Leading a Multicultural Team through a Change Process - Case Study Example

Leading a Multicultural Team through a Change Process Overview of the Current Situation As the newly appointed leader of a team with six (6) multicultural members, one is tasked to address urgent concerns manifested by the members. Case facts revealed that the team has been formulated for the purpose of developing and launching of a new health care product which has the potentials of revolutionizing diabetic care. As disclosed, the product would allow glucose readings to be taken without any needles or skin pricks. The product was reportedly due for beta testing within six months. However, during the first one-on-one meeting with the members, several problems have already been relayed. The current discourse hereby aims to present an action plan to get the team back on track, using your knew knowledge of multicultural teams and communication, the change process, decision making, and ethics. Problem Identification From the meeting with the members of the team, the following problems were relayed by the members. These problems are highlighted in the table below: Members Age/Gender Cultural Background Problems Relayed Managerial Aspect Needed Solve the Problem John 43/M African American Disillusioned, job hunting Motivation, need for change Julie 51/F Chinese American Disillusioned, job hunting Motivation, need for change Jinsoo 27/M South Korean Conflict averse and opts to isolate himself Conflict resolution, change management Tom 63/M American In conflict with Darius over design of a product component; feels isolated because of age and inability to use Google Communication, conflict resolution and negotiation, training in technological applications, change management Darius 32/M Iranian In conflict with Tom over design of a product component; joined the team 3 months ago Conflict resolution and negotiation, training and development, change management Harpeet 30/F Indian Joined the team 3 months ago Training and development, change management Analysis From the complaints that were relayed, as well as with the diversity of the team members, not only in cultural orientation, but also in age and gender, it was evident that the team leader is currently faced with challenges to get the team back on track. The problems apparently stem from lack of unified interest and commitment to achieve a common goal. Likewise, there is lack of motivation to improve the performance and productivity of team members. As such, the means to solve the problems that were relayed by the members include application of leadership theories (leadership style and skills, motivational strategies), effective communication, change management, conflict resolution, as well as emphasis on the adherence to ethical, moral, and legal standards (Martires & Fule, 2004). Proposed Changes (Action Plan) As the team leader, crucial responsibilities lie in one’s role to enforce the needed changes and steer the team back on the right track. The following courses of action are hereby proposed: Call a meeting for the entire team and discuss the problems that emerged; Remind the team that the objective of the project is to design the healthcare product in the most effective and appropriate manner to revolutionize diabetic care; Disclose the standards of performance; meaning, that the product is to be available within six (6) months for beta testing; Indicate that when the product is deemed successful, the entire team would stand to earn bonuses, promotions, and industry recognition. Thus, emphasize time schedules, delineation of roles and responsibilities, reporting protocols, communication procedures, conflict resolution, and the need to change behavior and attitude of members to attain the identified goal. Provide opportunities for each of the member to communicate their insights, comments, and proposals to improve the team’s performance and attain the needed outcome Solicit inputs for areas of improvement from their perspectives. Emphasize that their multicultural backgrounds and distinctive skills are needed and appreciated in the project [Kop14]. Forge commitment from all the team members into collaborative and participative efforts to ensure that costs are minimized, identified projects phases and activities are undertaken according to schedule, and group cohesiveness is effectively manifested. Product design problem Meet Tom and Darius separately and determine their conflicting issues regarding product design. Propose alternative courses of action to resolve their conflicts by itemizing benefits and costs of each member’s proposed product design approach. Assist in deciding which product design would be most plausible in meeting the organization’s goal (through the option that provides the greatest benefits with the least cost) [Por08]. Motivational strategies Communicate the benefits of coming out with a team output where costs are minimized and the product is launched within the stipulated schedule or even earlier. Explicitly relay opportunities for promotions, bonuses, and accolades for being attributed acknowledgement for the innovative product. Likewise, aside from the rewards, sanctions for violating policies and procedures for the project should also be developed. For instance, failure to product expected outcome according to assigned tasks should be sanctioned or penalized according to the organization’s code of discipline [Hil12]. Change management Consistent with the theories of change management, the team leader must emphasize that there is a need to change the members’ attitudes and behavior to achieve the identified project goals. As emphasized, “the impetus for change is dissatisfaction with the old behavior” [Mar04]. The previous project leader was fired due to unethical behavior. One strongly believes that the members should be informed that the reason for the previous team leader’s dismissal was his unethical practice of taking bribes from vendors. Conformity to ethical, moral, and legal standards should be stressed [Vel10]. Moreover, Cartwright (1951) reportedly suggested that “to change the behavior of individuals, it may be necessary to modify the standards of the group where they belong, its leadership style, its emotional climate, its structure, or its communication patterns so that the context supports rather than inhibits change” (cited in Martires & Fule, 2004, p. 362). Communication patterns As team leader, open patterns of communication should be proposed; meaning, members are encouraged to communicate and immediately relay issues and concerns to the leader or to other members, as urgently needed. Contact information should be exchanged among and between members and the team leader. Various modes of communication should be proposed: email, smartphone, direct or face-to-face communication, among others. Training and development Group training and development programs should be scheduled with the objective of improving cohesiveness and collaboration among members; Technological application training and orientation could be provided to Tom to enable him to learn how to navigate through the internet, including Google and other search engines, as well as in social networking sites. Decision-making The team leader should emphasize that although he has the responsibility to make decisions regarding group tasks and activities, the inputs from each of the member is relevant to be sought prior to decision making. Performance Monitoring Remind the members that part of the leader’s responsibilities is to monitor their respective performance against the standards that were set. Regular performance monitoring would detect compliance with schedules and monitor costs incurred. Any significant deviation from the budget and from the project’s plans should be immediately addressed with the assistance of members. Conclusion The current discourse successfully presented detailed action plan to get the team back on track. The role of the team leader is crucial in steering the members to the right path and direction that would facilitate the attainment of the project’s goals. Likewise, emphasizing that each member’s contribution to the outcome is crucial to ensure its overall success. References Kop14: , (Koppelman, 2014), Por08: , (Portney, 2008), Hil12: , (Hill & Jones, 2012), Mar04: , (Martires & Fule, 2004, p. 358), Vel10: , (Velasquez, Andre, Shanks, & Meyer, 2010), Read More