Case Study

What specific things did Steve do wrong, and what should have been done in each instance?

First and foremost Steve was late for work. He could have notified his secretary, thus alerting other staff if necessary. Secondly, Steve seems to be quite disorganized which is the reason he forgot about the scheduled meetings and was late. In hindsight, Steve should have organized his day better. Steve might also want to delegate more responsibility to his colleagues and secretary which would allow Steve the flexibility to focus in on meetings and more important duties. Finally Steve should establish a better line of communication with his superiors, stop creating undo stress himself and others around him, stop playing catch up, and going to meetings he wasn’t prepared for.

2. What should Steve do to become more effective as a manager?

As mentioned above I think delegating more duties like checking up on employees and completing small tasks could be done by other individuals. Effective use of delegation would ensure the little things such as scheduled company meetings don't get overlooked or forgotten. Steve should work towards better communication with his subordinates, peers, and superiors. Steve needs to prioritize his work and focus on the realization that as a manager things come up unannounced and he should be prepared to spend time focusing on these items. Steve should create a work log to organize his activities and learn his work patterns. Finally, Steve will be more effective if he understands the demands and constraints of his job situation, and work to expand his choices.

References

Yukl, G. (2013). Introduction: The Nature of Leadership. In Leadership in organizations (8th ed.). Boston: Pearson.