www.jaijar.com

Managers or supervisors need certain skills and knowledge such as how to delegate, communicate, hire, resolve conflict, and work with difficult people. However the first step for people to become excellent supervisors involves their managing themselves.

Budgeting time multiplies the results gained each day. Time budgeting means a person can and does know how to deal with interruptions, understand and manage procrastination, and learn what to control and what to ignore.

A manager needs to deal with interruptions wisely: Is the interruption necessary, or can it be “put off” until another time or indefinitely? Unless a supervisor can say, “Let me think about this and call you back,” or “I’m sorry, but I’m busy right now,” then she and her employer lose. Planning ahead can help avoid interruptions; delegating can keep interruptions down; setting up an in-office protocol for when and how to handle emergency situations will avoid many interruptions. Being organized will limit many problems. When unavoidable interruptions occur, as they will, a supervisor who can control her reactions and adjust will find such interruptions managable.

Procrastination is another problem that wastes time. Something that needs to be done or finished, but isn’t, shows a lack of self-management on the part of a supervisor. According to Time Management on BusinessTown.com, we procrastinate for five reasons:

1. We haven’t really committed to do the activity.

2. We’re afraid of the job.

3. We don’t place a high enough priority on the job.

4. We don’t know enough to do the task.

5. We don’t want to do whatever the activity is.

In all five cases, a manager must find a way to do what needs to be done, which means self-discipline is necessary. In some situations, finding the right person to do the job required can solve the problem.

An excellent supervisor stays motivated and under-control, even under trying and difficult conditions. When others become angry or upset, a manager stays in control. He keeps his eye and mind on the goal, the outcome of his job. Sometimes staying motivated means a supervisor should stop fighting change and find a way to accept it.

Being assertive without appearing arrogant or overbearing means staying under control. One man stated that even when he didn’t feel confident, he acted as if he were until he was. Being assertive means feeling confident and behaving positively. Developing good communication and negotiating skills helps one be assertive, confident and successful.

Once supervisors can and do manage themselves then they can in turn be managers of others.

Sources:
1. “Procrastination - UIUC Counseling Center,” www.couns.uiuc.edu
2. “Dealing With Interruptions,” OnlineOrganizing.com
3. “Time Management: Can You Really Manage Time?” BusinessTown.com

After years in business and teaching, Vivian Gilbert Zabel became a writer. An author on Writing.Com, http://www.Writing.Com/authors/vzabel, she also has books on Amazon.com, Hidden Lies and Other Storied and Walking the Earth. This article has been submitted in affliliation with http://www.Facsimile.Com/ which is a site in affiliation with Fax Machines.

Share This

To so many business executives do not really understand why their company is in business. Sure they have achieved an MBA and they look at the numbers each week and the goals set for the company for sales. They are aware that they need to achieve certain goals in order to please shareholders equity and quarterly profits. However, when we ask these executives in business management teams why they’re in business we did an array of answers and that is a little troubling.

You see, businesses are in business to make money that is why the do what they do. Now some business management teams believe that they are in business to get customers. Or they believe they are in business to deliver a superior product or service. Or perhaps they believe that they are in business to make the world a better place and also retained a small profit. This is not in either or question. All those things are important indeed, but making money is why Corporations exist.

Make no mistake businesses are in business to make money and it is essential that you make money and that does not necessarily mean that you need to increase the number of customer you have. It does not necessarily mean that you have to develop a superior product or service above all your competitors. It just means you need to make money.

How does a business go about making money? Well it needs to consider the needs and the desires of the buyers and see if it can deliver those goods and make money doing it. There are many businesses, which have no customers and are actually selling to their parent corporation. In this case they are in business to make money and to them that means running the most efficient possible operation.

Some businesses have all in one customer such as the Boeing Corp.’s military division. It’s only customer is United States military unless there are times when it is allowed to sell weapons systems to the allies. We need to be careful when we define what the goal of the business is. It is to make money.

Now then, it is very noble to have a secondary or a third reason for being in business or maybe even multiple reasons for being in business but you can do any of those things if you don’t make money. Making money is the goal of a business and that is why you are in business and you should never forget that. Consider this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

Share This

Certain enterprises change much more rapidly than others. The rate of change is an important determinant of the degree to which policies can be formulated and the stability of policies maintained. It may explain the organization structure of companies- railroad, banking and public utility companies, for example- operating with wide spans of management or, on the other hand, the very narrow span of management used by General Eisenhower during world war second.

The effect of slow change on policy formulation and on subordinate training is dramatically shown in the organization of the Roman Catholic Church. This organization, in terms of durability and stability, can probably be regarded as the most successful in the history of western civilization. Yet the organization levels are few: In most cases bishops report directly to the pope and parish pastors to bishops. Thus, there are generally very few levels in this worldwide organization and a consequent wide span of management at each level.

The effectiveness with which communication techniques are used also influences the span of management. Objective standards of control are a kind of communication device, but many other techniques reduce the time spent with subordinates. If every plan, instruction, order or direction has to be communicated by personal contact and every organization change or staffing problem has to be handled orally, a manager’s time will obviously be heavily burdened.

Written recommendations by subordinates, summarizing important considerations, frequently speed decision making. Some busy top executives widen their span of management by insisting upon summary presentation of written recommendations, even when these involved enormously important decisions. A carefully reasoned and presented recommendation helps an executive reach a considered decision in minutes when even the most efficient conference would require an hour. An ability to communicate plans and instructions clearly and concisely also tends to increase a manager’s span.

Performance Management provides detailed information on Employee Performance Management, Manufacturing Performance Management, Marketing Performance Management, Performance Management and more. Performance Management is affiliated with Job Performance Appraisals.

Share This