Troubleshooting for Managers : Troubleshooting for Managers Dr. H. Kwame Afaglo (PhD, BSc)
2009
Troubleshooting for Managers : Troubleshooting for Managers Taking into cognisance the role of a manager as overseeing the smooth and successful running of the department on daily bases in line with organisational goals.
It slightly throws some light on the difficulty of the task of a manager in an organisation.
Also, a Manager is responsible for adopting the proper mix of People (colleagues), Equipments and People (customers or beneficiaries or stakeholders, etc) on daily bases to achieve targets.
Troubleshooting for Managers : Troubleshooting for Managers An achieving manager is one who understands and properly mixes the P.E.P (People, Equipment and People) concept.
In attempting to design the most effective P.E.P. matrix the manager must always develop the base as:
Why?
Where?
When?
What if?
Troubleshooting for Managers : Troubleshooting for Managers Why?
Its about establishing the cause(s) of the phenomenon under study (be it under performance, non-achievement of targets, conflicts etc)
The leader must seek to understand:
Underlining cause(s) – Cultural, traditional, practice(s) that has gone on unresolved, environment, etc
Immediate cause(s) – Information, leadership, is the enabling environment insufficient, etc
Troubleshooting for Managers : Troubleshooting for Managers Where?
Geographical location is the focus.
Is the activity or task near or far?
What are the returns when it is near and that when far?
What are the cost when activity is carried out near or far. With globalisation taking shape and showing the way, both private and public sector are outsourcing on a growing scale. Which is lead to a better interface between public and private sectors.
Troubleshooting for Managers : Troubleshooting for Managers What?
The enquiry here is mostly on the factors at play.
Internal factors – moral, tools, data, knowledge of recipients of products or services, procedural, etc
External factors – donors, customers or stakeholders, organisations, politics, etc.
All factors at play must be identified and if possible ranked according to Strength, Authority and Legitimacy, (SAL). Some individuals have no legitimacy yet have the strength and influence trends. Others may have legitimacy yet no authority
Troubleshooting for Managers : Troubleshooting for Managers Others have the strength yet no authority to back them, and all the possible combinations must be careful thought out in a complex situation.
When?
Here, time is of essence.
Short term (short termism)
Medium term
Long term
Troubleshooting for Managers : Troubleshooting for Managers Most importantly, a manager must determine if the phenomenon under consideration has a critical point.
Such critical points are essential and when integrated in decision making serves as a determining factor of success or failure of a manager over a particular task.
Whiles monitoring tasks, results must be recorded noting the milestones and achievements or otherwise for future use.
Troubleshooting for Managers : Troubleshooting for Managers What if?
This is another sensitive tool that managers employ in strategic planning. Managers must always hold the view that
‘Nobody is indispensible including yourself’ and
‘Organisations must be perceived as a living entity that would outlive current employees’
Hence, must have a contingency plan in the event of a default of either or combination of the super-structure being P.E.P occurs.
What if some colleagues are late or absent?
Troubleshooting for Managers : Troubleshooting for Managers What if there are shortages of tools?
What if customer of stakeholders are not consuming our services or products?
Risk analyses must also be understood here. A common risk analyses tool is the PEST analyses.
A schematic look at the trouble shooting mechanism is as:
Troubleshooting for Managers : Troubleshooting for Managers PEOPLE
EQUIPMENT PEOPLE WHY ? WHERE ? WHEN ? WHAT IF ?
Troubleshooting for Managers : Troubleshooting for Managers People
Staff must be grouped into;
those with ability,
those without ability
learners
It is imperative to mix all the types of ability and personalities in order to achieve a winning team. Motivate those without ability and learners would succeed experienced ones who would eventually move out of section.
Troubleshooting for Managers : Troubleshooting for Managers Equipments
Staff must always have the most suitable equipments to accomplish task.
Tools must not necessary be the most current in the industry but be the most suitable, so as hasten completion of task.
Other issues to contend with are:
The running cost between old and new tool(s).
Efficiency of production between an old and modern equipment(s).
Are tools aiding in achieving Just-In-Time (JIT)?
Troubleshooting for Managers : Troubleshooting for Managers People
Customers or consumers or stakeholders are the centre of every industry be it non-profit making or for-profit.
Without the customer a profit oriented industry would fold up. So is the case for non-profit making industry, if the needs of stakeholders are not meet they would unsubscribe to the service or product, eventually the industry would cave-in.
Although satisfying consumers need is the centre of the industry, a manager’s dilemma is:
Troubleshooting for Managers : Troubleshooting for Managers Does the consumer always know what they want?
Building a consensus between stakeholders and industry becomes imperative, per brainstorming as one of the viable ways around a phenomenon.
More often than not, should a manager go through the various stages (base and super-structure) and responses to questions are available, it makes it easy for decision making with an objective view.
A checklist of all troubleshooting steps must be followed from start to end.
Trouble shooting for Managers : Trouble shooting for Managers Thank you