Miscommunication In Facilities Management: Managing Incidents With Managerial Skills

Managerial Skills in Facilities Management

Discuss about the Miscommunication in Facilities Management.

Typically, managerial skills can be classified into three categories: human skills, technical skills and conceptual skills, (Rue, Byars and Ibrahim 2012). In this essay, two business skills that were utilized in order to manage an incident that resulted due to miscommunication and lack of time will be discussed. Additionally, the skill assessment tools and theories will be discussed here along with the application of each of these theories to the identified issue.

Managers should possess a set of specific skills to effectively perform their jobs. Managerial skills are the tactics that are used by the manger, in an organization, for completion of their responsibilities and duties. The use of the skill, abilities, base and knowledge, to increase the productivity of those who they manage are part of the managerial skills (Certo and Certo 2013).

I work for Hyderabad-based IT Company in India named as ZenQ, which provides services in the various sectors such as education, healthcare, e-commerce, etc. In the year 2009, my company gave two other employees and me the responsibility to develop software for the client. The whole project was headed by me. The first job that was required to complete the project was designing the software. I assigned this task to one of the two employees and provided complete instruction regarding the software. While they were developing the software, I found difficulty and realized that the design was incorrect. This happened due to time constraint and lack of communication between my colleagues and me.  I felt irresponsible and morally I was disappointed. The problem was solved by the application of two skills, i.e. interpersonal skills or human skills and conceptual skills (Levy and Ramim 2015).

The “Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)” is a tool used to explain the personality theory which deals with the differences between individuals and it is used in improving the relationship, developing effective leadership skills, etc. There are four different dimensions of the MBTI and they are introversion and extroversion, intuition and sensing, feeling and thinking, perception and judging. Generally MBTI, is used to help a person develop their self-awareness through an understanding of their preferences and how these can be used during the interaction. In the above incidence, I have used my interpersonal skills to bring about improvement in the project design (Divleli and Ergun 2015). Firstly I have developed self-awareness to understand what I want and then through interaction explained this to the employees through effective verbal communication. This is how the MBTI skill assessment was used. Hence the MBTI skill assessment can help the managers to identify their level of success of their interpersonal skills (Raskin et al. 2014).

Concrete Experience

The “Personal Assessment of Management Skills (PAMS)” is a tool that is used by the managers personally for identification of their capabilities. Managers prefer this skill assessment tool as it helps them in knowing and identifying the role of their manager and skills that are needed to perform their job successfully. Managers often focus less on good management and more on the exciting work of the leadership. To be a great manager, one must possess an efficient set of skills from delegation to the planning of work (Alexander 2013). The PAMS skill assessment test helps the managers in knowing how successful have they been in their application of their skills in all areas of management. The PAMS helps the managers to identify their areas of strength and weakness so that they can manage both. As a manager, the goal should be able to meet the competencies of skills so that the team can develop and meet their objectives efficiently. The PAMS test helps in improving the conceptual skill of the managers. The conceptual skills are those skills, which is utilized by the managers for problem solving and decision-making. As a manager, I used this skill assessment to improve my conceptual skills and that is how, I was able to apply this skill at a time when there was a requirement of application of conceptual skill.

The theories related to human or interpersonal skills are as follows:

This theory is a reflection of socio-physiological perspective. It addresses issues related to the basic process that how we gain knowledge about other people. Since people have difficulty with uncertainty, they should be able to predict behavior and be motivated to seek more and more information about people. This theory aims at improving the communication skills of people through interaction. Proper interaction and communication reduce uncertainty amongst people and this helps people in achieving their goals (Hall et al. 2014). According to this theory, high level of uncertainty amongst people increases uncertainty and decrease of uncertainty amongst people increases communication amongst people. This theory can be related to the interpersonal skill of managers they also need to maintain good communication with their colleagues or with those who report to the managers. Hence, the theory is relevant to the human skills of managers (Mujtaba 2013).

This theory is a symbol of social interaction. This theory gives a detail as to why and when people reveal certain information about themselves. This theory is regarded as the foundation of interpersonal relationships. This theory allows people to strengthen their relationships with others and colleagues. The importance of social interaction is revealed in theory. This theory relates human interaction with the economic transaction, as this increases rewards and minimizes punishment. This theory is also related to the communication skills of the manager, as they should increase the rewards of their colleagues by frequently praising them for their good work and giving proper feedback in case they have made mistakes (Divleli and Ergun 2015).

Reflective Observation

The conceptual skills of a Manager can be related to the following theory:

It is a mark of human intelligence if one is able to solve complex problems. Human beings have the capability of solving complex problems by using different strategies. The system of cognitive theory helps people to solve complex problems. This theory focuses on solving complex problems in a professional environment (Hall et al. 2014). Additionally, this theory also helps the manager to understand the importance of their role in the organization. This theory allows manger to identify the issues and solve them appropriately. It also helps the manager in understanding the interests of the people who are involved in some issue. A manager who is good at solving problem will list the issues and evaluate those issues based on the interests of the workplace. Effective problem solving takes a lot of time and attention. If a problem is not solved with proper time and attention then the problem is not solved effectively. The conceptual skill of managerial skill can be related to this theory as the conceptual skill helps in effective problem solving. It has been seen in many instances that due to lack of problem solving skills, interpersonal relationships fail and business relationships fail. The success of measurement is not when one faces difficult problems; success is measured when one is able to address the problem effectively (Alexander 2013).

In section 3 of the assignment, theories were identified related to interpersonal skills and conceptual skills. For interpersonal or communication skills, the uncertainty reduction theory and social exchange theory was identified. These skills are helpful as interaction is the key factor in this theory. As a manager, I should make my colleagues feel comfortable and the level of comfort can be increased only by using effective communication skills. At the time when the employees were making the software, it was identified that the software had not met the requirements. Only when I communicated with my colleagues I found that that due to miscommunication they failed to understand the requirements because of which the software was not designed properly. If at the stage of allotment and understanding, if they communicated their issues with me, the problem at its initial level could have been solved easily. These issues made me realize that communication is the only way that helps in breaking the barrier between my colleagues and me.

The second skill that I have used to solve the issue is conceptual skill. This skill enabled me to solve the existing problem and helped me in achieving my aim. For this skill, I felt that the generative theory of problem solving is the most suitable of all. This theory allowed me to, properly analyze the issue first and then I could come up with resolutions for addressing the issues. In the given scenario where the employees failed to understand the requirements was an identification of a big issue. However, the problem was resolved easily due to the application of the generative theory.

Abstract Conceptualization

Application of managerial skills seems easy. However, it is not so as it has many associated restrictions with it. Few examples are lack of time, lack of resources and lack of confidence within the employees. Such issues need to be addressed by the manager by improving their managerial skills such as communication skills, interpersonal skills and conceptual skills. Only when the managers are able to improve their managerial skills properly, they will be able to handle complex problems that take place within the organization. A minimum of six months time will be required to address the issues related to managerial skills. It is not something for which one can obtain proper training, it comes only with experience, as and when a manager solves complex situations. Additionally, managers can improve their skills by defining their vision and broadcasting it properly, this means that a manager should be well versed with the aims and objectives of the company and he should know the ways of achieving them so that he is able to guide others in achieving the same goal.

Conclusion:

Conclusively, it may be stated that managers have many duties and responsibilities that needs to be addressed appropriately. Managers are regarded as the binding factor between the employees and the directors of the company hence; they should be aware of their surroundings and remain pro active at all times. The manager is held responsible for the differences that occur within the company. Managers play a very important role in the organization and they should be aware of their role and responsibilities in the organization.

References:

Alexander, K., 2013. Facilities management: theory and practice. Routledge.

Certo, S.C. and Certo, S.T., 2013. Modern management: Concepts and skills. Pearson Higher Ed.

Divleli, M.S. and Ergun, E., 2015. MANAGER EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY: THE EFFECT OF SKILLS ON DIFFERENT LEVEL MANAGEMENT. International Journal of Management & Human Resources,3(1).

Hall, D.L., Lattie, E.G., Antoni, M.H., Fletcher, M.A., Czaja, S., Perdomo, D. and Klimas, N.G., 2014. Stress management skills, cortisol awakening response, and post-exertional malaise in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.Psychoneuroendocrinology, 49, pp.26-31.

Levy, Y. and Ramim, M.M., 2015. The Effect of Competence-Based Simulations on Management Skills Enhancements in E-Learning Courses.

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Raskin, S.A., Maye, J., Rogers, A., Correll, D., Zamroziewicz, M. and Kurtz, M., 2014. Prospective memory in schizophrenia: Relationship to medication management skills, neurocognition, and symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia. Neuropsychology, 28(3), p.359.

Rue, L., Byars, L. and Ibrahim, N., 2012. Management: Skills & Application. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

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