Advanced Management Theory
The One Minute Manager
1. Managers can be labeled as autocratic or democratic (p.15). How does this relate to Blake and Mouton's Managerial Grid (from the review of principles of management)? Which one of Blake and Mouton's styles is the best?
The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey & HBR's Who's Got the Monkey?
1. What is a monkey symbolic of?
Blanchard, Oncken, and Burrows indicate "The monkey Manager's symbol is intended to remind us to constantly discipline ourselves to invest our time on the most vital aspects of management rather than dilute our effectiveness by doing more efficiently those things that shouldn't be done in the first place." Managers are responsible for overseeing more than one job. Each employee should be responsible for doing their job and solving minor problems. Managers coordinate employees to ensure processes flow smoothly. The monkey symbol represents employees and process that are not streamed lined.
Shoot the Boss
The mothership from Phoenix is one of the earliest...
Rare video game peripheralsEmployees pass on problems to managers, which are suppose to solve the problems. Rather than employees solving problems. Managers will be come overloaded with employees coming to them for every little problem. The monkey stands for each employee that comes to managers with problems.
2. What is the connection between a nervous boss and downward-leaping monkeys (p. 19)?
A nervous boss works overtime, takes on problems of others, delegates little responsibility, and gets little work done. A nervous boss is too cautious to let the process of work take play. One major reason is that the boss may fear the employees are not capable of responsibility. A nervous boss will overwork their self and little work will be done. A downward leaping monkey may not want to take the responsibility and will pass problems down to the manager. The connection between a nervous boss and the downward leaping is the passing of the monkey. The nervous boss will accept monkeys from downward leaping. Therefore, the connection is the passing of responsibility.
3. Why was the boss working overtime, and why (at the same time) was his/her staff developing a morale problem. (p. 21).
The boss was working overtime because of the monkeys on his back. No matter where the boss was located the employees always needed something before beginning work. Employees were able to leave work on time, while the boss was doing the employees work. The staff developed a morale problem. There problems was that they feared doing their job without constant approval from their boss. Since the boss was a nervous boss, little responsibility was delegated to employees, which is the reason for low productivity. Overall, while the staff was becoming more dependent on the boss, the boss became less dependent on the staff.