Understanding and managing People
Introduction
Coca cola company has been involved in Olympic Games since 1928. The company has created unique and memorable times and experiences for Olympic games fans at the same time providing resources to assist athletes and their coaches pursue their athletic goals<www.coca-cola.com>. The main reason for supporting this games is primarily to share the values of Olympians. The effects and contribution by coca cola company from its involvement in the Olympic games has been widespread and diverse.
It creates sheer impact in economics from their marketing investment during the games. In addition to this, it has worked hand in hand to accomplish the mission of the Olympic family. The London 2012 Olympics is yet another game coca cola company is playing a key role in. It is the main official supplier during these games. For the company to successfully play its role in these games, it need to have competent employees who are united to work together.
The company need to manage the employees for them to work effectively thus need to have effective people management strategies<www.coca-cola.com>. Strategies management can be defined as a process that actually involves planning and operationalizing an organizations strategies. The involvement of employees in the process of strategic management greatly facilitates the organization’s successful implementation. The Coca cola company need to come up with various people management strategies and instill on its employees to serve the Olympic movement successfully. The company need to make the most out of its human capital by keeping up to date skills.
Teamwork is one of the best known people management strategy and most commonly used by Human Resource Managers of renowned successful companies. This is a concept that involves people working together to accomplish a common goal. Team work is one of the important factors in most of the organizations. To enhance employee’s co-operative skills.(Fischer B 2006) Many companies do this through holding cross-training to help employees work effectively together and thus accomplish shared goals. The coca cola company should have a consultant on people understanding and management to help the company reform its old structures and come up with skills that will be more responsive to the customers needs.(Belbin M 2006)
A successful teamwork, requires a variety of desirable social skills that may include the following. First there is the listening to other people’s ideas. Discussing ideas is important until the whole team agrees (Wellington S 2004) . Thirdly, engage in asking questions, interacting and discussing the objectives of the team. There is need to facilitate exchanges, defend ones ideas and collectively rethink those ideas. To create a term work environment, it is important to share ideas as a team. Participating in the team is highly encouraged in accomplishing the set goals. Lastly, the most important social skill in team work is communication. For an effective team work, each member need to have good communication skills and appropriate usage of communication channels among the members(Fischer B 2006).
As a consultant of people management it is important to explain to the coca cola company the role of each member in the teamwork for the success of the company in London 2012 Olympic games. A successful team should have, one a shaper(Belbin M 2006). This is a responsibility given to one of the member teams to drive things in the correct way. He ensures members push for their own views, are challenged and defend them at the same time challenging and defending other member’s ideas. The shaper pull things together into a feasible thing which a team work on (Wellington S 2004) . Secondly, there is a plant who challenges the original ideas of the members through the traditional way of thinking. They are very creative and imaginative(Woodcock M 2007). They help the team to come up with new ideas and insights for changes of the original ideas. Team work has got a resource investigator who has the strongest contacts as well as networks and is good at bringing in to the team support and information from outside. He is the most reliable member of the team in pursuit of the team’s goals (Fischer B 2006). Fourthly, a team has an implementer. This best suit a member of the team who is a company worker and is well organized to turn ideas into manageable and achievable tasks and plans. A team worker is one of the team members who understand each and every team member-their needs and concerns. They are usually very supportive and sensitive of each member’s efforts thus reduce conflicts by promoting harmony within the team. They are most important especially when the team is undergoing a stressful time(Belbin M 2006). Other roles include; A completer, a monitor evaluator and a finisher.
Impact of teamwork to coca cola company
One of the advantages coca cola company would benefit from adopting teamwork during the games would be to supply and satisfy both the athletes coaches and the fans(Belbin M 2006). This will be done faster. A united team work will be in a position to break down large tasks into smaller ones formed to tea members best suited for its job(Fischer B 2006). Smaller task are less wearing on members working on them since they require less brain power and less time. Secondly in teamwork, individual member unique skills and knowledge are combined and effectively utilized. Evey member of the team has a different strength from another thus the team combine the different strengths from several members and used to benefit the overall team resulting to a better product or service(Belbin M 2006). Creativity is also increased by combining different skills. Teamwork enhances relationships and builds unity within the team and at workplace. Good relationship helps the employees to communicate effectively with one another thus contribute to job satisfaction. Members develop in them a sense of responsibility when he/she is part of the team since they all depend on each other (Wellington S 2004) . The coca cola company will also reap benefits of improved earnings, profitability and productivity since he team work is united, motivated and skilled o work-harder and better. The teamwork will put extra effort to close sales thus a positive impact on the bottom line. The company’s employees since are united will constantly analysis their work thus will end up reducing the total wastage and costs in the company(Fischer B 2006).
In addition to these, there will be customer satisfaction. Teamwork is always focused to the needs of the customer(Belbin M 2006). Tho coca cola company employees will be focused on the satisfaction of the athletes, their coaches and the fans altogether by extending their service to them. The teamwork should ensure every customer is satisfied. Another importance of teamwork to the adoption of teamwork by the company would be to gain public recognition (Wellington S 2004) . When the team work as a united group with the same goals and objectives and satisfy the needs of the customers – athletes, coaches and the fans, than the coca cola company will earn a good name both locally and globally(Woodcock M 2007). The customers will create a positive image on the company and trust its goods and services. Consequently this leads to increased productivity and increased profit margin. Teamwork also enhances competitive advantages to the organization through improved performance. Teamwork enhances quality service. Quality importance will be of great importance to the coca cola company during the 2012 London Olympic games. Additionally teamwork brings about improved motivation due to greater involvement by the team members (Wellington S 2004) . Motivation is improved through personal development and also through recognition of achievement(Fischer B 2006). When a team member see what his/her team has achieved he feels motivated to contribute more. At the end of it all it leads to improved rate of retention, higher morale and reduced absenteeism(Fischer B 2006). The teamwork can be used to come up with recommendations that are likely to be implemented and given more attention than when they come from an individual employee. Departmental or functional boundaries issues can easily be addressed by the teamwork. Furthermore teamwork leads to responsibility and accountability(Belbin M 2006).
Other areas of people management
The Coca cola company can also use other areas of people management rather than emphasizing on teamwork to harness its performance in 2012 London Olympics. One of them is hiring. The Coca cola company need to be advised to come up with a quality hire program that will assist the HRM in selection and recruiting process. There is the need to come up with a competent employee who meet the specifications and requirements of a specific job. The hiring managers need to come up with employees who posses;knowledge, abilities and skills. Who have good attitudes and motivation in addition to cultural fitness both with the company and the customers. Coaching is another strategy which Coca cola company can adopt. Coaching assist an individual employee to improve his capacity,learn, focus and become innovative. It is a practice energizing and inspiring an employee to facilitate performance and learning as well as development. Coaching enhances an individual’s potential to do better thus promoting creativity. The company should also formulate strategies and programs that enhances customer relations, leadership development and workforce or conflict analysis among other ways . These would ensure that the Coca cola company has succeeded in its role come The London 2012 Olympics Games.
In a general conclusion,Coca cola company has been involved in Olympic games since 1928. It has been supportive to these games in various ways. It is playing a crucial role in the London 2012 Olympics Games. It is the main official supplier during this game. For this company to ‘successfully play its role in the games, it need to use various people management strategies such as teamwork, coaching, hiring appropriate employees in addition to leadership development, customer relations and workforce analysis programs among others.
References
Belbin M 2006 People Management,Heinnaman book pub. London pp 60-89
Fischer B 2006 How to Build an effective team. vol. 7, No. 16, 15th May, pp 5-21
Wellington S 2004 Team work development. Vol. 9, No. 14,18th ,July ,pp 5-34
Woodcock M 2007 Team roles at work Rutledge pub. company, London pp 34-67
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