Developing Manager Report: Skills, Communication, and Culture

This report delves into the essential aspects of developing managerial skills, focusing on management styles, leadership characteristics, and organizational culture. It explores various management approaches, including human relationship, classical, and contingency styles, and identifies key leadership traits such as positive attitude, empowerment, and communication. The report also analyzes the communication process within organizations, emphasizing its role in minimizing conflicts and fostering a healthy work environment. Furthermore, it examines organizational culture using Handy's culture model and discusses the significance of a fair culture in the travel industry, specifically referencing Thomas Cook. The report further evaluates the author's own management skills, including communication, leadership, motivation, and technical skills, using a SWOT analysis. Finally, it addresses the prioritization of objectives and the importance of personal development needs in career advancement.

THE DEVELOPING
MANAGER

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
A. Different management styles and leadership characteristic....................................................1
B. Communication process..........................................................................................................2
C. Organizational culture.............................................................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
A. Own management skills and performance..............................................................................4
B. Prioritisation of objectives......................................................................................................5
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................6
A. Leading and motivating team.................................................................................................6
B. Justification for managerial decisions.....................................................................................6
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................7
A. Own management skills support in career development........................................................7
B. Review personal development needs......................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

Illustration Index
Illustration 1: Communication process............................................................................................3
Illustration 2: Handy's culture model...............................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Managers are the key players in every organization, they put their hard efforts to manage
people well so that overall goal of the company can be accomplished. Skills of managers impact
on performance of the business and helps in getting desired results (Arar and et.al, 2016). Present
study will discuss management styles and characteristic of leaders. Furthermore, it will explain
own managerial skills and abilities. Objectives will be defined in this assignment in order to
develop career. Study will develop personal development needs and will describes the ways
through which capabilities of the person can be improved.
TASK 1
A. Different management styles and leadership characteristic
Managers are the essential stakeholder in the business. They manage people and motivate
them so that they can perform their duties well and can contribute well in achieving goal of the
entity (de Poel, Stoker and Van der Zee, 2014). There are various management styles that are
applied in different types of organization. These are explained as below:
Human relationship approach: It is considered as one of the effective approach that explains
that managers are required to pay attention on developing relationship with the employees. This
bonding support the employees in discussing their issues with the authorities without any fear
and sharing innovative ideas. This helps the managers in reducing conflict situation in the
organization and achieving objective of the firm. Thomas cook follows this management style in
its workplace (Inandi, Tunc and Gilic, 2013). This is most effective approach because in this
managers always concentrate on developing healthy relationship with employees so that
individual and identify their needs. This helps in creating healthy workplace environment where
people feel happy and perform their work effectively.
Classical approach: It is another type of management style in which managers of the firm pay
attention towards increasing productivity of the business. They make people aware with the
common goal and allot responsibilities to all as per their capabilities. They focus on results thus,
give proper training to the people so that they perform their duties well. These managers
implement rules and regulation in the workplace so that no mistakes can take place. This is
applied where tall structure is followed in the organization. Tesco is the firm which follows this
management styles (Vacik and et.al, 2014). This is traditional approach in which managers
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always work for raising profit of the firm . Individual do not concentrate on employee need and
requirements. Some times this enhances employee turnover in organization.
Contingency management style: It is the type of management style in which managers behave
as per the requirement of situation. They look around the performance of the firm and behave
accordingly. This is another kind of method in which managers has to underrate situation , if
circumstances are positive then individual will have to motivate people and if it is negative then
manager create such environment so that people feel happy and do not feel dishearten. This type
of management styles are implemented by big organisations.
Leadership characteristic
leaders are the responsible persons in the organization those who lead team and motivate
them so that person can perform their work effectively (Zumitzavan and Michie, 2015).
Characteristic of leaders are as following:
Positive attitude: it is one of the essential feature that need to be in the leaders. They always
behave positive in the organization so that others feel motivated and perform their work
effectively. If leaders so not behave positive then it will decrease moral of the person and will
affect their efficiency level as well. Leaders of Thomas cook always adopt positive attitude and
create positive environment so that they retain in the organization for longer duration (Saiki and
et.al, 2016).
Empowerment: It is essential characteristic of the leaders where individual has to give power to
other employees so that they feel valued and perform their work effectively. Empowering
workers enhance capacity of the workers and they bring innovative ideas in the work so that
overall performance of their work can be improved (Schaper, 2016).
Communication: Leaders are required to coordinate well with the employees. This helps them in
making people understand with their duties and minimizing confusions as well.
Technical skill: It is another type of characteristic that need to have in leaders. Individual must
be able to work on software and latest technologies so that person can manage work properly and
can guide people well. Leaders of Tesco have good knowledge of technologies this helps them in
managing work and improving efficiency level of the operations.
B. Communication process
Communication plays significant role in the organization, if managers are able to
coordinate well with its employees then it may help in minimizing conflicts and confusion, By
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this way all people will be able to perform their work effectively (Shen, 2015). It is essential for
the managers of Thomas cook that to involve employees in decision making process so that they
coordinate well and share their views with the higher authorities. Thomas cook adopts flat
organizational structure where all employees get power to involve in decision making process.
Thomas cook adopts top-down approach of communication. Whereas high authorities pass
information to the employees through emails and workers can give revert on these mails if they
face any issue regarding understanding the message (Shinde, 2015).
Illustration 1: Communication process
Source: (Components of Communication Process, 2017)
Once important message has been communicated through email then they are called for
face to face meeting. In the face to face meting communication process managers ask with their
workers regarding the message and their work. In this meeting all people share their views that
give innovative ideas to the manager to improve operational efficiency of the business. By this
way they become able to implement new strategies in the workplace that can help in improving
condition of the firm (Schaper, 2016). Effective communication is considered as one of the most
impressive managerial decision of managers of Thomas cook. Coordination minimizes
confusions and help in developing better understanding. If persons coordinate with each other’s
well the it creates healthy workplace environment (Inandi, Tunc and Gilic, 2013). Company
always try to build strong relationship with its employees thus, managers communicate with staff
members properly and try to analyses their needs. After that they fulfil their requirements so that
employees can perform well and feel satisfied. High involvement of workers is another effective
managerial decision. Thomas cook involves people in decision making process. This is the best
way to encourage people. By involving them in decision making process entity can make them
feel comfortable. This is the way that helps the organization in making its people feel valued.
That makes them loyal toward the brand (Saiki and et.al, 2016). This encourages them to
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perform their duties and deal with consumers well. It is the way that assist in increasing sales
volume of the firm to great extent.
C. Organizational culture
Culture can be defined as diverse feelings, believes of different people in social life. It
describes the way how individual behave and communicate with others. Handy's model of
culture describe four major elements : task, person, role and power culture.
Power culture: it explains that few people have power to make decsion.
Role culture: Each person are given specific role in workpalce and they have to work
accordingly.
Task culture: It describes task that each person has to foillow in the firm, it determins team
dynamics.
Person culture: In this culture people of company think they are valuable and they work as per
their own terms and conditions.
Illustration 2: Handy's culture model
Source: (Handy's Model of Organisational Culture, 2017)
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Culture explains the beliefs and values of the firm. This defines the entire environment of
the business. Thomas cook is operating in the travel industry where it is required that it adopts
fair culture so that employees feel happy and they deal with travellers well (Inandi, Tunc and
Gilic, 2013). This helps the firm in attracting more people towards the band and enhancing their
satisfaction level to great extent. Thomas cook is the popular firm that conducts its operation
across the world. Entity provides high quality services to its consumers as per their requirements.
It provides them attractive travel packages and accommodation services so that individual can
enjoy their journey and can get amazing experience (de Poel, Stoker and Van der Zee, 2014).
Thomas Cook provides training to the employees and make them aware with the needs of
consumers. By this way workers get to know specific needs of clients in particular season and
they design travel packages as per their requirements. In order to motivate the workers entity
offers reward and recognition to the staff members. Entity provides monitory ad non monitory
both types of rewards. This fulfils requirements of the employees and they feel satisfied. This
improves their loyalty towards work and they deal with consumers effectively (Zumitzavan and
Michie, 2015). Training improves their knowledge and they become able to resolve quarries of
customers immediately.
Thomas cook always focus on innovative ideas thus, take suggestion from their
employees this helps in creating positive environment in the workable where all feel satisfied and
perform their work significantly. Earlier Thomas cook was adopting tall structure but due to this
employee turnover was increasing (Vacik and et.al, 2014). Thus, entity has made changes in its
structure now it is implementing flat structure which helps the firm in making direct
communication with the staff members. Furthermore, leadership style has bee changed.
Managers are adopting democratic and human relationship approaches. That aids them in
developing strong bonding with workers that helps in reducing staff turnover rate in the
corporation.
Change management is the process of making necessary changes in the business so that
entity can enhance its profit and can run business for longer duration. Kotter has given eight step
model of change management that helps managers in making modification and gaining success.
This includes: creating urgency, powerful coalition, creating vision for change, communicate
vision, remove obstacles, create short term wins, build change, change in corporate culture.
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TASK 2
A. Own management skills and performance
Thomas cook always hire the staff members or the managers those who have managerial
skills. It promotes the people those who can mange people well and can retain them in the
organization for the longer duration (Arar, and et.al, 2016). To grow as manager in the
Hospitality industry it is very important for me that to develop managerial skills within me.
Management skills of mine are as below described:
Communication skill
Leadership skill
Motivation skill
technical skills
Being manager I required to manage people well and have to coordinate with them well.
This communication skill of mine is helpful for me in minimizing confusion of the employees
and making them understand with their duties. This will raise their efficiency in work and they
will become able to contribute well in the success of Thomas Cook. I have good motivation skill.
I can motivate employees well . I recognize their needs and by fulfilling their requisitions I
motivate them so that they perform well in the workplace. I have good technical knowledge, I
can operate new software easily. I have good leadership skill that help in in leading the mass
team well.
SWOT analysis
Strength
Motivation skills
Technical skill
Leadership skill
Communication skills
Weakness
Critical thinking skill
Listening skill
Opportunities
Developing career opportunities for managers
across the world
Globalization
Threats
Stress management
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My motivation skills are strong I motivate my juniors that make them feel happy and they
put more efforts in their job. My technical skill help me in managing work properly and
minimizing errors. Whenever I had to handle multiple task then I use technologies so that I can
finish all work on time. I lead people well, one day when company has made changes in team
stricture then some people were demotivated in such condition I have lead them and made them
aware with necessity of changes. This has supported me in making them positive. I communicate
with them properly. There are may people those who belong from other culture I use sign
language with them so that no confusion take place.
But my critical thinking skill is my weak point, before some time due to economy
changes sales of the company was getting down. At that time I was unable to think critically and
find immediate solution to resolve this problem. Listening skill is another lacking point within
me. When deep discussion held then I mis some points which has created problem for me.
Globalization is enhancing opportunities for managers, now many companies are hiring
good managers thus, it would be better for me in gaining more career opportunities. But as I am
unable to manage stress because one day when workload was high then I was feeling irritating
and I start talking with junior with high pitch this can create threat for me because it can make
my team members negative towards me.
By going through from SWOT analyses, it has been identified that my motivation and
communication skills are my strong points. I can coordinate with the staff members well and can
encourage them so that they perform their work effectively. My leading skills and technical
knowledge are my strong points which can support me in my career growth. But my listening
skills are very poor. Sometimes due to these lacking points I fail to understand the interaction of
other person properly. Globalization is the opportunity for me because by this way I will be able
to get more opportunity and I will be grow as manager definitely. But if I fail to manage my
stress properly then it may create threats for me and I may get fail to achieve may objective.
B. Prioritisation of objectives
I always prefer to develop my own potential so that I can grow well and can achieve my
objective soon. My objectives are as below described:
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My first objective is to improve my technical knowledge to great extent, so that I can perform
my work without any errors. This will help me in managing records of employees and customers
well and conducting operations accordingly. Recently I have knowledge about technologies but
one day when new ERP software has been implemented in my office then I went stuck because I
have little knowledge about it but I can not work on it. That is why my objective is to improve
my technical skill.
My another objective is to develop knowledge about market needs, changes and consumer
demands. This will help in dealing with clients in the Thomas cook well. If I would be able to
solve quarries of consumers well then it will help me in getting career development
opportunities. For example when economic slowdown occur then being a manager it was my
responsibility to find innovative ideas through which I can attract consumers in critical situation
as well but I was no knowledge about market needs, consumer demands that is why I was unable
to implement effective action. By improving this I would be able to perform well.
TASK 3
A. Leading and motivating team
The main agenda of Thomas Cook is to enhance retention rate of its employees. It wants to
retain skilled labour in the organization for longer duration so that they can provide quality
services to consumers. This can help the firm in raising its profitability and sustainability as well.
Company always concentrate on creating healthy workplace environment (Inandi, Tunc and
Gilic, 2013). For that management pays attention on needs of employees and fulfil their needs. It
provides them reward and recognition so that monitory and non-monitory requirements of the
people can get fulfilled and they be loyal towards the brand.
Higher authority of Thomas cook implements flat organizational structure where they
involve people in the decision-making process and try to make them feel comfortable. By this
way these employees share their innovative ideas with the higher authority that supports in
brining positive changes in business unit (Saiki and et.al, 2016). That improves operational
efficiency of the business. Company aims to enhance its profitability, for that it trains its staff
members and make them aware with the current market situation. By this way people get more
career development opportunity that supports in retaining skilled labour in Thomas cook for
longer duration. By this way these people deal with clients well and offer them products and
services as per their requirements (Schaper, 2016).
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In order to motivate team members, managers make effective communication with them
and support them in their working. This helps them in managing their operations well and
performing well in the organization. They develop team building abilities in the employees so
that they work in a team and perform their duties well (Inandi, Tunc and Gilic, 2013).
B. Justification for managerial decisions
Reward and recognition is the main strategy of Thomas cook. This is considered as
effective managerial decision because reward fulfils monitory requirements of the workers. If
people get monitory benefits for their hard efforts then they will feel happy and will perform
even more better in the organization (Saiki and et.al, 2016). Each person wants to get special
recognition in the workplace in front of all staff members. This motivational factor encourages
people and make them loyal towards the brand. This can help Thomas cook in minimizing staff
turn over issue to great extent. If employees do not get satisfactory benefits in organization then
it may decrease their moral and they think to leave their job soon (Schaper, 2016).
Rational model of decision making is classical approach that describe economic
behaviour of business. This theory explains that decision of managers are always right.
Managers are part of decision making process that go through from each stage and find out rout
cause of problem. That is why they always make correct decision.
Satisfying model of decision making describe actual behaviour of managers in decision
making process. It believes that managers have ability and they have cognitive capacity which
supports them in improving performance of firm by taking right decision. For example manager
of the company look at rout cause of problem. If conflict are occurring in workplace then
individual will find out issues and will conduct negotiation process so that issue can be resolved
soon.
TASK 4
A. Own management skills support in career development
It is essential to analyses own skills and abilities properly. This helps in identifying
strength and findings weakness as well. By this way person can utilize its strong points well and
can minimize their weak point as well.
Objective Activities Resources Time length
To enhance my
motivational skills
Attend motivational
seminars, read
Seminar hall,
internet, computers
1 month
(01/06/2018-
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