Ruby Tuesday Job Analysis

I began working at Ruby Tuesdays, as a server, in August of 2014. At Ruby Tuesday, there are three managers in total, one general manager, Caty, and two assistant managers, Damar and Jimmy. Initially, I had the best coworkers and managers anyone could have hoped for at a new job. All three of my managers were friendly, dependable, and down-to-earth. My co-workers and I referred to them as the “dream-team”. They were not your typical managers. They understood our frustrations inside and outside of work. They wanted to be good leaders, but also our friends. They strived to create an environment where we still got what we needed to do, done, but it was fun and laid-back. My co-workers and I enjoyed our jobs and loved coming to work.
Unfortunately, my manager “dream-team” was broken up. One of the assistant managers, Jimmy was transferred to another restaurant and in his place, our restaurant got a new assistant manager, Sky.

In my mind, Sky was the farthest thing from my “ideal” manager. He was what many would refer to as a “micro-manager”. Working with a micromanager, can feel unproductive and discouraging. Sky was somewhat of a control freak. He second-guessed everything we did, and sometimes he could shake your confidence. Simple tasks that you could accomplish quickly if left to your own devices now take twice as long. At times, it would feel as though he was re-doing your work as if your best was not good enough. At the time, I severely disliked him. I wanted nothing more than for him to leave and for Jimmy, my old manager, to come back.
I have to give him credit, today. He taught me a lot of valuable skills that I still utilize today. The main things I learned from him were ”follow-up” skills/techniques, and the importance of a “to-do” list. I realize now that I was completely wrong about him. Although he was tough on my coworker and me, I know he only did it to challenge us and make us better. He had good intentions when he came to our restaurant, but it just came out the wrong way at times.
Sky did not fit the prototype of a model manager, to me.

A prototype defines the clearest or most representative example of some category, for me a manager. My other managers, Caty, Damar and Jimmy, set that prototype. Personable, laid-back, and supporting were the traits I was looking for in a new manager. Instead, I got reserved, strict, and someone who pushed me. I believe this was one of my main errors of perception when it came to Sky; he did not fit my prototype.
Not only did he not fit my prototype, but he also did not fit my personal construct. A personal construct is a “mental yardstick” we use to measure a person or situation. I used my personal construct to judge Sky right out of the gate. He was not the archetype of approachable, considerate, or reassuring to me. I think I was partially thrown off by how much he did not measure up to my personal constructs. However, I learned that just because he does not fit my personal constructs does not mean that he is a terrible person, but that he possesses different qualities than I am used

to.
Another error in perception on my part occurred when I stereotyped Sky as a micromanager. A stereotype is a predictive generalization applied to a person or situation. Although he certainly presented several characteristics of a micromanager, I was quick to judge him. I thought I knew the way he was thinking, or what he was going to do next. Many times, I would come into work dreading working with him because of the way I thought he was going to act based on the micro-manager stereotype I had put in place for him.
Sky has recently gotten a promotion and left our restraint to become a general, manager. Working with him taught me how quickly and indecisively someone can experience an error in perception, and misjudge someone. I must admit, part of me now misses Sky and his management style.