Leadership for Addressing Absenteeism

Supervisory Skills and Challenges

Introduction

As a Shift Supervisor at Fast Fleet Shoes Manufacturing, I recognize a number of challenges that we face as an organization. The purpose of this paper is to outline the immediate, six-month, and one-year goals to address these challenges, using various supervisory techniques and concepts, as well as to provide an overview of the issues in a concise manner. First, I will present the overview, and following this will be the immediate, intermediate, and longer-term goals.

Overview

An inability to address issues and meet quotas suggests a managerial approach that lacks leadership qualities (Contu, 2023). As the new supervisor, I want to embody leadership by inspiring and motivating the team, understanding the needs of all team members, doing my best to meet those needs without sacrificing the goals of the company, and setting a vision that all can buy in to. In the great debate between managers vs. leaders, there is no simple answer: managerial tasks like scheduling and monitoring are essential, and will never be less than crucial in day-to-day operations. However, it is equally crucial to lead by example, to build trust among stakeholders, and to create a positive team culture that sustains performance. But trust cannot be created or maintained if some workers are not doing their jobs and committing to their work (Gustafsson et al., 2021). Absenteeism is a problem that will not be tolerated. You are either all-in or you are out. If you are late or not showing up, it will quickly become clear to me that you desire to be out. You will decide on this matter. To succeed, we need all hands on deck, and everyone buying in to the new culture and spirit that I want to bring.

What about morale? Morale was low under the previous supervisor because performance objectives were not being met. When the team is failing, no one is happy. But winning cures a host of problems. My goal therefore is to create a culture that supports winning. That means giving credit where credit is due. It is my understanding that there are some here who have been here for a long while and who have been passed over. I believe strongly in the power of wisdom, experience, mentorship, and guidance (Broughton et al., 2019). Those who can mentor will be given a special role on my leadership team. But mentorship is not just something that comes with age. The young, too, possess skills that not all have, and it is important for them to step into mentorship roles when the need arises. I will be judging this on a case by case basis. Those who can lead and desire to lead will be given their chance to lead.

As for the issue of remote work, it is on my radar. Let us be clear: some jobs require full-time on-site presence. Others do not. What matters most is that the work is getting done and performance goals are being met. If your job is one that can be done effectively remotely and you would like to try this, we will talk about and see if we can make it work.

The Finer Points

I am not a hatchet man and I have not come to make everyone’s life miserable. There are problems, yes—but there are also solutions. It is my mission to solve problems rather than make them worse, and I want everyone here to dig in and work with me on this. For instance, what can we say about the problem of absenteeism? It has been tolerated, and this means that a culture or precedent has been set—and this needs to be corrected. Therefore, it may in fact be the case that the employees with absenteeism issues need more than just disciplinary actions. If they are amenable to correction, we may be able to swiftly counsel them, identify the root causes of their behavior and challenge them to improve with support and assistance. But there will be no more free passes. They must show that they are willing to dig in and commit to improvement.

Another issue is the team's low morale, which could possibly indicate a lack of communication and feedback from the previous supervisor. I want to have regular feedback sessions so that everyone feels valued and heard. This can help employees and managers and leaders better understand everyone’s strengths and areas for improvement. It can also be a great way to build up communication and trust.

For my team of leaders, it is clear that different situations and employees might require different leadership styles. This is just the nature of leadership. For an older worker feeling left behind, a transformational leadership might inspire and motivate him. For a new worker seeking growth, a coaching leadership style might help her develop skills and navigate challenges.

One thing is for certain: The failure to meet quotas suggests a lack of clear objectives. Setting Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound objectives is the way I want to go about improving on clarity and making sure the direction is evident. Everyone needs to know what is expected so that they can all work towards common goals.

For this reason, I plan to implement MBWA (Management By Walking Around): The disconnect between the supervisor and the team's needs suggests a lack of on-ground understanding (Galunic & Galunic, 2020). I want to have that understanding. The solution is regularly walk around, interacting with employees, observing operations, and getting a real feeling for what is going on. This is how a leader gains insights, builds rapport and trust, and figures out how to address the real problems and issues in a proactive manner.

Immediate Problems and Solutions

Employee Absenteeism and Tardiness

The technique I plan to use to address this issue is the simple approach of Counseling and Feedback. I will have a one-on-one meeting with the employee who is frequently late and the one who often calls in sick. We will discuss the reasons for their absenteeism and tardiness, and I will provide feedback on how it affects the team. If personal issues are the cause, I will explore ways to support them. But I will also insist that employees buy in to the vision: no more failures to show up; no more tardiness.

Promotion Concerns of the 14-year Employee

For this, I would apply the MBWA and Feedback solution. My plan is to spend time on the floor, observing the employee's work and interactions. This will help me understand his strengths and areas of improvement. I will also gather feedback from other employees. A meeting will be scheduled with him to discuss his concerns and potential paths for advancement. I sincerely believe that everyone can be a mentor and a leader based on skills, knowledge, and experience. I just takes identifying strengths and weaknesses and coming up with a plan that works.

Childcare Concerns of the New Worker

Here, strengths and weaknesses also matter. My approach would be to conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis. The goal would be to determine the feasibility of remote work for the inventory control position. If it is viable, I will propose a trial period for her to work from home on certain days.

Six-Month Goals and Solutions

Boosting Morale and Meeting Quotas

To boost morale and meet quotas, I believe we need SMART Objectives and acknowledgement of Generational Differences.

I will set SMART objectives for the team to achieve our quotas. Recognizing generational differences, I will implement training sessions tailored to different age groups, ensuring everyone is equipped with the necessary skills. Importantly, we need to emphasize respect in this area, so that there is no ill will between older and younger generations of workers (Ely & Thomas, 2020).

Leadership Development

For this goal, I want to use Theory X and Y. I will assess the leadership styles of our co-leads, Jane and John. If they lean towards Theory X (authoritarian), I will encourage them to adopt more of a Theory Y (participative) approach, fostering a more inclusive and motivating environment.