Compare Joy’s present job Essay

1. Compare Joy’s present job to what you think her previous job as a salesperson might have been. How are they similar? How are they different? Joy’s position as regional sales director is similar to her previous job as salesperson in that both are people-oriented. In the job as salesperson, she would have met with clients, traveled, and dealt with many people face-to-face. As a salesperson, however, she was in control of her own time. Her present job involves working through other people, and she must cope with many problems. The job is fragmented and involves communicating and negotiating. Thus, the managerial position is much broader in scope and contains many more day-to-day problems and interruptions. 2.What managerial skills are depicted in the case? Which skill is most important for Joy to possess? Why? Human and conceptual skills are most important in Joy’s present job–especially human skills. She works with subordinates, peers, and superiors–all requiring good human skills. 3. Why do you feel Joy may be disenchanted with her present job? The disenchantment may result from unrealistic expectations about the sales director’s job. Many people who have excellent technical skills and succeed at a technical job expect to continue performing the same tasks when they become managers. But as one moves up the management hierarchy, the various management functions become more important, and they require human and conceptual rather than technical skills. People who succeed as managers enjoy the opportunity to perform these functions and display these skills. For Joy, the greatest frustration seems to be her inability to control her own time and the need to work through other people, many of whom may disagree with what she is trying to accomplish. Thus, the key management issues become persistence and frequent negotiations.