With the downturn in the UK economy, workplaces are becoming more and more diverse age-wise.

Older workers are working alongside younger workers as people at every stage in their career are getting laid off. With this generational gap among workers widening, theres a lot of potential for miscommunication or differing perspectives. Though many people will absolutely deny that they have any pre-conceived notions about certain people, lets face it stereotypes are a reality in our culture whether we like it or not. Very few people want to be a nightmare boss, but stories of crazy, overbearing, and controlling bosses abound, which means a whole lot of supervisors and managers are bad bosses without even realizing it. Whether you're a volunteer supervisor, a yearbook editor at your company, or a manager at a large company, the benefits of being a good boss are vast at every level. From better productivity to higher morale, it's in everyone's best interest for their boss to be a good one. It is right there in the title, "boss." You're supposed to tell people what to do. All too often, though, people in management positions forget to make expectations clear, so make sure your employees or supervisees know exactly what you want from them on every project.

Make Expectations Clear

Make Expectations Reasonable

With budget cuts sweeping the nation, more and more people are shouldering extra responsibilities. From volunteers at non profits to high level employees at large corporations, we're all working extra hard. In this climate, it's important to keep reasonable expectations. Don't give people tasks that are doomed to failure. If your company or
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department is suffering from budget cuts or employee losses, productivity may dip, so it's important not to blame employees for things they're not responsible for.

Correct Mistakes

When someone makes a mistake, let them know. This gives them an opportunity to correct it rather than making the same mistake. Correcting mistakes does not mean you're being a bully. Rather, it means you're giving people a chance to succeed.

Communicate

When you're in a position of power that allows you to see the big picture, it can be easy to forget that not everyone has the benefit of your bird's eye view. Communicate frequently with people you supervise about future plans, projects, and goals. Make sure to communicate both the positive and negative. Too often, bosses get caught up in criticizing rather than praising, so avoid this common mistake.

Treat Employees Like People

You shouldn't be overly involved in your employees' personal lives in most cases, but that doesn't mean it's not a good idea to invest in them as people. Make small talk and convey a sense of genuine care for them as people. Remembering birthdays; offering condolences when someone dies and creating a team environment can lead to a substantially better working environment.

Criticize Constructively
Criticism can be beneficial to a person's job performance, but not if they feel like they're being torn down as a human being. Rather than questioning a person's dedication or competence, give specific instructions about what they can do differently. Don't engage in blaming or name calling.

Offer Praise

Perhaps the most important thing a good boss does is to offer praise when someone does something right. Aim to praise everyone at least twice as often as you criticize them. Even
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employees who are slacking off or not performing well can benefit from regular praise. When people feel good about themselves they tend to do better.

Accept Criticism

Perhaps the most critical difference between good bosses and great ones is that great bosses are willing to accept constructive criticism. Ask your employees what you can do to be a better supervisor, and be willing to listen to their concerns.

Don't Engage in Office Gossip

Every office has its own politics, with in groups, out groups, and cliques. Don't get embroiled in these cliques or your own job performance, as well as your ability to manage, will suffer. Treat each employee equally, and don't judge performance based upon how much you or someone else likes a particular employee.

Don't Be a Pushover

It's true that some of the worst bosses are just blatantly mean, but being a pushover can be equally problematic. If you're afraid of confrontation, your employees don't have a chance to get meaningful feedback and improve at their jobs. Work to straddle the line between being a pushover and a bully, and instead be assertive but kind. Your employees will be grateful for your combination of assertiveness and friendliness. Being a boss is never easy, particularly if a company is struggling or dealing with budget cuts. But if you're willing to make an honest assessment of your own strengths and weaknesses, you'll be better equipped to do the same for your employees! Managing a group of people who all have different personalities, abilities and who may or may not interact well with each other is not an easy task and, in my opinion, to be successful you require certain qualities and skills such as:

Excellent communication skills

You need to relay instructions very clearly so every part is well understood in order to avoid mistakes. You also need to listen carefully to what your employees tell you. A very good way to make sure someone has understood your instructions is to ask them to repeat everything in their own words. To make sure you have received information correctly, you should say "so what you are saying is..." and repeat in your own words. This simple method avoids many misunderstandings.

Fairness

Human beings react badly to what they perceive as unfair. So if you delegate work to others make sure you are scrupulous in allocating pleasant and unpleasant tasks evenly.

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Good organisational skills are essential

It is your job to coordinate the work and allocate resources. You should know where everything is and be prepared for the task.

Knowledge

Part of the supervisor's job is to train others so it goes without saying that you should be at least one step ahead of them.

Accountability

If a mistake is made by one of your team you should acknowledge responsibility every time unless they have deliberately disobeyed your instructions.

Efficiency

For your department to work like clockwork you should always have the next task ready to be allocated to the right person so no-one spends any time doing nothing.

Adaptability

Be ready to manage change efficiently as and when it happens even if you don't agree with it.

Social skills

You should be courteous at all times. When you have to tell someone off, it should be done assertively but politely and never in front of other people. Everyone makes mistakes and nobody needs to be humiliated. Shouting at people is not a good idea as they will become resentful and unhappy. You will get more done with a smile than with rudeness. Don't be afraid to praise your team for a task well done. The carrot always works better than the stick.

Diplomacy

As a supervisor you have loyalty to the company who pays your wages but also loyalty to your team who are responsible for your results. A difficult balance which requires a great deal of tact!

Self-discipline

As a supervisor, you should inspire respect so discretion in your private life is essential nor can you tell people off for lateness if you are always late yourself.

The Life of a Boss

My first year as a boss was one of the roughest years I have ever had in my life. Supervising people, regardless of their gender, age, race, whatever is always difficult. If you supervise one employee or one hundred, you have to learn and adjust to each personality. I
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tried to handle everyone the same way, all at once, across the board. I was wrong. Below are some of my own experiences and tips.

How to be a Good Supervisor Communicate!

And to recap here are some tips I consider how to be a better supervisor: Always communicate with your staff. The longer you delay information, either to everyone or to one person, the more difficult it will be for your staff to prepare for changes and listen to you as a leader.

Do not assume anything

Just because someone made an error or mistake once, don't assume they will always do it again. The same goes on the flip side. Just because someone always does good doesn't mean they will always do good. I have had employees go from good to bad, and bad to good.

An employees problem(s) may not just be work

Employees can have problems outside of their work that could affect their work greatly. It takes communication and talking to your staff member one-on-one to learn what that problem is, and supporting them in getting better.

Forgive the mistakes!

Just because an employee makes a mistake, you shouldn't note it down in an evaluation or immediately write them up for it. Mistakes happen. I have made mistakes. It's how we learn and grown in our positions. Forgive and forget. On the other hand...........

Don't ignore multiple mistakes

If an employee continues to have a problem with a job task, ensure you keep track of those mistakes. Work with the employee though to fix the problem. Don't write them up or downgrade them on an evaluation without giving them a chance to improve. That's unfair.

Watch your tone and attitude

If you walk in the office in a bad mood, everyone will catch that same bad mood. If you are flippant about a decision made by the higher-ups, your staff will be as well. Your staff will look to you so see how to act and what is appropriate. It's rough to try to be happy and uplifting all of the time, but that's part of the job of being in-charge or a boss.

Encourage your staff

If you see a job promotion they would be good for, encourage them to take it! Always train your staff to take over your job. To

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help them grow. You won't always be there, and they could be. You should always train them to grow beyond the position they are in now. Not only is it good for the office, but it will make you look good if you want a promotion.

Visit with your staff

Go walk around to the various offices or workstations where your staffs work. Ask what is going on, small talk with them, etc. When I was in a supervision position or in- charge on a project, I spend maybe a hour a day doing that. They think I am being nosey, but I am simply getting to know them. They grow to expect it and like it.

Let your staff give feedback on decisions made in the office. They do the job - you don't. If you come out with a policy, let you staff review it. They may have a better way of doing things. It doesn't matter how the task is done, as long as it is done in the end. Have that open door policy.

Ask for feedback

Sick leave

The ever difficult sick leave. I still have the problem of assuming someone is lying when they call in sick. It's hard not to think that once you learn how the person is. You can't do that. It makes your staff feel guilty when they get sick and feel like they have to come in. That's not fair to them. Plus they may call in sick when they aren't sick just to make you upset and annoyed, just to get under your skin, and maybe because they don't want to work with you in the first place. Just be understanding. However, if you see a pattern of excessive sick leave abuse, you can investigate it. But never pry into why someone is sick. You can't by law. Talk to them and ask if there is anything you can do to help. Say that you noticed they have been sick a lot and you want to see if you can help them resolve any issues. Trust me, it's worked before.

Be consistent

Don't discipline someone for something, but fail to discipline someone else for the exact same thing. The same with your decisions. Don't be all over the board when it comes to the decisions you make. If you are consistent, then your staff will know what you expect from them. They will be better employees and respect you a lot more.

Don't be nit-picky

Don't sweat the small stuff. There is no point except that you will be suffocating your employees and giving them an excuse to leave the job. Once they see you don't care about the small stuff, they won't make mistakes. They will be more relaxed. The more they stress about something the bigger the chance they will make a mistake.
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Provide feedback

Don't wait until a yearly evaluation to tell an employee how they are doing. Give them feedback all year long. You don't have to give them a full report. But you can at least say they are doing great in an area or need more work in another area. It helps and words of advice will go a long way.

Use your new employees

All new employees will come in not knowing a thing about your operation. As they learn the various job tasks, ask them what could be improved. Ask them what they see is being done wrong and ask suggestions on how to fix it. Some may be nervous to do so, but some may be honest about their responses. Use them as valuable tools. Let them see as much of the job as possible so that you can get fresh and new ideas from them.

Use your experienced employees

Just because someone doesn't have a leadership title doesn't mean they can't have a leadership role. You can set someone up as a trainer, or as a shift leader, or anything to give them more responsibility. Some will feel proud of receiving additional duties even if they don't get a pay increase. Plus you could be grooming them to fill the role of a supervisor one day.

Learn personalities

Everyone is different. Just because you can be direct with one employee doesn't mean you can be direct with another employee. It doesn't work that way. Learn how someone reacts to any given situation, and adjust what you say and do according to that. I used to react the same way each time I talked to someone. I made people cry and I made people yell. I adjusted myself to the person and helped them come to terms to any situation.

Encourage change

Change happens everywhere, especially in the workplace. You may move locations, laws could affect how you do business, or a downturn in the economy may slow down sales. Don't discourage change when it happens, even if you disagree with it, encourage change. Most change isn't a bad thing, and once it's all over, you will be happy with the results.

Share responsibility

Often times a job responsibility is given to a supervisor because of lack of staffing, having incompetent staff, etc. However as times change you find that you can pass on duties back to your staff. Then do so! Don't hog all of the important duties to yourself.

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Show your flaws

If you make a mistake or have made a mistake before, and it is relevant to a current situation, then bring it up! This will show your staff you are just as vulnerable to mistakes as they are. It will also demonstrate that you are not afraid to bring them up if you are trying to make a point.

Listen to your staff

Always give your staff a chance to speak their mind. Maybe they have a good idea, or maybe it's a serious problem. Stop typing on the keyboard, turn around, and look at them while they talk. They will appreciate it.

Good Boss Bad Boss Your staff will Your staff will show respect you. you little respect. Your staff will go out Your staff will of their way when purposely not listen you need something to you. of them. More people will You will find people want to work for wanting to leave your you. department. Customer service Disciplinary issues will be better with a will come up more happy staff. often. You'll be recognized by those above you Risk losing your job for being a good or being demoted. boss. Will find that work is Overall lower quality caught up and done of work from your correctly. staff. Staff will miss more Staff will volunteer time just to stay away from a bad for overtime. boss.

Good Boss vs. Bad Boss

There isnt a magic formula for being a good supervisor, of course, but if you supervise workers, perhaps the following tips will help you be more effective as a supervisor. With the power and authority granted to the supervisor, great responsibility takes place. What aspects go into making any supervisor a good supervisor? This question can also be asked in any interview for supervisor positions.

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Some Tips for Being a Good Supervisor! and What can make you a good supervisor?
IMHO the main qualities required for a good supervisor/boss are:-

Great communication skills

As a supervisor one must communicate clearly and correctly to avoid misunderstandings and frustrations. When receiving information from a subordinate, they should be sure to receive it correctly There is no harm in asking again if necessary.

Adapt to the changes

World is changing at a fast pace. The efficient supervisors ought to keep up with it. Do not just blindly follow the age old norms and rules. Think out of the box if required. Adjust to the needs of the organization.

Value the employees

The people are any supervisors real asset. They are ones running the business and the work. A good supervisor understands their worth and treats them accordingly.

A coacher/mentor

Share your experience. A good supervisor shares their wisdom, knowledge and experience with the employees. They help them perform better. This also strengthens the bond and the trust between them.

Disciplined

If a supervisor is disciplined then only can they expect the people to be so. The boss is an example Come on time, meet the time-lines, set a behavioural code if necessary.

Feedback/incentives

Promotions, feedback, raises and accolades should be showered on the deserving people.

Be an example:

Be hands on Do not just always delegate. At times the boss should take on projects too. They may try picking up something less attractive or uninteresting and complete it wonderfully. This sets an example to all the team about taking up challenges and about how any work is important.
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Be approachable

The employees should not hesitate in approaching the supervisor with their concerns and problems. An efficient supervisor will make sure that there is enough trust and openness between them and the employees for the latter to come to them with their grievances.

Be considerate

People are not just employees. They have families, associate, colleagues, friends and a life beyond work. Unless there is something urgent, do not make them work beyond the usual hours. Let them have their weekends and vacations. Be practical when setting the timelines. This all will in turn improve the efficiency and the productivity of the employees.

Positive attitude

Be polite. Wish employees good mornings and be generous in thanking them. Inquire after about their families off and on.

Criticize constructively

When mistakes happen a good supervisor tries and understands the reasons behind the mishap. They criticize or assess the employee in proportion to the mistake. And it is always better to not to scream or scold in front of the others. Give constructive feedback; show them the right way to do things. A supervisor ought not to take the power for granted and continue working on the qualities required to become a great supervisor. If you have management aspirations, it is helpful to know the qualities and abilities that distinguish a good supervisor from a great one. Reflecting on the best supervisors you have had and comparing them to average or good supervisors is an effective way to identify great supervisors.

Positive and Nurturing

Good supervisors are usually concerned with leading employees to positive results in the here and now. Great supervisors have a longer-term perspective. They project positive attitudes that develop an upbeat work environment and they have a desire to help employees grow and develop. They speak positively to workers, coach them through challenges, help in goal setting and provide training to get employees through skills gaps that impede success and growth.

Praises Quickly

Good supervisors often generate positive results. Great supervisors quickly pass on credit for team or department success to employees. This earns respect and commitment from employees. They also praise individual and team successes publicly and promptly to reinforce the desired attitude or behaviour. A simple "great job," an on-the-spot bonus or award for a high-performer or an informal lunch with the team to reward a major project or task accomplishment are methods great supervisors use.
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Ethical and Genuine

Good supervisors understand the basic processes of leading people and may have some strong leadership attributes. Great supervisors ooze ethics, consideration for employees and genuine character. A great supervisor willingly admits when they make a mistake and works diligently to correct it. They also let their guard down on occasion to joke with employees and build interpersonal rapport. This makes them more approachable and protects against general decay of morale that goes unnoticed.

Good Self-Evaluator

Regardless of job role, people who become great are often strong self-evaluators. Great supervisors stand out because they constantly assess their abilities and performance to find opportunities for improvements. They desire to become even better and realize that this requires diligence, discipline and commitment to growth. A great supervisor desiring to improve may realize she lacks strong public speaking skills. When leading a work team and holding meetings, effective group presentation and communication are often critical. They work to address the deficiency by looking for public speaking seminars, workshops, classes and hands-on opportunities. Solid training can make the difference between consistent performance in an organization and disengaged employees. Various studies around the world, have demonstrated that organizations that make large investments in people and training typically have lower turnover. This results in greater customer satisfaction and higher profit margins. Well-planned training also results in greater manager proficiency. What exactly defines good training, then, for supervisors?

Learning Goals

Start each training session with learning goals. Provide new supervisors with expectations of what you hope to achieve during the training session. Rather than write down too many objectives, create one to three goals of what you hope to achieve and what learning you hope to accomplish during your training with the supervisor.

Job Responsibilities

Discuss the job responsibilities and duties with your new supervisor. Have the new supervisors job description readily available. Make a point to review each duty and responsibility one at a time. Make sure your new supervisor understands each responsibility thoroughly. Provide your supervisor with the tools he or she needs to complete each job task. Find out if the supervisor has questions or needs more information about the tools you have available to assist his in completing each job duty.

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Policies and Procedures

Review the company policies and procedures with a new supervisor. To perform their job well, a new supervisor will have to have a solid understanding of corporate policies and procedures. Provide the new supervisor with all of the company manuals, handbooks, policies and procedures available. Provide them with passwords, computer links and access to the company intranet so they understand how to access the information they needs to be success at the new job. Let them know what policies are most often utilized. Explain any disciplinary policies the company uses and what the procedure is for documenting an employee complaint. Inform your supervisor about hiring and termination policies and procedures.

Contacts

Make sure that your new supervisor has the contact information for anyone in the company that they may need to get in touch with if needed. This may include email addresses and phone numbers of HR personnel, benefits personnel and executive personnel in the company. Provide the supervisor with an Employee Assistance Personnel or EAP number in case you have assistance available for personnel that are having emotional or personal problems and require assistance. Fully equip your new supervisor to do their job well and your supervisor will have the best odds of succeeding. Theres been a fair amount of discussion recently in the media on the worst communication mistakes employees make, and the negative comments employees should never say to a boss. Id like to turn the tables. There are likewise expressions a manager should never proclaim to an employee. I hope the next section of various examples will benefit all thoughtful bosses/supervisors and be a reminder of good management principles as well. Based on the comments I have received from both managers and employees through my many years in various businesses, also combined with reports from various resources and my own experiences in the past; heres my own list of things a supervisor should never say to an employee.

#1 Dont Say -I pay your salary. You have to do what I say

This statement is dictatorial. Threats and power plays are not the way to inspire loyalty or great performance from the individual workers. Great executives lead by inspiring, teaching, encouraging, and even serving their employees. Good leaders do not need to threaten.

#2 Dont Say -You are very lucky to receive this bonus. Other companies are only giving their staff a frozen turkey

A wise boss recognizes its his employees that produce profits and is never condescending to them. A bright manager should always be happy to reward industrious employees who contribute to the well being of an organization.

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#3 Dont Say -I was here late last night, and on Saturday and Sunday morning. Where were you?

Expressing veiled pressure that an employee should be on duty 24/7 is erroneous and a sure path to dissatisfaction and low morale for workers. Just because a manager works seven days a week doesnt mean that faithful employees (usually on a minimum wage basis) should do the same.

#4 Dont Say You should stay here because we wont discriminate against you for being a woman
This insensitive remark was delivered to a female executive by her boss; an exemplary woman who had been the recent recipient of a Women in Technology award. She left this thoughtless supervisor and is now embarking on a new career path after serving as a regional sales lead and general manager of one of the nations largest telecomm firms. A great boss will never discriminate, and will never make an employee feel vulnerable, directly or indirectly, as the result of their gender, religious or political affiliation or race. Behaviour such as this, if not illegal, is boorish.

#5 Dont Say Weve got to cut costs (at the same time the manager is buying a new desk, plush chair etc.)

When times are difficult, employees respect supervisors who are empathetic to the challenges employees must face. They resent any leader who lives a different standard. In challenging times, managers should lead by example.

#6 Dont Say I dont want to listen to your complaints

As a boss you should actively seek feedback, even negative comments. I suggest a leader listen with an open mind and fully consider an employees issues. Even in the case of a problem that cant be helped, allowing an employee to vent for even a minute or two can go a long way toward building loyalty and high morale.

#7 Dont Say Weve always done it this way

This statement is a sure way to squash innovation. A better statement is to ask What do you suggest we do to improve? In all likelihood, employees do know what can and should be done to enhance any task. Our job as managers is to encourage workers to find creative solutions to age old problems and to reward them for their clear thinking.

#8 Dont Say Youre doing a terrible job

Managers need to communicate expectations clearly. They should give employees the resources, budgets, deadlines, training and support they need to complete an assignment with distinction. Managers should ask workers to repeat the instructions they receive to insure they fully understand the assigned tasks. If employees make repeated mistakes, perhaps the task doesnt match the employees competency or they have been given unclear instructions.

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#9 Dont Say - Youre stupid, the worst (expletive) worker ever

Anger, profanity and belittling are a spear through an employees heart. Bosses should behave with civility and professionalism. A columnist noted recently that while it is inadvisable for a boss to swear in front of an employee, it is absolutely unacceptable to swear at an employee.

In summary, a great manager should keep his or her word and strive to set a good example. A good boss will praise in public and if a constructive reprimand is necessary, provide it sparingly, privately, and with benevolence. Allowing failure is a key of true delegation. Lessons are learned from missed goals. Learn to listen, and when employees provide feedback, do your best to consider their thoughts with an open mind. If leaders follow these points, they will experience loyal and engaged employees who truly enjoy their assignments and contribute to the well being of the organization I am truly amazed, as are many of you, at how many insensitive and cruel bosses there are in the world. It appears there is a vast and sadly even growing population of unhappy employees who work for dictatorial bosses. Sadly, there is a large and even growing population of individuals currently working for bosses who are behaving like jerks. The complaints from workers about their supervisors seem endless. The common theme is that employees feel like second - class citizens, or in some cases, like slaves. Abused workers feel frustrated, angry and miserable. Many would quit their jobs if they could. They tell me they cant leave. They need a pay check to cover their groceries, mortgage, utilities and car payment. What can an employee do under these circumstances? As I see it, here are your available choices:

1. Grin and Bear It

This is an acceptable option for most workers but it is certainly a sad one. It is destructive to the worker and supervisor. Its a zero sum game for everyone. There are winners (or perhaps in some cases, survivors). Employees will take body blows day after day and somehow survive. Are they engaged and highly productive workers? Generally; no! They do a minimum amount of work to get by. Do they ever stand up and confront the boss? Never! It would be neither practical nor effective. Do these workers treat others well? Only if necessary to maintain the status quo! These are workers who dont rock the boat. They do, however, find ways to escape the frustration. They secretly gossip about management. They waste time wandering about the office or playing Internet games. In a discreet way, they adroitly and spitefully sabotage
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their supervisor whenever they can get away with it. They leave work precisely at the designated end work time. They go home to complain bitterly to their spouse about lousy working conditions and the jerk that ruined their day. They never receive awards or promotions to highly prized positions. One day, if they havent been fired, they retire with a small pension and wonder to themselves, Why did I stay so long? I should note, to be fair, that there are noble employees who live in this negative environment but rise above it and conduct themselves with grace and distinction. They are admired by their peers for their selflessness. But for most, the endurance comes at a very high cost.

2. Find Another Job within the Company

You could move to another department with another boss who treats workers well. There are a few courageous souls who want to stay within a company and simply seek responsibilities somewhere else in the operation. They will quietly visit with HR to learn about other options. There is risk, of course, for these migrants. What might happen if the boss finds out Im looking? Will he or she speak well of me to another supervisor? Nevertheless they watch each week for new job postings and apply quickly with a hope they might be interviewed and hired. As a side note, I find many employees currently looking to leave current jobs to go back to school to increase their knowledge base and thereby become more marketable. This often occurs when they learn a job they hoped to have landed requires more skills than they possess. To fix the problem, they take online courses or attend community college classes at night or on the weekend. No matter what, they are driven to leave the jerk behind and improve their future circumstances.

3. Talk to Your Boss

Invite your unkind boss to discuss your feelings. Seek to understand his or her issues as well. Find common ground to develop mutual job satisfaction for both parties. This option is definitely worth a try. Of course there is some risk. If a discussion doesnt go well, there may be serious consequences later. But if the boss has any heart at all, there may be a very good chance of interpersonal improvement. This option requires significant courage and self-confidence. Its not for the faint of heart. I have actually seen a situation where the plaintiff and the defendant enjoyed a significant improvement in their relationship when the employee asked her boss if they could begin their conversation with a prayer. When I heard of this exchange, I was very doubtful of the outcome. But to my surprise and delight, hearts were somehow softened and the two parties ceased to be adversaries.

4. Quit and Find a New Job

Tender your resignation and find a new job where employees are respected or launch your own business where you are the boss. For me, I will always favor this solution. If the other options arent attractive, this choice is noble and very worthwhile. If theres a new
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employer on your mind, out of necessity or not, take the effort to find out how the new boss and organization treats its employees in advance. Every company has a culture; how people are treated. You will want to find one that fits your personality. Take time to visit with current employees and ask them their opinion on issues that matter most to you. Avoid any company that is a personal mismatch. Doing your research is key. As to a manager, find out what subordinates think of their boss. Dont make the same mistake twice and make your hard-earned move only to end up working for another jerk.

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My Experiences on People Being a Boss

I am going to share some of my experiences what I have observed in people becoming a new boss, also people who have been in charge for a period of time. Some of these are recent experiences too. No matter how many years of experience you have, I have to admit you can never be prepared for every situation. Here are a few examples of the Do Nots. For simplicity of the article I have used myself (I) to tell the various storeys and examples.

Example 1 - I was in charge of three people and was considered to be a 'working supervisor'

An employee decided to take a break in an unauthorized area and disrupted the work of another employee. When this employee finished their break, I dressed this person down in front of the other staff members. Bad idea. What did I do wrong? I disciplined this person in front of others, instead of doing it in private. Soon after that, another employee took a break in the same unauthorized area and disrupted the work of an employee. The first employee I disciplined was upset I didn't do the same to this other one right away. I had actually planned to wait until the employee finished their break. I didn't, I listened to the employee and stopped it right away. That started another problem in itself. Anyways, this event haunted me for years. The first employee always went back to that incident on why she didn't like working with me. It caused bad blood for years. I humiliated her in front of others, and I didn't establish taking breaks in an unauthorized area was wrong for my entire staff.

This next incident was just a poor choice of words

By this time I was in charge of over 10 staff members. I was holding a staff meeting and ended up talking about a new computer system. I was discussing it and stated that newer employees wouldn't have a problem catching on, since they don't know how the other system works and wouldn't confuse the two. But our older employees may have an issue since they are used to the existing system. One of my employees who was older in age took offense, assuming i meant I was referring to her age. It wasn't the case, I just made a poor choice of words. But it proves that your staff will listen to each word you say and take it to heart. That almost turned into an official complaint, but luckily it didn't.

Another problem when I took over an entire office was that I was nit-picky from the start

If someone didn't initial something, or didn't put a paper in the right place, etc. I would ding them on it. They wouldn't be written up, but I would bring it up to them. In time all of my staff resented me and felt like they had to be perfect in order not to get in trouble. It took a good year for me to drop that habit, but it took another year for staff to realize I didn't do that anymore.

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Jokes. Oh my gosh did I make a bad mistake trying to make jokes

We hired a new employee, who lasted about four days, who I made a casual joke to. I was introducing her to someone else, and we were talking about our staffing issues. I said something along the lines of, "At this point we were taking anyone we could get, so we got you." It was a joke, just to meant to imply we were taking anyone who wanted the job since the spots were hard to fill. Well, the employee who I introduced the new employee to complained on me. She said the new employee could have taken offense to it, etc. Funny thing was is that she didn't. But my boss still had to talk to me about it. A few times my jokes were taken out of context. So I cut them off. In time people were complaining I wasn't talkative and casual enough, and just talking about work. I couldn't win. In time though I found a balance between it all.

Another problem that was entirely my fault is that I failed to communicate to my staff

My boss authorized everyone to work overtime again. I didn't mention it to some of my employees. In fact, I totally forgot. But some knew about it and were working overtime. Another employee found out about it and became upset because she thought the employees working overtime were receiving preferential treatment. That made me realize that I needed to communicate as soon as possible if I receive new information relevant to my entire staff.

Failure to understand when staff need to take time off work

During one of my recent evaluations, my boss stated that I wasn't as understanding as I should be when staff need to take time off work, especially when sick. This has always been something that is difficult for me. In one case, a staff member was taking a lot of time off for a relative that was sick. Unfortunately, the relative passed away. I went out of my way and offered to give her some time off, if she needed it.

I didn't greet staff when I saw them.

When the next shift would come in, I wouldn't greet them, as I was wrapping up my day. One person even complained about it. Even though I didn't have to greet them, I took the time to start doing so. It made a real difference and let them know they could approach me when they came into work, and that I wanted to interact with them.

My last advice: - - - - if you fit into one of the above categories, then RESHAPE & RETHINK YOUR SUPERVISING TACTICS AND TECHNIQUES

dodie steeo podution

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