What does it mean to be a supervisor at a large to medium-size corporation, trapped as we are between the rock of upper management and the hard place inhabited by the people we are supposed to supervise? For one thing, it means we don't get much respect. Here is a direct quotation from the feedback section of my company's March newsletter:
"I see little contribution to our company's success when it comes to any employee in a supervisory/area leader role!"
Supervisors also don't get very much training (my company is a refreshing exception to this rule-although I'm not sure it helped in my case). Many of us come up through the technical ranks without a clue as to how to manage people instead of computers or warehouse stock or company finances. Therefore books like "How to Supervise People" can play an important role. This particular book, written by Donald P. Ladew, has valuable (although terse) guidelines in areas such as demonstrating leadership, handling people, team-building, and communication. At the beginning of each chapter, the author tells us what we're going to learn. Then the bullets and summaries come flying at us. We are given a brief pause to write up a plan, or reflect on the qualities of a supervisor we admire, or take a self-assessment quiz. The chapter then ends with yet another summary of what we should have learned. Biff. Bam. Boom. The End---an example of what the back cover calls an 'interactive format'.
I think books like "How to Supervise People" are particularly valuable for a quick review when I'm trying to solve a stressful, possibly long-term problem. It gives me a chance to organize my thoughts, come up with a plan to achieve a positive outcome (instead of giving in to my natural tendency to strangle the person who is causing the problem), and reflect on what I'm really trying to accomplish. Here is a list of the basic qualities that this book feels a supervisor should possess. I think it's a good one:
"1. Be an advocate for the people who report to you. 2. Be fair without playing favorites or being a 'pal.' 3. Create an environment where work can be accomplished. 4. Provide stability during times of change. 5. You must have courage."
Maybe I should post the above list on the wall of my cubicle, for those times when someone else claims that we supervisors make "little contribution"!
