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Servant Leadership as Exemplified in Accounting Class

April 21, 2013 by jxc5306

One of the most intriguing approaches to leadership is that of servant leadership*, what makes it so interesting is how counter-intuitive it appears on the surface. When first reading about this approach, it seemed exceedingly odd to consider someone that serves others as a leader. Being that leaders are typically perceived as individuals that influence followers, it can be difficult to understand just how someone that places the needs of others before themselves can have any authority. However, if one is to perceive servant leaders as those individuals that support their followers by helping them to achieve their personal best in the workforce, than this does not seem quite so strange after all. Of course, that is precisely what servant leadership is all about. In fact, this approach focuses on how leaders should be

attentive to the concerns of their followers, empathize with them, and nurture

them. [Moreover], servant leaders put followers first, empower them, and help

them develop their full personal capacities. Furthermore, servant leaders are

ethical and lead in ways that serve the greater good of the organization,

community, and society at large. (Northouse, 2013, p. 219).

With such fine qualities evidenced, it may make one curious as to why more organizations do not put this approach into practice. One particular impediment to this idea is that “servant leadership begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead” (Greenleaf, 1970, p. 15; as cited in Northouse, 2013, p. 220). Therefore, a desire to serve others is the primary drive behind endorsing this approach followed by the aspiration to lead others.

Looking back, I can recall one such accounting instructor, Mr. Albaz, in college that used servant leadership in his classes. While I did not realize at the time that he was engaging in servant leadership, it now seems so obvious as to why his classes were such a success with the majority of business students. Mr. Albaz taught General Accounting Principles I & II with the goals of these classes being to provide the foundational knowledge upon which all other higher level accounting classes would elaborate on. Consequently, having a solid understanding of general accounting principles would be essential for success in subsequent accounting courses. Unfortunately, since Mr. Albaz was originally from Israel his accent made it somewhat difficult to understand what he was trying to convey along with the fact that English was his second language. Thankfully, Mr. Albaz realized this and was more than happy to repeat lessons as well as explain them differently in order to aid student comprehension. Moreover, he had office hours in which students were welcome to discuss accounting in more detail, usually resulting in one-on-one lessons that were very helpful. Thus, this scenario demonstrates how Mr. Albaz was able to conceptualize issues, as he was able to “address problems creatively in accordance with the overall goals of the [college] (Northouse, 2013, p. 227).

Another servant leadership behavior exhibited by Mr. Albaz was that of emotional healing, as he was “sensitive to the personal concerns and well-being of others” (Northouse, 2013, p. 227). For instance, when my brother began preparing to enter the Marine Corps he was required to take a training class that commenced every Wednesday afternoon at the same time as Mr. Albaz’s class. After my brother explained the situation to Mr. Albaz, he completely supported my brother in serving his country and gave him permission to miss class on the condition that he was still able to read the lessons and complete his assignments on time. Furthermore, Mr. Albaz was very good at putting others first as he could always be counted on to “break from his…own tasks to assist [students] with theirs” (Northouse, 2013, p. 228). As an example, when I walked by Mr. Albaz’s office one afternoon, I noticed that he was busy with some paperwork on his desk and told him that I had a few questions I was confused about, but that I was in no hurry and would come back whenever it was best for him. Of course, he put his work away immediately and told me to pull up a chair as he spent the next twenty minutes helping me understand the material, which was so generous of him. Mr. Albaz helped students grow and succeed, as he would mentor them on which educational path to pursue based on their particular aspirations along with offering greater insights into business programs that could not be given by the typical college counselor. If that were not enough, Mr. Albaz was ethical in that he was “open, honest, and fair with [students] (Northouse, 2013, p. 229). There was never any partiality shown in his classes and whenever he gave a student some helpful suggestion or extra time to complete assignments, he extended this everyone else in the course as well. Students were also empowered in Mr. Albaz’s classes through challenging assignments, as they were given the freedom to solve accounting problems on their own, resulting in more self-confidence concerning their abilities. Hence, Mr. Albaz demonstrated six out of the seven servant leader behaviors that emerged from Liden, Wayne, Zhou, and Henderson’s (2008) research that created the Servant Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ).

Initially, servant leadership appeared paradoxical as leaders that put followers concerns over and above their own did not seem quite right. However, this picture is completely transformed when examining how servant leaders become influential by being attentive to followers needs, empathizing with them, and then nurturing (Northouse, 2013). In this manner, servant leaders are able to not only empower followers but also to help them develop to their fullest potential. This may be likened to how parents care and nurture their children by putting the child’s needs above their own, helping them to succeed as they develop into mature adults. Of course, instructors also exhibit these servant leader behaviors as they help their students excel in their classes in order to earn their college degrees and find gainful employment for the future.

References

Image Source: Retrieved from http://thinkspace.com/what-is-servant-leadership-and-why-should-i-use-it/

Liden, R. C., Wayne, S. J., Zhou, H., & Henderson, D. (2008). Servant leadership: Development of a multidimensional measure and multi-level assessment. Leadership Quarterly, 19, 161-177.

Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6^th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.

Spears, L. C. (2004). Practicing servant-leadership. Leader to Leader Journal, 34. Retrieved from http://www.hesselbeininstitute.org/knowledgecenter/journal.aspx?ArticleID=51*link

Authentic Leadership in Action

April 20, 2013 by jxc5306

Authentic Leadership.jpg

Imagine on the first day of the semester receiving the syllabus for a sociology course called Social Problems, whereby the instructor outlines all the assignments and due dates in order to help students keep current in the class. At the next class meeting, the following week, only half of the students have completed the weekly assignment that is to be turned in at the end of class. Unfortunately, the other half of the class provided various reasons as to why they were incapable of completing the assignment. For instance, some students stated that the assignment was too vague and that they did not understand the instructions; others indicated that they did not have enough time, while a few admitted to not even making an attempt. Due to the instructor being new to the college, wanting to make a positive impression and be well accepted along with trying to accommodate students’ needs as much as possible, she decided to make changes to the assignment. In fact, she extended the dead line, made the length of the paper shorter, and provided in-depth instructions as to precisely what she expected from students. Furthermore, she encouraged all the students to email her throughout the week, as she would be happy to answer any questions or concerns regarding the class with the hope of developing an atmosphere conducive for learning.

On the third week of class, a similar scenario took place whereby just half of the students had completed their homework, while others gave an assortment of reasons and/or excuses for not doing theirs. Again, the instructor changed the assignment, this time frustrating the students that had done the assignment timely, as they would have to change their work to meet the new requirements. This pattern of behaviors continued over the course of six weeks, until a student approached the instructor explaining the frustration that he felt with the class, as there was a lack of consistency and accountability. Upon hearing from other students that had completed their assignments on time, the instructor decided to restructure the course so that consistency, accountability, and flexibility would all be available. As a matter of fact, the instructor reorganized the class by providing more detailed instructions on how to complete assignments, placed a larger emphasis on students’ responsibility for completing assignments promptly or contacting the instructor if issues arose that necessitated more time, thereby creating an equitable learning environment for all. Moreover, the instructor made herself readily available via email, as she responded within 24 hours of receiving a message and was always sincere in her responses that allowed her to establish genuine relationships with her students. In the end, students that came to class prepared were free from worry that they would have to redo their assignments, while students that had not done their work could not receive an extension unless they provided a legitimate reason (i.e. medical or family emergency).

From that point on, the class went quite smoothly with the vast majority of students enjoying and respecting the instructor’s class policies and teaching methods. In my opinion, the instructor developed an authentic style of leadership in that she exhibited “a pattern of leader behavior that draws upon and promotes both positive psychological capacities, and a positive ethical climate, to foster greater self-awareness, an internalized moral perspective, balanced processing of information, and relational transparency on the part of the leader working with followers, fostering positive self-development” (Walumbwa et al., 2008, p. 94; as cited in Northouse, 2013, p. 262). To begin, the instructor engaged in balanced processing whereby she used her “ability to analyze information objectively and explore other people’s opinion before making a decision” (Northouse, 2012, p. 264). This happened after she heard from both groups of students in the class (i.e. students that completed their work on time and those that did not) and instituted a restructuring of the course. Next, relational transparency was witnessed by communicating openly and honestly with students concerning expectations and rules of the course. Self-awareness followed as the instructor began to understand where her strengths and weakness were along with the impact she was exerting on her students. For instance, the instructor’s strength was her high level of commitment in helping her students learn, while her weakness was attempting to accommodate all her students as it detracted from the stability and accountability of the class. As the instructor came to know herself better, she gained a clearer sense of who she was and what she stood for allowing her to be resolute in her decisions and actions (Northouse, 2013). Finally, internalized moral perspective was achieved in that the instructor used her “internal moral standards and values to guide [her] behavior rather than allow outside pressures to control them (e.g. group or societal pressure)” (Northouse, 2013, p. 264). Thus, the instructor stopped allowing the outside pressure from her students to dictate her actions instead using her own “expressed beliefs and morals” to influence her decisions (Northouse, 2013, p. 264). Hence, these four factors were utilized in achieving an authentic leadership style.

As for the four positive psychological attributes associated with authentic leadership, the instructor evidenced these qualities as well. First, the instructor was resilient as she was able to “recover from and adjust to [the] adverse situation” that occurred within the class (Northouse, 2013, p. 265). Secondly, optimism radiated from the instructor as she took a positive stance on the situation along with having favorable expectations for the future. Third, hope was displayed through the use of goal planning with the changing of the class rules. Fourth, confidence was seen in the instructor as she held a strong belief in her ability to motivate her students to learn and achieve a solid understanding of social problems. When it came to the factor of moral reasoning, the instructor definitely held the “capacity to make ethical decisions about issues of right and wrong and good or bad…[in that she was able to] transcend individual differences and align individuals toward a common goal” (Northouse, 2013, p. 265). Of course, this is supported by how after the instructor asserted herself as a leader in the classroom, majority of the students were onboard with her methods and adhered to the rules. Still, another factor that influences authentic leadership is critical life events. While not evident from the above description of the instructor, it was later learned that the reason for the instructor’s dedication and commitment towards accommodating students stemmed from her own experience as a student in which many of her professors provided very little social interaction, making the learning experience less than optimal. Therefore, the instructor was trying to correct what she perceived as a deficiency (i.e. lack of instructor interaction) and temporarily became too compliant, which thankfully was resolved rather quickly. Although, the class had a shaky beginning, in the end, the instructor become an authentic leader* capable of instilling trust while serving the common good of her students.

References

George, B. (2006, October 22). Truly authentic leadership. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/061022/30authentic.htm*link

Image Source: Retrieved from http://growyourleaders.com/workshopDetails.asp?catID=11&category=Leadership

Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6^th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.

The Situational Approach as Applied in a College Employment Setting

April 20, 2013 by jxc5306

According to the situational approach developed by Hersey and Blanchard (1969), effective leaders are those individuals capable of adapting “his or her style to the demands of different situations” (Northouse, 2013, p. 99). In other words, the situational approach operates on the premise that “different situations demand different kinds of leadership”, whereby leaders are most successful when they tailor their approach to the needs of a particular situation. Furthermore, the situational approach emphasizes that leadership is composed of two specific dimensions: directive and supportive. The directive dimension entails behaviors that

help group members accomplish goals by giving directions, establishing goals

and methods of evaluation, setting time lines, defining roles, and showing how

the goals are to be achieved. [These] behaviors clarify, often with one-way

communication, what is to be done, how it is to be done, and who is responsible

for doing it. (Northouse, 2013, p. 101)

As for the supportive dimension, this encompasses behaviors that “help group members feel comfortable about themselves, their coworkers, and the situation. [They] involve two-way communication and responses that show social and emotional support to others” (Northouse, 2013, p. 101). In order for a leader to determine the type of guidance needed, they “must evaluate her or his employees and assess how competent and committed they are to perform a given task” (Northouse, 2013, p. 99). Therefore, the use of either supportive or directive behaviors provided by the leader should correspond accordingly with both the skills and motivation exhibited by followers in that specific situation.

Situational leadership.jpg

In fact, the situational approach identifies four distinct leadership styles along with four different development levels of subordinates, creating the situational leadership model. Within this model, it indicates how leaders may adjust their directive and supportive behavior in order to best serve the development levels of their followers. To begin, the first leadership style (S1) known as directing is comprised of high directive and low supportive behavior. This type of style is intended for followers that have a development level of D1, which means they are “low in competence and high in commitment” (Northouse, 2013, p. 102). By using this style of leadership with D1 followers, it allows leaders to focus communication on goal achievements that provide precise instructions on how to accomplish tasks through the utilization of careful supervision without the interruption of spending much time on supportive measures. As followers gain additional skills in the job, they acquire “some competence but [have] low commitment” making them D2 employees (Northouse, 2013, p. 102). This level of development corresponds with the second leadership style (S2) referred to as coaching, as it involves high directive and high supportive behaviors. Not only does coaching focus on communication of goal accomplishments (i.e. instructions), but it also functions to provide for followers’ socioemotional needs using encouragement as well as soliciting input. For followers that have “moderate to high competence but may lack commitment”, they are defined as D3 employees. These individuals know the skills required of them, yet they are unsure of their own ability to complete tasks unassisted. Hence, the third style of leadership (S3) designated as supporting entails high supportive and low directive behaviors. Through the application of these measures, leaders focus more on “listening, praising, asking for input and giving feedback” in order to encourage their subordinates to use their own skills to meet objectives and relying less on the leader for help. Lastly are employees classified as D4 whereby they are both very competent and highly committed, giving them the skills and motivation to accomplish goals. Consequently, the fourth leadership style (S4) of delegating exhibits low supportive and low directive behaviors with the intention to promote employees responsibility by allowing them to determine how best to meet goals with little input from the leader. Therefore, each leadership style is matched to the development level of followers in hopes of meeting the unique demands of diverse situations

Due to the fact that followers move back and forth between the various development levels in their jobs, this necessitates the need for leaders to continually monitor and utilize different leadership styles in order to be most effective. Personally, I have found the situational approach to be quite constructive in aiding followers in achieving a higher level of development. As an example, when I started working for an English instructor (Dr. Davis) in college, I had absolutely no idea how tasks were to be completed yet I was very enthusiastic and eager to learn. Consequently, Dr. Davis used the directing style of leadership whereby she provided me with specific instructions on how she wanted her course materials updated, kept track of, and prepared before each class. Additionally, I was shown where to pick up and drop off mail, where to make copies, how to log on to the instructors’ computer, where paperwork was filed, and the general operations of the office. In time, I became more comfortable with the routine tasks, however my initial level of motivation to learn the positions started to wane. As a result of my growing competence in the position, Dr. Davis changed her leadership style to that of coaching whereby she would be quite encouraging of my work and solicit my input when it came to class projects. Moreover, she would still provide me with guidance on how tasks were to be completed, but with less oversight. From there, I developed the skills essential to be successful in my position, but I would still seek out clarification and assurance that I was doing my work correctly. Shortly there after, Dr. Davis began utilizing the supporting style of leadership allowing me to make the decisions concerning the usual scenarios, but still being available for any thing that was out of the ordinary. In the end, I obtained the skills necessary for the position as well as having the drive to get the work done right, which ultimately lead to Dr. Davis using the delegating style of leadership. Under this leadership style, Dr. Davis would leave lists of things to do and then I would complete them in the manner I felt was most fit. Towards the end of my employment at the college, I would do most of my work when Dr. Davis was not in the office as we had come to a common understanding of what my responsibilities encompassed and a schedule of when these tasks would be completed. Therefore, the leadership styles used by Dr. Davis were adjusted according to the progression of my development levels as a means of enhancing effective leadership.

Nevertheless, it was not until reading about the situational approach that I gained a better understanding of Dr. Davis’ leadership styles. The only thing that I was quite sure of after working for Dr. Davis was how she was one of the best leaders I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Based off of personal experience, if I could work for another manager that employed the situational approach to leadership, I believe I would be a very happy, motivated employee. Thus, in my opinion the situational approach* holds much potential when it comes to helping companies achieve leadership effectiveness.

References

Blanchard, K. (1994). Ken Blanchard’s situational leadership II: The article. Retrieved from wed.siu.edu/faculty/BPutnam/566/Situational_Leadership_Article.pdf *link

Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. H. (1969), Life-cycle theory of leadership. Training and Development Journal, 23, 26-34.

Image Source: Retrieved from http://www.kellypetrock.com/index.php?m=10&y=09&entry=entry091002-141448

Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6^th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.

Experiencing Leader-Member Exchange Theory First-Hand

April 20, 2013 by jxc5306

Leader-member exchange theory (LMX)* is both a descriptive as well as a prescriptive theory making it quite useful due to its ability to focus “attention on the special, unique relationships that leaders can create with others” (Northouse, 2013, p. 169). In its descriptive function, LMX theory “suggests that it is important to recognize the existence of in-groups and out-groups within a group or an organization” (Northouse, 2013, p. 168). The importance of this distinction is that each group operates quite differently within the work setting. For instance, the in-group is “willing to do more than is required in their job description and look for innovative ways to advance the group’s goals…[whereas] out-group members operate strictly within their prescribed organizational roles” (Northouse, 2013, p. 168). In return for going above and beyond in their work, leaders provide in-group members with not only more responsibilities and opportunities, but they also received greater amounts of the leader’s time and support. As for the out-group members, the leader is both fair and adheres to providing them with the standard benefits as defined in their job descriptions. However, they do not receive any special attention. In this manner, the different levels of contributions that in-group and out-group members make are rewarded accordingly, as the more time and effort that individuals give to the organization the more benefits they receive. Thus, group membership plays an enormous role in the interactions between leaders and their followers, which can appear at times as both unfair and discriminatory.

In regard to LMX theory’s prescriptive function, it advocates that “leaders should create a special relationship with all subordinates, similar to the relationships described [with in-group members]…[by offering] each subordinate the opportunity to take on new roles and responsibilities” (Northouse, 2013, p. 169). Furthermore, it encourages leaders to put aside the distinction between the two groups and endeavor to make all members a part of the in-group by building trust and respect. While this idea is appealing, reality is much more sobering in that some individuals do not wish to overextend themselves and are quite happy coming to work and doing “exactly what is required of them; no more, no less” (PSU, L8, p. 3). Armed with that knowledge, it seems that both in-groups and out-groups will continue to exist as all individuals have their own needs and objectives in relation to their work. So while LMX theory may seem partial and discriminatory on the surface, in actuality it accurately describes various work environments that many individuals see in their own places of employment on a regular basis (Northouse, 2013). Therefore, individuals belonging to the in-group are given special treatment in exchange for their additional work and dedication to the organization.

In fact, studies have found that “high quality leader-member exchanges (which are probably exchanges between people in some kind of in-group) produced less turnover, higher performance evaluations, higher amount of promotions, greater organizational commitment, better work assignments, better job attitudes, more support from the leader, and faster career progress” (PSU, L8, p. 4). Intuitively, this makes perfect sense in that positive relationships lead to greater satisfaction, which enhances the level of effort and efficiency followers are willing to provide, as they know that happy leaders will be more gracious and giving of rewards. In the end, leaders, followers and organizations benefit from these positive relationships as it brings people together in order to meet objectives and accomplish goals.

In reality, I have seen first-hand how LMX theory operates and while I am not too keen about how it divides work groups into two separate spheres, I can not deny its legitimacy. As a matter of fact, when I first began working for the clerk of courts in the criminal/traffic division I knew that I wanted to be promoted into the position of courtroom clerk. Being that I have wanted to become an attorney since I was in grade school, many lawyers told me that if I have an earnest interest in the profession then I should seek employment at the courts. In particular, I was informed that working directly inside the courtroom would be of most benefit, as this experience would greatly increase my understanding of the court systems since many law students graduate without realizing exactly how to navigate and function within the courts. Hence, my mind was made up and I was going to do everything and anything I could do in order to earn that promotion. Since the criminal/traffic division is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to allow for the posting of bond, this provided ample opportunity to work overtime shifts.

During my first year, I volunteered to work every holiday, wrote copious amounts of notes so as to be a highly accurate and efficient employee, offered suggestions to management for improving operations, rewrote documents in order to look more professional, would constantly help other employees complete their work, and if there ever was something not completed near the end of a shift my weekend supervisor would ask me to finish it knowing that it would be done correctly. In turn, the management team would provide me with positive feedback, greater levels of autonomy, and more responsibilities. Likewise, I indicated my ambition and desire to move up within the organization, as I would apply every time new positions become available. Not only did this help me develop my interviewing skills, but also allowed me to build relationships with others throughout the organization. Consequently, by applying “extra effort and devotion” to my job I become a part of the in-group and was promoted to courtroom clerk in just 10 months of being hired (Northouse, 2013, p. 168).

In summary, based on personal experience LMX theory is both valid and helpful in explaining how becoming a part of the in-group benefits not only the individual, but also the leader as these relationships are built upon and “characterized by mutual trust, commitment, and involvement” (George & Jones, 2005, p. 391). So, if one truly wants to advance their standing in an organization, following the recommendations provided by LMX theory may be just the key to success.

References

George, J. M., & Jones, G. R. (2005). Understanding & managing organizational behavior (custom ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.

Gupta, A. (2009). Leaders member exchange. Retrieved from http://www.practical-management.com/Leadership-Development/Leader-Member-Exchange.html

*link

Image Source: Retrieved from, http://smalallah.com/tag/marketing/

Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6^th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.

Pennsylvania State University. (2013). Lesson 8: Leader-member exchange theory (LMX). [Online Lecture]. Retrieved from http://cms.psu.edu.

Team Leadership at Starbucks

March 15, 2013 by jxc5306

While employed as a barista for Starbucks* coffee, it is the company’s policy to promote teamwork within the work setting in order to provide a positive environment for patrons and employees in addition to delivering superior quality drinks, products, and services. Being that the store where I worked was the only Starbucks in town, we kept consistently busy and were typically staffed by at least two people in the evenings when business slowed and anywhere from three to six people during the morning rush and early afternoon. In fact, our unit functioned as a team as opposed to a group as we were “a formal work group consisting of people who work intensely together to achieve a common group goal”, which was offering quality drinks in a timely manner (George & Jones, 2005, p. 313). Of course, when operations were not running smoothly this was not only evident to our customers, but to our team as well as we would start running out of products, dishes would be piled up, and service was slower for patrons resulting in longer wait times. Due to our team’s small group size, this allowed us to interact with one another continually whereby we were able to “share information, recognize individual contributions to the group” and identify areas that needed to be addressed immediately in order to restore the daily operations to meet or exceed customers’ expectations (George & Jones, 2005, p. 315). Moreover, since our manager (i.e. the formal leader) only worked Monday thru Friday in the mornings this presented our teams the ability to “perform the critical leadership functions to assess the current effectiveness of the team and then take appropriate action…[as] these duties and responsibilities often are distributed across the team” (Northouse, 2013, p. 305). Therefore, in my experience Starbucks is a company that strives to use team leadership in order to achieve its business objectives.

Since the composition of each team did not remain consistent for some time as we had an influx of new employees, each group experienced the different stages of Bruce W. Tuckman’s stages of development. Initially, the team would enter the forming stage in which individual members would learn basic information about each other, such as who enjoyed working the hot bar (i.e. espresso drinks), the cold bar (i.e. smoothies, Frappuccino’s), the cash register (i.e. socializing with the customers), or whether they enjoyed rotating positions. We also learned about each other’s personality characteristics and who was better equipped in different positions based on one’s experience, knowledge, and customer feedback. Secondly, the team would endure the storming stage whereby disagreements occurred as some individuals did not wish to be flexible and rotate or move into other positions. Another area of contention was that older workers did not feel that they should have to listen to younger workers and that the more experienced members should automatically be given the leadership role. Nevertheless, the teams did eventually work themselves past this stage as members saw how their rigidity was a hindrance rather than supportive. What may have been most helpful in resolving these issues were the internal relational leadership actions of collaboration, conflict management, and power issues, whereby each person’s opinions were heard and a compromise of using rotation was enacted. Fortunately, the third stage of norming took hold and each team began to work together in an efficient manner that was enjoyable for all. Interestingly, the group composition actually determined which team member was perceive by the rest of the group as the leader for that shift, as no one held an official title except the manager. In the fourth stage of performing, the teams were playing “functional, interdependent roles focused on the performance of groups tasks” (PSU, 2013, p. 4). Naturally, this was evidenced by the higher ratings we began receiving by the mystery shoppers that would come into our store and rate our level of customer care and service. Thus, our teams had progressed through the first 4 stages of Tuckman’s group development (George & Jones, 2005).

For instance, each task role had very specific duties associated with it and throughout an eight-hour shift team members would rotate in order that no one experience fatigue from the monotony of certain duties. However, while one occupied a certain position they were expected to maintain a particular standard of work, as this allowed for smooth transitions from the different positions with little to no disruption to the work. In fact, the eight characteristics that Larson and LaFasto (1989) found to be consistent with team excellence were all evidenced within the Starbucks work environment. For example, we were provided with clear goals (i.e. mission), which was to provide excellent tasting beverages in a timely manner while making personal connections with our customers. Secondly, our work structure provided a clear indication as to what each role entailed and how and when to perform those duties (i.e. cashier takes order and engages customer, while the hot bar barista prepares the drinks). Thirdly, we worked with competent team members as we were each trained with the skills needed to get the work done as well as having enough members to distribute the work between. Fourth, we shared a unified commitment toward our mission as we each understand all the positions and how they contributed to the overall product. Fifth, after experiencing the storming stage teams were able to build collaborative climates as we learned to trust each other in working together. Sixth, our teams maintained a standard of excellence, as that is what kept our customers returning time and time again. Seventh, our teams were provided with all the materials and equipment necessary to make drinks, while receiving recognition for high performance rating on our customer service satisfaction surveys. Lastly, the team members that served as leaders provided principled leadership, as they served as coaches and positive role models. Hence, these eight qualities are persistently being assessed within the Starbucks environment to accurately monitor and change if need be the health and dynamics of the teams.

Understandably, places of employment do not remain permanent and as team members began leaving and new people were hired to replace them the affects of Tuckman’s adjourning stage were felt, in which the groups as we had known them disbanded. Nevertheless, each new team underwent Tuckman’s stages of development and every time we were able to achieve a highly efficient work group that functioned optimally. In sum, “the team leadership model helps to point the way for constant team analysis and improvement” (Northouse, 2013, p. 304).

References:

George, J. M., & Jones, G. R. (2005). Understanding & managing organizational behavior (custom ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.

Image Source: Retrieved from, http://www.zemmrate.com/index.php?newsid=455

Larson, C. E., & LaFasto, F. M. J. (1989). Teamwork: What must go right/what can go wrong. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6^th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.

Pennsylvania State University. (2013). Team leadership. [Online Lecture]. Retrieved from http://cms.psu.edu.

Starbucks. (2013). Our Starbucks mission statement. Retrieved from, http://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-information/mission-statement *link