A new manager’s approach to quality and service and its outcome
Charlie’s approach to quality and service is coaching his sales representatives to have better skills. Charlie plans to be “traveling with each of the sales reps and coaching them” (Bateman & Snell p. 35). Charlie will achieve two objectives in the process. One is that he will be able to create a good relationship with the sales representatives at a personal level. He will be able to understand the different needs of each sales representative. Building relationships is important because “it becomes easier to motivate workers when you are trusted” (Thomas p. 224). Motivated workers have better performance than employees who feel unappreciated. Revenues may increase in the company when most employees report improved performance.
The other objective is that coaching will assist the representatives to gain competencies that may improve their work performance. According to Charlie’s thoughts, they “could learn to sell as well as he did” (Bateman & Snell p. 35). Coaching has been described as an “opportunity to improve someone else’s performance so that the organization’s goals and objectives are achieved” (Ellis p. 116). If all representatives achieve the same sales levels as Charlie, it will be a great achievement for the company and the team. Representatives will develop trust in him if “he does not talk to them only when there is a problem or a specific reason” (Thomas p. 226). People will feel equally important as the need to meet sales target.
Basic management functions the new manager has considered
Planning, organization, and controlling are some of the basic management functions that Charlie has considered. Planning involves allocating resources to specific areas to achieve the company’s goals. Charlie has considered people planning (Thomas p. 209). He was concerned about finding someone to maintain the same level of growth that he had initiated in the west of the Mississippi (p. 35). Charlie may be considered well-prepared because a manager should be able to delegate responsibilities to subordinates “regardless of their current ability to do the work, as long as you take the time and effort to teach them” (Ellis p. 104).
Charlie is prepared to coach his team (Bateman & Snell p. 35). The organization is how work is performed in a hierarchy. Charlie is acting as an effective leader by having a “vision of a desired future state, and penetrating vision into the current functioning” (Adams, p. 147). Charlie wants to maintain the same growth levels in the west of the Mississippi but he has to fit it in the new hierarchy requirements. Controlling is when a manager monitors activities, their progress, and makes necessary intervention. According to the case study, he needed “to catch up on what everyone was doing” (Bateman & Snell p. 35). Charlie is involved in control by seeking to monitor activities done by his team so that he can develop a course of action.
Some of the management skills the new manager portrays
Charlie’s punctuality may be a good sign of time management skills. Charlie was usually “among the first employees to arrive” (Bateman & Snell p. 35). Charlie has decision-making skills based on his choice of coaching leadership. Charlie is also an inspirational leader by “making gestures of caring for people and an effort to understand individual problems” (Gosling, Sutherland & Jones p. 127). One of the skills he needs to develop is assertiveness. Charlie should make it clear to his team members that he deserved the promotion. The case study describes that “Charlie’s heart sank as he realized that Cindy also wanted this job” (Bateman & Snell p. 35). A leader should know that “instead of focusing on those who are resistant, encourage the efforts of those who already support a desired new direction” (Adams, p. 146). Charlie can have a great influence on his work by focusing mostly on those who have positive thinking about his new position. He also needs to focus on those “factors that are limiting or critical to solving problems” (Krontz & Weihrich p. 246).
References
Adams, J. (2005). Transforming leadership (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Cosimo, Inc.
Bateman, T., & Snell, S. (2012). Management: Leading and collaborating in the competitive world (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGrawHill Higher Education.
Ellis, C. (2005). Management skills for new managers. New York, NY: AMACOM.
Krontz, H., & Weihrich, H. (2010). Essentials of management: An international perspective (7th ed.). New Delhi, India: Tata McGraw-Hill.
Thomas, C. (2010). Basic management skills: Essential reading for first-time managers, supervisors and existing leaders who want to upgrade their skills. New York, NY: Nicholas Thomas Publishing.
Gosling, J., Sutherland, I., & Jones, S. (2012). Key concepts in leadership. Washington, DC: SAGE Publications.