The 10 Commitments of Quality Supervision
by David K. Lindo
As a supervisor, you owe your employees
a list of standards that you will live up to.
We hear a lot about the importance of meeting an organ-ization's financial
goals, technology needs, quality standards and customer requirements. Individual
contributors are told to work for the good of the team. Managers are expected
to embrace risk and manage for the good of the whole. Somehow, in all the
hype for improved performance, we seem to overlook the most critical element
of organizational success-the supervisor and the effect that person has
on employees.
For an organization to reach its full potential, each member's intellectual
power and energy must be released in an organized and cohesive way. The
person who controls this release process is the individual supervisor. Yet
we haven't developed measurable criteria that, if followed, will consistently
produce quality supervision. Result: The organization's environment for
quality is, at best, inconsistent.
How do you ensure that you are a "quality" supervisor? What attributes,
goals and requirements do you believe are critical to your supervisory success?
Do your employees know what they are? We routinely publish performance data
on sales, production, schedules, defects, etc., but have you ever seen a
supervisor post personal performance criteria-then ask for and publicly
post his or her performance against them?
The objective of publishing standards of worker performance is to help employees
visualize their targets, then motivate them to creatively work to attain
them. What would happen if you identified and posted 10 commitments of supervision
as your standard of excellence, then asked your employees to visually rate
your performance against them? Wouldn't it improve supervisory (and
overall organizational) performance?
As a supervisor, you owe your employees a precise statement of how you will
conduct yourself as the steward of their organizational work life. Having
said that, you must also publish your performance standards so that they
can be used as a framework for expectations and evaluation. Your standards
allow other interested parties to hold you accountable for attaining them.
They also provide a baseline for how employees treat each other, members
of other departments and customers. What are your standards of performance?
If you haven't really thought about it up to now, let me suggest 10 potential
candidates. How do you rate yourself in achieving the following supervisory
commitments?
1. I keep my word. When you make a promise to an employee, you've made a
contract. Break your word, and you've breached the contract. The damage
this does to you as a manager is incalculable. While you won't end up in
court, the jury composed of your workers will judge you guilty. Result:
They no longer trust you.
The problem is that it only takes one broken promise to create an environment
of uncertainty. The lingering question is, "When will my supervisor
break his or her word again?" Since most workers follow the adage,
"Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me," they
will now take action to protect themselves from you-with a resulting lack
of commitment, creativity and productivity.
2. I give credit where it is due. No one expects you to creatively develop
all the good ideas for your department. Everyone knows that it's bad practice
to steal others' ideas. So don't even consider it. Why? Because when you
go after recognition for your employees, a lot of the credit granted will
reflect back on you. Take actions that demonstrate your commitment to your
employees.
Recommend a special bonus award for outstanding performance. Give an award
for the cost reduction of the year. Send suggestions made to you upstairs
with your comments added to enhance the suggestion and urge its approval.
Pass out gold stars for excellence in meeting organizational standards.
And when it comes time to distribute merit salary increases, pay particular
attention to be sure that there is a pay differential between the amount
granted to the top and bottom performers-based upon recorded performance,
not political pull or seniority.
3. I ask for input before I make a decision. Get more than one opinion before
you announce a decision. Let everyone who will be affected by the resultant
change in process or procedure know that you are considering a change. Solicit
input. Create a straw man outline of your desired decision, then ask for
comments (pro and con). Give several employees the role of devil's advocate
to see what holes in your thinking they can identify. Better to find a weakness
before a decision and make needed adjustments, than afterward when the result
will be scrap and rework.
4. I am easy to approach and willing to help. Some supervisors hide out
in their office or allow their day to fill up attending meetings away from
their work site. As a result, they are not available to provide the day-to-day
assistance needed by employees when they encounter obstacles to performance.
You are the coach. Call time out. Set aside specific times during the day
for worker interruptions. First thing in the morning and mid-day are particularly
good times.
Alternately, you could spend a few minutes with each employee each day.
Ask questions about bottlenecks, work process, support from sister departments.
Help them consider alternative solutions to problems they identify. Your
continued presence points out that you are there to help them reach their
potential and do their job.
5. I embrace risk. When a tough new job comes along, volunteer your group
to do it. This provides an opportunity to learn something new, make a difference
and get a reputation for taking on the jobs no one else wants. What a great
way to get noticed-and achieve job security!
This action also helps you send a message to your employees that you are
not satisfied doing the same old job the same old way. The job is changing,
and you are willing to stretch yourself, explore new opportunities and take
on new challenges. By taking a risk, you send the message that you are willing
and able to do more-and that you expect your employees to grow with you.
6. I am impartial. This means that I don't show favoritism-unless it is
justified by performance. It says: "I won't give special treatment
based upon whether I like you. I am willing to hear all sides of an issue-not
just what you think I want to hear. I am willing and able to weigh evidence
based upon what is best for the organization, not just based on what is
best for me."
By saying you are impartial, you state you will treat all comers fairly.
By doing so, you will hear what you need to know to be successful, not just
what someone feels is all you can stand.
7. I keep my patience. This means you don't interrupt employees when they
are presenting an idea that you disagree with-or because you think you know
what is coming next. It means you can hear unpleasant news and not take
it personally. You don't kill the messenger. And you never allow your temper
to overpower your self-control.
Sure, we all run into events, ideas and people that rub us the wrong way.
However, the consistently successful supervisor maintains a calm exterior,
a balanced perspective and continues to use reason and logic to find the
best solution to a troublesome situation. A supervisor's job is to get to
the bottom of problems and help solve them-not make them bigger.
8. I act ethically. How do you react when you find out that a senior manager
has padded an expense report? How do you react to evidence that your organization
is responsible for air and water pollution? How do you react when you hear
that one of your employees is sexually harassing a co-worker?
The problem with ethics is that we each seem to have our own. This means
that you must establish professional standards of conduct for yourself,
then consistently live up to them. Violating these moral principles and
values can lead to all kinds of problems, including work disruption, lawsuits,
fines and discharge. By making your employees aware of your ethics, you
empower them to become guardian angels, looking out for your welfare.
9. I support my employees. Standing up for your employees is a sure way
to get their positive attention, particularly if a personal attack comes
from on high. Getting them the tools they need when they need them, obtaining
special training before initiating a new task and fighting for their ideas
are all proven methods of support. Recommending bonuses, writing documentation
to justify salary adjustments and placing their name into consideration
for promotion sends a clear message. By regularly taking these actions,
you send a message that speaks a whole lot louder than any words of praise.
And, as a result, you will develop a more motivated and productive work
force.
10. I am consistent. All too often, we give conflicting signals. We overlook
opportunities to reinforce desired behavior, recognize key contributions,
give credit where credit is due. As a result, our employees may feel that
what we've been asking them to do is not valued and that solid day-in-day-out
performance will not be rewarded. Demonstrate to your staff that you pay
attention to their performance, appreciate it and mean what you say.
The point to remember-and this is where inconsistent supervisors fail-is
that when you want specific behavior, you must model it. By being consistent,
you become predictable, and it doesn't take long for people to respond positively
to a supervisor they are sure will act consistently to each member of the
work group.
What does it take to be a "quality" supervisor in your work setting?
What are you doing to establish the requirements, then create the measurement
system necessary to determine if you are meeting them? The 10 commitments
listed above offer a potential starting point. What you do is up to you.
The important point is to do something constructive that your employees
can visualize so they can help you become a better supervisor.
What are you waiting for? In today's competitive environment, you need all
the help you can get.
About the author
David K. Lindo is a professional manager, educator, writer and public speaker
on topics addressing individual development and organizational control.
He has extensive experience with both small business and Fortune 500 firms
in the areas of accounting, human resource development and quality control.
Lindo teaches in the integrative MBA program at the University of St. Thomas
in Minneapolis. He has published more than 200 articles on topics of financial
management, cost control, career guidance, performance evaluation and effective
self-de
