                         7.  SUPERVISORS IN ACTION.     
        
             The Golden Rule of Supervision is:  Any order that cannot be
        understood cannot be executed.  
        
             Communicating to other people what they are to do is the way
        any supervisor gets things done.  In this way, a supervisor's
        decisions and ideas implemented.  How the supervisor tells them
        what to do will determine how well the job will be done and
        whether or not the supervisor will succeed or fail in his or her
        endeavors.  
        
             George (1979) described six simple rules the effective
        supervisor needs to follow to be effective in providing direction
        for employees.  They are:
        
             1.   Create the right climate.  Directions need to be given
                  in a climate and spirit of help and cooperation. 
                  Commands and brusque orders are the mark of an immature
                  supervisor and seldom achieve more than a grudging
                  compliance.  Creating this type of climate does not
                  happen overnight.  Where employees willingly and
                  enthusiastically accept a directive, the supervisor can
                  be sure that a climate of helpful cooperation exists.
        
             2.   Make the direction reasonable.  A good direction is a
                  reasonable one.  A direction that is reasonable for one
                  employee may not be for another one.  Remember that
                  individual differences exist within all work
                  environments.  
        
             3.   Make the direction understandable.  Any order that
                  cannot be understood cannot be executed.  Be sure then
                  that the order is understood by the employee.  How
                  directions are communicated depends on the employee and
                  the situation.  Some employees need more direction;
                  some need very little.  Whatever the situation, be sure
                  the employee understands your point of view and knows
                  exactly what you want done.
        
             4.   Choose the right words.  When giving a direction, use
                  the right words and say them in such a way that the
                  employee enthusiastically accepts the direction.  At
                  times a direct command is needed.  On most occasions,
                  it is better to request that someone do something
                  rather than demand it.  
        
             5.   Explain the "Why" of the Direction.  If there is the
                  slightest chance the employee will not understand why
                  something needs to be done, be sure to tell him or her. 
                  If he or she understands why he or she was given the
                  direction, he or she is more likely to pitch in and get
                  the work accomplished with dispatch.  
        
             6.   Be prepared for problems.  No matter how carefully you
                  go through the previous steps in giving directions, you
                  are bound to have problems.  This is just part of the
                  job.  Explain to the employee what is needed.  Listen
                  to his or her concerns.  Follow up on directions given. 
                  Process the results with the employee.  Acknowledge his
                  or her successfully completing what was directed of him
                  or her (George, 1979, p. 113-115).
        
             What if the employee refuses to follow a direction even
        after being requested to do so?  This is not an uncommon
        occurrence.  When there are problems, patience is necessary. 
        Remember that the goal is to get the job done.  It is then the
        responsibility of the supervisor to ask:
             1.   Did he understand the direction?
             2.   Is he willfully refusing or is there some reason why he
                  did not do what was asked of him that is not obvious?
             3.   If is not obvious, ask him, "Is there something here
                  that I need to know about that you aren't telling me?"
             4.   Ask, "Is there something that I did or said that is
                  getting in the way of your doing what I asked you to
                  do?"
        
             Should supervisors give answers to their employees when they
        ask for solutions to problems?  In general, no.  To do so is poor
        supervision.  Solving a problem for an employee disempowers him
        or her and it does not place him or her in a place to make a
        decision on his or her own the next time a similar problem is
        encountered.  What effective supervisors do in this type of
        situation is engage the employee in creative problem solving. 
        Assisting the employee in discovering the answer for him or
        herself is much more productive and empowers the employee to
        continue to problem solve on his or her own in the future.  
        
             Giving the employee the answer is much simpler and more time
        efficient.  However, one of the most important functions of
        supervision is to train the employee to be better at all aspects
        of his or her job related responsibilities and problem solving is
        one of the most important activities of any employee's functions. 
        The better each individual employee is at problem solving the
        less time the supervisor will spend solving problems for others. 
        Time management is the key issue.  Time spent initially problem
        solving with an employee will pay great dividends later on.  
        
             This process is like the answer the little boy gave to a
        teacher when she asked him if he bought a cart for $6.92 and sold
        it for $8.24, whether he would win or lose on the deal.  He
        thought about it for a moment and then said, he would win on the
        dollars but lose on the cents.  In helping an employee solve his
        own problems you may lose on the cents (the short run), but you
        will win on the dollars (the long run).  
        
             What are the signals that a supervisor is not doing an
        effective job?  There is no one signal that clearly indicates
        that a supervisor is doing an ineffective job.  However, several
        factors combined might tell him or her that something is not
        working.  The following checklist (George, 1979) can be used by
        any supervisor to measure his or her supervisory performance.  If
        two or more of these items apply to the supervisor, it may signal
        that something may be amiss.
        
        
                         SUPERVISORY PROBLEMS CHECK LIST
        
        1.   Do you get complaints from your employees about the quality
             and delivery of your work?                                   
                                    
        2.   Are costs increasing in your department that you can't
             justify?   
                             
        3.   Is production output per employee decreasing?  
                                                                          
        4.   Have you had increases in the number of complaints or
             grievances within the past year?                         
        
        5.   Have you had to reprimand several of your employees during
             the past year for conflicts, hostility, and unjustified
             actions?   
        
        6.   Do you have to watch your employees more closely than you
             used to because they no longer are self starters?   
                                   
        7.   Is there indication of apathy and disinterest among your
             employees about their jobs and the company?  
             
        8.   During meetings, do you find that attendance is poor and
             little interest shown in the topic being discussed?  
        
        9.   Do your employees misunderstand your instructions and not do
             what you tell them to do?  
        
        10.  Are there increased absences and turnover? 
                                                                          
             Eventually, every employee problem affects work.  In such
        instances, an understanding and cooperative supervisor who
        recognizes these problems can do much to help his or her
        employees get over this difficult time.
        
             Supervisory counseling is nothing more than talking in
        private with an employee.  Listening carefully to what the
        employee has to say.  Don't argue and don't criticize him.  Try
        to understand what he or she is trying to say.  Like an iceberg,
        only 10% of an employee's feelings are on the surface.  The other
        90% are below the surface.  A conscientious supervisor attempts
        to discover these hidden feelings through an intimate talk with
        his or her employee.  The session may provide the employee with
        sound advice or with hope and reassurance.  It may help him or
        her to clarify his or her own thinking.  These sessions may
        assist the employee in bridging the gap between supervisor and
        employee.  In such sessions, the supervisor's role is to serve as
        a fact finder and listening post.  
        
             Generally, the most difficult problems to identify and
        correct are personal problems.  Whatever they are, they certainly
        will affect the employee's work performance.  Personal problems
        may be interrelated with all sorts of other problems.  Even
        though the supervisor may not like it, counseling troubled
        employees is a necessary part of being effective.  Remember, that
        problem employees can do more harm than good if they are not
        helped.  
        
             To describe all the nuances of the supervisor's role when he
        or she is actively dispatching supervisory duties would take
        thousands of volumes of text and is beyond the scope of this
        paper.  Suffice it to say, the supervisor who hopes to be not
        only an effective supervisor but a leader as well, needs to
        master these suggested skills and many more not listed here. 
        Reading, attending supervisory training, watching other effective
        supervisors work and role modeling their actions, practicing
        counseling techniques, learning to become an active listener, are
        all actions which will enhance the effectiveness of any
        supervisor.
