PowerMax Systems: Livingston has a few problems with this potential team. The current “leader” Murray has not really been a leader at all. The hiring practices until now have been strictly on skills and technology training. They have also been looking within the company for new team members. Some of the current problems include: friendships that cross the boundaries between professional and personal relationships, the lack of diversity within the team, no goals for moving forward, and no real leaders. Those that take leadership roles can do so with some sort of backing and authority to make decisions. This hasn’t been the case in this company. They have three different people who have tried different types of leadership. The problem is they have been the center of more conflict than anything else. It doesn’t sound like any of them have any goals for the company in mind they are all up for personal gain. The part of this case study that bothered me the most was the “politically correct” section that discusses the possibilities for new employees or members of the team. Recruiting people of color, as opposed to people with skills kills me. I think it’s more important to employ a diverse group of people with the ability to work together than individuals who are not “team players”. Your race should not be a factor. I think you can be sensitive to others without being the same ethnicity as they are. Livingston needs to re-evaluate what is important to the production and success of the PowerMax Systems Company. A set of goals and priorities needs to be set. When these items are settled than you should decide what type of personality you should hire.
Anne Livingston and the Power Max System The current makeup of the team is not at the desirable position. The organization tended to hire from within and as a result the team’s skill was skewed to a few areas of expertise. Also, they were not in full comprehension of the customer’s needs. In order to fulfill the mission of the company they would have to expand their perspective by hiring others with the capabilities needed to reach their goals. I believe it is very import to take a look at your current staff and promote from within. This provides motivation and respect to those who do want to advance, thus giving all a healthy and productive work environment. Also, Livingston needs to look outside the company if she can not find the people that will help the company succeed. One other thing is she needs to tell the current manager to step up and make the difficult decisions, not the popular ones.
Anne Livingston joined the Power Player Software team. There were 22 engineers, all whom reported to one (supervisor), 18 Caucasian males, 3 Caucasian females and one female color with 80% of them previous Power Max experience. The team was expected to grow in the next several months. Livingston drew a couple conclusions about the team. One, the team tended to hire those who have been apart of Power Max, thus limiting creativity, and thought into product wants of the customer. Two, the supervisor’s (Murray) personal relationship with some members on the team, impacted the supervisor and others. The supervisor could not make important decisions of the fear of offending one of their friends, therefore, a long list of priorities and no one making the decisions. Third, many members of the team had leadership capabilities. It seem like no individual tasks were handed out, mostly just a lot of chiefs. Fourth, when looking to recruit away from the norm, the team grew weary of hiring a minority. When the hiring process was complete, the new hire, a Chinese heritage, was possibly going to turn down the job, based on his gut feeling of how the group would respond to him being part of the team. The supervisor wondered if she in good faith could offer him the job.
Critique: To answer the question at the end, no! Murray, who is the supervisor, lacks leadership qualities. She should not be in charge of the Power Player team. Not begin able to make decisions, because of your personal relationships is not a leader. The article mentioned four different types of members on the team. Some could be considered team players, some individuals. Each person on the team needs to feel a part of it. Murray needed to find, (by knowing) each team members strengths, and focus there. She needed to eliminate the list of priorities, so the team can focus on one at a time. One of the team members, “the hero” did this and got the team back on track. They also needed to bring people on board not from the company, maybe educated customers? Someone from the outside? I did think that Murray did a good job going out side the Caucasian group to get a more diverse team to meet a diverse consumer product. However, by lack of her leadership characteristics, she did not achieve this goal. Lastly, I did notice the article shifted from a team to a group. This was definitely a group and not a team. Too big for one, no collaboration, no team management, and not everyone on the team belonged. This easily relates to school management in all aspects.
Anne Livingston and Power Max Systems This is the story of a team that never really was. This group was composed of 22 engineers of limited diversity. There was no clear leadership in this group and some attempts at leadership were resisted. Livingston saw what needed to be done, but I question whether she possessed the leadership skills and ability to execute the plans that would turn this group around. She would be hard pressed to find anyone willing to step into a group with the strange dynamic unique to this one. 80% of the engineers had been hired for these positions from within the company. Many of the team members were friends and this interfered with their ability to look at each other ideas critically. This would also make it very difficult for someone from “outside” the group to contribute ideas for fear they would not be given serious consideration. I believe it is important to be friendly and kind to those you work with, but it is difficult to say whether friendships that extend beyond the work environment are helpful. I admittedly have limited experience in the team environment, but I can see how friendships can split a group instead of bring it together. The group can divide into little warring factions and disrupt the team to the point that they will never meet their objective. The Power Max Systems group lacked the ability to set priorities. Everyone had their pet projects and no one was willing to say “no”, so everything was added to the ever-growing list. I believe this was due in part to an inability to maintain focus on a common objective and exacerbated by the friendships within the group. In addition, the group did not possess a wide variety of skills and this limited their ability to become a true team. There were too many of the “same types” of people and this was clear to Livingston, who craved more diversity. It was clear this group did not value diversity and maybe that is because they didn’t understand its benefit. This case study should be a “how NOT to” guide. What a mess. No one would want to join this team. There needed to be some serious restructuring. It appears there are those members who are trying to set themselves up for glory, like Ellis and Gunn. These two would be difficult to reign in and work with. It is damaging to a team when you have those who are “glory-seekers” putting their interests above those of the group. Amjad was in a difficult position. She tried to assume a position of leadership, but was sabotaged by other members of the group. I am not sure if diversity alone would be able to save this group. Clear leadership, clearly defined goals and objectives, and some common sense would also be needed, if this were to truly become a successful productive team.
Anne Livingston and Power Max Systems(D-1) Building the Power Player Software Team I think that there was no “team”. If team is defined as: A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks. Facts: There were 22 engineers, all whom reported to one (supervisor), 18 Caucasian males, 3 Caucasian females and one female color with 80% of them previous Power Max experience. They have three different people who have tried different types of leadership Hopes: to make a team and the team was expected to grow in the next several months. I believe it is very import to take a look at your current staff and promote from within. Work with what you have and grow together. What I do not understand: Why is color, race, gender and religion at the backbone of the problem? If you have the skills you should get the job. But, clicks, money, color, race, gender and religion get in the way. Humans love to make an US vs. Them game. Each person brings his or her own set of understandings to each situations everyday. Different people look me at with different views daily. I am not Blank enough for some and too much for others. You can replace Blank with anything. If I get the job it is because I am a Blank. Not that I would be a good fit and/or that I earned it. What I think needs to happen is that they as a team need to see a common goal and find a way to hit it. It can be done
Case 3: Anne Livingston & Power Max- This looks to be a group of coworkers that are trying to pass themselves off as a team. What this group needs is a leader to step up and take them where they need to go. The purpose of this team is to create the best possible product for the consumer and there is no vision in how to get there. I see that there are some who have tried to be unofficial leaders, or shown leadership potential. Murray seems to lack the ability to unite this group into a team. I see that often the leader's responsibility is to keep the focus on the goal.
The table at the end shows that there was movement to build a more diverse team from both within and from without the company's ranks. I like the fact that some "new blood" was brought in as an attempt to energize them. Sometimes new ideas are all that are needed. And, there really needed to be someone new to come in that had not been poisoned by the inside corporate mentality.
What isn't so clear in the chart is where the diversity came from. I think her one comment about hiring a black or Hispanic engineer show that she was not trying to hire for the sake of diversity, but rather that being a non-caucasian, and a woman could bring an extra layer of insight to the team developing an international product. The skills need to come first and then the aspects not necessarily relevant to the technical job can tilt in the favor of the minority. I realize that is not a very popular viewpoint in certain circles. I put myself in the Livingston's shoes and the thought was that if I were leading a development team for a product that would be used internationally, then I would attempt to have people onboard that would be familiar with how the product would be received in a prospective market. Given the culture of the group, I don't know that Livingston could make that good faith offer at that time.
The staff was talented and product oriented. The company needed a plan for the changes necessary.
1)Customer surveys to identify needs, marketing trends,and research. 2)Training of existing employees versus the shuffling of positions according to trends and being in crisis to fulfill needs for talented workers with professional expertise. Rather than meeting a quota of each race, the human resources knows that quality and performance along with experience trump the race card every time. I liked the idea of heroic efforts going forth, but the level of sustained energy needed might fall short over a lengthy period of time, instead maintaining sound direction and goal focused behaviors might be better for this company, which seemed very scattered. Group process to plan, achieve, and review results would seem necessary. There were different systems, not working in unison, and it was disconnected in its efforts.
7 comments:
PowerMax Systems: Livingston has a few problems with this potential team. The current “leader” Murray has not really been a leader at all. The hiring practices until now have been strictly on skills and technology training. They have also been looking within the company for new team members. Some of the current problems include: friendships that cross the boundaries between professional and personal relationships, the lack of diversity within the team, no goals for moving forward, and no real leaders. Those that take leadership roles can do so with some sort of backing and authority to make decisions. This hasn’t been the case in this company. They have three different people who have tried different types of leadership. The problem is they have been the center of more conflict than anything else. It doesn’t sound like any of them have any goals for the company in mind they are all up for personal gain.
The part of this case study that bothered me the most was the “politically correct” section that discusses the possibilities for new employees or members of the team. Recruiting people of color, as opposed to people with skills kills me. I think it’s more important to employ a diverse group of people with the ability to work together than individuals who are not “team players”. Your race should not be a factor. I think you can be sensitive to others without being the same ethnicity as they are.
Livingston needs to re-evaluate what is important to the production and success of the PowerMax Systems Company. A set of goals and priorities needs to be set. When these items are settled than you should decide what type of personality you should hire.
Anne Livingston and the Power Max System
The current makeup of the team is not at the desirable position. The organization tended to hire from within and as a result the team’s skill was skewed to a few areas of expertise. Also, they were not in full comprehension of the customer’s needs. In order to fulfill the mission of the company they would have to expand their perspective by hiring others with the capabilities needed to reach their goals.
I believe it is very import to take a look at your current staff and promote from within. This provides motivation and respect to those who do want to advance, thus giving all a healthy and productive work environment. Also, Livingston needs to look outside the company if she can not find the people that will help the company succeed. One other thing is she needs to tell the current manager to step up and make the difficult decisions, not the popular ones.
Anne Livingston joined the Power Player Software team. There were 22 engineers, all whom reported to one (supervisor), 18 Caucasian males, 3 Caucasian females and one female color with 80% of them previous Power Max experience. The team was expected to grow in the next several months. Livingston drew a couple conclusions about the team. One, the team tended to hire those who have been apart of Power Max, thus limiting creativity, and thought into product wants of the customer. Two, the supervisor’s (Murray) personal relationship with some members on the team, impacted the supervisor and others. The supervisor could not make important decisions of the fear of offending one of their friends, therefore, a long list of priorities and no one making the decisions. Third, many members of the team had leadership capabilities. It seem like no individual tasks were handed out, mostly just a lot of chiefs. Fourth, when looking to recruit away from the norm, the team grew weary of hiring a minority. When the hiring process was complete, the new hire, a Chinese heritage, was possibly going to turn down the job, based on his gut feeling of how the group would respond to him being part of the team. The supervisor wondered if she in good faith could offer him the job.
Critique: To answer the question at the end, no! Murray, who is the supervisor, lacks leadership qualities. She should not be in charge of the Power Player team. Not begin able to make decisions, because of your personal relationships is not a leader. The article mentioned four different types of members on the team. Some could be considered team players, some individuals. Each person on the team needs to feel a part of it. Murray needed to find, (by knowing) each team members strengths, and focus there. She needed to eliminate the list of priorities, so the team can focus on one at a time. One of the team members, “the hero” did this and got the team back on track. They also needed to bring people on board not from the company, maybe educated customers? Someone from the outside? I did think that Murray did a good job going out side the Caucasian group to get a more diverse team to meet a diverse consumer product. However, by lack of her leadership characteristics, she did not achieve this goal. Lastly, I did notice the article shifted from a team to a group. This was definitely a group and not a team. Too big for one, no collaboration, no team management, and not everyone on the team belonged. This easily relates to school management in all aspects.
Anne Livingston and Power Max Systems
This is the story of a team that never really was. This group was composed of 22 engineers of limited diversity. There was no clear leadership in this group and some attempts at leadership were resisted. Livingston saw what needed to be done, but I question whether she possessed the leadership skills and ability to execute the plans that would turn this group around. She would be hard pressed to find anyone willing to step into a group with the strange dynamic unique to this one.
80% of the engineers had been hired for these positions from within the company. Many of the team members were friends and this interfered with their ability to look at each other ideas critically. This would also make it very difficult for someone from “outside” the group to contribute ideas for fear they would not be given serious consideration. I believe it is important to be friendly and kind to those you work with, but it is difficult to say whether friendships that extend beyond the work environment are helpful. I admittedly have limited experience in the team environment, but I can see how friendships can split a group instead of bring it together. The group can divide into little warring factions and disrupt the team to the point that they will never meet their objective.
The Power Max Systems group lacked the ability to set priorities. Everyone had their pet projects and no one was willing to say “no”, so everything was added to the ever-growing list. I believe this was due in part to an inability to maintain focus on a common objective and exacerbated by the friendships within the group.
In addition, the group did not possess a wide variety of skills and this limited their ability to become a true team. There were too many of the “same types” of people and this was clear to Livingston, who craved more diversity. It was clear this group did not value diversity and maybe that is because they didn’t understand its benefit.
This case study should be a “how NOT to” guide. What a mess. No one would want to join this team. There needed to be some serious restructuring. It appears there are those members who are trying to set themselves up for glory, like Ellis and Gunn. These two would be difficult to reign in and work with. It is damaging to a team when you have those who are “glory-seekers” putting their interests above those of the group. Amjad was in a difficult position. She tried to assume a position of leadership, but was sabotaged by other members of the group. I am not sure if diversity alone would be able to save this group. Clear leadership, clearly defined goals and objectives, and some common sense would also be needed, if this were to truly become a successful productive team.
Anne Livingston and Power Max Systems(D-1) Building the Power Player Software Team
I think that there was no “team”. If team is defined as: A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.
Facts: There were 22 engineers, all whom reported to one (supervisor), 18 Caucasian males, 3 Caucasian females and one female color with 80% of them previous Power Max experience. They have three different people who have tried different types of leadership
Hopes: to make a team and the team was expected to grow in the next several months. I believe it is very import to take a look at your current staff and promote from within. Work with what you have and grow together.
What I do not understand: Why is color, race, gender and religion at the backbone of the problem? If you have the skills you should get the job. But, clicks, money, color, race, gender and religion get in the way. Humans love to make an US vs. Them game. Each person brings his or her own set of understandings to each situations everyday. Different people look me at with different views daily. I am not Blank enough for some and too much for others. You can replace Blank with anything. If I get the job it is because I am a Blank. Not that I would be a good fit and/or that I earned it. What I think needs to happen is that they as a team need to see a common goal and find a way to hit it. It can be done
Case 3: Anne Livingston & Power Max-
This looks to be a group of coworkers that are trying to pass themselves off as a team. What this group needs is a leader to step up and take them where they need to go. The purpose of this team is to create the best possible product for the consumer and there is no vision in how to get there. I see that there are some who have tried to be unofficial leaders, or shown leadership potential. Murray seems to lack the ability to unite this group into a team. I see that often the leader's responsibility is to keep the focus on the goal.
The table at the end shows that there was movement to build a more diverse team from both within and from without the company's ranks. I like the fact that some "new blood" was brought in as an attempt to energize them. Sometimes new ideas are all that are needed. And, there really needed to be someone new to come in that had not been poisoned by the inside corporate mentality.
What isn't so clear in the chart is where the diversity came from. I think her one comment about hiring a black or Hispanic engineer show that she was not trying to hire for the sake of diversity, but rather that being a non-caucasian, and a woman could bring an extra layer of insight to the team developing an international product. The skills need to come first and then the aspects not necessarily relevant to the technical job can tilt in the favor of the minority. I realize that is not a very popular viewpoint in certain circles. I put myself in the Livingston's shoes and the thought was that if I were leading a development team for a product that would be used internationally, then I would attempt to have people onboard that would be familiar with how the product would be received in a prospective market. Given the culture of the group, I don't know that Livingston could make that good faith offer at that time.
Summary/Critique of PowerPlayer:
The staff was talented and product oriented. The company needed a plan for the changes necessary.
1)Customer surveys to identify needs, marketing trends,and research.
2)Training of existing employees versus the shuffling of positions
according to trends and being in crisis to fulfill needs for talented workers with professional expertise. Rather than meeting a quota of each race, the human resources knows that quality and performance along with experience trump the race card every time. I liked the idea of heroic efforts going forth, but the level of sustained energy needed might fall short over a lengthy period of time, instead maintaining sound direction and goal focused behaviors might be better for this company, which seemed very scattered. Group process to plan, achieve, and review results would seem necessary. There were different systems, not working in unison, and it was disconnected in its efforts.
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