ASSIGNMENT: Management Problem-Solving Activity (The Coffee Bar)

Please prepare a written discussion of Gina’s “to do” list and prepare an outline of the questions you would ask/or strategies you would follow in responding to each item.

Not bad for a 20-year-old, thinks Gina DeSilva. I’m the youngest store manager in the history of The Coffee Bar. With this job it will take me a little longer to get my degree, but I won’t have to take out student loans and I’ll leave school with some real management experience. That should make me much more employable after I graduate.

Gina know this job won’t be easy. As a start, she begins a mental “to do” list of the people she needs to interview.

1. 1. CLARIFY MARTY’S EXPECTATIONS OF ME: Now that I’m store manager, Marty (the regional manager) will be my boss. I don’t know him well, and I need to understand what he wants me to do. What are his priorities? What problems does he see with the store? What does he think of me? Better find out.
2. HIRE ASSISTANT MANAGER TO REPLACE ME: Interview Rashid and Samantha, the top candidates. Rashid is more experienced and sociable, but can I count on him to put the store first when it conflicts with his band? Samantha is serious, but her in-you-face style rubs some clerks the wrong way. Can she learn to be a little less aggressive? Also, I need to be sure whoever I hire is committed to staying with the job for at least a year.
3. HIRE TWO NEW CLERKS: We need to hire two new salesclerks soon. What skills and attitudes are we looking for? How can I handle the interviews to be sure we get the best people?
4. FIGURE HOW TO CUT EMPLOYEE TURNOVER: We’ve had to replace 7 out of 10 baristas in the last year. I’m not sure why so many people have left. Training new staff takes a lot of time, and new people don’t serve the customers well until they have figured out our routine. I need to talk with the three veteran clerks who are still here and the new ones. I could also track down people who left the store and find out why they quit.
5. DO MARKET RESEARCH WITH CUSTOMERS: Sales have been off since Starbucks opened in the mall, I need to talk with our customers to find out how to keep them here. I also need to track down customers we’ve lost and find out how to get them back.

ASSIGNMENT: Management Problem-Solving Activity (The Coffee Bar) Answer 

#1. To do: Clarify expectation as a store manager.

Question and potential Strategies:

1. What are my specific duties and responsibilities as the store manager?
2. First, I will ask for the job description to know the specific lists of functions as a store manager.