Unit 1 Management and Managing PDF

Management Transcripts Unit 1: Management and Managing Lesson 1: What is Management? Sign In Today you’ll be visiting Acme Solutions where you’ll meet with Amanda Radak, the human resource manager. Amanda is going to take you through the fundamentals of being a manager. But first, you’ll need to sig...

Management Transcripts Unit 1: Management and Managing Lesson 1: What is Management? Sign In Today you’ll be visiting Acme Solutions where you’ll meet with Amanda Radak, the human resource manager. Amanda is going to take you through the fundamentals of being a manager. But first, you’ll need to sign in at the front desk. Meet Amanda Hi, I’m Amanda. Welcome to Acme Solutions. I’m really glad you could come in today to learn a little more about management. I’m the human resources manager here at Acme. We have 125 employees. I have so much planned for you. Later, you’ll get the chance to meet some of our managers and leaders and talk with them about what they do. We’re in conference room 1. Click “Next” and we’ll get started. Primary Management Functions I thought I’d start by talking about what management types have in common. We generally consider these to be the primary functions of management: planning, organizing, leading or directing, and evaluating or controlling. No matter what level of management you are in, and whether you manage people, processes, or products, management does each of these things as a regular part of their work. Planning Planning allows managers to ask and answer questions like: what should we be doing this month, what do we need to do by the end of this year, and where are we heading in the future? Without clearly defined plans, you can fall into a reactive management style, which can leave you constantly responding to issues instead of moving down the path you intend for your organization. The three main types of planning are short-term, long-term, and strategic. Short-term In business management, short-term plans are typically established for a one-month to oneyear time frame. Short-term plans involve things like taking inventory, hiring additional staff to support the holiday shopping rush, and auditing the organization’s financial reports or statements. For you, a short-term plan could be helping your team win the big game, completing a term paper, or getting a part-time job to earn extra money during the summer. Long-term Long-term goals in business typically take several years to achieve and require organizations to take many steps along the way. Examples of an individual’s long-term goals might be graduating from high school, graduation from college, and finding a good paying job. In management, long-term goals are typically things like growing 20% each year, opening three new stores in two years, and adding new product lines. Copyright © 2017 Applied Educational Systems Page 1 of 10 Management Transcripts Unit 1: Management and Managing Strategic Strategic planning looks far into the future and helps management determine where they want to be in their marketplace. For example, a business may want to make the Fortune 500 (Fortune Magazine’s list of the 500 largest companies in the U.S.), or be named one of the top 100 companies to work for, or become the premier resort on the East Coast. If you’ve started thinking about the steps you are going to take and your timeline for moving into that Beverly Hills mansion you dream about, you know the one with the enormous pool and fivecar garage, then you can imagine why businesses need strategic plans. Organizing Another primary function of management is organizing. Organizing can take many forms for management. For instance, management decides how to organize, or structure, the company: how many managers they’ll have, what individual reporting structures they’ll have, and so on. But, we’ll talk more about that later. As an individual manager, organizing can be as simple as filing paperwork, getting to meetings on time, or keeping an accurate record of phone conversations. It could also mean developing a long-term budget, defining specific roles in your business or on your team, or creating systems for tracking time, scheduling meetings and resources, and defining processes and procedures. The more organized you are as an individual, and the more systems you have in place to stay organized, the easier it will be to keep up with the often-changing demands of management. Leading or Directing Leading and directing is a key function in all types of management. Leaders and directors exist at all levels in the organization. Some are designated or “formal” leaders, while others, “informal” leaders, recognized by other employees for their vision, expertise, likeability, or approachability. Whether you are the formal manager of a team of 12, or the person others look to when they need on-the-job-training, sound advice, or the inside scoop on where things are heading, leading and directing involves vision. You’ll need to have a vision for where the organization is going, expertise in a specific topic or area, and the ability to engage others actively in their jobs and the organization’s direction. Evaluating or Controlling To know if the company and employees are fulfilling their potential, meeting their goals, and delivering on their promises, management must also evaluate various things in the organization. Management measures the performance of individual employees and groups within the organization against their goals and objectives. Knowing how individuals and groups are performing within the organization helps management define future directions and refine current expectations. Management also has to control things like production levels and product quality. For example, if widgets are in very high demand, the organization needs to decide if it wants to control or limit production to keep the supply low, or increase production to meet demand. Management uses quality control procedures and personnel to ensure that the products they deliver meet high standards and perform as expected by their customers. Copyright © 2017 Applied Educational Systems Page 2 of 10 Management Transcripts Unit 1: Management and Managing Summary As you can see, whether you manage people, processes, or products, managers are responsible for planning, organizing, leading or directing, and evaluating or controlling. Lesson 2: Being a Good Manager Walter’s Welcome Hello, I’m Walter. We met briefly in Lesson 1. Welcome back to Acme Solutions and to “Being a Good Manager.” While the main functions of management are planning, organizing, leading or directing, and evaluating or controlling, good managers also have a variety of interpersonal skills that help them relate to their team members, customers and other members of management. In this lesson, you’ll be in the driver’s seat, acting as the manager and making decisions to help your team. As the vice president here at Acme, I may stop in with some feedback for you, too. What Should You Tell Hannah? Hey, Boss. I just got a call from Jana Schwartz. They’ve been having some issues with the new product for a few days and she wants a representative to come to their office and resolve the problem. She’s pretty upset. I told her that her contract doesn’t cover onsite support, but she says if we can’t get someone out there today, she’s returning the product and taking her business to Easton. Do you think we could free-up Zach and get him over there today? If choosing “A” - How should you reply to Walter? I heard about IBT. Ethan’s busy with the launch, so I don’t want to bother him. Focus on solving the problem and maintaining a strong customer focus. Go ahead and send Zach over to Jana’s office. Oh, and those rumors about us acquiring Main Street Tech aren’t rumors. We’re waiting for their board to approve it. If choosing “A” - How should you reply to Walter? Remember, you are an authority figure at Acme, and if you say it, people may believe it. Avoid spreading rumors if you don’t have all the facts. So, what do you plan to talk about at your team meeting today? If choosing “B” - How should you respond to Hannah? Hey, Boss. I’m glad I bumped into you before the team meeting. Jana Schwartz, from IBT, called me back a little while ago and said Zach did a great job getting her back online. He even managed to convince her to upgrade her service package. Can you believe it? If choosing “A” – Hannah is unhappy at the copier. Hannah, I saw what just happened. I know you worked really hard with IBT to resolve that, and that sending Zach in there was your idea, and a great one at that. Managers should always recognize their employees for outstanding performance and give them credit for their ideas. I’m going to remind your boss that a key role of management is providing the resources your Copyright © 2017 Applied Educational Systems Page 3 of 10 Management Transcripts Unit 1: Management and Managing employees need to do their jobs and then recognizing them when they do well. If choosing “B” - How should you respond to Hannah? Hey, Boss. I’m glad I bumped into you before the team meeting. Jana Schwartz, from IBT, called me back a little while ago and said Zach did a great job getting her back online. He even managed to convince her to upgrade her service package. Can you believe it? If choosing “B” - How should you respond to Hannah? Hey, Boss. I’m glad I bumped into you before the team meeting. Jana Schwartz, from IBT, called me back a little while ago and said Zach did a great job getting her back online. He even managed to convince her to upgrade her service package. Can you believe it? If choosing “A” – Hannah is unhappy at the copier. Hannah, I saw what just happened. I know you worked really hard with IBT to resolve that, and that sending Zach in there was your idea, and a great one at that. Managers should always recognize their employees for outstanding performance and give them credit for their ideas. I’m going to remind your boss that a key role of management is providing the resources your boss that a key role of management is providing the resources your employees need to do their jobs and then recognizing them when they do well. Weekly Staff Meeting If choosing “B” – How should you respond to Hannah? So, is it true Acme is buying Main Street Tech? I heard their support team is pretty amazing. Are they planning to expand our group or fire some of us? Do I need to be looking for a new job? If choosing “A” - How should you respond to Hannah? Hi, Boss. At the staff meeting, you said we could stop by if we had any questions. I know you don’t know much yet, but I’m about to close on my first house. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost my job. If choosing “A” - How your response impacted Hannah? You aren’t going to believe this, Suri. So, the boss says to me “I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Hannah. I’m sure everything will be fine, just relax. Oh, and can you finish up that report for me before you leave?” Can you even believe it? No compassion or understanding whatsoever. Didn’t even give me a second to explain my real concerns. Sorry for eavesdropping, ladies. I’ve been coaching your boss, so I hope this won’t happen again. Good managers coach their employees, regardless of their level in the organization. Invite employees in to chat, even if you don’t have all the details or know how to respond. Focus on listening to your employees and allowing them to Copyright © 2017 Applied Educational Systems Page 4 of 10 Management Transcripts Unit 1: Management and Managing express their concerns. Sometimes they just need to feel they are being heard. If you need anything, my door is always open. If choosing “B” - How your response impacted Hannah? Yes, Suri, I definitely feel much better after talking to the boss. I know Walter and the boss want to expand our team and not reduce it. Hopefully, that’s what will happen. I’m just going to prepare myself financially in case the worst happens. Did I just hear my name, ladies? Listen, your boss and I know that what’s good for our employees is good for our company. Good managers coach their employees, regardless of their level in the organization. Invite employees in to chat, even if you don’t have all the details or know how to respond. That’s why I like floating around the office all the time. Sometimes folks just need to feel that they’re being heard. Feel free to stop by my office, or your boss’s office, anytime. Summary Managers have to make some tough decisions about how they interact with their employees, including what to say and when and how to say it. Even a slight change in our tone or voice can easlily be misinterpreted. Some key characteristics of good managers are: Excellent communication skills. Recognizing employees for their contributions Creating an open and accepting environment Providing accurate and truthful information Being positive and reassuring. Solving problems. Having strong customer focus. Coaching or mentoring other employees. In the next lesson, you’ll have a chance to manage in organizations with different structures to see how the role of manager changes, as organizations get taller or flatter, more or less centralized, and matrixed. Lesson 3: Organizational Structures Walter’s Welcome You already know the main functions of management are planning, organizing, leading or directing, and evaluating or controlling. You’ve also learned about the characteristics that make a good manager. In this lesson, you’ll again be acting as the manager. However, this time you’ll be managing several different organizational structures. As Acme Solutions continues to grow, we’re going to need management to be flexible. Click “Next” and we’ll get going. Copyright © 2017 Applied Educational Systems Page 5 of 10 Management Transcripts Unit 1: Management and Managing What Should You Say to Hannah? Hey, Boss. I finished the drafts of the new org charts for the acquisition of Main Street Tech. I know you are eager to show them to Walter. Since you weren’t sure if you wanted a tall organizational structure or a flat one, I came up with a few options. Option 1 In the first option, our Customer Support group stays directly under Walter with no changes. This keeps us in a pretty flat organizational structure. Option 2 In the second option, our Customer Support group moves under Raj, in Engineering, but we form three smaller teams, instead of one. This creates a much taller organizational structure. Option 3 No narration. If choosing “A” – How you should reply to Walter? These org charts look pretty good. With the acquisition, we’re bringing over two new units and seven support personnel from Main Street Tech. That will basically triple the number of direct reports I have and double Customer Support. And, there could be even more growth after this. Have you given any thought about the ideal number of direct reports you should have as you grow? If choosing “A” – How you should reply to Walter? Flat organizational structures do give employees more responsibility and cost the organization less, but having too many direct reports can be difficult, especially when trying to orient them with new team members and new products. A taller, more hierarchical structure with smaller teams will allow mangers to spend more time with individual employees and provide more opportunities for advancement. With this acquisition and more growth planned, which direction seems best for your Customer Support group? If choosing “B” – What should you tell Hannah and Aaron? Hey, Boss, I got your text. What did you want to talk to Aaron and me about? If choosing “A” – How you should your reply to Walter? Hey, I hope you had a chance to talk to Hannah and Aaron about becoming supervisors. I just got off the phone with the board. They seem to think our operations are too centralized here. They mentioned possibly moving Customer Support to another location to reduce our facility costs. They also see some potential in offering a wider set of customer support solutions than Acme currently provides. What do you think? If choosing “B” – How you should respond to Hannah? We’re back, Boss. We just heard something in the break room about decentralizing Customer Support and moving us out of the main office. What is decentralizing and what in the heck is going on now? Copyright © 2017 Applied Educational Systems Page 6 of 10 Management Transcripts Unit 1: Management and Managing If choosing “B” – How you should respond to Hannah? Wow, that sounds like a great opportunity. Maybe I’ll get really luck and they’ll lease an office space closer to my new house so I don’t have to take the bus downtown every day. But, with all of these changes, I’m wondering how on earth we’re going to finish all the projects we have going on right now- working the support scripts, upgrading the new phone system…We’d lose momentum if we had to reassign everyone working those initiatives. If choosing “A” – How you should respond to Hannah? So how on earth is a matrix organization going to work around here? It sounds like chaos. If choosing “A” – Walter Drops In Sorry for dropping in, but I was just passing by and thought I could help. In a matrix organizational structure, employees and managers from different teams work together to complete a specific project. Without proper, efficient communication and common goals, turnover can be high in a matrix organization and managers can compete for the people they think are the best. It’s important that we stay focused on our project goals and the best interest of Acme Solutions. If choosing “B” – Walter Drops In Sorry for dropping in, but I was just passing by and thought I could help. Here’s an example of how a matrix organization could work for Customer Support. As you can see, you, Aaron, and The Boss would each lead a project. Multiple team members would then support your project and each of you would also serve on other projects. It creates opportunities for everyone to play a role in the projects they have the most interest in, and can increase employee motivation and satisfaction. If choosing “B” – What should you tell Hannah and Aaron? Hey, Boss, I got your text. What did you want to talk to Aaron and me about? If choosing “A” – How you should reply to Walter? Hey, I hope you had a chance to talk to Hannah and Aaron about becoming supervisors. I just got off the phone with the board. They seem to think our operations are too centralized here. They mentioned possibly moving Customer Support to another location to reduce our facility costs. They also see some potential in offering a wider set of customer support solutions than Acme currently provides. What do you think? If choosing “B” – How you should you respond to Hannah? Copyright © 2017 Applied Educational Systems Page 7 of 10 Management Transcripts Unit 1: Management and Managing We’re back, Boss. We just heard something in the break room about decentralizing Customer Support and moving us out of the main office. What is decentralizing and what in the heck is going on now? If choosing “B” – How you should you respond to Hannah? Wow, that sounds like a great opportunity. Maybe I’ll get really luck and they’ll lease an office space closer to my new house so I don’t have to take the bus downtown every day. But, with all of these changes, I’m wondering how on earth we’re going to finish all the projects we have going on right now- working the support scripts, upgrading the new phone system…We’d lose momentum if we had to reassign everyone working those initiatives. If choosing “A” – How you should respond to Hannah? So how on earth is a matrix organization going to work around here? It sounds like chaos. If choosing “A” – Walter Drops In Sorry for dropping in, but I was just passing by and thought I could help. In a matrix organizational structure, employees and managers from different teams work together to complete a specific project. Without proper, efficient communication and common goals, turnover can be high in a matrix organization and managers can compete for the people they think are the best. It’s important that we stay focused on our project goals and the best interest of Acme Solutions. If choosing “B” – Walter Drops In Sorry for dropping in, but I was just passing by and thought I could help. Here’s an example of how a matrix organization could work for Customer Support. As you can see, you, Aaron, and The Boss would each lead a project. Multiple team members would then support your project and each of you would also serve on other projects. It creates opportunities for everyone to play a role in the projects they have the most interest in, and can increase employee motivation and satisfaction. If choosing “B” – How you should you respond to Hannah? We’re back, Boss. We just heard something in the break room about decentralizing Customer Support and moving us out of the main office. What is decentralizing and what in the heck is going on now? If choosing “B” – How you should you respond to Hannah? Copyright © 2017 Applied Educational Systems Page 8 of 10 Management Transcripts Unit 1: Management and Managing Wow, that sounds like a great opportunity. Maybe I’ll get really luck and they’ll lease an office space closer to my new house so I don’t have to take the bus downtown every day. But, with all of these changes, I’m wondering how on earth we’re going to finish all the projects we have going on right now- working the support scripts, upgrading the new phone system…We’d lose momentum if we had to reassign everyone working those initiatives. If choosing “A” – How you should respond to Hannah? So how on earth is a matrix organization going to work around here? It sounds like chaos. If choosing “A” – Walter Drops In Sorry for dropping in, but I was just passing by and thought I could help. In a matrix organizational structure, employees and managers from different teams work together to complete a specific project. Without proper, efficient communication and common goals, turnover can be high in a matrix organization and managers can compete for the people they think are the best. It’s important that we stay focused on our project goals and the best interest of Acme Solutions. If choosing “B” – Walter Drops In Sorry for dropping in, but I was just passing by and thought I could help. Here’s an example of how a matrix organization could work for Customer Support. As you can see, you, Aaron, and The Boss would each lead a project. Multiple team members would then support your project and each of you would also serve on other projects. It creates opportunities for everyone to play a role in the projects they have the most interest in, and can increase employee motivation and satisfaction. Copyright © 2017 Applied Educational Systems Page 9 of 10 Management Transcripts Unit 1: Management and Managing Summary The role of a manager changes as organizations get taller or flatter, more or less centralized, and matrixed. There is no perfect organizational structure and many organizations have combinations of these structures at different levels. In a very large company, a manager could have 15-20 direct reports, making her level very flat. In another level of the organization, such as Customer Support where there tends to be higher turnover and greater training needs, the organization could be taller with each manager having only 3-5 direct reports. Likewise, a company could centralize its administrative operations in one city, while operating decentralized manufacturing facilities in multiple other cities. The matrix organization is increasingly common because it allows managers to get the skills they need without duplicate hiring. Regardless of the organization’s structure, the manager’s primary functions of planning, organizing, leading or directing, and evaluating or controlling remain the same. Copyright © 2017 Applied Educational Systems Page 10 of 10