Introduction
The quality and timeliness of managerial decisions determine whether a company will be successful or not. Decision-making is a continuous process that changes according to the prevailing condition in the market. Management is the process where activities are coordinated to meet an organizations goals and objectives.
In the changing world with competition, there is need to adopt policies and strategies that facilitate efficiency and effectiveness in all processes. Inefficient managers make unresponsive decisions and their companies lack competiveness in either commodity or labour markets. Their companies are characterised by inefficiency in production, low staff motivation, weak brand name and lack of visionary strategies.
Management is an art that can be trained and mastered; inefficient managers need to undertake deliberate measures, swallow their pride and start the process of mastering the art. An old saying state “we learn through mistakes”, so mistakes are learning experiences so inefficient managers should focus on improving their management strategies and success is guaranteed (Fred, 2008). This paper discusses some of the strategies that can be used to increase efficiency of inefficient managers.
Characteristics of inefficient managers
Some common characteristics can be seen in inefficient managers, they include:
Know all attitude
Inefficient managers make decisions alone using their instincts about a certain issue or situation; they do not consult or seek the intervention of other people either their juniors or seniors’. To them they well understand the best direction that their firm should follow; they believe they have a solution to every problem in the organisation.
Inefficient managers adopt dictatorship management system where they disregard the contribution of others in their decisions. When they make a decision, they expect it to be followed without questioning; subordinates should only receive directions or orders.
When the market offer opportunities, the firms take long before they can take advantage of the situation and some time they loss the benefit. On the other hand, they are greatly affected by threats and change in the market (Bridge & Dodds, 1975).
Poor communication skills
In organisations with inefficient management, the flow of information is in one-way, up down, communication. When a decision to do something has been reached, the management has the whole information and passes the decision for implementation without entertaining any form of criticism, addition or subtraction.
The decisions are static and never flexible. Individuals in teams work for their own good and lack team spirit; teams are weak and inter-team communication is poor; when teams are called upon to perform a certain task, their main concern is completion of the project but they mindless the outcome of the project.
The one-way communication does not offer room for problem solving between the management and staffs thus the companies are in constant struggle as employees seek solution to the issues they are going through. There exists cruel methods of solving problems that include staff strikes, legal proceedings on the company and the staffs are generally less motivated.
Mistrust on staffs
Inefficient managers do not trust their subordinates; they are not willing to delegate duties and neither are they willing to listen to problems that subordinates are going through. When they are dealing with staffs, they have disregard to humanity, and use all available methods to belittle their subordinates.
For petty reasons that require a manager and subordinate to sit and discuss, the inefficient manager creates a mountain out of them. They only reason from their angle and point of view and not willing to hear what the other person has to say. They are always right while their subordinates are always in wrong.
When a subordinate have some social issue which at normal situation would call for collaboration of peers and colleagues, for example if a member of staff has lost a family member, the manager has no concern on such a person may even deny the staff some permission to attend such functions. He advocates that office work and interaction should be different from personal issues. The companies have high staff turnover (Swamson, 2009).
Instead of solving staff issues in an appropriate manner likely to leave the two parties satisfies, he results to cruel method like abusing, intimidation, slashing salaries and wages, and to the extreme, they can engage in physical fights with staff members.
There is no democratic method of solving problems but the manager results to ways that will make him the winner always; they maintain the boss attitude and never are leaders. Inefficient managers do not respect their employees and violates their rights, both human rights and labour rights.
When an employee has done something that he deceives to get some credit form, the manager hijacks the process and gets the credit, in meetings he is always bringing down the effort and capabilities of his subordinates; they think they are the ones driving an organisation and the staffs are a liability to the firm. In meetings, the managers is the dominant person and does not allow any criticism from any member in the meeting; when one holds a negative opinion from his, the managers uses intimidation to quiet the person.
The managers are intrusive, controlling, meticulous; they want to control every element of their staffs to some extent they may be willing to offer personal life advices. Instead of treating their employees equally, they have some special treatments for some who are loyal to him.
The loyal employees benefits from various operation in the business like promotions, credit for work they little contributed and salary rise. When staffs have employees’ organisations, he thinks that the setups are there to ruin his management thus he tries every other way to put them down.
Employees of such companies are de-motivated, they work for the sake and have little regard for the outcome of their work; employees are constantly looking for better employees “greener pastures” and not willing to use their intellectual properties for their company.
When they are talking about the company, they only get negative things to say; they lack the esteem that they are working for a certain company. Given a chance, the employees are willing to sell the companies secrets to competitors; they may even collaborate with competitors to ruin the business of their employer down. Their salaries are not competitive and at any one time, they are rubbing with un-satisfaction about their salaries.
In companies with inefficient management, resources are not efficiently utilized, this is so because the management has no adequate policies for resource utilisation and neither are the staffs willing to manage the resources. The cost of inefficiency is transferred to the final consumer making the products from the companies expensive and uncompetitive.
Their main concern is the profits that the company is going to get from a transition but they lack the will to offer what the customers want. The resultant is a company with a weak brand name and reduced gains from trade. In the market, their company’s goods lack elements of differentiation and recorded deteriorating sales (Wheelen $ Hunger,1999).
Ways of improving inefficiency
Despite the shortcomings that come with inefficient management, not all is lost; what is important is for the managers to be trained on main areas of management and with time, he is going to get the art into him and probably improve his skills. Inefficient managers should be encouraged to enrol into management classes and undertake mentorship programs on areas they need to improve.
There are different writers who have developed materials that can be used to sharpen management skills; the manager should make use of such materials to improve his management. There are main areas that management should be trained on they include:
Decision making skills
Managerial decisions are the driving force in an organization; the quality of decision that managers make give their organization direction and focus. Decisions determine the growth and competitiveness of an organization; efficient decisions are acceptable, applicable and responsive to the situation at hand. The initial stage in making a decision is defining the problem at hand; the inefficient managers should be trained on how to define problems not from his/her instincts but using scientific methods of decision-making.
Though the manager may claim, some decisions are urgent and require immediate solutions: he should be made to understand on how to differentiate decisions that calls for his sole decision and those that calls for consultation. In this stage, a good context of the problem is grasped. It is only after getting the correct understanding of the problem that he/she can make a good decision (Williams, 2001).
With the problem at hand, the manager should be trained on how to gather information and data for making the decision. It is from the facts and data that he develops various alternatives of choices that can be used to solve the problem at hand. There are various methods of collecting data; they include researching, brainstorming and experimentation; different situations call for different decision making approach thus the manager should assume the role of choosing the best data collection method (Wheele & Hunger, 1999).
Consultations when making a decision depends on the problem, some problems may call the intervention of experts while other the manager can pioneer their making; an effective manager should ensure that he/she consults those who matter and those who know. Consultation assists in making a more informed decision and assists in generating more alternatives of choice.
The final stage in decision-making is choosing an appropriate solution and choosing the alternative form the alternative derived in the information gathering stage. When an alternative has been developed, then support is required to ensure that the whole organization or the departments concerned have adopted it effectively.
It is not always that a decision made bring the expected results; thus, feedback from the people on the ground and the general performance of the business should be sorted, so as areas that need improvement are recognized. In case an area that needs improvement has been recognized, it should be addressed appropriate (Bridge & Dodds, 1975).
Human resource management skills
Despite that a company may be operating a separate human resource management department, all managers are part of the department; they should ensure that they develop ways to tap the intellectual skills in their employees. Human resources management is one role of managers; it is concerned with people at work and their relationship with their employer. Well-managed human resources results into an orchestrate team. A company’s human resources department is responsible for looking at its staff’s welfare.
Great leaders or managers are those that can combine available strengths and weaknesses for the good of the organization. An organisation cannot operate without human resources, they are the driving force of the organisation; managers need to develop good employees relations in their organisation: employee relations concern itself with the prevention and solving of conflicts in which individuals are involved that come about or have effects on the work situations (Renckly & Renckly, 2003).
Inefficient managers should be taught on people skills as well as how they should handle different situations in their organisation. Managers should offer advice to supervisors in on how to go about in bringing correction to poor performance and wrong conduct among the employees.
They should also be willing to listen and be-corrected by their subordinates. In doing this, the on-going disciplinary as well as regulatory requirements among other requirements should be put into consideration in affecting disciplinary measures and handling the grievances and appeals of the employees.
Inefficient managers should undergo training on how to solve different problem with their staffs; they need to know the best approach as well as how to implement it in their organisation. More so, the employees are provided with information in order to boost a clear understanding of the goals as well as the policies of the business organization.
In addition, there is providing of information to the employees in order for them to be able to correct the issue of poor performance, misconduct arising among them (whether at the work place or out of the work place), and also in order to address issues that are personal but may affect them while they carry out their work.
Advice is offered to the employees concerning the bargaining agreements, legislation as well as regulations. More so, they are given advice on the grievance they present and the rights of appeal protections (Smith & Mazin, 2004).
For maximum production, the managers should be trained on people skills to create a conducive working condition in the company. Employees spend most of their time in their working places so they need joy and happiness in the job places; job satisfaction is because of intrinsic/internal feelings. Emotional, psychological and physical comfort is required in an employment setting.
It I the resultant of a well managed human resource that aims at satisfying psychological human needs. Psychological contracts are defined as the mental contract that an employee engages with his employer. It affects the way he relates with the company/employer.
The effect of psychological contracts is different among different people because human beings are persuaded differently; however, it has a general effect on the company. It is affected and moulded by a combination of a company human resource practices, individual preferences and social factors; in turn, it influences employee’s satisfaction, commitment and guide their behaviour.
This in-turn affects the general performance of the company, inefficient managers should be trained on how human beings work, make decisions and how they can be motivated using various tools at the disposal of the manager (Swamson, 2009).
Communication skills
Communication is important in an organisation; there are different channels that can be used to pass information among staffs and to consumers of a company’s products. Inefficient management lacks both listening and communication skills, they should be taught on how to convey information downwards to their subordinates and at the same time, they should be trained on how to encourage and analyse feedback from employees.
To have good communication, managers should be in the forefront showing the subordinates in the way forwards as far as communication is concerned. Communication skills can be taught; it is an art that have similar attributes, which needs to be mastered and respected. Good business communications in relationships with either fellow staffs or customers is needed in order to prosper. Business success can be measured in terms of the practicability of business relationships that is directly proportional to the quality of communication.
To facilitate innovation, efficiency and job satisfaction among staffs to the benefit of the company, a company should devise appropriate methods of communications. Good communication leads to respect among the staffs and ensure that they would for the benefit of the company. Employees feel involved in the company’s processes and are willing to trade their intellectual property with the company (Guffer & Almonte, 2009).
Knowledge management skills
In efficient managers should be trained on how to manage knowledge within their organisation. Knowledge management cannot be given a single definition but it entails a combination of issues and processes; it involves the management of improved intellectual assets of staffs and use of past information to predict the future and make informed decision.
Inefficient managers has disregard to experience of other people and disregard internal and external information in an organisation. They should be mentored on how past information, internal and external information can be used to make informed decisions.
Knowledge management offers an intangible asset that is unique to different business and can be improved with experience and information interpolation. The assets are used to develop mechanisms for competitiveness.
Other than keeping records and making consultation on the business, strategies to implement the managers should be taught to appreciate that the most important factors that are considered are human assets; they have the knowledge that can drive the organisation to a completely new level if well managed (Lingling, Jun, Yong & Xiaohui, 2009)
Human beings have different talents and capabilities; however tapping this asset requires strategic operation and management. Other than utilising the knowledge and experience that the employees have, there is the need to use available information to grow and develop knowledge and expertise in employees.
Information can be internal and external information and how well the information is utilized can result to growth of knowledge: effectiveness, and efficiency in doing business. To utilize effectively information, organisations should move from information hoarding to sharing of information that they are holding for the benefit of others; this is so despite that there are some private information that a company can hold.
Other than physical, financial and human resources being available in an organisation, there is need to integrate an intellectual asset where these resources can be managed and measures developed to ensure a company have a competitive advantage. Knowledge management is a process that involves understands the current operation, understanding the potentials and weakness of a company then strategies to get relevant business information and knowledge developed (Wang, Hult, Ketchen, & Ahmed, 2009).
Change management, organisational culture and crisis management skills
In the ever-changing environment, change is inevitable; managers should have the appropriate skills to handle the process effectively. How fast an organisation adopts to change affects the rate at which it will tap opportunities in the market and mitigate against market threats. Change is a gradual process that must be well planned. The management should be actively involved in the change process since support is required from all corners.
Change in organizations is greatly favoured by the mode of organizational culture; managers should thus understand the strategy to maintain a positive organisational culture that can embrace change effectively and fast.
If a company has a freelance culture, this culture embraces a system that the employees feel free to air their views to the higher leadership, and then change can be smoothly implemented. In large organizations, there can be a division into various departments and the departments are supposed to face a certain area; the same departments can be undergoing varying changes.
Inefficient managers should be trained on how they can maintain a positive organisational culture that will support the company to attain its objectives; it is not a onetime training however, it is continuous in the business and unique to different businesses.
With the much emphasis of including other people in managerial decision-making, inefficient managers undergoing the training are likely to confuse crisis management and the previous management skill they are being advised. The difference between crisis management and inefficient management where no much consultation is required should be trained. The mangers should understand when they should make independent decisions and when they are called to consult.
Operational management skills
After the management has been taught on different areas of management, the final stage is to be trained or mentored on how to combine all the skills derived to the benefit of the company this is through operation management mentoring. Efficient operational management is important in both profit making and non-profit making organizations.
It involves itself with ensuring that all the areas of an organization are operating well. It is the overall of other departments in an organization and ensures that efficiency is attained in production of goods and services. Operation management aims at ensuring that functions in a company/business are conducted in the most efficient manner, so as the end results are satisfied customers and reduced cost of production. It has elements of managing and directing processes.
To be effective an operating manager should implement a ten decisions of operational management strategy the decisions are design of goods and services, managing quality, process strategy, location strategies, layout strategies, human resources and job design, supply-chain management, feasible and efficient production schedule, and maintenance.
An effective operational management combines the use of different departments and their skills to benefit the company; it involves delegation and trusting of employees with duties and responsibilities. Understanding the potential of employees as well as a company potential will assist the manager come up with decisions that are responsive to the needs of the customers, he will now the people to entrust on what role as well as the motivation method to use.
Resources are scarce and need to be managed effectively: with proper operation management, the company will be able to utilize them well and the benefits will accrue to the company through staff satisfaction, strengthening of a company’s brand and having increased sales.
Conclusion
Managerial decisions are the driving force of an organization; they should be responsive to situation at hand and be timely enough to offer solutions to different situations. Managerial decision-making is the process through which managers arrive at the alternative solution to a given challenge facing an organization. The success of an organization is dependent on the quality of decision made by its manager. One of the major attributes that make a good manager stand out is his or her decisiveness.
Inefficient managers make decisions from their instincts and disregard their subordinates’ opinion. They neither respect nor trust their subordinates; they think they have the best for all situations and use a top-down communication strategy. Management is an art that can be learnt; inefficient managers should enrol in training, mentorship and guidance programs to sharpen their management skills.
They should also take personal initiatives to read wide on management materials written by scholars. Some of the areas that they need to focus on are decision-making skills, human resource management skills, communication skills, knowledge management skills, operational management skills, change management, organisational culture and crisis management skills.
References
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Fred, D. (2008). Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. New Jersey: Pearson Education.
Guffer, M. E.,& Almonte, R. (2009). Essentials of Business Communication. New York: Cengage Learning.
Lingling, Z., Jun, L., Yong, S., & Xiaohui, L. (2009). Foundations of intelligent knowledge management. Human Systems Management, 28(4), 145-161.
Renckly.,B. & Renckly, R. (2003). Human Resources. New York: Barron’s Educational Series.
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Swamson, R. (2009). Foundations of Human Resource Development: Easy read Large Edition. San Franscico: ReadHowYouWant.
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