LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT – LEADERSHIP CONSULTANT ANALYSIS

Real Business

It can be difficult for a business to improve how it operates from inside the organization. Sometimes, an outside perspective is needed. The large discount retail store you work for wants to improve its in-store restaurant management team.

Your Role

Companies like Target and Walmart often work with outside consultants—people who are not employees of the company but who are hired on a contract basis to help with a specific project. As a Leadership Consultant, you’ve been hired by a large discount retail company to help the company improve its leadership structure and approach to management.

WHAT IS A LEADERSHIP CONSULTANT

A leadership consultant is a person called in to a company, be it a large corporation or a small business, to evaluate how it operates and make recommendations for improvement. Leadership consultants are typically hired when a business is struggling and needs to make changes in order to remain profitable. Such consultants are often highly educated in the field of business and have experience in managerial roles.

INSTRUCTIONS

Step1 Organizationl Structure

Take a look at the Organization Chart provided by the company.

• Based on your knowledge of hierarchies, would you say that this team has tall structure or flat structure? Explain your answer.

Step 2: Human Resources

The company would like to improve the culture of its team and the quality of its work. Its leadership has provided you with a Process Chart detailing how it currently applies Human Resources best practices.

• What step of the Human Resources Cycle is missing? Explain why it is important to include this part of the process.

Note: You should complete Step 3 after reading the material in Week 9.

STEP 3: Leadership Style

You have been asked to help improve the leadership style of the team leader in order to meet the team’s performance goals. The team leader has given you a description of what is most comfortable in terms of leading others.

• Identify this leader’s style of leadership, and list two benefits and two drawbacks to that style as it relates to the performance of the team
  .

Step 4: Real-World Application

Apply the thinking in Steps 1-3 as if you were a Leadership Consultant hired by the company where you work or for a previous employer.

• Review the organization chart for your company. Based on your knowledge of hierarchies, would you say that your company’s team has a tall structure or flat structure? How does this affect the way your team works? Explain your answer.
• Consider the work conducted by the Human Resources team at your company. What steps of the Human Resources Cycle do they implement well? What steps of the Human Resources Cycle might be missing from your company or are not implemented as well as they could be? What is the effect of this on you and your team? Explain your answer.
• Lastly, reflect on the leadership style of either yourself or your supervisor. What leadership style do you have, or what leadership style does your supervisor have? What are the benefits and drawbacks of this style for your team? What might you or your supervisor do to improve leadership? Explain your answer.

ASSIGNME NT

Leadership & Management –

Leadership Consultant Analysis

1

DU E DATE

Week 9

S T R AY E R U N I V E RS I T Y | CO PY R I G H T © 2 0 1 6 . A L L R I G H TS R E S E RV E D.

WEEKS 8 & 9
MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP

people

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

In-Store
Sales

Associate

Catering
Sales

Associate

Maintenance
Associate

Purchase
Associate

Cashier

Food
Quality
Control

Executive
Chef

Cashier

Head of
Food

Service

Assistant
Manager

Food &
Beverage
Director

Sales
Manager

Logistics
Manager

Financial
Director

Kitchen
Manager

Restaurant
Manager

General
Manager

Junior

Accountant

Accountant

Assistant
Chef

Food
Service

Staff

Ingredients
Buyer

Operations
Manager

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HUMAN RESOURCES:

Hello,

Head of HR here, providing you a bit more insight into our process. I’ve included a flow
chart on the high level process (see below) but also wanted to provide a more detailed
explanation.

Our HR cycle begins with our recruiting department. We have campus recruiters who
attend career fairs and develop relationships from select universities around the country.
We also do a substantial amount of recruiting through LinkedIn, targeting professionals
further along in their career with the backgrounds we look for. We then conduct phone
screens with qualified candidates, followed by rigorous in-person interviews. We hire
approximately 10% of the candidates we interview in-person.

Once an employee comes on-board, our performance management system begins.
Employees are required to write out goals and objectives after their first 30 days on the job.
They have regular ongoing conversations with their direct managers, as well as with
assigned mentors, regarding their performance. On or near their anniversary date, we
conduct a formal performance review. In the review, we evaluate how the employee
performed relative to the goals they mapped out for themselves, and relative to our
expectations. Based on the result of the performance review, we make compensation
adjustments and promotion decisions. Finally, when an employee does exit their role, by
transitioning to another role within the company or by terminating their employment, we
conduct formal exit interviews.

Hope this helps. Look forward to your feedback on how we can improve.

R E C RU I T H I R E M A N AG E

E X I T E VA L UAT EC O M P E N SAT I O N
A D J U ST M E N T

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LEADERSHIP STYLE:

Hi,

I’m writing this email in response to your request for an overview of my leadership style.
First, I think it’s important to tell you how I got to my role as the General Manager. I started
at the bottom and I’ve worked my way up through the ranks by being the top performer in
every role I’ve had. I’ve worked hard to get to where I am today, nothing has been given to
me, and I believe everyone reporting to me should have a similar mindset and work ethic.
I’m looking for people who can keep up with my level of performance; that’s what we need
to achieve our organizational goals. I demand a lot from people. Some might say I’m
difficult to please, but I believe in continually pushing people to achieve results they
previously didn’t think possible. To do that, my employees must move fast and execute on
the directives I give them. If they can’t, then I need to find others who can keep up. That
may sound harsh, but I view maintaining a strong performance-based culture as my
responsibility as a leader.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

NAME:

INSTUCTOR:

DATE:

Assignment 4

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT – LEADERSHIP CONSULTANT Analysis

Due Date: Week 9

Note: All scenarios in this assignment are fictional.

Real Business

It can be difficult for a business to improve how it operates from inside the organization. Sometimes, an outside perspective is needed. The large discount retail store you work for wants to improve its in-store restaurant management team.

Your Role

Companies like Target and Walmart often works with outside consultants—people who are not employees of the company but who are hired on a contract basis to help with a specific project. As a Leadership Consultant, you’ve been hired by a large discount retail company to help the company improve its leadership structure and approach to management.

What Is a LEADERSHIP CONSULTANT? A leadership consultant is a person called in to a company, be it a large corporation or a small business, to evaluate how it operates and make recommendations for improvement. Leadership consultants are typically hired when a business is struggling and needs to make changes in order to remain profitable. Such consultants are often highly educated in the field of business and have experience in managerial roles.

Instructions

Step 1: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Take a look at the Organization Chart provided by the company.

· Based on your knowledge of hierarchies, would you say that this team has tall structure or flat structure?

Underline your selection:

Tall Structure

Flat Structure

Explain your answer.

Step 2: HUMAN RESOURCES

The company would like to improve the culture of its team and the quality of its work. Its leadership has provided you with a Process Chart detailing how it currently applies Human Resources best practices.

· What step of the Human Resources Cycle is missing? Explain why it is important to include this part of the process.

Note: You should complete Steps 3 & 4 after reading the material in Week 9.

Step 3: LEADERSHIP STYLE

You have been asked to help improve the leadership style of the team leader in order to meet the team’s performance goals. The team leader has given you a description of what is most comfortable in terms of leading others.

Identify this leader’s style of leadership. Underline your selection:

Pacesetting

Visionary

Affiliative

Coaching

Coercive

Democratic

Explain your reasoning and list two benefits and two drawbacks to the style of leadership you identified as it relates to the performance of the team.

Provide advice to the team leader on how to overcome the drawbacks of this leadership style.

Step 4: REAL-WORLD APPLICATION

Apply the thinking in Steps 1-3 as if you were a Leadership Consultant hired by the company where you work or for a previous employer.

· Review the organization chart for your company. Based on your knowledge of hierarchies, would you say that your company’s team has a tall structure or flat structure? How does this affect the way your team works? Explain your answer.

· Consider the work conducted by the Human Resources team at your company. What steps of the Human Resources Cycle do they implement well? What steps of the Human Resources Cycle might be missing from your company or are not implemented as well as they could be? What is the effect of this on you and your team? Explain your answer.

· Lastly, reflect on the leadership style of either yourself or your supervisor. What leadership style do you have, or what leadership style does your supervisor have? What are the benefits and drawbacks of this style for your team? What might you or your supervisor do to improve leadership? Explain your answer.

1 BUS508: CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS