Assignment Instructions/ Description
Communications Challenges and Strategies
Purpose of AssignmentThe purpose of this assignment is to provide students with an opportunity to apply communications theories, research, and conversation with class colleagues to actual business situations, through the development of applicable strategies. Assignment Steps Read Case 2: Global Shared Services, McDonald's Corporation located in Mastering Leadership.Analyze in a maximum of 1000 words the communications and group behavioral issues that might arise in an organization hiring employees for their first job based on the discussion from your learning team. The learning team discussion is attached below and in a separate file.Include a strategy to address these challenges.Do not write an introduction or a Conclusion. Format your assignment consistent with APA guidelines.
Case 2: Global Shared Services, McDonald’s CorporationAs the world’s leading foodservice retailer serving nearly 70 million cus- tomers daily in more than 100 countries, McDonald’s recognizes the importance of having good people in place in order to deliver an excep- tional customer experience. McDonald’s has a rich history of develop- ing leaders. Founder Ray Kroc, once said, “As long as you’re green, you’re growing.” McDonald’s supports this philosophy and commit- ment to their people by providing opportunity, nurturing talent, develop- ing leaders, and rewarding achievement. This is evident in McDonald’stradition of promoting from within: nearly half of corporate managers and 60% of owner-operators started as crew members.For many people, McDonald’s represents a first job—a place to develop basic skills that can help them achieve success in future life pur- suits. For others, McDonald’s represents a pathway to a long-term career that provides rewarding opportunities to grow, contribute, and advance over many years. McDonald’s values state their belief that a team of well- trained individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences, working together in an environment that fosters respect and drives high engage- ment, is essential to their continued success.Shared Services Business Challenge. McDonald’s Shared Services team began their partnership with us in 2008. At that time, Shared Ser- vices was part of McDonald’s IT group, which was decentralized in structure, but needed to function as a cohesive team to drive com- mon global solutions. The CIO recognized the importance of develop- ing teamwork and alignment across IT leaders and engaged us to lead this effort. After the IT Leadership Team had gone through The Leader- ship Circle process, the CIO asked each of the officers, including Kelvin McLaurin, then VP of Shared Services, to engage their teams in the program.Soon after The Leadership Circle was introduced, the Shared Services organization evolved into Global Shared Services (GSS) and became the first global function at McDonald’s. McLaurin recalls: “We needed to build a diverse, global team with leaders who could expand beyond their current capabilities.” He wanted to establish leadership effectiveness as a priority early with the team he was building and leverage the Leadership System to make this a reality.In 2012, McLaurin transitioned to a role leading McDonald’s Finance Transformation. Debbie Ballard, who had been a member of the GSS Leadership Team since 2005, took over leadership of the GSS orga- nization. Having experienced the value of The Leadership Circle, she was already a supporter of the Profile and its benefits. Ballard explains: “The Leadership Circle process helps me professionally and personally. It enables me to step back and see why I am behaving the way I am behav- ing, and it helps me grow as a leader and to model the things that I am asking my leadership team to do.” GSS continued their focus on leader- ship development and further engrained The Leadership Circle program into its culture.The Leadership System 139140 Mastering LeadershipStrategic Solution: The Leadership Circle. When The Leadership Circle was introduced in 2008, the GSS leadership team was skeptical. Intro- ducing an exercise that required not only getting feedback about indi- vidual strengths and opportunities, but then sharing publicly with their fellow team members would not be easy. However, the team committed to the process, knowing the first session would be hard, but trusting that outcomes would make it worthwhile.Despite the initial hesitation, the GSS has become the group that applies The Leadership Circle most holistically and consistently. While other groups at McDonald’s leverage the Profile, GSS is unique in that they continue to use public feedback with each team member talking about their strengths and weaknesses in front of the group. McLau- rin explains: “The Leadership Circle has become the common language across the GSS Leadership Team to onboard and develop our leaders.” As new members join the leadership team, either from GSS or a sup- port partner, they are expected to participate in The Leadership Circle. GSS also engages their high-potential managers in the process. In 2014, GSS added The Leadership Circle Pulse Survey to hone in on opportunity areas and ensure more frequent feedback to drive development in those areas.McLaurin, who now leads Finance Transformation, brought The Leadership Circle practice to his new leadership team as well in Septem- ber 2014. In addition, the Finance Transformation team also incorpo- rated individual LCP assessment with team development opportunities.Outcomes. The Leadership Circle helped GSS to become a true, shared leadership team and build a culture of openness, support, trust, and high performance. Ballard explains: “It is part of our DNA, part of who we are. We have now done multiple offsite meetings with our leadership team focusing on individual and collective effectiveness. As a result, we have forged a cohesive, high-performing leadership culture and system.”Team members are empowered to mentor each other, talk openly about their opportunities, and gain support using a common language. Each leader’s candor, paired with their support for one another, enables GSS to drive business results at an accelerated pace. Instead of ignoring issues that could hinder progress, the team talks through them.Since the team respects The Leadership Circle process and one another, gaining awareness of strengths creates a culture of trust and support. Bal- lard notes: “Leaders were afraid at first of publicly showing people theirdevelopment opportunities, but then they see that this supportive envi- ronment is designed to help you become a better leader, not discourage or embarrass you.”The culture that The Leadership Circle has helped to create in GSS contributes to their success: “We achieved our five-year strategic plan in only three years, and then set in place the GSS 2020 Strategy to continue our momentum toward our vision to be a world-class shared services organization.” Both McLaurin and Ballard continue to be strong advo- cates for The Leadership Circle process, driving application in their orga- nizations and sharing their experiences with others in the McDonald’s System.(Anderson 138-141)Anderson, Robert J., William Adams, . Mastering Leadership: An Integrated Framework for Breakthrough Performance and Extraordinary Business Results. John Wiley & Sons P&T, 11/2015. VitalBook file.
Learning Team discussions
Junior’s Post #1:
Starting a new job can be a very anxious and unsettling situation. It just makes it much worse when it’s that person’s first job in the workforce. All that anxiety will cause many communication and behavioral issues because they have no idea what they are about to experience or are getting into. The new hires will have to deal with trying to figure out what kind of people that they will be working with and how to deal with all the different behaviors. They’ll have to figure out how they will fit in to the organization and their culture. Communicating to their co-workers is the biggest challenge that they will face. They have to get to know their co-workers and deal with the different personalities and attitudes. They will have to deal with the different behaviors of all their co-workers that can range from the model employee, to the slackers, to the bullies, the troublemakers, whiners, and the complainers. The interaction with the other employees provides the new hires with an idea of what the organizational culture is, and it will have a huge influence on that person’s future attitude and work ethic.
Communication runs up and down the chains of command between management and their employees. The large size of McDonalds’ organization can make the chain of command complicating. The new hires need to know who they report to and what their roles are. When these roles and positions are not clear to the new hires, they may not know who to report to especially when it comes to operational or personal issues. When new hires do not know who they can turn to, they will keep their issues and concerns to themselves instead of communicating it to their peers or managers. Unclear communication lines cause inefficient operations, lowers motivation, and possibly causing toxic attitudes. New hires will be timid and hesitant to communicate openly to their co-workers and their managers because they don’t know them very well or they have not built the trust. Communication issues can also arise, simply because they have not communicated to others in a work environment. First time employees do not have the same communication skills as seasoned workers. They are still trying to gain the experience and the courage to openly communicate to others exactly what they want to say or what they want.
Neil’s Post #1:
To my understanding, organizational culture is how an organization sees itself and it is a determining factor if an employee would be happy or unhappy in his or her place of work. Organizational culture consists of many characteristics such as philosophy, values, experiences and organizations expectations. It has a significant affect to its employees because the expectations are communicated before an individual even gets hired. Organizational culture also shares its beliefs and customs to employees through employee orientation, communicating the expectations with the new hires, some written rules and other rules that are unwritten in a manner which affects an individual's conduct that is acceptable to the group; but mostly what is acceptable to the organization. For example, how an organization conducts its business internally and externally, how to treat coworkers or employees, how to treat its customers. My personal experience when I was a teenager, I did work for Mc Donald's, only for a short period of time as a cashier. I was young, naïve and I had nothing better to do. The communication process was not difficult for me at all. But my friend and I were difficult to manage. Every time we got paid on the weekend, we would not show up for work, we would not even call in sick; this is problematic for the organization.
The majority of people who worked there were either too young or too old. Perhaps because it is difficult for the company to find someone who is in their twenties or early thirties because they already have a career. Once in a while, someone of that age would end up working for Mc Donald's and they are mature enough to handle a higher level of responsibility, trainable and with great potential to move up in the management level. These are the people that Mc Donald's is looking for; competent and willing to make a fast food chain as their career. They would receive the proper training to become an assistant manager and eventually a store manager. It is actually a pretty good deal knowing that corporate will provide the training you need to excel, and promotion comes fast. In two years an individual at the right age and proper training can be promoted to a manager.
In response to Junior's post, if a new hire does not know what to do in their job, then they were not oriented properly by the hiring team. On my first job, I asked a lot of questions, I was not shy at all. If there was something I do not know, I ask. It is how I learned fast and got familiarized with organizational culture. Communication is key in every aspect of your daily tasking.Good point Neil. Looking back on my first job at Sports Chalet in California, communication was never really a problem for me either. We never ran into any communication or behavioral issues because of the company culture. The company gave us so much perks with working for the store such as free snowboard rentals, free lift tickets, and free gear from the different sports departments. The company culture really promoted their outdoor family culture and the employees wanted to be there, and everybody enjoyed working there. I was not afraid to ask questions or pick at people's brains. I was always open to meeting new people and working with them and having fun at my job.
Junior’s Post #2:
Good point Neil. Looking back on my first job at Sports Chalet in California, communication was never really a problem for me either. We never ran into any communication or behavioral issues because of the company culture. The company gave us so much perks with working for the store such as free snowboard rentals, free lift tickets, and free gear from the different sports departments. The company culture really promoted their outdoor family culture and the employees wanted to be there, and everybody enjoyed working there. I was not afraid to ask questions or pick at people's brains. I was always open to meeting new people and working with them and having fun at my job.
You made a good point with the immaturity of the teenagers coming into the workforce, and I agree that is the biggest problem that employers encounter. How did McDonald's handle you guys and your situation with not coming into work and not calling in sick? Did they just let it slide or did they do any verbal or written counseling? How long did you guys end up working there?
I have never worked for a fast food restaurant chain, but I can see that teenagers and first-time employees can have that attitude where they don't see themselves working there long-term. The pay for entry level first time workers is at minimum wage, so the majority of them probably won't stay there for more than a year or two. So, their overall behavior is that they are there just to get a free or easy paycheck. When they have that type of behavior, other issues might come up such as boredom and a lack of challenge because they only have simple duties. They'll eventually want to try something new or different. Since I've been working as a contractor, I also see this type of behavior in my field. I have seen this behavior with a lot of seasoned employees that have figured out the system and just want to make that easy money. I'm sure that this is true in a lot of companies and with the government workers, but that's another subject.
Gonzo’s Post #1
Hello Neil,
Thank you for sharing your understanding of organizational culture. According to some of my research, Organizational culture is a system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs, which governs how people behave in organizations. Every organization develops and maintains a unique culture, which provides guidelines and boundaries for the behavior of the members of the organization. These shared values have a strong influence on the people in the organization and dictate how they dress, act, and perform their jobs. Every company has its own unique personality, just like people do. The unique personality of an organization is referred to as its culture. In groups of people who work together, organizational culture is an invisible but powerful force that influences the behavior of the members of that group. Newcomers to the group are expected to learn what is acceptable to the group by observing the behavior and dress code of the group members and adapting to the situation accordingly. Organizational cultures are created by a variety of factors, including founders' values and preferences, industry demands, and early values, goals, and assumptions. Culture is maintained through attraction-selection-attrition, new employee onboarding, leadership, and organizational reward systems.
Neil, based on what I know about you today, I can't picture you not showing up for work, and especially, not even calling in sick, because as you stated, this can be very problematic for the organization and for their ability to maintain the same level of customer service they have been providing. The long-term effect of this could be a degraded company reputation. I am sure this is something you would not even consider doing now. Undoubtedly, as you did, not only organizations grow and develop, but employees within an organization do too as they mature as a person and as they begin to foster their loyalty towards the organization they work in. My first part-time job was in a shoe store. I don't remember ever just not showing up for work. Maybe it was not because of loyalty to the organization, but because I needed the money and because I enjoyed working there.
A company's culture, particularly during its early years, is inevitably tied to the personality, background, and values of its founder or founders, as well as their vision for the future of the organization. Founder values become part of the corporate culture to the degree to which they help the company be successful. While founders undoubtedly exert a powerful influence over corporate cultures, the industry characteristics also play a role. Companies within the same industry can sometimes have widely differing cultures. At the same time, the industry characteristics and demands act as a force to create similarities among organizational cultures. The industry influence over culture is also important to know because this shows that it may not be possible to imitate the culture of a company in a different industry, even though it may seem admirable to outsiders. When entrepreneurs establish their own businesses, the way they want to do business determines the organization's rules, the structure set up in the company, and the people they hire to work with them.
GonzoGonzo’s Post #2
Hello Junior,
You made some really good points in your post regarding employees who for the first time, enter into the workforce, or have been in the workforce, but are moving on to another job. I agree with your assessment that when these employees go thorough anxiety, it is difficult for them, and for their leaders and supervisors to communicate the requirements of the job effectively. If the organization does not have an effective on boarding program established, it can result in many other issues that can prevail for extended periods of time. Additionally, other employees play a significant role in helping new employees understand the culture of the organization. A well-established on boarding program, will not only help the new employee, but will foster better collaboration between manager, supervisors, and other employees as well. You are absolutely right Junior, new hires will have to deal with trying to figure out what kind of people that they will be working with and how to deal with all the different behaviors. In many cases, even a well-established on boarding program will probably not completely prevent this. In the military we often move from job to job in different locations, so I have personally experienced this type of anxiety. Although managers and supervisors can help newly assigned personnel adjust well in the organization, seasoned employees may influence new hires and recently assigned employees to develop the wrong impression of their new organization and their new job. If a new employee is in an organization with a toxic environment, the adjustment period will take a very long time due to the influence that other employees will have on the newly assigned employee. The huge size of the military, like the large size of McDonald's' franchise, will make it harder for new employees to adjust and be well trained in their newly acquired job. In order to prevent long lasting negative effects on newly hired employees, the roles and responsibilities of their position must be made clear upfront. One of the biggest challenges the supervisor face with a new employee entering the workforce, is the possibility of other employee's bad habits and negative feeling towards the organization being passed along to new employees. This also holds true in military organizations. While the military has one of the best discipline programs in any other organization, the influence, good or bad, that other members of the organization will have on newly assigned personnel cannot be overlooked and leaders must be prepared to deal with this situation. As you indicated Junior, effective leadership and effective communication can reduce the effects that anxiety and inappropriate influence other employees can have on new employees. It is all about knowing your people, communication constantly and effectively, and being on the lookout for inappropriate behaviors by the newly employed person's coworkers.
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