Question 1

Critique Skaggs’s management of the first meeting. What, if anything, should she have done differently?

Skaggs’s management during the first meeting brings about some mixed reactions. The management shows aspects of competence, but there are some issues that are wanting. There are things the management did not excel in. Among them is the concept of deciding when the meetings should take place. This should have been the whole team’s affair. When a team makes such a decision together, the concept of working in partnership starts from that point. This is because every member feels valued as their idea is taken into consideration. However, in this case, Skaggs was eager to stamp her authority by taking the initiative to decide the appropriate meeting time. The time she will decide on might not be favorable to every member available since they will not be free all at the same time. This is why it was important for all the members to agree on this so that there are no members that feel it is unfair on their side. It is easy for team players to compromise when they have been involved in making the decision (Reeves, 105).

When asking the members to do introductions, Skaggs could also have gone further to ask the members to point out their strengths when it comes to the planning of a party. When there is knowledge of what each member is good at, it becomes possible to do the planning within a short period. Segregation of duties ensures that everyone has something different to do hence helping to avoid duplication of activities (Reeves, 106). The team members might concentrate on similar areas of the party and fail to research on other areas. When someone has a distinctive responsibility, they usually take the initiative of ensuring that it succeeds since the failure can easily be traced to them.

Question 2

What barriers is she likely to encounter in completing this project?

Skaggs might encounter several barriers while completing this project. Among them is the communication barrier.  When there is difficulty with communication prospects, it can stall the planning process. Planning becomes ineffective when communication within the time breaks down. Poor communication, in this case, might arise due to rivalries among members, complexity of the team structure and misunderstanding of the planning process. Other members might fear Skaggs in her capacity of HR head and fail to communicate ideas freely.

Lack of creative thinking is another barrier likely to be experienced. Most of the times, the human mind tends to base expectations, thoughts and activities on past experiences. This is a valued trait, but when it comes to planning it can become a liability. The tendency of not overcoming past ideas acts as an obstacle to innovative thinking(Reeves, 91). As a result, the party will just appear normal to most staff members and will not signify anything special hence fail to meet the management’s expectations.

Lack of inclusivity is another barrier that is likely to accrue. Holzer has clearly outlined to Skaggs that this is an employees’ celebration. As a result, things ought to be done in a way that employees will enjoy the party. However, Skaggs might be tempted to ignore some concepts brought about by the other members while planning. This will mostly be directed by personal bias on these things. There is usually the tendency of some leaders associated with a project to become domineering and implement their ideas at the expense of others. This results in lack of inclusivity hence the party fails to meet the desired objective.

Question 3

What can she do to overcome these barriers?

Despite the possibility of these barriers occurring, they can be overcome. When it comes to communication barrier, Skaggs should set the record straight from the word go that this is not a work thing. The members should be informed that how they perform or present themselves is not going to affect how they are viewed by the HR at the workplace. This will help ease them up and give them the ability to communicate effectively without any fear. This will give them the ability to express their ideas.

The issue with creative thinking can be overcome by Skaggs challenging the team members. She should motivate them to think outside the box while coming up with ideas. The members should be encouraged to imagine ideas that they have not even implemented before to enable the party to be memorable as intended by the CEO and the top management.

To deal with the barrier of lack of inclusivity, Skaggs should ensure that she is not domineering within the team. Every member should be given the ability to express their ideas without being diminished. Skaggs should not be assessing whether an idea is good or bad when all the other members seem to embrace it. These members should also take the initiative of consulting their colleagues in their respective departments since they are their representatives.

Question 4

What should she do between now and the next meeting?

Skaggs should encourage every member to take the initiative to talk to other employees in their departments. This party is meant for the employees hence the ideas implemented should be in line with what employees expect. For the ideas to be representative of the expectations, employees in all the departments should have an input on this issue. The moment people are given what they desire the probability of enjoying the event is always high. An idea might be great, but if most of the employees do not desire it, implementing will be in vain. Since these members have been chosen in a representative manner (on department basis), sourcing ideas from their colleagues will be easy.

Skaggs should also ensure that she has identified the optimal time for the meetings. She took this initiative in her hands hence should ensure that this has been actualized. The time chosen should be favorable for most if not all the members. Choosing a favorable time will ensure that participation is optimal. When there are conflicting time periods, there will be gaps in the team meetings. This is one activity that Skaggs should show her competence to the other team members. Given that she is the leader her competence in this area will work as an example to the others.

Work Cited

Reeves, Dory. Management Skills For Effective Planners: A Practical Guide. Palgrave Macmillan, 2015,.

 
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