Developing Manager: Management Styles, Skills, and Career Plan

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of management styles, leadership characteristics, communication processes, and organizational culture within the context of Thomas Cook and British Airways. It includes a self-assessment of management skills, a SWOT analysis to identify personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and the formulation of objectives and targets for personal development. Furthermore, the report discusses leading and motivating a team to achieve agreed goals, justifying managerial decisions, and outlining a career development plan that aligns managerial and personal skills with future career aspirations. The analysis leverages real-world examples and theoretical frameworks to provide practical insights into effective management and leadership practices within the hospitality sector, emphasizing the importance of communication, employee motivation, and strategic planning for career advancement. This student-contributed assignment is available on Desklib, a platform offering a wealth of study tools and resources for students.

The Developing Manager
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Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Task 1- LO1...............................................................................................................................4
Introduction................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Compare different management styles........................................................................4
1.2 Discuss leadership characteristics...............................................................................5
1.3 Evaluate communication processes in selected businesses.........................................6
1.4 Analyse organisational culture and change in selected business.................................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................7
Task 2- LO2...............................................................................................................................8
Introduction................................................................................................................................8
2.1 Assess own management skills performance...................................................................8
2.2 Analyse personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats................................9
2.3 Set and prioritise objectives and targets to develop own potential................................10
Conclusion................................................................................................................................10
Task 3- LO3.............................................................................................................................11
Introduction..............................................................................................................................11
3.1 Lead and motivate a team to achieve an agreed goal or objective.................................11
3.2 Justify managerial decisions made to support achievement of agreed goal or objective
and recommendations for improvements.............................................................................13
Conclusion................................................................................................................................13
Task 4- LO4.............................................................................................................................14
Introduction..............................................................................................................................14
4.1 Explain how own managerial and personal skills will support career development.....14
4.2 Review career and personal development needs, current performance and future need
to produce a development plan............................................................................................15
Conclusion................................................................................................................................16
Conclusion................................................................................................................................17
References................................................................................................................................18
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Introduction
Travel and tourism sector is growing at a rapid pace and boosting the economic scenario of
the country to a considerable extent. Tourism sector needs the certain social activities for the
growth of the tourism sector. Due to the rapid increase in the competition the companies are
facing various challenges in the context of retaining the employees in the long run. Now a
day’s organisation across the globe are hiring capable managers not for the reason that the
employees need guidance and direction in work but more important is that the managers will
play a very influential role in inspiring and managing the talent pool from the huge group of
the employees. It is a matter of the past where there is excellent bonding has seen between the
employer and employee. In past, the companies are developing the managers by the process
of internal promotion to the individual are associated with them for a stretched duration.
Now, due to the entry of the new age managers, the whole relationship between the employee
and the manager is changing dynamically and this is becoming a matter of learning by the
organisations. It is very important that for the sustainable progress of the tourism sector
professional managers are very much in requirement.
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Task 1- LO1
Introduction
The motive behind this task is to conduct the comparison between the different styles of
management, leadership features and along with this evaluate the method of the
communication in reference of the Thomas Cook as well as British Airways.
1.1 Compare different management styles.
Thomas Cook and British Airways are the two different organisations that are providing the
specific form of the services in the travel and tourism industry and can be well contemplation
as in the mentioned case study.
Style of management of Thomas Cook
Thomas cook is known for providing its clients superior quality of the travel and tourism
services. It is very necessary that are managers are skilled enough to provide the exceptional
service quality to their clients. It has been learned that the higher management of the Thomas
cook is utilising the active style of management for administration and operating the
functions of the company.
This form of management style will help the Thomas Cook Upper management to stimulate
the staff members and helping in focusing on the physiological needs, the safety of the
employees. This will also help in the evaluation of the feedback given by them. This form of
management style will also help in increasing the revenues of the organisation.
Style of management of British Airways
In the United Kingdom, British Airways has become one of the biggest service contributors
after Easy Jet. As per the experts, the success of the British Airways is only because of the
effective leadership of the Willie Walsh who jointed this Organisation in 2005 amid of severe
economic crisis (Graves, 2013). He is known for following the coercive and directive style of
management where the leader will taking decisions on his own and there no issues or
conflicts have been emerged because of his decisions, Because of his decisions, British
Airways has revived from the economic crisis.
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1.2 Discuss leadership characteristics.
There is usually three form of leadership are prevailing in the tourism and travel
organisations across the world. Democratic style of leadership is followed up the British
Airways. This form of leadership style will promote the higher involvement of the employees
and diminishes the transformation opposition by the employees along with improvising the
decision-making skills of employees (Atkins, et. al., 2012). This will develop a positive
atmosphere and inspire the employees to perform well in the organisation.
On the Contrary, management of the Thomas Cook will adopt the mix of the participative
and autocratic leadership style of leadership. The upper management of the Thomas cook
will use the authoritative style of leadership in taking decisions while the middle management
such as supervisors and executives will believe in a participative form of leadership in the
day to day functioning (Graves, 2013).
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1.3 Evaluate communication processes in selected businesses.
Due to the recent development of the electronic technology, the hospitality and the tourism
sector will focus on different methods for development of the effective communication skills.
(Figure 1: The Communication Process)
Method of Communication in British Airways
Internal method of communication: In the British Airways the internal communication is
conducted among the supervisors, midlevel managers, junior staff members and among the
upper management of the organisation. Usually, the communication process in British
Airways is a two-way process (Weske, 2012).
External method of communication: External communication is helping the British
Airways in communicating with their offices in different part of the globe and also with their
clients. The Corporate website is the platform for the external mode of communication
(Weske, 2012).
Communication process in Thomas Cook
It has seen that there the several another method of communication has been used by the
leadership Team of the Thomas Cook to connect with their clients and staff members.
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Email: This is one of the most prevalent methods of communication that has been used
externally and internally in the organisation. Every employee of the Thomas cook has official
Email Id that has been used in the process of communication with clients, employees and
management.
Meetings: This is the formal type of communication process that is prevalent in the Thomas
Cook and conducted in the case of any resolution is required for any specific nature of issue
required. This form of method will help in getting updates from the staff members for a
specific nature of the problem and reaching a solution as a team (Reio and Trudel, 2013).
Printed media: This is one of the generally seen forms of the communication in the Thomas
Cook. This form of communication will use a different type of printed material such as
letterheads, prospectus, news bulletins etc for communicating with an overall staff of the
Thomas Cook (Wood, 2015).
1.4 Analyse organisational culture and change in selected business.
It has been evidenced due to the flat organisational hierarchy that has been followed up by the
British Airways has helped to develop a healthy and friendly atmosphere and help to bring all
the employees in the same platform and also allow them to take active participation in the
decision-making process (Alvesson, 2012). It is believed that all because of the effective
leadership of Alex Cruz has significantly progressed towards enhancing the satisfaction level
of both employees as well as customers.
Conclusion
The culture of the organisation and its structure will influence the motivation level and
behaviour of the workforce. It can be very well concluded that with the help of the effective
form of communication the goals can be very well achieved in an organisation. Besides it has
been learned that there are usually three forms of leadership is prevailing in the organisation.
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Task 2- LO2
Introduction
This task has been aimed towards assessing the potential nature of the skills that are required
by the developing manager and conduct the SWOT analysis for assessing the identified
priorities and place the targets that will assist the manager in developing his complete
potential.
2.1 Assess own management skills performance.
In the mentioned case of the Clayton Crown Hotel London that is a part of Dalata Hotel
Group. I have observed that the organisational hierarchy of this specific hotel is the primary
concern that is making possible the smooth and systematic functioning of the hotel. My role
is as a manager to motivate the employees to enhance their performance at the gradual level
(Graves, 2013).
I believe that employees of any organisation the most important resources that will take any
organisation in upward or downward direction. I believe all the employees have some
specific skills and as a role of manager, my job is to use this skill set as the suitability of the
task (Moore, et. al., 2015).
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2.2 Analyse personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
By conducting the SWOT analysis, I can able to evaluate my competitive strength, my
weakness, available opportunities as well as threats for assessing the development area of
Clayton Crown Hotel London. This will help me as a manager of the concerned hotel in
addressing the issues and areas of development.
STRENGTHS
 Able to handle the large gathering of
guests.
 Timely addressing the guest concerns.
 Highly social.
 Able to analyse the taste of the customers
(Dinwoodie, et. al., 2012).
 Collaborative and Cooperative in nature.
 Optimistic and a good motivator
WEAKNESS
 Weak communication skills.
 Not able to manage stress easily.
 Feeling bored easily with routine task.
 Lack of planning skills
 Poor listening and analysing skills.
OPPORTUNITIES
 Getting better earning prospects due to
emerging hospitality industry.
 Fewer manacles.
 Availibity of better chances of career
progression.
 Able to get new challenges.
THREATS
 Due to an increase in the competition,
there are more opportunities my Co-
worker emerges
 No previous people management
experience (Egan, 2013).
 No previous experience of taking
decisions himself
 No experience of conducting training
sessions.
 Not able to work on diverse business
environment.
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2.3 Set and prioritise objectives and targets to develop own potential.
It is essential for me as a probable manager of the mentioned hotel to align the organisational
vision and value with the work and also align these career objectives to develop my potential
as an effective manager. In order to effectively prioritise the goals of the organisation, it very
necessary that I should focus on my skills and use my experience regarding the smooth
functioning of the hotel (Jones, et. al., 2013). To require to become a successful manager
there are two essential factors that are mentioned below are needed.
Inspiring the Staff: As a manager, it is essential on my behalf to always motivate the
employees. As a manager, my primary role is to support the employees in their concerns and
inspire them to perform well (Pedler, et. al., 2013).
Work Satisfaction: I believe work satisfaction is the prime factor that is motivating the
employees to perform in every challenging situation. My role as a manager is to amplify the
contentment level of the employees and also develop the individual performance. It is the
most essential factor in the hotel industry (Moore, et. al., 2015).
Conclusion
Systematic functioning of any hotel is the primary factor that will make the functioning of the
hotel appropriate. Conducting a SWOT analysis will help the prospective manager of the
hotel in improving the areas of the concern that is needed in the context of this hotel.
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Task 3- LO3
Introduction
This task will be focusing on the evaluation of the skills of a manager that are obligatory to
perform in the hospitality sector. This task will assist the learners in getting the defined
objective that will lead and motivate the team in achieving those objectives and provide the
suggestions that are needed for developing the skills of the manager.
3.1 Lead and motivate a team to achieve an agreed goal or objective.
According to the specified case scenario, I am functioning for the Frankie & Benny’s
restaurant that is a part of The Restaurant Group Plc and my organisation is me a challenging
task of operating the newly opened restaurant chain in Stratford, London.
In order to produce an operational efficiency, it essential to allocate the resources properly. It
is obligatory for the restaurant manager to always keep the operational team of the restaurant
motivated and aligned them with the organisation policies and culture.
It is very essential for a newly opened restaurant to provide exceptional service to their
customers. This approach is very necessary to enhance the reputation and will help in the
accomplishment of the organisation objectives. As a manager of the restaurant, the below-
mentioned activities are being performed for inspiring restaurant operational staff.
(Figure 2: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs)
(Source: Robertson, 2016)
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Developing Morale: As a manager of the restaurant, it is imperative for the manager to
understand the Maslow’s hierarchical needs which are based on psychological needs, safety
issues, self-esteem, social needs and social engagement. These factors are necessary for
analysing the work environment in the context of the staff of the restaurant. These factors are
deciding the performance of the employees and differentiate the employees from one another
(Aaker and Joachimsthaler, 2012).
Developing Team: As a restaurant in charge, it is required on his part to see that his team
should work as per the decided benchmarking standards. This process will help in analysing
the specific skill set among the employees and assign in the suitable job functions (Carter,
2012).
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