Working for an FMCG company

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Imagine you work for an FMCG company and have been assigned a project to launch a new product variant. You will be working with a team that comprises employees from different departments.

Lead your team so that they remain motivated and work toward achieving project goals without any conflicts. Based on your reading and research:

Discuss 2 ground rules you will form for the team to follow.
Discuss 2 ways in which you will manage conflicts that may arise among team members.

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.

God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Ground Rules for Team Collaboration:

  1. Active Listening and Respectful Communication: This is paramount for a team with members from different departments, each bringing their own perspectives and priorities. This means when someone is speaking, we give them our undivided attention, listen to understand their point of view – even if we don’t immediately agree – and respond respectfully. We will avoid interrupting, making assumptions, or dismissing ideas prematurely. Our communication will be professional, focusing on the issue at hand rather than personal opinions or attacks. This rule encourages a psychologically safe environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns without fear of judgment.

Ground Rules for Team Collaboration:

  1. Active Listening and Respectful Communication: This is paramount for a team with members from different departments, each bringing their own perspectives and priorities. This means when someone is speaking, we give them our undivided attention, listen to understand their point of view – even if we don’t immediately agree – and respond respectfully. We will avoid interrupting, making assumptions, or dismissing ideas prematurely. Our communication will be professional, focusing on the issue at hand rather than personal opinions or attacks. This rule encourages a psychologically safe environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns without fear of judgment.
  1. Clear Roles, Responsibilities, and Shared Accountability: To avoid confusion and ensure everyone knows their contribution, we will clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each team member at the outset of each project phase. We will use a shared platform (e.g., a project management tool or a shared document) to outline these responsibilities and track progress. While individual tasks are important, we will operate with a sense of shared accountability for the overall success of the project. This means we support each other, flag potential roadblocks proactively, and collectively celebrate our achievements.

Managing Potential Conflicts Among Team Members:

Even in the most collaborative environments, conflicts can arise. Here are two ways I will aim to manage them:

  1. Facilitate Open Dialogue and Active Problem-Solving: If I observe or if team members raise a conflict, my first approach will be to create a safe and structured space for open dialogue. I will encourage the involved parties to clearly articulate their perspectives and the underlying needs or concerns driving their positions. My role here will be to actively listen, ensure respectful communication (reinforcing our first ground rule), and facilitate a collaborative problem-solving process. Instead of immediately trying to impose a solution, I will guide the team towards understanding each other’s viewpoints and working together to identify mutually acceptable solutions. This might involve reframing the issue, exploring different options, and focusing on the project goals as a common ground. For instance, if Marketing and R&D have differing opinions on a product feature due to feasibility versus market appeal, I would facilitate a discussion where both sides present their rationale, explore potential compromises, and collectively decide on the best path forward based on data and strategic alignment.
  2. Mediation and Focus on Shared Goals: If direct dialogue doesn’t lead to a resolution, or if the conflict becomes more interpersonal, I will step in to mediate. My approach will be to remain neutral, understand each party’s perspective without taking sides, and help identify common ground and shared goals. I will focus the conversation on the overarching project objectives and how resolving the conflict will contribute to our collective success. I will encourage empathy and understanding of each other’s pressures and constraints within their respective departments. If necessary, I might propose potential solutions based on the information shared, but the final decision will ideally be a collaborative one. For example, if Sales and Operations have a disagreement about the initial production volume for the new variant, I would mediate by reviewing sales forecasts, production capacities, and potential risks, guiding them to a data-driven compromise that balances market demand with operational feasibility.

My aim is to foster a team environment where open communication, mutual respect, and a focus on our shared goals are the norm. By establishing these ground rules and having a clear approach to conflict management, I am confident that we can navigate any challenges that arise and successfully launch this new product variant. Let’s work together and make this a success!

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