District Manager

UPS s employment turnover is low, less than 6% a year. The tenure of its average driver is sixteen years. Its driver turnover is less than 2% a year. The average tenure of its district managers is fourteen years. Nearly 60% of its work force is unionized. UPS s 85,000 drivers hold an esteemed position in the company. Drivers who are unionized can earn up to 70,000 a year and senior drivers get nine weeks paid annual leave and 100% of their health insurance premiums paid. The UPS work force is also diverse. Over one-third are members of minority groups and over 25% of the company s US managers are members of minority groups. Women represent 27% of its US management team and 21% of its overall work force. 

Measuring outcomes can seem to be a daunting task. This may have been why Anita s boss, pharmacist Pat (in the scenario), did not implement the corporate CQI program as recommended by his district manager. Thus the remainder of this chapter will present these concepts in an easy-to-understand manner and will include simple implementation tips. 

For the most part, quality improvement techniques have been used in institutional settings, but they are becoming more commonplace in ambulatory (Jensen et al., 2002) and managed-care pharmacy settings (Godley et al., 2001 Goff et al., 2002 Roberts et al., 2002). This was evidenced in the scenario Pat s district manager is a believer in CQI and has asked Pat to implement a system in his pharmacy. 

The pharmacy already had a private counseling area, and he figured that he could use some of the resources he had obtained for the pediatric asthma service for a diabetes service. When he told his pharmacy manager about his idea, she seemed excited, especially given the potential for the service to attract new customers to the pharmacy. She did stress that her budget to support this service was limited and that he would have to provide more financial projections that she could share with her district manager before she could commit to support the service. 

Regional Pharmacy Vice President Pharmacy District Manager Pharmacy Manager... 

Interviewer notes to district manager after the ride along... 

Once the ride along is over, within 24 hrs a report is due from the representative to the district manager. 

Once hired you will most likely start a home study program. This will involve you reading chapters or entire books on the physiological During those two weeks you will study, study and study the products. You will learn the product compositions and how the products work in the human body. Everyday your knowledge will be tested by trainers, and the trainers will report your progress to your district manager. 

FREEDOM-rm not stuck in some stuffy office, i see my district manager about once every 2-3 months for about two days. 

Most large pharmaceutical companies will promote their top sales representatives to District Managers,... 

Ride Along Spending a day in the field with a district manager or senior representative. 

District Manager This is your direct boss. 

Regional Manager/Director This is your district managers boss. 

Why have we taken the time to detail the major responsibilities and duties of the product sales organization Because in the organic chemical field in particular, the coordinating staff handles many of the challenges that cannot be handled by the individual salesman, district manager, or field sales manager. 

District managers are faced with the ever-mounting problem of competition for the time of their salesmen on the part of product managers, technical service, market research, sales development, and other staff men. This points to the need for managers more than ever familiar with the company s total program, so that they can make wise decisions in the allocation of manpower in the field. 

Other times, it was feeling coimected to achieving the organization s larger purpose. A Big Store District Manager felt most included... 

I started at [location and my 25th anniversary came a year after joining IBig Store. The [District Manager at the time had a lunch for me with colleagues family... [This made me feel included because I didn t know him for a full year but he made sure that I felt like a part of the [Big Store team. 

Some employees and managers accepted that they were included simply because the organization told them they were included. About 15 years ago. We were told we were part of a family, and that first was God, second was family, third was work at Big Store]. Other times, it was the physical artifact of organizational membership that triggered the sense of belonging. A part-time Big Store employee recalled that when I received my Big Store] uniform... it made me feel like part of the team. A Big Store District Manager had nearly an identical experience in that his most inclusive moment occurred, When i got my company shirt with the company name and also my name. This was a peak moment because] I just felt i was apart of something, a team. ... 

Self-control was also a conscious decision made by employees. Said a female manager at a European Big Bank location, At] the meeting today... I was asked by HR when I came in today if I had plans to start a family in the next five years. Another European female employee said, My district manager told me I had to decide if I wanted a career or a baby at Big Bank]. While they cited these phenomena that decreased their chances of success and inclusion, they also chose to remain calm. Said two European branch managers, it helps being docile and being pleasing despite how one actually feels. 

When underrepresented in their organizations, it was important for employees to periodically check-in with others from their same identity group. Said a female District Manager at Big Store, her peak moment of inclusion occurred during her recent attendance at a women s meeting, because at the meeting, I felt that my input was appreciated as well as my presence in the company. ... 

I find that this [feeling includedi rarely happens. Most of the time, upper management will make decisions that affect the company (such as store hour changes) without ever even asking the people on the sales floor how they feel about it. How are we at the bottom supposed to feel included when we never even get the opportunity to speak to anyone that is higher up the food chain. I ve been with the company 5 years, and have yet to even see someone from above the district management level. 

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