Interview with One of the Greats
Ways to control your employees and provide a stable working area is through discipline. Mr. Garcia stated in his interview that when an employee has done something wrong it goes through a discipline process where there is a sit down meeting with the managers and the employee. This discipline practice could be achieved in a less foreboding way. In the Management and Power book, it discusses control processes and systems. One technique is the “employee discipline system,” There are a few key points that help us understand ways to discipline employees that are consistent and reliable. “Progressive discipline ties reprimands to the severity and frequency of misbehavior” (392), Mr. Garcia could improve his system if he follows a progressive style, one that is more relatable to his workers. Another thought is that “a reprimand should support realistic rules,…consistently applied,…in a supportive setting,” this is similar to the style of the one-minute manager.
Another concept that Mr. Garcia can focus on is his “strategic leadership.” In the Management and Power book it states that strategic leadership “inspires people to continually change, refine, and improve strategies and their implementation” (153) When talking with some of his employees, they all state that he is respectful and capable. However, they believe he could help the workers by having clearer set goals and actions. Using the concept of a strategic leader, “he has to be a guardian of trade offs,” (153) which means he needs to keep focused on the task at hand and discipline if necessary. He needs to “create a sense of urgency,” (153) by not allowing his workers to slack off. The third is he must “make sure that everyone understands the strategy,” (153) by discussing with the workers the goals and behaviors to do accomplish them. This is comparable to the one-minute manager’s