Successful management entails the ability to influence others into adopting behavioral types that are geared towards the attainment of predetermined goals (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). It also requires the capacity to identify the prevailing interests and pool the resources that are necessary to meet the stakeholders’ expectations (Dinsmore & Cabanis, 2011). An effective leader is the one who is more conversant with his/her environment to ensure all the actions and interactions are sensitive to all the active players (Singh, 2010). This is what is known as self-awareness - a trait useful in assuring a leader pays attention to little details surrounding him or her, thereby making it possible to make the right decisions at the right time. When a leader has a high level of self-awareness, it is possible to realign the goals accordingly in order to influence his/her employees in a manner that upholds the interests of the concerned organization. This paper is aimed at showing the relevance of effective leadership skills in the world of constant decision making by leaders.
The Goal at Hand
The bottom line of good leadership is having clarity of the goal at hand (Griffin, 2011). Once a leader is fully conversant with his aims, it becomes easier to communicate the ideologies that shape the demanded way of behavior vital to the realization of the set goals (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). It is also the clarity of the set objectives that enables a leader to identify the required human and non-human capital. The targets heavily influence the actions and inaction of any leader, since they help in the formulation of strategies helpful in the realization of the needed results (Dinsmore & Cabanis, 2011). The case at hand is that of Careforyou Inc. a non-profit company in Hartsville town that aims to build a group home for eight mentally ill adults in the town. As a leader, the first goal is to secure the federal grant that will turn the idea into a practical home for eight mentally challenged adults. Once the grant is secured, the next target is obtain the assigned piece of land. Over and above, due to the sensitivity of the issue, there is the need to incorporate the views of local players within the town. This will require intensive lobbying and where needed the management of the dispute between the conflicting interests. Attainment of these preliminary goals will help Careforyou Inc. achieve its primary intention of giving a home to the abovementioned eight mentally challenged adults.
Facts to Appreciate in the Case At Hand
Although the organization has received a grant from the federal government, it is evident that the intention of constructing a home for these eight mentally challenged persons has not been communicated to the community in the town. Moreover, it is expected that the project might face opposition from interested parties in the town. The most notable resistance may be presented by locals, media, the chamber of commerce, and a real estate community. This forms a huge challenge that needs to be handled in a manner that helps Careforyou Inc. achieves its goal but at the same time win the support of the local community. It is, therefore, necessary to employ due diligence in all leadership decisions to ensure an eventuality where there is a shared interest.
Goes Well
It is the main goal of the management to ensure that all preliminary engagements and the actual commencement of the project goes well. The anticipated picture is that the undertaking will be able to secure the much-needed funds promptly. Also, it is the intention of the managers to make sure that all resistance that the project may face is resolved amicably. This will mean utilizing a more inclusive approach where all the interested parties are consulted with. This will not only help in minimizing the extent of conflict in the course of realizing the goal but also empower the organization by attracting helpful stakeholders. When the project is based on the mutual understanding of all relevant parties, it becomes easier to pool all the necessary support that could be vital in the implementation of the project. The plan also entails having a workforce that is fully aware of their responsibilities, thereby enhancing their motivation. When the employees are fully motivated, it is possible to ensure the mentally challenged persons will get the specialized care they need. Additionally, the main goal is to construct a home for eight beneficiaries who are mentally challenged based on a platform of the rule of law and make sure that this project has the support of the Hartsville Township community where it will be based.
Team Building Based on Prevailing Challenges
As a leader, it is essential to build a team that will have the required expertise, which will help the studied organization attain the predetermined goals (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). This demands great self-awareness from the leader to see to it that the team formed has both the capacity, and will to attain the given goals. In this particular case, we have the problem of financing whereby the organization is relying on a grant from the federal government. Due to this fact, there is a need to have a qualified financial advisor who will undertake the advisory work in the organization together with the follow-up cooperation with the federal government. Another problem lies in the public awareness on pending project since there has been no open public discussion to date. There is, therefore, a need to have a lobbying team that will have the responsibilities of sensitizing the township public on the importance of the proposed home. The sufficient patients’ demand has to be present as well, therefore, there is a need to have qualified caregivers. Besides there is the necessity to have the right number of support staffs who will help the caregivers serve the patients better. Having the right personnel is vital for the successful implementation of the project as the project is centered on the provision of quality care for the mentally challenged people. Thus, an intensive recruitment process should take place to make sure the patients will be aided by the qualified assistants. Lastly, there is a problem of winning the support of different players within the town. A team that undertakes the leadership role will have the responsibility to handle this challenge.
Stakeholders
Among the major stakeholders in this project are:
- The founders of Careforyou Inc.
- The federal government
- The South Carolina Department of people with disabilities
- Hartsville's nursing association
- Hartsville's architectural association
Critics and Potential Allies
The main expected criticism is from real estate community who might argue that providing land for the home will be unnecessary since the local hospital is providing similar services. Due to an increased shortage of prime real estate land, having a piece of land devoted to the provision of services that are available in the local township hospital might seem to be a waste to them. This criticism might be relevant on the grounds of duplication of services rendered in the organization. However, the primary intention of the project is the development of a place which the eight patients can call a home, and where it will be possible to get one on one care from the specialized caregivers. On the other side, because of employment opportunities created for some of the Hartsville's nursing association members, we expect full support from this organization. The federal government has proven to be an important ally and has promised to fund the project.
Solution Based Plan
Effective leadership requires designing of the direction to follow while handling the challenges being faced by the concerned organization (Griffin, 2011). In the same spirit, Careforyou Inc. must have a well-planned sequence of actions that will help it attain the primary goal. The following is the working plan that will help Careforyou Inc. meet all the conditions necessary for putting the necessary facilities for patients.
Recruitment Exercise
To ensure that the team formed has both the competence and the characteristics needed, thorough recruitment should be done pick only the most qualified workers. When the team formed has the required skills it is easier to delegate duties in addition to achieve guaranteed high quality of services. The project at hand is intended to help vulnerable people, and hence professionalism should be maintained throughout the service delivery. The proper recruitment process will make sure that those mandated with the responsibility of caring for the patients are highly qualified.
General First Meeting
The intention at this moment is to help the team members have an exchange of information with the management. Besides, it is in this meeting that the team members will be enlightened more on what is expected from them. This is in appreciation of the fact that having a clear job description acts as an additional motivation to the employees (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). This is because they are fully aware of their responsibilities, which minimizes the probability of a conflict arising between them and the management team. It is also in this meeting that the phases of the project will be developed and explained. Further, the views from the team will be elaborated on and communicated to ensure a team approach is utilized in the project’s execution.
Expert Consultation
This is the point where all relevant experts will be consulted to ensure legal, medical and financial obligations are complied with and check whether the project meets all the required regulations. Moreover, it is in this avenue that all the employees will have an opportunity to receive the additional information on what is the expected level of ethics to be maintained especially with respect to the caregivers. Likewise, the fundamental objective here will be to ensure that the project follows the needed pace, vital in ensuring its perpetuity. Provision of specialized healthcare services demands extra caution to double-check if all the guidelines are followed (Singh, 2010).
Securing Financing Options
Once the number of employees has been identified, and all the regulations have been adhered to, securing the required funds is the next goal. This is the stage in which the management together with the finance advisor will do everything to help Careforyou Inc. get the full grant from federal government. A thorough lobbying should be utilized to ensure that the promised amount is availed to minimize unnecessary delays. This forms a backbone of the whole project and hence getting the full payment is of a great importance.
Second Team Meeting
A good leader is open and encourages the culture of inclusivity (Roberts, 2011). In the same line of thought, the second team meeting is geared towards upholding the team spirit rather than an individualized leadership approach. In this meeting, the board which plays a leadership role will update the team members on the progress being made towards the actualization of the project. This is aimed at minimizing situational stressor cases brought about by a rapid change in demand/expectations from the employees (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). Additionally, the meeting will also provide an opportunity for employees facing problems concerning their role in the organization, raise these issues and get the relevant help.
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Sensitization Campaign
With the expected resistance from different players within the town, the reason and the intended impact of the project need to be shared. An effective leader identifies all the relevant stakeholders and comes up with a way to appreciate each of their contributions (Roberts, 2011). This is where the emotional intelligence becomes critically important whereby the relation with each other and taking charge of the relationship becomes the leader’s objective. The primary task at this stage is the creation and enhancement of a healthy relationship through communicating in a supportive manner. Providing care for people with specialized needs, the day to day services required are very expensive (Singh, 2010). Careforyou Inc. is not financially stable, since it’s a subject of reliance on the grant provided by the federal government. In appreciation of this fact, there is, therefore, the need to have the support of as many parties as possible. Their support is necessary since the company may require additional funding for this noble undertaking. A good example is the real estate community, which can provide helpful insights on how to minimize the building cost or repair costs. Effective management is geared towards establishing an environment where continued cooperation is ubiquitous, and all parties can freely exchange their ideas (Roberts, 2011). It is, therefore, mandatory to resort to dialogue in order to win the support of those parties that will be against the project. There is the need to have a healthy exchange of information between Careforyou Inc. representatives and the Hartsville township community. All the issues raised should be addressed in a proper manner to ensure that the project gets the necessary support. The various meetings held with different opposing parties will be helpful in clarifying the problems raised. Outlining the purpose, location and the intended beneficiary should be at the epicenter of the sensitization campaign.
Actualizing the Project
This is the preliminary final stage that marks the physical beginning of the building of the home for the mentally challenged persons. At this point, all the funds should be at the organization’s disposal, and the interested groups have already been consulted to ensure there are no further delays when the building starts. It is the intention of the management team to kick start this stage if and only if all the funds are available, all the regulations pertaining caring for the mentally challenged persons have been met. Also, this phase should be executed as a combined township project where all the relevant parties’ support has been attained. Conveying to all the parties that the building is more of a community project and not something else will ensure the organization will win relevant support, some of which can be of help in the future, either monetary or logistically. This will be in line with empowering Careforyou Inc. within the town through establishing healthy links with different stakeholders.
Conclusion
The above plan is aimed at assuring that the eight beneficiaries have a home where they will get all the support they might need. To ensure this goal becomes a reality, all the rules and regulations ought to be followed. The will position the whole process in line with both the federal and state regulations, necessary in ensuring all the requirements are met. There is also the need to check if the project is not in conflict with the wishes of the major players and the community at large of the Hartsville Township. This is imperative to see whether the project has of now and continues to enjoy both administrational and vital public support. It is, therefore, the intention of the management to follow due diligence in all aspects of the preliminary project plans and the delivery of the specialized services to the mentally challenged persons to guarantee their welfare. The management also aims at ensuring that there is a healthy environment for all the employees to guarantee they are heavily motivated ,which is important due to the sensitivity of the special services needed by the patients. Following the guidelines mentioned above and cementing all the actions on the rule of law, will make it possible to give the patients the special need they require and deserve.
