1. Milestone 1

1A. Background of the Company

The project in question (Madison Avenue Apartment in Surabaya) profile is under the company name PT Kertabakti Rahardjo. This is just a subsidiary company of PT Arthamas Sejahtera. PT Arthamas Sejahtera being the parent company controls almost all the aspects of this project. The company is involved with several industries including petroleum and construction among others. The project within this report revolves around the construction industry hence the background of the company will focus on this sector.

The company was founded in 2005, and the main office is located in Jakarta. This means that it has been in operation for over 10 years. It is a limited liability company meaning that the investors are only liable to their original investment amount in case the company became insolvent. In the construction industry, the company offers comprehensive services that are designed to enable the company to undertake the necessary activities to complete a project. These services include remodeling and alterations, design work, site preparation among others. However, the company is more into developing apartments with the objective of selling them as single unit stocks.

The company develops apartments for people in different economic classes. There is a designated expenditure structure when it comes to the financial aspects of constructing the buildings. The company usually bears 30% of the cost, 50% comes from the pre-launching sales, and the remaining 20% comes from the bank in the form of a loan. Among the main objectives of the company in this industry is expanding its office and commercial building development significantly in order to enhance the profit margins and proliferate its market share.

 

1B. Project, why the project is important to the company

Project

The mini project involved here was building an effective Team for the Pre-launching stage of Madison Avenue Apartment Project in Surabaya. This was part of the bigger project that involved the development and selling of the Madison Avenue Apartment in Surabaya. The pre-launching stage of the entire project involved several aspects that needed to be executed in the best way to ensure that the efforts being applied in other areas do not come out as being futile. Among the main activities on this part of the project was ensuring that the pre-launching sales were as high as possible. The business development department (my department) was tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that these sales levels reached the desired figures.

As a result, building an effective team was paramount in order to ensure that the company achieved the desired sales levels.  The business development department needed to integrate various advertisement prospects for success to be actualized. It was more than mere advertisement as other things needed to be executed appropriately. Issues to do with time and budget had to be put into consideration. This meant that every team member needed to work in partnership to help move forward in the desired direction. Failure culminating as a result of poor operations would have resulted in reduced pre-launching sales; meaning that the entire project would have fallen into jeopardy. This is because the company would have been necessitated to rearrange the initial plans in order to cover up for the incompetence coming from the department.

In order to ensure that complacency is not experienced, there was a need to ensure that the weaknesses that existed in the department were eradicated. The team members were not very corporative if the previous working experience was something to go with. There were conflicts that made it difficult to execute the desired tasks. Identifying the weaknesses would have been an appropriate step towards establishing an effective working formula. Steps to ensure that collaboration and cohesion were put in place were very important. An effective team increases the probability of success for any project. Putting more emphasis on individual proponents only works to delay the anticipated progress.

Why the project is important to the company

Building an effective team for the Pre-launching stage of Madison Avenue Apartment Project in Surabaya was important to the organization for varied reasons. For one, this was going to determine the time when the project will commence and the budget to be involved. Funds obtained from the pre-launching sales were going to be used in the construction of the building. This made this part of the project quite important. The company has a policy of funding its projects. This is a policy that has been followed for all the projects that have been in existence unless some aspects did not work as expected, and there is a need to make adjustments. Funding usually comes from the bank, buyers and company’s money. Money from the buyers usually account for 50% of the budget, 20% comes from the bank, and the company contributes 30%. The money from buyers is the money obtained in the pre-launch sales. In case the pre-launch sales do not actualize the expected 50% threshold, it disorients the plans that were already there. This means that more money will be borrowed from the bank than it was anticipated. Borrowing extra funds from the bank comes with an added cost due to the interest rates that tend to apply.  This is what makes the pre-launch sales very important for the organization.

As a result, the team involved with the pre-launch sales should be performing optimally to ensure that the maximum sales possible have been actualized. The pre-launching sales account for half of the project’s estimated budget hence making them quite vital. Optimal performance of the team is likely to be hindered by personal differences hence putting the entire project in jeopardy. Working as a unit is likely to bring the best out of every member hence bringing overall success. That is why it is essential to ensure that relevant steps have been taken to ensure that the team works effectively.

The importance of this project has also been manifested by the actions taken by the management to ensure that the pre-launch sales have reached the desired levels. There is an incentive that is aimed at attracting buyers in purchasing different stocks during the pre-launching stage. The buyers are expected to get a 10% discount when they buy at this stage compared to when the project will be officially launched. This is an aspect that has a high propensity of bringing in more sales. This is just a manifestation of how important the pre-launch stage is hence the need for an effective team to be involved with the project.

The company has also gone a long way in giving gifts to the consumers that are going to purchase the stocks during the pre-launching stage. The consumers that purchased the units at this stage were automatically entered in a draw that would have culminated with them winning various prices. This is a way for the company to go further and motivate as many people as possible to purchase during this stage.

 

1C. What/who is the target of the project

The pre-launching stage of the Madison Avenue Apartment Project targeted consumers with the desire to purchase both residential and office apartments. The apartments were suitable for different classes of people given the prevailing price ranges. However, the specific mini project of Building an effective team for the pre-launching stage of Madison Avenue Apartment Project targeted the employees working in the business development department. It is the department that was responsible with making the pre-launching sales.

The business development department constitutes six members. There seems to be gender balance as there are three males and three females. The male members included Edo, Irawan and Kos. Female members, on the other hand, included Imelda, Daisy and I. This was a favorable number since it is small hence easy to manage. However, this has not been the case based on past experiences. Working as a unit has always been difficult due to varied conflicts that exist among the team members. There are issues that come into play whenever there are new projects, and everyone is under pressure to perform. The team members used to argue over almost everything. It is usually more about the structure of the group, and there are significant emotional struggles that tend to persist. Some of the conflicts revolve around control issues. It is like everyone wants to be in charge of various aspects ahead of their colleagues. Lack of cohesion is quite evident as the members prefer doing things independently. There is the perception that working in partnership results to the feeling of being “crowded”. Inconsistencies and failures also seem to be part of the equation too. This is due to the many disagreements that exist.

This created the need to identify what was really the problem in order to ensure that the team was operating effectively on the pre-launching stage of Madison Avenue Apartment Project.  The department identified the most appropriate way to do it was by conducting interviews with all the team members. The questions in these interviews were meant to understand the course of the current problems in order to come up with the suitable solutions. The problems revolving around the team is something that everyone had noticed. As a result, the team decided on conducting a group interview where everyone would be expected to answer a set of similar questions relating to the current working environment. The questions were supposed to be prepared by the team leader, but he was also expected to give his views on the issues at hand. There was the expectation that after reviewing the issues at hand, solutions to the existing problems would be established.

Interview Questions

1. What do you find challenging working as a team?
2. What don’t you like about this team?
3. Are you contented with your role and contribution to the team? Why?
4. What do you think can be done to improve how the department works?

Below is a synopsis of the responses that were accrued after conducting the interviews based on the questions enlisted above.

What do you find challenging while working as a team?

Imelda reiterated that she found trusting her colleagues as a challenging aspect. This is because everyone seemed to have their own motives while undertaking varied tasks. For this reason, it was not easy to know whether you were on the same side with someone or they are working to sabotage you. Similar sentiments were shared by Edo who said that it always seems that someone is planning something negative about you. This is based on the channels of communication being used and the ways that are used to approach the management. There is the tendency of trying to build one’s name at the expense of the other person.

Irawan; who was the team leader, asserted that the most challenging aspect that he faced was that of bringing people to work in partnership. This is because they seemed to have different motives driving them hence the aspect of seeming like working towards different objectives. “At times I have to single out some of you since you do not seem to be doing what the others are working towards, isn’t that true?” That’s a phrase he used during the group interviews. Kos, on the other hand, seemed to lean towards similar sentiments. According to him, the most challenging aspect that he encounters is lack of cooperation. This is because people want to work on their own most of the times even when he projects involved require interdependence.

On my part, I talked about the challenges of power issues and personal agendas. These are aspects that result to conflict among the team members on most occasions. Solving such issues would help the team move forward instead of dealing with petty issues at all times.  Daisy on her part stated that she found the aspect of not sharing information adequately among the major challenges she has encountered. Some people tend to keep for themselves when it was not necessary hence hindering the team’s growth.

What don’t you like about this team?

The team members had varied responses to this question. On my side, I reiterated about unclear objectives. Daisy spoke on the lack of cohesion while Irawan pointed out the aspect of low morale. Kos on the other hand, spoke on the issues of uninvolved and uncommitted members. Edo emphasized on the issue of confusion on what ought to be done and by whom. Imelda on her part emphasized the issues of poor listening and hidden feelings among team members. This was an indication of the varied issues that every member thought were not going well with the organization.

Are you contented with your role and contribution to the team? Why?

Irawan and Daisy shared similar sentiments here as hey said that they felt contented with their roles and contribution to the team. Irawan asserted that he feels he usually tries his best to bring the team together irrespective of the circumstances. Daisy, on the other hand, said that she felt that she always gives her best at all times and that makes her contented.

However, Kos, Imelda, Edo and I said that they were not contented with the way the things were at present. Kos reiterated that sometimes it is not clear of what he is expected to do given what other members are involved with too. Imelda asserted that she felt “crowded” on most of the occasions as there is no clear definition of roles regardless of what appears to be there. Edo was quite vague here as he just said that he did not feel like he belonged. I, on the other hand, talked on the way I felt like there was a duplication of efforts based on how roles are allocated.

What do you think can be done to improve how the department works?

There were varied answers for this question, which were aimed at ensuring that the department moved past the issues that it was suffering from. Irawan was proposing of having a good understanding of the team members. This made sense given that he was the team leader. Kos, on the other hand, proposed a focus on effective communication. This would ensure that everyone is involved and they are aware of whatever is taking place. Imelda spoke of having a definite working strategy regardless of the project being involved. She was of the opinion that each project that the department is tasked with should be approached differently from previous projects to reenergize the team. Edo proposed solving of problems as and when they arise in order to contain them and avoid disaster.  Daisy, on the other hand, proposed breaking down of barriers by use of team-building exercises in order to assist everyone to know and understand each other. On my part, I emphasized on the importance of clearly defining roles and responsibilities. This would help the team to develop adequate direction or focus.

The information obtained was important in building an effective Team for the Pre-launching stage of Madison Avenue Apartment Project in Surabaya. This is because it showed what is not operating as it would be expected hence identifying the weak areas. Giving the team members an opportunity to propose the things that they would want to see being implemented in the department is also favorable. This is because it will be difficult for them to resist change since they are part of the change.

1D. How this Project will help the Company

The Madison Avenue Apartment Project is expected to act just like the other projects that the company has been involved with, and bring in desirable profits as it gives consumers something that they will be proud of. This is what makes the pre-launching sales stage quite important as it determines the direction that the entire project will take. As a result, the mini project of building an effective team for the pre-launching stage will be important in helping the company to move forward.

Establishing an effective team will result in efficiency in the business development department. This is because with efficiency the team will be able to work favorably and deliver the desired pre-launching sales.  To some extent, the efficiency would result in exceeding the established target. Based on previous working experiences, the company usually targets to establish its apartments whereby 50% of the funding comes from the pre-launching sales. A favorable working environment for the department tasked with making the pre-launching sales will ensure that this has been actualized. The efficiency can also help to exceed the expectations that the company has with regards to funding prospects. If the pre-launching sales are more than the projected threshold, this would mean that the company would use more funds from the pre-launching sales to invest in the development of apartments. This would help to reduce the amount of funds coming from the bank. Bank loans are expected to account for 20% of the total project’s cost. The increase in pre-launching sales will help in reducing the amount of money that will be borrowed from the bank for the purposes of spearheading the project. This would mean that the cost of the project would be reduced to some extent. The interest rates that would have been incurred as a result of servicing the loan would reduce hence minimize the cost of the loan significantly. This is a favorable approach in helping the company to save on total expenditures.

From the group interviews conducted, there was sufficient information to show that everything was not working as expected within the business development department. The team was not working in unison as it would be expected. There were varied issues that ranged from personal to departmental. With such issues, it would be difficult to move forward and produce the desired results. This is because the pre-launching sales would be minimal hence putting the project plans in jeopardy.

It was apparent that the team is yet to form formidable bonds. Based on the interviews, the team members seemed to have trust issues, poor communication aspects, lack of corporation, strive for personal gratification and lack of proper information sharing among others. The members also outlined the things that they did not like about the team. This involved lack of cohesion, commitment, unclear objective and presence of hidden feelings among others. With such issues within a team, it would be difficult to move forward. This is due to reduced efficiency hence attaining the desired pre-launching sales would not have been feasible.

Based on the information provided, in the stages of team development, the team was still at the forming and storming stages. This is due to the aspect that there seemed to be unclear objectives, confusion, low morale, conflict and lack of cohesion among others. Given the current the current status and the project that was in hand, there was a need to transition to norming and performing stages of team development. To move past the forming stage, there was a need for the members to know and understand each other sufficiently.  There was the need to understand that everyone is wired differently hence the probability of functioning in a different way. Enhancing efficient communication prospects would also go a long way into ensuring that everyone understands what needs to be achieved at all times. Overcoming the storming stage, on the other hand, would be ensured by clarifying individual roles and work goals. When everyone is assigned a specific task efficiency will be high since duplication of efforts will be avoided. This also enables team members to remain focused at all times. Involving everyone while making such decisions is also paramount so that they can remain contented with the roles that will be allocated to them. There is also a need to establish team rules that govern issues such as collaboration and sharing. This helps in working in partnership hence developing the necessary synergy.

If the team moved to the norming stage, the team members would start to resolve their differences, respect the leader’s authority and appreciate colleagues’ strengths (Stotz, 2013). This is because the environment would be much better as the members would establish close relationships. The commitment is great, and hence the probability of success increases significantly. The performance stage would help to achieve a steady-state to enable the team to reach an optimal level of performance. The friction between the team members is eliminated and becomes easier for the team to achieve the desired goals (Stotz, 2013).

When the business development department starts operating effectively, this will help the company with attaining its objectives of the Madison Avenue Apartment Project. This is because the department is involved with the making of pre-launching sales for the project. This was a imperative part of the project since it determined how the financing prospects of the project would go. Failure to capture the desired sales levels would have jeopardized the entire project. This is because the company has a funding policy whereby 50% is funded by the pre-launching sales, 30% from the company and 20% from the bank. If the efficiency of the business development department resulted to increased sales levels than it was even anticipated, the company would even reduce the percentage of borrowing from the bank. This reduces the cost of borrowing hence saving the company on expenditure. As a result, this increases the profit that the company would have obtained from the project.

2. Milestone 2

 What is expected, compare the actual and expected job/task

By building an effective Team for the Pre-launching stage of Madison Avenue Apartment Project in Surabaya, a lot was being anticipated. This was regarding how the team members would end up behaving as a result of the changes that would be made within the department. This was just but a mini project to help supplement the main project of making pre-launching sales for the Madison Avenue Apartments in Surabaya. As a result, there were expectations as to the milestones that would be achieved in this respect.

During the group interviews, team members raised varied issues that they would want to see being changed in the department to help move forward in the desired direction. Among them was understanding each team member and how they relate. This was an important element as it would make it possible to deal with people of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs. Without understanding what people believe or stand for, it might be difficult to work together since aspects of being judgmental will arise at all times. The concept of effective communication also came up as an issue that ought to be implemented. For any team to succeed there ought to be effective communication at all levels. Every member should have the ability to speak their mind without the fear of being reprimanded or given a deaf year. This is what encourages people to bring forth the best ideas that would have been looked in if the channels of communication were clogged. Effective communication ensures that the appropriate message is sent, and it is understood clearly (DuFrene & Lehman, 2011).

Having a definite working strategy was also brought forward as a way of improving the way operations are carried out within the department. This proposal came up since there was a member who felt like the department was not being very innovative in the way it approaches various projects. There was the feeling that all projects tend to be executed in a manner that is slightly similar even when the circumstances seem different. This is likely to result in failure in some way as there is need to make adjustments for varied projects to ensure their success. The mere geographical location of a project would highly influence the marketing strategy to be used. What worked in one area is not necessarily going to work in another area. Solving problems immediately also came up as an issue that needed to be re-evaluated. The business development department seemed to have a lot of issues among the team members. It had become clear that most of these problems affected the business significantly since adequate measures were not taken in resolving them. Even minor issues might become detrimental if they are not solved as and when they come up, and they are given the opportunity to pile up. Solving problems early helps in reducing the pressure that comes with tension created within the working environment.

The issue of breaking down barriers also came about during the interviews. This was more directed towards eradicating the tension that existed among the team members. There seemed to be a lot of trust issues since the members did not trust each other. Everyone thought of the other as having ill motives towards them hence hindering the prospect of working in partnership. The barriers that existed made it difficult for people to express their actual self hence leaving the others to second guess. Having a clear definition of roles was also raised as something that the team would want to see being changed. Allocation of roles is something that Irawan; as the team leader had problems with. This is due to the notions that developed among the team members after he had undertaken this activity. There was the notion that he was favoring some people at the expense of others while allocating roles. This is why during the interviews 66.67% of the team members reiterated that they were not contented with the roles that they were allocated while conducting departmental activities. This is why they felt as if they were not adding valuing since they did not undertake their duties with utmost vigor and aggression. While working as a team, it is expected that all the members are involved in making the decisions of role allocation. Everyone is given the opportunity to voice what they are good at to help the team maximize on it. Even if it is a matter of comprise, they will undertake whatever has been allocated to them wholeheartedly since there was a sign of good faith by involving them in the discussions at the first place.

As a result of these propositions, it was expected that the department would implement the proposals that the team members highlighted during the interviews. This includes the things that they would want to see being improved within the organization for efficient and optimal functioning. The interviews were conducted with the sole objective of identifying where things have been going wrong for this department. As a result, it was envisaged that the issues raised during these interviews would be taken seriously and duly implemented. These are the things that the team members want. They are convinced that if these aspects are put into place, everything will operate as desired. Failure to implement the proposals would make things even worse. The team members would think of themselves lowly since their proposals are not taken into consideration by the team leader. The probability of feeling more motivated would come with the implementation of these aspects into the working environment. As a result, it was envisaged that these proposals would be implemented to help the department move forward in the desired direction.

The actual outcome, in this case, did not vary with the expected outcome. The team worked towards implementing some of the proposals that were brought forward during the interviews. Irawan; who was the team leader first took the initiative of trying to understand all the team members. This was made easy by the interview responses on what the members hated about the team. From the responses and further probing Irawan was able to fully understand what each member desired. This also helped in identifying members’ weaknesses and strengths. The information was very helpful when it came to allocation of roles. Members were being given the roles that they seemed to possess more strength in to enable them to work more effectively. The definite working strategy was put in place too. There was a decision to forget the strategy that was being used to enhance the pre-launching sales. There was a brainstorming session on what the members believed would work given the nature of the project and the timeline involved. This aspect seemed to bring life to the team. Many were suffering from what was being used previously, but they were not speaking their minds. The joy could even be seen based on how people were participative in this issue and how focused they were in seeing that the strategy works. Communication among team members was taken care of too. The team leader became more conscience of the words that he was using while trying to pass information. He became considerate and approached every member individually. This made people happy as it helped to relieve the tension that was there initially. Information was now flowing efficiently as many barriers had been eliminated. Conflicts were now being solved as they came about. It is a fact that conflict will never lack in any working environment due to the differences that people possess. However, this did not seem to be a problem that pulled the department back anymore. This is because the conflicts were not given the opportunity to pile up. In case there was a problem affecting the team members, Irawan took the initiative of ensuring that it was solved as fast as possible. Initially, the piling up of conflicts is what made things worse as the members dwelled on the past while trying to move forward.

As a result of these implementations and changes, it was now expected that the department would move forward in the appropriate direction. This meant being efficient and effective with activities that were being conducted within the department. The team members were now expected to foster favorable relationships to enable them to function appropriately. The conflicts that were rampant were now expected to come to an end as solutions to the problems would be easily found. Working in partnership was now anticipated from every team member. The tension that was there initially was expected to be eradicated hence people would interact with ease making it feasible to achieve the desired objectives. Trust issues were expected to be eradicated too. This would enable every member to operate freely as they will not fear the presence of malice from their colleagues. Everyone is working towards achieving similar objectives hence the prospect of sabotaging each other becomes quite low. During the interviews, there were team members that reiterated they did not like the concept of poor listening and uncommitted members within the team. These aspects are expected to change with the implementation of the suggestions that the team brought forward. When the communication is effective, listening abilities improve too. The same thing applies to commitment. When people are working in partnership, the commitment level is usually high since no one wants to be the weak link.

The actual results were not far from what was expected. There were notable changes among the team members in the business development department. The group interviews conducted showed that there were varied issues that needed to be solved for the team to function effectively during the pre-launching stage of the Madison Avenue Apartment Project in Surabaya. The main issue that was observed was that the team had not evolved in its developmental stages. The team was still in the forming and storming stages. After the interviews, the team decided to work on how to move from these stages and progress to the norming and performing stages.

These aspects were actualized, and the team got well on track. This is regardless of the short time frame that was involved for the pre-launching sales part of the project. Among the actions that showed the team had moved to the norming stage of team development is the ability to solve personality clashes and disagreements. This improved the relationships that members of the team had. The prospects of co-operation improved too. This is because the team dropped that mentality of competition. There was a new notion of having common goals that worked as the driving force. The tendency to take the initiative of responsible for the team’s success acted as the driving force. There was now a good understanding among the team members. This helped in getting along there was an understanding of the boundaries that should not be crossed.

When it comes to the performing stage, it was evidenced by the aspect of being able to allocate roles without any conflict. This is something that I had seen happen for the first time in the department since my arrival. Initially, when matters to do with allocation of roles came up, there were a lot of conflicts witnessed. There are those members that thought the team leaders favored other members. Others thought that they were being allocated roles that they did not like at all. After conducting the group interviews and identifying some of the problems, things seemed to go well now as every team member was being involved in making such decisions. As a result, the probability of detesting the allocated roles was quite low. Another aspect that showed the team had moved to the performing stage is the focus of attaining the desired objective. Focus that the team had was evident even in the way that they carried themselves around. The body language itself showed that these are people working with a purpose in mind. The level of supervision had dropped significantly. This is something that Irawan (team leader) kept commending the team about. On most occasions, everyone was able to make decisions on their own without the need of close supervision.

The movement from the storming and forming stages to norming and performing stages were a good thing that happened to the department. The favorable environment created helped in working towards achieving common goals and realizing the tasks that were allocated to the department.

Given the change of the environment and work ethic within the business development department, the Madison Avenue Apartment Project was expected to reap positive benefits. There was the expectation that the new found effectiveness would help in pushing the pre-launching sales. This is because the team was now working without conflicts. This aspect would go a long way into helping the entire project. This is because it would ensure that the necessary sales levels have been actualized. It is important to remember that the company normally depends on pre-launch sales to provide 50% of the funds used to develop a building. The company is usually involved with varied projects at the same time. With this respect, the company cannot afford to fund all the projects involved from the company’s funds. This is what had necessitated the existing funding structure. Failure to meet the required threshold for the pre-launching sales would result in distortion of this structure. Given the situation, the likely possibility would be to increase funding from the bank from 20%. This would mean an increase in the amount that is going to be borrowed hence an increase in interest rates. The increased interest rates come as an additional cost to the company. As a result, this would make the project more expensive to the company than it was initially projected.

The actual outcomes of the project were actually positive. The business development department was able to deliver on the expectations of the pre-launching sales. The company had a target of selling at least half of the units stocks that had been opened as of that time. This is something that the business development department was able to actualize. This was something very critical given that the company had failed in its attempt of actualizing the desired pre-launching sales within the time that had been planned. This is what necessitated the need for making changes in the way the department operated to avoid such incidences in future.

The table below is an extract of particular unit stocks that can showcase this aspect. For the unit stocks that have been open for sales, the total is 1,339. From this number, 814 have been sold, while 74 have already been booked. Only 451 unit stocks are remaining. This is to say that the business development department achieved a success rate of 66.32%. This is even more than what the company had anticipated. The changes initiated within the department can be attributed to this success. This is because the team members reorganized the way that they related to each other and operated. They became more effective and hence the company’s general project benefited as the forthcoming activities will be executed as planned. If the changes did not take place, it is not certain whether the prevailing situation would have been feasible.

 

KERTABAKTIJO-MADISONAVENUE

Stock Report

Period of 31 December 2016

 

Description	UNIT STOCKS FOR FLOORS THAT HAVE BEEN OPENED				UNIT STOCKS FOR FLOORS THAT HAVEN’T  BEEN OPENED	TOTAL STOCK
	Beginning Stock	Sold(SP)	Booked	End Stock
TOWER1stAVENUERESIDENCE20th floor 1BEDROOM 2BEDROOM 3BEDROOM     TOWER1stAVENUEOFFICE12th floor 1BEDROOM 2BEDROOM 3BEDROOM     TOWER2ndAVENUERESIDENCE12th floor 1BEDROOM 2BEDROOM	478 105 24       192 96 24       336 84	413 76 19       54 13 4       211 24	16 2 1       0 1 0       47 7	49 27 4       138 82 20       78 53	192 72 24                     512 128	255 103 29       142 83 20       603 190
GrandTotal	1,339	814	74	451	928	1,425

3. Milestone 3

3A. Learning Points

There are varied points that can be learned from this project. Among them is that the most valuable resource in an organization is the human resource. Regardless of the systems that an organization has put in place, there is no company that can operate without employees. This aspect is well demonstrated in this report. The company had failed in some previous projects to actualize the targeted pre-launching sales. This aspect accrued despite all the other relevant resources that were deemed important being available. The only resource that was not operating as per the requirements was the human resource. What did this result to? Failure to actualize the desired goals. Employees within the business development department were not operating as it would be expected. There were conflicts within the departments on various issues, which made it difficult to execute the relevant tasks in the best way. The conflicts were departmental but ended up affecting an entire project. To ensure that this did not culminate again, the team leader was required to identify the problem as to why the team was not being effective. The team members collaborated in this activity as they all participated in a group interview. The proceedings of the interviews showcased that there were wrangles and uncertainties within the department that had not been taken care of. The team members came up with propositions of what they would want to change to make the working environment better. Implementation of these aspects improved the relationships of the employees hence the general working environment. This resulted in the business development department actualizing successful pre-launching sales. This aspect shows how employees are important to an organization. When they are not functioning as it is required, the probability of success in the organization declines substantially. As a result, it is always good to ensure that employees are happy to ensure that they remain effective in the execution of their activities.

Another learning point is that when a team is at the forming and storming stages of team development, it cannot bring forward favorable results. The interviews conducted within the department showed that the team was still revolving around these stages. Among the aspects that showcase this proponent are the trust issues that were there in the organization. Without trust, a team cannot be effective since much of the focus is shifted to issues that do not matter a lot when it comes to execution of the relevant project. It is like the employees keep looking over their shoulders since they suspect that their colleagues might have ill motives. The aspect makes it even difficult to rely on information coming from the people they work with. The team did not work in partnership too. There is no way a team will succeed if everyone is working to their own liking and preferences. There is need to work in a co-operative manner to ensure that the team is working towards achieving similar objectives. Failure to share information also came out as a pertinent issue in the department. This is something that is likely to hinder the growth of a team hence making it difficult to achieve huge milestones. The prospect of having unclear objectives also came out during the interviews. This was reiterated more on the fact that the department relied on using similar strategies for different projects. This made some team members feel as if the team was lacking in direction. Confusion, uncommitted members and lack of proper definition of roles also emerged as impeding issues towards the actualization of desired objectives within the department. All these issues are found in a team that is in the forming and storming stages of team development. This has resulted to the conclusion that when teams are in these two stages, they cannot operate effectively.

The report has also brought an understanding that transitioning through the team development stages is not a difficult task. This is to say that it is not something that has to take a long time. It is more dependent on the team involved, and their commitment towards this actualization. The strategies involved also determine how rapid the changes would take place. In this case, the department ensured that everyone was involved in bringing the changes. Initially, it all commenced from assessing what everyone thought of the current situation. This is an aspect that enabled people to express themselves and get the real feeling of how the climate is. Everyone was also involved in proposing the areas or things that they would want to see being changed. Such an approach comes out as being inclusive. Everyone derives the feeling of belonging to the team since their input is being taken into consideration. As a result, it becomes easier to embrace change since everyone is part of that change. Everyone wants to see that the things that they are vested in have gained the relevant success. Simply put, the success and speed with which a team transitions through developmental stages is more dependent on the approaches being used. Ensuring that everyone is involved will help to speed up the process.

The report also helps in understanding that every aspect of a given project is important. When people are analyzing a project, there is the tendency of assuming that there are some parts of the project that are more important than others. In this case, the ultimate objective was the development of Madison Avenue Apartment Project in Surabaya. This is something that would have made someone think that the actual construction of the apartments is the main issue that needed to be focused on. Going with such a mentality would have resulted in the project not actualizing the desired outcomes. This is because there are other issues that appear to be minor, but are quite important for the project to thrive as a whole. This is to say that any project being undertaken should consider all the relevant issues and parts regarding that project. Assuming that some activities are more important than others can result in failure of the project due to issues that might have been easily avoided.

The report has also provided some insights on how to build an effective team. Based on the approaches used by the business development department, the first step involves an analysis of the team in general. The analysis is very important as it helps in identifying varied issues that are prevalent with the team. A better understanding of the team is gained here, and it becomes quite easy to identify various weaknesses that are prevalent in the team. The analysis can be done using different methods that the stakeholders deem fit given the dynamics of the team. Identifying the weaknesses helps on deciding the way forward.

Another relevant aspect while trying to make a team effective based on the report is the concept of establishing leadership. There is a necessity to have the appropriate leadership skills before the team building process commences. This does not necessarily convey that an individual ought to assert authority. It is more of fostering trust through transparency and honesty. In this case, Irawan established himself as a capable leader. He commenced by trying to get personal with the other members in trying to find out what was really not going well within the department. Irawan’s leadership prospects were favorable since they encouraged participation; something that is likely to motivate other team members. This was a classical example from the report that shows how important it is to establish relationships with the employees to help build an effective team. Establishing a positive relationship with employees helps to identify what motivates them, their dislikes and likes among other things. This helps in matching employees’ competencies and expertise to help increase the productivity. Involving the employees in decision making helps in this realization too. This is something that Irawan did by consulting the other team members on what they would want to see changed within the department.

Building positive relationships among the employees has also emerged as an important aspect too. Positive relationships can be established through a variety of ways. Among them is the enhancement of favorable communication. When the communication prospects are favorable, the way that employees interact becomes favorable too. This is because effective communication ensures that the appropriate message has been passed and received as required. There is also an enhancement of openness in the working environment. Trust issues tend to decrease as the team members are not suspicious of each other’s intentions as everything is quite clear. Mutual cooperation also helps in this realization. When team members are working in partnership, they tend to develop positive bonds. This is because they indulge in interdependent activities that ensure they rely on each other. Positive relationships are established as a result since there is the need for every member to be in good terms with the others. The environment that culminates is quite positive, and this helps in the establishment of effective teams.

Another aspect that has emerged as being fundamental while building an effective team is setting ground rules and definite roles allocation. These aspects help in avoiding conflict among the team members. When everyone is aware of what is expected of them, the members work towards ensuring that their areas of operation have met the relevant requirements. When it is clear what every team member is supposed to be doing, the threshold for accountability is raised. This is because it is easy to trace where laxity is emanating from. There is a motivation for employees to work hard on the assigned tasks, as a result. Rules on their part ensure that everyone is doing what is expected at all times. There is a certain way of behavior that is likely to hinder productivity. Rules ensure that such behaviors have been eradicated.  As a result, every member carries themselves as it is expected of them. This helps in the development of an effective team.

 

3B. Recommendations

From the insights above, there is one that focused on employees being among the most valuable resources for any organization. This is something that various managements from the diverse organizations that are in existence (including PT Arthamas Sejahtera) should put into consideration moving forward. As a result, companies should show this aspect based on the way that they treat and handle their employees. They should take the initiative of showing them that they are actually valued. There are many companies out there that are wasting their human capital since they are not matching employees’ capabilities with the assigned tasks. Maybe the employees get stifled by the layers that exist in the chain of command, or they are not allowed to solve problems on their own (Nayar, 2010). Giving employees some level of autonomy is quite commendable as it helps improve their creativity and confidence since the organization gives an indication that it trusts them. The report has shown the importance that employees have for any company. Keeping them happy is vital for the progression of the company’s projects. When employees are happy, they will remain effective as they are committed to the organization since they want to remain there for as long as possible, and for that to happen the company has to remain profitable. Making employees happy does not necessarily mean rewarding them well. There is the need of ensuring that they work in a favorable environment. When the environment is favorable, it is easy to detect problems within a team before they become detrimental. A favorable environment also helps in fostering relationships among the employees. This is because the level of communication is quite good hence the degree of openness is desirable. Employees are able to foster favorable relationships under this environment since it is easy to send the desired message, and the message is usually received and understood in the desired manner.

Another recommendation is with regards to trying to build an effective team. It sounds like something that is easy to undertake, but that is not necessarily the case. Every organization ought to approach this issue in a different manner. Whatever works for a certain organization is not likely what will work for another organization. This is because employees tend to derive their satisfaction and motivation from different things. There are a lot of issues involved that need to be considered. The first thing to consider is for the relevant stakeholders to try and identify the issues that ought to be addressed to help the employees move forward past the current shortcomings. The analysis will help in identifying the appropriate ways to move forward. It is also salient to note that, while trying to identify the prevalent problems, the stakeholders should take into consideration the method that is likely to work in this case. There are some organizations where something like group interviews would not work since the employees are afraid to speak up their minds more so when the issues that are being discussed may end up reflecting a negative aspect of the management. They always want to remain on the positive side of the management. In such a case, the employees should be given anonymous questionnaires, so that they have the surety that whatever information they provide will not come back to victimize them. The relevant stakeholders should have the ability of “reading” the environment while making such decisions. Use of the appropriate method will ensure that the relevant issues have been identified. This will help in coming up with the appropriate solutions. What organizations should understand is that there is no standard way of executing this activity. Going with the way things are is the most appropriate technique as opposed to using fixed techniques.

 

 References

DuFrene, D. & Lehman, C. (2011). Building high-performance teams. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Nayar, V. (2010). Employees first, customers second : turning conventional management upside down. Harvard Business Press.

Stotz, I. (2013). Team development. How to assemble a successful team. GRIN Verlag.

 

Do you need an Original High Quality Academic Custom Essay?