In response to Brent Clark's Question..

Brents question was:
Should that workplace have just one boss that either communicates well but doesn't push you or one boss that is horrible at communicating and expects more from you? Or do these two bosses make a good team with the "good cop bad cop" type of communicating?

I personally think that having two bosses with separate qualities makes an excellent team. Having the good cop bad cop balances out the workplace to make a good environment. Both qualities are very necessary in the workplace, however it is difficult to produce both attributes into one manager. At the restaurant I work at, there are two owners who are very different. One is very strict, and deals with the the internal drama and employees. The other manager is very nice and friendly and easy to talk to. The employees respect both managers in different way.

Case Study "No More Dawdling over Dishes"

I found the case "No more dawdling over dishes" to be a perfect example of how to motivate slacking employees to work harder. Andy Davis, owner of a prestige restaurant, found that his dishwasher Eddie Munz was a bit of a slacker. He was very slow, seemingly because he was being paid by the hour and wanted longer shifts in order to make more money. Eddie, only making four dollars an hour, was extending his part time job as long as possible. After Andy Davis realized this observation, he came up with an excellent system to both motivate Eddie Munz. Andy wanted to get Eddie to do his work faster, in order to get out of there early. Seeing that Eddie on average was making abut 28 dollars a shift, Andy made a negotiation. He told Eddie to work as fast as he could, and get out as early as possible after the last customer had left, and would still make the 28 dollars even if that added out to be more than 4 dollars an hour.

Andy definitely portrayed elements of total quality management and performance management. By putting up the sign "Eddie's Goal for a Record Time", Andy was motivating Eddie by making it almost some sort of contest. This way, Eddie would continuously work harder to exceed each week. This was a great way to motivate Eddie. Although these were excellent methods, Davis could have maybe used a different approach. Eddie, knowing that he is making the same amount of money either way, may work faster but could be motivated even more. Maybe give him some sort of incentive, just a dollar for if he gets out by a certain time or so forth.

What other methods to feel could motivate an employee to work faster?

In Response to Akayla's Question..

With the new technologies that we have today, text messaging and instant messaging, how can some of the messages be easily misinterpreted by the receivers? Have you ever misinterpreted a text message/instant message?

Text messaging, instant messaging, and email are new common sources of communication. However, these type of messages can be easily misinterpreted. For example, sarcasm is very commonly misinterpreted. Making a playful joke, too could be misread. Text messaging can be a very abused form of communication. Once it is misinterpreted, the receiver may not know what to respond to the sender. There have definitely been times where I have misinterpreted a text message or instant message. Talking to someone in person is much more personable and easier to understand. This way, you can understand what they are feeling or saying by gestures or facial expressions.

Case Study: Heading Off a Permanent Misunderstanding

After reading the Case study Heading off a Permanent Misunderstanding, I learned a lot. Mindy Martin made a lot of assumptions that she shouldn't have. She came to many presumptions about Al Sharp that were unnecessary. In reality, the two were actually good friends and Al Sharp was just doing his job by being a manager. I feel that it was very important for William Attridge intervene. This way, Mindy finally had a chance to share her feelings and Al Sharp then finally understood what was going on. I feel that these sources of misunderstandings a very common in the workplace. There are always presumptions made about someone especially between employees and managers. Talking things out and discussing the problem is definitely helpful, and most likely ends up being a different circumstance.

Have you ever been in a situation where you have assumed something about another coworker?

In response to Bridget's Question

Have you ever had a job where communication was an issue?

My answer to this question is yes. At one of my jobs I actually have had an issue with my boss, along with many other employees. He lacks many communication skills which is why I think his employees have lost respect for him. When he feels something is going wrong he does not kindly approach you, but yells at you, rolls his eyes, or makes you feel like you are a complete idiot. He fails at listening to others because he usually thinks he is always right. By having this attitude, he does not understand or feel for his employees. It is important to listen to your employees and get their feedback in certain situations. Having a boss who is self centered and stubborn only ends up with employees who do not respect you. In the end, when your employees do not respect you, they are less likely to work hard for the company and fulfill their needs.

Rewarding Teams

Last class we thoroughly discussed what teams should be rewarded for and the different types of rewards they should receive. Rewarding your employees is a great way to motivate them to work harder and continue the good job they have been doing. There are many things that teams should be rewarded for. Progress, cooperation, and failing less are definitely important behaviors that should be rewarded. Failing less, is especially important because many managers do not acknoledge this. If an employee is still failing, but improving, give them credit for showing the effort. When a team tries new things, and brings something new to the company, this is an important behavior to give an incentive to. Saving money for the company is also very important.
There are two types of rewards. One, is a monetary reward system. This consists of gain sharing system, team bonus plans, or a skill based pay. On the other hand, a non-monetary reward is a more personal way of rewarding the employee or team. This consists of a note from the CEO article in the company newsletter, or any personal incentive to the employee(s). Both types of rewards can be very gratifying.

Which type of reward would you find more graifying? A monetary reward system or a non-monetary reward?