Working on Wonderful

Supervisory 101: recognize the good things your employees do. I recognize the members of my department. I go home every night knowing that I have a super staff.  I have an awesome staff. I know it and they know it too.

Or do they? Sure, I may not always get awards written up and submitted each quarter but at the end of the year, I make up for lost time.  In meetings I acknowledge the output of the department, the work that is done each and everyday and thank people individually for their achievements.  I am often blown away by the initiative and engagement I see. "Great job," I think (and say as I remember and have the time) and consider it exactly that - a part of their job. In most cases, I do not follow up with further recognition.  

Well, over the past 45 days I have been. I have been looking for examples of outstanding customer service by each individual, not by the collective department. I have been presenting each individual with a "WOW" pin for "Working on Wonderful." Now, before you start thinking I am simply wonderful myself, you have to know that this campaign was the result of our Work Life Improvement Committee and I was doing it because all supervisors were required to. I went into this a little bucky because I felt recognition was alive and well in my department and that this campaign would seem a little contrived. Well, I realized that neither was true.

I realized that I was not putting much time and effort into recognition. I realized that I was not seeing the individual contributions of each staff member. I realized that I was not looking. I realized that a little effort goes a long way.  I realized that each employee gained from focused, specific, timely recognition

I realized that I gained more.

Supervisory Caution

Supervision can be both a wonderful and a thankless job.

Probably one of the most challenging parts is addressing employee performance and/or conduct issues. It is going to happen. Be it a discussion with an employee about the volume and/or frequency of his cell phone, telling an employee she has body odor; addressing internet misuse; or critiquing a wonderfully bad presentation, it is going to happen.

When employee performance and/or conduct issues do occur, take a tool from your toolbox and address them head on. Some supervisors use the same tool every time, the hammer. The pitfalls of always using the hammer are obvious to most. Either by leadership style or by conscious choice, supervisors can swing the pendulum the other way and, in the interest of preserving feelings, maintaining relationships or identifying learning opportunities, they reach past the hammer and grab a brush.

The brush is soft and gentle and it hurts less than a hammer.  When meeting with an employee to discuss performance and/or conduct issues, the message should be that the performance or conduct does not meet expectations/standards. Delivering this message is uncomfortable for all involved. And, this is the message that must be delivered.  

Supervisory caution: do not soften the issue or concern so much that the message is lost. 

Employee performance and/or conduct issues can be addressed head on with compassion and respect. Wouldn't you want the same from your supervisor?