SYNOPSIS OF AUDIO LEARNING TUTORIALS

TUTORIAL ONE – ‘UNDERSTANDING LEADERSHIP’

The Tutorial begins by the Principal of The School for Hospitality Leadership, Alan Cutler, giving a brief overview of his career in the hospitality industry thus establishing his credibility as having held leadership positions within a number of industry sectors over 35 years. He then explains the contents and format of the audio learning programme and, in particular, encourages the learner who is about to undertake the programme to seek the active support of his or her line manager. Indeed, the workbook contains a Certificate of Support completed by line managers in which they recognise the commitment required of the learner and pledge their support, should it be requested at any stage during the programme. One of the dangers of distance learning programmes is that participants can feel isolated and unsupported, hence it is considered highly desirable that the learners involve their organisation, in the form of a commitment by an appropriate line manager.

After having outlined the content of each of the six tutorials, Alan commences Tutorial One by inviting learners to think of a couple of people who have held a position of authority over them in the past, either at work or in their private lives. They should consider very different examples; one who they really respected, and one who they had little respect for whatsoever. They then identify, on the exercise sheet contained in the workbook, why they felt positively or negatively about these two people who held a leadership position. After the learner has completed that exercise in his or her own time, Alan then discusses how the leaders he has known and interviewed in the research projects he has been involved with, have inspired their staff. Hence, like many of the exercises in this audio learning programme, participants are invited to complete an exercise, after which Alan offers his own perspective on the subject.

Learners are then invited to construct a definition of leadership in no more than 20 words, which is then compared with a number of examples contained in the workbook. Alan suggests that the definition of leadership by Sir John Harvey-Jones, ‘Leadership is about getting extra-ordinary performance out of ordinary people’ is a definition that, although simple in nature, does, he feels, encapsulate what leadership is all about – getting individuals to work together and develop in to a really high performing team, providing exceptional customer service and hence contributing to the success of their organisation.

Following another exercise in which the learners are invited to consider their own beliefs about leadership, Alan discusses some thought-provoking issues concerning leadership such as: the difference between management and leadership; are leaders born or made?; and how the approaches to leadership have changed over recent decades – all of which impose specific demands on the twenty first century leader. Specifically in relation to the demands placed on leaders at all levels within the current hospitality market place, learners are invited to consider how and why the relationships between leaders and followers, managers and staff, employers and employees have changed over the past ten to fifteen years. What do people think about their job and careers these days? Are employees’ expectations about how they should be treated at work different now? Moreover, as a result of these factors, how do modern-day leaders have to treat their team members to get the best out of them.

As with all exercises contained within the six tutorials of the programme, a short clip of motivational music by a Jana Stanfield is played after the learner has been given a practical task to undertake and before the tutorial resumes with Alan discussing the learning points and desired outcomes from the exercise. In this instance, he discusses his view on how employees indeed have changed their attitude towards their jobs and now expect more from their employer and organisation than they did in previous years. For example, many employees do not now see themselves working for the same employer for extended period of time and, with unemployment currently at a low level, they know they can find another job relatively easily. Moreover, staff members are more likely to understand their rights in relation to their employment and do not necessary automatically respect their team leader or manager. All these factors, and more, influence how twenty-first century team leaders must approach their team members to get the best out of them. Again, learners are invited to consider these issues by jotting down their thoughts in the workbook before Alan proposes his views when the tutorial resumes.

Hence, in summary, this first tutorial seeks to encourage the learners to begin to consider what John Adair describes as ‘One of the most fascinating and mysterious subjects in the world’. It also sets the theme of Hospitality Leadership’s approach to team leadership that will be developed in more depth throughout the remaining five tutorials.

TUTORIAL TWO – ‘VARIOUS APPROACHES TO LEADERSHIP’

Having reflected briefly on what was covered in the first tutorial, Alan asks the learners to consider what it is that makes a great leader. Why it is that one person emerges and is accepted as a leader of a group of people, either at work or in any other aspect of life? What makes a leader stand out? Why do others follow them? What do they do? What do they know? This exercise will result a large number of reasons relating to the influence of a leader and the situation that he or she faces at the time. These will be random ideas by the learners, who are then subsequently invited to copy them into one of three boxes in their workbook namely:

·         The Qualities Approach   - what leaders are

·         The Situational Approach – what leaders know

·         The Functional Approach – what leaders do

Alan then spends time discussing these three approaches to leadership: qualities; situational; and functional. He suggests both advantages and disadvantages of both the qualities and situational approaches, giving practical examples to reinforce them.  He then focuses on the functional approach, also known as John Adair’s Action Centred Leadership – which will form the basis of much of the learning in the subsequent programme.

Functional leadership is about what the leader does. It combines aspects of both the qualities approach and the situational approach, but is based principally on the premise that leaders are required to undertake and successfully complete a number of tasks for which they are likely to make use of a team of people which, in turn, is made up of individuals. Hence, Adair suggests that a leader should concentrate on three distinct needs: the needs of the task; the needs of the team; and needs of the individual. The leader does this by the application of functions such as planning, briefing, motivating, evaluating etc.

Having introduced the concept of these three approaches to leadership, and explained that the functional approach, Action Centred Leadership, will be developed to a much greater extent in other tutorials, Alan then invites the learners to consider his own model of leadership best practice – The Leadership Jigsaw®. He believes that leaders at all levels, who are seeking to don the mantle of leadership, require a template to both measure their existing skills against, and then use to develop their skills in the areas identified as requiring reinforcement. The Leadership Jigsaw® has six pieces: vision, example, relationships, motivation, empowerment and communication which are defined by the following standards:

·         The Leader is a visionary

·         The Leader sets an example

·         The Leader builds supportive relationships

·         The Leader understands what motivates each team member

·         The Leader empowers other to reach their potential

·         The Leader understands the power of communication

As on many occasions in this audio learning programme, the learners are then invited to undertake some self-evaluation of their current leadership skills. In this case, they are asked to consider their leadership style against the six pieces of The Leadership Jigsaw®.

After the learners have measured themselves against his model, Alan then offers the opportunity for them to invite their team members to undertake a similar exercise - to record how they feel their leader measures up against all its six pieces. Whilst accepted that to do so will require a degree of courage from the team leader, they are strongly encouraged to do so, in recognition of the benefits of involving and listening to their team members. This exercise forms a powerful and fitting end to Tutorial Two.

TUTORIAL THREE – ‘LEADERSHIP THEORIES’

Tutorial Three begins with a short extract of Jana Stanfield music, in which she asks the question ‘When you look in the mirror, what do you see?’ This is an important question for someone holding a leadership position; which the self-evaluation exercise that completed the previous tutorial should have posed. Following on from that, Tutorial Three considers leadership theories - many of which relate to the role of leaders to inspire their staff. It is no coincidence that the motto of The School for Hospitality Leadership is ‘Aspire to Inspire’. The leadership theories considered in this tutorial include Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs; McGregor’s X-Y Theory; and Hertzberg’s Hygiene and Motivation Factors – all of which are motivational theories conceived around the 1960’s, but are still as powerful and relevant to twenty-first century team leaders, such as those who are undertaking this programme.

The tutorial not only explains in detail the concepts and reasoning behind these three theories but also, as always, involves participants in exercises and self-evaluation to assist and reinforce their leaning. An underlining thread connecting all three theories is that a leader must understand what motivates each individual team member – which relates back to the exercise in Tutorial One where learners where invited to consider how twenty-first century leaders can, and should, build positive relationships with their staff.

We then move on to consider a more modern theory, but one we think is still based on the fundamental concepts of those who considered leadership and motivation in the 1960’s - that is Servant Leadership. Here leaders use their authority, invested in their position within the organisation, to enable and empower their followers to move forward and to become fulfilled at work. Servant leaders help followers to grow and develop in their jobs. They do not use their authority for their own personal benefit, rather for the benefit of the individuals and the teams. Hence, the concept of leaders being servants to their followers in the sense that they use the authority of their position for the benefit of their staff, and ultimately the customer. This section of the programme includes an audio clip by one of the great modern proponents of Servant Leadership – James C. Hunter. In it, he suggests some very interesting ideas about the relationship between power and authority, which are developed by handouts in the programme workbook. Again, learners are then invited to undertake a self-evaluation exercise, seeking to identify to what extent they operate as a servant leader in their own work environments.

Tutorial Three cumulates in further information about Action Centred Leadership – the approach that was introduced in the previous tutorial. The accompanying handout introduces learners to John Adair’s classic Three Circles Model, namely: achieving the task; developing the individual; and building and maintaining the team. Learners are then asked to read and consider the accompanying handout in preparation for further discussion in the next tutorial.  

TUTORIAL FOUR – ‘APPLYING LEADERSHIP’  

This is perhaps the longest and most detailed tutorial, as it includes participants applying the principles of Action Centred Leadership in a real-life project within their own working environment. It commences, however, with Alan discussing the three circles module and considering the implications of a leader not meeting the needs of the task, the team, or the individual. Moreover, he suggests that there is a danger that somebody in a leadership position may not only fail to meet the needs of  either the team, the task, or the individual, but he or she may also fall into the trap of concentrating too much attention on one of the needs. Again, Alan discusses the consequences of a leader who is overly task-orientated; or spends too much time developing the team at the expense of the other two needs; or perhaps allocates too much attention on the needs of one or more individual team members at the expense of the others.

Moving on to apply the principles Action Centred Leadership in the workplace, the learners are introduced to four lines Rudyard Kipling’s poem, ‘The Elephants Child’:

I keep six honest serving men

(They taught me all I knew)

Their names are What and Why and When

And How and Where and Who

This verse is used as a template for the work-based project; in terms of considering the what, why, when, how, where and who. Choosing what project to undertake is simply addressed by inviting the learners to describe in no more than 25 words what the project is. We envisage them choosing one that involves changing some aspect of the work that they and their team are involved in. This could be, for example, changing some way of working (perhaps a new way of providing a service to their customers), or introducing a new policy or procedure required by their organisation.

It is within a change process that truly inspirational leaders emerge to motivate their teams to realise their vision. And when leaders do introduce change, if it is to be really effective, then it needs careful planning. Hence, planning to introduce change within the workplace is what this project should really be about: planning and introducing change and seeing it through to a successful completion.

Learners are strongly encouraged here to discuss the project with their line manager, ideally the one who pledged his or her support by signing the certificate at the beginning this learning programme. We stress the importance of keeping the learner’s manager in the picture, both at the beginning of the project, and as it progresses through to its conclusion.

Equally importantly, they should also spend a good deal of time considering why the project is necessary. In the workbook they detail the current situation in relation to the project; the reasons why the current situation has to change; and the desired situation once the project has been successfully completed. Having described the current situation and how it should be changed, learners are introduced to the concept of a Force Field Analysis, in which driving forces (pushing for change) and the resisting forces (pushing against change) are identified. They then undertake a Force Field Analyses in relation to the project they are about to embark on.

Having considered the what and the why, the tutorial then combines the next three honest serving men: when, how and where within the next planning activities. Learners are required to list the Critical Control Points that relate to the success of the project as a whole – those that the project manager cannot move forward onto the next stage until they are successfully completed. The previous Force Field Analysis will help the learners to identify these CCPs . Having done so, the learners  then identify how they will know when each has been successfully completed – the Success Criteria for each CCP. For example, if the project involves providing a new service to their customer, one of the early stages may be to have new promotional material agreed. This could be a CCP; the success criteria for which would be a positive response from managers, staff and/or colleagues whose opinions were sought on the new material.

The tutorial then moves on to consider timetabling the project and introduces the concept of a Gantt Chart, taking learners through an example chart that plans a hypothetical project over a period of seven weeks: identifying the various activities that need to be completed according to desired time scales, as well as plotting their actual completion on the chart. The workbook also includes blank Gantt Charts that can be copied and used to timetable the actual project the learners are working on.

Having considered the what, the why, the when, the how and the where, the tutorial moves forward to consider who the team leader will need to help him or her with this project. Here, Alan considers in some depth issues such as;

·         Allocating tasks

·         Briefing the team

·         Conducting team feedback sessions

·         Monitoring the progress of individual team members

·         Addressing issues of team members’ under-performance

The final aspect of this fourth tutorial concerns evaluating the success of the project, both through its execution and conclusion. Learners are shown the use an evaluation table that is based upon the projects CCPs, success criteria, with the corrective action required if some of the success criteria are not met as the project develops.

This forms a fitting end to a lengthy and highly practical tutorial in which the learners have actually applied affective leadership skill in the fulfilment of a project; benefiting not only themselves, but also their team, their customers and their organisation.

TUTORIAL FIVE – ‘THE PEOPLE ASPECTS’

Tutorial Five is the longest of the six, lasting one hour and twenty four minutes, and deals with the team leader’s role of getting the best out of team members. It covers a number of people-centred skills, including:

·         Leading by example

·         Motivating people as individuals

·         Building supportive relationships

·         Communication between the leader and the team

·         Delegation and empowerment

The first people aspects are dealt with by Alan discussing his views on how leaders can get “exceptional performance out of ordinary people” by relating back the lessons learned previously in this audio learning programme - supported and enlivened by many stories and antidotes he has amassed through his years of leadership and management within the hospitality industry. He talks about, for example, what motivates people, as well as demotivational factors that can influence individuals’, and hence teams’, performance within the work place. Moreover, he questions how the example team leaders portray affects those who look up to them for inspiration. He suggests that leaders should regularly look into the mirror and ask “Would I willingly follow myself?” One particularly effective method of motivating people is the Grand Gesture, whereby the leader can very powerfully demonstrate what he or she believes in, in a single action. Again, Alan reinforces this concept with his own personal leadership experiences.

The tutorial spends a considerable period of time examining the issues of delegation and empowerment: inviting learners to consider why leaders should delegate and, additionally, if they should delegate responsibility, authority, and/or accountability. A handout within the workbook suggests a six-stage approach to the process of delegating and then offers a means whereby learners can solve a particularly difficult aspect – what to delegate. An exercise follows in which they consider why some team leaders under-delegate and/or over-delegate; as well the effects of doing so.

Alan then explores how leaders can build supportive relationships, giving examples of doing so from the interviews he conducted as part of the 2006/7 Hospitality Leadership Excellence Survey. He further offers a number of practical means whereby team leaders can build supportive relationships within a work environment, based on the foundation of mutual trust and respect.

The tutorial continues by considering what Alan believes is perhaps the most influential aspect of people management: that of effective communications - which, from his experience, many people practise so badly! He discusses how team leaders can create a positive communication culture within their work place; encouraging open and honest communications in all directions.

Although not always appreciated, research has repeatedly proved that body language is the most influential form of communication – more so than the spoken word or the tone of the voice. Hence, this tutorial teaches how the passive, aggressive or receptive application of the following aspects of body language can influence the message received, intentionally or not:

·         Hand and arm gestures

·         Facial expression

·         Body posture

·         Eye contact

·         Stance

An exercise, completed by the learners, reinforces the powerful impact of body language and stresses how they should use it to positive effect within their own work places.

The tutorial concludes with advice on how to be an effective listener, including another self evaluation test, and guidance on how to communicate powerfully using the written word.

TUTORIAL SIX – ‘TAKING THE NEXT STEP’

Hospitality Leadership believes that, if the learners have taken on board the messages contained within the first five tutorials of this programme and have diligently completed the exercises, as well as thinking long and hard about what makes an inspirational team leader, they will have made significant steps towards that objective. Hopefully, with practice and application of the messages contained within the programme they may well have developed to such an extent that they are considering the next step in their leadership journey – towards operational leadership, or as it is often termed ‘first line management’. Hence, this final tutorial acts as both a means of clarifying the learners’ potential to take that step, as well as providing them with a great deal of information as to the demands and requirement of a first line manager.

Alan discusses in some depth:

·         The demands placed upon a twenty-first century line manager

·         The enhanced skills and attributes required

·         How to undertake an honest appraisal of the learner’s current performance against these enhanced skills

·         The standards required of a first line manager    

In regard to the enhanced standards required of a first line manager, the workbook includes full details of the sixteen standards produced by the Management Standards Centre for first line management. These are:

MANAGING SELF AND PERSONAL SKILLS

□             Manage your own resources and professional development

PROVIDING DIRECTION

□             Provide leadership in your area of responsibility

□             Promote equality of opportunity and diversity in your area of responsibility

FACILITATING CHANGE

□             Encourage innovation in your area of responsibility

□             Plan change

□             Implement change

WORKING WITH PEOPLE

□             Develop productive working relationships with colleagues

□             Recruit, select and keep colleagues

□             Allocate and monitor the progress and quality of work in your area of responsibility

□             Provide learning opportunities for colleagues

USING RESOURCES

□             Manage a budget

□             Ensure your own actions reduce risks to health and safety

□             Ensure health and safety requirements are met in your area of responsibility

ACHIEVING RESULTS

□             Manage a project

□             Monitor and solve customer service problems

□             Work with others to improve customer service

Not only does the workbook include these management standards, but Alan also discusses each of them; stressing in particular how they differ from those required of a team leader. Hence, this provides those undertaking this team leader development programme the detailed information they need to plan their progression to the next stage on their leadership journey. Also, to assist them in doing so, the workbook includes a blank action planning sheet for learners to list:

·         What steps they need to take

·         Their target dates in achieving each step

·         The means of identifying when they have achieved each objective

·         What support and  resources they will need to achieve them

·         Any barriers which they may have to address and overcome in the process

The workbook further includes the contact details of organisations within the hospitality industry where learners can access information and resources to assist them in their leadership development.

In the knowledge that one of the likely requirement of a first line manager is to be able to present their thoughts or plans to an audience of colleagues or other interested parties, included within the workbook is a copy of Alan’s 35 page guide to public speaking entitled ‘Present Like A Pro’ – Ten Ways to Wow Your Audience!  

That concludes an overview of the content of all six audio tutorials. However, the learners are also offered an opportunity to have the efforts they have expended during the programme reinforced by the completion of a written assessment of their learning, subsequently recognised by the award of a signed certificate based upon the result of that assessment. The assessment takes the form of an optional written test, based upon the short answer format rather than requiring lengthy essays, for a small additional fee. This is entirely optional but is offered in the knowledge that many people do like to have a certificate that recognises their hard work and achievement.

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