The Main Areas of Improvement
Previous case assignments have shown that there is a substantial communicative deficiency in coworker relationships. Not only do the team members interpret differently the same instructions, but they also argue about the correct course of action. The resulting disagreements lead to infighting, mistrust, and low work efficiency. Subsequently, communication is the first major area, which should be improved. It is essential that colleagues maintain honest and open communication for cultivating team spirit. Without reliable input from peers, coworkers start overvaluing their own efforts and underestimating the input of others. Correcting communicative issues is vital for establishing a healthy and efficient work setting.
The second main problem surfaces each time new workers arrive. There is a certain bias towards the more experienced employees. This predisposition puts newcomers at a disadvantage, which manifests itself in the lack of peer support and inadequate treatment. As a result, new workers are not able to adjust to the work setting properly and are forced to work extra hours in order to reach the work output indicators comparable to more experienced colleagues. Such a biased attitude reveals the staff’s deep insecurities about newcomers. At the same time, having new people with fresh input may be beneficial to the organization and the work process, even though the coworkers refuse to recognize this possibility.
The use of digital technology is one more area that hinders the work process and should be addressed. All coworkers have access to various social networks to communicate with each other. Yet, management does not have a central corporate service for virtual interactions within the organization. As a result, coworkers have to rely on different messengers to receive news. This inconvenience creates the possibility of employees not being aware of immediate work updates. Subsequently, workers are not aware of the new instructions and fail the assigned tasks. Agreeing on using a single messaging network would allow all employees to receive news on time and keep track of any work developments.
Action Learning Program Improvements
The ascertained issues can be resolved with an action learning program. An essential component of it is taking actual steps to resolve them. The entire purpose of action learning is to put the priority on practice and distinguishing the most efficient results. Pedler and Abbott (2013) write that in order to achieve it, strong moral principles have to be abided by. Therefore, the major point that an action learning program should accentuate is nurturing decent behavior among coworkers. Having a substantial moral foundation will allow directing efforts in the appropriate direction.
First, low communicative efficiency can benefit from an action learning program. At the core of interpersonal misunderstanding among coworkers lies the lack of respect. Workers do not trust each other enough to express their worries openly and pinpoint each other’s mistakes. An action learning program would help by forcing colleagues into communication. For instance, management can make peer feedback obligatory, which is an action. By checking the integrity of employees’ words, they may show appreciation of their subordinates’ honesty with financial bonuses, which incentivizes them to express themselves openly.
The second area is a bias towards the newcomers in favor of the more experienced personnel. It is important to understand that professional insecurity propels negative feelings of anxiety, apprehension, and nervousness when dealing with people who may possibly exceed one’s performance (Hain et al., 2011). Therefore, an action learning program can change this status quo by making regular assessments of the whole team’s work output regardless of the work experience. Evaluating the employees’ performance is an action while cultivating the sense of collective responsibility for work results is a moral lesson. As a result, the differences in work experience should cease to be a point of contention.
Finally, the lack of a single network for messaging can also be resolved by implementing action learning. In this case, the action would entail instructing all workers to use one specific messenger. Management can also encourage employees to share news updates with each other regularly. Having all team members use a single network will help build the collective spirit and nurture a sense of belonging. The subsequent understanding that all workers are part of a larger initiative is another moral lesson to be gained from action learning.
Organizational Readiness for Action Learning Quiz Results
Pedle and Abbot’s “Organizational Readiness for Action Learning” quiz has confirmed the aforementioned problems. Communication, biased attitude, and system of news delivery constitute weak sides of the organization. Moreover, the same issues compromise its readiness to engage in an action learning program. In order for educational endeavors to be successful, employees have to be willing to learn together (Davidson & Schwarz, 2011). This is not the case in this work setting, where there is a deficit of mutual understanding.
In my opinion, the quiz results accurately portrayed the current situation in the organization. Specifically, I agree with the notion of the lack of interpersonal respect. This will likely prove to be the biggest challenge in implementing an action learning program. As most of the coworkers do not associate themselves with the larger collective effort, there is no willingness to learn as a team. Although it may produce different results, an action learning program is still needed to be implemented.
Designing an Action Learning Program in a Workplace
In order for any type of learning to be successful, there has to be the willingness of all sides to deepen their knowledge and sharpen their skills. The deficit of trust is the problem the action learning program will work on. The choice of a problem is explained by the importance of honest communication in the work output. The set will encompass all employees who directly participate in the work process. Those who are not part of the organization will not be included because the goal is to nurture corporate culture, which comprises specific people within the organization.
The learning group will have to meet twice a week, which is the appropriate amount of time for the information to be understood. The implementation steps themselves include gathering all employees, accentuating the importance of collective effort and mutual trust, and informing them of the necessary changes. First, all work performed will be evaluated based on the overall team results. Second, all employees will be required to use a single network and update their colleagues on the news. If these undertakings are successful, the coworkers will change their attitude toward each other and see themselves as part of one organization. Combined with the use of a single network and the evaluation based on team performance, the organization will likely operate with more efficiency and integrity.
References
Davidson, A., & Schwarz, D. (2011). Creative approaches to continuous development. In J. Passmore (Ed.), Supervision in coaching: Supervision, ethics and continuous professional development (pp. 217-230). Kogan Page.
Hain, D., Hain, P., & Matthewman, L. (2011). Continuous professional development for coaches. In J. Passmore (Ed.), Supervision in coaching: Supervision, ethics and continuous professional development (pp. 193-226). Kogan Page.
Pedler, M., & Abbott, C. (2013). Facilitating action learning: A practitioner’s guide. McGraw-Hill Education.