| Executives are generally very intelligent, capable | | | | provide honest feedback on work quantity and |
| people. To hold onto their jobs they have to be. | | | | quality, serve as a resource, communicate clearly, |
| But sometimes they wear blinders and fail to see | | | | present challenges to staff creativity and thinking, |
| reality in the following critical ways: | | | | and reward excellent work. Being a supervisor is |
| 1. They minimize certain unacceptable situations. | | | | multi-faceted. Being a supervisor takes a lot of |
| Denial can be powerful. It makes you feel | | | | energy, time, and commitment. If you aren't |
| temporarily secure and comfortable. It keeps you | | | | willing to be and do these things for your |
| from rocking the boat. It allows your ego to rule. | | | | employees, maybe it's time to clean out your |
| Yet ignoring situations like employee substance | | | | desk and move on into a position that doesn't |
| abuse, poor performance, and sheer wrongdoing | | | | include managing people. |
| is irresponsible. Other unacceptable situations | | | | 4. They believe their behavior doesn't impact |
| scenarios include: significant physical or mental | | | | others. |
| health problems in you or your staff, poor | | | | Don't kid yourself. Everything you say and do |
| behavior, low morale, policy breaches, chronic | | | | affects those around you. Positively or negatively, |
| errors in judgment, damaging relationships | | | | you touch many lives. Are you a centered, |
| between employees and management, romantic | | | | grounded sort of person? Or, do you have an |
| affairs between supervisors and staff, legal issues, | | | | anger problem? Do you lack self-discipline? Are |
| and failure to recognize that most employees | | | | you passive aggressive? Do you constantly need |
| seriously dislike a particular manager. | | | | to feed your ego? Do you ignore employees in |
| There is a big personal price to pay for choosing | | | | lowly positions? Do you truly listen to others when |
| to overlook these kinds of things. The most | | | | they speak to you? Do you like to hear yourself |
| important thing you lose is your credibility among | | | | talk? Do you have to take all the credit for |
| employees, executive team, Board, and perhaps | | | | projects and meetings that go well? Recognize |
| even the community. You also lose employee and | | | | yourself here? What do you intend to do about |
| or Board confidence and trust. You are viewed as | | | | it? Unhealthy and bad behaviors have no place at |
| weak. Once lost, confidence, trust, and a | | | | work. Frequent displays of poor behavior evidence |
| perception of strength are tough to regain. | | | | poor character and lack of ability to govern |
| The organization loses when staff start to feel | | | | yourself appropriately. You are risking your |
| insecure. When employees wonder just how bad | | | | reputation every day. |
| things can get, the entire company loses. When | | | | 5. They convince themselves they don't need to |
| they make jokes behind your back, everybody | | | | develop themselves personally and professionally. |
| loses. When they speculate about how long some | | | | Professional and personal development is not only |
| awful scenario may go on without intervention, | | | | for your employees. It's for you too. In fact, YOU |
| the company loses. Productivity usually decreases, | | | | need to set the example. If you aren't growing |
| morale sinks, and the culture changes. Is this what | | | | and evolving, then you are stagnant. Stagnant |
| you want? | | | | executives and managers are stale. You can't lead |
| 2. They decide they don't need to acquire | | | | people effectively and move a business forward if |
| necessary information or skills. | | | | you are stuck, uninspiring, and satisfied with the |
| No executive is perfect or completely well | | | | good old status quo. When is the last time you |
| rounded. That said, you need to face the holes in | | | | participated in a conference, a tele seminar, or |
| your skill set and information base. What are | | | | Master Mind Group? When have you last read an |
| they? Examples of gaps include: how to build and | | | | enriching professional book, special report, or |
| grow high functioning teams, how to hear and | | | | periodical? How about listening to learning tapes or |
| learn from criticism, how to model effective | | | | CDs in the car? What professional groups do you |
| communication, how to supervise employees, lack | | | | belong to? What are you gaining from and giving |
| of technical skills, and how to inspire commitment | | | | to those groups? When have you taken a |
| and enthusiasm for fulfillment of the organization's | | | | vacation? Do you have a coach or advisor in your |
| mission. Do you see yourself in one or more of | | | | life? Somebody to use as a solid sounding board, |
| these? Perhaps your gap is something else. | | | | accountability partner, and guide? Perhaps you |
| Regardless of what it is, you are responsible for | | | | really do need counseling or psychotherapy. When |
| filling the hole. The key is to engage in a thorough, | | | | do you intend to schedule the first session? All of |
| comprehensive assessment of your knowledge | | | | these are examples of ways you can develop |
| and skill set. Then make a proactive effort to | | | | yourself. |
| acquire what you don't already have. Be | | | | In conclusion, know that your chief job as an |
| resourceful. | | | | executive is to keep your head out of the sand. |
| 3. They decide the only thing they must give | | | | Do whatever it takes to become physically, |
| employees is a paycheck. | | | | emotionally, mentally, and spiritually healthy. The |
| Wrong. You have to give staff much more than | | | | beginning of a brand new year is an opportune |
| money. You've been entrusted with people's lives. | | | | time to make new and different choices. If you |
| You are charged with helping them grow. In short, | | | | think you are already a good manager, why not |
| you are supposed to develop human potential. | | | | explore ways to become an outstanding |
| That goes way beyond handing out paychecks. | | | | manager? Why settle for good when you could |
| Specifically, you should build employee confidence, | | | | be great? |
| be consistent with your behavior toward staff, | | | | |