A Sticky Situation Kevin Mathews had just finished going over his notes from this morning’s supervisory conference when the door to his office opened and Steve Burrow entered. “Got a minute?” Steve asked. “What’s up?” replied Kevin. “It’s about that meeting we attended today. I wanted your reactions to it. I think the old man has got a good point or two.” “Do you mean about getting our troops in on decisions more?” “Yeah, and also that bit about us supervisors living in ivory towers—not being in touch with our people and their points of view.” “Steve, I was just reviewing my notes on that meeting and trying to decide how to do it. You know, before Tarson took over as general manager, it was taboo to involve workers in management decisions. I have worked here six years and never consulted anyone when making decisions.” “I’m new at it too. I hoped you could give me some pointers. I think the people in my department will be afraid to help me ’cause I’ve never asked them for the time of day. On second thought, maybe we should forget about it.” “I’d like to give it a try. Tarson gave us a list of problems that seem ideal for mutual consideration with our people. Did you take notes on the way to get going on them?” “As I recall, the chairperson does all the work. You’ve got to define the problem, do the research, pick out a room, and lead the meeting to a solution. It seems like it is more work to get workers in on a problem that it is to solve it yourself.” “Look, Steve, Tarson wants us to do it, right? Well, I think what I’m going to do is hold the meeting and lead them to the solution I think is best. You know, make up your mind first, then give the workers all the evidence you used to make the decision. They’ll have to come out with the same decision you did. They will think they contributed, you will have done what Tarson wants, and the decision will be yours anyway. It all hinges on selling your point of view to the workers.” “Kevin, just suppose that they come up with a different decision. What do we do then?” Questions 1. How might workers react, when asked for the first time to share decision-making authority? 2. What problems may be experienced by supervisors who are asked to share their decision-making authority for the first time with workers? 3. Could it be possible that the workers would come up with a different decision? If so, how would you cope with it?
A Sticky Situation
Kevin Mathews had just finished going over his notes from this morning’s
supervisory conference when the door to his office opened and Steve Burrow
entered.
“Got a minute?” Steve asked.
“What’s up?” replied Kevin.
“It’s about that meeting we attended today. I wanted your reactions to it. I
think the old man has got a good point or two.”
“Do you mean about getting our troops in on decisions more?”
“Yeah, and also that bit about us supervisors living in ivory towers—not
being in touch with our people and their points of view.”
“Steve, I was just reviewing my notes on that meeting and trying to decide
how to do it. You know, before Tarson took over as general manager, it was
taboo to involve workers in management decisions. I have worked here six years
and never consulted anyone when making decisions.”
“I’m new at it too. I hoped you could give me some pointers. I think the
people in my department will be afraid to help me ’cause I’ve never asked them
for the time of day. On second thought, maybe we should forget about it.”
“I’d like to give it a try. Tarson gave us a list of problems that seem ideal
for mutual consideration with our people. Did you take notes on the way to get
going on them?”
“As I recall, the chairperson does all the work. You’ve got to define the
problem, do the research, pick out a room, and lead the meeting to a solution. It
seems like it is more work to get workers in on a problem that it is to solve it
yourself.”
“Look, Steve, Tarson wants us to do it, right? Well, I think what I’m going
to do is hold the meeting and lead them to the solution I think is best. You know,
make up your mind first, then give the workers all the evidence you used to make
the decision. They’ll have to come out with the same decision you did. They will
think they contributed, you will have done what Tarson wants, and the decision
will be yours anyway. It all hinges on selling your point of view to the workers.”
“Kevin, just suppose that they come up with a different decision. What do
we do then?”
Questions
1. How might workers react, when asked for the first time to share
decision-making authority?
2. What problems may be experienced by supervisors who are asked to
share their decision-making authority for the first time with workers?
3. Could it be possible that the workers would come up with a different
decision? If so, how would you cope with it?
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