Question

You have just been hired to be the new manager of the Blind Pig Bar.

1. Identify five issues related to each management function (Planning, Organizing, Influencing, Controlling) that you would check upon arriving at the Blind Pig.

2. Assume you decide to change the scheduling systems used at the Blind Pig, explain how that change affects your organizing, influencing, and controlling activities.

Answer 1

Answer:-

I feel it will be important to check all five of the management functions because you are the new manager and it is important for you to understand what they currently have in place and for you to decide what needs to be fixed or changed.

In regards to planning, you may have to trash the system and sit down with an upper management or owners. With them, you can find out where they would like the company to be in a year, three years, five years, etc. This will let them know that you are doing your job and looking out for their best interest and it will allow you to start planning how to get there and exceed their expectations and what game plan you need in order to do so.

Once the planning is complete you can start organizing the business to meet the needs of those plans. Whether that includes reallocating employees, money, or other resources, it is important to make sure that all the things required to reach the goals are provided in a reasonable time. If there is a delay on resources, the project and plans may also be delayed, making the goals of the management and the organization seem unachievable. So making sure that the resources are provided in a reasonable time is vital to the success of the planning stage and potentially the business

While all of the groundwork is being put in place it is important to influence or motivate the employees. Show the employees what needs done and make sure they see the value of their work as it relates to the business goals. “They want to contribute in ways that measure their achievements based upon the long-term benefits that the company they serve bears.” This means that it is easier for an employee to stay motivated if they see what their work is important instead of just looking at it as busy work. You also have to make sure that they stay motivated and if their task changes based on the new goals and plans, motivate them to do the new work and make sure it is something they are capable of.

Finally, it is important to focus on controlling, this is the process of checking in to make sure everything you put in place is actually working so far and checking in periodically to follow up. This allows you to ensure that everything you changed is working for this business and to see if you are on track to reach the current goals and the future ones. It is easier to correct problems earlier and adjust whatever needs to be adjusted than it is to “wait and see”. Every single step is critical and the whole process needs to be “alive” in the sense that it is constantly being adjusted to meet the needs of the business.

Answer:-

An existing schedule at an organization is a very tricky thing to mess with, people design their whole lives around their business hours. If you reduced the hours at work, you can make employees very happy, but honestly how often does that happen. If you adjusted the hours parents may have to find new arrangements for their kids, employees with second jobs may have a hard time balancing both, and couples may not have as much time with each other. Worse than that, if you lengthen hours you may lose employees respect, they may feel that you do not care about them and their time, even if this comes with a raise or overtime.

I worked at an insurance company and we worked 6 days a week, Monday through Friday 9 AM to 9 PM and work from home Saturday 8 AM to 1 PM (No Joke). These were the hours you were hired to work and everyone understood that. This was not an issue until the manager tried to make a hybrid work environment where we also did not have to come into the office Tuesdays and Thursdays. Everyone loved the idea, but production did not match the enthusiasm and it only lasted a month before the manager was forced to switch it back due to lack of results. Everyone was bummed that it was going back, but 25% of the staff couldn’t handle the switch back to the same hours and quit. For some reason, it seemed so much longer and unreasonable than it was a month ago. Obviously, this is a different situation than the one suggested, but I couldn’t help but notice the similarities and state the fact that it was obviously mismanaged and it would have been hard to manage it correctly due to the fact that all the employees were out of the office.

If a manager wants to adjust the schedule he should have a meeting and state why he wants to change the schedule and the benefits to the employees, then vote on it, majority rules. At least that way the employees feel like they have a say in the decision. From there, it is important to make sure he stays on top of the management functions in order to make the hours work for the employees, management, clients, and the business.