The current case study concerns a geological project of staking fifteen claims near Eagle Lake. The underlying problem of the team failing the task in time is poor communication and inadequate assessment of the team members. First of all, the job is team-oriented, and Parker’s plan was designed in such a way that all the four crewmembers are equal in experience, competencies, and physical strength. Furthermore, the team could only get a bonus of $300 if the task is finished in time. Therefore, the design of the job does not promote individual effort and only addresses the results. From these considerations, some of the crewmembers might deliberately put less effort into their work since other members might do it for them. Judging from the current case, this was not why Millar failed to complete his job on the last day; however, the lack of individual motivation affects the overall productivity of the crew.
Nevertheless, the core problem is poor communication and favoritism from Tom Parker. While the project manager exceeds in his fieldwork, his communication and leadership skills are somewhat lackluster. On day two, Parker ignored the problem and, therefore, facilitated the maladaptive behavior. However, on day three, he was enraged and demanded the team members pick up the pace. Furthermore, even when Millar and Boyce completed six and a half lengths, which was substantial progress from the previous day, they have not received any type of commendation. Emphasizing the negative and ignoring the positive is a detrimental communication strategy, which eventually makes people think that they are worthless and replaceable (Mohan, 2019). Recognition of efforts is a vital part of leadership and a successful team. Furthermore, Parker specifically emphasized Millar’s failure while ignoring the work of Boyce. This case of favoritism further reduced Millar’s motivation, and he eventually gave up on the last day of the project.
Reference
Mohan, R. (2019). 10 communication strategies for new leaders. Web.