Throughout the American workforce there are endless numbers of managers and supervisors who are responsible for supervising and leading workers. Whether it’s a manager of the electronics department in Walmart, or the CEO of Union Pacific, supervisors are tasked with leading their coworkers and managing in an effective manner towards a common end goal. The manager I interviewed for this research assignment was my father, Patrick McDermott. Pat is currently the Supervisor of Customer Service Technology at OPPD, also known as Omaha Public Power District. He has been in this supervisor position for approximately five years, and a lot of what his job entails relates to what we have learned in this management course thus far. Each company has its own hiring process, but the process to which Patrick was selected and hired as a supervisor was very unique. When I asked him how the supervisor position came up, Patrick said “the Customer Service area was looking for someone with project management, customer service and technology skills and I had both. They were getting ready to implement a new phone system for our Call Center and I was hired to manage the project.” He also went on to state that usually people with IT backgrounds perceive that business applications are there to provide them a job and not serve a business need. Fortunately, OPPD’s IT department has recently hired a new manager who is in the process of changing the culture. The basic duties and responsibilities of any
Some of the feedback that I have heard from employees while conducting personal interviews as well as online postings on Glassdoor have revealed that many employees are dissatisfied with their supervisors. Employees have described many of their supervisors as possessing the traits of the Theory X mental model. Employees have reported to me in-person and on Glassdoor that they feel as though supervisors treat them as disposable resources at times. Employees have mentioned that their supervisors demand that all mail be delivered before employees can go home. It has been reported that some supervisors assume that employees will not want to deliver all or a majority of the mail in their Long Life Vehicles in a timely manner.
Throughout this case study, Gary, an employee at Brewster-Seaview Landscaping, goes into depth in explaining this business’ work dynamic. In the process of analyzing Gary’s description, we are able to extract various leadership styles which are exhibited by management. As we will see, Joe and the new supervisors’ leadership styles differ and definitely impact work outcomes.
Prosperous businesses should ensure dedicated frontrunners and supervisors that cultivate, reinforce, and reassure member of staff endurance within a business. At hand is a substantial differentiation concerning guidance and supervision. Generally leadership can be perceived as a perception of communication and business’s visualization, whereas, management can be viewed as achievement of the business’s visualization. It is to my belief that when speaking of leadership and management, the two stands strongly connected, yet equally signify and sustain different assignment and obligations.
Much has been written about the difference between management and leadership. In the past, competent management staffs ran effective companies. In light of our ever-changing world, however, most companies have come to realize that it is much more important to lead than to manage. In today's world the old ways of management no longer work. One reason is that the degree of environmental and competitive change we are experiencing is extreme. Although exciting, the world is also very unstable and confused. In an article entitled What’s the Difference between Your Hospital and the Other? Gary Campbell states that the difference between a manager and a leader is that the manager “finds himself quite willing to
Sims (2002) writes “managers motivate employees, direct the activities of others, select the most effective communication channel, or resolve conflicts among members, they are engaging in leading.”
Management differs today than it did in the past. In the past, managers were considered “bosses” and their job mostly consisted of giving employees orders, monitoring performance and reprimanding unproductive behavior and misconduct. Many managers still manage employees in such fashion; however, some managers now tend to be more proactive and have changed managerial functions for the betterment of company operations and performance to accomplish organizational goals. Effective management for company success now entails guiding, training, supporting, motivating and coaching employees verses
Leadership at times can be a complex topic to delve into and may appear to be a simple and graspable concept for a certain few. Leadership skills are not simply acquired through position, seniority, pay scale, or the amount of titles an individual holds but is a characteristic acquired or is an innate trait for the fortunate few who possess it. Leadership can be misconstrued with management; a manager “manages” the daily operations of a company’s work while a leader envisions, influences, and empowers the individuals around them.
The new apple campus is a project that requires multiple superintendents and project managers for different areas of the project. Chris Hooper is my superintendent, and he focuses on the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) of the entire building. Next to him we have a project manager that focuses on the same area. The superintendents and project managers show leadership and management skills by running multiple meetings in a professional manner. One skill that all of them possess is being able to handle every single situation with professionalism.
What resonated with me the most about John Geisler’s talk was what he learned about leadership after almost facing a failure during his career. He mentioned how his mistake of applying management techniques instead of demonstrating leadership during his career in Thailand as a country manager awakened the creation of his article about some important lessons he learned about leadership. This resonated me in a way to think about my mother’s situation and what she told me about differences between management and leadership. She has been working as a general manager entire her career; however, she recently established a kindergarten where she currently works as a director. While at her current position as a director, she tends to micromanage each
The third phase is supervision satisfaction. Supervision satisfaction discusses employees’ feelings about their boss and whether or not he or she is approachable and likable (Colquitt, 2011). This can also include whether the boss makes an effort to help the employee reach their own personal goals. The supervisors at Hasbro understand that their employees are a huge part of what makes their company successful. They make sure to look after their employees during times when the company’s structure must be altered. For example, in 2011, a Gaming Center of
Management has changed significantly over the past 50 years. The role of leaders in an organization is an ever changing thing. At one point, a manager was also the owner of the company, and thus used a carrot and a stick to get his employees to work, just like a parent personally invested in the raising of their child. Not anymore. Nowadays, leaders are there to “serve” their employees. The focus is on motivating the individual, achieving organizational goals by integrating each and every individual into the system. We no longer rely on a one size fits all approach, and management theory is no longer focused on having a winning philosophy, or motivating large groups.
But is that all there is to a good supervisor? Or is there more? In an interview with Mrs. Jill Wilcox, a recently retired Assistant Claims Manager for a prominent workmen’s compensation insurance company thinks that the emotional intelligence of an employee also has to do with the ability to lead their team.
Kadushin describes a supervisor as someone "to whom authority is delegated to direct, coordinate, enhance, and evaluate on-the-job performance of the supervisees for whose work he/she is held accountable. In implementing this responsibility, the supervisor performs administrative, educational, and supportive functions in interaction with the supervisee in the context of a positive relationship" (Powell, 1993).
As Alan Murray write in his essay “Guide to Management” “The manager’s job is to plan, organize and coordinate. The leader’s job is to inspire and motivate”.
In corporate America the term used to describe a person in a position of power is “Manager”. A leader can be a manager, but a manager is not necessarily a leader. Leaders motivate, challenge, and influence others to achieve goals. Great leaders have the necessary skills and attributes which allow them to connect with the team and organization. Being a leader is not the same as managing an organization. Leader’s posses the interpersonal skills needed to influence others to achieve a goal willingly. Leading is a major part of a manager’s job. Leaders do not need to be a manager to lead people, but managers must know how to lead as well as manage.