Team Communication and Problem Solving
renihiwickek
managing_team_issues_update.pptxMANAGING TEAM ISSUES
Renita Wickes:
CTU:
7 May 2017:
WORK GROUP:MARKETING TEAM
The marketing team is composed of members of different functional departments in the organization.
The marketing team work group is created to promote the business and organizational mission.
The group serves as the face of the organization, producing and coordinating all materials representing the business.
The group is charged with reaching out to investors, customers, prospects and the community.
The group will create the overreaching image that represents the organization in positive light.
The marketing team, which is a functional work group created in the organization is composed of employees from different departments. To form an exceptional working group, the team must be composed of cross-functional departments of the organization (Hollensen, 2015). Functional departments in the organization include: production, research and department, purchasing, human resource management, and accounting and finance. The marketing team work group is constituted differently from the normal marketing department of an organization to work on an newly introduced product into the market (Hollensen, 2015).To allow the product to make headway in the new market and increase market penetration. The marketing team will play a significant function in the promotion of business and mission of an organization.
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PURPOSE OF THE MARKETING WORK GROUP.
The work group is created to market a newly introduced product in the market.
The composition of the work group is different from a normal marketing department.
Objectives of the work group:
Defining and managing the newly introduced brand.
Production of promotional and marketing materials for the newly introduced product (Hollensen, 2015).
Provision of internal communications for the product.
Managing and monitoring the exposure if the product on social media.
With regards to stakeholders and the organization, the group serves as media liaison (Hollensen, 2015).
The work group is created to market and promote a newly introduced product in the organization (Hollensen, 2015). The purpose of the group therefore is to create awareness and improve the image of the brand outside the confines of a normal marketing and sales department. The newly formed team will define and manage the brand through defining the new product. The team will be involved in conducting campaign management for marketing initiatives of the newly introduced product. The team will develop marketing initiatives to promote the newly introduced product proactively (Hollensen, 2015). The group will also be involved in production of promotional and marketing materials and avenues for the newly introduced product. The work group create the materials that promote and describe the core functions of the product, and keep customers updated. An internal team of communications in the work group will address monitoring and management of social media and production of internal communications.
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METHODS OF COLLECTING DATA.
Data is collected through interviews, questionnaires and group discussions.
Using questionnaires improves ease of collecting information.
Questionnaires are also used because of the straightforward nature.
Effective marketing campaigns require intensive research and insightful knowledge.
Areas of market research and data collection include:
Product’s quality and performance, research on target market and characteristics;
Sales methods and polices, best advertising and promotional strategies;
Best pricing and distribution strategies.
Methods of collecting data from the stakeholders depends on the scope of the marketing research and that is why defining these elements are important. For instance, defining the scope of market research for which the data collection is being conducted provides insightful information about the content and amount of information required from the stakeholders for the newly introduced market. Conducting research on the newly introduced product is important. The qualities and the performance of the product can be researched to find out how it stands out from the rest of the pack. More importantly, the group investigates the uses of the currently present product and compares them with the competitive ones. The market is another important component of the stakeholders which must be researched and data collected to draw insightful information. The target is gathered on the targeted audience and market for the newly introduced product. Understanding the target market for the newly introduced product goes beyond the face value to include the needs and the wants of the target audience. The study location and size of the current market. The work group would also be interested in understanding the current market trends and projecting the future trend of data and information. After adequate data has been collected in both areas, analysis of the territorial sales potential and opportunities is created. Best sales and promotion methods is important in the following perspectives: evaluating existing methods of selling, and studying the effectiveness of the existing methods of selling.
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METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION CONT…
Data is collected through: interviews, questionnaires, surveys, and focus group discussions.
Stakeholder In-Depth Interviews (SDIS) will be largely exploited (Ott, & Longnecker, 2015).
Interviews are made simple and interesting to gather adequate data.
Interviews give in depth analysis of the information and data required.
Interviews are important in gaining useful information about opinions, perceptions, and personal feelings.
Group discussions are also used in data collection (Ott, & Longnecker, 2015).
Group discussions are used in obtaining detailed information about personal and group feelings, opinions and perceptions. be important in de
Interviews and group discussions will be important in collecting data from the stakeholders which include customers, other components of the target market and the members of the work group (Ott, & Longnecker, 2015). Interviews are useful in collecting data from the group and the stakeholders since it will help in discovering how individuals in the team feel and think about a topic and why these opinions are held. Interviews inform strategy planning, resource allocation and decision making especially for the role of the team in brand awareness. Interviews are also used here because they add a human dimension or perspective to impersonal data. Interviews deepen explanation and understanding of statistical data. Since the purpose of the group in creating awareness and marketing a newly introduced product in the market, the complex behavior of the customers must be evaluated and researched (Ott, & Longnecker, 2015). This is where group discussions come in. Focus group discussions are used in investing complex behavior. More importantly, the group discussions method will be used in discovering how different members of the group feel and think about the purpose of the team and understanding why different members hold different opinions. Using group discussions will be important for the group since it suggests potential recommendations and solutions to the issues identified.
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TYPE OF DATA FOR THE DEVELOPMENTAL PLAN
Two major types of data exist: quantitative and qualitative data.
Both these data types will be used, with overreliance on quantitative data.
Qualitative data is only important during the early stages of the plan.
Quantitative data is used preferred for the study because:
Allows measurement and insightful analysis (Neuman, & Robson, 2012).
Allows for deeper understanding of dependent and independent variables.
Increases the objectivity of the findings about the market research methods (Neuman, & Robson, 2012).
Both qualitative and quantitative data can be useful for this case. However, there is overreliance on quantitative data. Qualitative data describes the characteristic and qualities of the topic of discussion in this case, that of marketing and creation of awareness. Since quantitative data is taken in numeric forms, statistical tests can be applied in making statements and insightful decisions on the topic. For instance, descriptive statistics can be used such as : standard deviation, the median, the mean, and some levels of inferential statistics like regression and ANOVA (Neuman, & Robson, 2012). Statistical analysis allows for the derivation of significant facts from research data which include: trends, the differences between demographics and groups. The greatest strength of quantitative data is their descriptive nature which allows the group to capture a snapshot of a sample of the population of the target market. For instance, instead of conducting studies for an entire population, a sample is collected from which adequate information and insights is gathered.
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DIAGNOSING THE LEVEL OF FUNCTIONING OF THE GROUP.
Level of function is similar to the level of performance.
The functioning will be evaluated in terms of the following:
Productivity functioning metrics-amount of work accomplished by group members.
Efficiency functioning metrics- Reducing operation time while cutting costs (Farris, Bendle, Pfeifer, & Reibstein, 2010).
Goal setting- setting group performance goals and evaluating if they have been achieved.
Constant training and evaluation- To check where the group is performing poorly.
The level of functioning of the group is similar to evaluating the performance of the marketing team (Farris, Bendle, Pfeifer, & Reibstein, 2010). In this component, different performance levels and metrics are used to diagnose whether the team is functioning at the expected levels. Productivity is the major concern for the group. Productivity is a basic component of the functioning for the individual group members of the organization (Farris, Bendle, Pfeifer, & Reibstein, 2010). Here, the amount of work accomplished by the team or group will be used in diagnosing the level of functioning. For instance, suppose five successful marketing strategies are initiated and implemented without challenges, the functioning of the group can be given a thumbs up. Efficiency metrics is different from productivity despite being its counterpart. Here, the group’s functioning will be evaluated and diagnosed in terms of reducing operational costs for the team while ensuring the same level of performance and productivity. The errors made by the group members here should be as small and minimal as possible to improve operational efficiency. Goal setting is the most common way of evaluating the performance of a team (Farris, Bendle, Pfeifer, & Reibstein, 2010). In the group, a certain levels will be set, and then the functioning of the teams determined according to the number of goals successfully completed. Constant training and evaluation is used in reducing operational errors and making changes to the developmental plan.
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EXAMPLES OF DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITIES.
Different developmental activities will be implemented based on the diagnosis of the functioning levels.
Developmental activities are aimed at improving the functioning of the group.
Examples include:
Succession training- developing the skills of group members with leadership and managerial skills.
Supporting creativity and innovation in the teams.
Streamlining processes to improve operational efficiency (Marques, 2010).
Getting the group involved in resource management.
Succession training builds the future of the company in terms of human capacity.
Succession training is an important developmental activity in which group members or groups with executive or managerial skills are identified and working with groups to develop these skills. Succession planning is important since it breeds a new crop of managers and leaders responsible for steering the future of the company. Within the functioning levels, there are individual employees who exhibit innovation and creativity. As a developmental plan, supporting innovation is of great significance to the future of the organization. Innovation helps the organization in staying ahead and improving flexibility throughout the organization. Supporting creative ideas from the employees goes along way in promotion of innovation. Streamlining processes is important for operational efficiency. Streamlining processes between departments and teams will maximize the performance of the team and productivity in the overall. Part of enhanced productivity and innovation comes from fine tuning existing holes and processes. The team must be asked for their opinions and thoughts on ways of streamlining processes and encouragement of brainstorming around the alignment of processes. When the team members are involved in allocation of resources for the groups, a spirit of collaboration is created on crucial and important decisions.
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COMMUNICATING GROUP PROGRESS TO MEMBERS AND KEY STAKEHOLDERS.
Communicating with key stakeholders and group members is important.
To ensure openness and transparency in the team some communication strategies to be used include:
Keeping the open door policy- making information available (Perkins, 2010).
Encouraging two-way feedback- increase constructive feedback.
Using online communication tools to improve speed and efficiency.
Ensuring transparency, clarity and conciseness of the messages (Perkins, 2010).
Meeting regularly with members and stakeholders to update on progress.
The open door policy eliminates barriers to group members and key stakeholders.
Communicating with the stakeholders and members of the group is hugely important for the progress of the team (Perkins, 2010). The open door policy is important in a teams and work groups. When stakeholders and members of the groups are shut behind closed doors, an atmosphere of secrecy is created. The open door policy therefore offers the group members and the stakeholders a message of transparency which is important for building clarity and trust. The open door policy also encourages communication regularly. Using online tools instead of meetings can be important especially in dealing with virtual teams. Through online tools, the speed, accuracy and the efficiency of passing the message is increased, hence improving accountability. Meeting regularly on the other hand is important in giving all people a chance to present while project activities and changes are being explained and discussed. Regular meetings are important in creating level playing field by giving all the members of the team an opportunity to share the status of their updates and ideas concerns. Transparency and clarity is important in creating successful communications.
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REFERENCES.
Farris, P. W., Bendle, N., Pfeifer, P., & Reibstein, D. (2010). Marketing metrics: The definitive guide to measuring marketing performance. Pearson Education.
Hollensen, S. (2015). Marketing management: A relationship approach. Pearson Education.
Marques, J. F. (2010). Enhancing the quality of organizational communication: A presentation of reflection-based criteria. Journal of Communication Management, 14(1), 47-58.
Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2012). Basics of social research: Qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Ott, R. L., & Longnecker, M. T. (2015). An introduction to statistical methods and data analysis. Nelson Education.
Perkins, P. S. (2010). The art and science of communication: Tools for effective communication in the workplace. John Wiley & Sons.
