Oftentimes, conflicts arise within an organization due to the lack of managers' cohesiveness within the workplace. One example of this situation is concerning American SteelCo between Vince and Rachel. They are in a disagreement because they are not effectively incorporating their managerial functions and skills as frontline managers. Managerial functions are defined as, “The key responsibilities of managers; these are categorized into four areas known as POLC, which stands for planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.” (Andrade, 2019, para. 17).

POLC is an acronym. It’s a four step process if followed sequentially can help Frontlines managers in any company or situation succeed. The four components are as follows:

At American SteelCo, Vince and Rachel have seemed to disagree about ways to efficiently incorporate managerial skills as frontline managers. For this reason, the POLC theory helps struggling frontline managers lead their teams more successfully. For this situation, we have listed two possible actions:

ACTION 1

After helping other companies resolve similar issues, we highly recommend focusing on the organization aspect of our theory. In many cases, unorganized teams often have the most contention between management and employees and often underperform. To improve company culture and organization, we recommend that Vince and Rachel incorporate weekly discussions with their employees so they understand their roles and are on the same page. We are confident that applying this action will not only help have things under control but also keep employees actively engaged in their work. Organization is key to running a successful department and can show your team members that you have everything under control; while also performing more efficiently.

ACTION 2

We can apply the Leading section of the POLC theory to this situation. Managers take on the role of inspiring and motivating. Including both Vince and Rachel in team discussions with a strong focus and manager leading would inspire that team harmony. Focusing on leading and involving your team in discussions can help unify and keep things organized. Without these types of discussions the team can lose that aspect of harmony and cohesiveness.

Through our personal experience we have learned that implementing the four different aspects of the POLC theory can help solve the majority of issues management might face.

This situation presents a conflict that all current organizations are faced with. The POLC Theory outlines some of the most important aspects of management. However, it is important to incorporate all four of them, rather than to focus on only one. Spending too much time planning can lead to less time for organizing or leading. Similarly, spending too much time controlling can lead to less time including all members of your organization.