Managerial Skills in Business and Service Contexts

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THE DEVELOPING MANAGER
CLAYTON CROWN HOTEL

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................2
TASK 1..........................................................................................................................................................3
LO1 UNDERSTAND PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF MANAGEMENT BEHAVIOUR.......................................3
Compare different management style.....................................................................................................3
Leadership characteristics.......................................................................................................................5
Evaluate the communication process (Travelodge).................................................................................6
Analyze organizational culture (Travelodge)...........................................................................................7
TASK 2..........................................................................................................................................................9
LO2 BE ABLE TO REVIEW OWN POTENTIAL AS PERSPECTIVE MANAGER....................................................9
Assess own management skills performance..........................................................................................9
Analyze personal strength, weakness, opportunities and threats.........................................................10
Set and priorities objectives and targets to develop own potential......................................................11
TASK 3........................................................................................................................................................12
LO3 BE ABLE TO SHOW MANAGERIAL SKILLS WITHIN A BUSINESS AND SERVICE CONTEXT.....................12
Lead and motivate a team to achieve an agreed goal or objective.......................................................12
Justify managerial decisions made to support the achievement of agreed goal or objective or
recommendations for improvement.....................................................................................................13
TASK 4........................................................................................................................................................15
LO4 BE ABLE TO CREATE A CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR EMPLOYMENT WITHIN A BUSINESS AND
SERVICE CONTEXT.....................................................................................................................................15
Explain how own managerial and personal skills will support career development..............................15
Review career and personal development needs, current performance, and future needs to produce
development plan.................................................................................................................................16
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................19
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................20
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INTRODUCTION
Right management style is very important to drive the organization in the long term.
Organizations can implement one or more than one management style to function properly and
to motivate employees. Effective leadership and managerial qualities ensure timely completion
of the task and help to improve productivity and efficiency. This assignment represents how I
make use of those characteristics to analyze my strength, weakness, opportunity and threat.
This also includes evaluation of my managerial and personal skills in order to support career
development and to create a development plan in context with the organization that deals in
the hospitality sector.
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TASK 1
LO1 UNDERSTAND PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF MANAGEMENT
BEHAVIOUR
Compare different management style
MANAGEMENT STYLE
This refers to the different way of handling and dealing with subordinates at the workplace. A
manager has to implement more than one management style depending on the circumstances
of the business (Carmona, et al, 2018).
There are many types of management styles that help the organization to manage employees
at a workplace, to motivate them, to improve productivity and efficiency in order to get
success.
System approach- This approach considered management as a system and based on the fact
that everything in the organization is inter-dependent and interrelated. This helps the
organization to improve the effectiveness of the systems and view the whole organization as an
open system. This will also enable the organization to accomplish its objective.
Modern management approach-This approach is the combination of scientific and social
variables that analyze the relationship between manager and employees by making use of
mathematical techniques. This approach said that employees do not work for money only
which is in the contrast of classical management theory (Kashirin, et al, 2016).
Contingency approach-This approach refers that the best management style for the
organization is according to the situation. Another name of this approach is a situational
approach. This approach focuses on both management style employ by the organization and
situation and makes sure that both interact efficiently (Kock, et al, 2016).
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Transformational style- This style refers to when a manager changes himself according to the
situation and condition. In this style to identify changes that are needed manager work with a
team. Encourage the employee to do work and go beyond the task required in order to improve
productivity.
Laissez-faire-This is quite similar to the democratic style in this style employees are allowed to
take the majority of decision and management guides them whenever needed. This type of
style generally leads the organization towards low productivity and helpful t0o to analyze
strength and weakness (Carmona, et al, 2018).
Democratic-This style ensures open conversation and encourages employees to share their
views, ideas and opinion that help to take the best possible decision. Everyone gets a chance to
present their thoughts and idea (Chua, et al, 2018).
Autocratic-This style is a just reverse of democratic style wherein democratic style everyone
involves in the decision-making process but in this style single person controls all the decisions.
In this style, the manager makes a decision based on their own beliefs and take very little inputs
for other people of the organization (Chua, et al, 2018).
COMPARISION OF MANAGEMENT STYLE OF THOMAS COOK GROUP AND TRAVELODGE
ASPECT THOMAS COOK GROUP TRAVELODGE
Teamwork Laissez-faire and modern
management approach employ
to increase teamwork so that
objective can be achieved
within a prescribed time limit.
Travelodge makes use of
democratic style to enhance
teamwork.
Decision-making Thomas Cook Group makes use
of contingency and democratic
style to take decision according
The company implements an
autocratic and democratic
style to take decision
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to the situation. effectively.
Performance appraisal Modern management style
uses to appraise the
performance of the employees.
Travelodge implemented
transformational style for
performance appraisal.
Motivation Motivate subordinates with the
help of democratic style in
order to complete a particular
task and increase employee
satisfaction.
Transformational style.
To improve efficiency The group uses a systematic
approach to improve efficiency.
System and modern
management approach are
used by the company.
To enhance job performance Thomas Cook Group enhances
the performance of the job of
employees by making use of
transformational leadership
(Thomas cook, 2019).
Transformational style
employs by the company
(Travelodge, 2019).
Leadership characteristics
Leadership refers to the process that influences other people of an organization in order to
accomplish the objective and provide necessary tools to achieve an objective. It involves
making both sound and difficult decision that helps the organization to grow and make it
capable to sustain (Grint, et al, 2016).
Delegation and empowerment-It are very important for a leader to focus on key
responsibilities while giving all other responsibilities to other members. Leader of Thomas Cook
Group and Travelodge empower their subordinates and delegate a task to them and see how
they perform that particular task. It helps to build trust among subordinates (Sarmad Hasan,
2019).
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Creativity and innovation-This is a very important characteristic that differentiates leader and
team from others. In the world of competition, it is very essential to be creative and make
innovation in order to beat others. This is possessed by the leader of both companies
(Leithwood and Azah, 2016).
Accountability-According Arnold H Glasow “A good leader is one who takes little more of blame
and when it comes to the credit then takes little lees". A leader should make sure that every
subordinate take responsibility for their work. If they do well then appreciate them and make
any mistake then make them realize and analyze their mistake and help them to improve
(Seaman, et al, 2018).
Decision-making capability-It is very important for a leader to make the right and sound
decision at the right time because due to the wrong decision of a leader whole team will have
to survive. Leader of Travelodge take time to think before making any decision and once made
a decision then stand by it.
Effective communication-It is very essential for a leader to be a good communicator because
the leader has a responsibility to lead and direct a team that is why it is very important to
communicate task properly to subordinates in order to perform a particular task effectively.
Leader of Thomas Cook Group communicate each task to their subordinates effectively it helps
the organization to achieve better results (Leithwood and Azah, 2016).
Honesty and integrity- One of the supreme quality of leadership that enables the organization
to succeed in the long term. To achieve long term success it is essential for a leader to stick on
the beliefs and values without this it is not possible.
Evaluate the communication process (Travelodge)
The communication process is a systematic and continuous process that includes sender,
receiver and message. It is very important for the organization to follow appropriate
communication process to getting things done in the right way (Lunenburg, 2010). Travelodge
follow vertical communication process this includes upward communication and downward
communication. Upward communication happens when there is a flow of information from
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subordinate to superiors and downward communication refers to the flow of information from
the top level to subordinate (De Nobile, J., 2017). For example, front line staff of the company
have any kind of query regarding the wages and new process applied by the company then they
convey their doubt to the top level management and then top-level executives solve their
problem the communication takes place here is upward communication. The company also
follows horizontal communication to ensure communication between different departments.
Proper communication among the different departments of the organization is essential
because of every department interlink with each other (Kim, et al, 2016.). For example, if the
marketing department of the organization wants to do market research then the department
has to contact the finance department to allocate the required amount and budget (Travelodge,
2019). Other than that on the basis of requirement and Situation Company opt communication
process and always go with the option that makes communication effective and flexible. It also
includes verbal and non-verbal communication. When an employee of the organization uses
words and speech to share information then it falls in the category of verbal communication.
While non- verbal communication refers to transform information through visual facial
expression, gesture and body language (Burgoon, et al, 2016).
Barriers to effective communication
The rules, regulation and policies of the organization sometimes act as a barrier to effective
communication. For example, highly centralized pattern in the organization restrict the
employee to communicate freely.
If subordinate and superior of the organization not willing to give the best and useful
suggestion and advice because there is no reward and appraisal in the organization. This is
termed as a personal barrier. When superior thinks that a specific form of communication
affects authority then superior stop such communication (Lunenburg, 2010).
Analyze organizational culture (Travelodge)
Organizational culture
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Set of beliefs, values, norms and principles that are followed by the member of the
organization. According to Ravasi and Schultz organizational culture is a pattern of collective
assumption and behaviour that taught a new member of the organization way of behaving,
feeling and thinking (Körner, et al, 2015).
There is an adhocracy culture in Travelodge this is a kind of innovative and dynamic working
environment that promotes creativity in the organization and enable employees to take the risk
(Travelodge, 2019). This type of culture enables the organization to grow in long term and create
new resources that help the organization to gain competitive advantage, to increase customer
base and improve customer satisfaction from customer’s point of view and from employees
point of view it helps an organization to increase creative thinking of employees and motivate
employees to perform better. Hierarchy culture is also implemented by Travelodge to helps the
organization to function smoothly. This culture is a formalized type of work environment which
include formal rules and policy that ensures discipline and dignity in the organization
(Naqshbandi, et al, 2015). By adhocracy culture Travelodge allow the employee to think
creative and innovative wherein by Hierarchy culture organization maintain decorum. The
organization nor restrict the employee to shares their views freely nor give them full authority
to behave in any manner.
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TASK 2
LO2 BE ABLE TO REVIEW OWN POTENTIAL AS PERSPECTIVE MANAGER
Assess own management skills performance
The table below explains those skills in which I think I am good that can help me to do better
and those in which I need improvement which can be a barrier in my path.
SKILLS IN WHICH I AM GOOD AT SKILLS I HAVE TO IMPROVE
LEARNING BEHAVIOUR-I thinks I am a keen
learner and have the dedication to learn new
things that can help me to always keep myself
updated.
TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE-In this specific area I
have to make more efforts because I think I am
lacking in this area much as compared to other
skills.
POSITIVITY-I think I have a positive attitude
towards things and positive attitude helps to
create a healthy and happy environment.
MANAGEMENT KNOWLEDGE-To manage an
organization and contribute to its success being
a manager it is very essential to have excellent
management knowledge (Whetten, 2011.). I
have knowledge about management but I think
that much knowledge is not sufficient to do
best in my work. I have to enhance it.
MOTIVATION-I am self-motivator and have the
ability to motivate the team. It is very essential
for a manager to motivate the team whenever
needed and to keep himself motivated and I
think I pose this skill.
PROBLEM-SOLVING APPROACH-To manages a
team or an organization it is very important to
have a problem-solving approach, rather than
focusing on problem manager has to focus on
to find a solution (Van Aken and
Berends,2018). From some earlier instances, I
think I have the ability to find out the solution
to the problem. But sometimes I found that it
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is not within prescribed time so I need to
improve this aspect.
COMMUNICATION-Effective communication is
very important to lead the team and achieve a
better result. I think I have good communication
skills that will help me to communicate task and
information effectively.
TIME MANAGEMENT-I think I am lacking in this
not much but yes improvement needed in this
and yes I am making efforts to overcome this.
DECISION MAKING- think I can make sound
decisions after gathering all the information and
take a decision after thinking and analyzing
different aspects.
LEADERSHIP SKILL-I has the ability to lead a
team but somewhere I feel that there is a need
to make improvement in this in order to make
it effective.
Analyze personal strength, weakness, opportunities and threats
STRENGTHS
 The optimistic attitude that helps me to
improve teamwork and creates a positive
environment.
 Motivated to learn things and implement
them effectively.
 Dedication towards work.
WEAKNESSES
 Lethargic behaviour.
 Only basic knowledge of management
and technology.
 Cannot adopt changes easily.
OPPORTUNITIES
 The fastest growing sector that will
provide lots of growth opportunities if
implement skills in the right way at the
right time.
 Learning behaviour and communication
can help me to gain an advantage.
THREATS
 Working culture.
 Competition.
 Dynamic environment.
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I am working on my weaknesses to overcome in order to become a good manager.
Set and priorities objectives and targets to develop own potential
To set goal and objectives to achieve success and to grow continuously is very important. There
is a need to identify opportunities, evaluate them and then make efforts to get them with
strength. To focus on improving skills that are really needed to become a good manager it is
also very essential to try to overcome the weakness that can be a barrier to success. There are
some objectives explained below that I want to priorities in order to develop potential.
Time management-I want to keep this at first because somewhere and somehow I am lacking
in this my target is to improve it and by effectively utilizing it that will help me to do the task at
right time and increase productivity.
Strategic planning-It is very essential to think strategically to take decisions by analyzing
activities of past and evaluating factors that affect the performance of the organization. I am
going to prioritise it because it will be very helpful to keep going in my journey of the manager.
Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-based
To grow in the
future the factors
explained above
by me is specific
and necessary to
be priorities
according to me.
These aspects can
be an indicator of
my growth. For
this, I have to
follow a practical
approach.
Time
management and
strategic planning
can be achieved
through proper
implementation
and dedication.
The above-
mentioned
priorities are
relevant for the
development of
potential and I
mentioned those
after the proper
evaluation.
Both the priorities
will take the time
of 4 months to
achieve.
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