SOME company managers are incapable of dealing with staff-related problems in an appropriate manner and experience much tension and anxiety whenever they face such a situation. This is especially true if the managers are incapable of making quick decisions and they present a distorted image of themselves in front of the staff. Al-Riyadh daily recently spoke several employees in the private sector to shed light on this important issue in the work place. Sarah Al-Harthy said her manager behaves as if she is totally helpless whenever she faces a problem in the work place and this is so even if there is a clear solution. Speaking to Al-Riyadh daily, Al-Harthy said her manager does not accept any available solutions and procrastinates for days, and in the end, delegates her to resolve the issue. She attributes this to a weak personality. Such people cannot effectively manage their work and are apprehensive of approaching their superiors for a solution. Somayya Al-Shalhoub said when she and her colleagues are confronted with a problem they try to deal with it themselves, as their manager often refuses to interfere and asks them to deal with the problem on their own. Mariam Al-Ebaid said her manager is incapable of handling problems and rejects any solutions suggested by her staff. She noted that every time her manager is confronted with a problem, she tries to divert the employees' attention away from the problem by fabricating another problem with another employee, raising her voice and throwing threats at her employees. Amnah Ali said her manager does not show her staff that she is powerless, but takes a long time to resolve problems. She stressed that solving problems in the work place must be a priority so that such problems do not aggravate further. Sahar Al-Enezi said her manager is always helpless when confronted with a problem. She distances herself from the problem by entrusting the task to her assistant. All her colleagues are of the same view that their manager is cautious to avoid confrontations. Dr. Samerah Al-Khaseeb, a training consultant specialized in human development skills, characterized successful leaders by the basic skills they possess. A successful manager must acquire a number of characteristics, such as technical and administrative expertise, along with the skills to deal with real problems and the ability to endure and tolerate criticism. She added that among such skills are also the ability to plan and prioritize, a clear vision, creative thinking, independence and the capability to think under pressure. They should also possess the courage to admit mistakes and correct them and take the responsibility for their decisions. The ability to listen and maintain a good communication line with the employees without bias is also important. She pointed out that the scientific method to solve problems can be summarized in the following steps: recognizing and defining the problem, collecting and analyzing necessary information, and developing and applying the most appropriate alternative. "Team leaders themselves may create problems in the work place without realizing it and they are responsible for 90 percent of the problems that could have been avoided. Such problems may arise as a result of imposing control over the group or trying to direct others to a desired destination, along with the desire to enter into a conflict with a staff member, catching other people's mistakes and frequent interference to direct the course of discussions," she said. Al-Khaseeb stressed that institutions and departments that do not pay attention to solving problems will experience adverse consequences, including poor initiative of employees to develop new work methods, impeding the capacity of employees to act independently and assume responsibilities, wasting time in accomplishing work accurately, as well as wasting resources. She pointed out that leaders must not be satisfied only with their skills and qualities, but must be familiar with the steps they should implement to effectively activate their roles. Human development trainer Sakeenah Farhan said good characteristics of a successful manager includes the ability to take responsibility in performing assigned tasks, the desire to perfect and improve the work and flexibility. She noted that a manager may be competent and has the required skills and experience, but may not have the ability to deal with and resolve problems and take decisions. "Some managers practice a ‘closed-door' policy, and surround themselves with deputies to prevent others from reaching them, in addition to taking decisions without consulting with others," she said. She added that these types of managers only trust themselves, may take decisions slowly and go back on their decisions quickly without thinking, pointing out that these types of managers do not allow others to criticize them. Farhan explained that some managers assign all office work and functions to others and disappear when faced with a problem. "These types of managers lack the required loyalty and sincerity, and are not interested in the development of their departments. Their main concern is to spend the required working hours and receive their salaries at the end of the month," she said. She stressed that a successful manager should also be a leader with a flexible personality who promote teamwork and possess the skills to deal with different types of employees and solve their problems that may have an effect on work.
