Getting Through the Tough Times: Narrowing Supervisor — Employee Divide

I plan to continue writing about this subject because I think it’s so important to all workplaces right now. This week’s tip dealt with it, as did a post I published yesterday. There shouldn’t be a dearth of things to write about during the coming months — unfortunately.

We’re accustomed to New Year’s resolutions. M. Lee Smith Publishers encourages HR professionals to use this month when we celebrate Thanksgiving to establish some Thanksgiving Resolutions. On the company’s website (HR Hero.com) you can find some “white papers” designed to help HR with all kinds of subjects. One of the recent white papers is entitled: “Giving Thanks: How to Show Employees They’re #1 Without Breaking the Bank.” I encourage you to get this free white paper and share it with your colleagues.

Let me give you a brief preview. Surveys often show that what supervisors think are the most important things to employees is upside down from what their employees think. The top four for employees (appreciation for good work done; feeling “in” on things; help with personal problems; and job security) are often the bottom four for supervisors. That’s a big divide that needs to be narrowed. The white paper talks about other things that are upside down. The white paper also provides tips for being a better supervisor, including “15 keys to being a good supervisor.”

One thing that’s the same in good times and in bad at your company is that the representative who has the most contact with your employees is a supervisor. It’s not unusual for there to be a divide between supervisors and employees in good times, as well as bad. But when times are bad, a supervisor needs to step up big. Thus, HR professionals need to provide as much support and guidance to supervisors as possible to make sure this happens. Supervisors need to provide good management. Just as important, they need to provide good leadership.

1. 

   LKS says:

   November 13, 2008 at 11:19 am

   I walk around our office everyday and check in with each employee (take ‘attendance’ as they jokingly call it). During this time I also give encouragement and atta boys. I know how much it means to me on the rare occasion I get praise for a job well done. Unfortunately that is just not a priority here. As much as I try to push it, it is not seen as important at the Top and we have lost some good people because of that.
2. 

   John Phillips says:

   November 13, 2008 at 4:19 pm

   Well, of course, you’re not by yourself when it comes to this sort of thing. The longer I’ve been at this, the less I understand why this is so difficult or why it’s not given priority. It’s a small thing. It doesn’t think that much time. But it makes a huge difference. It would make every workplace significantly better, more productive and less contentious. I’m glad you’re doing your part. Hang in there.
3. 

   How To Be A Good Supervisor says:

   November 19, 2008 at 7:06 am

   i check my employee everyday, but i can’t be like this
4. 

   John Phillips says:

   November 19, 2008 at 10:24 am

   To use a phrase coined during the recent presidential election, “Yes you can.”