Please respond to this 4 peers’ Discussion Prompts
ALL citations and references needs to be APA 7th edition format. (200-250 words each
Peer# 1
Hi everyone.
I chose the Situational Leadership Questionnaire because I was very curious to see which leadership style I would fall under. I had an idea of my strengths and weaknesses in all four styles – directing, coaching, supporting, delegating. I also have a pretty clear grasp of the developmental level (or degree of competence and commitment) of the staff I supervise.
Coaching and supporting were my two highest scores. I scored a zero on delegation. Reviewing information from the video presentation, this makes perfect sense. Especially in my current position as a Supervising Registered Nurse in the California prison system. The staff I supervise include RNs (some with advanced degrees some with A.A.s), Licensed Vocational Nurses, Medical Assistants, and schedulers (Office Technicians). I also interact and troubleshoot patient care and operational issues with our primary care physicians and medical leadership. So, they all have different levels of competence and many have relatively low commitment to accomplish activities and specific goals.
According to the West Coast University video presentation (n.d.), coaching leadership style is suited for followers with some competence and low commitment. Supporting leadership style is best suited for followers with high competence and low commitment (Slide 4, Development). I acknowledge that I could delegate more than I do. But I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, with high expectations of myself and others. Sometimes it just seems easier for me to take on a project myself. I need to work on that. It’s important for me to give people the opportunity to take on tasks and activities that will enhance their professional skills and knowledge base. Even when things are crazy busy and it needs to be done quickly.
As side note, just because a person has an advanced degree, it doesn’t mean they are automatically more committed or competent in their job duties.
Peer# 2
Hello Everyone,
I chose to do the Path-Goal Leadership Questionnaire because in my new role, I felt this was more appropriate, I recently took an instructor role teaching medical radiography for some background. The path-goal theory is meant to explain how leaders work to move their followers, in my case students, in moving along the path needed to reach their goals. In my case, I am leading my students along their associate program to be able to complete their program and pass the national registry. With path-goal theory, I need to be able to use my behaviors to lead my students to success and satisfaction with the passing of their registry and getting into the field of radiography (Northouse, 2018).
I learned that I have a more directive leadership style with a score of 34, which I expected from answering these questions from the role of an instructor, but was happy to see that I scored a 30 on the other three styles as well (WCU, 2021). Directive leadership fit into the teaching structure I now work in, as explained in the text. With the syllabus, I give my students clear instructions on the tasks they must complete, the expectations required of them, what timeline items need to be completed in, and how they are to turn in and maintain high grades in my classes. “A directive leader sets clear standard of performance and make the rules and regulations clear to followers (Northouse, pp. 134, 2018).
Scoring high in the other aspects also assists with my new role though. Supportive behaviors can make my classroom a nice place to build confidence in their abilities. Participative behaviors gives my students the ability to share ideas and opinions on how to best remember information, we work together to make different monikers and abbreviations to memorize information. And achievement-oriented behaviors is necessary to get my students to achieve the highest levels possible, which in turn will help them pass their registry the first time (Northouse, 2018). Understanding how to adapt and use all four of these path-goal oriented leadership behaviors, with that clear expectation from directive leadership, can set my students and myself up for success in getting them to their ultimate goals of being medical radiographers.
What are your thoughts? I look forward to your feedback.
Peer# 3
Hi everyone!
Managers recognize time, cost, and resource estimates must be accurate if project planning, scheduling, and controlling are to be effective (Larson & Gray, 2014). Accurate estimates are critical to effective project management because studies show that poor estimates are a major contributor to failure. Accurate estimates are needed to support good decisions, schedule the work that needs to get done, determine the project time frame or whether it is worth doing. Accurate estimates also allow for the development of cash flow needs and budgets for the project. Larson & Gray (2014) point out that without solid estimates, the credibility of the project plan is eroded because deadlines become meaningless, budgets become rubbery, and accountability becomes problematic.
Accurately estimating costs is particularly important during project management in healthcare organizations. As healthcare care costs continue to rise and the Affordable Care Act continues to have a presence in the marketplace, the industry is experiencing increased competition (Laudolff, 2016). Because of this, healthcare organizations are becoming more budget conscious and must ensure that funds for design and construction are spent in the most optimal way (Laudolff, 2016). Accurately estimating costs for healthcare projects is crucial because the projects tend to be very high-end, high-tech spaces that must accommodate multiple functions. Healthcare facilities are specialized spaces different from other facilities, meaning costs must be estimated beyond the typical needs. For example, every building needs to estimate costs for drywall, flooring, and lighting, but healthcare facilities must make allowances for medical gas systems, specialized lighting, etc. Accurately estimating costs also prevents healthcare projects from becoming mega projects that tend to go way over budget and fall behind schedule (Larson & Gray, 2014).
-Sabrina
Peer# 4
According to the textbook, “estimating is the process of forecasting or approximating the time and cost of completing the project deliverables” (Larson & Gray, 2014, pg.135). It’s important that in this sense, the word is being used to combine the scope of the timeline and the cost cohesively. Also per the textbook, there are six main reasons estimating is important:
The factors above serve as a great starting point for analyzing any project. Though estimates cannot be 100% accurate, it’s good to strive for 100% accuracy. “Accurate” estimates are critical to effective project management because simply because the outcome of any project has an impact on the future of the respective organization (and even industry as a whole). Applying this to projects in healthcare organizations, it is even more detrimental that projects be completed as close to the estimate as possible. The biggest reason being health outcomes are always affected by projects, regardless of the size or time of the project. Everyone’s health is on the line in the healthcare industry. Tampering with the system that is already in place—even for improvement—is still a risk for the patients. For example, let’s say a proposal is made to renovate all the main waiting rooms in a hospital. Looking at the reasoning above, the project might not be worth the time and the cost simply to provide more space in the waiting room; this would be relatively expensive and cost a lot of money for workers. Not to mention the logistics for all patients—would the hospital close parts of the hospital for renovating the waiting rooms and then “switch sides”? An even bigger question: shouldn’t the hospital focus more on the patients waiting less time in the waiting room instead of making the waiting room more comfortable?
Reference
Larson, E., & Gray, C. (2014). Project management: The managerial process. (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
