Executive Summary
The analysis shows that management and business adapt to the particular context to correspond to the requirements and to improve the company’s performance. Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence Framework (EI) allows us to find a balanced solution to the described problem. Competition in the team is a regular part of work, and it is vital to show the opponent respectfully that the role of the team leader the person receives is justified.
Introduction
The case study describes the promotion of the person appointed as the team leader due to solid technical skills disregarding the employee who worked for the company longer. Anna was the logical substitution for the team leader position, and it was essential to explain the situation to her personally to avoid confrontation. Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence Framework (EI) helps prepare for and undertake the conversation with Anna because it is flexible. Five components of this framework, including Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, Motivation, Empathy, and Social Skills, allow us to understand the causes of the potential conflict and the aspirations of another person and communicate with her concerning her desires.
Discussion and Analysis
The Emotional Intelligence Framework can assist me in developing the plan for communication with Anna due to its focus on different aspects of interaction with another person. Eight steps articulated by Kotter provide me with a detailed plan to implement the knowledge about emotional intelligence in practice. They are consistent with the Emotional Intelligence Framework and reflect its principles. Therefore, communication with Anna requires a holistic approach that focuses on team tasks, professionalism, and an individual approach to the person’s motivation.
Anna views my appointment as the team leader as the unexplained decision of managers who do not value her contribution to the company and her professional skills. She doubts that I have strong technical skills that allow me to become the team leader of a group of specialist technicians. I have worked for the company for only two years, while Anna is on the team for more time, and she was the logical substitution for the former team leader. She knows everyone in the team better than me because they communicate for more time, and she might use it as an indirect way to show them that my work as the leader is ineffective. Therefore, it is critical to communicate with Anna personally before starting the work to solve our potential disputes and avoid opposition.
The steps in the communication with Anna should be focused on her status in the team, the attitudes of other members of the group, her motivation, and her preservation of human dignity. The emotional Intelligence Framework supposes that I should pay attention to Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, Motivation, Empathy, and Social Skills, and it is consistent with the steps described by Kotter (2021). It means that I should understand clearly why Anna can oppose me in the described situation, what she needs from the team, etc. I need to use my social skills and empathy to show Anna that my appointment as the leader does not humiliate her.
As it was already mentioned, eight Kotter stages might help establish effective communication with Anna. The first step is creating a sense of urgency that will attract Anna’s attention to solving the problem instead of focusing on personal conflict (Kotter, 2021). There should be a necessity for quick actions that do not allow Ann to hesitate. For instance, the problem connected with the work process might help me unite my knowledge and actions with Anna. From one point of view, working as a team together with Anna is the opportunity to show her in practice that my technical skills are high and my authority should not be doubted. From another point of view, it is the chance to show Anna that her skills and competencies are critical to the adequate functioning of our team, and no one plans to dismiss her or underestimate her role.
The second step, according to Kotter, is building a guiding coalition, which is the logical continuation of solving the urgent problem. Kotter (2021) writes that coalition is the basis of teamwork, and it is essential to establish a connection with the informal leaders for successful cooperation. In the discussed case, Anna is the informal leader who was supposed to substitute for the head of the team after they stopped working. Therefore, I need to find the appropriate way to speak to Anna for subsequent work.
The third step is forming a strategic vision and initiatives that will connect the team members. It is vital to ask Anna during the face-to-face communication before starting to work about her perspective on future teamwork and cooperation (Kotter, 2021). Anna might describe her priorities in teamwork, her motivation to pursue the goals set by the company, and her strategic perception of her place in the team. At this stage, I should listen carefully to the things Anna says about her views on teamwork because it contains the essential information about her perception of the situation.
Teamwork requires dedication and efforts from all group members, which makes cooperation the essential component of work. The fourth step from Kotter’s perspective is to enlist in a volunteer army (Kotter, 2021). It supposes that I should gain respect among the team members to continue working on the position of the leader. Without loyal team members, the risk of the potential “revolt” is high, and Anna is the informal leader in this team because she works longer in the company and people know her better. Therefore, Anna is more credible and respected by the employees.
The description of teamwork reflects the hierarchical structure that affects the cooperation between people at the workplace. For this reason, another critical step in establishing effective teamwork is enabling action by removing barriers (Kotter, 2021). From the perspective of the hierarchy, Anna is the better candidate for becoming the team leader. My technical skills do not make me eligible to become the team leader from this perspective. The deliberate emphasis on my ability to solve the issues at the workplace might persuade Anna and her loyal team members that I can cope with the tasks effectively, and my position as the team leader is justified. The absence of a formal hierarchy in the team might also show Anna that her professionalism is not doubted, and she is not humiliated by my position as the leader. It might be practical to emphasize that Anna’s contribution to the teamwork is not less than mine or than the work of all other employees from the group.
The teamwork results should be evaluated objectively to foreground the change in the personnel. It is critical to generate short-term wins in the work process to show all employees in general and Anna in particular that my team leader position gives positive results (Kotter, 2021). At the same time, the positive results of the teamwork should be stable to create my image of an effective leader who is worthy of this position. Kotter (2021) defines this step as the ability to sustain acceleration and achieve continued success. From his point of view, institutional change that shows that new ideas, people, and values are not less effective than the old ones requires time and effort from the employees (Kotter, 2021). In the discussed case, my appointment as the team leader instead of Anna, who worked for the company longer, is a vivid example of this institutional change. Therefore, I should carefully follow all the steps as mentioned earlier to persuade the team members and Anna that I have all the required personal and professional qualities to become the leader.
Conclusion
Summing up, I could attempt to resolve the issues with Anna using Emotional Intelligence Framework and eight Kotter stages to create change. The critical point that connects both frameworks is the respectful attitude to Anna and understanding that her motivation to be discontent with my position as the team leader is justified. It is possible to assume that the dialogue might not be successful without making clear to Anna that I have the competencies to work in this position and that it does not humiliate her as a professional. Therefore, the frameworks’ techniques aim to show Anna that I respect her professionalism and hope that we will cooperate to achieve the common goal without flaws.
Reference
Kotter, J. P. (2021). Change: How organizations achieve hard-to-imagine results in Uncertain and volatile times. Wiley.
