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Chris ShermanManagement Techniques

J. Harris-Gane July 14, 2011

Pyramid vs. Circle

Our book defines management as follows, The ability to plan, organize,direct, staff, control and evaluate the many functions in a foodservice organizationfor the purpose of serving organizational goals. I believe the question presentedhere boils down to a single, specific question of whether or not one believes thattheir employees can take the reins.

I also believe that for any business owner letting go would be akin to trustinga stranger to care for your children. It is likely their livelihood as well as their futurethat is at stake and why would any right thinking person leave that up to another? Ithink the answer lies in why we decide to own our businesses, or more generally, inthe socio-economic context, what is a business? Some may say it is simply amedium through which the clever or lucky might make a living or even get rich.Others might describe it as a close-knit family born of mutual need. I believe, mostlydue to the nature of our countrys often unfortunate choice of economic system,that it is a mixture of the two.

We all have to make a living, that is reality, but do we have to step all over

each other in the process? Must we define hierarchies of control and dominancesimply for the sake of efficiency or could we be doing this in another way? It is easyto speak of Equals, Respect and Teamwork and myriad other delightfullyprogressive terms, but these come more from a platitudinous bureaucracy thanfrom any managerial benevolence. The question is can we take this to anotherlevel, or an entirely different playing field? Can a modern American businessoperate, profitably, on the premise that its constituents are human beings and arefully capable of handling themselves as well as their duties? I believe so.

Discussion Questions

1) What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to organizingemployees into teams?

Organizing employees into teams is a clear choice for many managersbecause of

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not just a few advantages. A team can handle a larger scope of operation as well

as higher project complexity. Teams provide diversity where anindividual might

not perform as well. However, teams can be slow to act and evenslower to react.

Interpersonal relationships can adversely affect a team and drive itsproductivity

down to nothing if not kept in check. An environment of respect mustbe upheld.

2) How might you implement the seven normative conditions for effectiveteams?

I would have the team rotate its members through the variouspositionson a regular basis to keep everyone interested and to develop

understandingof each others perspectives.

3) What are the primary benefits of a multicultural team and what are thechallenges a multicultural team might face?

Diversity, Perspective and Incorporation. A multicultural team canapproachany objective with confidence that any challenges faced can be metwith a

more diverse array of skills and ideas. It wont be without its ownchallenges,though, due to the very diversity that it exploits. Misunderstandings aswell asdifferences in cultural norms could upset the foundation of the team.Newsolutions to organizing and facilitating these teams will be necessary.

4) What can a work team do to create synergy?

Simple, being happy to work with each other. This is impossible whereteam members dislike each other. Ideally, we want each member to becapable of feeling proud of their team and all its members. Cohesivemeans more than simply unified, it also means integrated. In short,positive working relationships are a precursor to team synergy.

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