\"What\'s happened to Bob?\" was the question asked of Jack Otto, production sup
ID: 384367 • Letter: #
Question
"What's happened to Bob?" was the question asked of Jack Otto, production supervisor, by one of his manufactruing workers, Clyde Fisher. Jack had been wondering the same thing for several weeks about Bob Hill, another of his welders. Jack Otto is a 54-year old produciton supervisor who has been with Stone Fixture Manufacturing Co. (SFM) for 20 years. He is well liked and respected by his peers and subordinates and is very competent at the technical aspects of his supervisory job. Bob Hill, 40 years old, has been a generally comptent and productive welder at SFM for ten years. Bob has been popular with his co-workers. Although he periodically "blows up" at them, he always apologizes afterwards. His absenteeism rate has been higher than average for the last several years, with most absenteeism on Mondays. Also, it is not uncommon for Bob to be 10-15 minutes late at least once a week. But, because of shortage of experienced welders and because Bob often cuts his lunch hour short to make up his tardiness time, Jack and other managers at SFM have decided to live with Bob's attendance problems as long as they don't become extensive. It is not uncommon for manycompany employees to stop for a beer after work. Clyde told Jack that Bob has been staying at the neighborhood bar for several hours after work most nights. Clyde also said he had heard rumors that Bob Hill was having personal problems at home. Jack doesn't like to pry into the lives of his wokers, but he knows that he can't ignore the situation much longer, especially with the other beginning to talk about Bob's problem.
Identify some ways the compnay and Jack have contributed to the existing problems with Bob. Please be clear and detail, thank you.
Explanation / Answer
There are following ways that have contributed to the existing problems with Bob.
1. The first issue is the lack of attention by the company management upon the disciplinary issues and overlooking them as long as Bob has kept working and compensating in different ways. The organization runs on a certain set of policies and silently allowing somebody to toy with the rules, is not a good practice. It made Bob to take the rules lightly and think himself to indispensable. It led to the aggravation of the problem. Further, it can make others to follow the way.
2. Lack of counseling of Bob by his immediate supervisor Jack when Bob was frequently getting absent. A timely counseling, the time management training and positive, but assertive support could bring Bob to the normalcy and his problems could be sorted out. It has not to do with dwelling into somebody’s personal life as originally thought by Lack.
3. Not building the alternatives and sound solutions to the work of Bob that made him leverage his good work and past experience into the indiscipline in his work routine. It made him think that he is above the organization and he can do it.
4. The image of Jack as a good nature and soft supervisor is also a reason that has contributed to the problems involving Bob. A supervisor should be understanding and hold empathy, but it should not be at the cost of discipline, lack of focus at work and demoralizing among the other workers.
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