Learning Activity 1 - Theme 1

What is the manager’s perspective of leadership? How does it differ from the leader’s perspective? Managers focus on process, procedure, and implementation of the organization’s purpose. A manager's perspective is about getting the job done and keeping stability. The leader is about change and moving workers toward the organization's vision. For a manager, the area of overlap comes in terms of the need to use “soft or people skills” to get the work done. It can be said that the manager motivates while the leader empowers.

In the following five quotes each leader is commenting on the perspective of a manager in an organization as opposed to a leader. Using the readings for the week, how should a manager approach his or her job? What ideas should be their watch words? Think of things like setting goals, making decisions, motivating employees and allocating resources. What mindset should a good manager have to approach these tasks?

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”

  Peter Drucker

“Leadership is working with goals and vision; management is working with objectives.”

Russell Honore

“When a management with a reputation for brilliance tackles a business with a reputation for bad economics, it is the reputation of the business that remains intact.”

  Warren Buffett

“Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them.”

Paul Hawken

“Management is nothing more than motivating other people.”

  Lee Iacocca

Learning Activity 2 - Theme 2

The manager must be able to solve problems, communicate, and lead teams toward the completion of a task.

Scenario:

You are the manager of the northern branch of the Laurel City bowling alleys. The owner, Jill Espy, has four other bowling alleys around town. The average employee assigned to the concession stand of all the Laurel City bowling alleys lasts three years. However, in your bowling alley, the average employee lasts only eight months. Jill is concerned about this huge discrepancy and wants to know your ideas about the difference and what you can do to correct the problem. Training new employees is costly to the company and this high turnover is costing her money that could be better spent elsewhere.

You have talked with your current concession staff and have learned that pay and scheduling may have some effect on the turnover rate. However, one worker indicated that many of the workers do not know how to handle difficult customers. It makes them not want to come to work.

Discuss how you would approach these two problems to come to a resolution. Consider motivation techniques, mentoring or other ideas from the readings to effectuate a positive change. Use the readings to support your reasoning.