EFFECTIVENESS OF SWOT AND BRAINSTORMING IN SOLUTION DEVELOPMENT.

HARRODS Report- Contemporary Issues in the Business Environment
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Table of Contents
ABSTRACT 3
PROCEDURE FOR DEVELOPING IDEAL SOLUTIONS TO WORK-BASED PROBLEMS 3
WAYS THROUGH WHICH COMMUNICATION TAKES PLACE AT HARRODS 4
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND MITIGATIONS TO THE BARRIERS 6
Too much information 6
Language and Vocabulary differences 7
Insensitive words, poor timing. 7
Inability to create meaning 8
EFFECTIVENESS OF SWOT AND BRAINSTORMING IN SOLUTION DEVELOPMENT 8

APPROPRIATE STRATEGIES TO PROBLEM RESOLUTION 10

REFERENCES 12

ABSTRACT
Nowadays, for a company to successful its management has to distinguish itself in the market place which is becoming more and more competitive with time. This is possible through the application of the best supervision skills, that is, the myriad number of concept as well as practices which are entwined with management. In my report, I will lay focus on the critical challenges which are experienced in the business today and the solutions to such obstacles. These issues will range from economic turbulence, models of effective communication in the working environment together with various barriers, the interpersonal conflicts and the means of solving them up to the various strategies that Harrods as a giant enterprise will use in its problem resolution with the employees.
PROCEDURE FOR DEVELOPING IDEAL SOLUTIONS TO WORK-BASED PROBLEMS
A good enterprise ought to come up with a formalized problem-solving at times coined as complaint procedure that can be used in solving the problems presented by employees to various supervisors. Therefore, this complaint procedure will basically involve a managerial formulated series of steps that are used in handling employee complaints which generally paves way for a varied range of appeals prior to reaching of a formidable kind of decision. The organization can even go an extra mile into explaining such complaint procedures in what can be referred to as an employee handbook/or a policy as well as procedure manual (Edwin & Kelly, 2015).
Such a problem solving procedure involves sequential steps which commences at as low as the organization’s supervisory level to end at the Harrods’ President or executive vice president. Such measures are aimed at giving employees an effective means of bringing a number of problems to the attention of the managerial staff thus getting such problems solved. The problems in this case will range from anything any of Harrods’ employees deem as unjust or inequitable. The formation ensures that the employees are also in a position of airing any kinds of concerns as pertained to their treatment as well as conditions of work under which Harrods’ as a company is expected to exercise control some over. The numbers of logical steps are as depicted below:
Normal procedure
i. First Step- Supervisor, various kinds of problems is solved by the people who are closest to the employees as they discuss the concerns which affect them. If a satisfactory solution is not hatched out or the employee is of the opinion that the supervisor is not the best person to solve the problem, he moves to the next step.
ii. Second step- District Manager/ assistant, comes immediately after the supervisor if a solution is not found after issues have been discussed
iii. Third step-Division manager, employees seek the services of the divisional management in an event where the first two steps have failed.
iv. Fourth stage- the Alternate- the HR Staff-the employees are free to table their concerns to the member of the HR staff rather than the higher-level divisional management.
Add more information. This task could be stronger.
WAYS THROUGH WHICH COMMUNICATION TAKES PLACE AT HARRODS
In an enterprise like Harrods, communication is bound to flow in either a downward, diagonally laterally or diagonally. The first way, the downward communication is a method of communication whereby a piece of information is relayed in a downward manner from the manager to the enterprise’s employees. For instance, this company can make use of town hall meetings in communicating with employees. This will involve the HRM manager holding public meetings with the intention of passing useful information as well as discussing with the employees particular issues affecting the organization. Similarly, such, meeting can be called upon so as to bring together the companies’ employees with the chief purpose of celebrating various achievements and accomplishments that the company has made. Either, the downward method of communication can be useful when it comes to areas of informing, directing, and coordinating together with evaluating employees. As such, a manager assigning some specified goals to Harrods employees will be an illustration of this mode of communication. Above all, the managers will be likely to utilize the downward way of communication in giving directives to the employees as pertained to job descriptions, giving the employees information regarding the organizational policies also procedures, pointing out various problems which may be requiring attention at the same time evaluating employee performance (Stephen, Rolf, Stagg & Mary, 2014).
The second way through which communication can take place in the enterprise is by upward communication. Here, communication will be flowing in an upward manner from the employees till it gets to the ultimate people in the enterprise, that is, the managerial staff. Using this manner of commutation, the managers will get information from the employees such as various reports that will inform the management of the overall progress of various goals besides any sort of problems which could be affecting such a progress at that particular time. Additionally, this will keep the management privy of the way the employees are feeling about their current positions in jobs, those with whom they work with as well as the organization in general. It is also clear that the management will be likely to rely on this way of communication within an enterprise so as to fetch substantial information on how a number of things can be improved within the business environment. Te upward communication is represented in a number of ways such as performance reports which are written by employees, the suggestion boxes placed at various service points and work stations, surveys aimed at getting employee attitudes, grievances guidelines, manager-employees discussions together with informal group sessions whereby employees are presented with opportunities of identifying at the same time discussing a number of problems with the management else the representatives from the top-level management.
A third way of communication is a lateral form of communication. This is likely to take place between employees in the same organizational level. Using this manner of communication, employee engagement becomes more apparent, with the staff coming up with more innovative ideas regarding more diversified yet efficient solutions to a number of problems. Thus, this way of communication is extemporal good in today’s dynamic way of environment as it safes time besides facilitating coordination. Cross-functional kinds of teams, for example, rely on this kind of communication as a means of interaction.
Lastly, there is a mode of communication referred to as diagonal communication. This particularly cuts across not only work areas, but also the organizational levels. For instance, an analyst in the enterprise’s credit department communicating with a regional marketing manager regarding a customer problem, that is, a diagonal communication. In this case, a different department and different organizational level is involved. This manner of passing information across the Harrods enterprise will be beneficial particularly when efficiency is desired and time saving as it is very fast. It will be mainly used in line with the e-mails.
You have identified the methods of communication. Why have you not added a diagram, method or image etc?
BARRIERS TO FFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND MITIGATIONS TO THE BARRIERS
There obstacles that are known to bar the passage of massage between people range from human differences to organizational conditions. Such obstacles are noise. As a result of information breakdown, there develops misunderstanding, confusion alongside conflicts. This breakdown is both costly when looked from the perspective of money plus also lead to creation of dilemmas which ultimately hurts teamwork and morale (Edwin & Kelly, 2015). There are number barriers as described hereby.
Too much information
This appears by means of messages being too long yet wordy. This cause misunderstanding thus lost productivity. In this sense, the typical message is loaded with too many wordings which when scrutinized will possess very little or no bearing on the message’s purpose. This can occur in a situation whereby employees are given too much information overload thus making the employees to start complaining that they are overwhelmed with irrelevant yet redundant types of messages. Mitigation to this is keeping the message KISS, that is, keep it short and simple no matter the medium used.
Language and Vocabulary differences
Individuals generally differ as pertained to the manner in which they convey meanings. This thus brings about confusions, despite language being the basic tool to be employed in communication. In areas of the globe whereby a similar language is spoken, the differences in cultures, various ascents, dialects plus the word meanings are at times profound. Within an organizational setup, a difference arising from the use of jargon which is varied across the various departments is a source of such confusion. For instance, whereas an information technologist will be heavily using technical terms in his interface with the accounting department, the accounting officer’s choice of word will be from a more financial edge.
A solution to the use of language is the use of technology. For example, the utilization of productivity software such as Microsoft word which will offer a translation medium for various organizational materials into multiple kinds of languages (Vanita, 2003). Alternatively, an organization can give a multi-lingual website on which the employees can make a choice on the content that they would like to be displayed, that is, in their own language.
Insensitive words, poor timing
This involves the use of killer phrases, for instance, ‘That is cheap thinking’ which ultimately will end a conversation. This is as a result of the receiver taking offence thus directing his anger back to the sender. The insensitive, offensive language plus impetuous responses makes understanding difficult. On timing, at times the employees can come to work with baggage events that must have happened off the job. This in turn makes it hard for such an employee to pay attention to any kind of sender as he or she anticipates a taste. For example, despite an argument starting at home a worker may arrive at a work while still simmering.
Inability to create meaning
Such a kind of barrier erupt due to differences seen in perception of some passed information thus a misunderstanding in the process. It is also true that the various employees within a working environment have differences in perception as one’s perception of a good service will mean a poor service to another party
Generally, such barriers to communication can be broken by employing the six pillars that are fundamental to effective supervisory communications. These include:
• Providing employees with timely yet complete information
• Striving hard to ensure that while addressing the public, one is understood and himself fully understands the people. Feedback is primary to any form of success
• Making an understanding of the way in which one’s actions and body language influences those surrounding him.
• Always keeping messages which are send short but simple. He messages thus are manageable pieces that create a maximum kind of impact.
• Encouraging the employees to be asking questions
• Carrying on follow up activities to ascertain that a message that has been passed is doing what exactly it was meant to do.3
Where is 2c?
EFFECTIVENESS OF SWOT AND BRAINSTORMING IN SOLUTION DEVELOPMENT
Brainstorming involves the idea-collecting technique which is used in group exercise. This is founded on a freewheeling offering of such ideas with an open-ended also to some extent proactive queries which are put forward by whoever is facilitating (Kasparek, 2007). The method is good since it has a number of advantages. First, a well conducted brainstorming session is known to trigger a broad participation of every individual in this kind of idea-formulation process. Second, a brainstorming session enables people to get a stimulation of thinking about hearing the views coming from others. Using this kind of approach, several and different kinds of ideas can be generated in a faster manner. Another advantage, erupting forms this kind of approach, it forms a good basis and thus sets stage for the introduction of a more structured plus focused exercises.
Next, is an approach to brainstorming is what is referred to structured brainstorming. Here, the participants reply to various questions by writing down them in some cards (Dana, 2009). These cards are later on presented, discussions held before grouping them so as to represent some collective reflections of such participants. This type of brainstorming serves as an effective tool for a kind of a working environment whereby the management wishes to establish a shared kind of vision regarding their collective future. Either, this kind of process is known to put the present differences into perspective, diffusing conflicts in addition to encouraging participants is seeing their pressing kind of concerns. Another kind of efficacy which arises from this approach is that this process is an interactive yet non-confronting process thus to a major extent has been building cooperative kinds of alliance where employees do work harmoniously towards a common goal (Donald, Ahmad & Fred, 2003).
On the other hand, the SWOT way as used in providing solutions to problems still remains a powerful kind of tool to be employed in group assessment of any issues that are of concern in some specified interventions or services. The method is founded on structured brainstorming kind of session that is aimed at eliciting a group’s perception of positive factors (strengths), those negative kind of factors, that is, weaknesses, possible improvements which could be made into the organization which are the opportunities alongside the constraints, that is, threats/limitations as pertained to some issue at hand (Kasparek, 2007). The method is particularly useful when it comes to carrying out evaluations within the working environment. The method when applied to the provision of solutions to problems serves as a good technique. The technique’s efficiency comes from the fact that it stresses on the considering both the negative also positive sides of the issues and thus solution being provided as the way out. It therefore aids in setting the foundation for any form of negotiation plus trade- offs thus promoting understanding of other’s views. Second, SWOT is a good avenue for discussing issues in detail within various groups thereby preparing them onto discussing such issues with outsiders (Charles & Gareth, 2009). This kind of analyzing issues promotes group creativeness by helping in the linking of a perception of various things as they are with pragmatic kind of prospects regarding how such things should be.
Create a SWOT analysis.
APPROPRIATE STRATEGIES TO PROBLEM RESOLUTION
Any kind of business must have a number of approaches to use in resolving conflict. Such strategies are bound to be based on weighing the desired degrees of cooperativeness plus assertiveness (Edwin & Kelly, 2015).
To begin with, withdrawal/avoid can be such a strategy especially when the management perceives the issue as being trivial therefore making the cost for solving such a conflict higher than the benefits. The second approach is the accommodate/oblique strategy whereby one loses for the next party to win (Edwin & Kelly, 2015), something referred to as reciprocity reflex (law stating that a good turn is paid with another). A third strategy is compromise whereby some is gained at the very time some lost. The fourth and last strategy is the complete, force or dominates strategy which is characterized by one party winning as the other party loses completely.
Harrods is likely to implement the compromise strategy in solving conflicts with its myriad employees. This is because most labor-management negotiations majorly make use of this approach. Using this approach, it will be unfortunate for the company since once the employees know that the management will always compromise with them, such employees will naturally tend to bring inflated kinds of demands onto the bargaining table (Patricia, 2009). Due to this, some substantial amount of valuable time is likely to be wasted as Harrods and its employees try to make an identification of the real issues. On the other hand, the strategy hailed for its being viewed as assertive.

REFERENCES
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