Entry 1: The Manager

Seated comfortably in her leather arm chair, stirring her cup of earl grey tea, Miss Low Siew Ngim, 53, the Director of Nursing of the Singapore National Eye Center (SNEC) is a visage of wizened experience and quiet success.

Her contagious laughter and friendly demeanor would suggest that she is not only a task driven boss but also one who is caring and supportive of her subordinates.

Nevertheless, it would have been extremely challenging to be in her shoes for a day. As the Nursing Director, Miss Low has to oversee surgeries going on in the operating theater, make sure the staff complies with the company’s codes and handle the administration of the Eye Center.

She is required to attend overseas conferences with the surgeons of the SNEC and source for new equipment to facilitate new surgical procedures learnt and practiced during the trip thereafter.

Every manager has his/her own management styles. In this case Miss Low’s style of management is veered towards Human Relations.

Her beliefs can be linked to the Hawthorne studies, whereby productivity is affected by the human aspects of work and not the physical conditions.

“My style of management is not autocratic. I believe in the open door concept. My staff is encouraged to clarify and bring up issues they are unhappy with. I also believe in the empowerment of my staff.” Miss Low explains.

Her management style also incorporates Theory Z. Miss Low relates, “I believe employee participation is important to organizational growth. I am always open to suggestions and make it a point to get my staff involved in certain decision making processes.”

Ms Low also practices management effectiveness by identifying goals for each individual area of responsibility and shares these goals and expectations with each unit and employee.

Every manager would have faced his or her fair share of difficulties and obstacles. For Miss Low, it is the resistance to change.

“50% of the company’s staff has been in the company for more than 10 years. Since they do not have any work experience outside of the center, they tend to be too conservative. Hence they often resist change, saying that they cannot do it when a new system or idea is being implemented.” She recounted.

Also, according to Miss Low, the younger generation is also harder to manage. They do not just listen to you or take instructions, they also want to have a say.
Miss Low manages these problems by not only making it a point to sit down and address questions like “why?’ or “can’t we do it another way?” but also listening to suggestions that her staff has to offer.

Indeed there are always two sides of a coin. Miss Low believes that one cannot be biased. She gets herself involved with what her staff is doing to understand their difficulties.

“By being more open and by working together with them, you’ll be able to understand the situation better when they come to you with complains.” She explains.

In Miss Low’s opinion, a good manager has to be a role model. “You have to walk the talk and be able to practice what you preach. You have to understand your staff’s needs and work with them. Only then can you be a good manager.”

Seeing the drive and clear direction Miss Low possesses, one would be convinced that she does have what it takes to not only be a manager, but also a leader.