Developing Managerial Skills: A Personal Journey in the Hospitality and Travel Industry

THE DEVELOPING MANAGER
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Table of Contents
TOPICS PAGE NO
Introduction 3
LO1 (1.1, 1.2, 1.3 & 1.4) 4
LO2 (2.1, 2.2 & 2.3) 8
LO3 (3.1 & 3.2) 11
LO4 (4.1 & 4.2) 13
Conclusion 15
References 16
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Introduction
This assignment is focused on finding an insight into the personal development of the
learner and their careers in management. This assignment delves into and discusses various
management behaviour practices and principles, which in turn can be applied by the
learners to have an educated way of self-appraising and scrutinizing their own potential as a
manager, in the field of management. The process of developing a manager involves the
practice of creating improvements in a set of talents that a person has in order to enable
him/her to better manage the various functions and operations of an organization that
would ultimately lead to the professional and personal growth of the person in question.
The main areas of focus include training and development of employees, leadership style,
social and cultural development. They also help in improving the environmental, cognitive
and behavioural skills of the person. This assignment also tries to answer the questions
regarding the leadership styles and techniques and the importance of communication in
analyzing the operation’s effectiveness. It will also discuss the ways and importance of
motivation in a team to help it achieve its desired objectives as well as shed light on the
importance and requirement of making certain managerial decisions which help in
supporting achievement and recommending improvement when needed. This assignment
also discusses a plan to develop one’s career by laying stress on the growth of personal and
managerial skills while reviewing it for viability in the future based on the standards of the
present performance of the subject. This assignment tries to answer the above mentioned
questions keeping the hospitality as well as travel and tourism industry in mind. For this very
reason the companies of Hilton Hotel and Thomas Cook have been taken into consideration.
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LO1: Understanding principles and practices of management
behaviour
1.1: Comparing different management styles
Every manager has their own unique style for managing their employees. The prevalent
structure and culture of working of the company also influences the management style that
has been adopted. The style of management is also greatly influenced by the mind sets and
nature of the working force. However, one can categorize four main types of management
styles. They are as follows:
 Authoritative Management Style- In this style of management, the managers,
leaders or superiors have the entire power and discretion to take important
decisions without having to pay heed to the suggestions or opinions of their
subordinates. All the guidelines and policies that are in effect in this style of
management are formulated by the bosses for their subordinates in a composed
manner. This type of system can be considered to be lethargic or boring, owing to
the sense of under confidence and lack of motivation that develops in the employees
for being treated in an unimportant manner. Most of the innovative and creative
thoughts of the employees go to waste because they are never considered by their
superiors.
 Participative Management Style- This style of management is also known as
democratic style of management. This style of management helps create an
employee friendly atmosphere in the workplace, as opinions and feedbacks from the
employees are integral part of it. Thomas Cook employs this style of management,
with open discussions and healthy communication between the management and
the employees to discuss new ideas, suggestions and innovations.
 Free-rein Management Style- In this type of management the managers rarely take
any important decisions and the employees have a free hand at deciding upon
important matters as they see fit. Although very encouraging for the employee, this
type of management can have bottlenecks, given the employees might lack the
proper knowledge needed to take important decisions and thereby cause problems.
 Affiliative Management style- In this type of management style the managers are
not only good mentors but also good listeners. While they do give important
guidance during the taking of important decisions, they also listen carefully and
consider the various concerns and ideas of their employees. Hilton Hotels employ
this style of management.
1.2: Discussing leadership characteristics
Leaders are people, who create change, while managers are people who react to change.
The following characteristics have been mentioned to better understand the qualities that
make a better leader:
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