Question #1
Tom Bray prepared to manage the team by focusing on his people’s skills and his new approach to management. Tom’s new approach to management is ‘managing by wandering around’ or MBWA. MBWA is a deliberate and genuine strategy for staying on top of people’s work, interest and ideas (Serrat, 2017). The manager must possess active listening, observation and recognition, and appraisal skills. Tom adopted the MBWA style after receiving feedback from his boss that he needed to build rapport and improve on his people skills. Tom believed that MBWA would help him achieve both.
Tom’s first encounter with the team seemed cordial. Tom went around saying hi to the team and told those who were not working to keep on working. Surprisingly, Tom was able to remember some of the hardest names he had problems memorizing and the encounter went well. By the end of the day, the team seemed distant and non-responsive when Tom went to check on the team. The conversation was lacking, and Tom realized that using MBWA might be challenging after all.
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The first interaction was successful because Tom had taken the time to learn the names of the team members. When the team arrived, Tom went and introduced himself immediately and went back to his office. The problem with Tom’s MBWA is that he failed to meet with the team and tell them what was going on. He left the team members to figure out things for themselves. Tom did not wander and engage with the team during the day (Pretorius et al., 2017). From the team’s reaction at the end of the day, it is apparent that they expected more from Tom. Tom can improve by changing his approach to managing. He should call for a team meeting so that the team members can formally introduce themselves and their roles. Tom should engage with team members individually as he wanders around so that he can learn about them, learn how to pronounce their names and build rapport.
Question # 2
Tom will hold a brief meeting to formally introduce himself to the team and allow team members to introduce themselves. Tom will start by opening the forum and apologizing for not holding the meeting during the first day. The brief meeting is necessary so that team members will be aware of the rest of the team and the roles they play.
During the day, Tom will establish contact with key players. Passing around and saying ‘hi’ is not enough. Tom will engage with them to get to know them. The team members will respond positively because Tom will be taking an interest in them and their work (Chunningham et al., 2015). Team members will be comfortable with Tom such that they will be willing to come to him with their opinions and ideas concerning the project.
Tom should not focus on reading more about MBWA; rather he should implement what he read and learn from his mistakes. The first mistake showed that regular interaction is necessary for the success of MBWA (Serrat, 2017). Tom should devise a plan to enable him to interact with the team during the day while leaving room for autonomy. The team members will not appreciate it when Tom is wandering around all the time, the same way as when he fails to show up. Aside from wandering around, Tom should apply observation and active listening. Tom will build rapport by taking time to listen and observe how others work (Kerzner & Kerzner, 2017). Through observation, he will take note of good work and complement those who are doing well.
Question #3
If I were training to be a project manager, I would try to work with the employees from the beginning. I will start by learning the employee details and basic information that will guide how I will interact with them from the beginning. Technical projects come with employees assuming different roles and responsibilities. I will interact with employees using their roles and responsibilities to show that I have taken time to know them.
Most project teams are temporary, and I will start by creating positive working relationships from the beginning. Effective communication is necessary for the success of day-to-day success in project management (Lawson & Gray, 2015). I will communicate regularly with the team to inform them of what needs to be done, address rising issues and clarify roles and responsibilities. I will also encourage the employees to communicate on how to improve the team dynamics and productivity.
Lastly, I will create a free environment where employees are free to come to me with ideas. Project teams are often limited by rigid organizational structures where employees report to a particular supervisor. Most project teams have smaller groups characterized by the hierarchy in communication and sometimes animosity between teams. I will work with all supervisors and employees to create an environment where employees are free to work together even when they are from different groups. Employees will also be free to break the chain of command and come to me directly when they have an urgent issue.
References
Cunningham, J., Salomone, J., & Wielgus, N. (2015). Project Management Leadership Style: A Team Member Perspective. International Journal of Global Business , 8 (2).
Kerzner, H., & Kerzner, H. R. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling . John Wiley & Sons.
Larson, E. W., & Gray, C. F. (2015). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK (®) Guide. Project Management Institute.
Pretorius, S., Steyn, H., & Bond-Barnard, T. J. (2017). Exploring project-related factors that influence leadership styles and their effect on project performance: a conceptual framework. South African Journal of Industrial Engineering , 28 (4), 95-108.
Serrat, O. (2017). Managing by walking around. In Knowledge Solutions (pp. 321-324). Springer, Singapore.
