Supervisor, Manager, Leader: The Basics of Being a Boss

by Mike Kraus

I believe there is always something new we can learn, whether in our chosen careers or in life itself.

focus here is keeping the employee between the lines, so to speak.

In my experience, the two things that will help the supervisor the most are a solid knowledge of the organization’s guiding documents and learning how to change negative behavior.

The glue that holds any organization together are the core values, mission statement, rules, policies, procedures, and guidelines of that organization.

core values of an organization are its heart and soul.

They are (or should be) what guides the employees in how they treat their customers, how they treat other employees, and in their decision-making processes. In other words, the core values of a business form the basis of its organizational culture. Values such as honesty, courtesy, and respect are common core values.

should not just hang in a framed document on the wall; they should be demonstrated in the everyday ...

“Deeds, not words.”

Bosses can talk about values all day long, but if our subordinates don’t see us demonstrating them on a regular basis, those values are only seen as words. An agency’s principles are its core values in action.

“We will demonstrate honesty in all our interactions with both internal and external customers.” The

“What is our purpose,” or “Why are we here?” In the public sector, this usually relates to what, how, and why services must be delivered to the citizen, taxpayer, or customer.

private sector, the mission is related to what, how, and why the product or service is delivered to the buying customer, with the intent of that customer coming back to purchase the product or service again in the future. Without the daily mission of any organization being met, that organization will surely not be successful.

Equally important to the core values, the organization’s mission must be more than just words in a frame on the wall; it must be kept in mind and referred to when making decisions at all levels of the organization.

Performance measures should not be used or even perceived as a way for supervisors to spy on or discipline employees.

A vision statement clarifies where the organization desires to go in the future. While it declares where the organization is going, it doesn’t clarify how it will get there. That’s where a strategic business plan comes in. The strategic business plan lays out how the organization will go about achieving its declared vision, step by step.

it’s no secret that rules are—like it or not—a necessary element of every business.

Rules are generally in place to control behavior.

We absolutely need basic rules in place.

if we blend a set of very basic rules with a culture of encouraging our people to make value- and principle-based decisions, it will increase the odds of good decisions being made.

it became quite normal to treat our customers and each other in ways that were based on the core values of the organization. Yes, we still had those individuals who would push the envelope. Yes, we still ended up having to change their behaviors, but when we compared the number of rule violations with the number of total employees, the percentage was very low.

supervisors must have a solid awareness of the organizational rules and be willing to implement a process to change negative behavior so they can keep the employees between the lines.

Policies are generally adopted or mandated ways of handling situations, and procedures are generally mandatory step-by-step ways of accomplishing tasks. Other

Guidelines are usually preferred ways of accomplishing tasks, with some discretion left to the employee from situation to situation.

many supervisors believe that the answer to every problem or issue is to write a new policy or procedure.

of course it is, but it may not be the most effective way to prevent the problem from reoccurring in the future.

Changing Negative Behavior

it is not necessary for supervisors to have all guiding documents memorized verbatim, they must know where to go to verify policy when a subordinate’s behavior violates one of them. Arguably, the most important part of having this knowledge is recognizing when a perceived issue truly is an issue. If a supervisor cannot find a rule, regulation, policy, or procedure that is actually being violated by an employee, he or she must reconsider whether there even is an issue that must be dealt with at all.

Any hope of keeping employees within the guidelines of expected behavior starts with clear and realistic expectations.

And this is key: if you’re doing your job as a supervisor, you’re continually meeting with the employee during the year as you mentor, coach, and counsel him. The employee should never be surprised by the content of the annual evaluation.

seek out someone we can consult or just bounce ideas off when we’re facing a dilemma.

coaching is used when employees are struggling with a performance-related issue, and counseling is used when employees are struggling with a behavior- or rule-related issue.

Both require the supervisor to care enough to address the issue with the employee, and

both require a commitment from the supervisor to h...

Avoiding or ignoring conflict is not a good practice. Unfortunately, supervisors often choose to do this because it is the easiest choice in the short term. “Let’s just ignore the issue or conflict for now because we don’t want to or don’t have time to deal with it.”

a supervisor should look at conflict as an opportunity, not a threat.

She should facilitate—not micromanage—a professional, respectful process that allows both parties to work through the issue to an acceptable resolution, keeping the core values of the company in the forefront of all discussions and decisions.

“perception is reality to those who are ...

“changing negative behavior.” After all, isn’t this the intent of the whole process? Wouldn’t you rather help this employee—on whom, by the way, your organization has spent a vast amount of money in wages, benefits, and training—change his or her negative behavior and get back on the path of productivity, rather than immediately focusing on disciplining him or her?

vast majority of issues can be handled successfully when the supervisor recognizes an issue, coaches or counsels the employee right away, and uses the regular written expectation/evaluation process effectively.

the importance of adhering to due process for the employee (which is usually derived from state and federal law) and giving them the benefit of the doubt until a fair and thorough investigation proves otherwise. I would be less than truthful if I said giving them the benefit of the doubt was easy.

The higher one advances in an organization, the more frequently he or she will have to play a role in the process of changing negative behavior.

issues related to alcohol and substance abuse, arrests and criminal charges, violence in the workplace, sexual harassment, marriage and relationships, spousal abuse, theft, sick leave abuse, excessive sick leave usage, and poor performance,

core values, mission, rules, policies, procedures, and guidelines, as well as how to change negative behavior effectively through coaching, counseling, evaluating, and issuing progressive discipline while following due process.

management is the act of controlling, monitoring, and adjusting the “things” associated with your people and the environment they operate in.

Once you truly understand what your responsibilities are in your present position, you can start to better manage them.

written “expectations” associated with your organization’s personnel evaluation system,

additional expectations are probably not written down but are important to your boss.

keep your job expectations handy for periodic review and self-evaluation.

Michael Altshuler: “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”

Managing your time is a huge part of being successful, both personally and professionally.