Overview of the Democratic Leadership Style

The paper outlines the democratic leadership style that could be used by project manager to satisfy the needs of the workers. A brief overview about the case study has been presented in this paper. Moreover, the paper also outlines the various tools and methods that help in influencing the team members. It shows that how project manager uses various steps to eliminate and prevent the challenges and issues and how it develops self managed team for agile projects.

The primary purpose of this task is to define the leadership style, methods and tools of the communication that help in completing the project effectively. It also highlights the various powers that are possessed by project manager.

It has been studied from the given case study that democratic leadership style can be used by the top management while working and functioning. The leadership team is considering the rights and interests of the employees to boost morale and job satisfaction of the workers. It is noted that democratic leadership is also known as participative leadership style, it is a type of leadership style in which all the team members take a more effective and participative role in the decision making process (Helms, 2012). Such type of leadership style can be applied to any company from private businesses to government. The current project team wants to monitor and identify the employee satisfaction and morale to ensure minimal disruption and maintain high employee satisfaction at the workplace. Along with this, the top management is motivating the employees to run business activities smoothly. It is analyzed that employee feedback and review would be significant part of monitoring. It indicates that management might use democratic leadership style instead of autocratic leadership style. In autocratic leadership style, the top management does not provide authority and power to the employees. Thus, it hampers the satisfaction level of the workers adversely. On the other hand, democratic leadership style can encourage innovation and create solutions to organizational problems and issues. This leadership style might provide ample of benefits to the workers in the organization (Giltinane, 2013).

There are various methods and techniques that might use as a PM to attract and influence this project team, some of the tools and techniques are detailed below.

Observation and conservation method: It is a main and effective tool that can be used by project manager to get closer with the various team members. By using this method, the PM might engage with team to evaluate and determine any issue in specific morale so that it can be handled and resolved (Crawford & Nahmias, 2010).

Tools and Methods for Influencing Team Members

Project performance appraisals: It is a significant evaluation method of performance of team members in the project. Performance appraisal method is used to evaluate and understand the capabilities and efficiency of team members for further development and growth.

Conflict management: This is a significant and unique method to influence the team members in the organization.

Force and direct: In this method or technique project manager agree with one party’s suggestions and enforce their willingness and wishes. Project manager can use this method to influence team members at the workplace.

Collaboration: It is one of the undergone methods that help in influencing the team member for accomplishing the mission and targets.

Assessment and review: This method can also be used by the PM to motivate and encourage the team members for performing roles and responsibilities in a hassle free manner (Müller & Jugdev, 2012).

The tools and techniques that are used by project manager for managing the communication outside of the project group are detailed below.

Verbal communication method: It includes the usage of words while the delivery of the intended message is being made. It could be one-on-one, group settings and over the phone etc. It is a significant technique of dynamic communication that is personal and has to utilize more than only phone emails and calls whenever possible (Martin & Nakayama, 2013).

Open meeting: It is effective and easier way to collaborate and communicate with people outside the project team. In this kind of method, project manager would not only hear what people are saying, they will also feel and see it.

Use presentations: The project managers need to use presentations like Microsoft power point to collaborate and communicate with team members would give them the opportunity to refer back to it if they are not aware about the specific things (Rindel, 2010).

Encourage feedback: It is undergone method of communication that can be used project manager to communicate and cooperate with outside team members. Give room for feedback and reviews so that project manager can measure and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of style of communication and collaboration.

Along with this, pull communication, push communication and written communication methods might be used to interact with team members in the international market (Griffin, 2013).

The five types of powers that would be used to motivate the team members to work effectively and collaboratively are discussed below.

Expert power: It is noted that expert power is based upon the workers perceptions and behaviors that a manager or some other member of the company have a high and effective level of knowledge or a specialized set of talents and skills that other workers do not possess.  This power can be exercised by the project manager to encourage the workers effectively. By exercising this power, the top management can boost and enhance the profitability and outcomes. It put direct impacts on the efficiency and effectiveness of the workers (Natter, 2018).

Self-Managed Teams for Agile Projects

Reward power: This power helps in giving reward to the workers as a means to affect the worker to act. Rewards could be tangible and intangible. By using reward power, the managers can boost morale, trust and loyalty among the workers at the workplace (Clegg, 2013).

Coercive power: This power might be used by the project managers to maintain a control over the workers. It provides a power to the managers to force a worker to follow an order by threatening the worker with punishment if the worker does not comply with each other. The misconduct and misbehavior can be reduced and eliminated by exercising this power. By initiating this power, the organization can run the business in a hassle free manner (Markus, 2013).

Legitimate power: This power helps in driving a formal position in the organization’s hierarchy of authority. This power helps in boosting leader’s effectiveness and maximizes the sense of trust and vision. Along with this, it also augments the productivity of the organization (Natter, 2018).

Referent power: This power refers to the capability of a leader or manager to influence a follower because of the employee’s respect, loyalty, friendship, affection and to gain approval. By using referent power, the leaders can inspire and motivate the employees to be committed to their employment or job (Natter, 2018).

There are various ways to develop self managed teams for agile projects that are presented below.

Respond to change: It is vital way to develop and improve self managed teams for agile projects. The organizational changes are inevitable and the key factor of agile team is the ability to respond to those changes instead of always trying to stay committed to a previous plan.

Focus on results: The beauty and effectiveness of an agile team is that it monitors more on the outcomes and results rather than obsessing and following the procedures and processes. By placing more emphasis on the outputs, team members feel empowered to make unique decisions, solve issues and build innovative solutions utilizing whatever expertise and skills they have.

Seek and use feedback: The project manager needs to collect feedback and reviews to develop self managed team for agile projects in the competitive market (Moe, Dingsøyr & Dybå, 2010).

Communication: Effective communication method can be used to improve and enhance the self managed team for agile project globally.

The project manager used various approaches to maintain a reciprocal and dynamic relationship at the workplace. The communication approach is used by the project manager to determine and evaluate the effective communication, collaboration and cooperation within the organization. PM uses organizational chart to determine and explain the roles and responsibilities of the workers. Apart from this, recruitment and selection approach is implemented by PM to appoint talented and skilled workers for completing the tasks and duties. Moreover, staff management approach is used to handle and manage the project teams. In addition, assessment and improvement approach is initiated to improve the performance and overcome the shortcomings and issues. These are unique reasons behind the selection of various approaches in the project team (Cummings & Worley, 2014).

Some of the steps that might take to alleviate the challenges faced by project manager are discussed below.

• Continuous improvement can be done to improve the order, billing and shipping efficiency.
• New initiatives and actions could be taken by the current multiple projects.
• New and effective supply chain system would be procured and investigated to minimize and eliminate the challenges.
• Learning and development coaching might be provided by the project manager to handle and manage the challenges at the workplace.
• Effective and unique marketing strategies can be used to reduce and prevent the challenges that are being entertained by project team.
• Strong and open communication method shall be used to maintain effective and reciprocal relationship with employees and customers as well (Meredith & Mantel Jr, 2011).

Conclusion 

It is concluded from the above mentioned event that dynamic leadership style is used by project manager to manage the project team members. Apart from this, various tools, methods and techniques are used to attract and retain team members at the workplace. Various powers are exercised by PM to collaborate with workers internationally. Effective methods for developing and building self managed teams for agile projects are also used by the company.

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Rindel, J. H. (2010). Verbal communication and noise in eating establishments. Applied Acoustics, 71(12), 1156-1161.