Managing Individual Performance

Abstract

Now days companies are trending to re-organize their workforce into teams. With this inevitable trend, managers have to pay more attention to the way they form the teams. These team have brought empowerment and competitiveness to the companies, making this trend a very desirable one. Managers are using techniques like MBTI and the MaslowÐŽ¦s Hierarchy to ensure optimal productivity within the group. This paper intends to demonstrate the outcome of the simulation Managing Individual Performance and the way that these two techniques were used to get to this outcome.

Managing Individual Performance

Success in any project depends completely on the way that every member of a group performs. Being able to select the right member for a group is very critical. In many cases the leader will tend to select people very similar to him, but in reality, when putting together a team we should be looking for diversity. The best team is composed of people with opposite styles, they have good people skills and they are willing to contribute to the project. Team members roles are defined and they know they have the capacity to create new ideas (Bateman, 1990).

There are many criteria to consider when selecting an effective team member. The personality types are one of the most important criteria that a leader should have. There are four types of personalities that should be included in the group.

„h The action-oriented type- this type of personality are driven by

action. They hit the floor running. They are ready for any type of job.

„h The analytical type- this type will not act until they have pondered every

aspect of the situation and they understand all the particularities of the job.

„h The Administrative type- these are people that will keep the task on track and

organized.

„h The visionary type- The dreamers. They are the ones that concentrate on the big

picture and do not stop to look at small details. (Weiss, 2004)

While the task ahead is not easy, it is the responsibility of the leader to choose a well-balanced team and serve as motivator and cheerleader throughout the project. I had to empower my team, their task was to have the job done and mine was to believe in their abilities.

This week I was asked to take a simulation. In this simulation I was a senior manager, selected to implement a program in the company. I was given 8 months to implement the first phase of the project and as my first task I had to select a group of volunteers to complete this first phase of the project.

The team that I selected was composed as follows; for task number one, build case files, I chose Daniel Nichols, the action-oriented type. Daniel is an excellent communicator an extrovert, skills he will need to perform successfully. He is also a thinker and for this task we need analytical skills.

For tasks number two, moderate self-help groups, I chose John Connor, the analytical type. In this task we will need someone with a very extroverted personality and great communication skills. John has both, but the reason I choose him was his ability and skills to manage conflicts. With his experience as a quarterback and a trainer for children in a local baseball league, John is constantly exposed to conflict at different levels.

To perform follow-ups I chose Tony Wu, the administrative type. Tony has a very systematic personality. He is a hard worker and task oriented.

For the last task, supervise confrontation sessions I selected Lisa Stafford, the visionary type. Lisa has a very strong personality, very much needed it to accomplish this task. She also has great communication skills and relates well to people. She also has participated with social awareness groups, experience that will help her during her task.

While the task ahead will not be easy, it was my responsibility as leader to choose a well-balanced team and serve as motivator and cheerleader throughout the project. I had to empower my team, their task was to set the job done and mine was to believe in their abilities. My team was diverse and well balanced. For example I had some extroverts and some introverts. Their personalities were the reason why the task was successful (McShane and Von Glinow, 2004). Taking this factor into consideration, I think it is fair to explain the MBTI personality classification created by Katherine and Isabel Myers, and the motivation theory created by Abraham Maslow.

Katherine Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers, developed the MBTI assessment in the early 20th century. The MBTI is probably the most important personality test practiced now days. They developed a classification of personalities. This classification system is based on how people make decisions, how they view the world around them, deal with it and react to it (McShane and Von Glinow, 2004).

The MBTI is based on 4 pairs of preferences: the extroversion/introversion, the sensing/intuition, the thinker/feeling and the judging/perceiving preference.

The E/I preference is based on the interest of the world that surrounds the person. The Extrovert (E) is more concerned with the outer world of people and things. The Introvert (I) is more concerned with the inside world of concepts and ideas.

The S/N preference is based on how you gather information. The sensing (S) person uses their five senses and Intuition. The persons that fall in this category may be reluctant to consider improving their careers. The (N) Person has more interest in possibilities than in facts. That may promote unrealistic expectations