A Supervisor of a Shoe Store - Essay Example

In-Basket As a supervisor f a shoe store who had just arrived back from three days at the company headquarters and is faced with several list of items in-basket, the several tasks will be attended to the soonest time possible. These ten (10) items/tasks in-basket should be either "acted on" or "delegated". The tasks which are supervisory in nature and which are operational in nature and cannot be delegated should be acted on. At the same time, the tasks which are not supervisory in nature and which are non-operational in nature and can be delegated should be delegated to other staff in order enhance productivity. There are specifically supervisory tasks. One of these is the planning activities which include deciding what objectives to pursue and how to achieve them. These planning activities likewise include the routing and scheduling of people and materials. While it is desirable to actively involve employees in planning activities, the supervisor should retain primary authority and responsibility for them. Although a supervisor may (and should) delegate certain parts of the planning process, he or she should retain authority for the coordination and finalization of plans. For instance, the task of addressing the notice that the mall will be changing hours for the upcoming holiday and requesting notice of store plans can be delegated to the two assistant or shift managers. It is important to seek the suggestions of these assistants/shift managers. They may have sound and creative ideas that may contribute to the efficient and effective operation of the shoe store. But of course, the finalization of the plans based from the different suggestions is the responsibility of the supervisor. The assignment of work should also be controlled by the supervisor. As with planning activities, parts of the process of assigning work may and probably should be delegated, but the supervisor should retain overall control. The four shipping receipts indicating that about one hundred thirty (130) pairs of shoes have been delivered and need to be stocked can be delegated to one of the assistants or shift managers. The assistant or the shift manager can be given an order to assign sales clerks identified by the supervisor who will take care of this job. Creating the proper work environment to enhance employee motivation is primarily the responsibility of the supervisor. This does not imply that employees do not play a significant part in their own motivation. However, it does imply that the supervisor will always have a strong influence on the work environment, which in turn affects employee motivation. For instance, the note to call Mary (salesclerk) about vacation schedule should be handled by the supervisor for Mary or any employee to appreciate the vacation motivational reward that the company is providing. At present, the company is not unionized. However, should the employees decide to set up a union, it will need understanding and support from the supervisor. The supervisor normally should not delegate the counseling of employees regarding job-related issues. However, when an employee needs personal counseling or technical information that might better be supplied by a staff person, the supervisor should refer the employee to the proper source. The latter can be handled by technical people or experts in the field. Handling a customer complaint regarding product quality should be handled by the supervisor. This is important for the customer to feel the importance of their welfare as the main client of the company. At the same time, counseling of employees who directly handle the client complaining should be provided by the supervisor for the employee to understand the responsibility to the customer and the proper handling of situations at hand. Whenever a conflict arises between two or more employees, the supervisor should assist in resolving the conflict. This does not mean that the supervisor should personally resolve the conflict, but that the supervisor should see that the involved parties resolve it. Hence, it is important for the supervisor to have continuous training or education in mediating and resolving conflict. It is generally not a good idea to delegate tasks or assignments that upper management expects the supervisor to do personally (such as serving on a committee). Tasks or assignments that are heavily on the shoulder of the supervisor should be personally handled and outstandingly done by the supervisor due to the high level of responsibility expected fro the supervisor. Each task discussed above compared to the list of tasks mentioned that cannot be delegated are operational, therefore should be handled directly by the supervisor. For those tasks that were chosen not to delegate, any of the reasons listed below does not influence the decision of not to delegate such as (1) If you want anything done right, do it yourself; (2) It is easier to do it myself; (3) Fear of an employee looking too good; (4) The human attraction for power; (5) More confidence in doing the detail work; (6) Preconceived ideas about employees; and (7) Desire to set the right example. Situations in an organization are different that synergy and interaction is important. Hence, the reasons mentioned above are not relevant in supervising an organization. Other on the list in-basket, can be delegated to two assistant or shift managers, who also sell on the floor but have authority only when the supervisor is not present. The two applications for jobs (no positions open right now) can be handled by the assistants or shift managers. They can handle the applicants, keep their resume and credentials for future hiring and explain that there is no positions open right now. The bids from three companies responding to requests for bids on a cash register system (each store chooses its own) can also be delegated. The bids will be compared and contrasted. It is also the duty of the reviewer of bids to inspect the compliance to specifications required. The lowest bidder will be chosen and submitted for management approval and implementation. The notice from the fire department of an impending inspection can be handled by the assistants/shift managers. This is just a matter of coordination and scheduling. It will be conducted at a time convenient for the inspectors, employees and customers. Inspections can be conducted without hampering regular operations. The five advertisements and two catalogs from various vendors can be delegated. It will requires coordination, scheduling and implementation. All the above tasks will require regular communication and reporting to the supervisor. All the final decisions still rest with the supervisor and top management. Other tasks can be delegated to the seven salesclerks, who work various schedules on the floor. Specifically, the note that the rest room is out of order can be handled by the sales clerks. It will be their responsibility to post notice on the rest room and to inform the maintenance department for the problem. The notice from the company headquarters that a holiday sale will begin soon can be handled by the sales clerks. They can facilitate the posting of announcements and the in-store information dissemination to the customers. Reference: Rue, L. W., & Byars, L. L. (2004). Supervision: Key link to productivity (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Read More