Danielle Andreani’s Second Group Mentoring Session – Group 1, Session 2
On October 24th, Danielle Andreani hosted her second group mentoring session of the semester with a more intimate dynamic. The momentum of the group picked up right where it left off a month ago and became deeply involved in conversation about management styles and a case study about lay offs. Since each of these components is directly affected by the other, for situations exemplified in the case study, they are unfortunately complementary. Researching these topics though are what shape Leadership students into people who are more mentally equipped to handle these hard, inevitable problems.
Leadership is the backbone of managing, but there is a method to handling the behavior of employees especially in specialized circumstances such as company closures. On a regular basis though, it is important for students to realize that teamwork is essential to maximum efficiency seen in the results produced by the team’s effort. Everyone has special strengths and managers must be able to know who they are working with. Being adaptable and creative with a manager’s resources is crucial to success. With the insights of executive mentor, Dave Duggan, the Leadership mentees were able to visualize and realize what is needed for a role saturated with responsibility and moral judgment calls.
The case study brought to life the initial learning points of the session for the last half hour. Simulating an experience and reading this detailed example are just what make leaders understand the magnitude of a managerial position. Leadership is not an option, but a requirement. What will separate people who tackle this idea like Danielle’s group and those who do not is the knowledge of techniques and flexibility that will serve as great assets to handle an issue more confidently.
Congratulations, Danielle, on your second successful group mentoring session of the semester!
Below are the meeting minutes from Danielle’s session:
Group Mentoring 2nd Session-Thursday, October 24th
Executives: Dave Duggan
What shapes your management style?
– How do you coordinate people?
– Depends on who you are managing
- You need to keep an efficient workforce
– Professional Staff
- Lead by example
- High standards/expectations
- Leave work at the office (this may not work for everyone)
- Time spent at home is to be spent with family, not doing more work
- Does not expect people to get things done on the weekends either
- Back your team up
- Don’t throw them under the bus in situations
- Your team will appreciate it and respect/trust you more
- Don’t throw them under the bus in situations
- Expected to get the job done
- Whether it takes 5 hours or 13 hours
- On the flip side, if it takes longer than expected, find out why
- Does the individual need more help/different resources?
– Individuals
- Realize everyone is different
- One style of management does not fit all
- Adapting to another’s style is a two way street
- You may have to change your approach depending on the person
- Also, the people you are managing have to adapt as well
- Example: some people can be told once and they will get the task done, others need to be reminded
- Create an environment that will help people to succeed
- People need to be able to ask questions when necessary
- Realize there is more going on than what meets the eye
– Understanding priorities/purpose
- Picking the best person for the job
- May not always be the obvious choice
- There is more that goes into picking a person that just technical skills
- Internal promotion vs External Promotion
Case Study
– Laying people off: how to go about it?
- Company was closing a plant and people would be out of work
– Issues dealt with:
- When to tell them about plant closing?
- Earlier rather than later
- Give them time to prepare for arrangements, rather than blindside them
- How to entice people to stay until the end?
- Offer incentive packages with bonuses for staying until end
- How to deal with people who left early?
- Have to try to entice them to stay
- See if there are other internal people who can help with those positions
- How to deal with people sabotaging production?
- People were sent home but still given pay for the rest of employment
- What other steps could be taken to help those losing their jobs?
- Counselors were brought in
- Allowed to apply to other positions in the company
- Referred to firms to help with job search/resumes
- Sophia Joseph’s First Group Mentoring Session – Group 3, Session 1
- Three Minute Leadership: The Depth of Caring