Situation
- Kim needs to arrange medical help for the female staff worker who had fallen from the chair and enquire if she could work. If she is not in working condition anymore, it is important that she is replaced by someone temporarily from Public area.
- Talking to the afternoon shift supervisor and informing about the added activities and need to allocate staff for housekeeping for achieving their targets timely.
- Ensuring the Level 5 rooms are ready for the group of Japanese Tourists before they arrive back from their bus tour.
- Checking the performance of staff working in the function area and the Foyer, ensuring the windows, mirrors and chrome is cleaned properly.
- Scheduling a meeting with all shift leaders and discuss the implementation of improved methods for preparation of rooms to keep the CEO satisfied.
- Inform the shift leaders of Housekeeping and Public Area staff about the possibility of staff cuts.
- Call Roger and warn him that his job is in danger due to his high rate of absenteeism. Tell him that he needs to do his best otherwise he would certainly be fired.
Theory
Katz’s Skills for Managers
According to Katz, there are three skills that managers should possess. These skills are human, technical and conceptual skills. Human skills are related to the ability of managers to work well with others and understanding their needs. Technical skills are more job related and includes the knowledge managers should possess to complete tasks effectively. Finally, conceptual skills are needed in the top level of management as they need to evaluate and take decisions in complex business situations.
Mintzberg’s Roles of Managers
According to the theory, the role of managers can be divided into informational roles, interpersonal roles and decision roles. Interpersonal roles are further subdivided into liaison, leader and figurehead roles that take care of providing ideas and information. Informational roles are further subdivided into the roles of spokesperson, disseminator, and monitor roles, which are involved with processing knowledge and information. Decisional roles are further subcategorized as disturbance handler, negotiator, resource allocator and entrepreneur, which mean roles that use the information.
Functions of Management
The main management functions are planning, leading, organizing, & controlling.
Planning is the first function of management and it involves decision about the future direction of the organization and the path for achieving set objectives. Organizing is the next function that includes bringing the physical, financial and human resources together for the achievement of objectives. Leading is the following function that requires managers to take matters in their own hands and communicate with their support team. The final function is called controlling that requires management to measure the results, measuring the deviation, and take preventive measures to achieve overall goals.
Action
Kim displayed technical skills different times as she tries to allocate staff from public areas to housekeeping, arranging complimentary refreshments and second lounge for the Japanese tourists, and planning changes to the room preparation methods. She displays human skills while defending her team in the meeting with the CEO, communicating with the tour company and informing her about the change of plans, and understanding the need to get the level 5 rooms ready by 11:30 as a training measure. Kim displays conceptual skills by managing the time bound situation of the Japanese tourists, balancing the need of preparing the preparation and keeping the rest of the hotel prepared for the function.
Interpersonal roles displayed by Kim in the case includes leader of the housekeeping and public area team by taking initiative and maintaining liaison with related departments, staff supervisors, subordinates and superiors. In terms of informational roles, Kim operated as monitor as she tracked changes in the housekeeping needs of level 5 rooms. She was the disseminator as communicated with the shift supervisor about the possibility of shifting Leanne from public areas to housekeeping. As a spokesperson, she communicated with the CEO about the performance of her department. In terms of decisional roles, Kim negotiated the second lounge and complimentary refreshments for the group of Japanese tourists.
Kim planned the need to prepare the level 5 rooms by 11:30, ensured that Public Areas were cleaned as per the needs, planned to satisfy the tour company over their needs to allocate early arrival, decided to improve room preparation methods, and planned to talk to Roger over his absenteeism. Kim organised staff for room preparation and assigned them a time to complete the task, she maintained the focus of public areas staff in the function area, and met with shift leaders for improving the preparation method. Leading was performed by communicating with the CEO, your company, and shift supervisor for achieving set objectives and cost cutting. Controlling was done by provided second lounge and complimentary refreshments for the Japanese tourists and leaving the staff uninformed about room preparation time of 11:30.
Reflection
The decision to speak in defense of staff allowed Kim to understand that she is letting loose ends and she can get her work done without absent employees anyways. By not relieving the shift supervisor from room urgency in level 5, Kim ensured that housekeeping completed their tasks on time. Leaving Leanne in public areas ensured that her time was not wasted on room preparation that was countered by preparing second lounge and complimentary refreshments.
