LEADERSHIP

LEADERSHIP

Good supervisor

It is an astounding revelation to have someone with ten years of service tell vou that vou are the first good supervisor he has had. It is also disquieting' The good supervisor would hardlv consider himself perfect, since there is no such thing as the perfect supervisor: yet some men direct better than others. What makes a good supervisor and what makes a poor one depend upon the person asked. Most of us, however, would agree on the extremes in and rating.

There are few good supervisors

The October, 1966, issue of Nation's Business Magazine contained an article entitled 'Whv Bosses Fail". It was an excerpt from a book bv Charles F. Austin. Management's Self lnflicted Wounds. In the article Austin rated supervisors bv five measurements:
1. Did he know his job?
2. Did he behave and recognize you as a human being?
3. Did he contribute to the company's progress, or was he a bottleneck?
4. Did vou learn from him things to copy or avoid?
When vou refer to him todav are your feelings negative or positive?

Austin states that if vou rate prior supervisors with an odd number, plus or minus, and sum up the five numbers, that from sixty to ninety percent of all supervisors would get a negative rating.

Why few good ones?

Why are there so few good supervisors? The five questions asked by Austin provide the beginning clues.


Getting people to produce more effectively

As a manager, your value to your firm depends largely on the performance of those who report to you. If they get things done, you are doing your job effectively; if they do not produce, you are rightfuliv held responsible. To get them working on all cylinders, try this program:
Consider their feelings. Be calm and courteous toward them. Consider the effects on them of any decisions you make. Take into account their problems and do all you can to build up their pride in their work.
When necessary, throw out "the book." Judge people by results, not pat rules. If an unorthodox solution works and pleases those who use it, don't discount it.
*Listen. The boss who knows his people comes to appreciate what motivates them. The fastest wav to know them is to encourage them to talk freely, without fear of disapproval. Never dominate a conversation or

meeting if you want to find out where your people stand.
Set objectives. Your people should have a sense of direction xvhere they're going, what they're doing, and when For maximum effect. allow them to participate in setting work goals.
*Demonstrate high expectarions. People tend to perform according to what is expected of them. If they sense you have confidence in them and expect a first rate job, that's what they will usually try to deliver. e Askfor help. By bringing your people into the picture, you accomplish two important things you give them a feeling of "belonging" and help to build up their self esteem. Result: thev'11 be anxious to work harder than ever. What is just as important, they may well have good ideas which mav never be utilized unless: (a) you ask them for ideas; and (b) they are made to feel that vou genuinely week their help.


Set goals for your people

A good manager gives people a sense of direction, something to strive for and achieve because he or she understands that they need to know where they're going, what they're doing, and why they're doing it in order to plan their course intelligently and work efficiently.
Good employees can't get interested in working from day to day. So make the relationship between their day to day work and their larger goals clear.
For example, don't stop with asking an individual to study the operating costs of your department; explain that it's part of a plan to provide leeway for salary increases. And give your people information about your department, company, and industry so that they can see themselves and their work in perspective.

The importance of being available
Some managers believe that a certain inaccessibilitv is the mark of a true leader. A few even think it is a symbol of their authority. They couldn't be more wrong. When someone who works for you wants to talk. it's only good management to make yourself available promptly, because effective leaders have to know what's happening around them. Problems shouldn't have to reach the crisis stage before managers hear about them. No matter what the demands on your time may be, no matter how much paper work you may have, there is no excuse (or not knowing what's going on).
The best source of information, and one for which there is no substi¬tute. is a close, friendly relationship with the people who work for you. If they know you are interested in what they're doing, and if you give them a chance, they'll gladly talk. If you are impatient, uninterested, hard to get to, overlv critical, or inattentive, no¬bodv wifi consult you about anything until it is absolutely unavoidable.
Astute leaders don't become openly irritated if the news isn't good. We all prefer good news to bad that's human but when bosses are angry when things aren't going right, employees are reluctant to speak up when there's trouble.
Good decisions are seldom made in an Ivory tower. Keep in touch, ask questions, encourage feedback. If keeping you informed is a pleasant experience, people will do so gladly. If it isn't, they won't. It's up to you.

The art of being likable

Being likable may not be the most important asset an individual can have, but experience seems to bear out the contention that being liked is a useful way of getting along in the world. The leader who is liked is followed rather than feared. The businessperson who is liked finds it easier to get things done by others. And frankly, it feels better to know that people are with, not against. you.
Everyone has their own favorite techniques for winning the approval of others. But few will find fault with the following suggestions. If you would like to be liked:

1. Recognize the dignity of others. This boils down to understanding that others have much the same desires as you particularly for an appreciation of their worth as hu man beings. Respect has a way of being reciprocated.
2. CuLtivate empathy. The knack of putting yourself in the other per son's shoes. You like the appreciation for a job well done; so does he. Empathy is as old as the Golden Rule, and works as well today as it did 2,000 years ago.
3. Go out of your way for others. When you can. A little favor goes along way with people.

Good management a wise inconsistency

"Managers who consistently accom¬plish a lot are notably inconsistent in their manner of attacking prob¬lems", say Wickham Skinmer and 'K. Earl Sasser. Such managers 'con¬tinually change their focus, their priorities, their behavior patterns with superiors and subordinates ..."
Good managers, say Skinner and Sasser:

1. Analyze carefully. Good analysis produces power and credibilitv and leads to practical, realistic sol¬utions. Most important, it develops confidence in the manager.
2. Work out operating strategies. Not only setting objectives, but also determining what will be difficult, assessing favorable and unfavorable factors.
3. Recognize dilemmas. This recognition gives them a breadth of vision that lifts them bevond habitual responses and helps them to handle each situation appropriately.
4. Use many techniques. High accomplishment managers are familiar with and not hesitant to use a wide variety of management tools.
5. Fit style to the situation. Most managers settle into a single rigid or limiting style. High accomplishers are flexible and willing to be dif-ferent. Although they often act to some degree intuitively in choosing a style for a given situation, their intuition is backed up by the ability to learn from experience.