8
Supervising in a Changing Environment

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

• Identify legal issues that impact first-line supervisors.

• Explain your role in supervising a diverse workforce.

• Explain the concepts of virtual work and distance management.

• Describe the first-line supervisor’s role in managing change.

The speed of change in today’s world is amazing. New technologies designed to make our work and personal lives easier and more productive seem to be introduced almost daily. At least that’s what we’re told. For some, these constant changes create more stress and some become less productive because they have so many things to do they can’t seem to get any one of them done. Some people long for the good old days, when getting something delivered overnight was fast enough. Now we need that e-mail attachment or downloadable file immediately, because tomorrow is too late. As a first-line supervisor you are likely to find that patience among those you work for and with is an old-fashioned virtue. People want it yesterday and oftentimes they don’t seem to care how you get it done as long as you meet their deadline.

This chapter deals with some of the changes in the work environment that affect the way you do your job. Because of the constant nature of change you won’t find a lot of definitive answers, but you will find some guidelines that should help you supervise in a changing environment.

LEGAL ISSUES FOR FIRST-LINE SUPERVISORS

Rich had a dentist appointment the first thing Tuesday morning. While he was in the waiting area, he checked his office e-mail and found a message from Kasandra, the company’s director of human resources. She had just received a call from an attorney who represented Shelia Lewis, whom Rich had terminated two weeks ago for not meeting his expectations. The attorney said they were considering filing a lawsuit charging Rich and the company with “constructive discharge.” Kasandra wanted to know what Rich did to Shelia. He wasn’t sure how to respond because he had never heard the term before. How about you? Do you know what it is? If not, you’re probably not alone. It’s another example of the changes taking place in today’s work environment.

Constructive discharge is a legal concept that employees sometimes use to sue their former employers. They claim that conditions at work had become so intolerable that any reasonable person would have quit. It doesn’t matter whether you fired her or she eventually quit. If the court rules the circumstances a constructive discharge, you’re just as liable. Such things as moving a person to an undesirable work area, giving them undesirable tasks, or making them work at undesirable times could all come under scrutiny. This is just one example of the many changes that you may have to deal with as a first-line supervisor. Though you don’t have to have a law degree, you do need to have some awareness of the laws that impact you and some techniques to protect yourself and your company.

Government Laws and Organization Policies

Hundreds of federal laws pertain to employee rights. They are designed to prevent discrimination and ensure equal employment opportunity. Exhibit 8–1 shows just a few of the most important laws that impact the workplace. Many cities and states have laws that are more comprehensive and restrictive than federal legislation. These laws vary by state. If your organization has a legal department or retains legal counsel, check with them regarding legislation that affects you. If you don’t have access to legal resources, the Department of Labor (at the federal level and in many states as well) can provide assistance.

Most organizations also have their own policies and procedures tied to these federal and state laws. One of the best things you can do is to become familiar with the expectations of your organization. Generally, if you comply with your organization’s policies you should be in compliance with any similar federal and state requirements. As a first-line supervisor you also need to be sure your employees are knowledgeable because their actions, good and bad, reflect back on you.

Another important consideration for many organizations is safety. Companies must adhere to numerous environmental and occupational laws. Some companies have a safety director or risk management department that formulates policies and procedures. Again, it is your responsibility to understand these policies and ensure your employees follow them.

Avoiding Legal Action

In sports they often say that the best offense is a good defense. In the legal arena that is definitely the case. But don’t just think in terms of avoidance or being on the defensive. In many cases the laws with which you have to comply were passed because organizations didn’t treat people right in the first place. Organizations that treat people right because it is the right thing to do typically have few legal issues to deal with. Their actions are based on what is a fair and equitable way to treat their employees.

Here are some practices to help you prevent the need for others to take legal action. If they do, however, these practices will also prove valuable.

• Document your actions. Make sure you document your interactions with employees. Good records are helpful in discussing employee performance. They are also valuable should you be faced with a prospective day in court.

• Train your employees. The best way to make sure employees know what is expected is to train them to do their jobs. Organizations that fail to train open themselves up to problems when they fire employees for non-performance. Be sure you document the training as well.

• Treat people consistently. Do your best to treat everyone the same. The more consistent you are, the less likely you are to have problems.

• Don’t say bad things about ex-employees. When a person leaves for whatever reason, make it a point to say only good things, or to say nothing at all. Negative comments to others always seem to work their way back to the person being talked about.

• Rate people fairly. When doing performance evaluations make sure your ratings are fair and equitable. Don’t give people ratings that are higher or lower than they deserve. In the event of legal action about how you rated one person you may be asked to explain how you rated others.

• Consult with Human Resources. Don’t try and do everything on your own. Talk to your HR department about situations you are unsure about how to handle. If you don’t have such a department, consult legal counsel.

Exercise 1: Legal Issues Scavenger Hunt

INSTRUCTIONS: This activity will help you learn about how your organization addresses the more common legal issues. For each item, identify the source of information and then set aside time to review the information.

SUPERVISING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE

Diversity comes in many forms—the most obvious is in people. The federal government’s Workforce 2000 study found that today’s workforce is no longer the province of white males. In fact, white males make up only 43 percent of the workforce and by 2005 the study projected that white males would represent less than 15 percent of those entering the workforce. Though they still represent a sizeable number of those in supervisory positions, women and other so-called minorities, such as Afro-Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics, are becoming more evident in leadership roles in many organizations.

At PepsiCo, CEO Steve Reinemund has said that if the company is to achieve its goals it has to replicate within the organization the demographics of its consumers. That means making a commitment to increasing the ethnic and cultural diversity of its senior management team. For all organizations there will likely be a continuing increase in the diversity of both their total workforce and those in supervisory positions. Successful organizations look at this as a beneficial trend and use it to their advantage.

Your Role in Supervising Diversity

Diversity means more than just the color of one’s skin, race, or gender. There is also diversity that comes with differences in age, assertiveness, personality type, disabilities, and even in the way people process information and ideas. How you handle each type of diversity and possible resulting situations depends on the circumstances. Though it is impossible to address all those variables in this course, here are some general guidelines for supervising a diverse workforce.

Be a Role Model

You can’t just pay lip service to diversity; you have to walk the talk. This means speaking up when people say negative things about others. If you remain silent when someone disparages another person or group, your silence is interpreted as agreement. Being a role model also means confronting incidents that run counter to diversity. You have to let people know that their actions are both counterproductive and unacceptable. Your employees, peers, and upper management should be able to tell by both your words and your actions that you place a value on diversity.

Understand and Respect Individual Differences

Not everyone sees things the way you do. That doesn’t make them wrong, only different. As a newspaper editor once told me, “If we both agree on everything, there’s not a need for both of us.” Be willing to accept that others view things differently than you do. Don’t automatically try to win someone over to your point of view. Sometimes the best course of action is to agree to disagree.

Learn How Others Want to Be Treated

Don’t assume that your way is the right way. If you are unsure of how a person pronounces her name or whether she wants to go by a nickname, ask. Some people, depending on cultural differences, may not want a real pat on the back or react negatively to verbal praise in public. Have empathy for the other person. Put yourself in his or her shoes and think about how you feel when someone treats you differently than you want to be treated. Find out how people want to be treated and do your best to treat them that way.

Take a Stand

This is the flip side of the above. Let people know how you want to be treated. Don’t be afraid to speak up if someone else’s words or actions offend you. Even if someone says something that isn’t directed at you personally, but it offends you, tell him or her your point of view. Also, if someone tells you that something you said or did offended him, don’t get defensive or angry. Be glad the person was willing to share and then make sure you correct the situation in the future. Honesty and openness goes a long way in creating an environment where people respect and value each other’s diversity.

Be Open to Differences

Diversity of people naturally leads to diversity of thought and perspective. Situations and problems that once seemed to have clear-cut answers are now being challenged by people with different points of view. Many people are more willing to share their own insights than before. The best supervisors openly solicit these more diverse viewpoints because they realize that they are able to make better-informed decisions. If you ignore the diverse viewpoints of your employees, you do so at your own peril.

Developing Yourself for Diversity

The guidelines in the previous section can be applied to different types of situations that you face as a supervisor. There are also several things that you can do personally to develop your own appreciation and understanding of diversity in your organization. Exhibit 8–2 provides some examples. There is also room for you to add your own ideas. The more you learn and the more you know, the better able you will be to value the diversity that affects your both your work life and your personal life.

Exercise 2: Analyze the Diversity of Your Organization

INSTRUCTIONS: Answer the questions below to analyze the diversity of your organization and your work team.

Look back at the items you answered “no” and list some things you might do as a first-line supervisor to make changes.

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

THE DISTANCE MANAGER AND VIRTUAL WORK

Roberto had been a salesperson for his company’s line of office products for the past five years. His wife was recently offered a promotion with her company that would require them to relocate within the state, but about 250 miles from their current location. Rob liked working for his company and didn’t want to resign. He had heard about people working out of virtual offices and working at remote locations. He also knew a couple of salespeople at other companies who were working from their homes instead of at the company’s headquarters. He decided to talk to his supervisor, Karissa, to see if she would buy into the idea. She too had heard about the concept and said she had been thinking about giving it a try. They both agreed that maybe this would be a good time to test the concept. Little did Karissa or Roberto know what was waiting for them as they embarked on this new effort.

How is being a distance manager different from what you do currently? It has been described this way: “In some ways being a distance manager is like trying to be a leader with your hands tied behind your back while you’re wearing a paper bag over your head” (Fisher and Fisher, 2001). Although this may be somewhat of an exaggeration, it is certain that being a distance manager is not the same thing as being a manager where everyone who works for you is on-site with you, or “co-located” to use the distance management terminology.

The purpose of this section is to introduce you to some of the concepts and considerations that you should be familiar with regarding distance management and virtual work. The ultimate decision about using these concepts will most likely be made by those in higher management positions. Being aware of some of the basics, however, can help prepare you in the event your organization chooses to organize some or all of its work in this manner.

What, Why, and When of Distance Management and Virtual Work

A distance manager is someone who is responsible for managing people who are not located at the same place at the same time. One example would be a sales manager who works at the company headquarters and has a staff of salespeople who work out of separate offices located in different cities. Or it could be project manager who is coordinating the work of several people, some of whom may not even be employees of the company, who are located in various places around the country. The possibilities are almost limitless.

Virtual work is what the people who are located away from the manager, do. People are able to work virtually thanks to e-mail, fax machines, laptops, Internet access, cell phones, Web or video conferencing, networks, and the continually emerging technologies that allow people to “connect” with each other regardless of where they are located.

It has been estimated that 95 percent of the Fortune 1000 companies have implemented virtual work (Hoefling, 2003), often in the form of telecommuting. More and more companies are moving in this direction. Some of the primary reasons are:

• Reduced Overhead. Companies can often save money by having people work from home or in office space that is less expensive than building or moving to large office space. There is also a potential for savings in travel costs because people can hook up for such things as Web conferences rather than traveling to a face-to-face meeting.

• Reduced Labor Costs. Some organizations make use of contract employees who are not included in benefit programs and other types of compensation, such as bonuses, that are given to regular employees.

• More Productive Employees. Studies have shown that people actually can get more done in less time when they have more control over their working environment. There are fewer interruptions and distractions than in a typical workplace.

• Recruiting and Retention. Roberto’s situation described at the beginning of this section is becoming more commonplace. Organizations want to keep valuable, experienced employees and not lose them because a spouse has to relocate. Virtual work also allows people more choices in terms of work/life balance that is so important in today’s society.

• Getting Closer to the Customer. Having people working at remote locations also allows more frequent personal contact with customers. Oftentimes people who are located off-site can get to their customers quicker than if they had to travel from the home office.

The uses of distance management and virtual work are limited only by the imagination. Opportunities abound for organizations that are willing to make the leap away from the traditional ways that work has been organized. But to be successful, it requires more than just a few people who are willing to give it a try. Perhaps the most important factor is the culture of an organization. The way an organization views and values such things as independence, control, collaboration, and worker competence affects the success of virtual work. In other words, the organization can’t just talk about it—it has to support the concept with action. If you become involved in the process you have to be willing to make the commitment and follow through to see that it works. It is also critical that workers receive the resources, training, and support they need to be successful in their new roles.

Being a Successful Distance Manager

The good news is that the competencies required to be a successful distance manager are the same as those required of all effective managers. Here are the seven competencies (Fisher and Fisher, 2001) that are needed:

1. Articulate a vision for the organization.

2. Get good results.

3. Actively facilitate and develop team members.

4. Aggressively eliminate barriers to team effectiveness.

5. Understand and communicate business and customer needs.

6. Effectively coach individuals and teams.

7. Set a personal example.

All of these have been discussed in detail elsewhere in this course. The bad news is that they are often more difficult to do from a distance. When you don’t see people face-to-face, the interpersonal exchanges become much harder. For example, coaching someone when you can’t see his or her body language or make direct eye contact becomes even more difficult. Conversely, think how tough it can be to set a personal example when people can’t see you. As a first-line supervisor there is a tendency to want to control what people are doing. The distance manager, on the other hand, has to teach people to control themselves because he or she can’t be there to exert day-to-day control.

If you find yourself becoming a distance manager be sure you ask for and receive some training specifically geared to your new responsibilities. Find out what is expected of you and your virtual employees. You can use the skills you have learned in this course as your base, but you need to learn to apply them in your new environment.

Being a Successful Virtual Worker

Not everyone is cut out to be a virtual worker. Some people start out liking it, but find that they miss such things as the social aspects or working with others. In the end, they want to go back to a regular work setting. Other people thrive in an environment where they have more control over when they work, how they work, and the way they dress for work. Let’s look at some of the things to consider if you are called upon to select people to work at remote locations.

• Technical Competence. People have to be comfortable working with technology. They have to have a good understanding of computer hardware and software. They have to know how to use e-mail, download files, share files, access networks. Although they don’t have to be technology gurus, they have to know enough so that the supervisor doesn’t have to spend an inordinate amount time solving technical problems.

• Communication Skills. With less face-to-face communication and more oneway communication, people must be able to express themselves clearly. They also have to be good listeners as they are often on the receiving end of communication that cannot be repeated without slowing down others in the virtual loop.

• Good Judgment. People working independently have to make many decisions on their own. They often won’t have the time or the opportunity to check with someone else—instead they have to rely on what they think is best. Making the wrong decisions not only affects that person’s work, but also can have a significant impact on the work of others.

• Time Management and Organization. Virtual workers must coordinate activities with others and have the self-discipline and self-motivation to get their own work done. They have to be able to organize their workspace and find things when needed. They have to get themselves to work on time and make sure they maintain their productivity during the day.

• Being Comfortable Working in Isolation. Water cooler conversations, coffee breaks with colleagues, lunch with other employees, and regular social contacts are nonexistent for the virtual worker. Some workers find such isolation their greatest obstacle. The missing social aspect of work leads to lower productivity and unhappiness on the job.

• Willingness to Be Accountable for Results. Virtual workers don’t have anyone else to “blame” when something goes wrong. They have to accept responsibility for their decisions. They can’t have a “victim” mentality. Effective virtual workers like to take the initiative to get things done rather than waiting for someone else to do something.

• Being Adaptable and Flexible. Change in the virtual world is a certainty. A willingness to embrace new technology, new demands, and new ways of doing things is critical. What worked today may not work tomorrow. Someone may want to try something different next week to see how it works. Plans and schedules can change with little notice. People who want structure and continuity have trouble adapting to virtual work.

Organization Success Factors

No matter how skilled you are as a distance supervisor or how carefully you select virtual workers, several factors determine whether your organization is likely to succeed in adopting this style of work. Exhibit 8–3 lists some of the dos and don’ts for organizations that are considering using distance managers and virtual work. Although you may not have a great deal to say about some of these things, being aware of them enables you to ask pertinent questions and helps you ensure your organization focuses on the right things.

Exercise 3: Will It Work Here?

INSTRUCTIONS: Take a moment to think about what you just read. Also consider your own knowledge and experience with virtual work. Answer the questions that follow to give yourself some perspective on how you view these important considerations:

Would you like to be distance manger? If yes, what will it take to prepare you to succeed?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Would you like to be a virtual worker? If yes, explain why.

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Who are some people you think would make good virtual workers?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

How many virtual workers does your organization have now?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

What do they do?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

How many virtual workers are planned for in the future?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

What will they do?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

What changes, if any, does your organization need to make to be more successful with its virtual work efforts?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

MANAGING CHANGE

In today’s fast-paced world, change is continual. No sooner is one change made than another one comes along to take its place. And sometimes multiple changes are thrust on you all at once. As a first-line supervisor you may have only limited control over the number and type of changes you face. Many changes are likely to be decided higher up the management ladder, and your job is to see that the changes are implemented. It’s important then that you understand a little bit about the nature of change and your role and responsibilities in implementing change.

Stages of Change

Most people don’t like change. They get comfortable with the way things are, and they like the predictability. Even when we know the change is for the better, we still tend to resist. Given the choice between doing something again like we did it yesterday or changing the procedure, most opt for doing the familiar—even if logic tells us otherwise. Experts who have studied the change process have identified several stages that people go through when faced with change. Although they may disagree on what they call the individual stages, there is general agreement on four stages, which we’ll refer to as:

1. Denial

2. Resistance

3. Adjustment

4. Involvement

Denial

When a major change is announced, the first reaction is often numbness. People hear it, but they don’t accept it. They don’t believe it will really happen. They may even seem apathetic to the whole idea, as if ignoring it will make it go away. You get a new boss, and your initial reaction may be, “I won’t change, so it really won’t make any difference. I’ll just keep on doing what I’m doing.” During the denial stage, we often pretend the change won’t affect us unless we let it. Or, if the change does happen, it will be over real soon.

Resistance

Once people realize the change is going to happen, their feelings most likely change to anger, anxiety, frustration, self-doubt, or uncertainty. During this time, people may become negative in what they say. People who are normally happy at work, now find things that make them unhappy. Morale drops, along with productivity, as people realize the change is really going to happen. They may begin to lose sleep, withdraw into themselves, or even try to think of ways to combat the change. This is usually the low point for most people as they evaluate the situation and try to decide what to do.

Adjustment

Once they accept the change, people begin to make adjustments to what they believe the future will be. They begin to start thinking about what might happen and how they can have an impact. A lot of ideas may be generated, and some enthusiasm for the change may be evident. At the same time, there is often a lack of focus. Chaos may even result because people try to think of every possible scenario and how they should respond. Frustration can result when people realize they have lots to do, but aren’t really sure where to start.

Involvement

As the first three stages wind up and things begin to become clearer, people are willing to embrace the change. They find ways to make a contribution and a commitment to the change. They begin to have a sense of satisfaction with the change. Not only do they like the change, they may even wonder what all the fuss was about when they first heard about the change. You know that the change has been accepted when people seem to be satisfied with way things are working and they feel like part of a team.

Managing Change as a First-Line Supervisor

As mentioned earlier, your primary role is to implement changes someone else in the organization has deemed appropriate. Initially, you will probably experience, to one degree or another, each of the four stages of change. Going through the change mentally yourself, while at the same time having to lead its implementation in your work group, can be extremely challenging. Before you throw yourself into the change management process, you may want to read some other books and articles on the subject. One source of useful information is the AMA Self-Study course, Planning and Managing Change by Vivette Payne.

Exhibit 8–4 provides a very basic description of your role in managing change. It is similar, but not identical, to what you find in other texts on the subject. Consider it as a starting place as you begin to assume responsibility for managing change within your organization.

Exercise 4: Thinking About Change

INSTRUCTIONS: Take a moment now to think about an upcoming change that you have to help implement. Answer the questions below to help you with your planning:

What upcoming change will directly affect you and your work team?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

What can you do to prepare for the change?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

What can you do to execute the change?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

What can you do to follow up after the change?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

This chapter began with a discussion of legal issues that can impact a first-line supervisor. You learned about some of the federal laws that specify what you can and cannot do. You were encouraged to become familiar with the expectations of your organization by learning its policies and procedures. You were also given several practices that can help you prevent the need for others to take legal action.

Then, you learned about the value and benefits of having a diverse workforce. You were given several guidelines for supervising a diverse workforce as well as some suggestions of things you can do to develop your own diversity awareness.

You were introduced the concepts of being a distance manager and virtual work. You learned that although the competencies are similar to those of first-line supervisors, distance managers have to approach their responsibilities differently. Some of the considerations for selecting virtual workers were discussed along with some of the factors that can affect an organization’s success when implementing virtual work.

Finally, we looked at managing change. You learned that when people experience a change, they typically go through four stages: denial, resistance, adjustment, and involvement. Their actions and reactions vary depending on which stage they are experiencing. You also looked at a process a first-line supervisor can use for managing change and applied that to a current situation.

Exercise 5: Taking It Back to the Workplace

INSTRUCTIONS: Now that you have completed the reading and the activities in this chapter, it’s time to think specifically about how to apply what you have learned. The following questions are designed to help you consider what you need to do to succeed back in the workplace.

What, if any, legal issues do you need to address?

Do you know whom to consult if you have a legal question?

How do you interact with those who are different from you?

How much value do you place on diversity?

What opportunities are there for virtual work in your organization?

How will distance management and virtual work affect you in the next six months? In the next twelve months?

What change initiatives are coming up?

What have you done to prepare for the change?