My Management Philosophy

By Kelley Thorne

What does a manager do?

Successful managers are able to identify trends, recognize problems, resolve conflicts, use opportunities, audit poor performance, reward excellent efforts, and lead an organization to its goals. Edington et al, pg. 11-12 I also believe a manager to be someone who leads, guides, encourages and corrects when necessary. A manager not only must know the technical and conceptual parts of a their job, but they must also know how to relate and deal with people on a regular basis. I will not be simply a manager, nor simply a leader but I will strive to be a bit of both.

Staying away from Dichotomies

Ideal

My Ideal Katz
Staying in the grey

GUIDE

VOCABULARY FOR A GREAT MANAGER

HONEST

CORRECT

ENCOURAGE

FORWARD LOOKING INSPIRING COMPETENT LEAD

FAIRNESS

My Leadership Theories
situational factors influence the use of a given managerial leadership strategy.-Edington et al, pg 115 Situational - Useful when my instincts might cause more harm than good. leaders move individuals using symbols, and expressions of good will, and encourage individuals to operate at higher levels because the work they are engaged in is worthwhile and important.- Edington et al, pg115. Transformational because everyone changes based on experience. If change is hard, then improvement may be impossible.

invovles working with others in such a way as to promote a shared approach to decision making and problem solving. Edington et al, pg. 115. Collaborative - Life isnt about what you know, but who you know. Utilizing individual skill in a collaborative way can create an exceptional team.

My Motivational Theories
Managers need to know what employees value in work and the stressors that might limit their performances. Arnold et al, pg. 115
EQUITY THEORY because life isnt fair. People go throughout their lives constantly feeling as though life might never treat them the way they deserve to be treated. If its possible to find a place where fairness and equality are second nature, I know I would be compelled to stay.

REINFORCEMENT because without some sort of feedback, whether good or bad, its hard to know if youre headed in the right direction.

EXPECTANCY because I know it can be very hard to begin something when you arent sure what the goal is.

EMPLOYEES ARE IMPORTANT!

It is not enough to just know your employees. Arnold et al, pg 115. Employees need to believe that a supervisor is willing to listen and will respond to all fairly. Arnold et al, pg 116.

Know your employee well enough to know what type of reward has meaning.(Hurd et al, pg. 270-273)
David Stern, director of guest relations for the Seattle Sonics, stresses to his employees that those employees, not the costumer, are NUMBER ONE. He realizes that a workforce composed of employees who value themselves, who feel capable and in control, will be problem solvers, and thus will provide a positive experience for the costumer. Arnold et al

Through communication, meaningful incentives, understanding of motivations, and being able to accept limitations; I feel I could become a great manager.

Just because someone is motivated, does not mean they wont make mistakes.

DISCIPLINE

Never ignore grievances! Always address them in a timely manner!

-As discussed in class-

Discipline is a necessary evil. But I can only try and be respectful in every way. I feel managers should treat even the worst employee with respect. Without respect, there can only be chaos.

My step by step process. Step one - Determine the nature of the problem. Step two - Determine Employees knowledge. (were they forewarned?) Step three - Obtain all relevant documents. Step four - Conduct a fair and thorough investigation. Step five Obtain evidence or proof. Step six Document, document, document. Step seven Maintain confidentiality.

Acknowledging my Weaknesses
There
are many people and experiences I have yet to come across. The world changes and I must change with it. My weaknesses are something I must acknowledge in order to overcome them. I am not very good at controlling my temper. I am also really bad at thinking before I speak, but these weaknesses that, I know could be detrimental as a manager, will not stop me from my goal of becoming a manager. I will always strive to get better. And that is worth more than any other quality I have.

Effective managers are those who are able to grow and who learn to overcome their weaknesses. Edington et al, pg. 108.

In conclusion, being able to adapt is the most important aspect of a manager. The dichotomies below are great for studying, but I will always try to be in the grey between them. Managers must change based on the where they work (simple, bureaucratic, or teambased), who they work with (intrinsic and extrinsic), and what their job description actually is (mission, vision, and goals).

Formal vs. Informal Leader vs. Manager Hierarchy vs. Community

Thank you for watching!

Music by K-pop band, EXO-K Song is (Angel) All photographs were taken by me during my trips to Japan, Korea and Taiwan