Managing

MANAGING

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LIST OF NOTES AND EXERCISES IN MANAGING.

This file lists all the notes and exercises in the pages on Managing. (10/7/10)

These notes point out that Managment can mean an activity or a group of people. They (a) derive a definition of management – the activity; but point out that no universal definition of managing exists; (b) discuss whether Managing rates as a science or an art; and (c) list the subject matter of managing. Next they discuss four important elements in managment – (a) C omminication , O bjectives, P eople, and their E nvironment (COPE). They build up a diagram that include these four elements and their interrelationships. (18/7/10)

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPERATING AND MANAGING.

These notes discuss the different situations with which Managers have to deal as compared with when they hold the position of an Operator, They discuss (a) new Supervisors (Managers) need help to learn to supervise (manage): (b) Manaagers must concern themselves with the work of other people; (c) they must plan for, and control, others; and (d) evaluate the work of others. (18/7/10)

PARTS OF THE MANAGING PROCESS

These notes define, and discuss, the three main parts of managing –

Planning , Directing , and Checking. In the process of looking at these three parts they define and discuss the following important terms related to planning – (a) Objective , (b) Decision Making , and (c) Objective Setting. They discuss the four main techniques of directing – (a) An Order (a direct method), (b) Advice, (c) Information Giving, and (d) Information Seeking (a question ). The last three rate as Indirect methods of directing. The notes discuss which directing techniques a person should use. The section on checking define and discuss – standards. A diagram sets out many of the ideas discussed.

The notes discuss the important difference between managing and controlling and how to apply the difference in practice. Next they define and discuss a meaning for Co-ordination. An Appendix discusses the reason behind defining co-ordination as a quality and not an activity and suggest that leadership may also represent a quality resulting from the parts of managing. Later notes discuss the important difference between managing and leading, (18/7/10).

PARTS OF THE MANAGING PROCESS – TEST QUESTIONS.

This list of questions will enable Readers to test whether they understand the notes on – Part of the Managing Process. (18/7/10)

ACHIEVING AN OBJECTIVE WITH, OR WITHOUT, THE NEED TO DEAL WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

This one page shows a diagram that shows different situations where a person has to (a) get something done or (b) try to get something done and four different major classes of how to approach the situation. (18/7/10)

MANAGING AND LEADING.

These notes define and discuss (a) managing, (b) good managing. (c) leading, and (d) good leading and include a diagram that helps to explain the difference between these terms. The include comments on the following topics (a) Does (i) Good Leading and Bad Managing and/or (ii) Bad Leading and Good Managing exist? (b) Do people “UNwillingly” try to achieve an objective , (c) The cost of unwilling achievement, and (d) Does Leadership mean obtaining more than the minimum agreement? (18/7/10).

MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES (MBO)

These notes discuss the various aspect of Management by Objectives . It describes MBO and discusses its four major processes – (a) Agree Position Objectives, (b) Subordinates sets specific objectives , (c) Manager and Subordinate agree on specific objectives, and (d) Manager and Subordinate review progress. The notes discuss various aspects such as (a) Purposeful Discussion can reduce conflicting objectives between Manager and Subordinates; (b) Communication between Managers and Subordinates usually helps achieve good management ; (c) Check whether Managers pass on sufficient, and appropriate, information to their Subordinates; (d) Evaluate people by their results more than personality traits. Next they discuss (a) the advantages and disadvantages of MBO; (b) how to implement MBO; and (c) finish with a warning that no one approach will solve overnight all, or most, of the problems Managers face. (18/7/10)

HOW TO GET HIGH PRODUCTIVITY FROM SECRETARIES AND “ASSISTANTS TO”.

These notes discuss the elements on which productivity will depend (e.g. the objectives their Manager asks them to achieve and the efforts the Secretaries make to try to achieve these objectives.) They discuss specific actions to improve productivity – (a) Teach your Secretaries how you think, (b) use Completed Staff Work , (c) Tell your Secretary interesting things about your work, (d) Treat your Secretary like another human being on the same level. Further, they give points which probably will decrease productivity – (a) Avoid Secretaries becoming an unwise filter of communication and communication opportunites, (b) Avoid Secretaries giving orders in their own right, (c) Use the position for coaching purposes (applies particularly to “Assistants to”). Managers should look for tasks that prove more suitable for Secretaries as compared with “Ordinary” Subordinates . They should consider using Secretaries to (a) provide them with a source of ideas, (b) criticism of their own ideas, (c) obtain opinions of different groups into which they come into contact and (d) follow up on the progress of work. (25/7/10).

INTRODUCTION TO JOB ENRICHMENT.

These notes discuss a meaning for Job Enrichment and include a diagram that illustrates its main points.They suggest two different approaches to introducing Job Enrichment (project or program) and give an outline of how to introduce each of the approaches. They go into detail on a workshop that Organisations could use to introduce the whole idea. The workshop discusses the advantages and disadvantages of Job Enrichment. (26/7/10).

TEAM SPIRIT

These notes define Team Spirit and discuss (a) the range of Team Spirit, (b) the costs of achieving it, and (c) its effect (greater influence). They also discuss – (a) Why does a group and/or one of its Members influence another Team Member; (b) the usefulness, and importance, of Team Spirit: (c) the amount of influence that it has; and (d) the effect of Team Spirit on the performance of individual Team Members. (26/7/10)

TEAM BUILDING

Team builidng will mean different things to different people. The notes discuss this point and also discuss (a) the need to select the elements of a team that need consideration re “building”; (b) relationships wthin, and between, teams; (c) the advantages and disadvantages of a “strong’” team; (d) the characteristics that “building” should aim to increase and which it should aim to decrease; (e) which groups need more (or less) of which characteristics; (f) which groups do not work well with others; (g) team building and changes in personnel; and (h) the use of measuring instruments (attitude surveys) to build better teams. (26/7/10)

SOME PROPOSITIONS ABOUT TEAM BUILDING

These notes discuss (a) A meaning for Team Building (b) the wisdom of a Group’s End Objectives , (c) the source of the Group’s objectives, and (d) some propositions about how to achieve as “good” team. (28/7/10).

MANAGERS SHOULD LEARN MORE ABOUT SPECIFIC PIECES OF BEHAVIOUR – AS COMPARED WITH THEIR MANAGEMENT STYLE OR PERSONAL TRAITS.

These notes discuss the difference betwee managerial styles and traits, Next the concentrate on using specific peces of behaviour as giving a more useful approach than styles and traits. Attention to specific pieces of behaviour should prove a more practical approach for most Managers (and their Subordinates) in any attempts to improve their managing.

WHY “FORCE” YOUR EXPERT STAFF TO LEAVE YOU?

These notes discuss (a) how Managers make “non-replacable” Experts replaceable; (b) the advantages of recognising, and accepting, the inevitable “fact” that some actions by the Organisation will encourage their Experts to leave; and (c) what Managers should do about this situation. (28/7/10).

CATCH 23 – WHY YOU FEEL FRUSTRATED AND CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

Most Readers know of Catch 22. These notes offer a semi-serious set of notes. It offers the basic theory that an organisation has two classes of people – the Goods and Notgoods, that very few Goods exist ,and all the rest rate as Notgoods. At all levels of an organisation, Notgoods will far outnumber the Goods and have by far the most power. Thus (a) the Notgoods “call the shots” including controlling who gets promoted and (b) Notgoods drive out the Goods from the organisation or they convince them to act as (become) Notgoods. Readers will have to decide – in their organisation - who rates as Good and who rates as Notgoods. Almost by definition, Readers will class themselves as “Goods” but if so, they better think again!! (27/7/10)

SOME ADDITIONAL IDEAS ON CATCH 23

These notes follow on from the previous notes on Catch 23. A Senior Executive read the notes on Catch 23, decided that he belonged in the “Good” class, and produced ideas on how to avoid Catch 23 – at least for short periods. (28/7/10)

SOME AIDS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO TAKE INITIATIVES.

These notes look at the topic of initiative (a) by comparing the right to make a decision with the right decisions and (b) noting that success often excuses the breaking of rules. A diagram sets out the situation where a Subordinate does, or does not, have the right to make a particular decision and adds (a) the likely comment by a Manager and (b) the likely effect on the Subordinate involved – for the various situations described. Next the ntoes discuss some ideas to reduce the problem of a Subordinate showing too much initiative or too little. They discuss what (a) Managers and (b) Subordinates should do re initiatives and the need to encourage people to take some initiatives (28/7/10).

SOME POINTS ON CHOOSING THE “BEST” MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS AND GETTING THE BEST OUT OF THEM.

These notes give A definition of Management Consulting and describe what Management Consultants (M Cs) do. They provide an extensive list of questions divided into various topic (e.g. Personnel, Marketing, Accounting) that show the breadth of the work of M Cs while at the same time suggesting that answering the questions should help any organisation to examine its operations and decide whether it needs a M C.. Next the notes suggest ways to get the “best” M Cs ( “take a small bite of the cherry”) and many ways to get the best out of them (Set wise written objectives ). (28/7/10).

DEALING WITH PROBLEMS – A FRAMEWORK FOR AN APPROACH.

These notes set out a general framework for dealing with problems – (a) Define the problem, (b) Collect information, (c) Weigh and decide, (d) Take action, and (e) Check results. They discuss each of these ideas in detail. The notes include a summary at the end that has an extensive series of questions grouped under the same five headings of the general framework. (28/7/10)

A BASIC BROAD OBJECTIVE FOR REDUCING AN ORGANISATION’S INTERSECTIONAL, AND INTERPERSONAL, COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS

These brief notes set out the Guideline Objective – Increase the opportunities for face-to-face communication situations between any/all different section of the Compay and in a specific atmosphere described in two different ways. Next they discuss an objective related to the previous one. (28/7/10)

MANAGEMENT TRAINING FRAMEWORK

This diagram shows a wide variety of notes and where they fit into the three sections of Planning, Directing , and Checking. UNfortuantely the loading into this page has occurred in four different parts. Readers wikll need to print out the four different sections and paste them together to obvtain a useful look at the diagram.

SOME MEANINGS FOR SOME HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT TERMS.

These notes describe a series of terms and provide short notes on mnay of them. They include such terms as - Employee Motivation, Industrial Democracy, Job Enlargement , Job Enrichment , Job Rotation, Organisational Development, and Participation Management. (28/7/10)

HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

These notes discuss (a) the need for HUman Resource Development (HRD),\ and (b) conditions that created the need, The discuss different related topics such as (a) The systems approachans (b) Theory X and Theory Y, Next they discuss the acceptance and commitment to HRD and four reasons for the amount of commitment. The Writer wrote these notes some years ago, However they still have some relevance to today. (5/5/11)

SOME IDEAS TO HELP A NEW GENERAL MANAGER.

These notes list an extensive series of questions that a new General Manager and his Subordinates can use to examine the operations of the Organisation. The notes group them under various headings such as – Objectives , Communication , Policies and Procedures, Market Share, Co-operation between Sections , Managing Style and Technique, and Organisation Structure . (1/8/10).

COPING BETTER WITH A NEW (IMMEDIATE ) MANAGER.

When a new General Manager takes over, he may change the position authority of his Subordinates. Some GMs will increase it, some will decrease it, and others will leave it unchanged. These notes discuss the different approaches that Subordinates can take to these changes and they include a diagram that sets out the possibilities and includes (a) possible results of the different changes and (b) Methods for reducing adverse results. (1/8/10).

MANAGING BUSINESS UNITS

These notes discuss the variety of ways that the Corporate Chief Executive (CE) and Corporate Personnel can manage Business Units (BUs). They include sections on (a) Conflicting Objectives.(b) Characteristics of BUs, (c) Skills and attitudes of BU Managers, (d) Characteristics of BUs as a group or sub group, and (e) What should a CE do. (1/8/10).

VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT.

Voluntary Organisations start with a small group of people with a common interest or objectives . Some gradually grow to a larger organisation and some have a paid full-time Chief Executive with paid staff. These notes discuss the various stages that Voluntary Organisations go through and some options they may have (e.g. Will the organisation have much chance to sell goods or services.). (1/8/10)

E X E R C I S E S

EXERCISE – A BETTER PROPORTION OF MANAGING AND OPERATING – EXERCISE 1 AND 2.

This exercise starts a series of exercises that follow on in the rest of the files on this page and all the files on the next page – Managing 6. They all have a relationship to managing.This particular Exercise aims to help Managers and Supervisors to obtain a wise (good) proportion between (a) what they do (operating) and (b) what they try to get others to do (managing). (29/7/10)

EXERCISE – DISCUSSION OF - “A BETTER PROPORTION OF MANAGING AND OPERATING”.

This exercise sets out a procedure for Sydnciate Members to use to discuss what they have learnt from carrying out the Exercise – A better proportion of Managing and Operating . (29/7/10)

EXERCISE – MANAGING APPROACHES .

This exercise lists nine statements that refer to how Managers operate. It has a table that asks Readers to record the extent to which the statement applies (a) to themselves and (b) their immediate Manager.(29/7/10)

EXERCISES – LOSS OF INTEREST – PART 1 AND PART 2.

Part 1 of this exercise describes a situation where a person has lost interest in their job and asks what the peron’s immediate Manager should do re collecting information about the problem. Part 2 provides additional information and concentrates on asking what decision(s) the immediate Manager should make. (29/7/10).

EXERCISE – TRANSFER OF OPERATIONS

A person holding a particular positionobtained volunteers to move to a different work area.The exercise asks Users to identify any errors made by people in the information provided.

EXERCISE – A PHONE QUERY.

This brief exercise poses a “simple” problem of communication channels (30/7/10).

EXERCISE – GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS

What happens when people go through the motions on problems. The Exercise describes such a situation and Readers have to identify errors and suggest solutions to this “universal” problem. (30/7/10).

EXERCISE – SOMETHING MISSING

This exercise reports a conversation between a Manager and one of his immediate Subordinates. The heading suggests that the conversation misses something. Readers have to identify all the errors that occurred and hopefully find the “something”. (30/7/10)

EXERCISE – A FAIRLY URGENT JOB – PART 1 AND 2

A Supervisor gave a job to do to an Employee, Part 1 asks that Users identify any errors made and to state what the Supervisor should have done. Part 2 shows what happended following Part 1 in a conversation between the Supervisor and the Employee. Again it asks Users to identify errors and to state what the the Supervisor should have done.(5/5/111).

EXERCISE – TOO CLOSE FOR SAFETY

This factory situation shows some errors in who should talk to who about what and asks Readers to identify the errors made in the situation described and how to fix them. (30/7/10)

EXERCISE – IMPROVING CO-OPERATION BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS.

This exercise collects people’s views about four areas - themselves, their own department, other people, and other Departments. It (a) offers a series of questions to answer about the four previous areas. (b) suggests recording conflicting objectives between any of the areas, and (c) ask Readers to list anything else that reduce co-operation between any two or more of the different areas. (30/7/10).