Economist Skills Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economist Skills - Case Study ExampleEntering a supervisory type means that one gives up some of the task orientation and gets involved in the planning aspects of the tasks at hand. Rather than being given the daily tasks to perform, as on the line, the supervisor must deal with the constraints (number of commonwealth, sum total of time, budget) and the requirements (production quantity, quality).Add to this the human management aspects of the job upward. Whereas the plant manager is a distant figure to the people on the line, non sharing the pressures and difficulties of the job, he is more direct and confrontational with his/her supervisors, as they argon the first-line managers creditworthy for getting things done.Managing upwards for Joe means that he must fit the requirements of the company and his capacities to complete them with the people he has. Like an Army lieutenant climbing over the foxhole, he knows that the ultimate goal is not vindicatory the next foxhole, but a broader battle plan that he may or may not choose to communicate with his employees.Joe must manage expectations upward. That means that if upper management is asking him to do something for which he doesnt have the resources (e.g. capital equipment, training of his people, time or expertise), Joe must communicate that clearly with management and tot up to a mutually-satisfying conclusion.The usual pattern on manufactu... In addition, the supervisor moves from top player to coach quite an than carrying out the tasks himself, he must teach those who must do the actual production.Its said that the best coaches are those who were just average players in their sport. Vince Lombardi played professional football with just average results, but he excelled as a coach. The reason for the difference is that coaches understand how to reach down to the mid-performing line blend iner and spark him/her to excel.There are any number of ways that Joe could have failed as a first-line managerHe failed to communicate the needs of upper management to the production team, thus failing to give an adequate double of what was expected, orHe did not act as a buffer, or translator, of upper-management wishes. Sometimes the first-line manager willing communicate the tension and insecurity of upper management without giving adequate translation into the tasks that need to be completed.He could have failed to supply enough information to give his team members an insight as to why the decisions on production levels, quality and other factors were being asked of them.His production team members were looking to Joe for leadership, not camaraderie. Joe may have found that the tools he used before (being a nice guy, getting along) are variant than those he needs now to succeed (providing direction and feedback).How Might This Have Been AvoidedManagement clearly failed Joe in two key ways1. They should have assessed Joe on his leadership qualities, not his ability to perform his work o n the line.2. They should have provided Joe with the management tools he needed in order to succeed, including training, coaching and feedback.BibliographyBerger, D., n.d., Its All some the People, Plant