Case: Delegation Difficulties$$The Ineffective Subordinate

Nursing supervisor Kate Dyer was finally forced to admit, at least to herself, that she was going nowhere in her attempt to get nurse manager Susan Foster to behave as a manager ought to behave. Summarizing the recent occasions on which Susan and her performance had come to Kate$$s attention, Kate had assembled the following:

$$ Whenever Kate went through Susan$$s unit she found Susan$$s desk in disarray and invariably found Susan herself behind in her work.

$$ Susan seemed to experience a great deal of difficulty in making important meetings; she had missed three of the last four nursing management meetings, and at the one she did attend she did not show up until it was half over.

$$ Kate$$s specific suggestions as to tasks that Susan might consider delegating to some of her subordinates have apparently been ignored.

$$ Some weeks earlier Kate had asked Susan for a detailed written list showing how the various nursing duties on her floor might be divided among the unit$$s staff members. Susan did not comply with the request.

In general, Susan seemed to have but two answers for many of the questions put to her by peers and supervisors alike. To questions that were general and nonthreatening, such as $$How is everything going?$$ she would simply answer, $$Just fine.$$ However, if a question seemed intended to determine why something had not been done, Susan could be counted on to answer, with a pained expression on her face, $$I simply haven$$t been able to get to it$.$

Questions

$1.$ Although Susan$$s performance is obviously lacking in a number of ways, Kate might best begin by examining some elements of her own performance and her own leadership style. What are the elements of the case that may have prompted this statement, and what are the implications of those elements regarding Kate$$s style and performance?

$2.$ What appear to be the weakest elements in Kate$$s style? Why are they weak?

$3.$ Assuming that Kate is able successfully to address the deficiencies in her own approach to management, where should she begin in trying to determine if Susan has the potential to become a truly effective nurse manager?