Supervision and Training

Hans van Wees

Johannes.vanwees@jsc.edu

Purpose

What is biggest challenge for managers and supervisors?

Finding and Retaining Employees

Turnover:

Problems to the company

What are the causes? Is it that we can’t find good people or is it our

leadership?

Course Outline

Mondays 4:00PM – 6:45PM

Martinetti Hall, room 225

Readings: Book

“Supervision in the Hospitality Industry – Leading Human Resources”

• Sixth Edition• ISBN 978-0-470-07783-2• John R. Walker and Jack E. Miller

Readings: Articles

• Will be handed out in class for reading prior to next class. Students will also be asked to select and research at least three related articles themselves over the course of the program and provide a summary of the article, in writing covering: how does the article relate to the course, what did you learn (two or three key points of the article), how will it apply to your future job.

Case Studies

• Source:book, current events and actual hotel situations.

• Case studies will require research and will provide a good practical application tool.

• Written report• presentations in class.

Guest Speakers

Provide “real life” perspective

Who: HR Professional and Department Manager or General Manager

Prepare welcome

Prepare questions

Scoring

Participation20%

Homework25%

Case Studies20%

Exams35%

In-Class Participation

• Student is prepared to participate, is active in class, has completed all readings prior to class and will be prepared to give a summary of them when asked, participates actively in in-class activities (including role plays), asks questions.

Homework

• * Questions with chapters covered in our book• * Assignments handed out in class or posted on

Blackboard• * Research projects• * All written assignments to be handed in at the

beginning of class, printed on 8 1/2 x 11 white paper with student name, date, class and assignment title.

• * Late homework not accepted.

Case Studies

• Written material ready before class

• Discussion and presentation in class

• Group or individual setting

• Scoring based on level of participation, team work (peer scoring), quality and depth of research/questions

• Presentation skills

Attendance

• Missing more than 2 classes will result in a “no-pass” or “unsatisfactory score”

Blackboard

• Read announcements carefully

• Readings and updates will be communicated through Blackboard

Schedule

The Challenge of Human Resources Leadership

• Finding & keeping great employees motivated.

• High turnover in the hospitality industry.

• The cost of high turnover.

Leadership• Leadership begins with:

– Vision• Instills a common purpose, self-esteem, & a

sense of membership in the organization.

– Mission• Mission statements describe the purpose of the

organization & outline the kinds of activities performed for guests.

– Goals • Are relevant to the mission, specific & clear,

challenging yet achievable, made in collaboration with employees, & written down with the strategies & tactics of how to meet the goals.

Leaders & Associates• Hotels & restaurants are dependent on large

numbers of people to fill low-wage entry-level jobs that have little interest & no perceived future.

• Another level of hourly worker is the skilled or semiskilled: the front desk clerk, the cashier, the bartender, the cook, the waiter & waitress.– These jobs are more appealing, the money is better,

& there is sometimes a chance for advancement.

• Many employers assume that their employee will not stay long, & most of them do not.

Leader? Manager? Supervisor?

What are the differences?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZhX_SvGGDE

Characteristics of Leaders

• Several studies have shown that effective leaders have 6 traits that distinguish them from non-leaders: – Drive– The desire to influence

others– Honesty – Moral character– Self-confidence– Intelligence– Relevant knowledge

The Nature of Leadership

• A leader can be defined as:– Someone who guides or

influences the actions of his or her employees to reach certain goals.

– A person whom people follow voluntarily.

– Supervisors must direct the work of their people in a way that causes them to do it voluntarily.

• You have to get people to work for you willingly & to the best of their ability.

• That is what leadership is all about.

Authority & Leaders

• Formal leaders according to the organization chart are in charge.

• Informal leaders are in charge by having the support of their employees.

• Formal authority is given to you by virtue of your position.

• Real Authority is given to you by having support of your employees.

Leadership Styles:The most popular types of leadership styles

today:

• Autocratic: Needs of employees comes second. Makes decisions without input from staff, gives orders & expects them to be obeyed.

• They believe that this is the only method employees will understand.

• Bureaucratic: “ By the Book”, relies on rules, regulations & procedures for decisions.

• Appropriate for when employees can be permitted no discretion in the decisions to be made.

Leadership Styles Continued:

• Democratic: Almost the reverse of the autocratic style. The supervisor wants to share & consult with the group in decision making. Informs employees about all matters concerning them.

• Laissez- faire: The hands off approach. The supervisor does as little leading as possible. Delegates all power & authority to employees. Limited application to the hospitality industry.

The Old Style Boss

• Method: command- obey, carrot-and-stick, reward & punishment, autocratic.

• Results: far more likely to increase problems than to lesson them.

Theory X

• Douglas McGregor • People are

counterproductive.• Inborn dislike of work.• Must be coerced,

controlled, directed, threatened with punishment.

• People prefer to be led, avoid responsibility, lack ambition, & want security.

Theory Y

• Under the right conditions people accept & seek out responsibility.

• Imagination, ingenuity, & creativity to solving problems is widely distributed in the population.

• Modern industrial organizations use only a portion of the intellectual potential of the average human being.

• Douglas McGregor • Argued that work is

natural, people do not inherently dislike it.

• People will work at their own accord towards objectives.

• People become committed to objectives that fulfill inner personal needs.

Theory X vs. Theory Y

• Theory X fits the old-style hospitality manager. • Theory Y is a revised view of human nature

with emphasis on using the full range of workers’ talents, needs, & aspirations.– A popular way of moving toward a Theory Y style of

people management is to involve one’s workers in certain aspects of management, such as problem solving & decision making.

• The participative management style results when workers have a high degree of involvement in such management concerns as planning & decision making.

Situational Leadership -Kenneth Blanchard & Paul

HerseyTwo types of Leadership behaviors:• Directed behavior - Tell employees

exactly what you want done, how, when, & where. The focus is to get the job done, it is best to use when employees are learning a new aspect of their job.

• Supportive behavior - Show caring, & support to you employees. Praise, encourage, & involve them in decision making. This is best to use when a employee lacks commitment to do a job.

Combining Directive & Supportive Styles

1. Directing Style: A lot of directed & few supportive behaviors.

2. Coaching Style: A lot of both directive & supportive behaviors.

3. Supporting Style: Highly supportive behaviors.

4. Delegating Style: Low on both directive & supportive because responsibility is turned over to employees.

Transformational Leadership:

• Transactional leaders: motivate through appealing to workers self interest (rewards).

• Transformational leaders: act as a coach, lead by example, communicate, inspire, & provide workers with challenging jobs.

Empowerment

• A technique used by participative leaders to share decision-making authority with team members.

• Empowerment means giving employees more control over their decisions, resources, & work.

• When decision-making power is shared at all levels of the organization, employees feel a greater sense of ownership & responsibility.

Developing Your Own Style

• The best style of leadership, for you, is whatever works best in terms of these three basics: – Your own personality. – The workers you supervise.– The situations you face.

• It should be a situational type of leadership, just as your management style must be a flex style that reacts to situations as they arise.

Developing Your Own Style

• What you need most in finding what works best is awareness of:– Yourself & the feelings,

desires, biases, abilities, power, & influence you bring to a situation; awareness of the special needs & traits of your various workers & awareness of the situation, the big picture, so you can recognize what is needed, conceptual skills & human skills.

Developing Your Own Style

• Leadership is also about change.

• Remember there is a six-step method of making changes:– 1st, state the purpose.– 2nd, involve others.– 3rd, test the plan before you

implement it company-wide. – 4th, introduce the change. – 5th, maintain & reinforce the

change.– 6th, follow up!

Ethics

• A set of moral principles or rules of conduct that provide guidelines for morally right behavior.

• Hall suggests 5 questions that you can use to help decide how ethical a certain decision is: – 1. Is the decision legal? – 2. Is the decision fair? – 3. Does the decision hurt

anyone? – 4. Have I been honest with

those affected? – 5. Can I live with my

decision?

The Supervisor as Mentor• A mentor is a leader, an

excellent role model, & a teacher.

• A supervisor often functions as a mentor to a worker by providing guidance & knowledge on learning the operation & moving up the career ladder.

• Being a mentor can provide feelings of pride & satisfaction because you have contributed to someone else’s career development.

© 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc

Leadership Style Exercise

http://www.yourleadershiplegacy.com/assessment/assessment.php

Case Study

Firm, Fair and Open?

Next class

• Equal Opportunity Laws and Diversity

• Read: Chapter 2

• Homework:– Page 56, questions 1, 3 and 5 (hand in at

beginning of next class)– Case study “Culture Clash” page 57 * prepare

for in-class discussion next week