Managing workers

David Coates explores the daily round of managing workers within youth work and informal education projects. He provides practical advice for managers and a framework for workers.

contents: introduction | the task of the manager | planning | decision making | organizing | leadership | communication | creating an appropriate environment for management | monitoring and evaluating work | supervision | the loneliness of the long distance worker | in closing... | bibliography

If the practice of being a manager could be discussed like an exact science, then I suspect the mystery of management would have been solved long ago. If you could apply method 'A' to gain result 'B', the task of being a manager would be a lot easier. All managers inherit methods, and have qualities, which together develop into a particular style of managing. I hope that through reading this chapter you will be encouraged to assess your own input as a manager and discover ways of increasing your effectiveness.

The task of the manager

The task of management is all about organizing groups of people to work together productively towards known, clear goals or objectives. (Dixon 1993:3) Any organization can suffer from inertia. Agencies working with young adults are not exempt, i.e. the 'if you don't know where you are going any road will do' syndrome. Clarity of purpose is essential. However, as Harvey-Jones (1988: 79) put it, the achievement of simplicity and clarity is not easy. 'It means shaving away constantly at the sort of multiple objectives which we normally like to set ourselves, until one reaches an absolutely clear message of a mission and role'. It is your job as the manager to ensure that all sections of the organization are involved in the debate. The statement of purpose thus becomes owned by everyone concerned - from committee to volunteer and back again.

Once you know and are clear about the purpose and direction your organization is taking, it follows that any new project must be integral to your core aim. Organizations must progress, otherwise they decline. New projects are a sign of growth but they can also be a calculated risk. Innovation and new developments are fine, so long as the new project is within the management's experience of development. Further, it must contribute to the achievement of the prime purpose.

I am going to discuss the process of several management tasks. The first of these is planning.

Planning

If I were running a business and writing to my peers concerning planning, I would be using words like corporate and strategic planning. Businesses need to establish where they want to be in five or ten years time. They need to plan for new ventures, products and markets. It is important for organizations working with young adults to do the same. But do we? Often our planning stops where our funding ends.

To plan long-term without long-term funds to match, may seem a worthless exercise. It does, however, focus the mind on where we are and where we want to be. The planning that youth workers and community educators are mostly involved with tends to be of a lower, more intermediate level. It is concerned with detailing staff requirements, budgets and the structure needed to fulfill the objectives of the agency. These objectives may be concerned with process or product.  However, managers need to go beyond this - they need to involve workers in wider planning questions and to work at achieving the degree of delegation appropriate to a particular worker.

If the strategic objective has been worked out together and agreed, and the right conditions created in which people can be switched on, the 'how' of what is to be achieved is a matter of delegation. The whole purpose of agreeing a strategic objective has been to transfer it over to those who must achieve it. (Harvey-Jones 1988: 95)

Senior managers and management committees alike must practice the art of involving their workers while accepting the ultimate responsibility.

My current practice is to sit down with the worker(s) responsible for a project and plan three months work at a time. I have found this to be a useful method. It takes into account the strategic objective and purpose of the project, while at the same time setting realistic, measurable and achievable objectives for the quarter in question.

Once these objectives have been discussed and agreed the plan is delegated to the worker whose task it is to put in the detail. Obviously, in youth work, there are the core objectives to fulfil, a prime one being, to make contact with young people and promote their personal development. These, in turn, require attention to the wider organizational and development matters necessary to progress the work. Planning ensures methods are deployed to achieve your purposes.

The next stage (in my current practice) is to ensure that plans are explored at our quarterly staff review and planning day. Each project has the opportunity to share their plans and invite comment. In the light of debate an objective may be postponed, modified or dropped if a reasoned case is made for doing so. At the end of the staff review and planning day, hopefully all staff, including volunteers, know what each project is hoping to achieve and why. The work plan will be scrutinized at the next quarterly meeting and is a basis for evaluation.

During the following three months I need not spend endless hours during informal meetings and formal supervisory sessions discussing project direction. Time can be invested in enabling the worker to achieve the agreed objectives and ensuring that they are in pursuit of the agreed direction.

This method of management planning is particularly important if you are a long-distance line manager and haven't daily contact with the worker. What is important, is that the manager and worker operate a planning system that works for them. As we have seen, the task of management focuses on 'organizing groups of people to work together productively towards known, clear goals or objectives' (Dixon 1993:3). The process I have described goes a long way to ensuring that all workers focus on the core objectives of the organization.

Planning is part of a cyclical process:

Decision making

Decision making is a central part of the planning process. It is also an integral task for any manager. Managers have to continually make decisions to maintain the efficient running of the organization, to progress the work and solve problems. They have to absorb information, facts and circumstances; consider alternative solutions or conclusions, then decide which is the best course of action (taking into account differing consequences) for the organization and/or individual.

Most decisions I suspect are taken 'on our feet'. The most important decisions should be made in the planning process. With regard to day-to-day decisions, some managers will want involvement in minute decisions, others will give sufficient headroom to workers and see the management role that of keeping the worker switched-on. As Harvey-Jones (1988: 66) put it 'the point of headroom is that those above us act as a support rather than as a control'. This, of course, means that the manager must take some risks, and be prepared for a percentage of failure. Workers will only ultimately succeed, I believe, when they take responsibility for their decisions and project, and are not stifled by excessive control. We all make mistakes. The point is to learn from them.

Managers and workers need to be clear where authority to take certain decisions starts and ends. Managers may delegate authority but can never delegate total responsibility which always remains theirs.

Organizing

A manager needs to be a good organizer. The structure of many voluntary organizations consist of a committee (or board), then manager (or principal officer), followed by workers - full-time, part-time and volunteers. Some board members may also be volunteers, a situation not found in industry! The manager has a pivotal role in organizing strategic planning along with the board, and is also responsible for the effective running of the organization. A manager needs to be a good organizer of time, equipment and buildings, finances and especially people. The management task is to co-ordinate all resources effectively and efficiently.

Organizing, therefore involves identifying the objectives which need to be done to achieve [the organization's] objectives; grouping these activities together into departments; assigning such groups of activities to managers; delegating to the managers the authority to carry the tasks out; and setting up a structure for co-ordinating all these activities both horizontally and vertically within the organization. (Dixon 1993:44)

In the context of funded projects such as the Rank Foundation's Youth or Adult? Initiative, the manager has a key role to play in helping the worker to effectively organize the varying demands of the project, the YMCA College, and the Rank Foundation. The worker must be able to organize their time and workload in order to fulfil deadlines. A new worker will need help in this area of time management. It may be appropriate to establish organizational guidelines or boundaries. Ian Campbell has set out the relevant boundaries as follows:

1.   The YMCA took responsibility for making provision for the worker's training needs and this meant that occasionally they could control what she did on the project, and why not?

2    The Agency was responsible for the day-to-day support of the worker and her line management. It was also responsible to the Rank Foundation for the proper use of their funds.

3    The Rank Foundation itself fulfilled simultaneously the functions of an umbrella and a safety net. While keeping a general overview of things, it was able to step in and help and support in specific circumstances at any time. (Campbell 1993: 69)

Leadership

The manager has to exercise leadership. A manager has to encourage leadership development in others.

Leadership is the ability to influence the attitudes and behaviour of others. Management is the formal process of decision and command. Leadership is one important aspect of a manager's job, but it is not the only one.... Management cannot create leadership. It can only create the conditions under which potential leadership qualities become effective; or it can stifle leadership. (Dixon 1993:59)

Some of the conditions which need to be created have already been discussed: being clear about purpose; planning together; providing headroom; being a support rather than a control. Most managers would say that they have a particular style in these respects. The important thing to remember is that different styles can be appropriate and effective depending on the situation. What is equally important are the leadership principles we adhere to. King (1987: 49) lists seven here:

Leadership is to be shared

Leadership is for equipping others

Leadership is varied

Leadership is flexible

Leadership is to be both settled and mobile

Leaders are to be servants

Leaders include both men and women.

We may take issue with some of these. The view of leaders as servants, although central to the teaching of Jesus, may not find much favour in the cut-throat world of money-making businesses.

Communication

'Communication' is like engine oil. Without it we would soon seize up. It is essential that managers and workers communicate to committees, funders and a wider audience exactly what it is that they do and why. Planning, organizing and decision making, may be essential cogs, but they only move when oiled with the lubricant of communication.

In every organization there should be a formal channel of communication, details of which should be in the job description. Team meetings plus other informal networks make up the communication channels. Committees and managers need to know what is happening; workers need to know what management thinks.

For communication to be effective there needs to be clarity, honesty and trust.

Creating an appropriate environment for management

The manager and worker should discuss, communicate with each other what management style or method they would like to operate. The framework I have suggested includes; being clear about purpose; planning together; providing headroom; being a support rather than a control; being an effective organizer; leading and communicating.

Whether one manages a worker in the same building or forty miles away, the worker needs to know first of all that you are available for them - either by phone or, if needed, on the spot.  Managers must be prepared to 'be there' for their workers.

They must also be careful not to overshadow the worker's practice by over-involvement. However, neither should they keep away from face-to-face youth work sessions involving the worker. Managers need some direct experience of the work without being in a position of freezing workers' initiatives. Direct experience is essential in understanding, interpreting and evaluating the work. The age-old wisdom of never asking someone to do a task you are not prepared to do yourself also applies here.

Youth workers and community educators are often isolated from other professionals and from management. Starting off a new project can be very stressful. The manager needs to be aware of this and the factors which lead to stress, so that measures can be taken to minimize them.

Figure 5.2 Stressful characteristics of work

Work characteristics hazard	Conditions defining hazard (Demands, control and support)
Organizational, structural, function and culture	Poor task environment Poor problem solving environment Poor development environment Poor communication
Participation / control	Low participation in decision making Lack of control over work
Career development	Career uncertainty Career stagnation Poor status or status incongruity Poor pay Job insecurity and redundancy Low social value to work
Role in organization	Role ambiguity Role conflict High responsibility for people
Job content	Ill defined work High uncertainty in work Lack of variety or short work cycles Fragmented or meaningless work Under-utilization of skill Physical constraint Continual exposure to client/customer groups
Workload / workpace Quantitative and qualitative	Lack of control over pacing Work overload or underload High levels of pacing or time pressure
Work schedule	Shift working Inflexible work schedule Unpredictable work hours Long or unsocial work hours
Interpersonal relationships at work	Social or physical isolation at work Lack of social support at work Interpersonal conflict Poor relationships with superiors
Home / work interface	Conflicting demands of work and home Low social or practical support at home Dual career problems  (Journal  of the Royal Society of Health 1993: 203)

 

When we consider the various characteristics that can make a work situation stressful (see Figure 6.2) it is interesting how many of them can apply to the sort of project work we are discussing here.  The research reported derives from an occupational health and psychological viewpoint. Many of the hazards which cause stress can be directly related to a lack of management input, i.e. poor communication, low participation in decision making, role ambiguity, ill-defined work, lack of control over pacing, long hours, social or physical isolation at work. All these need to be addressed positively right from the induction period and then checked regularly.

The one occupational hazard all youth workers and community educators are susceptible to is the conflicting demands of work and home. If you see the work as a vocation, it can become a way of life, and the edges blur between worktime and non-worktime. If you are in training via a distance learning route, this can necessitate some work from the home base. Even if time is allowed for this it can cause conflict with spouses or children if they are not fully behind you (and probably sometimes even if they are).

Youth workers are also susceptible to taking on board all the problems of the world. Maybe you don't actually take work home in a physical sense, but you take it there in your head, and can't switch off. All this can make for a blurred demarcation between private and public life and this must be recognized as a hazard and resolved.

As a matter of course, attention must be made towards creating a good physical environment in which to work in. The environment can dominate people's attitudes. Having said that, it isn't the only factor: 'It is attention to employees, not work conditions per se, that has the dominant impact on productivity' (Peters & Waterman 1982: 6).

Monitoring and evaluating work

If you subscribe to the management by objectives approach (MBO), an essential part of the process is evaluation; short-term objectives are established along with qualitative and quantitative criteria. The whole purpose of setting an objective is so that progress and achievement can be measured against it. Objectives must be measurable.

Management by objectives has several advantages for organizations:

1.   It forces managers to think of planning for results, rather than merely planning work; this is very important because results-oriented planning makes most sense.

2    It increases commitment throughout the agency to the aims of the organization - everyone should be working towards definite targets which are well co-ordinated.

3.   It forces agencies to clarify their internal structures and organizational roles.

4.   MBO helps in the development of effective control systems, as well as leading to more effective planning.

Problems with management by objectives include:

1.   Senior managers not spending enough time teaching and explaining the system and the ideas behind it to the rest of the organization.

2.   A failure to give adequate guidelines to those managers setting their subordinates objectives. Managers have to know what the corporate goals are and how their tasks fit in with them.

3.   Short-term targets are usually set, which risks emphasizing short-term at the expense of longer-term planning.

4.   Systems may not be able to adapt quickly to changes within and outside the organization. Although targets may cease to be meaningful if they are changed too often, it is none the less unwise to expect a manager to work towards a target that has been made obsolete by revised corporate objectives or changes in the environment (Dixon 1993: 129).

Another way of evaluating effectiveness is to look at inputs and outputs and the processes involved. Indeed, consideration of effectiveness is often split into two schools - the inputters and outputters.

Inputters - consider the attributes, skill, knowledge etc., needed by managers 'to do the job effectively'. This is criticized as being too concerned with what goes in, but not what is actually achieved (what comes out)

Outputters - an output orientation concerning itself with 'bottom line' considerations such as the ability to get things done, the 'track record', end product, visible outcomes - results. All such outputs are supposedly closely related to the particular needs of that set of circumstances, that situation. They vary enormously and are always (to some extent) task specific. (Leary et al 1986:6)

Monitoring and evaluation involves far more than achieving objectives or having good inputs and outputs. It isn't simply a cold, clinical process but should be a living, active desire of everybody to continually reflect, improve and do their best.

With the best will in the world, and the best board in the world, and the best strategic direction in the world, nothing will happen unless everyone down the line understands what they are trying to achieve and gives of their best to achieve it. (Harvey-Jones 1988: 65)

This takes on to supervision. One of the main areas of work evaluation occurs in such sessions.

Supervision

What I want to discuss here is the formal supervisory session between line-manager and worker. A little planning between manager and worker will enable clarity of purpose. Some matters to consider here include clarity with regard to:

1. the frequency of supervision sessions, the location and session length.

2. the line-manager's role regarding policy definition, financial decisions. Has the manager got appropriate authority from the committee?

3. annual appraisal.

4. the nature of manager's evaluation of worker for College assessment (if appropriate)

5. the expectations of each party, i.e. method and style of planning and evaluation.

6. who sets the agenda. Worker or management led?

7. the nature of recordings or minutes from sessions. 'Hansard'-type minutes or recording only the issues discussed, problems reported and action promised? It is useful for each party to agree to the recordings and have a personal copy.

If the worker is involved with distance learning with the YMCA College, there are further considerations.

During term time roughly a third of the worker's time is allocated to training, this needs to be carefully planned into their schedule. The manager needs to understand the role of the college supervisor and not duplicate academic and theoretical discussions. Being an added resource, if needed, is better than boring the worker to death.

The training part of the job needs to be on the supervision session agenda so that opportunity exists for the worker to discuss progress. The manager needs to be aware of college term times, assignment dates and regional study days.

There is also the responsibility of writing a report or assessment, the key content required being 'change' in the worker which must be evidenced by reference to the work/worker. Keeping on-going recordings to assist in the writing of this report may be helpful.

With regard to the session itself, I find it useful to have a skeleton agenda which attempts to cover each area and gives structure and sequence to the session. However, the first item should be to give the worker to opportunity to superimpose their agenda. Further, the worker may have a burning issue that can't wait until Item 5 to be resolved. Flexibility is called for. A supervision session should be purposeful not a casual chat, because it is a serious co-operative exercise in accountability.

Figure 5.3: Draft outline of a monthly supervision session 1.  THE WORKER'S AGENDA 2.  ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS (from contracts to holidays and timesheets) 3.  FINANCIAL MATTERS (from petty-cash to long term pending plans and budget updates) 4.  INFORMATION (communicating internal + external matters related to the work/worker) 5.  REVIEW OF MONTHS WORK       - face-to-face work                                                 - case work                                                 - young people's development                                                 - part-time staff/volunteers                                                 - update of other work Review ratio of time spent on youth work, administration, development. 6.  PLANNING NEXT MONTHS WORK - setting priorities (related to quarterly development plans) 7.  TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS - (YMCA update) 8.  (every quarter)  Quarterly review of objectives; evaluate them; plan for next quarter; set realistic, achievable, measurable objectives.

 

The loneliness of the long distance worker

It is different, some would say harder, to manage a worker when in another building whether it is two miles away or forty two. The manager who shares the same premises can observe the work, have one minute management sessions, sort out small problems.

The long distance manager needs to:

1. ORGANIZE local support especially for a new worker.

2. ARRANGE for a local person to be immediately available if needed in a crisis.

3. DISCUSS whether a weekly consultation/conference by 'phone would be useful.

4. BE CLEAR in formal supervision sessions. Agree on action plans.

5. ENSURE that the worker is not isolated

The line-manager must remember that their role also includes supporting the worker. The worker after a supervision session should be regenerated. Managers also have to deal and resolve any problems which may occur. Any action promised, on either side, should be agreed, recorded, and followed up.

Line-managers have an essential role in providing an objective overview, being 'devil's advocates'. They should also be concerned with qualitative development. They see how workers fit in (or not) with teams and must guard against the project becoming 'paramount' rather than the clients. Managers must use wisdom and choose to stretch workers at appropriate times, and at other times choose to cut their workload.

If the manager is aware of the factors which cause stress then steps can be taken to minimize this. Stress is not to be confused with pressure. Pressure makes people perform. It is excessive pressure that can become stressful.

Figure 5.4 Some key issues and questions 1.    The organization - its mission and structure: Is your statement of purpose clear and owned by everyone? What improvements could you make in planning? Is the committee and reporting structure straightforward and clear? 2.     The manager: Who will manage the new worker and why? Is there an opportunity to review this? What training does the manager need and how will they receive it? Have you an action plan? Does it address the hazards that lead to stress at work?  3.    The interface: 'Supervision is a serious co-operative exercise in accountability'. What strategy do you have for planning, evaluation, problem-solving, communication, support and worker development?

In closing...

If you are a manager, or potential manager reading this, be honest about your competence, motives, strengths and weaknesses. Managers are fallible (and can be laughable!). There is a temptation to act as if we know everything about all. A little humility is often called for with an eagerness to continually develop our skills.

A lot is asked of us. We are expected to: be visionaries; persistently get things done; be an expert in financial management and employment law; be the perfect line-manager who never makes mistakes; motivate, lead, build, plan; have compassion yet with commercial flair and entrepreneurial skills. Oh, I nearly forgot, juggling. 'Leading a team is like juggling with eggs. You have to keep them all on the move simultaneously, and if you drop one you end up with a nasty mess' (Hastings et al 1986:80).

If you are a worker reading this, think about the competence of your manager, their strengths and weakness and where they need developing. Then when you've done that, use it as a challenge to yourself, a mirror, because these issues are also pertinent to your development.

Remember, every worker has to manage.

Bibliography

Campbell, I. (1993) 'Addressing the cuckoo syndrome' in M. K. Smith (ed.) Youth Or Adult. The First Five Years, London: YMCA National College.

Dixon, R. (1993) The Management Task, London: Butterworth/ Heinemann.

Harvey-Jones, J. (1988) Making It Happen, London: Fontana.

Hastings, J.  et. al. (1986) Superteams, London: Fontana.

King, P. (1987) Leadership Explosion, London: Hodder and Stoughton.

Leary, M. et al (1986) The Qualities of Managing, Sheffield: The Training Agency.

Peters, T. J. & Waterman, R. H. (1982) In Search of Excellence, London: Harper Collins.

 

David Coates was Executive Director of Centre 63, Kirkby. Centre 63 has hosted a number of initiatives including the Rank-funded Youth Enquiry Service.

First published in Mark K. Smith (ed.) (1993) Setting up and managing projects, London: YMCA George Williams College/Rank Foundation.