COMPANY NAME: CIMEXTRA TRADING

1. Introduction
Cimextra Trading is the leading manufacturing and distributing company of cement in Guyana
but currently faces stiff competition from other firms like Easy Mix and Royal Cement that
produces the same product. Due to its reputation for poor service delivery in terms of customer
handling, poor quality of the cement, tax fraud and other inherent supervisory weaknesses like
partiality it has encountered alarming customer defections resulting from chronical
dissatisfaction by its potential customers. This has retarded its financial situation and worsened
its long-standing reputation as one of the best cements producing companies in the region.

2. Challenges
A. Challenges faced as a new supervisor

1. Prior relationships with coworkers. This is likely to pose a major obstacle as regards my
responsibilities a new supervisor this is because some employees may forget that am no
longer their fellow employee but rather their supervisor.
2. Limited experience in the supervisory roles since I have just been working as an
employee and now am going to be supervising people with different skills,
experiences and perceptions.
3. Dissatisfied customers who have been receiving poor services and need to be convinced
with facts and evidences that things have changed so as to win them back.
4. Some organizational practices and procedures that am not acquainted with which I
have to learn, grasp and practice.
5. Employee expectations from the new supervisor which demand hard work and a lot
of commitment to be able to meet these expectations.
6. Competing with other supervisors for resources to be able to beat the target using
the allocated resources and the set time frame.
7. Economic uncertainties especially the financial havoc's created by the COVID-19
pandemic which would delay some accomplishments due to constrained budgets.
8. Delivering better services of the best quality in terms of quality, quantity and within the
limits of the budget will also be my obstacle.
9. Jealousy from other supervisors whose wish for the position was not me.

B. How staff may treat me because of being promoted from within ?

1. Some people will treat me with joy and friendliness because am not strange to
them and therefore don’t expect harsh or cruel leadership.
2. Some staff members will not give the due respect I deserve because we are used to
each and they’ve known me as an employee not a supervisor.
 3. Some staff members will treat me with contempt because we’ve known each for a
quite long period and they know my weaknesses as an employee forgetting that growth
and change are all inevitable with new responsibilities.
4. Some staff members will treat me as the old me and perhaps expect me to play
favorites which am not planning to do at all because of ethics and professionalism.

C. Will prior relationships complicate or assist my efforts to improve the department?

Prior relationships will help me build the department since it will not take me time studying
the people, I will be working with thus assisting me in improving the department.

However,

1. Those who refuse to follow my lead I won’t argue or ignore them instead I will give
them chance to take initiative then monitor their performance.
2. I will also listen from them without arguments and encourage them to give their best.
3. I will not favor any group unless with special needs instead I will treat all
employees equally without partiality.
4. However, if one doesn’t change consistently then I will take punitive measures
as designed by the company in case of insubordination.

D. Supervisory skills that I already have and those to further improve

1. Administrative skills. I am acquainted with some knowledge organizational capacity, the

hierarchy of leadership, chain of command, unit of command and other persons and
their roles in the administrative aspect.
2. Interpersonal skills. My chemistry is good though not that perfect because it can
always be improved especially with this new role as a supervisor.

However, I need to further improve my technical skills concerning the processes through
cement undergoes before it’s a fine product, the equipment used and the challenges that
can be encountered in the area.

E. Who to judge my performance and criteria?

Middle managers will judge my performance since they’re my superiors and the criteria will be;

1. Goals set have been achieved in the expected time frame.

2. Resources allocated have been used appropriately to reach a desired result.
3. Satisfied middle managers, employees and customers.
Meaning of being customer centric and needs to instill service culture and philosophy in
the department.

Being a customer oriented is making sure that the customer is at the center of the business’
philosophy, operations and ideas. It’s the process of using all possible means to retain potential
customers by avoiding any loophole that would result into customer defection.

I need to the following to instill a service culture and philosophy.

1. I will initiate employee training about better customer handling and service delivery so
as to boost customer satisfaction.
2. Clearing indicating the values to be adhered to and the expectation of every individual.
3. Waking the talk thus setting an example for others to follow not preaching heaven at
the work place and practicing hell.
4. Offering timely better services in terms of quantity and quality.
5. Encouraging professionalism in welcoming and dressing staff and especially customers
who are most essential to the business.

Key elements that need to be established

1. Training: I will present the need for training of staff to the top managers so that we
can all have necessary skills to foster service delivery.
2. Roles and Expectations: I will clearly elaborate every individual’s roles and
expectations to be met in a stated time say a week or a month and annually.
3. Motivations and Rewards: I will motivate and reward best performers and
encourage least performers to catch up and exploit their potentials fully.
4. Service Philosophy. I will create or promote better service delivery not as an option
but a mandate for everyone.

Why are customers being unhappy and measures am going to put in place in order to
change this;

1. Ever fluctuating prices. I will talk to the middle managers who are my supervisors and
the executives to try and stabilize prices so as to win customers hearts back.
2. Cases of fraudulent by the company especially taxes and illegal receipts. I’m going to
encourage paying revenues as required and timely as legally demanded by talking to
the middle managers.
3. Partiality. I will encourage professionalism and adherence to work ethics by treating
people equally without stereotypes and prejudices.
4. Poor handling of customers. I will encourage employees to treat customers with the
due respect they deserve by appreciating them and addressing them professionally.
How to reach to customers who defected and win them back?

1. I will arrange a talk either physically or on phone and inform the customer about the
changes in the company and how smooth they’re going to be served.
2. I will offer and encourage offering incentives as a way of convincing them about the new
style of serving them.
3. I will appreciate them and encourage appreciating them so that they can always feel
valued and part of the company.
4. I will arrange a special day for dinner with potential customers as a away of thanking
them for having chosen to work with us though with some disappointments due to
services given.
5. I will also encourage my supervisors to talk to some of them or all of them so that they
can feel the change and respect even from the top managers.

Why communicating with people internally and externally will be crucial?

1. It fosters good working relationship between me and the entire staff due to smooth
flow of information.
2. Communication internally and externally improves morale and efficiency
among workers by avoiding misleading information and rumors.
3. Communication helps in proper implementation of the company’s plans
4. Communication helps the staff achieve their set targets through consolidation of
different efforts toward the common goal.
5. Communication especially external helps update customers and stake holders about
important events, innovations, promotions, goods and services of the company.

How I will reach people most effectively?.

I will reach people most effectively through social platforms like WhatsApp where information
can be easily disseminated to different groups of people and individuals.

Guidelines to follow

1. I won’t be sharing everything but only what is necessary for the success of the
company, satisfaction of customer needs and well being of the staff.
2. I will always focus on important matters because not every matter deserves supervisor’s
concern and attention.
3. I will do my best to communicate effectively to various groups of people like employees,
customers and managers using the most appropriate channel
Methods to use to reach to different people

1. Customers. I will use verbal methods through phone calls and physical meeting
 2. Employees. For employees I will use social platforms and meeting with them
3. My boss and other top managers. I will use written means like emails and
sometimes calling depending on the urgency of the matter.

How my predecessor treated women and the ill effects that resulted.

1. He considered women the second priority and inconsistent therefore hard

to trust which resulted into a considerable reduction of women customers
in the company.
2. He a gain tended to value girls more compared to married women which
tarnished the name of the company nicknaming it a company for ‘’female
celibates’’.
3. He considered women too emotional and therefore less reliable which
reduced sales of the company.

The difference I will make and make all of my workforce useful maximally;

1. I will cultivate a spirit of sincerity at work place to promote integrity and

accountability this will help people perform at their full ability.
2. I will walk the talk thus setting an example for all employees to follow this
will boost hard work and therefore productivity.
3. I will encourage team work so that people can combine efforts an generate
a greater return especially if their roles are related.
4. Equity. I will myself and encourage equal treatment of all staff and potential
customers to avoid all forms of stereotypes and prejudices that would damage
people’s attitudes toward the workplace and company as a whole.
5. Giving positive feedback and challenging professionally without pride

How am going to prove my intentions are good and win employees’ trust?.

1. Promoting equality amongst employees without any form of discrimination

based on anything.
2. Respect and praise for all
3. Challenging wisely and appreciating professionally.
4. Initiating changes gradually and encouraging everyone’s participation.
5. Creating dinner times with employees and listening from them.

How I will bring the department together as a unit.

1. I will encourage open mindness and sharing for all staff to be learn from each
other.
2. I will also create a social platform with employees where we can share our
concerns regarding work and other necessary issues.