Assignment 2 Real life reflective paper

This case study analyzes the underperformance of Gurveer Kaur, a branch manager at Testbuilders Academy, focusing on her life and work situation, motivational factors, and management strategies. It identifies issues such as low team morale, missed targets, and poor time management, while proposing interventions based on the RESPECT model and servant leadership principles. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of a supportive environment and employee engagement for organizational success.

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Assignment 2 Real life reflective paper

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Introduction

In today's fast-paced work environment, managing underperforming employees is a

common challenge faced by many organizations. This case study focuses on an employee,
Gurveer Kaur, who works as a branch manager at Testbuilders Academy in Rampura,
Bathinda, Punjab. The analysis will delve into her life and work situation, identify the nature
of her underperformance, and explore motivational factors using Adam Grant's categories.
Additionally, it will apply the RESPECT model, Recognition drivers, and Crisis Management
Framework to understand the drivers lacking in her engagement. Finally, it will discuss
potential interventions and the impact of servant leadership principles.

Profiling Gurveer Kaur

Life Situation

Gurveer Kaur is a 32-year-old female employee. She is married with two children, aged 6 and
8, which places her in a stage of life where family responsibilities are significant. Her
husband works in a different city, so she often juggles her work and family duties alone. This
situation can lead to stress and divided attention between work and personal life.

Work Situation

Gurveer holds the position of Branch Manager at Testbuilders Academy. Her role involves
overseeing daily operations, managing staff, and ensuring that branch targets are met.
Despite her experience and qualifications, she has been struggling to meet performance
expectations.

The Problem: Underperformance

Gurveer's underperformance is evident in several areas:

1. Low Team Morale: Under her management, team morale has decreased. Staff
members often express dissatisfaction with her leadership style, citing lack of clear
communication and inadequate support.

2. Missed Targets: The branch has consistently failed to meet its quarterly targets,
leading to financial losses and a decrease in customer satisfaction.

3. Poor Time Management: Gurveer frequently misses deadlines and struggles to

prioritize tasks effectively, resulting in delays in project completion.

Motivational Analysis Using Adam Grant's Categories

Adam Grant categorizes individuals into four types: agreeable giver, agreeable
taker, disagreeable giver, and disagreeable taker. Based on observations, Gurveer can be
classified as an agreeable giver. She is generally cooperative and willing to help others, but
her eagerness to please often leads to overcommitting and under-delivering. This trait aligns
with the characteristics of an agreeable giver, who tends to prioritize others' needs over
their own, sometimes at the cost of their performance.

Applying RESPECT Model, Recognition Drivers, and Crisis Management Framework

RESPECT Model

The RESPECT model emphasizes the importance

of Recognition, Empathy, Support, Partnering, Expectations, Consideration, and Trust in
building a positive work environment. In Gurveer's case, the lack
of Recognition and Support seems to be a significant issue. She rarely receives feedback or
acknowledgment for her efforts, which can demotivate her further.

Recognition Drivers

Recognition drivers such as public acknowledgment, monetary incentives,

and opportunities for growth are crucial for motivating employees. Gurveer lacks
opportunities for professional development and rarely receives public recognition for her
contributions, which could enhance her engagement.

Crisis Management Framework

A Crisis Management Framework involves prevention, preparation, response, and recovery.

In managing Gurveer's underperformance, the organization could focus on preparation by
providing training and resources to improve her leadership skills and response by addressing
immediate performance issues through regular feedback and coaching : A leader may need
to use this autocratic approach on occasions. “Do-it-because-I-say-so”. It is also known as the
“My way or the highway” style. This may be appropriate in crisis situations or when drastic
change is required. It is probably best suited to the survival issues of Level 1 on Barrett’s
model. This is when compliance and tight control and monitoring are needed. Orders must
be followed unquestioningly. This style is problematic when over-used as it tends to include
threats, frequent criticism and rare praise, which eventually erodes people’s spirits and pride
and satisfaction in their work. This is the least effective approach if used in situations other
than a crisis; an autocratic and intimidating leader affects everyone’s mood and
engagement, team input is minimal, the climate spirals down and performance suffers.

Challenges and Impact

The underperformance of Gurveer Kaur poses several challenges:

1. Team Performance: Her leadership style affects team morale and productivity,
impacting overall branch performance.

2. Customer Satisfaction: Missed targets and poor service quality can lead to customer
dissatisfaction and loss of business.
3. Organizational Reputation: Consistent underperformance can tarnish the reputation
of Testbuilders Academy in the region.

Approaching the Problem

Timing of Intervention

An intervention should be timely, ideally after a thorough assessment of Gurveer's

performance over a few months. This allows for a comprehensive understanding of her
strengths and weaknesses.

Potential Discipline or Termination

As a servant leader, it is crucial to approach the situation with empathy and support rather
than immediate discipline. Providing resources for improvement and setting clear
expectations can help Gurveer address her underperformance. Termination should be
considered only if significant efforts to improve yield no results. There has never been a
better time to rethink your employee engagement strategy and approach. And this new
edition features commentary, advice, case-studies and tools to address the latest employee
engagement challenges and seize the somewhat unexpected opportunities afforded by
Covid-19. There are new and updated contributions looking at the role of technology to
improve engagement, making the case for an increased focus on wellbeing, as well as
inclusion and diversity. And as the pandemic continues to play out, it’s clearer than ever that
a transactional approach to employee engagement is no longer fit for purpose. Now is the
time to make the move to a more transformational approach to engagement – an approach
that is both agile and human-centred. An approach that will help you navigate the
challenges of today and the coming months, as we continue to see the pandemic play out.
The time has come to inspire organizations to treat their people better, and empower
leaders to make positive change. The time has come to fight back against the status quo of
toxic workplaces. Because we know that when you get it right with your people great things
can happen. By following the guidance contained here practitioners will be able to
demonstrably improve and develop employee engagement within their organizations and
unleash the power of an engaged workforce.

Influence of Faith and Servant Leadership Principles

My faith and core values emphasize compassion and support. As a servant leader, I believe
in empowering employees by providing them with the necessary tools and resources to
succeed. This approach aligns with the principles outlined in "Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work"
by Dr. Marciano, which highlights the importance of personal responsibility and respect in
motivating employees (Marciano, as cited in Boucher). Theories of motivation were helpful
in explaining bursts of energy in pursuit of a “carrot” but could not explain employee
engagement. Motivating employees and engaging them were very distinct concepts. By
focusing on building trust and fostering a supportive environment, I aim to help Gurveer
overcome her challenges and grow both personally and professionally. Skinner used
reinforcement and punishment techniques to motivate the behavior of lab animals such as
mice and pigeons. These same principles and techniques proved to be highly effective in
motivating human behavior and dovetailed perfectly with the field of scientific management
and its focus on behavior. There appeared to be no need to consider people’s thoughts or
feelings to explain behavior. Thus, in what was becoming a tug-of-war of competing
approaches to the study of motivation. The workplace and its employees are very different
today than they were prior to the second half of the twentieth century. One of the biggest
changes is employees’ expectations and their relationship to their work. Managers, leaders,
and human resources professionals must be willing to give up traditional beliefs about the
role of motivation and factors that affect employee motivation if they are to deal effectively
with today’s workforce

In conclusion, addressing Gurveer's underperformance requires a multifaceted approach

that includes motivational analysis, application of engagement models, and empathetic
leadership. By understanding her needs and providing appropriate support, it is possible to
enhance her performance and contribute positively to the organization's overall success.
Every employee contributes to the quality of the product or the service experienced by the
customer, and the customer’s experience is the deciding factor on whether or not he or she
will continue to do business with that company. The Gallup organisation conducted research
that supports the view that employee engagement is an important factor in organisational
success. Their view is that “engaged workers are the lifeblood of their organizations” and to
win customers, companies need to win the hearts and minds of their employees.1 If
engaged employees lead to engaged customers, companies need to focus on how to engage
their employees, meaning the employees’ experience at work becomes an important topic
for business leaders. We need to reflect on how we create an employee experience that
leads to engaged employees. Talent in the form of well-educated and tech-savvy people is
generally not daunted by a demanding work situation. Many of these people have the
approach of, “I would love to be part of the business challenge. It sounds exciting. I want to
be challenged and to be part of exciting projects. However, I have my own expectations of
the Company as my employer and of my leadership. The salary and benefits are important to
me but my needs are greater than that. I am looking at the total work experience and things
like meaningful work, the opportunity to be creative, ongoing development, inspiring
leadership, recognition and a sense of belonging are also important if you want the best out
of me”.

References
Boucher, J. (n.d.). How to Love the Job You Hate. [Advance Praise for "Carrots and Sticks
Don’t Work"].