Kudos on an excellent paper! It was a pleasure to read. Your opening
paragraph was good, but could have been more focused in introducing the
key themes of your paper. You drew on a wide range of resources and
wove them in very well. I’ve highlighted areas where you could improve
your presentation to reduce awkwardness and maintain consistency with
grammatical conventions.
Grade:
96
Participation:
all 100%
Final grade for each participant:
96
Date: December 10, 2009
To: Reinhold Messner
Everest Expeditions
From: Will, Addie, Mike, and Kimberly
RE: Self Managing from Base Camp
Create a safer expedition through self managing teams to capture success. You
hold the record for having the most successful climbing attempts on Mount
Everest; publicize this to draw clients to Everest Expeditions. Assure clients of
your company's emphasis on safety. Individuals behave differently in their overall
willingness to trust, necessitating the need to build a personal relationship with
each client (Whitener and Stahl, pg. 466). An effective organization influences
your key focus, either persuading or limiting people’s ability to develop new
strategies towards improving their climbing skills(Nadler and Tushman, pg. 641).
Expect most clients to have very little experience climbing mountains. Each
leader must serve the clients as knowledge coaches by sharing their deep
smarts with clients through conveying their experiences to them (Leonard and
Swap, pg. 94). Discovering each team member’s abilities allows you to create a
team minimizing weaknesses. You should design each expedition around the
predetermined knowledge of the employees.
We have designed a self managing team with expertise on guiding clients to
Mount Everest’s Base Camp. Clients will meet each other in Kathmandu, Nepal,
because of the city’s location relative to the mountain and easy accessibility. All
climbers should acquaint themselves well with each other because the journey
will not be easy. This provides a sense of understanding of group dynamics and
a sense of each other’s personalities. Assign leadership roles and allow clients to
find their place within the group for the next two months. Team management
provided by Everest Expeditions requires Level Five leadership, since achieving
a successful journey hinges on climbers’ working to ensure the success of others
before focusing on themselves. (Collins, pg. 477). Once everyone meets in
Kathmandu, provide a helicopter to transport climbers to Lukla, Nepal before
beginning the endeavor to the Base Camp.
As they begin the hike along the path to Base Camp take note of the capabilities
of each hiker, both physically and mentally. Once stronger and weaker clients
emerge, it will help distinguish who you can rely on to help push the group
forward and improve group dynamics, which provide important skills when
reaching the summit (Gibson, pg. 324). When arriving at Base Camp, contact the
respective camps farther up the mountain to determine what supplies and
demands they may desire for making the hike less strenuous and more enjoyable
for the hikers. Upon contact, it will be essential to not only listen to the demands
of other camps, but to state what we expect or need in return. Having a clear,
organized time line of required supplies will allow time for all materials to become
available at the appropriate time. To properly treat and care for hikers requires
communication between the camps (Lawler, pg.581). Listening to each
participant provides an open environment where everyone articulates their
interests. This in turn achieves the best possible solution in the steps needed
from camp to camp and eventually the summit (Bourgeois, Eisenhart and
Kahwajy, pg. 406).
To effectively self-manage your teams, establish relationships and effective
communication within the group. Additionally, organize a well thought and
processed plan of action for the trip. Clearly define functions for each jobeveryone requires a role in providing responsible monitoring and managing their
own performance (Druskat and Wheeler, pg. 340). Provide additional help in the
form of constructive criticism and feedback to each team. As the climbers ascend
Mount Everest, breathing becomes strenuous and labored, reducing the flow of
oxygen to the brain and resulting in a lack of clear thinking capability. At this
point, climbers incentives for being on the mountain should lead them to the
summit (Bashorun and Miller, Slide 4). By reporting back to Base Camp on a
regular basis to provide updated conditions, Base Camp can supply feedback
and guidance. Seeking information from broader sources gathers more
information together to help the team make educated decisions (Druskat and
Wheeler, pg. 343). When a team learns to effectively self-manage, they begin to
build a strong, “self-directed” group, an essential characteristic when climbing in
the extreme conditions of Mount Everest. Base Camp encourages the process of
self-management through training and team building. Base Camp further
provides help to the other camps and the teams during travel through relationship
building, organizational and administrative work, and through the facilitating of
communication. by facilitating communication
The beginning process of building a team consists of screening clients, selecting
individuals capable of compatibility with one another, and each individual
possessing the ability for the long journey. Climbers must demonstrate
leadership skills, team work, and effective communication skills. These selected
clients continue on to the next level of building relationships with each other and
physical training for the hike. Provide clear instructions and continually reiterate
safety procedures, guidelines, and rules within the group. The team should form
a self-managed team that will effectively stay together as a group in an
emergency situation. As the team discovers the weaknesses and strengths each
individual carries, they can piece together a team that has strengths in each
area. People who lack the ability to make a useful contribution in an incident
management team do not belong on this type of expedition (Roberts, pg. 28).
To summarize, place emphasis on emphasize team building and preparation
before each expedition, and during each expedition maintain open lines of
communication and a clear chain of command centered on Level 5 leaders.
Accomplishing these goals requires a written plan of action for maximum
effectiveness (Slavin, p. 88). Develop an act of consistency Act with consistency,
to develop reliable results within expeditions (Anderson, Slide 3). Having the right
leadership paired with carefully screened clients leads to successful climbs; and
as your reputation for success grows, business increases. We recommend
bringing together your leaders as soon as possible to clarify and carry out these
goals.
References:
Anderson, Gideon. (2009). "Power and Influence." Retrieved from Class
Presentation.
Bashorun, A., & Miller, C. (2009). "Breaking the Code of Change." Retrieved from
Class Presentation.
Collins, J. (2001). “Level 5 Leadership.” Organizational Behavior Reader, pg.
477.
Druskat, V. & Wheeler, J. (2004). “How To Lead a Self-Managing Team.”
Organizational Behavior Reader, p. 340, 343.
Eisenhart, K., & Kahwajy, J., Bourgeois, L., (1997). “How Management Teams
Can Have a Good Fight.” Organizational Behavior Reader, pg. 406.
Gibson, C. (2005). “Virtuality and Collaboration in Teams.” Organizational
Behavior Reader, pg. 324.
Lawler, E. (2003). “Why Treating People Right Pays Off.” Organizational
Behavior Reader, pg.581.
Leonard, D. & Swap, W. (2004). “Deep Smarts.” Organizational Behavior
Reader, pg. 94.
Nadler, D. & Tushman, M. (1999). “The Organization of the Future: Strategic
Imperatives and Core Competencies for the 21st Century.” Organizational
Behavior Reader, pg. 641.
Slavin, A. (2009 October). Mastering Disaster. Best’s Review, p. 28. Retrieved
from Business Source Complete database.
Stahl, G., & Whitener, E.(2004). “Building Trust Within Global Organizations: The
Theory.” Organizational Behavior Reader, p. 466.
Roberts, P. (2007, October 23). Crisis management requires pragmatism.
Computer Weekly, p. 28. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database.