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