Entrusted with a leadership role, a manager is responsible for overseeing a department or group of employees within a specific organization.Managers are utilized in every sector, and the business model relies on their leadership and ability to operationalize the management structure.Working as a manager is an accomplishment because it reveals a professional's ability to successfully lead, oversee multiple business operations, manage stress, and effectively communicate with coworkers.Across every sector, managers contribute to businesses in significant ways, which are reflected in company profits, organization, and overall workplace morale. Read the case below and answer the questions at the end.

 Susan Johnson, one of the supervisors in the business office, seemed always to be extra busy but never "caught up". Frustrated with her never diminishing workload and tired of staying in hours of late nearly every day, she spent two evenings reading up on planning and priorities and decided to try to plan the next day's activities at the finish of each work day.

She came to the office the following Monday with her day planned out to the last minute. She had created a list of everything she needed to get done that day, including the following:

• Complete an overdue report
• Write two performance appraisals due that day
• Develop the agenda for the following day's staff meeting, and
• Prepare for a new employee orientation.

It would be a tight fit for an 8-hour day, but she believes she could do it if she remained focused.

Susan got off to a good start by finishing the report earlier than she thought she would and turned her attention to the performance appraisals. But about mid-day the interruptions began, and during the following 3 hours she was interrupted six times, with three phone calls and three drop-in visitors. Two of the visitors had genuine problems, one of them taking up nearly half-hour. The other visitor was a friend, another supervisor, simply passing the day of time. Susan picked up where she had left off with the work on her desk, stress-fully aware that her schedule is now relevant - she was well behind on what she had planned to do. When she again looked up from her work, it was nearly 1/2 hour past quitting time, and she still had more of her plan tasks left to do. As she wearily gave up on the unfinished tasks and prepared to leave, she asked herself, "I really tried to get control of this job. What am I doing wrong?"

Questions:

1. Describe the Role of the Manager in health care.

2. Describe the difference(s) between a supervisor and a manager.

3. Clearly describe the four functions of management.

4. Identify Susan's principle problem with planning and state what you believe she should do about it.

5. What of the other four functions of management is Susan having problems with, if any? What should she do about them?