Benchmark - Data Collection
Ana-Stall21
BrainstormingwithanAffinityDiagram.docx
Brainstorming with an Affinity Diagram
Problem/Issue: Low morale within military
"Why" Question: Why are soldiers within the military experiencing low morale?
Favoritism
Multitasking
Time away from families
Long hours
Lack of vision/goals
Hostile work environment
Too-heavy work demands
Poor management
Improper training
Conflicting systems
Themes based upon commonalities
Systems
Leadership
Progression
Compensation and Benefits
Employee Training and Tools
Low compensation
Improper training
Conflicting systems
Hostile work environment
Favoritism
Time away from families
Multitasking
Too-heavy work demands
Lack of vision/purpose
Poor management
Connection
The majority of the members agree that there is a need to improve leadership training, hence this group has a lot in common with the Employee Training & Tools group.
Defined Problem: Low morale and productivity among Soldiers
Why are soldiers within the military experiencing low morale?
· Workers report a deficiency of direction and believe their efforts are being wasted.
Why is that?
· Employees believe that many managers are not providing effective leadership.
Why is that?
· A large number of employees believe that their supervisors are more interested in furthering their own careers than in achieving the organization's objectives.
Why is that?
· Workers have a negative impression of their workplace climate.
Why is that?
· People are promoted to positions of authority over which they have neither prepared nor expertise.
Why is that?
· Because of personnel turnover caused by promotions or transfers, many leaders feel pressured to find replacements for vacant positions. Every tier of management has to have its own set of tests and training, but it's easy for poor performers with toxic qualities to slip through the cracks when there are so many people to choose from.
Validate of root causes
Low morale is a result of the effects of toxic leadership, which may be witnessed in the military. There is evidence that working under a negative manager may lead to a decline in both effort and quality (by up to 38 percent) (Kerns, 2021). This lowers morale and has knock-on effects on teamwork, efficiency, and preparedness for missions. In order to solve this problem, Army supervisors at all levels must strictly enforce laws and promote open-door systems where undesirable behavior may be reported. The promotion of managers might be based on personality tests like those employed by large civilian organizations. Leaders who fail to deliver and have a negative influence on morale and productivity should be removed from their positions as soon as possible because they are a threat to both the training and battle environments.
Reference
Kerns, Z. D. (2021). A Crisis of Low Morale: Support for the Military in America's Working Class. US Army School for Advanced Military Studies.
