Supervision: Concepts and Skill Building 10th Edition by Samuel Certo Solution manual
Learning Objective 1.8: Identify characteristics of a successful supervisor.
- Teaching Notes:
Figure 1.5 illustrates some characteristics of successful supervisors.
A successful supervisor has a positive attitude. When the supervisor’s attitude toward work, the organization, and change required by modern trends is positive, employees are more likely to be satisfied with and interested in their work.
Successful supervisors are loyal. As a part of the management team, they must take actions that are best for the organization. This responsibility may include making decisions that are unpopular with employees. Successful supervisors are fair. Supervisors who play favorites or behave inconsistently will lose the support and respect of their employees and not be able to lead effectively. Also, when supervisors make assignments and decisions on the basis of whom they like best, they will not necessarily make the assignments and decisions best suited to the organization. Another aspect of being fair is to follow the rules oneself.
Supervisors also need to be good communicators. Employees and bosses alike depend on the supervisor to keep them informed of what is happening. Employees who receive clear guidance about what is expected of them will not only perform better but also be more satisfied with their jobs. Good communication also includes making contact with employees each day, and listening to what they have to say.
To be successful, supervisors must be able to delegate, that is, give their employees authority and responsibility to carry out activities. Since supervisors tend to have excellent technical skills, delegating may be a challenge. They may resist giving an assignment to an employee who may not carry it out as easily or as well as they, the supervisors, could do. Nevertheless, supervisors cannot do the work of the whole department. So, they must assign work to employees. Equally important, a supervisor should give employees credit for their accomplishments. This, in turn, makes the supervisor look good; the employees’ successes show that the supervisor is able to select and motivate employees as well as delegate effectively.
Finally, a successful supervisor must want the job.
- Teaching examples to identify characteristics of a successful supervisor:
A list of characteristics of the successful supervisor is more realistic when coupled with an example. The following list provides examples of the characteristics:
- Positive attitude: Employees often are critical of their own work as well as the work of others. They may also be critical of progress on new projects and programs. They will take clues from the supervisor, who can cast the outcomes in a positive or negative light. For example, a group of employees had been working to reduce a specific quality problem. Their effort resulted in less than they wanted to achieve. The supervisor helped them evaluate the outcome over the long run in both the number of errors and the cost savings, which were substantial. The savings for one year were $54,000! As a result, the group was anxious to continue working to achieve further improvements.
- Loyal: A loss of sales orders meant a reduction of employees. Supervisors must go along with the reduction, keeping in mind that the organization has made a decision to ensure its survival. While the supervisors may not like the decision, as managers of the organization they are expected to carry out the mandate with the proper attitude and behavior.
- Fair: Supervisors must follow the rules of the organization. Occasionally an employee may try to get special treatment for a personal situation. For example, a rule in the attendance policy states that any time taken off during regularly scheduled work hours will be counted as an incident against the attendance record and subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the policy. An employee indicates difficulty in getting a medical appointment later in the day without excessive waiting in the office. Could the supervisor bend the rule and allow the employee to go during work hours without counting it against the employee? While the supervisor may sympathize with the employee, to be fair to all employees and the organization the supervisor must enforce the rule.