Set Goals On Employees And Supervisors example essay topic

Structure The structure of a company is very important in order to be a successful company. Some companies tend to leave all the decisions and ideas to the top executives or consultants. Other businesses let anyone who works for the company to have a proposal introduced no matter what position the employee holds in the company. The company I work for would be considered "bottom- up", which means any employee can come forth with a suggestion. An employee can write an email, or write it down on a comment / suggestion card and drop in the box which will be read later. Some times the request will be discussed with an employee and other times it will be denied.

I think this makes employees feel more needed and more significant to the company. There have been several policies that have changed in my department because of employees constantly making suggestions. When an employee feels that they can participate in changes, new products, and enhancements to the company, they consider themselves as part as the company. Any employee, who feels as though they are part of a company as a whole, will take more pride in their work and give a more noble effort to every assignment whether it is small or extremely important. Not only can an employee implement new fresh concepts, but in some cases that employee might be dealing with customers daily which provides them with the inside information about what buyers want.

For example, in my floor we have the reservations department which deals with travel agents and directs everyday for eight hours day, so who better to know what people are looking for than them. On the contrary, top-down companies like to be in control and employees have no say to what needs to be done. This can present a conflict between workers and upper management simply because management might think one way, but the workers know exactly what should be done, however they can't voice their own opinion. Besides being a bottom up company it is also decentralized and divided into groups. By decentralized I mean the company scatters the decision power and influence throughout the organization. My group is a self-managed team which Nelson and Economy (2003) state is to meet together to find solutions to common worker problems.

Different departments have there own supervisors, managers, or director. Each sub-department on the floor is divided into groups which possess a particular supervisor. These supervisors oversee about 15 employees per group, which is considered a narrow span of control. A narrow span of control gives more attention to the employee on a one-on-one basis. A supervisor with 50 - 75 employees can not possibly attend to every employee that has a conflict with someone or something. So a narrow span of control lets the employee feel free to approach a supervisor without hesitating or feeling as though the supervisor is not interested in what the worker has to say.

Not only is the company decentralized, bottom-up, grouped, and has a narrow span of control, but its also structured tall. By this I mean, every employee has a supervisor to report to, and every supervisor has a manager, and the managers have a director. Although there seems to be a chain of command, an employee can go directly to a director. I find this to be a very good method of allowing the employee to feel free to approach the director if he / she feels they have been treated unfairly by a supervisor or manager. Communication The department I work for has a large amount of employees and yet communication feedback is fast and efficient. Our department consist of every employee with a computer so new policies or regulations get to every employee rather quickly.

We have a section in our reservations system that updates any new information that needs to be known, and employees are aware that they have to check that section on a daily basis. This technique is extremely useful, and guarantees that every employee will receive any new material that needs to be relayed. On top of the appropriate section with constant updates, supervisors steadily send out emails to there agents about any new notifications. Without a doubt, communication is the lifeblood of any organization (Nelson and Economy, 2003). The Mission Statement is a crucial element in the strategic planning of a business organization (Cardan i, P. 1). Our department has created a mission statement that we are all happy and proud to abide by.

Our mission statement is: "To consistently provide quality cruise vacations that exceed the expectations of our guests". I believe this statement is exactly how a customer would like to feel about a company in the travel industry. Any and every guest wants a quality vacation that will exceed the guest expectations in order to be completely satisfied and content. Our mission statement is posted on the wall as soon as we clock in and during our training it is a test question in one of the exams. So our department managers don't really enforce the mission statement but every employee is aware of it and should know it by heart. I do believe that management can make more of a valiant effort to emphasize the mission statement to fortify that every employee knows what the company stands for and what its goals are.

At times, a worker can forget what's the purpose of his / her job, and that's when the mission statement can refresh the staff member's memory. The overall communication in my department is excellent and adequate. Any new changes can spread quickly to the floor. Managers have it easy to communicate to employee through email swiftly.

Information is power, and as the speed of business accelerates, information must be communicated to employees faster than ever (Nelson and Economy, 2003). I consider the procedures to be well- organized and instantaneous to a worker. An employee with information is more productive and knowledgeable to a company than a worker who doesn't have a clue to what's going on. Our department does a wonderful job of making sure every employee is on the same page with same wisdom as everyone else on the floor. Culture The one thing our department thrives on is rituals and ceremonies. My department has routine rituals that are done daily or monthly but that are always consistently carried out by our supervisors.

The first ritual that I would have to mention in our department is lunch. All of us have exactly half an hour to clock in and out for lunch. We all agree that is definitely too short of a lunch but there's nothing anyone can do about it. Another ritual is our supervisor at the end of every month gives us feedback and an evaluation of that month. In the evaluation, it covers all aspects of our job performance and our punctuality. Our most common ceremony is birthday celebrations.

Every month we celebrate a co-workers birthday and pitch in for cake and decorations. Another ceremony is whenever an employee does something extraordinary; management will reward them and recognize them to the group. Recognizing an employee in front of the group is a great achievement and makes any worker feel appreciated and valued. Our organization is the leading cruise line in the world, yet I find it to be a harmonizing environment. I won't contend that every employee gets along with each other, but the overall atmosphere is harmonious.

Don't get me wrong, it does have it strict policies here and there, but there also a lot of flexibility and laid back ambiance. For example, an employee may listen to music, read a book or magazine, socialize, or even do homework while on the phones. Of course, while on a call he / she must attend to the call first. An employee can accept a call in a friendlier mood because he / she is doing other leisure activities when not on the phones. Being able to entertain yourself while waiting for a call is a lot less stressful than sitting there just waiting for the next call to come in.

It allows the employee to interact with others, while still being able to catch up on some reading or homework and relax in between calls even if it's just for a couple of minutes. Another flexibility the department has is it permits for employee to personalize their own desk to their liking. It's a bit more comforting when things are going wrong to look at a picture of a loved one. Some employees might say that our department is based on systems and orders, but I think innovations and breakthroughs are more popular in my eyes. When Carnival first started, you were only able to book by either calling Carnival directly or contacting a travel agent. But with new innovations, you are now able to make, edit, cancel, pay, and just about do anything with our web- based online reservations system.

Travel agents utilize this breakthrough the most because they get to quote a customer directly from their own screen and don " have to depend on a Carnival agent to provide them with prices. Every company has survivors and heroes in there companies. Some of the survivors I know in the department are the reason why Carnival is so successful. Employees that have been there for 20 or more years still come in with a smile and greet you day in and day out. Our own VP of the floor was with the company for 17 years before he became a VP of our floor. Some of the heroes are just as great and love to encourage the younger workers to become more active in the company.

I see the human beings on this floor as good, hard-working, and dedicated employees. I have been with the company for 3 years and I have yet to meet someone that I can honestly say I dislike. Even employees who have been terminated still talk good about the company and recommend friends to apply. These actions reflect just how pleasant it is to be part of this company. Carnival participates in just about every community event that exists, and not just once every couple of years, but every year. They constantly contribute to United Way, Walk for Breast Cancer, March of Dimes, Camillus House, and many, many more.

I feel honored that a company that has so much gives back even more. I had the chance to volunteer with the Carnival Fun Team at Camillus house and it was the most delightful experience. Seeing the smiles on the children's faces is just remarkable. I loved every moment of it, and I have continued to volunteer since then. Any consumer who knows that Carnival is giving back to the community can feel as though the company is not just in it for the money, but is really trying to make a change in people's lives. The participation in these events expresses how Carnival and its employees are willing to make a difference in the community.

A company that donates so much makes customers and employees feel proud of the work the company is doing for the community. This culture of unselfish morale is what makes this company so unique and incredibly worth while to work for. Motivation Motivation is the greatest key to a successful organization. A company that can motivate will have employees that want to give their best effort every time they come into work. Of course some employees have more characteristics and qualities than other naturally.

Normally workers that show initiative, dedication, and strong command of motivation are the ones that advance quicker. Depending on your personality and quality of work will determine where you belong in the company. A majority of companies allow the employees to complete assignments in any way as long as it gets done; unfortunately Carnival is not one of them. Carnival has certain guidelines and customs of how they want the phone answered.

Although several employees feel they can make a sale in their own way, Carnival wants you to do it their way. Carnival is very strict on this, and the monitoring is stern and stringent. Numerous complaints have been called to the attention of upper management, but they won't budge. Carnival wants their selling scheme to be adhered too, and there are no opinions or options to it. I strongly disagree with this rigid call process, because I do believe in certain calls an employee may have a way to sell a cabin but can't use their formula because Carnival will penalize them for it.

So I would have to say Carnival definitely doesn't motivate employees to think outside the box. In some cases, this can hurt revenue and also bring down employee morale. The one thing Carnival is known for is diversity. Diversity seems to be a fantastic way to get different cultures to interrelate with each other. I have personally meant people from all sorts of places and I'm glad I had the opportunity to do so.

The "sameness" routine will only get a company with the same thoughts, ideas, and way of thinking. By having diversity, a business can explore all sorts of views. Different views and ideals can open up new doors to other innovative revelations. Diversity can motivate one to follow or lead others to a business goal and get variant perspectives on practically every and any subject. I find diversity as a major plus to a company, and it's a way to motivate others. Not only can you be motivated by another culture, but you also learn from them and about them.

Diversity not only affects your work life but also your life outside of work. Perhaps you never understood why certain cultures do specific things differently than you, by having a diverse group at work you can learn and understand their culture and way of thinking. Just like any business, there are limits and rules. Carnival does punish behavior that is inappropriate and disrespectful. Carnival does not tolerate any racism against religion, race, ethnicity, or sex. In my department the phones can get quite busy, and agents can get irritated easily.

But this is what we get paid for and everyone needs to be aware of that. So when employees take advantage of breaks, bathroom usage, and use phone manipulation to avoid calls, Carnival reprimands that worker. You get quite a few warnings before Carnival officially terminates you, which is awfully lenient of them. Carnival warns you several times how to correct the problem, and if you don't address the issue, you will be fired.

On the other hand, employees are motivated with incentive pay. For each deposited booking, an agent receives fifty cent. Acquiring fifty cent may not seem like much, but when an agent is making 100 to 150 bookings a day, it adds up. The extra incentive pay is used to motivate employees to try and get travel agents to book as soon as they call in. By giving workers an extra way to attain money, besides the hourly wages, employees give more energy in attempting to make a sale. So at the end of month, if one employee made more bookings than another, it will motivate the others to try and make more bookings.

When employees see co-workers producing more money than what they make, then a little competition will develop, and that competition will a positive outcome to the company. You get what you reward (Nelson and Economy, 2003). Leadership in a company plays an essential role, especially to a manager. A manager must be approachable, friendly, and treat all employees equally with respect. This type of style is known as supportive leadership. Supportive leadership is frequently used in Carnival, and most, if not all, employees are conscious to this method.

I think every employee realizes that they can talk to their supervisor and not be afraid to tell them what's on their mind with any remorse. Supervisors actually encourage this and aim to have a personal relationship with their subordinates. This type of leadership style is very motivating to an employee because they know if they are in trouble they have some one to talk to and confide to. By allowing employees to communicate with supervisors openly, employees themselves will try to improve their quality of work.

Once an employee establishes a relationship with a supervisor, they won't feel as stressed or anxious about every little thing that goes wrong. They feel more comfortable and motivated to continue working knowing that they have a supervisor who is willing to help whenever help is needed. I don't think supportive is the only type of leadership style we use and encourage. I also believe directive is commonly used in the workplace. Carnival does set goals on employees and supervisors must reassure that those goals get accomplished each month.

The motivational part is, if that group does reach its goal, they are rewarded accordingly with a pizza party or lunch of the group's choice. This tactic is also accommodating because it persuades employees to reach a goal as a group and makes each individual stronger and more confident in their work. I also believe participative leadership is applied as well. In my group our supervisors advise us to send them emails on what we think should change, or to comment on a new policy that is being enforced.

Our supervisors like to involve us in the decision making of our group. Although the final verdict will be up to them, supervisors still like to hear our input on things. Allowing us to participate in the decision making helps the supervisor's selection easier to make, because they " ll know how we feel about a certain rule or enhancement. It works the other way around too, we as employees comprehend what the managers are trying to establish and can be prepared in advance. It is very motivating when a company keeps you constantly alert of new changes that might be going on. Any employee will tell you from experience that they don't appreciate being left out and not knowing what new set of laws are being passed.

A company that keeps employees informed is making sure every employee is on the same page..