Developing Manager: Analysis of Management Styles, Leadership & Career

This report provides insights into developing managerial skills, comparing management styles at Thomas Cook and TUI Group, discussing leadership characteristics, evaluating communication processes, and analyzing organizational culture and change. It includes a SWOT analysis to assess personal strengths and weaknesses, sets objectives for self-development, and justifies managerial decisions in team leadership. Furthermore, it explains how managerial and personal skills support career development and presents a career development plan, reflecting on current performance and future needs. This student-contributed assignment is available on Desklib, a platform offering study tools and resources for students.

Unit 3 –The Developing Manager
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Compare different management styles..................................................................................4
1.2 Discuss leadership characteristics..........................................................................................6
1.3 Evaluate communication processes in selected businesses...................................................8
1.4 Analyse organisational culture and change in selected businesses.....................................10
Task 2.............................................................................................................................................11
2.1 Assess own management skills performance......................................................................11
2.2 Analyse personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats....................................12
2.3 Set and prioritise objectives and targets to develop own potential......................................14
Task 3.............................................................................................................................................15
3.1 Lead and motivate a team to achieve an agreed goal or objective......................................15
3.2 Justify managerial decisions made to support achievement of agreed goal or objective and
recommendations for improvements.........................................................................................17
Task 4.............................................................................................................................................19
4.1 Explain how own managerial and personal skills will support career development...........19
4.2 Review career and personal development needs, current performance and future need to
produce a development plan......................................................................................................21
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................24
References......................................................................................................................................25
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Introduction
The report has been prepared with an aim to educate and provide insights into the aspects of
developing a managerial personality in an individual. It requires various sets of skills and
attributes in order to develop as a successful and effective manager in the dynamic and
contemporary business environment. Developing a manager is a continuous process which
requires the utilisation and application of various theories and techniques. A manager is a central
person in an organisation that plays a pivotal role in leading, directing, motivating, organising
and monitoring the clubbed activities and efforts of the employees in an organisation.
The assignment is aimed to provide with a clear and evidence based understanding of various
managerial attributes and traits required by an individual. The assignment will draft various
reports based on actual organisations and association in the sectors of hospitality and tourism.
The reports will focus towards managerial aspects and theories along with the managerial styles.
It has also been aimed to execute the SWOT analysis for an individual to identify the strengths
and weaknesses. It will also develop a career development plan to identify the goals and time
period required to achieve the goals.
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Task 1
Introduction
The report will provide with insights into the various management styles and leadership
characteristics practised in various organisations of the tourism industry. The organisation
undertaken to study the management principles and styles are Thomas Cook and the TUI Group
functioning as one of the biggest tour operators in the United Kingdom.
1.1 Compare different management styles.
There are several management styles that can be practised in the tour operator industry by the
organisation. The comparison between these two organisations is structured as below:
Management style at Thomas Cook
The observations and analysis in the managerial systems of Thomas Cook have depicted a
mixture of various managerial styles and approaches. The various managerial styles adopted at
the Thomas Cook includes for Consultative and Participative managerial styles. In the
consultative style of management, the managers are concerned with consulting the employees in
the areas regarding their functions and activities (Olmedo-Cifuentes and Martinez-LeÓn, 2014).
The managers apply a consultative approach with the employees in order to form the decisions
and policies of the working in the organisation. The managers at Thomas Cook are responsible
for making the decisions at the organisation by consulting and undertaking the viewpoints of the
employees. This approach provides with opportunities to develop an effective employee and
employer relationship.
Another management approach identified at the Thomas Cook is Participative management style.
The Participative style of management allows with the increased scope to involve the employees
in the decision making processes and programs of the organisation. The employees are involved
in the decision making processes which are concerned with their operational and day to day
activities (Szelagowska-Rudzka, 2015). This style of management provides with a team work
approach and is often applied in the flat structured organisation. The Participative approach
allows for greater opportunities for employee engagement.
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Management style at TUI Group
At the TUI Group, it has been observed a more relaxed and free style of management has been
adopted. The management style accounts for a Laissez-Faire managerial style where the
managers take a back seat and the employees are encouraged to form the policies and procedures
related to various functional and operational processes of the organisation. This style of
management also fosters for development of motivation and encouragement of the employees to
be involved in the decision making processes of the organisation (Bolman and Deal, 2017). The
Laissez-Faire managerial style is practised in the operational areas of day to day functioning. The
style is not incorporated in the strategic decision making process that is related to the higher level
of management. This style of management allows for development and training of the employees
working at TUI Group.
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1.2 Discuss leadership characteristics.
The organisations undertaken in this report depict differential leadership traits and
characteristics. The leadership traits and characteristics are developed according to the culture
and environment of the organisation. Concurrently there are some specific leadership traits and
characteristics displayed by the leaders of these organisations. These are discussed as below:
Innovation: It is necessary for the tour operations industry to depict the traits of innovation and
an innovative thinking in the business processes and operations. The leader is required to
inculcate the attributes to think with an innovative thinking in order to lead with an effective and
democratic approach. Innovation allows developing new and better services for the consumers.
The leaders at Thomas Cook and the TUI Group depict the traits of innovation in the leadership
styles and approaches adopted by them.
Visionary: It is also necessary for the leaders to depict the characteristics of being visionary. A
Visionary approach towards management and leading the employees at large scale organisations
enables to achieve the goals and aims of the organisation an effective manner (Avolio and
Yammarino, 2013). It is provided with a visionary leadership an empirical understanding of the
goals and execution of the required activities and operations to achieve these goals. The leaders
at these organisations have depicted a visionary approach towards leading and managing the
employees.
Communication: The leaders at Thomas Cook and the TUI Group have depicted the attributes
of effective communication and interaction with the subordinates in the organisations.
Communication is considered as an important attribute for a leader to lead in an effective
manner. It is essential for the leader to entail effective and empowering communication skills in
order to lead the employees (Nichols, et. al., 2015). Communication skills motivate the
employees to achieve the desired goals and objectives in an effective manner. Communication
skills provide with the required zeal and enthusiasm for the employees to work with greater
dedication.
Problem Solving: Leaders are required to demonstrate problem solving viewpoints and
attributes in their leadership styles. The leaders at both the identified organisations have
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demonstrated a problem solving approach. It is required in turbulent times for a leader to manage
in greater capacity and develop reformative solutions for various problems encountered by the
employees and the organisation. It is required by a leader to inculcate problem solving
techniques and attributes to manage in an effective manner. Problem solving enables to create an
atmosphere for brain storming and group discussion activities which are essential for a leader to
lead in an effective manner.
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1.3 Evaluate communication processes in selected businesses.
The communication process is a chain of several actions ad stages that is to be followed in order
to depict an effective and informative communication between two or more parties.
Communication may be understood as an interaction or exchange of information between two or
more individuals. The communication processes are different in various organisations as per the
hierarchical orders and layers of management. The basic communication process undertaken by
the two organisations is depicted as below:
Development of the idea- The first step is to develop the message or information which is to be
transferred from one party to another. The development of the idea is undertaken by developing a
message with the application of appropriate words and language which is understandable to the
listener.
Encoding- It is the stage in which the sender encodes the message. This stage is involved with
deploying various communication tools and techniques in order to develop an informative and
effective message (Carlström and Ekman, 2012). It is processed by the application of
transmissible information and content.
Developing the message- The third stage in a communication process is to develop a message. It
is processed by developing a message and the information that is to be transferred. The message
is developed through written, oral, verbal and facial or through expressions etc.
Selection of the medium- The stage is identified by selecting an appropriate medium in order to
transfer the information and the message from the sender to the receiver. The medium selected in
this stage must be in accordance with the needs and requirements of the audience. The selection
of medium also depends on the nature of information to be transmitted.
Transmission- This is the stage in which the information is actually transferred from the sender
to the receiver (Alexander, 2013). The stage includes transmission of information through the
selected medium and by the application of encoding.
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Receiving the message- This is the stage where the receiver receives the message sent by the
sender. The duration involved in receiving the message may vary upon the medium of
transmission. For example, oral communication is the fastest medium of communication.
Decoding- At this stage, the receiver decodes the information or the message. It refers to the
interpretation of the information and details by the receiver in order to develop an understanding
of the message.
Feedback- The last stage is the most important stage in the communication process. It requires
for the sender providing with a feedback to the sender about the message and its understanding
developed. Without feedback, the communication process is considered as incomplete.
(Figure: Communication Process)
(Source: Alexander, 2013)
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1.4 Analyse organisational culture and change in selected businesses.
The culture of an organisation refers to the policies, procedures, approaches, techniques and
programs applied by the management to organise and operate the organisation and its various
activities in an effective manner. Organisational culture refers to ethics, values, practices and
several policies developed by the structure of the organisation. There are several types of
organisational cultures such as normative, pragmatic, academy, club, and fortress etc. The
organisational culture and changes in both the organisations are discussed as below:
Organisational culture at Thomas Cook
The organisational culture at Thomas Cook is a Clan Organisational Culture. This type of
organisational culture provides with opportunities to increase the employee engagement and
interaction with the leaders and the subordinates (Tempest, 2012). The organisation culture
develops a friendly atmosphere and limited restrictions or boundaries are embedded into the
management and operations of the business.
Organisational culture at TUI Group
The organisational culture at TUI Group is developed according to the Adhocracy culture which
fosters a dynamic and creative working environment in the organisation. The leaders in this type
of organisational culture are observed as innovators and risk takers (Feng, et. al., 2014). The
leaders in this culture build a relationship with the employees through innovation and
experiments. The long term goal in this culture is to prosper and develop as a team.
Conclusion
From the above report, it can be concluded that leaders play an integral role in the management
and operations of the organisation. It is necessary for the leaders in large scaled organisations to
focus upon the concepts of employee engagement and involvement in the business processes and
decision making systems.
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Task 2
Introduction
The report has been developed in order to provide with reflection upon the own managerial skills
and the performance as in the position of a manager. It will reflect upon the abilities and
restrictions provided by me when working in the capacity of an assistant manager at the Clayton
Crown Hotel London.
2.1 Assess own management skills performance.
In order to assess the performance of the own management skills, it is required to evaluate the
personal performance as manager. The ability to provide with a feedback empowers to depict an
understanding of the personal performance. As a manager, it is crucial to establish a balance
between positive and negative feedbacks. It is necessary to provide with a positive and
appreciative feedback towards the employees in case of good performance and performance
enrichment activities. Similarly, it is also required to provide with a negative but a constructive
feedback in order to keep the employees on track and monitor the performance empirically
(Dima and Vlăduţescu, 2012). Further to assess the self-performance it is also pivotal to identify
the areas of development in the employees. As a manager, it is necessary to monitor and evaluate
the performance of the employees. The manager is then required to provide with effective and
reformative training to the employees in order to enhance and develop the performance. The
training and developmental activities are undertaken in order to achieve the desired goals and
objectives of the organisation.
The manager also requires the ability to lead and motivate the employees. The managerial skill to
lead enables to monitor and organise the group efforts. It is essential for the leader to possess the
attribute of effective communication. The management skills of time management are also
required in order to adhere to the specified programs and scheduled developed for timely
accomplishment of the business goals and objectives (Phela and Sharpley, 2012). Organisational
awareness and problem solving are other management skills required by an individual in order to
lead in a successive manner.
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