Case Study:
Mr. Black, Ms. Blue, and Mr. White
Recently you were promoted from the job of first-level supervisor to that of
middle management, and you now have under your supervision several of
your former equals. You get along well with them, and there is no resentment
about your advancement because they recognize that you are the best person
available for the job.
You know from past associations that you will have to straighten out
three of these supervisors; the rest are all right. The three are Black, Blue,
and White. Black has always been against the organization, Blue has
always been snowed under by work, and White has always been a
permissive supervisor.
Black, the anticompany supervisor, always sides with his employees against
the organization and sympathizes with them when things go wrong. He wants
conditions to be perfect and is always pointing out the defects in the company
and finding fault with the way the organization is run. (Conditions, while not
perfect, are above average.) Black does his job grudgingly and does not get
along well with the other people in the organization.
Blue, on the other hand, is snowed under by her work; she carries the
whole load of the department on her shoulders. Her employees take no
initiative, and she is continually correcting their mistakes. Blue sees that
whatever little work comes out of her section is letter-perfect even if she
has to have her employees do their jobs over and over again and she has to
put on the finishing touches herself. Often her subordinates are standing
around waiting for her to get around to checking their work. They know
their jobs but wait for Blue to make all the decisions.
Finally, there is White, the permissive supe rvisor. Instead of running his
employees, he is letting them run him. His employees do their jobs in any
manner they wish. They do not respect White’s authority, and they raise so
many objections that he lets them do whatever they want. Often, they boast
of how they tell him off.
All of the other supervisors under your jurisdiction are doing a good job.
You would like to take the easy way out and fire Black, Blue, and White,
but they have been with the company for quite a while. Besides, you feel
that if you can solve these problems, you will receive quite a bit of
recognition from upper management.
Objective:
Identify the actions a new team leader might take when promoted to a position
where she/he is leading former colleagues.
Summary:
The new team leader needs to assess the skills of the supervisors to make sure
they understand the unit vision and how the performance goals will be attained.
Mr. Black, Ms. Blue, and Mr. White
The supervisors and their employees need to be aware of how their performance
will be assessed via effective communication from the new team leader. The
discussion will involve supervisor discipline, effective use of delegation, attitude
corrections if necessary, and the steps for implementing effective changes in
behavior for both the supervisors and their employees.
Discussion Questions
1.
How would you help Black become an effective supervisor?
2.
How would you help Blue become an effective supervisor?
3.
How would you help White become an effective supervisor?
Mr. Black, Ms. Blue, and Mr. White
Teaching Points:
The new team leader needs to:
✓ make sure each supervisor understands the unit mission as it relates to the
organization’s vision, pp. 55- 71;
✓ discuss the strengths and developmental opportunities with each of her/his
supervisors;
✓ design sessions to empower the supervisors by discussing unit issues,
concerns, and opportunities and encouraging their input into a collective
decision-making process, pp. 160 – 184;
✓ function as a teacher, coach, and mentor to each supervisor;
✓ practice the LBWA principle of Leading By Walking Around and not
isolating oneself in the office as you move among the employees at their
work stations;
✓ establish a list of agreed upon “goals” and a plan of implementation for each
of the supervisors as they move toward the next performance assessment of
their leadership skills and how to meet the units’ performance objectives,
pp. 371 – 392;
✓ practice the skills of effective communications, p. 158;
✓ hold “leadership training seminars” for all the supervisors;
✓ make sure all supervisors and their employees understand and practice the
“organizations’ values;” pp. 104 – 141; and
✓ personally live the values of honesty, truth, trust, respect, and loyalty.
Related AOL 6 Text Information to Support Your Class Discussion:
o The importance of employee discipline, pp. 483 -484.
o The value of having an organizational vision, pp. 55 – 71.
o How leaders can develop their employees, pp. 371 – 392.
o Techniques for changing employee attitudes, pp. 309 –
310, 404 – 407.
o Leading the “change process” in the workplace, p. 399.