Report on Working with and Leading People: Virgin Media Analysis

This report provides a detailed analysis of working with and leading people, focusing on various aspects within an organizational context, specifically using Virgin Media as a case study. The report begins by examining the recruitment and selection process, including job descriptions, person specifications, and the impact of legal and ethical considerations. It then delves into the skills and attributes required for effective leadership, contrasting management and leadership approaches, and exploring different leadership styles applicable in various situations. Furthermore, the report investigates employee motivation strategies, the benefits of team working, and the roles of leaders and members within a team. The report also covers the importance of planning, monitoring work performance, assessing development needs, and evaluating the success of assessment processes. Throughout the report, the student demonstrates a strong understanding of leadership principles and their practical application within a business environment.

WORKING WITH AND
LEADING PEOPLE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Documentation of recruitment and selection of new staff................................................1
1.2 Impact of legal, regulatory and ethical considerations to the recruitment and selection
process....................................................................................................................................2
1.3 Taking part in selection process.......................................................................................2
1.4 Contribution in selection process.....................................................................................2
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
2.1 Skills and attributes needed for leadership.......................................................................3
2.2 Difference between management and leadership.............................................................3
2.3 Leadership styles at different situation.............................................................................4
2.4 Ways to motivate employees............................................................................................4
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................5
3.1 Benefits of team working.................................................................................................5
3.2 Working in a team as a leader and member.....................................................................5
3.3 Reviewing effectiveness of team work.............................................................................5
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................6
4.1 factors involved in planning and monitoring work performance.....................................6
4.2 assessment of development needs....................................................................................6
4.3 Evaluating success of assessment process........................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8
INDEX OF TABLES
Table 1: Job Description..................................................................................................................1
Table 2: Person's specifications.......................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Success and development of organisation depends upon the efficiency of leaders in which
they utilize all the resources and manage them to avail benefits to the organisation. Working with
and leading people is the crucial attribute required for high authorities of organisation that takes
the organisation on the path of growth and development. The present report is prepared to
elucidate different components of leading people such as role of mangers in recruitment process,
inculcating team building behaviour in organisation, motivating employees and pursuing
monitoring and assessment of performance of employees (Lev, 2013).
TASK 1
1.1 Documentation of recruitment and selection of new staff
Virgin media is planning to recruit a store manager issuing an advertisement stating job
description, person specification and skills and talents required for the post.
Table 1: Job Description
Job Title Store Manager
Reporting Officer Supervisor/General manager
Job Description  To manage day to day work at the store in all he departments.
 Develop business strategies to enhance traffic to store and
maximize profitability (Mendenhall and Osland, 2012).
 Providing outstanding and personalized customer service.
 Recruit and manage sales staff and addressing each issue
related with that such as training, motivation, performance
appraisals and other related.
 Managing inventory of the store (Bush and Middlewood,
2013).
Table 2: Person's specifications
Educational qualifications Bachelor's degree in management.
Experience Competency with the work related to the management of
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store.
Skills and talents required  Leading skills and business orientation.
 Good communication and interpersonal skills.
 Forwards thinking and innovative.
 Sharp, flexible and able to work in pressure.
1.2 Impact of legal, regulatory and ethical considerations to the recruitment and selection process
While recruitment, Virgin Media is required to abide by the laws laid down by
government and other legislative bodies in legal, regulatory and ethical aspects (Burnett, 2013).
Few of them are:
Employee's Right Act 1996: The law states that each employee is entitled to enjoy certain rights
and powers while working such as minimum standard of working, prior cessation notice, career
opportunities and many others which is complied by virgin Media by ratifying the document
which stipulate all these terms.
National minimum wage act: Virgin Media does not go below a minimum wage set by
legislation.
Equality act 2010: According to this law virgin media cannot reject any applicant on the grounds
of race, sex, beliefs, colour and age (Goetsch and Davis, 2014). Virgin media is allowed to reject
any applicant only on the grounds of valid justification.
1.3 Taking part in selection process
I have assisted the senior management in the selection process that was executed in
different steps. I have prepared Performa to recruit sales staff describing job description and
person's specifications. It has been issued at different sources to reach people. Eligible applicants
were filtered as per the required qualifications. Then I have assisted by senior management in
executing the interview process that was done in three steps that is interview was conducted
separately with general manger, finance manager and assistant manager. After all the formalities
and final selection, employees are sent to training and development sessions to bring adaptability
with the work culture and their duties.
1.4 Contribution in selection process
My contribution in the selection process was very significant (Heller and et.al, 2011). I
have introduced the new way of recruitment I the rigorous form to recruit eligible and capable
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candidates. Further, I had full involvement at each stage I have filtered the qualified candidates
from the pool of applicants. I have prepared the agenda of each interview describing the key
requirements of the post. After the selection process final recruits were designated as per their
skills and backgrounds. Succeeding step in the process arranged by me was training and
development.
TASK 2
2.1 Skills and attributes needed for leadership
Leaders of the fastest widely available broadband in UK are required to possess the
following qualities:
Passion
Employees follow their leaders in all respect such as work, process to do that, energy
level and determination. It is imperative for a leader in virgin media to be passionate about work
to make their employee work with dedication.
Communication
Proficiency in communication makes the leader to delegate tasks and duties to the staff in
effective manner (O'Loughlin, 2011).
Decisiveness
Virgin media has the wide network with number of activities and surrounded by
influential environment. In that situation strong decision making ability enables the organisation
to survive in crucial conditions and progress.
Team building
Organisation is group of people which work collectively to achieve any goal. Leaders are
required to make their employees work as a team with coordination and high spirit.
Commitment to employee
Leader is the part of team hence his commitment towards the issues of employees makes
them feels secure and dedicated towards work.
2.2 Difference between management and leadership
Both at the apex of hierarchy of the organisation have different approach and duties to
perform.
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 Management is the integrated way of controlling all the resources towards achieving a
single goal whereas leadership is about influencing and motivating members to increase
effectiveness and success (Day, 2014).
 Management is task oriented while leadership being people oriented work has the focus
on employees of organisation (Fullan, 2014).
 Management's approach towards risk in averse in nature whereas leadership with distinct
feature of taking risk caters to find new ways to solve any problems.
 Management seek to follow the prescribed norms while leadership aims to build its own
by adopting pragmatic approach.
2.3 Leadership styles at different situation
Virgin media adopt different leadership styles to undergo its process. I regular basis
virgin mobile uses participative style to lead employees in which employees are involved in
taking decisions with respect to the improvement in operations and profitability. Virgin media in
telecommunication industry which experience frequent advancements and change in choices
hence at that time it adopts transformational style. In this style, virgin mobile bring changes as
per the needs and requirements in the market. Further, at the time when organisation faces
crucial challenges and situation, it adopts autocratic styles. In this decision are taken by the
management itself without any involvement of the employees. There is one more style adopted
by virgin media that is transactional style in which employees are connected to the senior
management through both rewards and punishments, in this situation employees feel motivated
and dedicated towards work (Goffee and Jones, 2013).
2.4 Ways to motivate employees
Virgin media b recognizing the importance of motivating employees to make the work
place comfortable and resourceful for them and make them stay dedicated towards work it adopts
different ways. One such way is using Maslow theory hierarchy of needs. In this employees'
satisfaction level is described in five stages describing different parameters. Virgin media abides
all of these to satisfy their employees. Initially all the basis needs are fulfilled such as providing
at-least minimum salary to employees to fulfil the needs of food, shelter and cloth. After that
level by level such as feeling self esteem, respect is processed by providing them healthy work
culture (Miller and Rollnick, 2012).
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TASK 3
3.1 Benefits of team working
Working in team for any organisation accrues many benefits to the organisation.
Increases efficiency and productivity
Team results in better way as compared to the approach towards done on individual basis.
Task accomplished collectively derives better outcomes due to the presence of many members
(Mishel and et.al, 2012).
Innovation
In an organisation people belonging to different members work together. Each possess
different ideas and views, when they are combined together it results in innovative and creative
ways to execute any task.
Diversification of fields
A task is segmented in different parts, when a team functions to perform any task,
subdivisions are done on the basis of strengths and capabilities possessed by members.
Coordination and trust
When different members work together to accomplish any goal, the process undertaken
by them enables the increment of trust and coordination among them (Fraley and et.al, 2011).
3.2 Working in a team as a leader and member
Working in a team as a leader and as a member by the person has different duties to
perform with different approaches.
A leader supervises and guides his team to get the goal accomplish. It directs its members
to proceed and achieve the target. At the same time it acts as the member contributing his team
towards the work.
A leader makes his team follow as per his directions whereas member proceed as per his
instructions laid.
3.3 Reviewing effectiveness of team work
Team work's effectiveness is evaluated by keeping in consideration different parameters.
It is measured on the basis of both quantity and quality (Stanleigh, 2013).
Quantitatively it is assessed on the basis of sales, profits, targets etc. such as each
employee or team are given specific goals and targets in the form of increase in sales and profit
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generation. Hence, by comparing the targeted goals and derived outcomes, effectiveness is
measured.
Along with quantitative analysis, assessment on the basis of quality is very essential. It is
seek by senior management of the organisation in the form of feedbacks from customers that is
about the quality of service they provide to them, feedbacks from the mentors that is seeking the
manner in which they process their work (Kouzes and Posner, 2011).
TASK 4
4.1 factors involved in planning and monitoring work performance
There are various factors that involved in planning and monitoring the performance of
employees
Learning styles
By identifying learning styles of employees that is to know in what form they process
information, employers are able to make them understand task properly and increase their
productivity.
Life long learning
Learning is the continuous process hence, employers of virgin media caters to develop
skills and talents of employees by providing them training and development programs so that
they work with higher efficiency and get good career opportunities (Schumacher, 2011).
Monitoring and evaluation
It is the crucial part of planning work performance, with the frequent evaluation and
monitoring employers are able to identify their development needs and make plans accordingly.
Process and behaviour
There is special emphasis done on the process adopted by employees while performing
any task. Keeping that in consideration, it amendment required innovative ways and methods are
taught to employees for betterment in work.
4.2 assessment of development needs
Plan is prepared by virgin media for the assessment of development needs with the set of
activities.
 Different supervision styles are adopted by the senior management to delegate tasks and
duties to their subordinates (Nkomo and Kriek, 2011).
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 Through suitable communication techniques, senior management coordinate with
employees belonging to different levels such as tactic, strategic and operational.
 By using motivating theories such as Herzberg and Maslow, employees of virgin media
are kept motivated and dedicated towards work.
 There are many employees working in the organisation coming from different
backgrounds hence in a plan it is included about the addressing of issues related to
diversity (Grint and Holt, 2011).
4.3 Evaluating success of assessment process
After the process of identification of factors affecting assessment process and developing
plan for that one important section is the evaluation of success of assessment process. It is done
in different ways and steps adopted by virgin media.
 It is evaluated by adopting effectual performance appraisal methods in which
performance is assessed on the grounds of its comparison with desired goals.
 It is assessed that whether codes of practices are followed by the employees as per the
professional standards or not.
 Anti-discriminatory practices are adopted at virgin media to enable the following of
principles and values (Leadership vs Management, 2016).
 Frequent monitoring and counselling is done by employers for the upliftment of
employees in order to identify their strengths and requirements and steps are taken
accordingly.
CONCLUSION
Employer of any organisation are required to be possessed the quality to work with and
lead people in the effectual manner. Virgin media is the large family of employees performing
different tasks in many fields. Leaders by having qualities such as motivating, proficiency in
communication, passion and dedication towards works, resolving employees related issues,
managing conflicts enables them to accrue lucrative results for the organisation.
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REFERENCES
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Bush, T. and Middlewood, D., 2013. Leading and managing people in education. Sage.
Day, R.D., 2014. Leading and managing people in the dynamic organization. Psychology Press.
Fraley, R.C. And et.al., 2011. The experiences in close relationships—Relationship Structures
Questionnaire: A method for assessing attachment orientations across
relationships.Psychological assessment. 23(3). p.615.
Fullan, M., 2014. Leading in a culture of change personal action guide and workbook. John
Wiley & Sons.
Goetsch, D.L. and Davis, S.B., 2014. Quality management for organizational excellence.
Pearson.
Goffee, R. and Jones, G., 2013. Clever: Leading your smartest, most creative people. Harvard
Business Press.
Grint, K. and Holt, C., 2011. Leading questions: If ‘Total Place’,‘Big Society’and local
leadership are the answers: What’s the question?. Leadership. 7(1). pp.85-98.
Heller, T. and et.al., 2011. Physical activity and nutrition health promotion interventions: what is
working for people with intellectual disabilities?. Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities. 49(1). pp.26-36.
Kouzes, J.M. and Posner, B.Z., 2011. Credibility: How leaders gain and lose it, why people
demand it (Vol. 244). John Wiley & Sons.
Lev, A.I., 2013. Transgender emergence: Therapeutic guidelines for working with gender-
variant people and their families. Routledge.
Mendenhall, M.E. and Osland, J., 2012. Global leadership: Research, practice, and
development. Routledge.
Miller, W.R. and Rollnick, S., 2012. Motivational interviewing: Helping people change.
Guilford press.
Mishel, L. and et.al., 2012. The state of working America. Cornell University Press.
Nkomo, S.M. and Kriek, D., 2011. Leading organizational change in the ‘new’South
Africa. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology. 84(3). pp.453-470.
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O'Loughlin, J., 2011. The real Warren Buffett: Managing capital, leading people. Nicholas
Brealey Publishing.
Schumacher, E.F., 2011. Small is beautiful: a study of economics as if people mattered. Random
House.
Stanleigh, M., 2013. Leading change. The Journal for Quality and Participation. 36(2). p.39.
Online
Leadership vs Management. 2016. [Online]. Available
through:<http://www.diffen.com/difference/Leadership_vs_Management>. [Accessed on
16th February 2016].
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