A Desk is Dngrus Pl frm which to View the World - Essay Example

A Desk is а Dаngеrоus Plасе Frоm Which to View the World Name Grade course Institution Tutor Date Introduction "A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world"...These words are attributed to John le Carre. John le Carre is the pseudonym of David Cornwell. John le Carre is a British author who previously served in two intelligence agencies, the MI5 and the MI6. The words, coming from a former spy and who is also a writer of novels on spies, are apt with respect to the running of business in the modern world. Managers face novel challenges which call for new measures to resolve (Carre & Bruccoli 2004, p. 6). Managers cannot manage their institutions and expect to post positive outcome unless they 'leave their desks'. Managers should be in a position to interact with all the relevant people whose contribution is important for the success of an organization. Faced with new challenges, managers should come up with innovative ways of running their organizations and this will translate into enormous success. The essay examines the roles of managers in organizations, social responsibility and managerial ethics, foundations of decision making, foundations of planning, organization structure and culture among other important aspects of management. Discussion Foundations of Planning Managers who lead large corporations at times neglect the small clients and mostly prefer to deal with clients who bring in big business. In the minds of such managers, what matters most is having big plans and engaging in events that bring in a lot of publicity. When the business is starting, entrepreneurs usually use all their energy to ensure that the business succeeds. During the struggle to reach the top, the process is usually agonizing but things appear better after some time. At this stage, the company shall have succeeded in attracting high quality employees and the clientele would be satisfied with the services offered by the company. At this stage, there is a real danger for the company's leadership becoming complacent. The company appears to be large enough and the top managers would get the temptation of letting the status quo remain. It is therefore very important that the company's managers lead from the front and strive to improve the fortunes of the company that they lead. Some managers end to isolate themselves, not only from the employees in the lower ranks, but also from the people who matter most to the business, the clientele. It is extremely important that top executives in companies try to be at the same level with the junior level members of staff. One way that managers could achieve this would be through use of the office space. A manager who adopts the open office plan without private offices and dividing doors creates a sense of equality at the work place (Pugh & Hickson, 1976 p. 38). All the employees regardless of their ranks are able to work together as a team and there is little remorse for an executive who enjoys the trappings of power. Where the office space is divided between different officers, the executive might decide to leave the door absent or perpetually open. By keeping the office without a door or leaving it open, a message is usually passed that such a manager has no intention of having people out of his office. A good manager should demonstrate their value and appreciate for all stakeholders by being available to receive members of staff, their clients as well as other stakeholders. A good manager should get out and interact with members of staff of the lower cadre. When a top level manager interacts with the ordinary employees, he or she gets to understand the challenges that such employees go through in their day to day activities. The members of staff also get to feel important and valued by their bosses through such close interactions. Once in a while, the top executive could join the junior members of staff in doing certain forms of activities and especially where such activities require a lot of effort (Miles & Snow 2003, p. 71). In an example of an airline's executive, he could join the crew in unloading luggage belonging to the passengers. The top executives should help their junior employees based on a genuine intention of getting to learn and understand the experiences that the employees go through. A top executive demonstrates a lot of respect and concern to those who work under him by being present and demonstrating that he values their input. Junior employees are likely to develop a good attitude towards a caring boss (Pugh & Hickson 1976, p. 45). An executive who has a feel of what his juniors go through is not likely to pass regulations meant to make it harder for the junior employees to perform their normal duties as well as leading their ordinary lives. As a manager, it is critical that one gets to the ground instead of just relying on reports and analyses. An executive with a company for example dealing with commodities would be in a better position to run a business where they accompany the researchers whenever there are trips to be taken for field work. The executive would also be involved for example in checking on the quality of the crops as well as the soil on which the crops are grown. This brings the executive face to face with the most important factors before making major decisions which determine the direction that the company takes. This ensures that managers do not lose touch with the things that really matter for their business and also they keep track on how their employees operate. It is important that executive make plans on how they seek to continuously improve their management skills. The executives could set targets to meet a certain number of clients or certain sites where work is ongoing so that they can have the real feeling of being right at the ground (Trevino & Nelson 2011, p. 73). Foundations of Decision Making Decision making is a central element of the operations in a company. The decisions that are made by a company can make or break the company. Managers should think seriously not only about the process of the decision making but also who makes those decisions. A top executive should not pretend to know it all and hence take all the important decisions. It is important that a top executive taps on the knowledge and experience of the people who are below him or her where such people are in a position to come up with decisions that are beneficial to the organization. It might appear difficult or odd for a top ranking official to appear to be ceding powers to his juniors but combining talents within an organization could result in decisions that are far much better than the top executive would have made (Mile & Snow 2003, p.78). People have different gifts and strengths and it is only a very successful executive who is able to identify and tap on the invaluable expertise and experience available to his members of staff. Managers should empower the employees who are answerable to them. This could be done through delegating some aspects of management to employees who are lower in the rank. An executive should avoid the temptation of micro managing every step that an employee makes. Being too much close to the employees while they are making decisions diminishes their creativity as well as their courage. An executive should let the junior members of staff to make decisions on matters that are not very important and this would help in correcting such mistakes and the employees are able to develop and increase their problem solving skills and capabilities. A company could even develop a policy of rewarding the employees who make the greatest mistake. This policy would encourage employees to take calculated risks and not just take decisions based on fear of failing (Hall 1977, p. 21). When making important decisions, it is vital that the company makes use of democracy. Involving as many employees as possible before coming up with a decision leads to an increase in innovation. Employees feel part and parcel of an organization and they tend to become more dedicated in their engagements. A company could have a programme where employees come up with ideas which they think would work (Samson & Daft 2011, p. 76). The company would then fund such an idea and see to it that it succeeds. Through such initiatives, employees develop entrepreneurial initiative. Executive should realize that they are not the only ones who can come up with the best decisions. This calls for the executives to ensure that they empower people within the company so that they are able to think through problems as well as solutions (Griffin 2011, p. 62). Through such an initiative, it is very possible to develop many new companies within the larger corporation. A company should develop a culture of decision making within the organization. When dealing with customers, all the employees should be trained regardless of the area of their specialization. By doing this, employees strive to present the best image and improve the reputation of the company. Customer service determines whether or not an organizations ends up being successful (Hall 1977, p. 101). Social Responsibility and Managerial Ethics Managers have to deal with ethical issues in many instances. Ethics refers to the code of moral principles and values which dictate how people should behave either individually or as a group. Managers find themselves in a dilemma many times. This situation may place the manager in a position where they are afraid of making a decision so as to avoid antagonizing certain people (Samson & Daft 2011, p. 81). A manager would find himself in a position where he is required to promote less effective products such as drugs at a cost which is higher than that of drugs that are more effective. There are several approaches for managers before they arrive at a decision. Using the Utilitarian Approach, the manager would resolve a dilemma by taking the side which benefits the largest number of people. There are managers who would use Individualism Approach and the only thing that matters to such managers is promoting the long term interest of the company or an individual. A manager could also apply the Moral-Fitness Approach which dictates that people have rights that are fundamental and can therefore not be taken away. For a manager to make ethical decisions, it is important that they do not interfere with fundamental rights of other people (Frost 1985, p. 32). Organization Structure and Culture Creative an organizational structure that is effective as well as embrace the right culture are critical ingredients for the success of an organization. Creating structures within an organization requires the management to put into consideration not only the relationships that exist internally but also relationships with the outside world. A company has to deal with other agents and this should provide a source of strength and not weakness for the company. A company should create relationships which ensure that the final consumer of the product gets value for their money and hence recognizes the efforts made by the company (Dale 1969, p. 48). Culture is also very critical for organizations. Culture is the way that people in an organization carry out their activities. Culture involves how people behave as well as how they relate. Managers should place emphasis on empowerment and teamwork as part of their culture. This can only be achieved where an organization sees the employees as an asset rather than just a mere factor of production. When employees are motivated, they tend to be more productive and this helps the company to grow and even surpass its set targets. Managers should place people into team with each team dealing with a certain aspect. Team players should be encouraged to make contributions and have their ideas taken on board. A culture that is friendly and innovative increases the quality of the workforce, the product, and trust from the customers. Conclusion An organization is as good as the leadership that it has. Management is therefore a precursor for good performance at the organization. As the world changes, new challenges face managers and new solutions should be sort. Competition is very high and hence the need for managers to leave their seats and get to know more about how their juniors operate. Managers should also use democratic means to involve their employees in the decision making process of the organization. When all is said and done, nothing beat good management skills. References Dale, E., 1969, Management: Theory and Practice. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Frost, P., 1985, Organizational Culture. Beverly Hills: Sage Publ. Griffin, R., 2011, Management. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Hall, R., 1977, Organizations. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice Hall. Carre, J, & Bruccoli., M. 2004, Conversations with John Le Carré. Jackson, Miss: Univ. Press of Mississippi. Miles, R. & Snow C., 2003, Organizational Strategy, Structure, and Process. Stanford: Stanford University Press. Pugh, D. S, & Hickson, D. 1976, Organizational Structure in Its Context: Aston Programme I. London: Saxon House. Samson, D, & Daft, R., 2011, Management. South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning. Trevino, L.K, & Nelson, K., 2011, Managing Business Ethics: Straight Talk About How to Do It Right. New York: John Wiley. Read More