Management
With reference to the members of staff, Barrett is a good listener that is quite willing to accept varying opinions. He is a good listener that distills comments and information well. He listens carefully and can substantiate his suggestions or comments. Barrett is also patient and respectful. This attribute enables his members of staff to challenge him. Additionally, the attribute allows him to invite disagreements from people. He never attacks people individually or diminish their importance.
Barrett gives freedom to members of staff and allows them to do what they deem right. He is loyal, especially on issues of personnel change. He is also firm because he often states his stand and says things that get people moving or thinking in a certain direction. Lastly, he is non-confrontational. He does not welcome the thought of conflicts among members of staff especially during the meetings. In the case of confrontations or disagreements among members of staff, he encourages them to handle their disagreements off-line.
Barrett’s Background
Education and Work Experience
Don Barrett graduated from the Harvard School of Business and worked for Nicholson’s Supermarkets before joining the All-Star Sports as the regional vice president in charge of store operations. Soon after that, he moved up the administration position and became the head of the All-Star Express business. Barrett managed the delivery business of All-Star since 1992 when the annual sales totaled $35 million.
Recently, Don Barrett guided the ASC through wholesale acquisition screenings and varied integration processes. He also served as one of the members of the management staff of CEO Steve Archibald, which oversaw exercise over the entire corporation.
These personality and work experiences shape the approach of Don Barrett regarding the decision making processes in the organization. These factors defined the art of influence employed by Barrett in his administration. His personality and working experiences enhance his role in planning and dialogue at the organization. His listening skills help him to promote effective dialogue with members of staff. Additionally, his leadership skills enable him to establish credibility and frame goals that aim for the common good.
Barrett’s Application of Frisch’s Tactics
There are various ways through which Barrett employs the concepts of Frisch tactics. The first tactic is the specification of the desired outcomes. Without the identification of clear anticipated outcomes, members of the team will choose options basing on differing and unspoken assumptions. To avoid the development of the dictator-by-default syndrome, one has to articulate what they need to accomplish.
Barrett employed this tactic by developing effective marketing strategies while heading the All-Star Express. Additionally, he invested heavily in employee development and the call centre technology as a process of capitalizing effectively on the synergies within the retail division.
The second tactic is surfacing the preferences early. This tactic involves the identification of preferences and focusing on the subsequent discussion. His personality attributes and leadership skills enabled him to incorporate this tactic effectively in leadership. He employed this tactic by setting aggressive expectations and goals for the organization before seeking the input from managers on how to attain these goals. As such, he set his preferences earlier enough before presenting them to his administrative body of the organization. One of his goals was to establish an atmosphere he could influence people to move the organization forward.
