Managing and Developing People: Team Working and Management Styles

Unit 9: MANAGING AND DEVELOPING PEOPLE Task 2: TEAM WORKING AND MANAGEMENT STYLES Introduction As part of my unit 9, managing and developing people, I will be discussing and assessing the management styles and team work of a recent event I have been involved in. The event that I have chosen to base my assessment on is the Christmas disco. I have selected the Christmas disco as it was a recent event I have been involved in, where as a team we planned, organised and ran the event. By using this event, I am able to gather in depth data and draw on my own personal experiences. Team’s task The team’s task was to plan and organise and event that would be feasible within the school. The event held must make a profit, which would then be donated to a chosen charity. The event must be suitable for a school and its pupils. For this task, each member of the team was assigned and allocated a job role with each member having individual responsibilities. Team work in this assignment was vital in the organisation of the event as we not only needed to ensure that the event was successful, and that we provided and enjoyable experience for the pupils, but also we needed to make sure that we communicated well within the organisation. In order to ensure the event was a success, we also needed to work well with each other, which would create an enjoyable atmosphere for those attending the event. Brainstorm It was important for us to decide on the choice of event at an early stage, which would allow us to have plenty of time to research and organise before the event was staged. As a team we thought of a number of suggestions for an event that was feasible. After we had thought of the basic ideas we discussed each idea. This was important as we had to be sure there were good enough reasons for holding the event and that there wouldn’t be too many constraints during organisation process. Disco This type of event can cater for the whole school, which in theory could probably raise the most money. A disco can be held in the school hall as it is big enough, meaning that we don’t have to hire a venue which would be quite expensive. This event can be carried out any time of year and will not be dependent on the weather as the event will be held indoors. As well as selling tickets to the pupils to raise money, we can also sell snacks and drinks to increase the profits. We can also hold competitions for the pupils, and include the teachers in the entertainment. However for this type of event we will need extra staff to monitor the behaviour of the pupils at the disco. There will also be various health & safety procedures that will need to be followed, which is crucial to get right. Another issue is that it may be quite chaotic when the pupils are arriving at the hall and trying to take pupils tickets. This will have to be controlled and may need to stagger classes to avoid crowding at the doors. Also it may be quite expensive to hire a DJ and we may find it hard to cater for everyone’s music tastes. For this type of event there will need to be contingency plan put in place, encase we run out of snacks or drinks. Prom Prom is a very popular and enjoyable event that all involved look forward to. As this is an enjoyable event there will staff who want to attend and able to monitor the pupils. Also for this type of event we would be able to charge more for the tickets as it would be an exclusive event for the pupils. However, this event will only be available for year 11 pupils which would mean that we will not make as much money as the other events. We will also have a problem with the venue for the event. Prom is usually held at a different location, which could prove expensive or the usual venue may not want the pupils there. As it is only year 11 at this event, there is a chance that they may bring alcohol, or manage to get hold of alcohol at the venue as there is a bar. Teachers will have to attend the event to ensure that pupils do not misbehaviour at the prom. This type of event needs a lot of organising and will prove to be quite stressful and confusing. Fete For this type of event, we have the facilities available to us to hold the event, as we have a large school yard. As the event will be held on school ground there will be staff available to monitor the event and the pupil’s behaviour. We can easily make profit from selling confectionary. Also health & safety procedures can be monitored as all facilities needed are easily available through the schools caretaker. However, as this type of event will be held outside it will depend on the weather. There is a risk that we may not make money. We cannot ticket the event as it will be held on the school yard, which cannot be cordoned off and is too large an area. Also if nothing is sold at the fete we will not make any profit. Conclusion After we had looked at the reasons for and against organising each type of event, we decided that the most feasible event for us to hold would be the school disco due to the fact that business studies in previous years held one every year, and it was a successful event, with the majority of pupils attending. From this it showed us that it was an event that the majority of pupils at St. Albans enjoyed. Another reason for holding the school disco, is because we already had the facilities available and we would not have to spend money on initial equipment. We decided to organise the event around Christmas time, so we would be able to set up the Christmas disco for the years 7-11. We then created a name and logo for our chosen event. During a meeting, as a team we came up with a few suggestions and suitable logo ideas. The name and logo needed to symbolise and reflect the type of event we were going to organise. As a group we discussed all ideas and voted on a final logo design and name. We decided on the name ‘iDisco’ as it reflects what type of event we were organising and we feel plays on the idea of the well known mp3 product, iPod, as this is a musical product and music is the main feature of our event. As a team we believed that the name was different, simple and unique. Our logo is a combination of ideas. We wanted a logo that was simple but reflected our business. We agreed that our logo was eye catching and symbolised our business well. Teamwork Team working is relevant to all industries, from manufacturing to the service sector, and it is very useful in small businesses. Team working involves working cooperatively and making use of individual strengths within a group to achieve a common goal. Teams can be based around a particular product or be part of a process or service. They often cut across organisations' structural and functional divides and it is to an employer's advantage to try to recruit staff who works well in a team. Working in a team has many benefits and can give employees: * Exposure to a variety of tasks using several skills Autonomy in deciding the order or pace of work * Identity, as the task forms a whole job or a large part of the whole job * Responsibility, so team members are accountable to each other for what is produced * Valuable feedback on their work * Social contact and an opportunity to interact with colleagues * Balanced workload, as team members can help each other to even out peaks and trough s in their work * Clarity on their roles so the team can deal quickly with any problem of ‘who does what' * Achievement and satisfaction with a job well done Development opportunities, such as improving interpersonal or leadership skills There is no strict rule on the size of a team, but most successful teams have six to 15 members. If it is any larger, the team tends to split into sub-groups. Advantages of Teamwork Team working can increase product quality, encourage product innovation and make team members more autonomous and accountable. The varying skills of team members can better support the introduction of new technology and teams are often able to adapt to differing customer expectations. It can also boost employee morale, motivation, commitment and encourage employees to work collaboratively and share their skills and knowledge. As well as improving productivity, team working can maximise team members' strengths, improve delegation and reduce some levels of management. Teamwork is often introduced when costs are being cut and the workforce is being reduced, for example because of redundancies in a recession. For more information see our guides on reorganisations, restructurings and other major changes and making an employee redundant. Features of the team From the start of any enterprise, it is important that all the participants are allocated clear responsibilities for various aspects of the operation. These roles do not have to be set in stone for the whole life of the project, but can be changed around so that everyone gets experience of more than one area of responsibility. There needs to be someone who is clearly in charge, someone who chairs meetings, has the final say on decisions and to whom all the other members involved in the event. Someone must also be allocated responsibility for the role of secretary – the really important role of keeping a record of all meetings, setting agendas and communicating between all members of the enterprise. Finance is also an important area of responsibility that must be clearly allocated and managed meticulously from the outset. Other areas of responsibility might include market research, sales, publicity, logistics (booking the venue, checking electricity supplies, checking the availability of equipment and organising the post-event clear-up), catering and any other areas that are key to the event’s success. If a role is particularly large or an area of high risk such as finance then more than one person may wish to take on the role so that the area is always covered even if one member is unable to make a key team meeting or take care of an activity. Within each role, there ought to be a clear set of responsibilities. The team member carrying out that role should be set objectives and targets. There should also be regular opportunities for team members to reflect on how well they are meeting their individual targets and how they can improve their performance. Individual roles Managing Director – Aron Roden A Managing Director is the person responsible for planning and directing the work of a group of individuals, monitoring their work, and taking corrective action when necessary. For many people, this is their first step into a management career. Managers may direct workers directly or they may direct several supervisors who direct the workers. The manager must be familiar with the work of all the groups he/she supervises, but does not need to be the best in any or all of the areas. It is more important for the manager to know how to manage the workers than to know how to do their work well. Sales Manager – Christie Watkins Irrespective of the kind of business being carried out, an effective and efficient sales manager is required for higher sales values and ultimately higher profits. Be it the food industry, control panel accessories, cosmetic, automobile or even insurance industry, they all depend on the efficiency of their sales managers as they form the face of the company and are the ones dealing with the final consumer. This is why this position holds a very important place and is a crucial one for the future of the company. However, what exactly does the job description for sales manager entail. * Setting Objectives * Planning and Organizing * Overseeing Sales Team * Inventory Control Production Manager – Dominic Rowles The term â€Å"production†, is mostly linked to engineering industries and factories, and production managers are related to the management, co-ordination, planning and successful execution of the production plan, so that productivity of the firm increases and production targets are met in time. No doubt that production manager’s are key people who have the responsibility of overseeing the production process, managing the budget, ensuring the supply of raw materials and monitoring the quality of the products. Production managers can decide about the purchase of the equipments and the instruments for a firm, if they're need replacement. A production manager is involved in all the stages of production. Be it the pre-planning stage or the stage of production control and evaluation of the plans. Legal Officer – Jason Roynon Legal officers fulfil an important duty of viewing, interpreting and deciphering legal documents. Legal officer’s work within government legal departments, as counsels for corporations, and within profit and non-profit organisations. Legal officers are tasked with reading legal jargon and providing advice to the company they work for on a course of action in legal cases. In some instances, they handle court cases on behalf of their employer. They oversee real estate purchases, compliance with tax laws and state regulations, draw up contracts, and in some cases oversee company budgets and projects. Finance Manager – Wing Hong Lau A financial manager is responsible for providing financial advice and support to clients and colleagues to enable them to make sound business decisions. Financial considerations are at the root of all major business decisions. Clear budgetary planning is essential for future planning, both short and long term, and companies need to know the financial implications of any decision before proceeding. In addition, care must be taken to ensure that financial practices are in line with all statutory legislation and regulations. Secretary – Sophie Price A secretary or administrator provides both clerical and administrative support to professionals, either as part of a team or individually. The role plays a vital part in the administration and smooth-running of businesses throughout industry. Secretaries/administrators are involved with the co-ordination and implementation of office procedures and frequently have responsibility for specific projects and tasks and, in some cases, oversee and supervise the work of junior staff. Human Resources Manager – Jordan Meaney Human resource management is concerned with the development of both individuals and the organization in which they operate. HRM, then, is engaged not only in securing and developing the talents of individual workers, but also in implementing programs that enhance communication and cooperation between those individual workers in order to nurture organizational development. HRM consists, often with the help of other company areas, the nature and responsibilities of various employment positions. This can encompass determination of the skills and experiences necessary to adequately perform in a position, identification of job and industry trends, and anticipation of future employment levels and skill requirements. Staffing is the actual process of managing the flow of personnel into, within (through transfers and promotions), and out of an organization. Once the recruiting part of the staffing process has been completed, selection is accomplished through job postings, interviews, reference checks, testing, and other tools. Marketing Manager – Joe Norris Marketing executives are involved in developing marketing campaigns that promote a product, service or idea. The role includes planning, advertising, public relations, organising events, product development, distribution, sponsorship and research. The work is often challenging, varied and exciting. The responsibilities of a marketing executive will vary, depending on the size of the organisation and sector, and whether the focus is on selling a product or service or raising awareness of an issue that affects the public. Why the needs of individuals and teams conflict Sometimes the individual needs and motivating factors of employees may conflict with the needs and aims of the business. For example, in a small business there maybe few opportunities for promotion. There will be therefore be little incentive for people whose main motivation is career development. However, if the business can provide valuable experience and skill development, perhaps through job rotation, then working for that business might be seen as an important step in a career. Conflict may also arise when employees look for higher salaries and wages. Labour is often one of the largest costs of a business. If a business is trying to reduce expenditure, it may keep increases in salaries and wages to a minimum, which can have an adverse effect on employees’ motivation. Management Theorists In practise, management styles do not always fit neatly into the tree categories of autocratic, democratic or laissez-faire. There have been many other attempts to characterise different management styles and to offer advice to managers on how they can adapt their approach to get the best from their staff. Rensis Likert (1903 – 1981) Dr Rensis Likert has studied human behaviour within many organisations. After extensive research, Dr. Rensis Likert concluded that there are four systems of management. According to Likert, the efficiency of an organisation or its departments is influenced by their system of management. Likert categorised his four management systems as follows; Exploitive authoritative – system 1 In this type of management system the job of employees/subordinates is to abide by the decisions made by managers and those with a higher status than them in the organisation. The subordinates do not participate in the decision making. The organisation is concerned simply about completing the work. The organisation will use fear and threats to make sure employees complete the work set. There is no teamwork involved. Benevolent authoritative – system 2 Just as in an exploitive authoritative system, decisions are made by those at the top of the organisation and management. However employees are motivated through rewards (for their contribution) rather than fear and threats. Information may flow from subordinates to managers but it is restricted to â€Å"what management want to hear†. Consultative – system 3 In this type of management system, subordinates are motivated by rewards and a degree of involvement in the decision making process. Management will constructively use their subordinates ideas and opinions. However involvement is incomplete and major decisions are still made by senior management. There is a greater flow of information (than in a benevolent authoritative system) from subordinates to management. Although the information from subordinate to manager is incomplete and euphemistic. Participative – system 4 Management have complete confidence in their subordinates/employees. There is lots of communication and subordinates are fully involved in the decision making process. Subordinates comfortably express opinions and there is lots of teamwork. Teams are linked together by people, who are members of more than one team. Likert calls people in more than one group â€Å"linking pins†. Employees throughout the organisation feel responsible for achieving the organisation’s objectives. This responsibility is motivational especially as subordinates are offered economic rewards for achieving organisational goals which they have participated in setting. Likert’s Ideal System Likert believes that if an organisation is to achieve optimum effectiveness then the â€Å"ideal† system to adopt is Participative. Meredith Belbin (1926 -) In the 1970s, Dr Meredith Belbin and his research team at Henley Management College set about observing teams, with a view to finding out where and how these differences come about. They wanted to control the dynamics of teams to discover if – and how – problems could be pre-empted and avoided. As the research progressed, the research revealed that the difference between success and failure for a team was not dependent on factors such as intellect, but more on behaviour. The research team began to identify separate clusters of behaviour, each of which formed distinct team contributions or â€Å"Team Roles†. The co-ordinator. Any group needs a leader, an overall chairperson who can co-ordinate the efforts of all members in the team. This role calls for someone who is an effective and well disciplined organiser. The co-ordinator must be able to communictae well with others, to focus their minds and efforts on the objectives of the group as well as the job in hand. They must be able to work with and through other group members. In formal project and work teams, the co-ordinator is often appointed before a team is formed, although in informal groups a leader or co-ordinator is likely to quickly emerge. The shaper. In many ways, the shaper acts as the co-ordinator’s second-in-command, and will often take charge in their absence. The shaper can be the catalyst who turns plans or ideas into action. The role of shaper suits someone with an outgoing and dominant personality, ideally a person who is committed to the successful performance of the group and enthusiastic about the task. The plant. The innovator of the group, the plant tends to be intelligent and imaginative. It is the plant who comes up with original ideas, suggestions and proposals. Often the role of plant suits a more introverted personality who needs to be encouraged in order to contribute fully. The monitor-evaluator. Someone who analyses the ideas and plans of the group to point out inconsistencies, difficulties and flaws. The monitor-evaluator may remain on the periphery of the group, stepping into make a contribution before final decisions are made. The resource investigator. Someone who identifies and locates the resources needed to complete a task, often from sources and contacts outside the group. The role of resource investigator suits an extrovert personality keen to take on the ideas of the group. The implementer. An implementer is usually a good organiser and administrator. The implementer sees to the practical planning and scheduling of the task. The teamworker. By themselves, teamworkers do not take a leading role in a group, but rather support and encourage other group members in their roles by listening and helping. A teamworker will often help to smooth things over if there is a disagreement within the group. The completer. The group member who consolidates the effort of the group as a whole. It is the completer who ensures the group meets its targets, both in terms of time and quality. The completer is usually finicky about details, checking that the task has been completed fully and on time. The specialist. People with the specialist knowledge and skills required for the task or parts of the task. Belbin stresses the importance of each role being fulfilled in a group. If too few of the roles are fulfilled, there will be a risk that tasks may not be completed satisfactory. In small groups with a few members each member may have to fulfill more than one role. Fred Fiedler (1922 -) Fred Fiedler, an American management consultant, suggested that the ability of a manger or leader to manage or efficiently depends upon the situation facing the team. According to Fiedler, there are three critical â€Å"dimensions† or factors which have to be taken into consideration: * Position power – the power and authority given the leader by the organisation. * Task structure – the extent to which tasks and outcomes can be clearly defined to * those responsible for carrying them out, as opposed to tasks that are unclear or ambiguous. * Relations between the leader and the other team members – the extent to which the members of a team like and trust their leader, and are willing to follow his/her lead. Fielder also identifies three conditions (or sets of conditions) which can affect the effectiveness of management styles. Condition 1 where position power of the manager is high, the task highly structured and relationships with team members are good. Fiedler suggested that in this condition an authoritarian, task-centred management style is most appropriate, as relationships are already good and the manager is able to maintain control. Condition 2 in which the position power of the manager is relatively low, the task is poorly structured or ambiguous, but relationships between the manager and the team members are moderately good. In this condition, Fiedler suggested that a democratic, employee-centred management style is more appropriate in order to maintain relationships and to enable the manager to exert some influence. Condition 3 where again the position power of the manager is low and the task poorly structured, but relationships between the manager and team members are also poor. In this condition, Fiedler suggested that an authoritarian, task-centred management style is more appropriate, giving rise to more positive action and better performance than a more conciliatory democratic, employee-centred style. Victor Vroom (1932 -) An alternative contingency theory has been proposed by the US psychologist Victor Vroom. In his model, Vroom identified these five stages of management from which mangers can choose the most appropriate to their situation. 1) The manager makes all decisions and solves problems without reference to team members. 2) The manager obtains relevant information from team members, and them makes the decision or solves the problem. 3) The manager consults team members individually for opinions and suggestions, and then makes the decision or solves the problem. ) The manager consults with a group as a whole, and then makes the decision or solves the problem. 5) The manager consults with the team, and a decision is taken or the problem solved by the team as a whole. Team’s Management There are many management strategies that a business can choose to run its organisation by. However many of these strategies focus on the authoritative figure, (managing director), of t he organisation. Within the team, communication is key to ensure the success of the business, allowing information to reach all members of the team, in particular with management. Rensis Likert’s theory asserts that the most successful leaders are those who are able to establish work teams that are fully co-operative and have a high level of job satisfaction. Relating to his theory, the teams management strategy could be seen as consultative. All major decisions were first of all made and discussed by the team, but ultimately made by the managing director. This showed the confidence and trust the managing director had in the team. Using meetings to make constructive use of team members ideas and opinions, allowing participation in decision-making from the team. In this instance communication is two-way between the managing director and the rest of the team. However the strategy I agree that represents the team’s management the most, is Likert’s system 4, participative. This team management strategies states that the manager demonstrates complete trust and confidence with the team. Also through meetings, full use was made of team participation in decision-making and setting targets, as we regularly used our gantt chart to set deadlines, and discussed the issues we faced to resolve them effectively. I felt there was a supportive atmosphere as the managing director helped and advised rather than dictating and commanding. As communication flowed freely in all directions, responsibilities for decisions and performance were shared throughout the team. Meredith Belbin’s theory identifies nine basic roles which must be fulfilled for a group to be fully effective. Team roles are rarely allocated through a conscious decision process. Some roles are adopted because a member wants that particular role, either because they feel most comfortable in it, or because it fits in with their personal agenda. Other roles are adopted by members subconsciously, because their personality or temperament best suits them for the role. During our first team meeting job roles were allocated, and with many of these job roles can be instantly related to Belbin’s team management theory. The co-ordinator was instantaneously adopted by the managing director as he was an effective and well disciplined organiser. As the co-ordinator, the managing director communicated well with the team, to focus on the objective of the group as well as the job in hand. The monitor-evaluator, I feel was adopted by the sales manager as she analysed ideas and plans of the group and pointed out inconsistencies. Also the sales manager adopted the role of the plant, as she is an intelligent and imaginative individual who came up with original ideas and suggestions. Logically I think the role of the implementer was taken on as the secretary, myself. I feel as the implementer I had good organisation and administrative skills, and I planned and scheduled team tasks. The role of the shaper was taken by the production manager as he stepped in if the managing director was absent. I feel that the shaper was committed to the successful performance of the group and enthusiastic about the task. I would regard the finance director as the specialist within the group as he used his specialist knowledge and skills required for the task. The teamworker was a role that was adopted by the human resources manager. Although he did not take a leading role within the group, he supported and encouraged others in their roles. Furthermore the teamworker often helped to defuse any difficult situations or disagreements. The legal officer, I believe, took on the role of the resource investigator as part of his job was to locate resources from outside contacts, such as contracts and insurance policies. Finally, I would consider the role of the completer was adopted by the marketing manager. One of the marketing managers tasks was to create the logo for the team. Using the teams ideas, he consolidated their work to produce the logo. He ensured that the group met deadlines and checked quality of the teams work. However I feel that Belbin’s roles could have applied to each individual member of the team. Many aspects of his theory could have applied to individual tasks as well. On the other hand, I see the significance of these roles, as it allows team members to be identifiable and recognise their roles. Teams and Management Styles Ultimately, the performance if the team is the responsibility of the leader. However, any team is only as effective as the combined efforts of its members, and all members must play their part. A leader must therefore be aware of and sensitive to the varying needs of the organisation, the team and individual members. So a team leader must draw out contributions from all members by co-ordinating their activities and by making sure that they work positively towards the team’s objectives. A good leader will listen to the opinions, ideas and concerns of members. If conflict exists, the leader must decide on a course of action that is in the interests of the team and organisation. The style of leadership or management adopted by managers has an impact on employees. It can affect employee motivation and morale, and therefore affect their work, with consequences for the performance of the organisation. Obviously, any business organisation wants to get the best performance out of its workforce. A considerable amount of research has therefore been undertaken into the effectiveness of different management styles and approaches to business leadership. The underlying goal of this research is to find the style – or styles – of leadership which is more likely to encourage subordinates to work better. Theories of management have usually contrasted three styles: Autocratic In an autocratic management style, power and authority are exercised by the manger without reference to others within his or her department or team. The autocratic manger plans and controls the activities of the team, dictating what is to be done and spelling out how it should be done. Autocratic management tends to be task-centred, and more focused on the satisfactory completion of the task than on the welfare or motivation of employees. Democratic In a democratic management style, on the other hand, while power and authority still lie with the manager, plans and decisions on future activities are made by the team as a whole. A democratic manager may even delegate some power and authority for making decisions to others in the team and may encourage staff to take some independent action. Democratic management is employee-centred, being based on the theory that employees will be more motivated and work better when they are involved in decision-making. Laissez-faire A manager who adopts a laissez-faire management style allows members of the team to carry out their functions and tasks without interference. This type of manager will remain in the background, co-ordinating and supporting the work of the team members, and representing them at management settings. Leadership style analysis Initial, my first analysis of the leadership style for the team would be that our Managing Director adopted a very laissez-faire style. As this was the first team we had worked in a team with each other, but we all knew each other from the previous year, the leadership style was quite laid back and everyone was left to carry out their roles and responsibilities. Yet through regular meetings, as a team we were able to come together, review our work and our managing director was then able to co-ordinate our work. However I would now say that there was more of a democratic leadership style by the managing director. Although the managing director was the authoritative figure within the team, everyone is given a seat at the table, and discussion is relatively free-flowing. The ideas and decisions were discussed openly and final decisions were made as team. This style meant facilitating the conversation, encouraging the team to share ideas, and then synthesizing all the available information into the best possible decision. I believe that this type of leadership allowed the managing director to trust the team to make their own decisions. Through our meetings we knew what our tasks were, and our deadlines as they were organised by the managing director, yet I felt that we were encouraged to make our own decisions with our work and we were not required take their ideas. Also I felt that as a team we all involved in making the decisions and it was our company, not just the managing directors. Because of this, I believe that our business was more of a success as we were all motivated to achieve more than was expected. Meetings A meeting are called together to discuss or investigate problems, give information, consult the views of others, take decisions or plan courses of action, when more than one person is involved. As methods of communication, involving employees in the management of the business, and spreading information, meetings have an important part to play in motivation. They are, therefore, an important management tool, and any manager needs to have the skills and experience to use meetings. Meetings are an important part in the management of any business and are called on several levels. * At director level, meetings are called to discuss and take decisions on the future strategy of the business and to set aims and objectives. * At senior management level, meetings are called to decide on plans of action to implement strategy and achieve objectives. * At department or team level, meetings are called to disseminate or given information, investigate problems or ways of doing things, consult the views of team members, and plan the work of the team to achieve its targets. As with any team activity, the effectiveness of a meeting is also affected by the style of leadership and decree of control exercised by the person chairing the meeting. ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- Below is a copy of the minutes from a team meeting. 1st October 2010 Meeting started at 2:30 – ended 2:40 Agenda 1. Decide food 2. Questionnaires 3. Welsh Bac group. Present at meeting -All. Food discussed. Discussed what food and drink we want to supply at the disco. With each ticket purchased, pupils will be provided with a free drink and packet of crisps. Prices of products have been researched, as a group have decided to purchase the cheapest product. Have decided that we will not be giving fizzy drinks as the free drink, but will be selling them throughout the disco. Also we have decided to offer other crisps, chocolate and sweets, although products will need to be checked for nut allergies. Questionnaire discussed. Production manager to produce a questionnaire to find out what pupils want at the disco. We have decided to issue two questionnaires, one for lower school and one for upper school. By doing this we can cater the for both disco’s effectively. Welsh Bac group discussed. Along with the disco we need to include a Welsh Bac group for their business enterprise. We have decided on a group who will be selling glow sticks at the disco. All profits made from sales of their products will be added to total donated to our chosen charity. Date of next meeting: 12th October 2010 ————————————————- Detailed discussion of meeting Throughout our task, we regularly held meetings on a fortnightly bases. This enabled the team to review the task and deadlines. During meetings the team were able to communicate ideas and discuss problems. In the meeting included above, the reasons for holding the meeting were to discuss the agenda: * Decide food * Questionnaires * Welsh Bac group. During this meeting we were able to decide that we would give pupils a free drink and packet of crisps with their ticket purchase. We all agreed that this would be an incentive for the pupils to attend the disco, and thought that it was fair to provide one free drink and one free packet of crisps as the disco would only last an hour and a half. After looking through research from the production manager, we decided that the free products would be the cheaper of our stock. From the research we concluded that we would be purchasing small squash cartons and space raider crisps, as the free products. As these were the products that all pupils would be given, we decided that they shouldn’t be full of additives, like a fizzy drink or sweets. As well as the free products, at the disco we sold additional snacks and drinks. We decided that these products should be named brands and widely recognised by the pupils, which we felt would persuade the pupils to purchase them. At this meeting we decided that extra research was needed to guarantee all products sold would not contain nuts, ensure we would not cause any allergic reactions to any of the pupils. The second topic on the agenda was the questionnaires. We needed to gather data and primary research for our event. We concluded that the best possible way to do so was through a questionnaire, getting answers directly from the target market it was aimed at. During this meeting we discussed what types of questions needed to be included in our questionnaire. To begin with we discussed what needed to be included in the questionnaire. We wanted to find out what products the pupils would want to purchase at the disco and if the products we were researching would be suitable. Also we wanted to ask the pupils what types of music they wanted to listen to at the disco, and if they would like to hear Christmas songs at the disco, as this would enable us to cater for all their music tastes. We had previously discussed inviting a band to our event, but we needed to know if the pupils wanted this along with any items they would like available at the event. As we were having two discos’ we needed to cater for both. We decided that we would need to produce two questionnaires, for both upper and lower school. This would allow us to design the discos around the pupils. After discussing the questions, the managing director delegated the task of producing the questionnaire to the marketing manager. We all felt that he was the right person for the task. We have been approached by a Welsh bac group, who as part of their course need to include business enterprise. This group would like to be a part of our disco, and wish to sell glow sticks during the event. As a team we decided that glow sticks would be an ideal product to sell at a disco, and agree that the pupils would enjoy them. We agreed as a team and with the welsh bac group that the profit they make will be contributed to our total, and donated to our chosen charity. Analysis of the meeting It was important to have regular meetings through our task, as it allowed us to come together as a team, to evaluation our work and organise tasks. I would consider these meetings beneficial to the team, as it motivated us to work together and focused us on the job at hand. The advantages of the above meeting: * Analyse individuals work. * Make decisions as a team. * Able to keep track of progress. Resolve problems as a team. * Discuss future tasks. * Easy way to communicate within the team. * Problems resolved quickly and efficiently. * Agenda was met. The disadvantages of the above meeting: * Meetings quite short. * No future deadlines set. * New ideas were not discussed. * No alternative agenda’s were discussed. * Welsh bac group was discussed without their presence. * Meetings were not set on regular bases. Even though I regard our team meetings as an effective means of communicating within the team, I feel that there are areas that need to be reviewed and improved. Initially the length of the teams meetings is an area I believe could be improved. The majority of our meetings would last 10-15 minutes. I personally believe that this was not enough time to discuss all topics on the agenda, and allow team members to raise additional topics. Also by having meetings at 2. 30, didn’t leave us much time in a normal school day to get tasks done that have been discussed. If we held all our meetings first thing in the morning, it would leave us the rest of our lesson (and free lessons) to address issues raised in our meetings. On many occasions deadlines were set during meetings, however this did not happen at all meetings. I believe that by not setting team deadlines during meetings, team members did not know what their tasks were or how to address them. Also this meant that progress was slowed, which lead to work being rushed as we came closer to the event. If we had set deadlines and tasks during every meeting, I feel that progress could have been made earlier, allowing us to concentrate on the more important issues. Furthermore it would have enabled team members to identify their progress what they need to do next.