Read your classmates' posts and reply highlighting something significant you learned from their post, and why you think so.

Madie MacAulay

WednesdaySep 13 at 10:56pm

Manage Discussion Entry

Hello everyone,

I was happy to have met with the supervisor of my chosen organization. My first impression of this leader was that she seemed matter-of-fact, gruff, and reserved. This led me to wonder how it must be as an employee to work with someone like her as a supervisor. However, as I spent more time with her, I made sure to study her interactions with staff members. I noticed these conversations were generally brief but respectful. However, what was interesting was that she would crack jokes or ask employees about how their days off were. The employees seemed to think highly of her and were very pleasant and joyful around one another.

One of the first questions that I asked was about the mission statement of this company. The supervisor said that there was and told me about it. For the sake of this overall assignment, I will not share this information yet as I feel like it may give the organization away. However, I asked how well this mission fits the mission of this location. The supervisor told me that that location holds the mission in high regard and ensures that any changes align with it. This brought me to ask about adaptability and the organization's ability to act on changes. The supervisor told me that for the most part, the company has a strong culture. This is because it is a large franchise and there is no space to be adaptive as an individual company. However, some things can be changed such as giving employees the ability to create and offer secret menu drinks to customers. Finally, I asked about how strong the competitive advantage is at this company. I learned that the culture of this location is very strong. Employees rely on one another to pull through and accomplish goals. Everyone acts respectfully toward one another, and professionalism is established but not rigid. However, I did learn that what could make it better is to cross-train current employees. Most customers must wait far longer than usual to receive their drinks when employees call out. By cross-training, employees can become more experienced in different positions and can then be more efficient and confident.

Overall, I was surprised with my findings. The most important thing that I learned from meeting with this supervisor is that I should refrain from judgment until I fully understand another's character. With the first impression, I felt that she must be rude or harsh with employees. However, in speaking to her I realized this was simply not true.