Effective Leadership and Team Management

The provided assignment details a range of topics related to effective leadership and team management. It emphasizes the importance of adopting various approaches to improve performance levels in dealing with external environments. The document references several books and journals that explore key concepts such as psychological and team empowerment, core capabilities and rigidities, and the urgent need for skilled transformational leaders. It also touches on the significance of breaking down models of organization change and understanding why traditional team skills are insufficient in virtual teams. The assignment seems to be focused on providing a comprehensive overview of effective leadership and team management strategies that can be applied in various organizational settings.

DEVELOPING
INDIVIDUALS,
TEAMS AND
ORGANISATIONS

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................2
TASK 1......................................................................................................................................3
P1 Knowledge, Skills and behaviour of human resources.................................................................3
P2 Develop a personal skill audit ......................................................................................................5
P3 Differentiate between organisational and individual learning .....................................................7
P4 Need of continuous learning and professional development.......................................................8
TASK 2....................................................................................................................................10
P5 Importance of HPW ...................................................................................................................10
P6 Approaches of performance management ................................................................................10
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES.........................................................................................................................12
INTRODUCTION
It in this modern era, business entities are focused upon managing its workforce and
teams in order to gain higher productivity and efficiency. It also helps in accomplishing

competitive advantages in a certain time period. The human resource manager of the firm is
liable to provide training and development assistance to employees in order to improve their
skills and knowledge. Beside this, they also focus on improving performance of employees in
order meet market trends and customers’ needs (Bolman and Deal, 2017). WALMART is the
chosen organisation in this present assignment; it is one of the largest retailer supermarket
chain over the world. Apart from this, the report will be defined skills and knowledge of
human resource manager. Significance of organisational and individual will be also described
in this assignment. Readers will also come to know the role of HPW in employee
engagement. Furthermore, different approaches will be also explained later.
TASK 1
P1 Knowledge, Skills and behaviour of human resources
In order to manage and organise workforce in an effective manner, various business
entities are hired HR personnel. He or she is the person who carrying out working activities
into right direction which are liable to achieve goals and objectives of the firm. In
WALMART, human resource managers are able to identify employees needs and wants and
trying to fulfil them in the best possible. It helps in enlightening perform level of people at
workplace (Salas and et. al., 2012). The main objective of HR is to get optimum utilisation
of human resources in efficient way. Such persons find out the requirement of workforce in
overall organisation and then make recruitment plan accordingly.
Skills of Human resource managers
 Organiser – The foremost skill of HR manager as he or she is able to organise all
activities and tasks. HRM is an orderly approach it includes managing files, short time
management skills, personal efficiency etc. Therefore, a well organised project is able
to achieve high market growth and success.
 Multitasking – Another skill of HR managers is- they are able to deal with various
situations in singe time. This ability differentiates people from others and provides
them great opportunities in future. In addition, he should be able to adapt changes and
move fast accordingly.
 Active communication – Strong communication skills of HR professionals helps them
to interact in an effective manner. They have good communication with higher

authorities as well as employees. It would be assistive in sharing ideas and making
effective decisions at workplace.
 Problem solver – HR personal are able to identify various problems and find out
appropriate solution for the same. In a multinational business organisation, i.e.
WALMART there are several number of people are working. All of them have certain
issues and conflicts which needs be reduced.
 Dual focus – Staff members expected that their managers are concerned towards their
issues and problems (Leonard, 2011). In this perspective, HR professionals have to
pull off this delicate balancing act in order to win trusts of all employees.
 Judgemental – One of the important skill of HR manager is to put right people at right
place which aids a business to diversify and grow. The person has to be judgemental
while delegation of authorities between and implementing policies within companies.
 Working together – The person is able to work together with all departments. It gives
strength business activities and operations and makes them more effective.
 Team building skills – At last, HR managers have to be a good team builder. Team
building skills help people to gain better outcomes from available resources in a
pervasive way.
Knowledge of Human resource
 Effective knowledge of strategic planning – HR manager of WALMART should have
excellent knowledge of developing business strategies and policies. It involves
implementation of certain activities which are able to meet vision and mission of the
firm.
 Training and development – The person also have knowledge, i.e. how to organise
training and development sessions for employees by determining training needs in
particular areas. It aids in improving skills or competencies of employees.
 Recruitment and selection – HR managers should be aware about recruitment and
selection process. In this context, a balancing set of decision making as well as
impressive interpersonal skills are required while hiring people for workplace
(Seibert, S. E., Wang, G. and Courtright, 2011).

 Performance review – These persons are able evaluate workers’ performances
effectively and give suggestions on the same. Performance reviews would be assistive
in improving activities and make them more operative.
 Compensations and benefits – HR managers have a good command on payroll
administration. In other words, they know how to managed employees’ leaves and
provide them extra voluntary benefits.
 Employee relations – By having knowledge of employees relations, the HR personal
can easily maintain a healthy and positive working environment within a company.
Behaviour of HR professionals
 Ethically – The person should behaved ethically with all subordinates and do not
make any discriminations while dealing with conflicts situations among two
employees.
 Professional attitude – HR personal have to be behaved professionally with all
subordinates because sometimes interpersonal relations can harm the effectiveness of
business operations.
 Polite and speak softly - The person needs to speak politely and softly with all
employees; it shows their positive side and cooperativeness.
P2 Develop a personal skill audit
A personal skills audit is conducted for analysing strength, weaknesses, opportunities
and threats of an individual. So that certain changes can be made in an effective manner. It
helps people to keep themselves on career track. If people are able to identify their weakness
and future threats then they can easily demonstrates certain solutions in order to overcome
with these barriers (Warrick, 2011). As per the case study, Jane Cambridge is the Human
resource manager of a business association; he has certain personal and professional skills
through which the person can easily deal with all situations.
Before implementing personal and professional development at work; it is essential
for managers to conduct SWOT analysis of individuals. It can facilitates the process of
personal and professional development and also provides relevant solution. Below mentioned
SWOT analysis of Jane Cambridge: -

STRENGTH WEAKNESSES OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
Adaptability and
flexibility in nature is
one of my greatest
strength. Due to my
learning nature, I can
easily acquire and
adapt things.
Jane Cambrige was
not able to make
proper drafting
contracts of
employment as the
person does not have
any knowledge about
this.
As Jane Cambridge
is the HR manager
and having good
experience in this
field. In this
perspective, the
person has various
opportunities in
future.
Lack of money is the
biggest threat.
I have good
leadership and
communication skills
which helps me to
interact with people
in an effective
manner
Another weakness of
Jane Cambridge as
the person has low
experience to deliver
training sessions. It is
essential for HR
person to have good
knowledge of
providing training
and development
assistance to
employment.
Due to strong
leadership skills, I
will be good team
leader of overall
human resource
department in future.
Family restriction.
Personal Skill Audit
Name : Jane Cambridge
Job role – Human resource officer.
Very good Good Adequate Little
Information
technology
Good command
on internet,
Microsoft and
windows office.
But, I will have
to improve it
more, so as to
get
specialisation.
Communicatio
n skill
Having good
communication,
but need to
improve it more
so as to get
better outcomes
in future.
Problem
solving skill
Effective
problems
solving skills
help to deal with

all adverse
situations.
Personal and professional development of Jane Cambrige is prepared to reduce his
weaknesses: -
Objectives Criteria for development Time scale Measuring success
Improving training
and development
skills
Attending sessions,
seminars, group meetings
and work shops
2 months Consulting with senior
managerment and
colleagues.
Learning
employment
contracts.
It can be improved
through work experience
as well as proper
guidance of senior
management.
3-4 months Reviews and feedbacks of
higher authorities.
P3 Differentiate between organisational and individual learning
Organisational learning – It refers with the process of development of overall
employees as they can become more productive and efficient. Organisational leaning is
assistive in evolving employees’ skills and knowledge for accomplishing high competitive
advantage. It is continuous process which helps individuals as they can always new and
innovative things (Van de Ven and Sun, 2011). WALMART also organises organisational
learning as its staff members can learn something unique in order to compete with external
environment. It also aids people as they can easily face all challenges and take better
decisions.
Individual learning – It consist with training which is provided for specific purpose.
Individual learning programmes helps in boost up employees’ knowledge and skills as they
can perform effectively at workplace. WALMART also regulates individuals training
programmes for its employees so that their performance can easily meet goals and objectives
of the company in a systematic manner.
Organisational learning Individual learning
It is also known as development process
which is conducted for overall growth and
development of employees. Therefore, firm
It is known as training process; which is
implemented for gaining improvements in
specific field or area. Individual training and

can easily achieve high competitive
advantage,
Organisational learning is done for future
growth and it is a very long process which is
continuously in order to compete with
external market.
Development results of internal motivation of
employees as they can highly involve in
business activities and operations by making
them effective (Hu and Liden, 2011).
Organisational learning is career oriented in
nature and focuses on overall competencies
and growth of employees for future
perspective.
There is o requirement of organising any
special event for development process.
its provided to employees for improving their
skills regarding successful implementation of
project or task.
Individual learning is a short term process
which is done to analyse that how an
individual.
This is a short term process which impact
certain skills of people; it is related with
managing current job performance and
getting better outcomes.
Training is a job oriented in nature; it can
open various doors of success of people.
While conducting training sessions managers
are organised different events and
programmes.
P4 Need of continuous learning and professional development
Continuous learning plays a significant role in growth and development in employees.
It helps people in order to improve productivity and performance level so that organisation
can achieve its goals and objectives in a certain time period. Along with this, continuous
learning is a process of constant enhancement of skills and learning through various methods
(Berry, 2011). In order to grow and diversify in life, it is essential for individuals to improve
their personal as well as professional knowledge. At corporate level, constant learning is also
assistive in responding quickly towards dynamic environment and new development as well.
It is very important in order to face all external challenges and issues in an effective manner.
Apart from this, on individual level continuous learning is all about using practices
which are carrying out in order to gain knowledge about a particular field. Whereas on
corporate level, it provides proper shape to team as it can easily adapt various changes within
business environment. Due to the dynamic economic demand, it is necessary for team
members to be always up to date with new technologies. It helps people to be flexible as well
as adaptable as they can easily achieve firm’s goals and objectives. Therefore, business
organisations have to invest in its people by providing them training and development
assistance. Managers can also hire new workforce for improving production level. Now these
days, firms wants to prefer attaining and retaining employees for long term period by
providing compensatory and reward benefits. They also tries to know needs and wants of

staff members so as to providing them healthy and safe working environment. Beside this,
while providing continuous learning, managers must ensure that it should be linked with
goals and objectives of the company.
Learning styles of David Kolb’s: -
Figure 1 Learning styles
(Source: Kolb - Learning Styles, 2013)
The theory was given by David A. Kolb in 1984. Kolb’s experimental learning theory
is a method in which a person’s skills are matched with job requirements at workplace and
then provides him training as per the necessity. The theory refers that learning is best
conceived as a process not in terms of outcomes; it is continuous activity that grounded in
experience. Learning is also assistive in diminishing conflicts among opposite side of people;
it is a holistic process of adaptation to the external environment (Suppiah and Singh Sandhu,
2011). It generates knowledge which results transaction between personal as well as social
knowledge. There are four stages of Kolb’s experimental learning theory that are defined as
under: -
 Diverging – In this stage, individuals prefers to various types of perspectives. In other
words, they prefer to watch rather than doing; such kind of people have strong
imagination level and they like to work in group or teams. Diverging nature of
persons are open minded, they always ready to take reviews about themselves and
they have huge interest in cultural people.

 Assimilating – Such people have clear and accurate information. While providing any
evidence they analyse it and explore their research. Assimimlating persons are more
attentive learning only abstracts and concpts. Reflective observation and
conceptualization atre the major characteristics of such people.
 Converging – These people are liable to resolve problems by putting their efforts and
practices. They have good knowledge of technical tasks and explore their work
through innovative ideas.
 Accommodating – Such persons likes to do things practically on their own risks. They
are always ready to face challenges and resolving problems in an effective manner.
The learning styles focus on experience and active experimentation.
TASK 2
P5 Importance of HPW
High performance working plays an essential role at workplace; it emphasised on
boost up workers’ performance level by enhancing their knowledge and skills. It also entails
to engage and coordinate all staff members together so that a firm can easily achieve its goals
and objectives (Leonard and Rayport, 2011). In WALMART, managers always prefer to
provide training and development assistance to employees so as to improve their current
skills and knowledge. A well skilled workforce is liable to gain high competitive from target
market. In order to gain better outcomes of HPW, managers have to include their employees
in decision making process of the firm.
Along with this, the main objective of high performance working (HPW) is to achieve
productivity and supply value added products and services to staff members. It aids in
achieving quality of work life by involving employees in work. The human resource
department of the company is liable to deal with various people who have different cultural
background. Therefore, it is essential for managers to implement a free flow of
communication at workplace in order to provide a healthy and safe working atmosphere
(Pless, Maak and Stahl, 2011). It also aids in improving performance level of employees as
they can achieve firm‘s goals and objectives in an adequate manner. At last, high
performance working would be accessible in measuring worker’s capabilities and their
productivity whether the activities are going in right direction or not. Below mentioned major
benefits of HPW for an organisation: -

 Allowing employees’ autonomy over their work styles, i.e. a decentralised structure and
reinforcement of self-management.
 Sharing information with employees, i.e. regular communications detailing organisational
changes so that employees feel informed and consulted.
 Enforcing a people-focused culture, i.e. recognition and reward of hard work and honesty.
 Adopting family friendly policies, i.e. flexible working.
 Emphasising learning and development, i.e. providing employees with opportunities to learn
new skills and enhance the skills they already have.
 Introducing employee support systems and people management processes, i.e. regular
appraisals and multi-source feedback.
P6 Approaches of performance management
The term performance management involves achievement of company’s goals and
objectives by improving the level of productivity. There are certain aspects which are
involved in it, such as- planning work, setting targets, evaluate performance level, developing
capabilities, reviewing performance and then rewarding good work (Tannenbaum and et. al.,
2012). Along with this, it is an integrated as well as strategic approach which sustains
company’s growth and success by improving skills and capabilities of employees.
Performance management
Below mentioned are certain main approaches of performance management: -
 Behavioural approach – It entails handling the behaviour of individuals by
implementing a formal system of reinforcement and feedback. Behavioural approach
refers certain aspect, such as- define a set of key behaviours which are essential for
job performance, measurement system in order to assess employees’ behaviour,
provide feedbacks and reviews. According to behavioural approach managers always
have to keep record the data of employees’ performance and then grade the higher
performer. It has two methods, i.e. behaviourally anchored rating scales (BARS) and
Behavioural observation scales (BOS). Apart from this, the disadvantage of this
approach is it assumes there is only one way to do and individuals will be monitored
constantly.

 Quality approach – In this approach, decisions are taken on the assessment of person
as well as system. Quality approach focused that managers can work with their
subordinates in order to reduce all working issues and problems. Decision makers can
uses different sources for monitoring individual’s performance. There are various
techniques of this approach, such as- process flow analysis, cause and effect diagram,
pareto chart, control charts, scatter grams and histro grams. The main advantage of
this approach is it relies on primarily combination of results and adopts a system
oriented focus instead of a person’s performance. Beside this, its disadvantages are
several companies are not willing to abandon its traditional systems of performance
management,
 Attribute approach – The theory defines attributive and repeating groups. In addition,
attribute approach is used while evaluating performances against a pre-determined set
of activities. There are certain critrea are decided to measure performance level, such
as- innovation, judgement, creativity, problem solving skills, decision making skills,
teamwork, communication etc. The disadvantage of attributive approach is decisions
are totally rely upon evaluator’s nature.
 Result approach – It is simple and easy concept which employees are rewarded on
the basis of their performance results. Result approach is emphasised on four aspect,
such as- financial, learning and growth, customers, internal and operations. There are
two methods of result approach, i.e. balance scorecard and productivity measurement
and evaluation system (ProMES).
 Comparative approach – The approach involves comparison of an individual’s
performance with another and then assess it. In addition, comparative approach also
helps in . There are three methods of comparative approach, such as- ranking, forced
distribution and comparison (O'leary and et. al., 2011). In ranking, workers are
ranked on the basis of higher to lowest and bets to worst employees. In forced
distribution, people are ranking into a team or group. Apart from this, paired
comparison includes, managers associate every person with the another one and then
find out the best one.
CONCLUSION

From the above mentioned assignment, it has been summarized that human resource
department of the company is liable for managing all working activities and operations. It
also handles as well as controls workforces very effectively. The HR manager of
WALMART should be a good decision maker and he have sufficient knowledge of strategic
planning, training and development etc. Apart from this, managers are conducted
organisational and individual learning sessions in order to meet performance targets in an
effective manner. The core concept of continuous is helpful in improving workers’ skills and
knowledge for long term period as they can easily deal with external environment. In order to
improve performance level, managers need to adopt various approaches
REFERENCES
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Leonard, D. A., 2011. Core capabilities and core rigidities: A paradox in managing new
product development. In Managing Knowledge Assets, Creativity And
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Seibert, S. E., Wang, G. and Courtright, S. H., 2011. Antecedents and consequences of
psychological and team empowerment in organizations: a meta-analytic review.
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Leonard, D. A. and Rayport, J., 2011. Spark innovation through empathic design.
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https://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html>. [Accessed on 15th November
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