Economist Skills Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economist Skills - Case Study Example Entering a supervisory role means that one gives up some of the task orientation and gets involved in the planning aspects of the tasks at hand. Rather than being given the daily tasks to perform, as on the line, the supervisor must deal with the constraints (number of people, amount of time, budget) and the requirements (production quantity, quality). Add to this the human management aspects of the job upward. Whereas the plant manager is a distant figure to the people on the line, not sharing the pressures and difficulties of the job, he is more direct and confrontational with his/her supervisors, as they are the first-line managers responsible for getting things done. Managing upwards for Joe means that he must fit the requirements of the company and his capacities to complete them with the people he has. Like an Army lieutenant climbing over the foxhole, he knows that the ultimate goal is not just the next foxhole, but a broader battle plan that he may or may not choose to communicate with his employees. Joe must manage expectations upward. That means that if upper management is asking him to do something for which he doesn't have the resources (e.g. capital equipment, training of his people, time or expertise), Joe must communicate that clearly with management and come to a mutually-satisfying conclusion. The usual pattern on manufactu... In addition, the supervisor moves from top player to coach: rather than carrying out the tasks himself, he must teach those who must do the actual production. It's said that the best coaches are those who were just average players in their sport. Vince Lombardi played professional football with just average results, but he excelled as a coach. The reason for the difference is that coaches understand how to reach down to the mid-performing line worker and motivate him/her to excel. There are any number of ways that Joe could have failed as a first-line manager: He failed to communicate the needs of upper management to the production team, thus failing to give an adequate picture of what was expected, or He did not act as a buffer, or translator, of upper-management wishes. Sometimes the first-line manager will communicate the tension and insecurity of upper management without giving adequate translation into the tasks that need to be completed. He could have failed to supply enough information to give his team members an insight as to why the decisions on production levels, quality and other factors were being asked of them. His production team members were looking to Joe for leadership, not camaraderie. Joe may have found that the tools he used before (being a nice guy, getting along) are different than those he needs now to succeed (providing direction and feedback). How Might This Have Been Avoided Management clearly failed Joe in two key ways: 1. They should have assessed Joe on his leadership qualities, not his ability to perform his work on the line. 2. They should have provided Joe with the management tools he needed in order to succeed, including training, coaching and feedback. Bibliography Berger, D., n.d., It's All About the People, Plant