Situational Leadership

Definition of the situation should be a thorough description of the organization and the present situation with detailed personal opinions and views.
Located in a number of metropolitan areas including Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado, Mountain States Healthcare has been on the prowl with regard to profit making as a business entity. The gains come as a result of its prudent strategies: thanks to its highly skilled team of management and it’s Directors’ Board. The organization had decided to cut down its administrative costs so as to make sure that its shareholders get more dividends from their investment. According to its management team, there are several administrative costs that can be avoided by merging units within the organization. Accordingly, the VIP technologist, who has experience, has suggested that merging the billing systems of all states should be integrated.
The challenge, though, arose at the point of recruiting a new director that will be responsible for the merger and billing for all the states. The primary challenge is that of conflict of interest. It is worth noting that Aaron, one of the recruitment team members, is interested in seeing Kyle Christiansen climb to the position that has been created in the recent past. Such a situation is noted against the background of the fact that there is a more qualified candidate for that slot. Aaron has cited gender discrimination issues, purposely to eliminate Colleen Kennedy who is best suited for the job.
Furthermore, following the successful manipulation, and after Kyle assumed his new position, maters became worse in the organization. Kyle is an egocentric person and a poor communicator. He is averse to criticism. He has constantly avoided concrete matters that need discussion at the table as raised by Colleen. Following the style employed by Kyle, many experienced and gifted employees have begun to seek employment in other organizations. It is also worth noting that Kyle is less than honest with the staff of the organization. He promises what he does not wish to deliver. For instance, “Kyle, you promised that you would only focus on minor changes for purposes of enhancing efficiency.” “Kyle, you promised that I would keep managing my staff as had always been the case; and that we would only be located in Salt Lake and not Denver. Instead you reduced their roles and altered their jobs. You got rid of the flex time of my staff and insisted that they should only work under the watch of a supervisor. The workers felt that we had no trust in them. They also noted that you were reneging on your promises. They were discouraged; they moved from Denver to this place for the worse. A lot of my old staff has left,” Colleen said.
Part 2 – Analysis of the Situation: minimum of two pages, single-spaced, Verdana 12-point font.
Analysis of the situation should be a detailed analysis of the management process, organization, the situation, contributing factors and other variables.
Mountain States Healthcare has been performing well in the past. Their commendable management skills are probably responsible for their increase in profits and success. However, as matters stand, I think that they should initiate a feedback mechanism to handle glitches that arise in the system. Through such a feedback mechanism, they will learn of the weaknesses and act in time. Acting in time means that operations will be streamlined, and that service quality will keep improving. Given the way matters are, at this time, there is likely to be a management crisis. The crises will, inevitably, lead to a decline in profits and a possible collapse of the organization.
Apart from the billing systems management, there is also a crisis looming in management. The fact that Aaron supported Kyle out of self interest has put the company in a precarious situation and has pitted Kyle against Colleen who possesses impeccable management skills. For instance, Colleen’s style of handling juniors is such that she asks them to choose their best hours for working. The employees feel motivated and thus can deliver better service.
MSH has senior officers and a board of management in charge of all of its operations. The states have independent medical billing systems which need to be integrated at the moment, in line with the company’s cost cutting policy. There is a conflict in management where the managerial decisions of Colleen and Kyle are constantly conflicting. Contrary to what Kyle promised the staff, he has gone in a different direction. He has, for instance got rid of flex time for workers. The workers feel betrayed and have, consequently, quit. The organization now has a large number of staffs that are still inexperienced. Colleen accuses Kyle of avoiding opportunities to meet and iron out issues. Colleen reports that when Kyle decides to attend such meetings, he arrives late and leaves before they end. Kyle is accused of refusing to attend to the plight of the workers.
Kyle on his part is on cloud nine, with regard to his new position. He is aware that he has been charged with a responsibility that is under close scrutiny by the senior management. He, therefore, has decided to focus on his objectives and ignore all other voices, which he thinks will distract him from achieving his goals. Kyle has enacted changes that he deems to be necessary for him to succeed in his new role. On the other hand, Colleen, who is most affected by the changes that Kyle is instituting sees doom in the pipeline. Colleen has shared her concerns with Kyle, although Kyle is disinterested. Colleen seems to have a better grasp of what needs to be done if MSH is to succeed in its new plan of billing systems integration. Colleen has warned Kyle of an impending software failure. The effects started being felt by the clients, and the senior management noted the deteriorating state of affairs.
PART 3 – Recommendations: Minimum of one page, single-spaced, Verdana 12-point font.
The Recommendations section should provide a comprehensive identification of the selected single best solution and explain why it is perceived to be the best solution. It also includes a complete implementation plan which thoroughly describes the courses of action and order of sequence for their adoption.
It is paramount for leaders to uphold the highest standards of integrity when conducting their official duties. Aaron demonstrated a high level of bias and discrimination when conducting the recruitment for the team leader in the integration project. Kyle was, clearly, not the best candidate for the position.
The above foregoing should also serve to teach the leadership at higher levels of management to listen keenly to the voices of the stakeholders, including their juniors. They should understand that there are times when the best solutions may emanate from the juniors. For instance, while Colleen may have concerns that touch on the core business of the organization, her voice has been ignored by Kyle, a move that may lead the company into problems.
In conclusion, teamwork and collaboration are central to the success of any organization. Decision making should be accommodating to even the junior staff. When everyone feels part of the process, it is much easier to implement change. Involvement helps the management team to learn of possible challenges in the implementation of decisions, in advance. When they learn of such challenges in advance, they become proactive in countering such challenges. Kyle needs to embrace teamwork in his management style. He should also be accommodative of divergent views. On the other hand, I think that Colleen could help the company if he approached the senior management and shared his concerns directly. A leader must also show boldness in times of crisis. Cowering or withholding important information does not help matters at all.


















References
THE MG371 CASE. “Growth Pains at Mountain States Healthcare”