Final answer:
Managers should take proactive measures to address substantial disruptions due to internal or external changes, such as modifying production levels, adjusting the workforce, and planning for new product offerings, while also staying legally compliant with employee notices for major changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
When conditions outside or inside the company change enough to cause substantial disruptions, managers should take proactive measures to address these challenges. Managers can:
- Process abstract information to understand potential future scenarios.
- Anticipate situations that have yet to occur and prepare accordingly.
- Make individual sacrifices for the greater good of the company.
- Recognize that delaying action until a crisis becomes clear and present may prevent a timely and effective response.
This may involve strategic decisions to expand or reduce production, set prices, open new facilities or close them, hire workers or lay them off, or to start selling new products or stop selling existing ones. Furthermore, managers need to be aware of legal obligations, such as the requirement for employers with more than 100 employees to provide written notice 60 days before plant closings or large layoffs.
Managers should also focus on maintaining flexibility, responding professionally to feedback, seeking independent problem-solving before escalating issues, and actively participating in organizational initiatives to lead their teams effectively through periods of change.