Supervising For Dummies

I've seen books in the bookstore with titles like "PC's for Dummies" or "Windows 95 for Dummies." The idea has extended beyond computers, and I've seen books with titles like "Cooking for Dummies" or "Gardening for Dummies." It seems to me they ought to make a book called "Supervising for Dummies." Here are a few ideas that should be included in such a book.

1) Show Respect. The employees working the mail, doing maintenance on the machines, unloading the mail, sorting the  mail, working the window and doing all the other duties are the backbone of the USPS. Without                                 them, you are nothing. Treat them with the respect they deserve.

2.) Realize cooperation is a two way street.

How many times have we heard someone in management say the union isn't willing to cooperate ? Usually the supervisor saying this had never nudged an inch in years to try to show cooperation with the employees and/or union. Most employees , when seeing a supervisor who is willing to go that extra mile, are willing to give an extra five miles to cooperate.

 

3) Don't be afraid to admit your mistakes. We all make mistakes. Just because you wear a tie (or dress) doesn't mean you are perfect. If you've been wrong about something,admit it. Don't try to squirm out of it. We're not idiots and we can tell a lie the minute it comes out of your mouth. We much more respect a truthful admission than a bold faced lie.

 

4) Don't be afraid to say I'm sorry. You're a busy person with a lot on your mind. Sometimes you may say or do something offensive to an employee without thinking. If you later realize it, don't be afraid to apologize. And if you do apologize, don't worry, you won't break.

 

5) Thank your employees for a job well done. It makes an employee feel good to know the effort he or she puts forth into getting a job done well is appreciated. We understand that's what we're getting paid to do, but a complimentary word or two can go a long way in labor-management relations.

 

6) Don't be afraid to smile and have a sense of humor. A smile means a lot. If you go around acting uptight and miserable, it sets a very negative atmosphere. Smile, laugh, joke around a little. We'll still get the work done (and maybe even a little faster).

 

7) Don't be offended and take it personally when a grievance is filed. A grievance is not usually a personal thing. It is a way to solve a difference of opinion on the interpretation of the contract. You're just doing what you think is right and necessary  and the employee filing a grievance is doing the same thing.

 

8) And speaking of the contract, try to avoid violating it as best you can. Sometimes it might just be your lack of knowledge of the contract when you violate it, but several supervisors have been known to violate it freely with no respect for it whatsoever. When you have no respect for the contractthat protects us and gives us rights, then we have no respect for you. You expect us to follow rules or we'll be disciplined. Is it so hard for you to do the same ?

 

10) Be willing to explain yourself. When an employee asks why you are doing something in a certain way, don't respond with "Because I  Can" or some other negative response. You may have a perfectly good reason, you can hardly blame an employee for asking. "Because I can" only creates negativity and disdain on the part of the craft employee.

 

11) Remember, in some cases, you may have once been a union member yourself. Put yourself in our shoes. It's hard for the craft employee to have any respect for someone who has undergone such a change of heart. It's hard to stomach when we see you acting and thinking just like those actions and ideas you used to criticize so strongly.

 

12) And lastly ( and this may be the hardest rule to swallow), remember you're not necessarily the cream of the crop. The majority of USPS supervisors only have the job because so few other employees want it. Let's face it, the USPS hasn't exactly made a postal supervisor job that attractive. The extra pay still doesn't equal the headaches & what an employee makes that works overtime.