May/June 1988
Follow these tips for improving interaction with supervisors, helping them strengthen skills, and promoting a high-performance team.
By Paul Green
Paul Green is director of membership services for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Washington, D.C
When it comes to their work team, managers in the scrap business--like those in any business--know the score: Supervisors are key players. Their skills and knowledge can make the difference between a business that runs smoothly, efficiently, and safely, and one that operates on the edge of confusion--with frequent breakdowns, production inefficiencies, and potential for injury.
Yet many supervisors view themselves not as participating on a team, but as working in an independent vacuum. Supervisors may consider themselves productive but believe management requires proof through daily production results.
There's no question that production--sorting, preparing, and delivering material--is what a scrap processing and recycling operation is all about. But to operate efficiently and profitably, the company must also focus on the interpersonal aspects of its business--especially the relationship between management and supervisors.
A main element of the relationship is communication, which must be ongoing.
Supervisors are not always aware of--they must be told about--the overall difficulties managers deal with in conducting business in today's environment. On the other hand, managers do not always appreciate the day-to-day problems and pressures supervisors face.
From working with supervisors, I have compiled a list of tasks they perceive themselves responsible for:
buying and selling material;
planning and scheduling;
handling space requirements;
production;
grading material;
quality control;
safety;
maintenance;
shipping and receiving;
customer relations (peddler and industrial);
communication with workers (including motivation and counseling);
training;
hiring and firing;
collecting information;
managing crises;
setting goals;
solving problems; and
doing other employees' jobs
As the list goes on, supervisors' pressures mount. Managers must decide whether supervisors should have all these roles and whether they possess the skills to fulfill the roles successfully.
As you speak with your supervisors, you might discover capabilities you didn't know existed, perhaps ones the supervisors themselves were not aware of. Or you might realize that a person is handling responsibilities for which he needs further skill development. If you are not fully aware of the skills and knowledge of your supervisors, you might be missing opportunities that can benefit the company and make your management job easier.
As you examine roles, be aware of concerns that might exist among supervisors. Some of these concerns might impede productive work. The concerns I have heard include:
fear of failing;
frustration with workers;
lack of communication with management;
lack of clear job description;
underutilization of skills;
authority not relating to responsibility;
lack of recognition for accomplishments;
lack of awareness about promotion possibilities;
lack of clear reporting lines;
lack of priorities;
unrealistic time constraints;
unclear knowledge of management's goals;
lack of input in major business decisions; and
lack of willingness by management to try something new.
Look over the list of concerns. If you think your supervisors might have some of them, ask yourself these questions:
Are you part of the problem because of the way you manage your supervisors?
Do you have particular methods forgetting the most out of your supervisory staff?
Do you communicate well with your supervisors?
These questions should be explored whether you have 1 supervisor or 20. The necessity of a solid management approach is not mandated by the size of an operation.
To ensure a solid management approach and make your manager-supervisor team a winner, take these steps:
Develop an understanding of how your supervisors handle various situations. Observe how your supervisors react with people in different situations and formulate an assessment of the supervisory behavior. For example, if your supervisor notices an incoming load being spotted incorrectly, does he "handle" the problem by screaming and yelling? Or does he rectify the problem effectively: correcting the matter, applying firmness with composure, describing the consequences, and allowing the employee to learn from the mistake.
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your supervisors. The knowledge and skills of your supervisors can be divided between two distinct areas: technical--how well they know their jobs and the jobs of the employees they supervise, and interpersonal--supervisors' ability to develop their employees and to enhance relationships with them. As supervisors, they are working with the company's most vital asset: people. How they interact with this asset has a tremendous impact on the productivity of your firm.
Take note of your supervisors' strong and weak points in these areas. Work with your supervisors to take maximum advantage of their strengths-and to strengthen the areas in which they are weak.
Establish objectives for supervisors. Every supervisor knows the importance of setting priorities to accomplish daily and long-range objectives. But a supervisor cannot attain these objectives if he does not know what they are. Make sure this essential information flows down from management.
Clearly establish their roles, responsibilities, and authority. Many problems with staff stem from a lack of agreement about roles, responsibilities, and authority. Do your supervisors really know what is expected of them? If so, do they understand how to fulfill their responsibilities? What are the constraints they have to work with? Are these constraints clearly known? Do your supervisors understand the difference between responsibility and authority?
Let's say you have a maintenance supervisor responsible for keeping equipment in good order and ready for production each day. What is his true authority in carrying out this work? What is his authority regarding machinery purchases? What about maintenance staff decisions-hiring and firing? If you have limited his authority, are you using his full potential?
Work on efficient use of time. Most people have trouble managing their time effectively. For supervisors in particular, time management is not only tough but critical. Help your supervisors by beginning with your company goals. First, what are the long-range goals? Next, what are the tasks that need to be accomplished to meet these goals? How can supervisors complete necessary tasks and be productive on a daily basis? Share with your supervisors a common-sense approach to productivity: starting each day with a task that is somewhat simple and can be completed in a short period of time. Doing so sets the pattern for a productive day.
Understand motivation and how to make it work. Supervisors are often asked to motivate their workforce, but the majority find it difficult to define motivation. You can help in this situation if you understand motivation and how to make it work.
People are motivated by external and internal demands and pressures. The prime external factor that motivates people is the desire to maintain a certain lifestyle. As a manager, you control the supervisor's immediate ability to sustain that lifestyle: you provide his job. Internal factors have to do with self-image--an individual's desire to do a good job and feel that his work is important. Your role here is to provide the appropriate conditions under which the employee can further professional development--for both his benefit and that of the company.
Establish avenues for discussing and identifying problems. Management must create an atmosphere conducive to constructive discussions with supervisors. Think about your behavior when a supervisor comes to speak with you. Do you take phone calls while he is in your office? Are you distracted with other events going on around you? How undivided is your attention? If you are distracted the supervisor might miss a message you want to deliver, and you might miss a message he wants you to receive. This kind of miscommunication can be costly to business operations as well as interpersonal relationships.
An important part of communication with your supervisors is what you do with the information they deliver. If you want your supervisors to actively participate in identifying problem areas, you need to react to that information. Even if you don't believe the information warrants action, you should at least investigate it, inform the supervisor that you did so, and tell him you appreciated his efforts.
Improve communication skills. Two distinct areas of communication between you and your supervisors can be improved. The first involves speaking. How concise are your conversations? Do you speak with your supervisors in couched language, forcing them to read between the lines? Or could they repeat what you said in their own words and understand your meaning? To improve oral communication, you need to consider how and under what circumstances you relay messages. For example, if you must discuss something critical with a supervisor, do you start a conversation near the shear or shredder, where noise levels make listening difficult? Or do you choose a more appropriate setting?
The second aspect of communication revolves around listening skills. How often are you told that you don't listen? How often do you tell your supervisors? Assess your listening skills. When do you listen best? When are you least likely to be really listening? How accurately could you repeat something you just heard? Allow time to listen. And practice listening by rephrasing important messages you hear.
Be aware of potential people problems. Supervisors should be aware of warning signs that could indicate potential problems with employees. These include change of attitude, production totals, and amount of time required to perform tasks. Additionally, management should be aware of and understand potential problems with supervisors. Sometimes a manager is too close to the situation to recognize signs that might point to a potential problem, and he needs to step back and evaluate the circumstances.
Here are some common danger signs to look for in an employee: developing the attitude that he is right and others are wrong, being unwilling to expand his skills and knowledge about his job, second-guessing management, complaining about money (a supervisory position requires a higher commitment to the organization), feeling he can't be replaced, and rejecting company policy. When a supervisor notices a problem with an employee, he should take corrective measures. The same is true when a manager observes a problem with a supervisor.
Involve supervisors in policy development and implementation. You expect your supervisors to interpret and implement company policy every day. But are they aware of these policies? Are the policies administered fairly and equitably? Are they easily attainable? Does your company provide an employee handbook covering administrative and operational policies?
As you examine these issues, think about how you can integrate your supervisors into the process of policy development and implementation. A positive outlook on company policies has an impact on operational goals and standards.
You can form an effective team with your supervisors by helping them understand their roles, how they fit within the framework of your operation, and how their performance affects company results, and by coaching them in skill development efforts. By taking these essential steps, you will promote a systematic approach to supervision for your company and will wind up with a winning team.
Follow these tips for improving interaction with supervisors, helping them strengthen skills, and promoting a high-performance team.