Aimee
[closed] How should someone respond to problems when completing a management tasks?
Hello,
My name is Aimee and I am a current business administration student in college. My associate's degree in is in administration, and I will soon complete my bachelor's degree in the same field. Personally, I enjoy learning new concepts and having small changes in my life. Overall I like to play it safe. The concentration that I have is in management, so I would like to learn more about building relationships and creating resolutions to problems that arise in business occasionally. I understand from my academic knowledge that emergencies come up when employees quit suddenly and thus an environment is short staffed. I also understand that deadlines get missed every now and then, so I figured that if I was a manager I would do my best to step up and take over so that the assigned materials could be used to finish the meeting, project, etc. However, I would not make promises that I could not keep. What is another way to respond to an issue in the professional workplace?
Thank you for your advice. #business-administration #leadership #office-management #conflict-resolution
1 answer
Marilyn Balke-Lowry
Marilyn’s Answer
Hi Aimee,
I am happy to share my ideas on this subject with you. First, there is no way that one can be prepared for all eventualities in the workplace. And there is no way your courses can prepare you for them all either. I feel that the attitude of the manager and his/her ability to create a self-sufficient staff that is willing to work together to accomplish the goal is paramount. My management style was always a team style. We worked together to develop our goals and to reach them. Everyone needs clear cut job descriptions so they will not overlap responsibilities, but it is also important to have cross training, so that in the case of someone leaving suddenly, they would not be the only one who could handle their job. It is also important for employees to keep good records so another can step in. I would say that is good to be careful about taking over someone's job as manager. A good manager knows how to delegate, and a well-run business can function without the manager if need be. A business that is lost when the manager is absent or involved in other duties, is not functional. Cross train and possibly split another's duties until the position can be re-filled...or re-write the job descriptions if the person will not b replaced. I would try not to "bail out" staff when a deadline is arriving, because it could lead to their becoming dependent on you to complete their tasks...or they might believe that you do not feel they are capable. On the other hand, if your relationship is good with your staff, you can put your heads together and allow them to participate in creating the solution. Not that you could not do it yourself, but there are many reasons why it is important to nurture a self-sufficient and competent staff. You also said you are more comfortable with status quo and prefer little change. You might want to work on developing your flexibility so you will be more comfortable handling spur of the moment changes. Life is always in flux, and the easier it is for you to go with flow, the more you will enjoy life and your work! I hope this is of some benefit, and I wish you much luck in your career.