Leadership Management Consultant Analysis Due Date

Leadership Management Leadership Consultant Analysisdue Dateweek 9

Leadership Management Leadership Consultant Analysis Due Date Week 9

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 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:

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? 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.

Paper For Above instruction

The role of a leadership consultant in organizational improvement is critical, especially for large retail chains seeking to enhance management effectiveness and operational efficiency. The structured approach to analyzing and recommending improvements involves understanding the organizational hierarchy, human resources practices, and leadership styles within the organization. This essay explores these elements through the context of a fictional large discount retail store aiming to improve its in-store restaurant management team.

Assessment of Organizational Structure

The first step in this analysis involves evaluating whether the organization has a tall or flat structure based on its chart. Tall structures feature many levels of middle management, creating a hierarchy that can slow decision-making and communication. Conversely, flat structures have fewer hierarchical levels, promoting quicker communication and greater employee involvement. Given the typical size of a large retail chain, the organization chart likely exhibits a tall structure with multiple management layers overseeing various departments. This setup can lead to bureaucratic delays but might also provide clear lines of authority. However, the analysis must be based on the specific chart provided, which I interpret as leaning towards a tall structure due to the chain's size and scope of operations. Such a structure can hinder agility but offers clarity in roles and responsibilities.

Human Resources Practices and Missing Cycle Step

In reviewing the Human Resources process chart, it becomes evident that a critical step is missing—namely, the 'Evaluation and Feedback' phase. Many HR cycles include stages like recruitment, onboarding, training, performance management, and exit procedures. Omitting systematic evaluation and feedback limits the organization's ability to assess employee performance, identify areas for development, and ensure continual improvement. Its absence can result in a lack of accountability and missed opportunities for professional growth, which directly impact team culture and work quality. Including this step ensures that performance appraisal remains a dynamic cycle, fostering continuous improvement and aligning individual goals with organizational objectives.

Leadership Style Identification and Its Impact

The team leader has described a leadership approach that aligns with a democratic style, characterized by participative decision-making and encouragement of team input. This style has notable benefits, including increased employee engagement and improved morale, as team members feel valued and heard. Additionally, democratic leadership can foster collaboration and innovation, which are vital in a service-oriented setting like a restaurant. However, drawbacks include a potential slowdown in decision-making processes, as consensus-building may delay responses to urgent issues. Also, some team members might expect more directive guidance, and the leader's participative style may not effectively address situations that require quick, authoritative action. Balancing this style with situational leadership principles could mitigate these drawbacks.

Conclusion

Effective leadership consulting requires a nuanced understanding of organizational structure, HR practices, and leadership styles. In this scenario, recognizing the organization's hierarchy informs potential communication bottlenecks. Identifying the missing HR cycle step highlights areas for enhancing employee development and accountability. Lastly, understanding the leader’s style allows for tailored recommendations to optimize team performance. Implementing these insights can help the retail chain improve its management team, ultimately leading to better service delivery and profitability.

References

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