Robert is a supervisor at a large bottling company. His job includes managing safety and breaks and setting schedules for his twenty-five employees who use forklifts and other machinery to package and move filled bottles on to trucks for delivery. Robert has career goals with the organization. First, he would like to become the bottling manager, which is one step up from his current job. In five years, Robert would like to become the director of operations who oversees the entire factory floor.
Robert is an excellent, well-liked manager by his employees, but when it comes to his supervisors, he is very quiet. He never mentioned the fact that his shift had one hundred accident-free days in a row or that productivity had increased 10 percent since he took over the shift. Robert is also a bit shy, so he avoids any kind of social interaction such as the holiday party.
While Robert wants to be promoted in the organization, he knows he lacks some of the skills needed to do the job, such as the ability to put together budgets. Because of this, he has identified two courses he would like to take to improve his financial skills.
Robert was recently asked to review the operational processes during his shift and excelled at it. In fact, because of the shifts’ awareness, Robert motivated his staff to change some of the procedures to be more cost effective. Since Robert would like a promotion, he knows he should assess his strengths and weaknesses.
1. Consider each of the following topics discussed in this chapter and discuss Robert’s strengths and weaknesses in each of the following areas (making reasonable assumptions is fine). Then create a plan addressing what Robert can do to improve in each area:
a. Power positioning
b. Planning, action, and attitude
c. Etiquette
d. Personality characteristics
e. Mentoring
f. Continual learning
2. Once you complete some ideas for Robert, think about your strengths and weaknesses in each area. Make a plan on how you can improve on each point.
Describe ways to help him apply power-positioning techniques.
Discuss ideas to help apply emotional intelligence skills to his attitude and behavior at work.
Describe strategies to develop and improve personality characteristics that help career growth.
Discuss mentoring and continual learning strategies to help with professional development.
As you create the plan, consider and discuss Robert’s strengths and weaknesses in each area.
