Theoretical Letters: The Person Versus the Situation, Essay Example

Differentiate between characteristics of leadership and management.

Leadership pertains to an individual’s peculiar ability of gaining subordinates’ cooperation in completion of projects/tasks. It embodies the leader’s articulation of being an example; giving directions, but not imposing personal values on subordinates and modelling the qualities he/she wants to communicate to members on the team. Even though there are several leadership styles a leader can adapt, leadership is a skill, which every leader must develop into his/her unique expression(Vroom & Sternberg, 2002).

Management relates to giving guidelines needed to see a project/task completed. While there may be a team leader that person’s responsibility is to see that deadlines are met and the tasks/project completed as planned. He/she acting the role of manager does not have any specific tasks to accomplish within the framework of that project except ensuring that team function in their required capacity. Unlike like in leadership whereby modelling is required and motivation expected managers just have to make sure the job is done with excellence (Vroom & Sternberg, 2002).

Identify a quality improvement issue in your workplace.

Quality improvement issue in my workplace relates to nurses being frequently absent from duty. When this occurs have already depleted staff has a greater workload.

Describe why this issue causes a problem and analyze the root cause.

Frequent absences create two major irregularities within the health care delivery system. First, frequent absences increase the workload. Secondly, when workload increases, inevitably quality of care is compromised. The goal of health care delivery is to offer the highest quality care. If patient/nurse ratios are at its lowest then this becomes a problem.

The root cause could emerge from many sources such as nurses do not like the shift on which they were placed. Also there maybe a number of elements in the work environment with which they are dis-satisfied.According to Susan Keating flaws in the root cause analysis execution itself may be responsible for certain situations to persist in a workplace (Keating, 2014).

Using one of the change theories discussed in the readings,develop a plan to change the problem.

Kurt Lewin’s (1890 -1947) theory of change can be applied to this situation whereby a three step model is used. The unfreezing phase will encompass designing strategies to reduce absenteeism; transition will consist of applying those strategies to the workplace by modifying polices and freezing evaluate outcomes and modify strategies to create a stabled situation.

How would your leadership and management skillshelp you achieve the change?

My leadership and management skills could help achieve the change through modelling the change and while motivating staff to be at work when assigned a shift.

References

Keating, S. ( 2014).  Getting to the Root of the Root Cause Analysis. The American Nurse Today.8(9); 53-58,

Vroom, V., & Sternberg, J. (2002). Theoretical Letters: The person versus the situation in leadership. The Leadership Quarterly 13 (3): 301–323