responsibility of conducting a feasibility study that will form the

basis of the decision on whether to adopt a team-based management approach or not. These steps

are very important in ensuring that all the work processes in the company are conducted in an

all-inclusive manner so that no one feels excluded. Employees should be engaged to determine

their willingness to work as a team. Some of the employees may be unwilling, and it is important

to capture their views during this stage. The managers should also give their views, for instance,

their willingness to learn and apply the new management style and what they feel should be

added to make their experiences better and also to enhance the performance of the company. It’s

a new system, and ensuring everyone is involved can help address the challenges arising from

resistance to change (Balkundi, 2006).

Gregory should not have jumped directly into recommending a team-based management

approach. Instead, he should first approach the issues that led to him deciding to adopt team

management. From these issues, he can then prepare on how to implement this into the group
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and how this can help resolve the issue at hand. First, Gregory needs to clarify the mission for

the change in management style; what does he want to achieve with this decision. He should also

identify a team in charge of designing the processes and transfer authority to this team to

undertake a study and make recommendations. After this process is completed, a preliminary

report can be prepared to allow for the rest of the team to make recommendations and also for

implementation purposes. Gregory should have taken into consideration all these processes

before deciding to adopt a team-based approach.

SECTION 2: RECOMMENDATIONS TO GREGORY

If I were the consultant to Gregory, I would advise him to follow the following steps

carefully before he can conclusively settle on the decision he has currently identified. During the

early stages of implementation of the plan, I would first ask him to develop a clear mission

statement. The mission statement is very important for the successful implementation of this

strategy since it clearly defines the objectives of this new strategy, the team that will be involved

in the process of implementation, the long terms benefit the company will benefit from the

process and whether this adheres to the minimum requirements of the company. The mission

statement is also very important in the identification and setting of the clear boundaries that must

not be exceeded while adopting the new plans so as not to affect the performance of the

organization.

I would also make him aware of the importance of a steering committee to help him make

decisions on who will form which team and the roles each member will play. The underlying

objective should be the improvement of performance hence the need to involve the employees

and all other stakeholders that make key decisions in the organization. After the selection and

determination of the mission statement that should form the basis of the discussion, I will advise
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Gregory to come up with the steering committee that will be in charge of undertaking various

duties in the implementation of the new management strategy he intends to start. The team

should comprise of experienced professionals who have been working for the company for many

years. It is important to make him aware that this stage is very important, and the decisions made

here have an impact on the overall impact of the new strategy and the performance of the

organization in the long run.

The team is required to make a selection on the most suitable approach when handling

clients and issues from the market. The team consists of employees, supervisors, and managers

who are responsible for undertaking various responsible for operational details and staffing

processes aimed at improving the performance of the organization. Gregory ought to emphasize

the composition of the team members, which is a very important aspect of the team. If the team

is made up of professionals, the team must be aware of the processes so that any challenges can

be addressed as soon as possible.

Gregory ought to transfer the authority from managers to the lower team members. The

members need the freedom to make decisions independently, and this can immensely contribute

to the productivity of the company. This process requires time to implement since culture often

develops with time, and this requires a long period. Finally, there is a need to prepare a work

plan on how these things will be implemented. This can involve the preparation of a clear plan

on transformations and changes that will serve as a guiding plan on the direction the company is

taking. This plan should guide him on the selection of people into the various teams and the

roles and responsibilities they are required to undertake. I will also make him aware that training

is a very important aspect that everyone ought to follow closely since skilled employees tend to

perform better compared to unskilled employees. This is not a light change, and it should be
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handled with maximum respect and attention so that some of the employees do not act as

stumbling blocks.

SECTION 3: ORGANIZATION CHART

CEO/President —Vice President I—Vice President II—Project Managers---Sales team -

Wholesale Supply and Distribution Manager

The company has a section specifically designed for the provision of services in areas of

repair and servicing of vehicles. Besides, the owner bought the company more than five years

ago from the original owner and decided to change the name of the company. The change of the

name was to mark the entry of new management, which means the market would expect a

paradigm shift in the manner the business would be conducted. During the five years, he has

strived to improve the market catchment through boosting marketing efforts, which helped him

establish the market presence. The journey has been rough, considering the intensive competition

setting into the market from companies that purchase wholesale (Beal, 2003).

The organization has been subdivided into three major divisions, which consist of

supplies division, retail parts division, wholesale parts, and service division. Supplies division

deals with market supplies of goods to the consumers and resellers. The retail parts division deals

with direct clients who walk into the shop to purchase different parts. Wholesale parts are

responsible for selling products wholesale to consumers. Finally, the services division is

responsible for ensuring the consumers obtain services for their various vehicles.

Gregory is the CEO and the president of the organization with the responsibility of

making critical decisions that affect the running of the organization. He is seconded by the vice

president, who offers support in making operational decisions. The other vice president is
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responsible for decisions aligned with the finance and operations department. From the chart, the

various divisions are very evident, and this can impact on the divisions.

In the warehouses, we have three groups that undertake various critical responsibilities to

ensure the department and the organization runs well as a whole. This includes the receiving

personnel; they are responsible for checking the completeness of the orders that are received

from the suppliers. This team returns any goods that are defective or do not meet the minimum

standards. In addition, they check the shelves to ensure there is enough stock that can sustain the

company and fill orders where they feel the goods may run out of stock and need to be

replenished. This group handles any challenges arising from the incoming shipments and in case

they cannot handle the issue, it is always escalated to other departments. The other group is

referred to as the warehouse group; they undertake various activities relating to supplies and

parts. They receive all the goods, store the goods, and process all the orders incoming. They

mostly focus on wholesale customers who purchase goods in bulk. The retail department, on the

other hand, deals directly with the typical clients. They organize sales to the clients by receiving

orders, receiving the payments, dispatching goods, handling customer complaints arising from

the products of the company. The sales are made through the two stores owned by the company

and also through the mobile sales trailer, which moves from place to place selling goods to

customers (Avolio, 2003).

The personnel working in the retail organization section are made up of cashiers and

retailers. The process and handle all the queries relating to the customers. It is also important to

underline the fact that the warehouses and retail departments tend to relate with each with the

difference only lying with the number of suppliers. The retailers can sometimes work in the
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warehouse because the warehouse serves as a showroom for retailers, especially for those

customers who want to see the products before purchasing.

The service department focusses more on the provision of various services to the

consumers. This department is managed by the service manager who assigns various

responsibilities to the various technical personnel in the department. The department is made up

of technicians, scheduler, lead mechanic, and service writers. The service writers take the record

for the services to be undertaken depending on the complaints from the customers, lead

mechanic handles issues relating to mechanics and leads the technicians, the scheduler makes

plans on how tasks should be undertaken in terms of the timeline and the technicians do the

technical part. This department offers various services such as collision services where they

repair vehicles and the service department. Under the collision repair category, two service

writers are specialized in collision issues, and the government stipulates regulations on insurance

compensation. Besides, there are two drivers whose main duties are to drive the vehicles brought

in for repair throughout the yard before and after repair. However, some of them participate in

the service division, especially where they feel they possess the necessary skills to undertake the

task (Austin, 2003).

CONCLUSION
Clearly, from the discussion above, it is clear that the introduction of change into an organization

is a complex process that should be undertaken with care. The decision by Gregory to abruptly

change the management style has been rushed and has no clear basis. It is important to first

undertake a study on the method to be used before the decision on change. Gregory should have

first shared this with his team of professionals, the management, and the employees so that they

are aware of the change. This research can be conducted based on the mission statement.
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