Speaking

15. A year ago flextime was introduced in the administrative and personnel departments if NCA, the US subsidiary of an English engineering company which produces lifts. The scheme seemed to be very successful and very popular in the departments. But the employees in the production department started to object and demand the same system fir themselves. One department has just started a ban on all overtime as a protest. The company wants to avoid any confrontation as all the order books are full and there is the chance of a contract with the Middle East.

Instructions

Work in groups of three or four. Each group consists of:

• Managing Director

• Production Manager

• Personnel Manager

Take a decision. Suggest your ways.

Writing

16. Personnel assistant should prepare an agenda of the meeting.

Managing Director: You are going to hold a meeting. The agenda includes the following: your company is about to launch a new product. But there appeared a few problems. One of them is a strike. You would like to review the whole situation regarding flextime. You don’t want to introduce flextime for all departments in the company.

Production Manager: You want your people to have flextime.

Personnel Manager: You don’t agree to stop the flextime arrangements in your department. But you are against the flexible hours in the production department.

17. Production Manager and Personnel Manager should submit a report to the Managing Director based on his/her decision about the flextime system.

TEXTS FOR READING AND DISCUSSION

TEXT A

1. Read the text and complete the table:

manager’s	responsibilities	roles

Manager’s Responsibilities1

People are the most expensive resources. If people’s skills are right, the rest of the whole job becomes easier. Any staff will be more motivated, which will bring joy into the workplace as well as improve efficiency and cost effectiveness. People spend so much of their life at work: enjoying work means enjoying life.

“Being an effective manager means being a saint, as it is likely that you are expected to manage a variety of people in a fair, unbiased, just and consistent way… You are expected at all times to be fair and to manage without prejudice, although it is impossible to avoid times when you feel prejudiced, when you do pre-judge how a person will act or respond to your requests… you can manage people more effectively, recognizing that people are individuals and their behavior can vary…you … need to care, manage conflict or deal with contentious situations… free and empower your staff and… avoid making assumptions about them… recognize the difference between team members who are incompetent or incapable and those who may need to discipline”.¹

Actually all managers perform as many roles as possible in order to help his company move forward to the stated goals. In any situation they have to work through people and with people. In other words, they are conductors of communication. Managers communicate with all the people who are their clients, suppliers, representatives, and customers. Besides, they tackle problems with people who are outside the company. In either event, they solve personal and social matters.

Certainly, managers at all the managerial levels have to communicate with each other. This is inevitable.

Besides, managers are responsible of the tasks they set. They are in charge of their employees’ actions and plans. In other words, they are expected to accomplish more goals than their subordinates, to be accountable for the greatest achievements.

It is very important for a manager to balance between goals and needs. They have to set priorities in order to save their time. Each manager has to strike a balance between various goals and needs. He needs effective time management.

A manager has to be an analytical thinker. He has to analyze a problem, examine its components and come up with a solution. Besides, managers should be able to view the entire task in the abstract and relate it to others. Thus, thinking of a particular task in relation to its larger implications is a complicated matter. It is a manager who has to think conceptually.

Managers can act as mediators. Settling fights and quarrels require managers ‘skills and tact. They have to be more careful handling disputes and arguments in order not to be dismayed to find the right decision.

Managers are diplomats. They may represent their company as well as units in dealing with clients, customers, contractors etc.

Managers are symbols. They may represent their company’s successes and failures.

Managers are decision-makers. Certainly, there can be a lot of problems in the company: financial, difficulties with employees, problems with orders etc. A manager is always considered to be responsible for the right and wise solution.

In other words, managers are peers, superiors, and subordinates at one and the same time. The ability to recognize the appropriate role to be played and to change roles readily is one mark of effective manager.¹