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Post by spencer310 on Jan 27, 2014 1:35:36 GMT -6
I think a manager is just like a teacher. They show you how things are expected to be done, maybe even multiple times. They expect you to be able to perform those tasks at the highest level of performance. Many factors go into ensuring that managers are successful. They have to be knowledgable about the company's processes, departments, procedures, safety, and many, many, more. All decisions that are made by managers have consequences that affect the rest of the company.
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Post by ken9390 on Jan 27, 2014 10:24:10 GMT -6
This video is portrays and invaluable skill that i believe all managers should have/acquire throughout their professional careers. There is no statistical substitute for the 'human element' in a workplace. In today's world there are employees that will go their whole careers with minimal interaction from any manager that is not their direct supervisor. Management by walking around is a great technique for the manager to: A. get to know his employees, and B. see the inner workings of his company that he would normally wouldn't sitting behind a desk.
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Post by susiekaz on Jan 27, 2014 13:49:38 GMT -6
I think for smaller companies, the idea of a founder or general manager being part of the day-to-day operations is much easier than your bigger corporations. As a business grows, it is extremely important for upper management and administration to still be a part of the ground work of that organization. I have seen this issue in my own work experience. I work for a restaurant that started from one owner with one store and eventually grew to one owner with a franchise of nine stores. Now the business has downsized and is back to one owner with his own three stores. Whether or not the contraction stemmed from his inability to be at each store as often as he would have liked, the expansion did not work for him. This video illustrates, it can be difficult to leave your desk, but management must find time to in order to be successful.
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Post by susiekaz on Jan 27, 2014 13:51:37 GMT -6
I think for smaller companies, the idea of a founder or general manager being part of the day-to-day operations is much easier than your bigger corporations. As a business grows, it is extremely important for upper management and administration to still be a part of the ground work of that organization. I have seen this issue in my own work experience. I work for a restaurant that started from one owner with one store and eventually grew to one owner with a franchise of nine stores. Now the business has downsized and is back to one owner with his own three stores. Whether or not the contraction stemmed from his inability to be at each store as often as he would have liked, the expansion did not work for him. This video illustrates, it can be difficult to leave your desk, but management must find time to in order to be successful.
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Post by xingboma on Jan 27, 2014 15:15:25 GMT -6
Being a manager is a tough job, you have people who report to you to take care of, and you have boss who you report to, sometimes more than just one, to please. To be able to keep the job, you don’t just need to perform and deliver good results, you need to earn respect. It involves more than just sitting in meetings, and reviewing reports or statistics, and come up with solutions. And the solutions cannot be good without leaving office to visit facilities where company’s revenue is directly generated. Those people need you there to tell them they are doing a good job, keep it up. It means you care, and what they are doing matters a lot to the company.
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klayne
Junior Member
Posts: 24
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Post by klayne on Jan 27, 2014 17:16:44 GMT -6
Duties of a manager vary over a wide scope. While it is important for managers to handle damage control or other impromptu crises it is also important for managers to be able to connect with their employees. Their leadership is a lot more meaningful through actual human interactions. For one the manager can gain their employee’s perspective and insight on different issues. Human interaction between managers and employees is essential to a company’s success. From personal experience, on average it is easier for a manager to be more involved with employees when operations are on a smaller scale. When there are only a couple of managers, they are much more involved in the day to day operations.
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Post by halearnold on Jan 27, 2014 17:36:13 GMT -6
This clip illustrates the two scenarios for upper management and or leadership. I appreciate the honesty of how one starts with the best of intentions, but "managing" gets in the way. However that doesn't happen everyday. So when there is the opportunity to visit the front lines, one should so they don't forget what they are supposed to be managing. As for Schultz, well that's fantastic if he is able to visit 25 stores per week and his location makes that possible, but what if he were in a location where his stores were sporadic and distance prevented this efficiently? It's good to stay in touch, and in this case smell the coffee. His perspective is kind of like undercover boss' programming success.
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Post by Rosie on Jan 27, 2014 18:29:27 GMT -6
If I were to become a CEO or any other type of leadership position at a company, i would strive to be like Mr. Shultz. By visiting all the stores that he does, and as often as he does creates a feeling of connectiveness and personal interest that employees and customers recognize. Being in a leadership position obviously requires long hours and a lot of detail, but human interaction is necessary to build trust and respect within a company. Also, by visiting the distribution centers or stores helps the leader experience first hand the work that needs to be done, or where changes and improvements can be made. Reading about these places in a report or from second parties does not compare to actually seeing the operations for yourself.
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Post by amandayoung3231 on Jan 28, 2014 9:30:29 GMT -6
The best manager is the one who is out on the floor working along side of there employees. It keeps the employees in check and lets them know that the manager does know what they are up to. I am not saying employees need to be micromanaged, however, they do need to be managed. This also gives the manager hands on experience they need in order to run the business appropriately.
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Post by joshuabrungart on Jan 28, 2014 12:49:56 GMT -6
This video makes a strong case for one of the easiest concepts of being a manager. Too many times, I have been in the situation where the person who is charge of me never seems to show their face. I understand how difficult it must be for someone who runs a company like Starbucks, so I am impressed that he is able to see so many shops. If more business owners are able be present on a routine basis a lot of the additional problems that they have to manage would more than likely be avoided. Unfortunately, this simple idea of getting out of the office has to be taught at this level. Joshua Brungart
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Post by gkboone on Jan 28, 2014 19:31:22 GMT -6
In today's world, consumers are given ample opportunities to choose where they buy products. Business today is becoming extremely relationship oriented. If managers continue to spend hours upon hours behind a desk, building relationships with their customers will be nearly impossible. I think it's awesome that Starbuck's CEO likes to visit 25 stores a week. This shows his employees and customers that he's truly invested. One day when I am a successful business woman, I plan to build relationships with my customers and employees. I want to be hands on and have knowledge of what's going on in the company that I work for. In order to achieve these goals, I will need to step away from the average joe office. I will create my own office, also referred to as the world.
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Post by Shondrea Lovette on Jan 28, 2014 20:24:49 GMT -6
I feel that it is very important for the manger and the employees to have a working relationship. Currently at my job many new employees may feel that the store manager is bit snobbish. The reason they feel like is because he does not make the effort to welcome new employees or even introduce himself. Sometimes a little goes a long way even in the business world.
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Post by jodiemalley on Jan 29, 2014 13:23:29 GMT -6
Effective managers are essential to the success of any organization. Management decisions reach into every aspect of the company and affect a business at every level. While communication is one of the most important parts of a managers job duties, also interacting with employees and customers has the potential to make the business more successful.
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Post by nataliedodds on Jan 29, 2014 15:07:26 GMT -6
The video makes a very simple, yet valid point. In order to be an exceptional manager, one has to get out of the office to observe what is going on in the company. When I worked at restaurant, the manager performed several different duties when needed. I have seen her do anything from cooking in the kitchen to waiting tables. Most managers wouldn't even think of lowering themselves, but my manager knew what was going on in every facet of the business. I thought it was great for the Starbucks' manager to get out and visit all those stores to see what was going on.
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Post by simonebourgeois on Jan 30, 2014 10:13:21 GMT -6
This video hit a key point to maintaining a successful business. He mentions the owner of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, getting out of his office to interact within his business. I agree that in order to better understand your company you must get out and become involved with the aspects/employees running your company. For instance, I worked at a boutique where the owner was out of touch with the shop. I believe if she would come into the store and witness how the shop is ran then better decision would be made to progress the business. The fact that she relies solely on the employees to make inventory orders and other purchasing decisions makes keeping track of the items coming in and out the store difficult. If I was running a company my focus would be all on my business. I would want to get to know the employees running my company and the type of customers we were attracting/interacting with. The line mentioned in the clip about, "By not having fundamental human interaction then he is not in touch with what is happening", I completely agree with. Every manager or owner should have that outlook because clearly the method works. Schultz's idea is something to follow and logical in running a company. Being hands on allows more control and stability for a business.
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