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Supervisor’s Most Important Duty

By David Walton Earle

"What is the most important duty of a supervisor?" Mr. Gene Clouatre with MMR Group, Inc. a national electrical contractor asked that question. My first thought was production. After all, isn't that how we define a successful supervisor, those who achieve good production? I must have looked bewildered because Gene took pity on me and answered his own question. "The most important thing a supervisor can do is to develop the people who work for him."

Getting the job done using with the least effort is very important, but good production can be an illusion. It is a false goal if the production achieved is at the expense of safety or quality. The question then becomes who can provide quality production and who can accomplish the task without an accident - the only answer is - the employees! Once I realized this truth, Gene's message became clear.

"Would you tell me, please which way I ought to go from here? That depends a good deal on where you want to get to", the Cat responded to Alice's question in Alice in Wonderland. Some supervisors develop loyal employees who are eager to follow them to any new assignment, even when it involves changing companies. Why do these employees follow this superintendent; what creates loyal and dedicated followers? As we heard from the Wonderland Cat, we need to know where we are heading before starting the journey. Maybe the employee-supervisor relationship should be the place to start.

If developing employees is the most important function of a supervisor, then employee coaching must be the most essential tool in achieving that objective. To be successful, a supervisor has to see herself as a coach and be able to perform those coaching tasks exceptionally well. Could the cat in Alice in Wonderland be pointing down the coaching road?

So what are these magic bullets for the development of employees through coaching? Gene Clouatre's personal motto summed up the first principal; "The strength of an organization is not I. It is WE." It is the attitude of a team-oriented supervisor that is important, as demonstrated by a manager who is willing to be responsible for his team's performance. Since supervisors are responsible for the outcome of a project, a true team leader is willing to take the blame for any team mistake. Some people have the opposite habit and they blame others and aren't responsible for their own behavior. One of the most obvious examples of this behavior is the conflict between Israel and the Palestine. Both sides have a long history of abusing each other and then pointing the finger of blame. As obvious as this example is, blaming others and not being responsible for our behavior is all too common on many job sites. The flames of blame are fanned when, in an atmosphere of fear, mistakes are not viewed as problems to be solved but a search for scapegoats; all progress stops when the witch-hunt begins.

The opposite of blame is glory seeking. When a project is successful, we all appreciate the supervisor who gives the full credit of the achievement to his subordinates. Accepting the blame and giving credit to others develops an atmosphere of trust. This trusting relationship makes workers willing to follow these leaders from job to job, giving their loyalty.

So at the proverbial crossroads, where the cat posed the profound question, Alice was no longer lost. She had already developed a trusting relationship with a supervisor who had given her directions, inspired her with a vision, taught her technical skills, and encouraged her development. Therefore, if you see Alice on the job site wearing steel-toed shoes, welding torch in hand, and smiling under a hard hat; rest assured she is there because she is loyal to a good supervisor. Do you inspire this loyalty in your employees?

About the Author

David W. Earle has over twenty-five years of experience in executive management in the construction field. He now is the president of the Earle Company working as a business coach. In this capacity, he works with organizations and individuals to improve leadership principals, human relationship skills, and communication abilities; assisting clients to make the changes in their businesses and personal lives. David is also a civil mediator and arbitrator working such organizations as the US Federal Court-Middle District and the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD).