Abstract
This paper discusses the tactics of a new shift supervisor at Fast Fleet Shoes Company to improve low morale and performance and address some employee concerns. This plan is a multifaceted approach that aims at the imminent, six-month, and one-year targets. Immediate solutions to the mentioned problem will be to run counseling workshops and create formulated policies surrounding attendance and Theory Y leadership where a personal connection between superiors and employees is promoted. The introduction of team-based SWOT analysis forms the basis for any further improvement. During the first half of the year, there is a need to set up SMART objectives and a mentorship program to share knowledge. 1-Year goals experiment with a work-from-home experiment and spend money on high-potential leadership development. The plan intends to generate a friendly and helpful environment by facilitating teamwork, involvement feedback, and continuous improvement. It eliminates apathy among workers, resulting in decreased absenteeism and, eventually, increased production.
Keywords: Motivational Leadership, SWOT Analysis, SMART Goal
Having faced a workplace team dealing with both low morale and poor performance can sound like a challenging undertaking. This is precisely the task that the newest Shift Supervisor at Fast Fleet Shoes Manufacturing woke up to perform very early in the morning. The lousy management skills of the previous supervisor haunt the shop floor, and the employees remember the unattended and disengaged quotas. However, the difficulties are sometimes the doors that open paths for our advancement. This plan is based on a multifaceted approach that sets the solutions for current problems and a positive and productive workplace at ‘Fast Fleet Shoes.’ Through open communication, employee engagement, and resolution of individual issues, a new leader could create a team with great success, and it will become the best it could be.
Immediate Fixes (1-3 Months)
The first three months are the critical period for creating trust and connection, which are the basis of any influential community. The first step will be to identify the areas of concern that are possibly the causes of low employee morale and the drop in operational productivity.
Addressing Absenteeism
Ongoing lateness and absenteeism can adversely affect workplace efficiency, leading to losses and dislike for a team of reliable employees. To address this problem, individual counseling sessions will be conducted with employees who frequently ignore the attendance rules and other essential work ethics. During these sessions, active listening will be essential. Firstly, the root cause of their behavior must be identified through an in-depth assessment, whereby according to Kocakukah et al. (2016), there is a need to focus on energies on non-work related issues, which may include considerations of childcare issues, transport problems, and health issues giving the basis for a more targeted solution. Since the underlying cause of the problem may vary, flexible scheduling and referrals to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) may help alleviate the issue (Kocakukah et al., 2016). In addition, a stipulated attendance policy that will be made and sent to all workers will be developed and communicated to the employees. The present policy concisely acknowledges policies and results along with the procedure of verbal warning, written warning, suspension of action, and dismissal. The latter is meant to detect and trace inconsistency and advance impartial attendance cases.
Motivational Leadership
The former leadership style might have been the reason for demotivation among employees. To make the working conditions more positive, we will apply Theory Y leadership principles whereby the manager will let the employees develop and mature, hence meeting the psychological needs of their employees, which may push them to report absences (Ahmad, 2021). With the help of the delegation, we provide for the staff to feel ownership of what they get to do and develop their abilities. Through a continuous feedback loop, employees clearly understand their performance and can detect areas for improvement by themselves. This way, the communication process is mutual, creating trust and promoting accountability. In conclusion, public recognition of success contributes towards positive behaviors and increases morale; thus, mirroring others can work for the best.
SWOT Analysis
For better knowledge and an action plan for improvement, the teams will do a SWOT analysis of the department’s current situation. ‘SWOT’ represents strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The teamwork process involving analysis of these factors will further allow them to pool their collective wisdom and experience. This cooperative partnership not only arouses the excellent spirit of the team but also conveys to employees the message that they are part of the solution. Assessing where the team’s strengths may lie makes it possible to expand on its most robust features, while weaknesses can be addressed by devising effective strategies for overcoming the shortcomings. Awareness of opportunities allows us to take advantage of environmental circumstances to improve productivity. Awareness of weaknesses, problems, and threats helps us develop proactive solutions to neutralize their negative impact.
Six-Month Goals
Building on the initial improvements made in the first few months, the following goals aim to solidify a positive work environment and enhance team performance over a six-month timeframe:
SMART Goal Setting
Introducing SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals will not only aid in guiding in the right direction. However, it will also set the perfect reference point for success (Burger, 2020). Together with the team, we will be able to create SMART performance goals that are relevant to the task. These ambitions will be on the same level of difficulty yet still within reach so that a sense of accomplishment is created when these goals are achieved. Also, they will be tied to departmental objectives and have a smeared timeframe for completing tasks. This goal-setting process will begin when employees realize their contributions to the whole team’s success.
Mentorship Program
It is fundamental to bridge the gap between the generations and promote the transference of knowledge to ensure the organization’s long-term success. A mentorship program will be rolled out, with the consistent mating of dates between the older and the younger ones. This initiative will give an employee a chance to put his 14 years of experience, through his mentorship, in the hands of a young colleague who can move forward by use of it. Through this, both the mentee and the mentor will be able to get a myriad of wealth of insights and practical skills, while the mentee has the pleasure of seeing someone important to him or her develop in front of him or her. Team cohesion is one of the program’s goals; it allows team members to work together, developing a more collaborative team dynamic.
One-Year Goals
Looking ahead, these one-year goals focus on long-term development and maximizing individual potential:
Work-from-Home Pilot
According to research, 36% of women can work remotely compared to men (Pennington & Stanford, 2020). A temporary work-at-home program will be carried out to embrace the single mother in inventory control and examine the possible benefits. The ability of this program to allow her to care for her child at the same time as depicting her competence while performing her role from a distance will be demonstrated. The results of this pilot could be adapted to a whole new level, which would involve rethinking work-from-home options for the jobs eligible for this regime.
Leadership Development
Developing qualified leadership for the team is ensured through the search for high-caliber team members with supervisory ambitions. Such a task will give them a chance to develop themselves by schooling them in leadership workshops or taking them on cross-functional projects. The continuous training that supervisors receive will be their leading quality at the top, and it helps keep the Department of Culture at pace with modern trends.
Conclusion
By implementing this multi-level plan, the new supervisor can turn the workplace at Speedy Shoes from disappointing to exciting. Short-time actions, including teaching employees to be present and inspiring them through Theory Y leadership, will cause the environment to shake towards the positive and productive aspects. By participating in the SWOT analysis organized in a team, employees are allowed to involve themselves and evaluate the division’s core forces and shortcomings. Having SMARTs as the goals establishes the direction where achievement is imminent while every generation exchanges information and skills through mentorship programs. Individualism is acknowledged, and the pilot’s experimental nature is searched for to obtain certain rewards for the department. This particular direction, apart from ensuring we have enough role models and potential leaders for an organization’s future, also facilitates a logical sequence of managers. Dialogue, employee participation, and constant improvement are crucial aspects of this plan and how team members may attain results beyond their imaginations.
References
Ahmad, S. (2021). Motivation and Performance: A Psychological Process. International Journal of Business and Management Research, 9(2), 104-112.
Burger, J. (2020). 3.6 Goal Setting and Motivation. Orientation to College for Your Success.
Kocakulah, M. C., Kelley, A. G., Mitchell, K. M., & Ruggieri, M. P. (2016). Absenteeism problems and costs: causes, effects, and cures. International Business & Economics Research Journal (IBER), 15(3), 89-96.
Pennington, A., & Stanford, J. (2020). Working from home: Opportunities and risks.
write