Assessment:
Task One:
Describe how you would monitor the work hours of the kitchen staff and the efficiency involved
in those hours-this would also mean you need to identify relevant problems associated with
adjusting staff levels to attain the requested improvement.
Organizational chat for kitchen staffs
One of the most challenging tasks of a business may be organizing the people who perform
its work. A business may begin with one person doing all the necessary tasks. As the business
becomes successful and grows, however, there is generally more work, and more people are needed
to perform various tasks. Through this division of work, individuals can become specialists at a
specific job. Because there are several people-often in different locations-working toward a common
objective, "there must be a plan showing how the work will be organized. The plan for the systematic
arrangement of work is the organization structure. Organization structure is comprised of functions,
relationships, responsibilities, authorities, and communications of individuals within each
department". The typical depiction of structure is the organizational chart.
An organizational chart is a chart which represents the structure of an organization in terms
of rank. The chart usually shows the managers and sub-workers who make up an organization. The
chart also shows relationships between staff in the organization which can be:
- Line - direct relationship between superior and subordinate.
- Lateral - relationship between different departments on the same hierarchical level.
- Staff - relationship between a managerial assistant and other areas. The assistant will be
able to offer advice to a line manager. However, they have no authority over the line
manager actions.
- Functional - relationships between specialist positions and other areas. The specialist will
normally have authority to insist that a line manager implements any of their
instructions.
In many large companies the organization chart can be large and incredibly complicated and
is therefore sometimes dissected into smaller charts for each individual department within the
organization.
The Benefits of Organizational Charts
Organizational charts are an extremely effective way to communicate organizational,
employee and enterprise information. An org chart makes it easier for people to understand large
amounts of information as a visual picture rather than as a table of names and numbers.
Organizational charts provide the greatest value when used as a framework for managing change and
communicating current organizational structure. When fully utilized, org charts allow managers to
make decisions about resources, provide a framework for managing change and communicate
operational information across the organization.
Organizational charts provide managers with specific departmental information that can then
be used as a baseline for planning, budgeting and workforce modeling. It's easy to collaborate on
important structural and personnel decisions when you have the overall picture along with the smaller
views that make up that bigger picture. Organizational charts can be linked directly to spreadsheets or
budgeting tools for interactive what-if analysis, making planning and decision making easier. Those
organizational charts can then be used to provide scenarios back to executives, finance and HR for
evaluation and approval. Managers may also use organizational charts to communicate and solicit
feedback from their employees to build future plans.
When organizational charts are published and distributed to an entire organization, you have
a compelling method for communicating valuable organizational information to all
employees. Organizational charts are ideal for sharing the organization's strategic vision, as well as
defining responsibilities, dependencies and relationships. The organizational chart also allows you to
organize your team with clear responsibilities, titles and lines of authority. No document carries such
important information, so concisely, and so easy to understand as an organizational chart.
Example Flow chart kitchen organization
Monitor the staff in the kitchen: Kitchen Management Systems
Kitchen Management System revolutionizes communication between servers and kitchen
staff to help you provide fast and efficient customer food service. It also generates accurate data that
enables site and head office managers to monitor kitchen performance. Kitchen Management system
has had a huge impact on the quality of service in restaurants and in bars following the growth of
food sales in the pub market. The system's ability to improve communication between the server and
the kitchen has ensured that the customer always receives fast, efficient service.
- Improve communication Kitchen Management Systems for use in pubs and restaurants.
The Kitchen Management System improves communication between the server and
kitchen staff by displaying orders instantaneously in the kitchen area and ensures
effective continued communication between all food service staff, allowing you to
monitor the progress of all orders.
- Remove common service problems Kitchen Management System is a superior
alternative to traditional kitchen printers because as the server keys-in an order at the bar
or table, it is displayed immediately on the screens in the kitchen. The head chef has
visibility of incoming orders and can then assign tasks to each sou-chef, ensuring that the
correct orders are delivered on-time, every time.
- Rationalize sales ordering The Kitchen Management System can separate and coordinate all sales orders. This allows the head chef to see all ordered items while the souchefs check their own individual tasks.
- Hands-free operation A bump bar is linked to each kitchen screen to allow the chefs
and waiting staff to control the evolution of food orders. This allows staff to update the
progress of an order when their hands are full.
- Monitor staff and service Managers can create incentives for kitchen staff by, for
example, setting guidelines for speed of service from starters through to desserts. You
can produce reports to monitor the success of the team as a whole or each individual.
- Security Cameras Much of the product theft and mischief that occurs in restaurants
happens in the kitchen, so what better way to monitor and maintain control of your
restaurant than to watch it on security cameras. Cameras in the kitchen area can be used
by managers to ensure quality control in the kitchen, monitor staff, watch the food in the
freezers and more. Kitchen restaurant security cameras can also be used to provide
visuals for the wait staff in larger restaurants so they can see when their orders are ready
to serve. We always find out 2 problems in this restaurant in not efficiency in staff
working during using monitor tools working hour wasted time in vacancy time or spare
time .These problems are effected to this restaurant and loss a lot of money.
Monitoring and security of staff
You must:
- Make sure that any monitoring is justified – e.g. to ensure compliance with regulatory
requirements, prevent or detect crime, and check whether communications are relevant to
the business if a worker is away from work. See the page in this guide on deciding
whether or not monitoring staff is justified.
- Ensure that monitoring is proportionate – e.g. place CCTV cameras only where
necessary or only spot check emails rather than monitor them continuously.
- Notify staff that they are being monitored and what data you are collecting.
- Inform staff why you are monitoring them. If it's not clear why you are monitoring
workers, they may feel you don't trust them.
- Strictly target and limit covert monitoring to cases where you suspect criminal or other
serious malpractice and where telling the individuals about the monitoring would be
likely to prejudice its prevention or detection.
You must not:
- use information for any purpose other than that for which it was collected
- access the content of clearly marked personal emails except in exceptional circumstances
- routinely check workers' phone messages, emails, etc - you should only do so if you have
made all reasonable efforts to inform users that you may intercept messages
- carry out continuous video or audio monitoring, other than usual CCTV security
measures
- film or make sound recordings in private places – e.g. toilets or staff rooms
- search an employee, unless their contract of employment provides for this and they
consent to it
Show what consultative process you would use to allow for procedures and systems (including
rosters and a new menu) to be adjusted. Show that in this area, quality assurances can be
given so that customers will not be affected and indicate the time frame involved in your
changes.
Rostering Staff
Staff rostering involves programming staff to work shifts over the hours a business operates.
Proper rostering of staff has a major impact on the success of a business, for number of reason.
- In Hospitality, peak business usually occurs on weekends, public holidays and in the
evenings. This provides challenges for rostering, as staff may have personal and family
commitments and interest which could potentially conflict with the needs of the
business.
- Sufficient staff to conduct required operations must be employed at any given time. This
includes staff in effective supervisory roles. As consistent high standards of service help
a business maintain and even improve its relationships with customers and business
allies, proper rostering must ensure these high standards of service.
Types of Rosters:
- Shift Rosters These are used in situations where there is a fairly constant workload,
often with shift lengths of around 8 hours. Shifts can be arranged so that there is no
overlap between shifts. i.e. 3 per day.
- Staggered Rosters These are used when there is a variance in the amount of work or
volume of business, such as in a restaurant.
- Split-shifts Rosters In situations such as in a kitchen, the variation in business volume
is such that there are periods when there is little or nothing to do. Kitchen often employ a
split-shift system, whereby workers will work 2 separate 4 hour periods with a long
break in between. Split-shifts are useful for reducing wage costs but are usually
unpopular with staff.
Rostering made easy your management can manually or automatically generate rosters based
on your business requirements. Additional roster technology allows management to optimise rosters
by matching against a graded scale and a fully customisable range of employee attributes. Using
information such as employee skills, availability, leave, and the automated rules engine, roster
managers can be confident they have the right people with the right skills roster, and more
importantly, rosters will be compliant. Furthermore, rosters can be instantly communicated to all
employees via SMS. Employees can reply with roster confirmation, which will automatically update
Roster Live in real-time.
Staff Efficiency
More efficient staffs make networks more reliable. Most organizations try to empower their
staff to perform critical functions while minimizing mundane tasks, such as reactive troubleshooting
and manually collecting and analyzing data. Recent analyst studies show that IT professionals spend
more than 80% of their time in unplanned work-resolving preventable problems, generating needed
ad-hoc reports and reiterating manual tasks.
Ad-hoc, manual work not only depletes time and resources from other critical initiatives. but
also adds unnecessary risk. Overburdening your personnel leads to human errors, the kind where a
single typo could crash an entire location. Improving your staff’s efficiency enhances the strength of
your network Has a range of solutions to help you increase efficiencies among your It staff that will
result in a more reliable network.
We should rearrange in roster staff in normal working day and also in weekend busy day to
operate in efficient time. We have to cut the casual staff on weekday and wage more in weekend to
avoid the busy tasks in the kitchen
Create new menu in special month
A well-designed food menu is key to running a successful restaurant. Simple menus make
ordering food easier for the customer and server. Prepare clear, brief descriptions of food items, and
include prices, specials and pictures of each item. Create a menu using computer software and a color
printer, or contact a local printer for quality reproductions.
How to design a food menu
- Make a list of foods offered at your restaurant and determine the placement of these
terms on the menu. Arrange specialty or expensive items in the middle of the page to
increase sales. Categorize food items sandwiches, entrees, breakfast, lunch and dinner
items, desserts and drinks should each have their own section.
- Create an easy-to-read menu using a plain font, and include prices and descriptions of
each dish. This generates interest and allows customers to place orders easily.
- Add pictures of best-selling or specialty items next to their descriptions on the menu.
Pictures entice customers to order certain dishes.
- Include the restaurant logo at the top of the menu and on each page, to create a brand.
Make flyers that include daily or nightly specials; these can be changed when new items
specials are added.
Food cost in new menu
Food cost refers to the menu price of a certain dish in comparison to the cost of the food used
to prepare that same dish. In other words, how much you pay for food will determine how much you
need to charge for it. Generally, food cost should be around 30-35%. This means that if you pay $1.00
for something, you need to charge minimum of $3.34. It may seem like you are charging a lot more
than necessary, but keep in mind that you aren't just paying for the food itself. You are paying
someone to prepare the food, serve the food, and clean up after the food. Everything in your
restaurant, from payroll to the electric bill needs to be covered by the food you serve. We will launch
in brunch time as well as in fine dining to operate in staff and get more profit in this restaurant.
List the equipment that would enhance the kitchen performance and the appropriate cost.
IIIustrate that you have consulted the staff about this and indicate how a new menu would
enhance or lessen the ‘bottom line’.
Brunch menu
A collection of brunch menus and ideas featuring quick and easy recipes for waffles,
pancakes, and eggs, along with breakfast drinks, fruits, and salads. Find traditional and holiday
brunch food. Brunch is a combination of sweet and savory flavors that make a nice transition between
breakfast and lunch. Brunch can be a wonderful time of day for relaxing with friends and family.
If you are having a hard time coming up with ideas for recipes to make for brunch, these
menus have everything worked out for you. Here is also a listing of brunch ideas to help you pick and
choose and develop your own menu.
Menus and Ideas for Brunch
Fresh Cucumber Sandwiches
Cucumber sandwiches are made from fresh cucumbers and topped with a cream cheese
spread on cocktail rye sandwich bread and sprinkled with dill. Serve them for brunch, a tea party, or
as an appetizer. Dill weed and cucumber offer a garden fresh taste and make a nice colorful
presentation for a brunch menu. They look great on a buffet table for a bridal shower or luncheon and
can also be a hit at work when you need to bring a dish to pass. These cucumber sandwiches are easy
to eat, not too messy, and travel well. Find more brunch party planning tips and brunch menu ideas
like these cucumber sandwiches.
This recipe makes enough for about 22 servings at 2 sandwiches per person. Two medium
sized cucumbers sliced thin will match up fairly well to the number of slices in the cocktail rye bread
and the amount of cream cheese spread. You can use either light or dark rye bread, although I prefer
the dark rye with these tea sandwiches. If you just don't like rye bread at all, you may choose another
flavor bread, just make sure it is sliced very thin-about 1/8" wide and a fairly firm bread.
These tea party sandwiches can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated. They go
together pretty quickly with about 20 minutes prep time.
Cucumber Sandwiches
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Ingredient List:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- Zesty Italian Dressing*
- 2 medium to large cucumbers
- 1-16 ounce package Cocktail Rye Bread-Light or Dark
Dried Dill Weed
Kitchen Equipment:
- Medium sized bowl
- Large serving platter
-Step 1: Soften the cream cheese in a medium sized bowl by letting it sit on the kitchen
counter for 3-4 hours or by unwrapping it from its foil package and placing it in a bowl in the
microwave until slightly softened.
- Step 2: Start by adding 1-2 ounces of Italian dressing to the cream cheese and beat it
together with a wooden spoon or electric mixer. If the cream cheese seems too stiff, add more Italian
dressing to make a very soft spreadable consistency making sure there are no lumps.
- Step 3: Wash the cucumbers and dry. Leave the skin on the cucumber. Take a dinner fork
and make striations down the length of each of the cucumbers all the way around. This is not
completely necessary, but does provide a nice look and makes it easier to bite into. Slice the
cucumbers thin at about 1/8”.
- Step 4: To assemble the sandwiches, find a nice serving platter and spread the cream
cheese mixture evenly onto each on of the cocktail rye squares. Place on the serving platter. Top with
the slices of cucumber 1 per slice of bread.
- Step 5: Sprinkle each cucumber sandwich with dried dill weed. Refrigerate covered with
plastic wrap until ready to serve. Can be made up to 24 hours ahead. These can be stacked on the
platter with a layer of plastic wrap between each layer.
*You can use regular Italian dressing as well, but I prefer the extra flavor that comes from
the Zesty Italian dressing.
Servings: Approximately 22, Serving size: 2 sandwiches per person.
Stuffed Chicken Breast with Boursin Cheese
Serves 2: Ingredients
Stuffed Breasts: (can be made 1 day ahead)
- Boursin Cheese (recipe follows or use a commerical brand)
- Spinach leaves, enough to cover each breast
- 2 large sheets plastic wrap
- 2 chicken breast halves, boneless, skinless
- 2 teaspoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
Boursin Cheese: (can be made 1 day ahead)
- 1 ounce cream cheese softened
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh chives finely chopped
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- pinch of Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons walnuts toasted, finely chopped
Combine cream cheese, garlic, parsley, chives, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt and
walnuts. Cover at room temperature for at least an hour or overnight to blend flavors.
Directions
Prepare Boursin cheese or purchase a commercial brand. Dip spinach leaves briefly in
boiling water to blanch; drain and towel dry. Pound chicken breasts evenly between 2 sheets plastic
wrap to 1/4-inch thick being careful not to tear or break through the flesh. Season with salt and
pepper. On a flat surface, lay flattened chicken on top the blanched spinach; spread with Boursin
cheese, tuck in sides and roll up stuffed breast as tightly as possible. Refrigerate seam side down in a
greased baking dish covered for at least 3 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake brush the stuffed chicken rolls with melted butter, roll in bread crumbs
and bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 to 35 minutes or until juices are clear and it is completely cooked.
Let rest 5 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch thick servings. This stuffed entree goes well with
buttered noodles or steamed potatoes with truffle oil. Serve with a tomato rose if desired. The garnish
can be made a day ahead, simply cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
We do not only operate in profit but also we are able to mange the staff efficiency by
launching 2 new menu in this restaurant. Staff can be manage in new menu by prepare to cook more
and to create work in this kitchen.
In your new plan, you must show the delegation process that will be involved. Will you need
new job specifications to be written? If so, how many? Will training be necessary to
accommodate the new jobs if this is the option you recommend the owners to take? Estimate a
budget for retraining should it be necessary. In order to increase staff performance, you will
have to prioritize the tasks given.
Delegation Process
Delegation process refers to the assignment of responsibility to another person for carrying
out some particular tasks. Delegation is giving authority to subordinates for handling of a certain task.
The person not only gets authority but is also accountable for the delegated work.
Delegation is the process of giving decision-making authority to lower-level employees. For
the process to be successful, a worker must be able to obtain the resources and cooperation needed for
successful completion of the delegated task. Empowerment of the workforce and task delegation are
closely intertwined. Empowerment occurs when upper-level employees share power with lower-level
employees. This involves providing the training, tools and management support that employees need
to accomplish a task. Thus, an enabled worker has both the authority and the capability to accomplish
the work. Although authority can be delegated, responsibility cannot-the person who delegates a task
is ultimately responsible for its success. The assigned worker is therefore accountable for meeting the
goals and objectives of the task.
Benefits of delegation
Effective delegation can benefit the manager, the employee, and the organization. Perhaps
the most important benefit for the company is a higher quality of work. Delegation can improve
quality of work by allowing the employees who have direct knowledge of products and services to
make decisions and complete tasks. Quality can also improve through enhanced employee
motivation. Employees may do a better job because they feel a personal accountability for the
outcome, even though responsibility ultimately rests with the individual who made the delegation.
Motivation should also be enhanced as delegation enriches the worker's job by expanding the types of
tasks that are involved in it.
Managers who delegate effectively also receive several personal benefits; most importantly,
they have more time to do their own jobs when they assign tasks to others. Given the hectic nature of
managerial work, time is a precious commodity. Effective delegation frees the manager to focus on
managerial tasks such as planning and control. Managers also benefit from the development of
subordinates' skills. With a more highly skilled workforce, they have more flexibility in making
assignments and are more efficient decision makers. Managers who develop their workforce are also
likely to have high personal power with their staff and to be highly valued by their organization.
Drawbacks of delegation
Although delegation can provide benefits to the organization, many managers lack the
motivation or knowledge to delegate effectively, and thus delegation (or lack of delegation) may be
detrimental to the company. Managers' lack of motivation to delegate may be associated with a
number of fallacies associated with delegations. Many managers believe that "if you want it done
right, you have to do it yourself." While this is at times untrue, because the ultimate responsibility for
a task lies with the manager, this attitude often prevents delegation. Other reasons for a lack of
motivation to delegate are lack of trust in subordinates, fear of being seen as lazy, reluctance to take
risks, and fear of competition from subordinates. Some of these barriers are correctable through
management training and development, but others may not be easily overcome. Mangers may also
lack the competencies necessary to delegate effectively. They may choose the wrong tasks to
delegate, the wrong subordinate to trust, or they may provide inadequate direction to the subordinate
when delegating.
Planning
Delegation is not difficult. Anyone can give an assignment to someone. However, effective
delegation (assigning a task to the correct person) is a highly skilled process that requires planning,
thought, and managerial skill.
Defining success
Two planning activities should be undertaken before delegating an assignment: defining
success and assessing qualifications needed. Defining success requires a determination of what will
constitute successful performance on the assigned task. An effective delegator assigns workers to
tasks on which they have a high probability of succeeding. If a manager can't identify the successful
outcome of a task, how can that manager determine if a worker is capable of performing it? The
failure to define success turns delegation into a gamble, rather than a prediction. An effective
delegator makes a prediction of success based on the match between job requirements and the
worker's competencies. An ineffective delegator hopes that the worker will be successful but really
has no basis for this hope, since success has not been defined. If success is well defined and
communicated to the subordinate, the worker has a clear understanding of the task requirements and
can focus his/her efforts on important activities. Similarly, clearly defining success helps the
delegator coach the worker, which further enhances the probability of a positive outcome.
There are two components to defining success. The first is to define the successful outcome
of the task, and the second is to determine the appropriate processes needed to complete the task.
Both are needed in order to make an effective delegation. For example, a manager might be
considering assigning a different salesperson to a particularly difficult client. Prior to making the
delegation, the manager should reflect on the desired outcomes from this assignment (e.g., increased
sales, decreased complaints) and the types of processes (e.g., better client education, greater empathy)
that might be needed to produce the desired result. Only after understanding what is needed can a
rational delegation be made. Thus, managers should first ask themselves: "How will I judge the
success of this delegation and what do I expect someone to do to be successful?"
Assessing qualifications needed
The second step in planning delegation involves determining subordinate capabilities. There
is always a choice in delegation, both as to which subordinates to delegate the assignment to, and
whether to delegate the assignment at all. To make either decision, the manager needs to assess
subordinate's capabilities. In making the assessment, a manager should ask, "What has this worker
done to make me feel he or she will be effective on this assignment?" Managers should also ask
themselves, "How do I think this person will perform on this assignment and why do I feel this way?"
A worker could be effective in obtaining desired results, but could use an unacceptable process to
obtain the results that negates the positive outcomes. Managers are very unlikely to make an accurate
prediction of success for an assignment when they have no basis for the prediction. Thus, the better a
manager knows a worker's past behaviors and accomplishments, the greater the chance of an effective
future delegation. Often, however, managers have to delegate assignments to people who lack the
relevant training or experience. The general process still applies in this situation, although the specific
questions change. Here, the manager should carefully consider, "How has this person performed on
previous assignments where he or she lacked training or experience?" Again, there must be a basis for
the delegation, or it becomes a wild guess.
Process
The process of delegation is as critical as the planning, because a poor process can reduce the
effectiveness of the delegation in several ways. First, it can lower the worker's motivation to perform
the task. A qualified worker who is not motivated to complete the assignment is not likely to produce
the desired results. Second, lack of proper communication of standards for the task may lead to less
than desirable outcomes. Finally, the delegation process may create some artificial barriers or fail to
eliminate others barriers to performance. The failure to share information and discuss real or
perceived problems can reduce efficiency and may lead to failure. To avoid these obstacles, the
following items should be considered when making an assignment.
Balance the assignments
Managers need to ensure that delegation isn't viewed as getting someone else to do their dirty
work. Thus, an effective manager should delegate the pleasant and the unpleasant, the challenging
and the boring assignments. Similarly, assignments should be balanced across workers. For example,
it is quite common for managers to delegate the most unpleasant task to the best worker since that
person can be counted on to do a good job. Alternatively, a poor worker may avoid receiving an
unpleasant assignment due to the poor quality of the final product. This type of situation quickly
sends the message to the productive worker that the way to get out of receiving unpleasant
assignments is to lower the quality of his/her work. One way to avoid this problem is to give the
productive worker other rewards and/or to increase the number of unpleasant assignments to the
unproductive worker until the quality of the result improves.
Focus on results
Once the task has been delegated, managers need to allow subordinates the freedom to make
the choices needed to accomplish the task. Managers should not supervise too closely for this may
create frustration and make someone feel that the manager lacks confidence in their ability. Managers
should review and evaluate the results of the assignment, not the means used to accomplish the task.
However, managers are responsible for making sure that both the process and the outcome of the
delegated task are consistent with the goals. As noted, one way to accomplish this is through the
specification of clear standards prior to the delegation. The manager needs to remember these
standards and intervene only when they have been violated. Managers should avoid the tendency to
intervene simply due to style differences. One of the benefits of allowing subordinates to make their
own choices is that this can be an important source of innovation for the organization. Sometimes
employees really have a better way.
There are five important aspects of delegation that every manager has to know about. Once
the person knows these steps and then delegates the work, the people will be able to work better in the
company or organization. This is very important as far as the success of the manager and the
company is concerned.
- Define the task Delegate only routine tasks and tasks which you don't have time.
Delegate tasks which are lower down in priority. Decide whether it involves technical or
cognitive skills, any qualification, creativity and problem solving.
- Decide on the delegate Analyze on the skill levels and capability, character that may
prevent them from accepting responsibility, availability and the willingness of the
delegate.
- Determine the task Define your expectations and plan for a meeting with the delegate
.Provide enough time for discussion about the task and clarify doubts of the delegate.
Identify constraints and validate understanding of the delegate.
- Reach agreement Make sure that delegate agrees to accept responsibility and authority
for the task. Encourage delegate to complete the task successfully. The delegates task is
to understand the task assigned to him and also acknowledge the delegators confidence
in assigning the responsibility.
- Monitor performance and provide feedback Give careful thought of the task done and
remain accessible for the delegate. Support the delegate and give praise and recognition.
Training and Development Process
The quality of employees and their development through training and education are major
factors in determining long-term profitability of a small business. If you hire and keep good
employees, it is good policy to invest in the development of their skills, so they can increase their
productivity.
Training often is considered for new employees only. This is a mistake because ongoing
training for current employees helps them adjust to rapidly changing job requirements. Purpose of
Employee Training and Development Process
Reasons for emphasizing the growth and development of personnel include:
- Creating a pool of readily available and adequate replacements for personnel who may
leave or move up in the organization.
- Enhancing the company's ability to adopt and use advances in technology because of a
sufficiently knowledgeable staff.
- Ensuring adequate human resources for expansion into new programs.
Research has shown specific benefits that a small business receives from training and
developing its workers, including:
- Increased productivity.
- Reduced employee turnover.
- Increased efficiency resulting in financial gains.
- Decreased need for supervision.
Employees frequently develop a greater sense of self-worth, dignity and well-being as they
become more valuable to the firm and to society. Generally they will receive a greater share of the
material gains that result from their increased productivity. These factors give them a sense of
satisfaction through the achievement of personal and company goals.
The Training Process
The model below traces the steps necessary in the training process:
- Organizational Objectives
- Needs Assessment
- Is There a Gap?
- Training Objectives
- Select the Trainees
- Select the Training Methods and Mode
- Choose a Means of Evaluating
- Administer Training
- Evaluate the Training
Your business should have a clearly defined strategy and set of objectives that direct and
drive all the decisions made especially for training decisions. Firms that plan their training process are
more successful than those that do not. Most business owners want to succeed, but do not engage in
training design that promise to improve their chances of success. Why? The five reasons most often
identified are:
- Time - Small businesses managers find that time demands do not allow them to train
employees.
- Getting started - Most small business managers have not practiced training employees.
The training process is unfamiliar.
- Broad expertise - Managers tend to have broad expertise rather than the specialized
skills needed for training and development activities.
- Lack of trust and openness - Many managers prefer to keep information to themselves.
By doing so they keep information from subordinates and others who could be useful in
the training and development process.
- Skepticism as to the value of the training - Some small business owners believe the
future cannot be predicted or controlled and their efforts, therefore, are best centered on
current activities i.e., making money today.
Training Methods for Employees
Begin by assessing the current status of the company how it does what it does best and the
abilities of your employees to do these tasks. This analysis will provide some benchmarks against
which the effectiveness of a training program can be evaluated. Your firm should know where it
wants to be in five years from its long-range strategic plan. What you need is a training program to
take your firm from here to there.
Second, consider whether the organization is financially committed to supporting the training
efforts. If not, any attempt to develop a solid training program will fail. Next, determine exactly
where training is needed. It is foolish to implement a companywide training effort without
concentrating resources where they are needed most. An internal audit will help point out areas that
may benefit from training. Also, a skills inventory can help determine the skills possessed by the
employees in general. This inventory will help the organization determine what skills are available
now and what skills are needed for future development.
Once you have determined where training is needed, concentrate on the content of the
program. Analyze the characteristics of the job based on its description, the written narrative of what
the employee actually does. Training based on job descriptions should go into detail about how the
job is performed on a task-by-task basis. Actually doing the job will enable you to get a better feel for
what is done.
Selection of Trainees
Training programs should be designed to consider the ability of the employee to learn the
material and to use it effectively, and to make the most efficient use of resources possible. It is also
important that employees be motivated by the training experience. Employee failure in the program is
not only damaging to the employee but a waste of money as well. Selecting the right trainees is
important to the success of the program.
Training Goals
The goals of the training program should relate directly to the needs determined by the
assessment process outlined above. Course objectives should clearly state what behavior or skill will
be changed as a result of the training and should relate to the mission and strategic plan of the
company. Goals should include milestones to help take the employee from where he or she is today to
where the firm wants him or her in the future. Setting goals helps to evaluate the training program and
also to motivate employees. Allowing employees to participate in setting goals increases the
probability of success.
Training Methods
There are two broad types of training available to small businesses: on-the-job and off-thejob techniques. Individual circumstances and the "who," "what" and "why" of your training program
Determine which method to use: On-the-job training
Is delivered to employees while they perform their regular jobs. In this way, they do not lose
time while they are learning. After a plan is developed for what should be taught, employees should
be informed of the details. A timetable should be established with periodic evaluations to inform
employees about their progress. On-the-job techniques include orientations, job instruction training,
apprenticeships, internships and assistantships, job rotation and coaching.
Off-the-job
Techniques include lectures, special study, films, television conferences or discussions, case
studies, role playing, simulation, programmed instruction and laboratory training. Most of these
techniques can be used by small businesses although, some may be too costly.
Orientations are for new employees. The first several days on the job are crucial in the
success of new employees. This point is illustrated by the fact that 60 percent of all employees who
quit do so in the first ten days. Orientation training should emphasize the following topics:
Lectures
Present training material verbally and are used when the goal is to present a great deal of
material to many people. It is more cost effective to lecture to a group than to train people
individually. Lecturing is one-way communication and as such may not be the most effective way to
train. Also, it is hard to ensure that the entire audience understands a topic on the same level; by
targeting the average attendee you may understand some and lose others. Despite these drawbacks,
lecturing is the most cost-effective way of reaching large audiences.
Role playing and simulation
Are training techniques that attempt to bring realistic decision making situations to the
trainee. Likely problems and alternative solutions are presented for discussion. The adage there is no
better trainer than experience is exemplified with this type of training. Experienced employees can
describe real world experiences, and can help in and learn from developing the solutions to these
simulations. This method is cost effective and is used in marketing and management training.
Audiovisual methods
Such as television, videotapes and films are the most effective means of providing real world
conditions and situations in a short time. One advantage is that the presentation is the same no matter
how many times it's played. This is not true with lectures, which can change as the speaker is changed
or can be influenced by outside constraints. The major flaw with the audiovisual method is that it
does not allow for questions and interactions with the speaker, nor does it allow for changes in the
presentation for different audiences.
Job rotation
Involves moving an employee through a series of jobs so he or she can get a good feel for the
tasks that are associated with different jobs. It is usually used in training for supervisory positions.
The employee learns a little about everything. This is a good strategy for small businesses because of
the many jobs an employee may be asked to do.
Apprenticeships
Develop employees who can do many different tasks. They usually involve several related
groups of skills that allow the apprentice to practice a particular trade, and they take place over a long
period of time in which the apprentice works for, and with, the senior skilled worker. Apprenticeships
are especially appropriate for jobs requiring production skills.
Internships and assistantships
Are usually a combination of classroom and on-the-job training. They are often used to train
prospective managers or marketing personnel.
Programmed learning
Computer-aided instruction and interactive video all have one thing in common: they allow
the trainee to learn at his or her own pace. Also, they allow material already learned to be bypassed in
favor of material with which a trainee is having difficulty. After the introductory period, the instructor
need not be present, and the trainee can learn as his or her time allows. These methods sound good,
but may be beyond the resources of some small businesses.
Trainers
Who actually conducts the training depends on the type of training needed and who will be
receiving it. On-the-job training is conducted mostly by supervisors; off-the-job training, by either inhouse personnel or outside instructors.
In-house training is the daily responsibility of supervisors and employees. Supervisors are
ultimately responsible for the productivity and, therefore, the training of their subordinates. These
supervisors should be taught the techniques of good training. They must be aware of the knowledge
and skills necessary to make a productive employee. Trainers should be taught to establish goals and
objectives for their training and to determine how these objectives can be used to influence the
productivity of their departments. They also must be aware of how adults learn and how best to
communicate with adults. Small businesses need to develop their supervisors' training capabilities by
sending them to courses on training methods. The investment will pay off in increased productivity.
There are several ways to select training personnel for off-the-job training programs. Many small
businesses use in-house personnel to develop formal training programs to be delivered to employees
off line from their normal work activities, during company meetings or individually at prearranged
training sessions.
There are many outside training sources, including consultants, technical and vocational
schools, continuing education programs, chambers of commerce and economic development groups.
Selecting an outside source for training has advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage is
that these organizations are well versed in training techniques, which is often not the case with inhouse personnel.
The disadvantage of using outside training specialists is their limited knowledge of the
company's product or service and customer needs. These trainers have a more general knowledge of
customer satisfaction and needs. In many cases, the outside trainer can develop this knowledge
quickly by immersing himself or herself in the company prior to training the employees. Another
disadvantage of using outside trainers is the relatively high cost compared to in-house training,
although the higher cost may be offset by the increased effectiveness of the training. Whoever is
selected to conduct the training, either outside or in-house trainers, it is important that the company's
goals and values be carefully explained.
Evaluation of Training
Training should be evaluated several times during the process. Determine these milestones
when you develop the training. Employees should be evaluated by comparing their newly acquired
skills with the skills defined by the goals of the training program. Any discrepancies should be noted
and adjustments made to the training program to enable it to meet specified goals. Many training
programs fall short of their expectations simply because the administrator failed to evaluate its
progress until it was too late. Timely evaluation will prevent the training from straying from its goals.
Training Budget
Organizations have training needs that range from the simple one-on-one orientation of a
new employee to the training associated with the company-wide rollout of an enterprise resource
planning (ERP) application. In today's business environment, where globalization presents new
competitive threats and opportunities constantly and where macroeconomic forces are in flux, training
helps your employees adapt quickly to the changing environment. However, training is not free.
Conduct a training needs assessment. Depending on the complexity of your organization, you
may need to form a team to conduct this assessment. Get input from departmental and product heads,
as well as from the sales, operations and finance units. Determine if there are any extraordinary
events planned for the year. Such events include an ERP rollout, a new product launch, a facility
expansion or elimination or a merger. Depending on the complexity of this event, you may need to
prepare a separate budget. Perform a gap analysis. This is the difference between what your training
needs are and what you currently have in place. If your training needs have not changed from prior
years, you can skip the next step.
Prepare an estimate for bridging this gap. This may involve estimating the costs for preparing
new training material, hiring technical writers and instructional designers, hiring trainers with subject
matter expertise and conducting the training sessions. For a large organization, with multiple
locations and divisions, this could mean a substantial hit to the bottom line. Use historical expenses to
estimate the operational training costs. This is the core training, such as new employee orientation or
product launches, that you conduct as part of routine business. Add this to the other cost estimates to
calculate your total training budget for the year.
Present and defend this budget to senior management. Make sure that you get their buy-in
and commitment. In tough economic times, marketing and training expenditures tend to be the first
on the chopping block. So, be ready to stand your ground if and when that happens.
Describe how day-to-day operations will not be negatively affected with your proposed change
Reappraising staff levels is an ongoing issue in modern management of all hospitality businesses
and during the process, customer’s needs must always be considered. It is that fine line between
customer satisfaction and increased profit margins that shows true management skill in
restaurant operation.
How to appraising staff: Appraising Employee Performance
It can happen a couple of times a year or even once a year. Employees dread it and managers
must prepare for it. It is employee evaluations. This is when managers and supervisors must appraise
their employees’ performance. How well do the employees perform their task? Are there ways for the
employees to improve? Do the employees work well together? These are just some of the concerns
everyone in a management position must consider.
Every business has their own method for appraising an employee’s performance. Some use
rating systems while others check boxes next to questions that apply to the employee. There are many
different methods. However, no matter what method a business uses, there are some universal topics
to consider.
Quality of Work
This is the big one. The quality of an employee’s performance is probably the number one
thing a manager must consider during evaluations. They must gauage how well an employee
performs their job, do they complete their job in a timely manner, do they have difficulty getting their
job done, and so on. Also condered are any completed jobs that the employee turned in that had to be
rejected. Gauging the quality of work can also depend on the type of business. Businesses that
involve sales will evaluate the employee’s number of sales for a specific time period. However a
manager does it, the quality of an employee’s work needs to consistently meet with approval.
Absenteeism
Another big consideration is how often the employee calls in silk or misses work for one
reason or another. A reliable employee will be at work at least 29 days out of the month. Sure,
everyone gets sick occasionally and sometimes the unexpected happens and an employee has to miss
work. But a manager must consider what is beneficial to the company. If an employee consistently
misses work, then they can cause a problem with production. Either their work piles up and other
must wait on them to catch up or other employees may have to stop what they are doing to complete
the work load of the missing person. Whichever happens, it slows things down which is not good for
the company. An employee that rarely calls in sick or misses work is at least there to keep up with
their work, are knowledgable about the daily goings on at the office, and help to keep production
running smoothly and on time.
On Time
Just as important as being at work is being on time. A reliabel employee should be at work
by the time business opens. Even if they spend a few minutes getting that cup of morning coffee, they
are accounted for and ready to begin the day. When employees are late, just like being absent, it slows
down production. There might be a client waiting that morning or a project that needs to be turned in
first thing. Being late delays all of these things and can push back other work projects, thus delaying
their completion. If an employee is on time, they can avoid all of these things.
Company Policy
Every company has its own policy of rules and regulations that employees must adhere to.
These policies can be anything from required business attire to proper communication between
departments. A company wants an employee who follows policy. By not following policy, an
employee may cause friction between themselves and management. Employees who do not follow
company policy are exhibiting behavior that is counteractive to company goals and objectives. The
ideal employee will recognize policy rules and follow them without rebelling.
Personal Habits
An employee’s personal habits should not interfere with how a company operates. This can
include everything from grooming habits, eating habits, style of dress, and gossip. An employee who
is lacking in the groom area can be a big distraction. If they don’t bath, brush their hair, or at least
dress in clean clothes, they are going to bother other employees. If an employee eats food that others
might find unappetizing, this can also be a problem. And everyone knows that gossip has a way of
traveling round an office. But an employee that spreads gossip can interfere with work production.
Goals Met
When evaluating an employee’s performance, a manager needs to look to see if that
employee has met their goals and company objectives. Every job position should have goals. These
can change on a regular basis and can be used to see if an employee is improving in their assigned
position. Employees who consistently do not meet their goals are either in a position that they may
not be qualified for or they are not applying themsleves properly to the job.
Compatibility with others
Another important aspect to consider when evaluating an employee’s performance is their
compability with others. This involves how well an employee gets along with the other employees
and members of the team. A manager needs to observe how well liked the employee is and how well
they work with others. Arguing with others or causing any friction between themselves and the other
members on the team is a definite red flag. The ideal employee should be someone who can get along
with everyone, even those who might tend to grate on your nerves.
Self Appraisal and Peer Appraisal
When it comes to performance evaluation, the most common type is of course done by a
manager or supervisor. However, there are two other types of appraising an employee’s performance.
There are self appraisals and peer appraisals.
A self appraisal is used in conjunction with a manager’s appraisal. The employee is usually
given a questionnaire or evaluation form to fill out. They must honestly evaluate their own
performance, telling what tasks and duties they think they excel at while listing areas they think they
need to improve on. This form is then compared to the manager’s appraisal and used for the
evaluation. Peer appraisal is a form of evaluation done by an employee’s fellow workers. Their peers
in the office or workplace are given an evaluation form to fill out. The information is generally the
same found on self appraisal forms and manager appraisal forms. Peer appraisal can be useful
because it can show what ones co-workers think of their performance.
How to evaluate staff
Creating an evaluative tool to measure an employee’s performance can be a daunting task for
even the most experienced manager. Here are some survey design tips to help you create effective
performance evaluation materials that will be meaningful for both supervisors and supervisees:
1) Use titles that are less challenging for employees (e.g. calling the instrument an
evaluations as opposed to a test.
2) Have a place at the beginning of the job performance evaluation form to clearly delineate
the employee being evaluated, such as their name, title, department, and other pertinent
job related individual information, like hiring date and date of last review. Other non-job
related demographics (such as employee age or eye color) should be left out.
3) Make sure the content the employee is being evaluated on always refers directly back to
their position. This can include technical job-related skills, and "softer" characteristics
such as courtesy to both clients and co-workers, or punctuality.
4) Employee evaluations lend themselves nicely to the use of Likert scales, but a good
evaluation uses verbal measurements as opposed to numeric. For example one end of the
survey rating scale would be "Needs Improvement" and the opposite end of the scale
"Excellent Performance."
5) Leave plenty of room for written employee performance evaluation comments after each
content area. Both the manager AND the employee should write down their thoughts
about the content area discussed. This makes both parties feel like they are contributing
equally to a conversation, rather than one person telling the other how to act.
6) Include space for concrete development plans and steps to be accomplished, including
dates and time lines for the progress to take place. It's also a good idea to include midterm progress review dates so manager and employee can check in with each other. This
ensures both parties are still on target for a successful future review.
7) Allow both the employee and manager to sign the list of employee evaluation questions
and responses after reading all parts thoroughly and together. Leave time for discussion
of the evaluation.
8) If your company has an HR department, have an appropriate HR supervisor review your
staff evaluation form to double-check that all the right notes are hit.
Task Two:
Laundry Operation
Laundry operations are frequently outsourced in a hotel because they are expensive in-house
and, more likely, because hotel staff doesn't have the necessary expertise. A hotel laundry is one of
the few operations where production can be completely controlled and structured, unlike other parts
of the service business based on just-in-time delivery. Like other manufacturing operations, hotel
laundries have raw materials-dirty linens, towels, napkins- and finished goods once those are clean.
As in other plants, equipment maintenance is key to ensuring an efficient workflow and attaining
optimal performance. A key difference between laundries and other hospitality operations is that with
correct par levels, laundries can produce to inventory and so self-control their operating peaks and
valleys.
An unproductive laundry is bad for the property as a whole. When housekeeping staff doesn't
have the supplies it needs to meet hotel standards, costs and frustration increase. The f & b staff
wastes time trying to find the right linen and customers are frustrated because the linen they request is
not available. Also, excess processing kicks in when clean and dirty linens are mixed and staff pays
insufficient attention to ensure proper inventory control, making for crisis-oriented, very costly
laundry operations.
Balancing staff levels to meet optimal machine throughput creates the most efficient results.
In addition to machine production, layout should ensure there is no backflow of product during the
process. A simple test is to sketch your laundry on a piece of paper and draw product flow from dirty
to clean. If the lines cross, there may be a more efficient way to diagram the operation. Next is
balancing machine capacity with proper staffing levels. Generally, if one person is exclusively
assigned to operate the washers and dryers, especially with newer tunnel facilities, other work can be
done, like assisting in sorting. Washer staff should generally start earlier than the rest of the staff to
help with production and make sure clean linens aren't left to be ironed the next day. Setting standards
for the washer/dryer function, considering each machine has a weight capacity, is not that difficult:
Calculating pounds per room and cover is straightforward and leads to number of rooms or covers per
machine load. This can be converted to time loading per cover so a volume forecast can be used to
calculate the number of loads and work content.
In many laundries, one of the biggest production roadblocks is the ironer, often because
staffing is not adjusted to maximize throughput. Ironing sheets and full-size table linens requires two
people feeding and one catching. The catcher has time also to catch towel folders if the ironer has a
stacker on the end. Although this may require repositioning of the towel folder so the catching end is
closer to the ironer stacker, it frequently can be done at minimal cost.
What of ironing napkins, runners and pillowcases? Staff frequently switches from processing
sheets or table linen to these smaller items, which can cause the ironer to be operated under capacity.
In such cases, everyone is busy but not fully productive, and the ironer is under-used. To improve
throughput the average ironer should be staffed as follows:
Problem Solving Skills
Problem solving is a key skill, and it's one that can make a huge difference to your career. At
work, problems are at the center of what many people do every day. You're either solving a problem
for a client (internal or external), supporting those who are solving problems, or discovering new
problems to solve.
The problems you face can be large or small, simple or complex, and easy or difficult to
solve. Regardless of the nature of the problems, a fundamental part of every manager's role is finding
ways to solve them. So, being a confident problem solver is really important to your success.
Much of that confidence comes from having a good process to use when approaching a problem.
With one, you can solve problems quickly and effectively. Without one, your solutions may be
ineffective, or you'll get stuck and do nothing, with sometimes painful consequences.
There are four basic steps in problem solving:
- Defining the problem.
- Generating alternatives.
- Evaluating and selecting alternatives.
- Implementing solutions.
Steps 2 to 4 of this process are covered in depth in other areas of Mind Tools. For these, see
our sections on Creativity for step 2 (generating alternatives); Decision Making for step 3 (evaluating
and selecting alternatives); and Project Management for step 4 (implementing solutions). The articles
in this "Problem Solving" section of Mind Tools therefore focus on helping you make a success of the
first of these steps – defining the problem. A very significant part of this involves making sense of the
complex situation in which the problem occurs, so that you can pinpoint exactly what the problem is.
Many of the tools in this section help you do just that. We look at these, and then review some useful,
well-established problem-solving frameworks.
Defining the Problem
The key to a good problem definition is ensuring that you deal with the real problem – not its
symptoms. For example, if performance in your department is substandard, you might think the
problem is with the individuals submitting work. However, if you look a bit deeper, the real problem
might be a lack of training, or an unreasonable workload. Tools like 5 Whys, Appreciation and Root
Cause Analysis help you ask the right questions, and work through the layers of a problem to uncover
what's really going on. At this stage, it's also important to ensure that you look at the issue from a
variety of perspectives. If you commit yourself too early, you can end up with a problem statement
that's really a solution instead. For example, consider this problem statement: "We have to find a way
of disciplining of people who do substandard work." This doesn't allow you the opportunity of
discovering the real reasons for under-performance. The CATWOE checklist provides a powerful
reminder to look at many elements that may contribute to the problem, and to expand your thinking
around it.
Communication Skills
The purpose of communication is to get your message across to others clearly and
unambiguously. Doing this involves effort from both the sender of the message and the receiver. And
it's a process that can be fraught with error, with messages often misinterpreted by the recipient.
When this isn't detected, it can cause tremendous confusion, wasted effort and missed opportunity.
In fact, communication is only successful when both the sender and the receiver understand the same
information as a result of the communication.
By successfully getting your message across, you convey your thoughts and ideas effectively.
When not successful, the thoughts and ideas that you convey do not necessarily reflect your own,
causing a communications breakdown and creating roadblocks that stand in the way of your goals –
both personally and professionally.
In a recent survey of recruiters from companies with more than 50,000 employees,
communication skills were cited as the single more important decisive factor in choosing managers.
The survey, conducted by the University of Pittsburgh's Katz Business School, points out that
communication skills, including written and oral presentations, as well as an ability to work with
others, are the main factor contributing to job success.
You can find out which barriers your communications tend to stuck at by taking our How
Good Are Your Communication Skills? self-test. But in summary, here's some more information
about each stage of the communication process:
- Source As the source of the message, you need to be clear about why you're
communicating, and what you want to communicate. You also need to be confident that
the information you're communicating is useful and accurate.
- Message The message is the information that you want to communicate.
- Encoding This is the process of transferring the information you want to communicate
into a form that can be sent and correctly decoded at the other end. Your success in
encoding depends partly on your ability to convey information clearly and simply, but
also on your ability to anticipate and eliminate sources of confusion (for example,
cultural issues, mistaken assumptions, and missing information.) A key part of this is
knowing your audience: Failure to understand who you are communicating with will
result in delivering messages that are misunderstood.
- Channel Messages are conveyed through channels, with verbal including face-to-face
meetings, telephone and videoconferencing; and written including letters, emails, memos
and reports. Different channels have different strengths and weaknesses. For example,
it's not particularly effective to give a long list of directions verbally, while you'll quickly
cause problems if you criticize someone strongly by email.
- Decoding Just as successful encoding is a skill, so is successful decoding (involving, for
example, taking the time to read a message carefully, or listen actively to it.) Just as
confusion can arise from errors in encoding, it can also arise from decoding errors. This
is particularly the case if the decoder doesn't have enough knowledge to understand the
message.
- Receiver Your message is delivered to individual members of your audience. No doubt,
you have in mind the actions or reactions you hope your message will get from this
audience. Keep in mind, though, that each of these individuals enters into the
communication process with ideas and feelings that will undoubtedly influence their
understanding of your message, and their response. To be a successful communicator,
you should consider these before delivering your message, and act appropriately.
- Feedback Your audience will provide you with feedback, verbal and nonverbal reactions
to your communicated message. Pay close attention to this feedback, as it is the only
thing that allows you to be confident that your audience has understood your message. If
you find that there has been a misunderstanding, at least you have the opportunity to
send the message a second time.
- Context The situation in which your message is delivered is the context. This may
include the surrounding environment or broader culture (i.e. corporate culture,
international cultures, etc.).
Planning and organizing skills
Planning and organization skills are essential if you want to achieve your goals – they help
keep you focus on doing the right tasks, help you set your priorities and gives you the confidence that
you are following your own personal roadmap to your target destination.
And organization skills are also essential for surviving this thing called life – and particularly
in today’s hectic world with so many time pressures.
Good planning skills can greatly help reduce the stress associated with today’s society, make
you feel more in control of your life and help you manage your time better.
How can you distinguish between the good, better, and best managers? One way is to
examine how effective other managers (or you) are at Planning and Organizing. Here are six skills
you can use to make that determination:
- Formulating Short-Term Plans: This involves identifying strategies for handling the
more immediate projects, problems, or issues. It requires an ability to look at a situation
and determine an approach for handling it.
- Carrying Out Projects: This is more than just putting a plan into place. It is the actual
completion of what was started. There is an ability to follow-through and bring closure.
- Developing Budgets: Whether the purchase involves office supplies or an office
building, the emphasis is on the degree to which there is a logical approach to spending.
There is an ability to anticipate and plan for expenditures.
- Allocating and Utilizing Resources: Here, the main thrust involves matching resources
to requirements. Critical importance is also placed on the ability to use resources wisely.
-
Translating Long-Range Plans into Short-Term Operational Goals: In this instance,
the focus is on transforming future intents into present results. There is a clear and direct
link between organizational expectations and individual achievements.
Hotel Futura Laundry Department Report
To: CEO
From: GM. Manager
Insufficient linen supply for all department
Here’s another sign of a poorly run hotel: low linen pars. They’re not the result of poor
profitability-they’re a cause. If we see housekeepers stripping rooms to get linen back to the laundry,
washed and used again immediately, that’s a sure sign that there are more things wrong than
insufficient linen supplies. (Undoubtedly, the stripping process includes placing the linen on the
floor, which is an unsanitary and unsightly bad habit which ads to linen wear.) For example, it means
there are undoubtedly days where not all the rooms get made up-and therefore occupancy may suffer
due to unavailability of rooms. As absurd as it may sound, linen wears out more than twice as fast if it
is washed and used daily rather than every other day or so. Circulating linen daily by stripping beds
and running it back and forth also takes more labor. In the end, minimal linen supplies turns out to be
pennywise and pound foolish-keeping an adequate supply of linen, about 2.15 to 2.5 par, saves
money. We operate this section by leasing outsourcing material to support our laundry department.
Problem Solving : Linen leasing
Perhaps the most knee-jerk reaction to this problem was to outsource the service to another
organization. However, that was only a band-aid solution to a more serious problem, and even then
the option was not open to NHG. According to, the team was unable to switch suppliers because the
price tag on other launderers was way beyond procurement’s budget. Independent launderers had to
bear higher staff costs due to the challenge of retaining staff in the laundry business as working
conditions mandated that it was hot and less than glamorous. This sometimes translated into higher
staff costs that were often transferred to their clients.
Delays and time difficulties
The washroom is central to the laundry’s operation but it is one of the most expensive areas
to run. It is essential that it is managed efficiently both to make sure that it meets production targets
and to control its costs. Each department in the laundry relies on the washroom to process its work
correctly, send it out in the right sequence and deliver it to the next department on time and ready for
processing. Failure to manage the work flow correctly will adversely affect both productivity and
costs. For example, if the washroom sends a constant flow of towels to the tumbler section and
neglects to send out any sheets, then the ironer operators and their machines will be kept waiting,
incurring costs without producing work.
Problem Solving: Process design
The process design used for each classification must be checked carefully to ensure optimum
production. Many modern laundries have passed the responsibility for designing wash processes to
their chemicals’ suppliers. Programming the PLC or the machine’s computerize controls can be
complex. Failure to maintain strict programming protocols can badly affect the wash process so it’s
best to leave the programming to the detergent company as it is likely to be more familiar with the
controls.
Stepped wash
However, a single “stepped” wash process will not only save time and money but will often
give a significantly better result as well as reducing the number of pieces sent for re-wash. A typical
washer-extractor two-stage wash will use 25 – 30litres of water per kg dry weight of work processed
– whereas a “stepped” wash process will reduce this by 4 – 5litres per kg. It will also save up to 30%
of the steam required, shorten the elapsed process time by 5minutes or more and reduce detergent
consumption by 25%. Hotel and hospital sheets, for example, are rarely more than lightly soiled.
They only need a single stepped wash process. The linen is processed at 39C for 3 – 4 minutes to
remove protein soiling, then without draining the machine, the temperature is raised to 71– 75C and
the line processed for a further 5 – 7 minutes to emulsify the oils and fats. This stepped process
shortens drain and refill times as well as reducing the time needed to reach the final temperature. The
water temperature now only needs raising from 39C to 71 – 75C whereas fresh incoming water will
only be at 15 – 18C.
Stress for the Housekeeping and Laundry staff
Stress is an integral part of all aspects of an individual's life. In the workplace, as in other
areas, stress can play a positive role by increasing alertness among staff and mobilizing their adaptive
capabilities. To some extent, therefore, a certain level of stress has the potential to actually contribute
to organizational effectiveness. However, stress can become counterproductive once excessive levels
of unresolved stress begin to affect the health and productivity of the workforce. Employers in any
setting therefore have both commercial and moral reasons for being sensitive to the incidence of
stress and developing management approaches for controlling it. This is particularly so in industries
such as the hotel industry, which are both labor intensive and dependent upon face to face contact
with guests in the delivery of services. This paper examines the sources of stress among front office
and housekeeping operational staff in four star international standard hotels on the Gold Coast
(Queensland, Australia) with a view to exploring the management implications of this phenomenon.
While the sample size and the context of the study limit our ability to generalize from survey results,
and indication of problems requiring adjustments in management approach is provided. In particular,
it appears that, while staff in both areas are susceptible to stress, front office staff are more vulnerable
owing to the nature of their duties and aspects of their background that make them more sensitive to
organizational deficiencies.
Problem Solving:
Stress can be solved. If you start on time and learn some exercises you will not get a burnout
or have to stop working because of diseases. If you feel stressed it is important to take care to solve it
in order to prevent your stress from getting worse. You really should take some action to solve your
stress.
- Step one to solve stress is an easy one. Maybe you are religious, ore you used to be
religious. Take your time for prayer. Praying is a way of becoming more relaxed and
letting go of your sorrows. But even if you are not religious, taking the posture of
someone who is praying is a good way to become more relaxed. Sit straight in a chair, if
you want you could also choose to sit on your knees. This keeps your back straight. Put
the palms of your hands together before you chest. Just sit like this and pay attention to
your breath. That's all. Doing this will help you to become restful and get in a better
balance. Because your hands are together in the middle of you body, the left and right
side of your body will become more balanced.
- Step two to solve your stress. When you sit like this, or just sit easy on a chair,
visualize a circle around you. Imagine that you are good and safe within that circle.
Nothing from the outside can bother you. Keep a smile on your face and feel safe.
- Step three to solve your stress. Sit on the same place and now move your head al little
to the front and to the back. Pay attention on how you feel.. When your head is in the
right place you will experience a happy feeling. Then you keep your head in that same
place, feeling happy
Operational Problem and Solving
Working in a fast pace environment needs to have standard procedure in order to operate a
business successfully. Presence of operational issues need to be addressed and solved immediately to
avoid further business losses, clients dissatisfaction and employees low morale. Business owners and
or managers should be on top of every issues that affect the smooth operation of the business.
Business owners, Corporations and Managers alike play an important role in the
effectiveness of this process. They should be able to invest and support the needed tools and expenses
in going through this process. Just like setting and adhering to company objectives where the
managers are held accountable to the owners or corporation, the supervisors are accountable to the
managers and rank and file staff are accountable to their supervisors etc.
To start this process a set of company employees should be selected to work as a team in
solving the issues. It will be helpful if not all members of the team are subjected to the particular
issues being worked on. This is to avoid assumption but rather gather information more on factual
events or interviews. Team coach will be updating the management and or owners regarding the
process. Team members of each issue will be working independently with a team coach and should be
given full support by the management/owners in the gathering of information or data. During the
interview, employees are allowed to voice out or say what they are actually experiecing on specific
issues being analyzed and avoid assumption on what could be causing the issues. When a person
assumes then the process fails because it lacks the facts or the truthness in what actually happens.
- The primary step in solving operational issues is to be able to pick-up the issues
affecting the operation of the business. It is vital that issues be worked on according to
its basic category such as; priority and important and important but not a priority. First
work on the important and priority then the important issues can be handled on a later
stage after one issue has been completed. There could be five or more issues that will
surface on the discussion but each issue should be worked on one at a time and if there
are two or more relevant issues, these can be joined and named as one issue. List of
issues should be communicated in writing to the Manager and update him on the issues
being worked on.
- Second step is to find out the root causes of the issue. The assigned team gathers
information to the affected work site or interview employees and search for possible root
causes of the problem. They should be able to list all these root causes where all the team
members can see, have discussion and eliminate root causes included on the list that are
not relevant to the issues. Time element in gathering of information as to the root cause
of the issues may differ from one issue to another depending on the process involved on
specific type of issues. There could be issues involving contact or approval of the
owners, the managers, suppliers etc wherein their availability for interview and
agreement with the process will be at their own disposal.
- The third step As the team proceed to the process and were able to complete the second
step, they then will start with the third step which is summarizing the gathered
information. Out of those information, they should be able to keep the relevant and
eliminate the irrelevant data. They should be able to note which data keeps coming up on
the list and be able to sequence them as to which data comes first, second, third and so
on according to its repetitiveness on the list. Based on the data gathered, team member
will then set a procedure that will solve the issue.
- The fourth step is to eliminate the obstacle in setting up the procedure involved in an
issue. Once a procedure has been created, it will then be discussed with the manager and
or the owner to eliminate obstacle/s for the successful implementation of the newly
created procedure. The procedure should be convincing and be able to solve the issue. If
the procedure gets the support and approval of the manager and or the owner, then the
team will be able to finalize the creation of the procedure.
- The fifth step is the implementation of the set procedure by the team members. Manager
and or owner should then meet with the employees concern with regards to the issue and
discussed the new set procedure to be followed in order to totally eliminate the
occurrence of specific operational problem. With the support of the upper
management/owner being highlighted with their presence, this will give a positive
impact on the discussion and implementation of the newly created procedure.
- The sixth step is to Review Set Procedure. In this stage, the team members will try to
review the effectiveness of the procedure and if there is/are changes that need/s to be
revised then it has to be communicated to all the person concern, re-implemented till it
works without flaws.
Failure to deliver promised service to customers
An outcome in a transaction where one of the counterparties in the transaction fails to meet
their respective obligations. When failure to deliver occurs, either the party with the long
position does not have enough money to pay for the transaction, or the party in the short position does
not own the underlying assets that are to be delivered. Failure to deliver can occur in both equity and
derivatives markets.
Whenever a trade is made, both parties in the transaction will have to transfer the cash
and assets before the settlement date. Subsequently, if the transaction is not settled, one side of the
transaction has failed to deliver. Failure to deliver also can occur if there is a technical problem in the
settlement process carried out by the respective clearing house. For forward contracts, a party with the
short position's failure to deliver can cause significant problems for the party with the long
position, because these contracts often involve significant volumes of commodities that are pertinent
to long position’s business operations.
Failure to deliver is also important when discussing naked short selling. When naked short
selling occurs an individual agrees to sell a stock that they neither own nor have borrowed.
Subsequently, the failure to deliver creates what are called "phantom shares" in the market which may
dilute the price of the underlying stock
Problem Solving
Laundry Management System we make the different application to manage the customer's
information and route schedule for laundry collection and delivery. Use your Face-book Login for
easy and quick registration
The age and condition of the equipment
Try to determine the age of the equipment. One way to do this is by looking over the exterior
for signs of rust or peeling paint. The controls can also be an indicator of when the piece was
manufactured. If the used laundry equipment seems to be an older model, take the condition of the
unit into consideration. In the event it appears to have been used infrequently, the model could still be
an excellent bargain.
Ask the dealer a little bit about the machine you are interested in. Try to find out how she
obtained the piece and what kind of condition it was in when it was received. Inquire as to whether it
was taken apart and thoroughly cleaned and if the belts were replaced, as doing these things could
help add to the life of the equipment.
The cost of delivery, set-up, and removal of old laundry machines can increase the cost of
buying equipment. Find out what the dealer charges for these things before you start looking at used
laundry equipment. Don't be afraid to negotiate these charges if you feel they are excessive. Doing so
could help you purchase a quality washer or dryer without spending a great deal of money.
The performance of the department over the past 5 years
Reduce Costs
Reduce costs does not mean only the reduction of specific expenses. You can achieve greater
profits through more efficient use of the expense dollar. Some of the ways you do this are by
increasing the average sale per customer, by effectively using display space and thereby increasing
sales volume per square foot, by getting a larger return for your advertising and sales promotion
dollar, and by improving your internal methods and procedures. Profit is in danger when good
merchandising and cost control do not go hand in hand. A big sales volume does not necessarily mean
a big profit, as one retailer, Carl Jones, learned.
Paying the right price
Your goal should be to pay the right price for prosperity. Determining that price for your
operation goes beyond knowing what your expenses are. Reducing expenses to increase profit
requires you to obtain the most efficient use of the expense dollar.
Analyze your expenses
Sometimes you cannot cut an increase item. But you can get more from it and thus increase
your profits. In analyzing your expenses, you should use percentages rather than actual dollar
amounts. On the other hand, if your sales volume remains the same, you can increase the percentage
of profit by reducing a specific item of expense. Your goal, of course, is to do both: to decrease
specific expenses and increase their productive worth at the same time. Before you can determine
whether cutting expenses will increase profits, you need information about your operation. This
information can be obtained only if you have an adequate recordkeeping system. Such records will
provide the figures to prepare a profit and loss statement (preferably monthly for most retail
businesses), a budget, break-even calculations, and evaluations of your operating ratios compared
with those of similar types of business.
Break-even
A useful method for making expense comparisons is break-even analysis. Break-even is the
point at which gross profit equals expenses. In a business year, it is the time at which your sales
volume has become sufficient to enable your over-all operation to start showing a profit. Once your
sales volume reached the break-even point, your fixed expenses are covered. Beyond the break-even
point, every dollar of sales should earn you an equivalent additional profit percentage. It is important
to remember that once sales pass the break-even point, the fixed expenses percentage goes down as
the sales volume goes up. Also the operating profit percentage increases at the same rate as the
percentage rate for fixed expenses decreases - provided, of course, that variable expenses are kept in
line.
Locating Reducible Expenses
Your profit and loss (or income) statement provides a summary of expense information and
is the focal point in locating expenses that can be cut. Therefore, the information should be as current
as possible. As a report of what has already been spent, a P and L statement alerts you to expense
items that bear watching in the present business period. If you get a P and L statement only at the end
of the year, you should consider having one prepared more often. At the end of each quarter might be
often enough for some firms. Ideally, you can get the most recent information from a monthly P and
L.
The time elapsed since the decisions regarding purchase of equipment versus contracting or
leasing were made
Just like the auto industry, laundry equipment sellers often provide in-house financing or
leasing options to the potential buyers. There are also independent companies that will finance or
lease washers and dryers if they specialize in this market.
In the coin laundry business, there can be very little difference between buying and leasing
the machines, or there can be a big difference. It depends a lot on the terms of the lease contract.
A laundry equipment lease structured with a minimal buyout at the end of the term is similar in cost
to a purchase with financing. However, read the contract to make sure the buyout price is not a large
balloon payment at the end of the lease term. You would need to reserve funds to cover this cost
during the lease should this be the condition. Also watch for lease terms where the rate increases in
future years because the rate shown to you may only a short term teaser rate.
Leasing the equipment may cover the maintenance cost as well, compared to an outright
purchase where you the owner of the equipment pay for all the maintenance costs in addition to the
purchase price.
7 Advantages to Leasing Equipment for Your Cleaning Business
All small businesses need equipment and your cleaning business is no exception. But you
don’t necessarily have to buy the equipment to run your cleaning business successfully. Depending
on your circumstances, leasing may be a better choice than buying every piece of equipment you need
for your cleaning business.
1. Leasing is flexible. As your business grows your needs may change. Leasing allows you to
add or upgrade equipment. Lease terms vary from 12 months to 60 months. You may even be able to
upgrade your equipment during the original lease period.
2. Capital conservation. In today financial environment, you can lease equipment with little
or even no money down. If you have to borrow money to buy a piece of equipment you may have to
put money down that you could have used in other areas of your business, such as marketing or
wages. Leases generally require little or no down payment so it is likely you may be able to get more
equipment or higher quality equipment than you could by buying.
3. Fixed predictable payments. When structuring the payments of a lease, look for fixed,
monthly payments. This will protect you against rising interest rates and help you to project your cash
flow outlays.
4. Leasing is cost-effective. Equipment in itself is costly and can also incur unexpected
breakdown or repair costs. Most leased equipment is maintained and repaired by the owner of the
equipment.
5. Tax advantages. Operating leases are generally 100 percent tax deductible as a business
expense and are paid out of pre-tax earnings instead of after-tax profits.
6. Not having to deal with obsolete equipment. In today business society, manufacturers
constantly upgrade equipment and add new features. By leasing you can always be using the most upto-date equipment. You also are relieved of the problem of getting rid of an outdated piece of
equipment.
7. Convenience. Applying for a lease is generally easier than applying for a loan. Loans
generally require large amounts of paperwork and copies of financial reports or tax returns. A lease
agreement typically involves a brief application form and may not require supporting financial
documents.
The age and condition of the current linen stock-on-hand
To use the computer to store data in the preparation of stock fabric. Our linen Tracker custom
linen management system gives laundry professionals the tools to control costs and manage their
linen budgets by tracking and analyzing linen usage and establishing inventory and par level
requirements.
Identifying and tracking linen use is the first step in managing your linen program and
reducing your linen costs. Tracker will help you keep your linen inventory at the appropriate levels by
tracking the linen use of each department. Our system will also improve your order accuracy by
eliminating the guesswork in setting proper stocking par levels. Linen Tracker also simplifies the job
of overall linen management, by comparing actual linen usage with the total inventory and
establishing linen ordering budgets. The linen Tracker system also provides a great selection of
standard, easy to read linen reports as well as user established custom reporting including graphing
for both inventory and linen usage data.
Stock your linen closet with adequate bathroom linens. The minimum items that should be
included are: two bath mats per bathroom, two washcloths per person, four hand towels per person,
and four bath towels per person. If someone in your family washes his face frequently, or if there is a
baby in the household, you should have at least five washcloths per person in the house.
Make sure that you purchase enough linens to outfit each bed in the house. The minimum
that you should have for every bed is two sets of sheets and pillowcases, two blankets and two
bedspreads. Mattress pads are another item you might want to include in your linen closet.
Purchase enough kitchen linens so that you will not run low. The kitchen is one of the areas
of the house that needs to be cleaned often. Thus, its best to purchase more than you think that you
will need. The recommended kitchen linens to have is six dish towels, six hand towels, and six cloths
for drying dishes. If you do not use paper towels, you should purchase a minimum of nine hand
towels.
Take special occasions into consideration when stocking a linen closet with dining room
supplies. There should be an area for everyday linens and one for special occasions and holidays.
Purchase a minimum of 12 cloth napkins, two everyday tablecloths, and four tablecloths for holidays
or special occasions. Designate exactly what will be kept on each shelf. If possible, label each area.
Keep heavily used items in areas with easy access. Items that are used less often or that are
used seasonally can be kept on higher shelves or in less visible areas.
The size of the laundry payroll
Problems with High Utility Bills One of the highest costs associated with running a
laundromat is utilities. That includes electric, gas and water bills. At many laundromats, lights stay on
for 24 hours. The washers and dryers use gas (for hot water), electricity and water. The owner also
has to provide heat or air conditioning for patrons. Utility costs can be as much as 30 percent of the
gross income, although energy-efficient machines can trim this to 15 percent to 25 percent. If the
laundromat owner gets overwhelmed with high utility bills and cannot pay, he is at the mercy of the
electric and water company. If utilities are shut off and he cannot bring the accounts current in time,
the laundry business is doomed.
The business risk caused by machine breakdown
The result of even a single machinery breakdown in an industry has a huge impact on the
production process and the business as a whole. Not to mention tangible costs such as that for
machinery replacements, the industry faces intangible expenses like the loss of a client, customer
dissatisfaction etc.
According to the Coin Laundry Association, a coin operated laundromat can bring in
anywhere between $15,000to$200,000 a year. There are over 35,000 of these owner-operator
businesses in the United States. When you run a laundry business, there are many benefits, such as a
consistent cash income without the need for direct contact with customers. There are also significant
risks, which are detailed here.
- Problems With High Utility Bills One of the highest costs associated with running a
laundromat is utilities. That includes electric, gas and water bills. At many laundromats,
lights stay on for 24 hours. The washers and dryers use gas (for hot water), electricity
and water. The owner also has to provide heat or air conditioning for patrons. Utility
costs can be as much as 30 percent of the gross income, although energy-efficient
machines can trim this to 15 percent to 25 percent. If the laundromat owner gets
overwhelmed with high utility bills and cannot pay, he is at the mercy of the electric and
water company. If utilities are shut off and he cannot bring the accounts current in time,
the laundry business is doomed.
- Unexpected Events The laundromat owner is also vulnerable to problems with public
utility companies that are out of his control. There is always the risk of water-main
breaks and unforeseen power outages that could put the business out of commission for
hours or even days.
- Machine Issues Another high cost is the machine maintenance. Since laundromat
owners do not always monitor every washing machine or dryer at all times, there is the
risk of misuse of the machines by patrons. For example, if a customer ignores warnings
not to put a large comforter in a small machine, the equipment could break down. The
repair cost must be paid by the owner out of pocket.
- Disputes A laundromat owner may have to deal with disputes between customers. One
common problem arises when a patron leaves his clothes in a washer or dryer for too
long, and another patron removes the clothes on his behalf. There may also be arguments
over stolen clothing or property that the laundry business owner may have to resolve.
- Handling Cash Because a laundromat is a cash-driven business, the owner has to handle
and transport a lot of cash (mostly quarters) to and from the bank. Unlike a retail store,
there are no credit card sales that can be deposited directly to a bank account. So the
owner is at risk of having a large amount of cash stolen from the business unless he
implements tight security and money-handling procedures.
Task Three:
Write a short report covering the following points:
The pros and cons for each shortage management strategy are stated to better assist you in
your assessment of your organization needs both in the short-term and long-term.
(1) Recruiting New Permanent Employees. The pro of this strategy is the creativity and prior
experience new employees bring along with them that if channeled properly can aid the business
strategy. The con is the amount of time and resource necessary to assimilate, train and bring them up
to speed with company operations.
(2) Offering Incentives to Postpone Retirement. This strategy has the pro of keeping around
those veteran and highly experienced workers who are familiar with the organization and know their
jobs inside and out. Such employees would better be able to handle any additional workloads caused
by shortages than their newer, younger counterparts. The con would be if the incentives did not work
and many of the veteran employees retired anyway, thus leaving the organization in the predicament
of finding another strategy to elicit skilled and experienced workers to aid the organization through its
dilemma.
(3) Rehiring Retirees Part-Time. The pro is that this shortage management strategy enables
you to keep around your talent and use it more efficiently to aid the organization in critical areas of
need. The con would be possible strife cause between the older and younger employees based on ego
and perceived power (policies and procedures) or simply having to work together.
(4) Attempts to Reduce Turnover. The pro consists of building loyal and committed
employees as a direct result of the organization’s efforts to value employees. Such attempts to reduce
turnover may consist of offering increased benefits, training, and/or job enrichment techniques. The
con would be the added expense of these attempts that stems from the time and resources necessary to
incorporate them.
(5) Work the Current Staff Overtime. To manage shortages this particular way, the pro of this
strategy would be the immediately available workers to render any tasks complete. The additional
benefit would be directed to the employees in the form of overtime pay. The con would be the
burden employees would have to endure, specifically an increased workload, longer workdays, and
coping with the stress and related ailments that go along with it.
(6) Subcontracting Work. The pro embodies getting short-term professional third parties to
fill any void and complete any projects at possible lower costs than performing them in-house. The
con would be the organization possibly being caught up in being a dual employer and associated
ramifications, as well as relying on a third party to meet organizational needs.
(7) Hiring Temporary Employees. Implementing this strategy to deal with shortages has a pro
of maintaining staffing flexibility, evaluating workers without commitment, and saving time and
money. An example is seasonal employees who are hired for the holidays and let go thereafter. The
con is meeting possible training needs, and dealing with any morale and safety issues that may come
about as a result of temporary and permanent employees working together.
(8) Redesigning Job Processes. This strategy attempts to limit the number of employees that
are needed. The pro is that it obtains and maintains an efficient workforce while meeting productivity
goals. The con would the time and effort necessary to conduct such job redesigning and the resulting
inflexible workforce to tackle any future change.
How can Rosanne or her staff work smarter rather than longer
No, didn’t work smarter, because her staff never assign to Rosanne before she has got day off
therefore Rosanne with not no everything in her staff responsibility. Rosanne could not confront in a
terrific trouble she didn’t manage well as well as she didn’t know many problems background . She
got angry and confused when the customers complained with her responsible field she took them for
giant that she never got this problem before. Therefore Rosanne and her staffs never smarter.
Your advice on how to handle the staff shortage
Should have resolved the problem of shortage of personnel with the following:
- Offering Incentives to Postpone Retirement: This strategy has the pro of keeping
around those veteran and highly experienced workers who are familiar with the
organization and know their jobs inside and out. Such employees would better be able to
handle any additional workloads caused by shortages than their newer, younger
counterparts. The con would be if the incentives did not work and many of the veteran
employees retired anyway, thus leaving the organization in the predicament of finding
another strategy to elicit skilled and experienced workers to aid the organization through
its dilemma.
- Rehiring Retirees Part-Time: The pro is that this shortage management strategy
enables you to keep around your talent and use it more efficiently to aid the organization
in critical areas of need. The con would be possible strife cause between the older and
younger employees based on ego and perceived power (policies and procedures) or
simply having to work together.
- Work the Current Staff Overtime: To manage shortages this particular way, the pro of
this strategy would be the immediately available workers to render any tasks
complete. The additional benefit would be directed to the employees in the form of
overtime pay. The con would be the burden employees would have to endure,
specifically an increased workload, longer workdays, and coping with the stress and
related ailments that go along with it.
How complaints could be reduced or resolved before reaching the General Manager
She had to prepare to explain her General Manager as follows:
Job responsibilities: she has to write job responsibilities as she act on housekeeping
manager to explain obviously which job is the first priority and so on. The general manager will
recognize and clearly understand in her duty that she handle the job confused.
Job assignment: her staff has never told the new assignment to boss before she had left. So
she could not handle the double job on location.
If you were Rosanne, what would you say to the General Manager or ask of them
If I were Rosanne, I would explain the General Manager by showing the report that I have
done during the staff day off. I have been in charge with my job assignment in area, anyway the
general manager never sent the casual staff to support more workplace to handle the busy job station.
If you were Rosanne, how would you handle your staff
If I were Rosanne, I would assign the new staff to handle more jobs instead of her staff and I
would give them in incentives. I would make the temporary roster during one staff day off.
How to handle the staffs:
Maslow's hierarchy of needs principle and Herzberg's theory of motivation-dissatisfiers have
always been a part of business lessons. What creates a motivated employee? How does a business
system or an employer recognize and reward their staff for jobs well done, at the same time making
them fulfilled to stay on being loyal and motivated to the company?
- Money as Motivator. A major motivator is the employee salary. Aside from cash, it
includes cash, bonuses, fringe benefits, etc. In general, this is out of direct control of the
manager. In any case, the performance management report should be used to the fullest.
The staff should be advised that remuneration is directly related to performance.
- Employee Recognition and Rewards. These include status, praise, recognition,
freedom in decision making, fun at work and corporate social contact. Any action related
to ego boosters should be visible to others for it to be effective.
- Giving Employee Task Control. These are issues such as objectives, planning,
responsibility, quality, competition, challenge and accountability. Initially, objectives
should be set for tasks that provide a challenge, for example, reduce cost or increase
quality. Motivation may be increased when a staff member is given greater control over
tasks. Managers should also provide for task variety, within the capabilities of the staff.
- Staff Career Development. This is an important motivator that includes areas as career
path, job security, training, personal development, sense of belonging and actual
promotion. Among others, the staff should be advised of job movements within the
organization so that they are aware of opportunities. The manager should perform some
strategic staff planning. Results may not be provided to the staff but they should be
aware that it exists, along with implications.