Planning and Time Management - Case Study Example

Introduction Planning and Time management are the key points that Carl Robbins missed out in preparation for the new hire orientation. Planning deals with selecting missions and objectives and the actions to achieve them. It requires decision-making; that is, choosing from one alternative among future courses of action. Plans provide a rational approach to achieving pre selected objectives. Planning bridges the gap from were we are now to where we want to be. Background Carl Robbins hired 15 new trainees to work for Monica Carrolls, the Operations Supervisor. He scheduled a new hire orientation to take place June 15, hoping to have all new hires working by July. On May 15, Monica contacted Carl about the training schedule, orientation, manuals, policy booklets, physicals, drug tests, and a host of other issues, which Carl would coordinate for the new hires. Carl assured Monica that everything would be arranged in time. Some of the new trainees did not have applications completed or their transcripts on file, and none of them had been sent to the clinic for the mandatory drug screen. He then searched the orientation manuals and found only three copies with several pages missing from each. Aside from this, the training room to be used for the orientation was reserved for the entire month of June by the technology services. Management is the process of planning, organising, leading and controlling all phases of business operation in order to achieve the objectives of that organisation. Effective management invariably results in business success, while ineffective management often results in business failure. Using the POLC Model of Management, the key components namely planning, organizing, leading and controlling involves the use of different skills. (Burns, 1978) Carl Robbins was assigned to arrange and prepare the orientation for the new hires. In the context of the case, Robbins is the manager for the task. Planning is an intellectually demanding process, because it requires deliberate courses of action where decisions are based on purpose, knowledge and considerable degree of estimates. Planning minimizes costs. Its emphasis is on efficient and effective operations and consistency of procedures and methods. (Burns, 1978) Organizing includes the skills of self- managing and team work thus time is considered as an essential factor. The word organization refers to the structure or a network of relationships among individuals interacting with one another. Organizing as a tool is an end in itself but a means of achieving the objectives of the organization. Organizing is basically grouping of activities and defining the roles of the participants with appropriate authority and proper coordination in the organizational structure. (Morgenstern, 1998) Organizing, in its essence, relates to the identification and classification of required activities, the grouping of activities necessary to attain objectives, the assignment of each grouping to a manager without the authority necessary to direct and supervise it, and the provision for coordination horizontally and vertically in the organizational structure. Leading needs the use of people skills, complex problem solving, and ethical and high personal standards. Leadership is the art or process of influencing people so that they will strive willingly and enthusiastically toward the achievement of group goals. It does not mean only willingness to work but also willingness to work with zeal and confidence. Leadership is the influential increment over and above mechanical compliance with the routing directives of the organization. This means that an organizational role may encompass different objectives, but become non-personal so that in order to become effective, a personal touch must be in it. (Burns, 1978) Managerial leadership is the process of directing and influencing task-related activities of group members. Leadership involves the most vital resources of the organization- the people. Power distribution between leaders and group members is unequal. Leadership involves the use of different forms of power to influence the behavior of followers. And lastly, leadership is about values. Controlling makes use of skills involving setting of performance standards and measurements of performance as well as flexibility and adaptability to change. Controlling is the managerial function of measuring and correcting performance in order to make sure that organizational objectives and plans that were deliberately devised to be attained are being accomplished. Planning and controlling are closely related that some manager and management practitioners think that their functions are also closely related. Objectives and plans are very important and control is not possible, because performance has to be measured against some established criteria. (Morgenstern, 1998) Controlling, as a management tool, is the function of every manager from president to supervisor. While the range of control varies among managers, those at all levels have the responsibility for the effective implementation of plans. Control is the process of assuring management that the organizational plans, objectives, programs and other specific tasks are carried out effectively and efficiently. The basic control process involves three steps: establishing standards, measuring performance against these standards, remedies for deviation from standards and plans. Key Problems The first problem in the case is the lack of goal-setting. Robbins could have set his objectives and goals initially since once everything is done, he has his standards wherein he can measure his accomplishments with to see if he has done everything effectively and efficiently. The second problem is with the planning and scheduling of activities by Carl Robbins. Developing time management skills is an effective way of reducing personal stress; increase personal productivity; and experience peace of mind. It is possible to gain control over one's activity in life by controlling time. Time management refers to techniques designed to enable people to get more activities done in less time with better results. Time is one of Robbins' most valuable resources. It can be used as a competitive weapon that has become part of many time quality management systems. Time management analyzes present use of time, prioritizing activities, using time management system and techniques. Third, Carl Robbins was not ale to get the commitment of the new hires with regard to the submission of their complete requirements on time. Alternatives Carl Robbins can request Monica Carrolls to change the scheduled date for new hire orientation due to the issues and incidents such as reservation of the venue and incomplete requirements of the new hires. This alternative is very easy to do however the consequences may backfire of Robbins' performance record in the company. He initially took full responsibility of the tasks assigned by Monica and he even assured her that everything will be set into place. Monica would be disappointed if this action would be done by Carl. Robbins can contact the new hires and inform them about the lacking requirements and the exact date for the submission of documents as well as the consequences of late submission. He can contact them by phone, fax, email or by regular mail. Carl can choose to call them and send them an email since this will be less costly and faster compared to the other means of communication. With the training room reservation, he can request schedule swaps with the technology services. Another possible option is to check if there are any other available rooms that can be used as a substitute for a training room with adequate seating capacity, good lighting and with projectors available for presentations. Proposed Solutions and Recommendations Given the situations, I would strongly suggest for Carl Robbins to inform Monica Carrolls the status of his assigned tasks and the progress. Aside from this, he can inform Monica the possible alternatives that he has to be able to resolve the issues and problems. She deserves to know. This way, he will be able to get the opinions and suggestions of Monica and take these into consideration. It is highly probable that he will get negative feedback from Monica due to his failure to fully plan the event and to anticipate future problems. It was stated in the case that Carl has been on this job for only six months and he was able to hire 15 people to work for Monica. That can be considered Robbins recent achievement which Monica could also consider that Robbins is still quite new with the company. This will be a great learning experience for Carl Robbins. Since Monica is an operations manager, it is possible that she has the capability to request schedule swaps with the technology services or to request for a new room at a short notice. With the lacking requirements from the new hires, Carl can directly contact them for updates. References Morgenstern, Julie (1998). Organizing from the Inside Out . Owl Books Burns, Julius (1978). Leadership. New York, NY: Harper Torchbooks Read More