Homework Assignment 3 | kishore-mannavan-tqm

Q1. Discuss the importance of quality team works, and team building.

ANS: Teamwork is a fundamental element of total quality. The reason for this is simple and practical. It is organizations, not individuals, that produce products and provide services. Consequently, peak performance and continual improvement are group, not individual, endeavors. A team’s ability is more than the sum of the abilities of individual members. This is one of the primary reasons for advocating teamwork. The following facts summarize the rationale for teamwork:

Teams satisfy the human social need to belong.
Two or more heads are better than one.
The whole (the team) can be greater than the sum of its parts (individual members).
People in teams get to know each other, build trust, and, as a result, want to help each other.
Teamwork promotes better communication.
Teamwork multiplies the potential of individual members.
Teamwork produces positive peer pressure.

A group of people becomes a team when the following conditions exist:

Agreement exists as to the team’s mission. For a group to be a team and a team to work effectively, all members must understand and agree on the mission.
Members adhere to team ground rules. A team must have ground rules that establish the framework within which the team’s mission is pursued. A group becomes a team when there is agreement as to mission and adherence to ground rules.
Fair distribution of responsibility and authority exists. Teams do not eliminate structure and authority. Football teams have quarterbacks, and baseball teams have captains. However, teams work best when responsibility and authority are shared and team members are treated as equals.
People adapt to change. Change is not just inevitable in a total quality setting—it is also desirable. Unfortunately, people typically resist change. People in teams should help each other adapt to change in a positive way.

Q2. How would you handle conflicts in quality teams?

ANS: Conflict will occur in even the best teams. Even when all team members agree on a goal, they can still disagree on how best to accomplish it. Team leaders and members can apply the following strategies for preventing and resolving team conflict:

Plan and work to establish a culture where individuality and dissent are in balance with teamwork and cooperation.
Establish clear criteria for deciding when decisions will be made by individuals and when they will be made by teams.
Don’t allow individuals to build personal empires or to use the organization to advance personal agendas.
Encourage and recognize individual risk-taking behavior that breaks the organization out of unhelpful habits and negative mental frameworks.
Encourage healthy, productive competition, and discourage unhealthy, counterproductive competition.
Recognize how difficult it can be to ensure effective cooperation, and spend the energy necessary to get just the right amount of it.
Value constructive dissent, and encourage it.
Assign people of widely differing perspectives to every team or problem.
Reward and recognize both dissent and teamwork when they solve problems.
Reevaluate the project, problem, or idea when no dissent or doubt is expressed.
Avoid hiring people who think they don’t need help, who don’t value cooperation, or who are driven by the desire to be accepted.
Ingrain into new employees the need for balance between the concepts of cooperation and constructive dissent.
Provide ways for employees to say what no one wants to hear.
Realistically and regularly assess the ability and willingness of employees to cooperate effectively.
Understand that some employees are going to clash, so determine where this is happening and remix rather than wasting precious organizational energy trying to get people to like each other.
Ensure that the organization’s value system and reward/ recognition systems are geared toward cooperation with constructive dissent rather than dog-eat-dog competition or cooperation at all costs.
Teach employees how to manage both dissent (not let it get out of hand) and agreement.
Quickly assess whether conflict is healthy or destructive, and take immediate steps to encourage the former and resolve or eliminate the latter.

Q3. How do you reward quality achievements in a team?

ANS: An organization’s attempts to institutionalize teamwork will fail unless it includes implementation of an appropriate compensation system. The most successful compensation systems combine both individual and team pay. This matter is important because few employees work exclusively in teams. A typical employee, even in the most team-oriented organization, spends a percentage of his or her time involved in team participation and a percentage involved in individual activities. Consequently, the most successful compensation systems have the components shown in the figure below. With such a system, all employees receive their traditional individual base pay. Then there are incentives that allow employees to increase their income by surpassing goals set for their individual performance. Finally, other incentives are based on team performance.

Q4. How do you communicate effectively?

ANS: Of all the many skills needed by managers in a total quality setting, communication skills are the most important. Communication is the transfer of a message (information, idea, emotion, intent, feeling, or something else) that is both received and understood. A message may be sent by one person and received by another, but until the message is understood by both, no communication has occurred. This applies to all forms of communication, including verbal, nonverbal, and written. The following strategies will help organizational leaders establish and maintain a climate that is conducive to effective communication:

Communicate often and openly. Avoid the Knowledge-is-Power Syndrome and communicate to empower.
Condense the information to be communicated to a form that is easy for the recipient to absorb, understand, and remember. Avoid burying people in data rather than giving them information.
Communicate with everyone who can benefit from the information in question. Avoid leaving people out of the loop.
Encourage questions, comments, different perspectives, opposing opinions, and better ideas and take them seriously. Avoid one-way communication.
Listen assertively and objectively. Avoid shooting the messenger when the news being communicated is bad or unwelcome.

Q5. Why are listening skills important?

ANS: One of the most important communication skills is listening. Good listening means receiving the message correctly, decoding it, and accurately perceiving what it means. Inhibitors to good listening include the following: lack of concentration, preconceived ideas, thinking ahead, interruptions, tuning out, and interference. Empathetic listening means listening with the intent to understand.Responsive listening means seeking to receive and affirm both the messenger and the message.

Listening skills may be improved by upgrading the desire to listen, asking the right questions, judging what is really being said, and eliminating listening errors. Body factors and proximity must also be managed carefully to listen well.

The dividends of responsive listening include the following:

Barriers are broken down.
Valuable insights are gained.
Communication is encouraged.
Misconceptions are cleared up.
Learning takes place.

Q6. What are the management strategies for quality-focused interpersonal needs?

ANS: The steps management can take to ensure that members of the workforce have sufficient interpersonal relations to be effective communicators include the following:

Recognition of the need: To have employees with good interpersonal skills, managers must recognize the need for these skills. Historically, the focus of the staffing process has been technical skills and paper credentials. These are important considerations that should remain at the forefront in making staffing decisions. However, to these considerations must be added interpersonal skills.
Careful selection: When interpersonal skills are made a part of the selection process, the process changes somewhat. The screening of written credentials and technical skills continues in the normal manner. After the candidates with the best credentials and technical skills have been identified, they are then carefully screened to determine whether they have such interpersonal skills as listening, patience, empathy, tact, open-mindedness, friendliness, and the ability not just to get along in a diverse workplace but also to be a positive agent in helping other employees get along with each other.
Training: It is the uncommon individual who possesses inborn interpersonal skills. Some people are naturally good at dealing with others. However, most of us have room for improvement in this key area of total quality. Fortunately, interpersonal skills can be acquired. People can learn to listen better, empathize with different types of people, be tactful, and facilitate positive interaction among fellow employees.
Measurement and reward: If managers value interpersonal skills, these skills will be measured as part of the normal performance-appraisal process. Correspondingly, the results of such appraisals will be built into the reward system.

Q7. What are the principles of overcoming negativity and conflicts in the workplace?

ANS: The following strategies can be used to overcome negativity in organizations:

Communicate. Frequent, ongoing, effective communication is the best defense against negativity in organizations, and it is the best tool for overcoming negativity that has already set in. Organizational communication can be made more effective using the following strategies: acknowledge innovation, suggestions, and concerns; share information so that all employees are informed; encourage open, frank discussion during meetings; celebrate milestones; give employees ownership of their jobs; and promote teamwork.
Establish clear expectations. Make sure all employees know what is expected of them as individuals and as members of the team. People need to know what is expected of them and how and to whom they are accountable for what is expected.
Provide for anxiety venting. The workplace can be stressful in even the best organizations. Deadlines, performance standards, budget pressures, and competition can all produce anxiety in employees. Consequently, managers need to give their direct reports opportunities to vent in a nonthreatening, affirming environment. This means listening supportively. This means letting the employee know that you will not shoot the messenger and then listening without interrupting, thinking ahead, focusing on preconceived ideas, or tuning out.
Build trust. Negativity cannot flourish in an atmosphere of trust. Managers can build trust between themselves and employees and among employees by applying the following strategies: always delivering what is promised; remaining open-minded to suggestions; taking an interest in the development and welfare of employees; being tactfully honest with employees at all times; lending a hand when necessary; accepting blame but sharing credit; maintaining a steady, pleasant temperament even when under stress; and making sure that criticism is constructive and delivered in an affirming way.
Involve employees. It’s hard to criticize the way things are done when you are a part of how they are done. Involving employees by asking their opinions, soliciting their feedback, and making them part of the solution are some of the most effective deterrents to and cures for negativity in organizations.

Q8. How can you manage conflict in the workplace?

ANS: Conflict management has the following components:

Establishing conflict guidelines
Helping all employees develop conflict prevention and resolution skills
Helping all employees develop anger management skills
Stimulating and facilitating productive conflict
Developing Conflict Prevention and Resolution
Skills

The following strategies will help prevent and resolve conflict:

Explore the Other Person’s Viewpoint
Explain Your Viewpoint
Agree on a Resolution

Q9. How do you communicate in conflict situations?

ANS: Communication is critical when resolving conflict and resolving the negative effects. The following guidelines can be used for using communication in managing conflict:

The following guidelines for using communication in managing conflict will be helpful.

When possible, conflict guidelines should be in place before conflicts occur.
Assessing blame should not be allowed.
“More of the same” solutions should be eliminated.
Maintain trust by keeping promises.

Q10. Why does quality suffer if there is a major conflict?

ANS: Positive conflict leads to discussion, debate, and give-and-take interaction among people whose only goal is to find the best solution or make the best decision. The following figure summarizes the causes of workplace conflicts. Conflict is often exacerbated by internal politics. This may often lead to the loss of good employees in the workplace, deteriorating morale, and losses in quality, competitiveness and customer satisfaction.

SOCIAL NETWORKING ARTICLES SUMMARY:

Executive Summary 1: My first summer job-scooping ice cream-wasn'tglamorous, but it taught me the meaning of hard work

This article composed by The president of United States of America, Mr. Barack Obama discusses how vital a mid year employment can be in educating an individual life lessons, for example, obligation, diligent work and adjusting a vocation with companions, family and school. It's a given that entrance to a mid year occupation and past can have all the effect to a youngster, particularly to one without access to numerous assets. Its actual how access to a mid year employment can connect the open door hole as the students fall behind on scholastic accomplishment in these unmoving three months. In the present situation, it is turning out to be exceptionally troublesome for students to get on their first summer occupations with constrained open doors out there. It is much more harder and overwhelming for those without an instructive foundation and a clear resume to discover a business sufficiently kind to give them an open door. The mid year opportunity venture propelled by the president himself is gone for partnering so as to give summer employment opportunities to students with organizations, group associations and occupation destinations like Linked In. The mid year opportunity venture is a worked together collaboration and will just work with a collaboration, which is the reason the president puts out a message to all businesses to contract more students for summer occupations. The reaction to this venture was overpowering with numerous organizations reacting. One such business was Veolia Transportation in Baltimore, which purchased along numerous youngsters from the group onto their groups as a piece of their city wide summer employments program. Stephanie Odom, who joined Veolia Transportation as an office representative amid summer took the chance to learn and exceed expectations and along these lines extended the employment to low maintenance while going to class and now needs to end up a therapist who offers different students some assistance with realizing their maximum capacity. Through this venture, the president went for demonstrating that in America, everyone is conferred towards accomplishing underlying fantasies.

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Executive Summary 2: How to introduce GPS tracking to employees

After the dispatch of the primary satellite,technology has been developing and enhancing at an exceptionally quick pace.One such innovation is the GPS.It has turned out to be so regular now that even shoppers must utilize it for their own needs like route etc.This article is essentially about how we can get the GPS innovation to be connected in armada companies.The supervisors as of now have a thought of how it functions and what are its advantages,but they are hesitant to educate or actualize it with their employees.The article demonstrates to 3 courses on industry standards to execute the innovation effectively.Firstly,eliminate the enormous sibling hypothesis where the workers made mindful of the technology.Second,the advantages of GPS must be appeared to them.there have been episodes when a bundle has been transported however the client still hasnt got it and when they contact the backing team,even they are clear in respect to what happened.Implementation of GPS will permit them to track the bundle progressively in this way enhancing services.Third,it must be indicated how it influences the business in general on the grounds that toward the end of the day,the better the organization does,better it is for the representatives also.

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Executive Summary 3: 7 Inventory Management tips for Manufacturers

Inventory Management is an imperative perspective for the maker keeping in mind the end goal to stay in level with their aggressive makers. Keeping in mind the end goal to get the best inventory turnover rate the best practice is to diminish the inventory level on the medium and quick movers. Be that as it may, by utilizing this way to deal with lower and settle your inventory turnover challenges, the organizations facilitated obtaining costs skyrocket while administration levels diminish. This happens in light of the fact that there is only one single focus in a supply chain key performance indicator, inventory turn rate.

Inventory ABC classification: Follows the Pareto principle (80/20 rule).The inventory items are classified into A, B, C and D (80%, 15%, 5%, 0%) based on sales volume. Special considerations are taken for critical inventories which need special monitoring and for new products yearly forecast estimates are used to support demand estimates.

Revised Purchase Order Cycles and Quantities: Purchase smaller and more frequent order quantities to reduce the overall inventory you carry. ABC in accordance with this step is used to determine order frequency which allows inventory managers more flexibility to align purchasing patterns with actual customer demand.

Improved Inventory Forecasting and Forecast Accuracy: First is to ensure that the data is accurate, understand and collect the inputs that drive the core of your demand, separate out seasonality and trends, have the outliers filtered away and separate your base demand from campaign driven demand. With clean up to date data, forecasts are properly made with customer demand.

Eliminate Excess and Obsolete Stock Levels: Get rid of obsolete stock, its dead space and weight. Use space for productive inventory turns and help move excess stock with marketing and sales teams to free space up.

Understand Your Customers’ Service Level Needs: In today’s environment customer is the king and it is important to understand how your customers are using your products and what they expect in availability and delivery time. If the products are not delivered in a timely manner the customers would jump to different companies hence the lead times should be shortened and increase availability of your inventory just to keep up with your compe1tors

Reduce the Variability of Your Demand: Variability is connected highly with lead time. Shorter lead times usually have less variability. Identifying demand violability and finding the root problem will help reduce that variability and lower inventory levels/costs.

Align Your Company KPI Measurements: Distributors and Manufacturers must keep a close eye on the following KPI’s effectively in order to reduce inventory levels and improve inventory turns:

Target service levels
Capital 1ed up in stock
Back order recovery
Supplier performance

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