Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Managers Dilemna

Leadership presents one of the most significant constituents that contribute to the overall success of any organization. Recent studies have found that having a nice boss within an organization has major advantages for the organization itself however, having a boss that is overly nice can also be a problem. In order for a boss to be nice and still able to motivate employees into behaving in a more businesslike manner, he or she must possess an exemplary character. Employees must be aware of the fact that a nice boss is committed to excellence and does not settle for second best. Apart from providing the obvious benefits of directing the employees that he is responsible for (Boone and Kurtz, 2006) and maximizing the prospects of attainment of overall organizational goals, the effective leader also ensures an element of decisiveness in every action undertaken by each employee within the firm, optimizing the productivity of the staff in general.  The manager must possess characteristics such as role model, motivator, goal setter, initiator, decision maker, conflict resolver, controller, team builder, and crisis manager. If employees are left to think that a manager will accept mediocre work, it is without a doubt that they will not put their entire effort into task assigned. Employees need to be aware of the fact that a manager is a person that everyone is able to talk to without fear. A good manager should be able to draw the line between befriending the staff and motivating the staff. Whilst there is no problem with being friends with the staff, the issues come to the fore when the staff becomes disrespectful and neglectful due to because of their relationship with the boss.
   
Five basic steps can be taken by Penny Baker to resolve the problems with the staff.   Firstly, there must be a clear understanding of the problem. It is quite obvious that the main problem is due to Mr Bakers relaxed attitude which has led to employees becoming complacent and does things the way they feel without any concern for standards.  Secondly, the following alternatives outlined could be used to resolve the issue
Stop being overly friendly and reduce the time spent socializing with the staff outside of work hours.
Desist from employee persons familiar to him 
Becoming strict with persons who are performing poorly and the employment of qualified persons for key positions and not necessarily people he knew.

Thirdly, evaluate the alternatives and select the one that would bring about the greatest accomplishment. A SWOT analysis could be used to evaluate the alternatives. In this case, the best choice would be implement measures to improve performance and conduct a performance appraisal. Penny would have to get employees to improve the quality of work produced. This could be achieved through the use of incentives. Finally, employees need to be made aware by Mr. Penny of the fact that change a change in their attitude is required and workplace should be taken seriously.
   
A blank stare at the how it works link on the companys website shows little understanding. One feature that could make the chart easier to understand is to put time frames in place. People need to know how long a certain feature will take before completion. Showing the process that takes place, will not necessarily relieve customers as they are looking for services that are not time consuming. It would therefore be a major addition if customers could see the time period. The Agent Program offered by National Bank card is an excellent program and one that I see as a good opportunity. The program has in place major characteristics that account for satisfaction within any career field.

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