DBM508-Leadership

For the purpose of this assessment, assume the role of PDM (Programme Development Manager) at ABC. You have been assigned to contribute to the review of leadership-related issues in the entity based on the auditing report previously commissioned to a consulting firm and prepare a proposal and action plan to address these issues. In your plan, you must propose a reasonable approach and solutions based on leadership theories. 

The consulting firm has identified the following challenges facing your entity in their report. 

1. Developing Employees Skills

A lack of investment in developing employees is disconcerting the Board of Directors as the current CEO is near retirement age, and it is not clear if there is a successor internally. Some employees noted that they rarely receive any feedback from their managers on their performance. Employees are wanting more professional growth opportunities but report that senior management is focused on organisational growth and have neglected employee's development.

2. Lack of commitment

After interviewing the employees, the consulting firm found a clear lack of motivation amongst the employees. The senior leadership has been rewarding some of the managers with monetary rewards but seemed to think only monetary incentives motivate employees and has been done in a rather ad-hoc way. The employees need the inspiration to make them commit to their work. The Board of Directors has asked the question, how could the senior leadership team motivate employees based on willingness to belong and showing a commitment to the entity?

3. Lack of delegation

The senior management team are the sole decision-makers, and this has left some of the frontline managers feeling they have no say in the decision-making process. Senior leadership appears to lack trust to delegate some of the decision-making responsibilities to other managers. This has slowed things down many jobs for frontline managers as they have to wait for the senior management to process, and this takes time. Usually, decisions are made and announced without consultation, not factoring in their opinions.

4. Improving employee Mental Health Management

There have been a significant number of incidents of reported depression and anxiety among the employees. It seems the senior management team has ignored these issues. There have been signs of disengagement, poor performance and a drop in productivity levels among the employees. Many employees reported feeling that their personal needs are being neglected and this is a significant contribution to not only health and wellbeing of employees but overall lack of commitment and care shown by the entity. 

5. Lack of an innovative culture

It has been noted that ABC is not keeping up with its competitors, especially in technological trends. Lack of awareness of the changes from the external environment by the senior leadership is clearly contributing to this issue as well as lack of platforms for employees across different departments to share knowledge and openly share their ideas. The entity would like to introduce a culture of innovation to reverse this trend.

Task A:

a) Explain how a credible leadership theory could be used to work towards rectifying the issue that the consulting firm has identified to improve the entities performance.

Ensure you:

i. name the theory/technique and reference appropriately,

ii. explain how the theory/technique would be used, and

iii. explain how it will rectify the situation to improve ABC's performance,

iv. explain how long it would take to see the expected results.

b) Suggest an implementation plan to demonstrate what management could do moving forward. Suggest an associated activity, game, exercise for managers to do so that they recognise the value of the suggestion.

For each issue, ensure you:

i. name the technique/activity,

ii. give a clear explanation of the activity,

iii. describe the environment in which this activity would be carried out?

iv. explain how it will rectify the situation to improve the entities performance.