Custom «Integrating Teams at Hernandez & Associates» Essay Paper Sample

Question One

a) Challenges facing Hernandez & Associates (H&E)

The Team Leadership Model (TLM) is an approach that can be used by leaders to identify the prerequisites of an effective team. In addition, TLM is suitable for pinpointing the specific areas that require addressing to improve the effectiveness of the team (Hughes, Ginnett & Curphy, 2014). The team's effectiveness is determined by how the team's aims are achieved best, including the satisfaction of the clients served by the team. Through the use of the TLM, various challenges facing H&E at the input and process levels can be identified.

According to the TLM, H&E challenges are mainly at the input level, but are also manifested at the process level due to the poor strategy. The president is certain that the working environment is conducive for an effective team. He established the firm’s mission that he often communicates to his team. According to him, the firm seems to possess the six characteristics regarding task accomplishments as postulated by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) (Hughes, Ginnett & Curphy, 2014). In addition, there are no identifiable miscommunication and interpersonal conflicts in the team. These characteristics would negatively impact the group dynamics. However, there is a dearth of a clear strategy for aiding the achievement of the firm’s objectives. Therefore, using TLM, the input variables affecting the process variable – strategy -can be determined. At the level of individual input, values and attitudes of the firm's employees regarding the changing needs of the clients might impact the strategy. This factor may necessitate the employees' reevaluation of their techniques concerning the handling of their responsibilities. At the organization level inputs, the TLM suggests that the firm's information systems might be ineffective and may require revamping or bolstering in a manner fitting the strategy for achieving the firm's goals. With the changing client needs and increase in operative costs in the firm, the team-input variables such as team norms may also need reassessment and realignment, which would benefit the new objectives after client demands are altered. 

b) Goals for the firm’s output

The firm's central objective is to meet the changing market’s needs and demands that require more support services, rather than comprehensive campaigns. Other more specific goals include expanding the customers’ website visits and phone inquiries. The changing clients’ demand have also necessitated H&A to make significant modifications in the team’s status quo. To achieve the core objective, the firm also aims at altering the various roles of its groups to suit the new strategy appropriate for meeting the changing needs of the customers.

Question Two

Since H&A is not a novel firm, it already has some existing useful structures and resources. These resources and structures can be fed back into the firm to be reutilized for the implementation of an identified strategy in order to optimize the effectiveness of the team. Marco, the firm’s president, already boasts of potential resources consisting of the personnel with substantial agency experience. Hence, the firm is saved from the extensive training costs. Furthermore, the presence of an experienced and successful president is an additional resource for the managerial and leadership success of the firm. Moreover, the president admits the need for the equipment that is necessary to facilitate the creation of the client-centered output. This equipment may include computers, fax mail machines, stationeries and other communication gadgets, such as phones. The firm also has a team that has been effective before and members who are already familiar with each other. This familiarity among the team members is paramount for enhancing the group dynamics as a process variable.

An existing clientele is also a significant resource for molding an appropriate strategy, while saving costs that would have been incurred in the process of finding new clients. The clients' needs are a reference point when determining an optimum strategy. Moreover, the clients’ demands have necessitated a change of the H&A’s strategy. Finally, judging from its previous business experiences, the firm can afford sufficient capital to support the implementation of a new change strategy.