Team Management and Conflict

Applying Organisational Consulting Strategies

Consulting fundamentals can be of great value to an organization. This paper explores the application of consulting strategies to functional areas within an organisation, notably leadership, organisational conflict, organisational communication, organisational ethics, as well as employee motivation and team management. Attention is specifically paid to the importance of each area, the information and metrics that may be used to assess each area, and the consulting strategy that would be most effective in addressing each area.

Leadership

The importance of effective leadership -- both at the executive and middle management levels -- in any organisation cannot be overemphasised. Effective leadership is important for influencing a group of people to work toward achieving a defined goal or objective (Sperry, 2002). Any organisation strives to achieve a certain goal or objective. It is the role of leadership to initiate the action necessary to achieve the goal or objective as well as incentivise followers to put their best fruit forward. The role of leadership also entails providing guidance to followers and coordinating tasks associated with the implementation of organisational goals and objectives. Effective leadership is also important for building confidence, cultivating an efficient work environment, and empowering followers. Indeed, leadership can be likened to the engine of the organisation.

An important aspect that can tell the extent of leadership effectiveness is the organisational design. Organisational design is essentially concerned with the manner in which aspects such as decision-making, communication channels, lines of authority, task allocation, and coordination and supervision are structured (Sperry, 2002). Data and information relating to these aspects can be useful in diagnosing leadership effectiveness. For instance, a design with several, complicated lines of authority and communication may hinder decision-making by creating bureaucracy. As a result, the leadership may not effectively empower and motivate subordinates to execute organisational goals and objectives, which may in turn hamper organisational success. Conversely, a design where decision-making authority is more decentralised can quicken decision-making and be a source of empowerment for individuals within the lower ranks of the organisation.

Information about organisational design may provide vital metrics that may be used to gauge leadership effectiveness. These include employee metrics such as job satisfaction, retention, and turnover, as well as financial metrics such as revenue and profitability. Employee metrics are particularly important metrics as far as leadership effectiveness is concerned. An increase in job satisfaction and employee retention levels, for example, may be an indication of leadership effectiveness. Equally, increased employee turnover can be a pointer to poor leadership. Changes in financial performance can also demonstrate the extent of leadership effectiveness. A major characteristic of most high performing organisations is effective leadership. Instances of organisations collapsing due to poor leadership are not rare.

A consultant can be valuable in addressing leadership issues. As a change agent, a consultant can play an instrumental role in changing organisational culture. Block (2011) reiterates the need for consultants to view every interaction they have with clients as an opportunity to understand organisational culture and offer solutions to detrimental elements of the culture. In particular, solutions to leadership issues must be found in the present without necessarily having to wait for the future. This approach to addressing leadership issues provides a strong foundation for dealing with the often-uncertain future.

Organisational Conflict

Conflict is a virtually inevitable phenomenon. Individuals within an organisation tend to experience conflict with one another mainly due to differences in views, opinions, beliefs, values, objectives, and priorities (Martin, 2005). Though not every conflict is detrimental to an organisation, conflict can generally disrupt harmony and stability within an organisation. It may create hostile interpersonal relationships, reluctance to work alongside some individuals, unhealthy management-employee relationships, and reduced morale for work. These outcomes can significantly hinder both individual and organisational productivity and performance. In some cases, conflict can even result in the loss of valuable employees, who may leave the organisation for a more fulfilling and peaceful work environment. Indeed, inadequate attention to conflict can be costly to an organisation. It is, therefore, imperative to effectively manage organisational conflict.

A number of aspects can be relied upon to assess organisational conflict. These include leadership style, peer-to-peer relationships, supervisor-subordinate relationships, and conflict management style. Leadership style can be a major source of conflict within an organisation. In an autocratic leadership context, for instance, there could be bitter relations between managers and subordinates. An autocratic leadership style may also not allow effective management of conflict. With such a style, focus may be more on competition as opposed to collaboration. Organisational conflict may also be assessed by examining the character of relationships between individuals in an organisation. This involves determining aspects such as the extent to which colleagues are willing to work together and how colleagues perceive one another, especially in terms of trust and respect. Assessing these aspects can tell the source and nature of conflict in an organisation.

Organisational conflict can result in outcomes that can tell how well an organisation is doing in terms of managing conflict. Three key outcomes that may be useful in this regard include significant absenteeism, reduced employee morale, and stress (Martin, 2005). Ordinarily, no one enjoys a climate of conflict. In response to conflict, some employees may resort to more absence from work. The absenteeism may be even greater if the conflict has escalated to a level that is stressing to the affected individuals. Staying away from work may offer relief from the stressful and conflict-rich atmosphere. Reduced employee morale may also be as a result of organisational conflict, particularly when the conflict involves the management against employees.

Consulting fundamentals can as well be useful in addressing organisational conflict. One of the important skills of a consultant is the ability to collaborate and cooperate with others (Block, 2011). Consultants interact with clients every day in the provision of their services. They must, therefore, have effective people skills. Effective collaboration can be vital for addressing organisational conflict. With effective collaboration, individuals in an organisation can change their attitude toward conflict. They would be more inclined to resolve the conflict in a manner that benefits everyone.

Organisational Communication

Communication constitutes an important functional area within an organisation. Indeed, effective organisational communication is crucial for virtually every aspect of an organisation -- from strategic planning and human resource management to marketing. Effective communication ensures clear understanding of organisational goals and objectives as well as individual roles and responsibilities (Lewis, 2011). It is also important for clarifying expectations, minimising conflict, building strong interpersonal relationships at various levels of the organisation, encouraging creativity, and innovation, as well as strengthening teamwork. It can, in fact, be seen that effective communication is crucial for organisational success.

Communication effectiveness in an organisation can be assessed using various aspects. These may include the type of channels used to communicate, the frequency of communication, and the characteristics of the message (Lewis, 2011). An organisation can rely on various channels to communicate, including internal memos, emails, staff meetings, management presentations, as well as informal setups such as staff parties and team building activities. Assessing the multiplicity of communication channels can tell the extent of communication effectiveness. The use of multiple communication channels may be an indication of frequent communication. It is important for organisational communications to be made regularly, not once or a few times. The characteristics of the message may also indicate communication effectiveness. Does the organisation communicate in a clear and understandable manner? Clear and comprehensible communication is vital for minimising or avoiding ambiguity in communication.

Ineffective communication can result in negative outcomes. Two major outcomes in this case include organisational efficiency and workplace conflict (Lewis, 2011). Ineffective communication can cause errors, poor workflow, and poor decision-making. This may in turn reduce the efficiency of organisational processes. Poor communication can as well result in misunderstandings, which may create or accelerate conflicts between individuals. Assessing organisational efficiency and the level of workplace conflict, therefore, can be important in measuring communication effectiveness. Improved organisational efficiency and reduced workplace conflict may be an indication of improved communication, and vice versa.

It is important for a consultant to have excellent communication skills. Generally, the role of a consultant is to recommend solutions to a problem. In fulfilling this role, the consultant must communicate with the client throughout the entire process of consulting. As explained by Block (2011), the consultant must be able to ask questions and provide answers in a clear and comprehensible manner. The same principle can be valuable for organisational communication. When an organisation provides clear communication, it is less likely to encounter resistance to change initiatives, role ambiguities, and interpersonal conflicts.

Organisational Ethics

Ethics denote the values and principles that govern the conduct of individuals within an organisation as well as the organisation's decisions, programs, and policies (Flynn, 2008). An organisation's commitment to ethics can affect its image, reputation, productivity, and bottom line. With sound, ethical principles, an organisation is likely to develop a strong relationship with its key stakeholders, notably employees, suppliers, partners, customers, regulatory authorities, and the public at large. The improved reputation often translates to greater ability to attract and retain talent as well as customers. This can eventually drive organisational growth and performance. Ethics is, therefore, a subject, organisations cannot afford to ignore.

There are several aspects that can be used to assess organisational ethics. These include employee working conditions, marketing practices, strategic decisions, leadership and management behaviour, financial transparency and accountability, as well as corporate social responsibility efforts (Flynn, 2008). The organisation's mission and vision statements and core values may also be indicative of organisational ethics. An organisation that subjects its employees to inhuman working conditions, for instance, portrays its disregard for ethics. Equally, an organisation that markets products that may be harmful to customers demonstrates its thirst for profitability at the expense of the consumer, which is an indication of ethical deficiency.

Two important metrics that can be used to measure organisational ethics include employee retention and customer retention. The extent to which an organisation treats its employees is often determined by its ethical principles. Generally, an ethically sound organisation cultivates a healthy and fulfilling environment for its employees. This may in turn improve employee satisfaction, morale, commitment, and engagement, ultimately enhancing employee retention. The level of customer retention can also be used to measure organisational ethics. An organisation that markets quality and safe products is likely to have strong relationships with its customer, thereby resulting in greater customer acquisition, loyalty, and retention. Increased customer retention can, therefore, be an indicator of ethical marketing practices.

The applicability of consulting fundamentals to organisational ethical concerns is evident. According to Block (2011), consultants must demonstrate integrity if they are to win the confidence of clients. Clients want to work with consultants they are sure will deliver on their promises as failure to do so may have disastrous consequences on the client and the consultant. This principle is important for organisations as far as addressing ethical concerns is concerned. By cultivating integrity, an organisation can successfully address the many ethical issues it faces in its day-to-day life. The organisation would treat its employees fairly, it would make responsible decisions, and it would deliver the promises it makes to its customers.

Employee Motivation and Team Management

Employee motivation and team management play an instrumental role in organisational effectiveness. Effective motivation is important for stimulating employee engagement and commitment. This in turn raises morale, job satisfaction, and productivity (Martin, 2005). Organisations that effectively motivate their employees tend to be more productive compared to those that do not. Effective team management is also important for organisational effectiveness. In today's work environment, tasks increasingly require team work and collaboration. Team work makes complex tasks easier and increases the efficiency of task execution. Also, team work is essential for building interpersonal relationships and improving morale for work. On the whole, employee motivation and team management are crucial for enhancing organisational productivity and performance. To be successful, an organisation must pay adequate attention to these two aspects.