David Fletcher Case Study

Case Study: David Fletcher 1. What are David’s greatest strengths as a team leader? Greatest developmental needs? How did these strengths and weaknesses affect David’s ability to build a successful team the first time around? Points for Class Discussion: Greatest Strengths: * David is focused on the objective of the team and he is well aware of the function of the team once assembled. * David is also good in building mutual connection with his team members as exemplified by his â€Å"student-teacher† relationship with Stephanie. Developmental Needs: * David lacks people skills; He should be more critical in identifying and analyzing interpersonal problems within his organization and address these problems promptly. He should realize that collaboration of his team is as important as their individual contribution, if not more. Effects to Team Building: Having a clear objective of what the team is supposed to be doing will help a lot in achieving its goal. This was evident when the team was smoothly running the first couple of months. However, as the team was not built on solid foundation and members are not really compatible working with each other, cracks eventually formed that lead to the downfall of the group. 2. What type of team was David trying to assemble? What type of team do you think would be most appropriate for this specific business environment? David Fletcher was originally trying to build a research team composing of analysts who are experts in certain industries. His preference of having experts for team members came from the need to analyze and sift through huge amount of research data that can assist him in coming up with sound investment decisions. His decision of building a research team to handle the details of his day to day operations would be the most appropriate strategy given his specific business environment. 3. Discuss what you think the biggest problems/obstacles faced by David in the transition to teams. Considering that David’s strengths rely on his ability to focus on what is in front of him and make sense out of the chaos of information that floods his day to day operation, one of his biggest obstacle is his lacks of skill in observing how his team members interact with each other which highlights his ineffectiveness in people management. Additionally, the lack of structure in the way they organized their team is not really helpful in the overall cohesion and synergy of the group although they claim to have only one goal which is to make money for their investors and improve their portfolio. This brings in another obstacle for David as his initial intention for a team loosely rely on the strength of each individual members instead of capitalizing on a harmonious relationship of the group. 4. Assess David’s second attempt to build a team. As David’s original team falls apart, his effort of building another team has the potential to follow the same route and fall into similar obstacles that lead to the downfall of the original team if he doesn’t analyze deeper the circumstances and factors that lead to the failure. Although the potential team members are promising, there is no guarantee of a cohesive team not unless David invests more on his people to build a harmonious relationship between his subordinates. On the other hand, his initiative to persevere even if challenged with the task of starting all over again to rebuild the team is commendable. 5. What advice would you give to Mary Robinson? Points for discussion: Joining a group involves a lot of risks especially if it is a small, closely-knit team since the interactivity between members is relatively high. Although Mary’s initial impression is positive, there is no guarantee that she can effectively work with the members in the long run. Furthermore, focusing on her area of expertise alone does not guarantee her success since David’s team is involved in various industries which may require her to work with other experts of her team. On the other hand, being in a focused and driven team will greatly improve her skills in portfolio management. If she possesses adequate people skills to blend and work with her team members without any complications then joining David’s team may prove to be a great career move for her.