Team Members and Leader

¶ … consultant project linked to personnel training. It will address project impacts on corporate performance, asset and fund allocation for the project, ethical and transformational leadership, and leader response to suggestions by team members.

My aim for the proposed project would be: guiding team members in their role choices. I would focus on capitalizing on people's strengths and on the roles they're interested in playing (Writer Thoughts). In doing so, I would aid them in choosing assignments that are capable of meeting their individual goals as well as project goals. Synergy is what I would ultimately aim for.

Impact of Proposed Teamwork Project on Organizational Performance

Coaching or training the entire team simultaneously enables members to understand team dynamics and the importance of teamwork, and choose a role for themselves. In that way, they acquire valuable knowledge on both their area of work and the overall process. Further development ensues, and focus can be maintained on the vision established (Writer Thoughts). Therefore, the purpose of training is reinforced as this chosen team activity, on the whole, concentrates on coaching and training. Moreover, the workforce can understand the power of teamwork and the many approaches possible via teamwork. Team members can learn from the training program and apply the lessons learnt in real life. Lastly, such collaboration simplifies work.

Recommendation for Spending Limits and Using Assets for Socially Responsible Projects

A budget is typically an in-depth analysis of where an organization's funds are expected to be spent in future. A number of firms develop yearly budgets to comprehensively outline their individual departments' expected needs. Further, the employment of a yearly budgeting process limits the time corporations devote to the creation and management of capital resources. While larger firms employ professionals (e.g. accountants) for developing their annual corporate budget, small companies normally complete this task themselves (Vitez). In our case, a ceiling will be placed on the amount devoted to particular operations. Additionally, we will review the budgets of past years for assessing how closely guidelines were adhered to and the reasons for budget variances.

Effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives are heavily reliant on informed HR practices. The HR department may be considered the CSR activities coordinator, in charge of establishing sound relationships between the company and its external and internal stakeholders; therefore, it is able to orient the company and its workforce towards adopting socially responsible practices. The business sector is exhibiting a growing trend of leveraging on management and the workforce to demonstrate its commitment to the CSR ideology (Sharma, et.al, 2009). Equipped with a committed and powerful corporate culture strengthened by responsible HRM practices, a company can reach its zenith in terms of success, through improved profitability, client satisfaction, community approval, personnel morale, and legal compliance. However, practical delivery, rather than rhetoric, forms the key to earning external stakeholders' trust. For achieving this end, charity should begin at home. A firm must embed CSR in its culture for changing attitudes and actions wherein HR can be a central contributor. Otherwise, CSR risks being classified as mere 'window-dressing'. Numerous factors exist, which render a single solution to tackling the CSR and corporate accountability issue (especially with respect to management duties), unfeasible. These include (i) Nations' sovereignty, (ii) Diversity of rules, laws, business practices and culture in organizations' many jurisdictions and (iii) A significant uncertainty with regard to regulation of organizations' conduct within foreign jurisdictions. No straightforward solution exists, but one can, with some effort, find one that is workable. Increasing private sector power and globalization have brought issues like multinational enterprise regulation and CSR to light. Although we have appreciably progressed in increasing business accountability with respect to environmental performance, more limited headway has been witnessed in social problems like corruption, human rights, labor standards, and corporate transparency. Despite endeavors towards widening stakeholder scope, for most organizations, CSR comprises of voluntary plans aimed at enhancing their practices' social impact. Governments actively support some such initiatives (Kercher, 2007). CSR has been incorporated into numerous companies' conduct codes. Corporations have strived to collaborate with NGOs for formulating company policy for undeveloped nations, subscribed to UN initiatives such as Global Compact, and integrated GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) guidelines into organizational financial reporting. In spite of such efforts, a gap remains with regard to CSR and legal accountability, especially in connection with multinational corporations' operations in external jurisdictions. Thus, a company may be immensely impacted by socially responsible ventures.

Approaching Ethics

In order to understand how one can head a firm ethically whilst simultaneously generating profits, one needs to first understand the definition of ethical leadership. Ethical leaders, in Yukl's (2006) opinion, are those who endorse honesty, and ensure they mirror their actions with stakeholders' beliefs and values. The author accepts that this area (i.e. ethical leadership) represents a vague construct, encompassing multiple constituents. Consequently, evaluating ethical leadership is not easy (Monahan, 2012). One can approach it in numerous ways. Large corporations' managers deem ethical leadership to be a mere matter of organizational leaders possessing good values or a good/strong character. They assert that it is not adherence to regulations and legislation that complicates ethics, nor is the issue about influencing one's subordinates to do what is right. Instead, ethical leadership's complexity lies in the grey area of who must be held accountable and who should take charge if issues arise.

On the issue of development of ethicality in a leader, Frank remarks that ethicality flourishes in a leader who explores his/her inner self, which is a product of a person's experiences with trauma, failure, career-related setbacks, and mistakes. A leader who can effectively analyze his internal self under tough circumstances can develop into an individual with a fine character (Monahan, 2012). As stated by Paul in Romans, "We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurances produces character, and character hope." In simple terms, ethics develops in the one who suffers. Thus, I feel two strategies are important to this project: 1) Maximization of workforce welfare (Utilitarianism Theory), and 2) Safeguarding of individuals' freedom (Libertarianism Theory). In my personal opinion, combining the two approaches would work best for the project in question.

Changing into a Transformational Leader

An efficient leader can easily lose his/her team's respect if they have no clue as to what he/she is doing. Typically, a majority of team members will not think at the managerial level, as they are occupied with the processes and tasks assigned to them. A leader should ensure they are not overly occupied with these small things and fail to look at the overall perspective of the situation. Challenging the team to make members demonstrate their complete potential is necessary (Hendricks, 2014). One may, for instance, observe that one's sales representative is overly reliant on email communication. Getting them to interact face-to-face or over the phone with clients would be one way to challenge them. A leader should also note individual employees' talents and interests. For instance, if an employee enjoys aiding the team with work processes, the leader can invite him/her to head a workshop where he/she can hone his/her presentation skills as well as forge stronger bonds with customers. Likewise, a bilingual employee's talents could be utilized with international clients. It is a good idea to meet with individual team members and ask them about what experiences they feel would facilitate their professional growth.