A strong leader is normally imbued with a number of qualities. Of these, his ability to mobilize and motivate his team to complete the task at hand and maintain consistency in operations is a critical one. Good leaders are able to identify the KRA (Key Responsibility Areas) of the different individuals in their teams and designate the right resources to the right assignments. One of the biggest challenges for a leader is when he has to deal with overlapping priorities, especially while he dealing with his teams assigned with the completion of tasks on the one hand and those that are assigned with maintenance functions on the other. Tasks imply comprehension and execution of plans and meeting benchmarks while maintenance involves regulation, surveillance, and troubleshooting among others. No good leader can afford to allow these functions to get mixed up between his teams entrusted with either of the respective functions (Leading is Learning. 2012.)
The qualities of a strong leader normally leave a distinctive mark across different facets of his team. A certain line of reasoning does suggest that a leader is only as good as his team, yet there are numerous instances when leadership change has been able to galvanize teams that have had no prior track record of excellence. Apparently, it was the effort of the leaders in these cases that brought the best out of teams that were not known to be achievers in their line of work. Efficient leadership qualities are an inseparable part of great team performance and it is borne out by scores of turnaround and comeback stories. Among the different factors found in corporate governance theories, many have focused on the balance that successful leaders achieved in streamlining the task and maintenance functions in their organizations (Scoll, R.W. 2003.)
It is necessary to understand the fundamental nature of tasks and maintenance in an organizational framework in order to analyze the role of successful leaders who have been able to strike the right balance between the two. Tasks essentially pertain to execution of assignments – in other words, getting the job done, while maintenance relates to a regulatory function interspersed with an emotional dimension. Across different industries, high efficiency levels are not merely the result of jobs that get executed with ruthless accuracy because a significantly large part of such functions are handled by humans under different levels of stress that require proper management (Sound Options Group. 2012.)
Certain fundamental aspects of organizational policy should be in place for the leadership to be able to work out the right balance between tasks and maintenance. Organizational policy should be based on the premise of equal opportunity and unbiased appraisal of personnel, irrespective of hierarchy. This means that the leadership should adopt a policy of functional and total transparency in the structure and implementation of the processes of the organization. For any kind of balance between task and maintenance the workers must demonstrate mutual respect for each other’s roles and responsibilities. Respect follows understanding and appreciation and hence, the leadership must ensure that workers are adequately briefed about the importance of the roles and responsibilities of their co-workers (Team Climate Survey).
Characteristic features of tasks
Tasks normally follow a sequence of activities that revolve around execution. The stage of execution is reached after several other processes have been completed or are set in motion. Here is a standard sequence of tasks that are performed by an organization (Akins, L.M. 2001, August.)
Initiation – Normally, it is the leader who initiates the execution of the task or project after it has gone through all necessary processes to reach the stage of execution. The leader charts out the road map, identifies the resources for specific roles and responsibilities and spells out the guidelines as well as the deadline.
Clarification – The resources in this capacity requests updates from team members on the level of understanding of the task at hand as well as seek and disseminate information on any development worthy of note.
Knowledge sharing – The resources here, share suggestions, and substantiate emerging implications, as well as visualize the impact of an idea if it is implemented.
Synthesizing and summarizing – The resources in this case define the links between several proposals, coordinates these proposals and integrates them to the functions of different sections of the task group.
Viability and quality review – The resources here recommend suggestions based on analysis of the situation, explore viability of new suggestions and rationalize decisions. They also evaluate team achievements in accordance with task group benchmarks and goals.
Troubleshooting – While specific resources are assigned the role of troubleshooters, a good leadership would normally involve the entire task group in a back up plan in the event of things going wrong.
Typical maintenance functions
Maintenance functions range from regulatory to synergistic and provide a vital support framework to the task group among others. Good leaders are quick to realize that for the task groups to perform optimally, the support of a robust maintenance team is crucial. Some of the typical maintenance functions are:
Build confidence – Being appreciative and giving credit where it is due, empathizing with team members and maintaining an open door policy with respect to ideas and suggestions not only leads to a warm and friendly environment but also makes team members more responsive and proactive.
Listening with patience – Most problems, not just within organizations but anywhere else, are solved when counterparts listen to each other. For one, it cools down a charged atmosphere and second, it improves understanding of the other side’s views. More often than not, this leads to an increase in the knowledge absorbing ability of the team members which positively impact their overall performance.
Fairness in appraisal and troubleshooting – One of the main causes of friction in an organizational setup is the victim mentality in sections of the rank and file. This is normally connected to a team member’s performance evaluation or while handling a crisis when errors have to be identified. Such situations require sensitive handling and any kind of bias can be disastrous for the organization. Therefore, the leadership must ensure proper balance of opinion while handling such situations. (Group Dynamics.)
The response to a particular situation can differ as much among teams as it can among individual members. Depending on what the response is, entire teams or parts of it or even a single individual could display unruly behavior, become domineering and stubborn, try to gain control over certain other team members or become combative and show other undesirable traits. It is necessary for leaders to appreciate that a team could have individuals of different natures and credentials as well as belong to different age groups and genders. Such diversity is bound to impact the disposition of the team and its functions. For leaders aiming to achieve optimum levels of performance from their teams, the importance of balancing tasks and maintenance can’t be underscored more. They are two distinct areas of operation requiring different situations and skill sets to perform. It could even be said that they require specific levels of specialization and can’t be performed on a hunch or on a non-essential basis. The consistency level or clash of opinion within the framework of a team is generally caused by the different operational backgrounds of specific team members and their obligation to team objectives. It is critical for leaders to keep an eye on the inner dynamics of their teams and tackle any discontent before it is too late.
2. Scoll, R.W. 2003. Leadership Overview. Schmidt Labor Research Center, University of Rhode Island. Retrieved from http://www.uri.edu/research/lrc/scholl/webnotes/Leadership.htm
3. Sound Options Group. 2012, August 24. Balancing Task with Maintenance: Part 3. Retrieved from http://soundoptionsgroup.com/2012/08/balancing-task-with-maintenance-part-3/
4. Team Climate Survey. Retrieved from http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/TeamSur.html
5. Akins, L.M. 2001, August. Functional Group Roles. [PDF Document] Retrieved from http://www8.sunydutchess.edu/faculty/akins/documents/Vocabulary.pdf
6. Group Dynamics. [PDF Document] Retrieved from http://www.ibrd.gov.nl.ca/regionaldev/gd.pdf
It is necessary to understand the fundamental nature of tasks and maintenance in an organizational framework in order to analyze the role of successful leaders who have been able to strike the right balance between the two. Tasks essentially pertain to execution of assignments – in other words, getting the job done, while maintenance relates to a regulatory function interspersed with an emotional dimension. Across different industries, high efficiency levels are not merely the result of jobs that get executed with ruthless accuracy because a significantly large part of such functions are handled by humans under different levels of stress that require proper management (Sound Options Group. 2012.)
Characteristic features of tasks
Tasks normally follow a sequence of activities that revolve around execution. The stage of execution is reached after several other processes have been completed or are set in motion. Here is a standard sequence of tasks that are performed by an organization (Akins, L.M. 2001, August.)
Initiation – Normally, it is the leader who initiates the execution of the task or project after it has gone through all necessary processes to reach the stage of execution. The leader charts out the road map, identifies the resources for specific roles and responsibilities and spells out the guidelines as well as the deadline.
Clarification – The resources in this capacity requests updates from team members on the level of understanding of the task at hand as well as seek and disseminate information on any development worthy of note.
Knowledge sharing – The resources here, share suggestions, and substantiate emerging implications, as well as visualize the impact of an idea if it is implemented.
Synthesizing and summarizing – The resources in this case define the links between several proposals, coordinates these proposals and integrates them to the functions of different sections of the task group.
Viability and quality review – The resources here recommend suggestions based on analysis of the situation, explore viability of new suggestions and rationalize decisions. They also evaluate team achievements in accordance with task group benchmarks and goals.
Troubleshooting – While specific resources are assigned the role of troubleshooters, a good leadership would normally involve the entire task group in a back up plan in the event of things going wrong.
Typical maintenance functions
Maintenance functions range from regulatory to synergistic and provide a vital support framework to the task group among others. Good leaders are quick to realize that for the task groups to perform optimally, the support of a robust maintenance team is crucial. Some of the typical maintenance functions are:
Build confidence – Being appreciative and giving credit where it is due, empathizing with team members and maintaining an open door policy with respect to ideas and suggestions not only leads to a warm and friendly environment but also makes team members more responsive and proactive.
Listening with patience – Most problems, not just within organizations but anywhere else, are solved when counterparts listen to each other. For one, it cools down a charged atmosphere and second, it improves understanding of the other side’s views. More often than not, this leads to an increase in the knowledge absorbing ability of the team members which positively impact their overall performance.
Fairness in appraisal and troubleshooting – One of the main causes of friction in an organizational setup is the victim mentality in sections of the rank and file. This is normally connected to a team member’s performance evaluation or while handling a crisis when errors have to be identified. Such situations require sensitive handling and any kind of bias can be disastrous for the organization. Therefore, the leadership must ensure proper balance of opinion while handling such situations. (Group Dynamics.)
References
1. Leading is Learning. 2012. Group Maintenance as Creative Leadership. Retrieved from http://leadingislearning.org/2012/08/21/group-maintenance-as-creative-leadership/ 2. Scoll, R.W. 2003. Leadership Overview. Schmidt Labor Research Center, University of Rhode Island. Retrieved from http://www.uri.edu/research/lrc/scholl/webnotes/Leadership.htm
3. Sound Options Group. 2012, August 24. Balancing Task with Maintenance: Part 3. Retrieved from http://soundoptionsgroup.com/2012/08/balancing-task-with-maintenance-part-3/
4. Team Climate Survey. Retrieved from http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/TeamSur.html
5. Akins, L.M. 2001, August. Functional Group Roles. [PDF Document] Retrieved from http://www8.sunydutchess.edu/faculty/akins/documents/Vocabulary.pdf
6. Group Dynamics. [PDF Document] Retrieved from http://www.ibrd.gov.nl.ca/regionaldev/gd.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments using using abusive language would be deleted