HCAD 710 Chapter 5 The Manager-Employee Relationship QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

HCAD 710 Chapter 5 The Manager-Employee Relationship QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS The Heterogeneous Work Group •Most working groups are diverse •Diversity includes education and skill sets as well as culture and origin •Successful managers learn something about their employees, but always within legal limits (don't hire someone you can't fire) •Successful managers set an example for their employees in the way you APPROACH work Employee Participation and Input •Employee participation should be more than mere words- need to feel like they are part of the process •Successful managers provide opportunities for their employees to gain some managerial experience (succession planning) •This requires trust and willingness to allow employees to struggle and possibly fail •The reward is more enlightened and capable employees 00:18 01:39 The Production-Centered Manager •Many jobs are inherently boring •Workflow is repetitive, homogeneous and should be predictable •Pace is controlled by the process •Manager focuses primarily on the process and output •By treating people with courtesy and respect, managers can often be effective in helping their employees to tolerate boring or repetitive jobs The People-Centered Manager •Workflow is often variable •output more important than pace •Pace is often reactive and, moment-to-moment, managed by the employees •Work is heterogenous •This is especially so in healthcare settings with irregular shifts (nights and weekends) •Imperative that manger "grows" employees to handle circumstances and be independent Visibility and Availability •Reality and perception of employees often differ •Physical visibility is important to many employees •Managers that are more visible often have better rapport and standing with their employees than those who remain in their offices •Visibility of a supervisor is often interpreted as being synonymous with caring about employees •Absentee management should be avoided Absence Impedes Communications •Employees that cannot interact with their supervisors often become frustrated •Employee frustration affects productivity •As frustration increases, outcomes also become worse •An immediate supervisor is synonymous with all of management •Employees appreciate managerial presence Attitude and Actuality •Promises offered must be kept •Managers that make statements to employees and then do not follow through do so at their peril •Reality is conveyed by attitudes rather than words to employees First-Line Managers •They have an advantage in terms of potential access to employees •More senior managers must follow established channels of communication •Senior managers must be careful not to undermine them •Employees with honest access to them tend to be less frustrated • should keep appointments