How to handle/follow supervisor and department head with different supervisory style?

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biboy2012

How will I follow/handle a two-headed horse - each head wanting to go to a different direction?
 
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Jen Kirley

Quality and Auditing Expert
Leader
Admin
Re: How to handle/follow supervisor and department head with different supervisory st

1) What is the supervisor's supervisory style?

2) What is your supervisory style?

3) Is this your supervisor?

4) if #3 is yes, how long has the supervisor been in this role?

5) If #3 is yes, what was the supervisor's previous role?
 
C

Chance

Re: How to handle/follow supervisor and department head with different supervisory st

If you don't have any issues with him. Just study and learn what he wants to avoid conflicts.

Follow what he says.. he is the boss. If you can't follow him, you better look for another job elsewhere.:(
 
B

BethP

Re: How to handle/follow supervisor and department head with different supervisory st

The issue you are describing appears to be between the supervisor and department head. Why are they in such conflict with each other? Is the supervisor undermining the department head's leadership?

This is a situation where you can get squashed. Follow the department head, and your supervisor makes your day-to-day life miserable. Follow the supervisor, and the department head has a low opinion of your work. So, my advice is to try to be a bridge between the department head and your supervisor. For example, if the department head e-mails or comes directly to you to take an action, work to include your supervisor in the conversation. This may happen after the conversation by sending an e-mail to the department head with cc: to your supervisor summarizing the request. Additionally, you may want to have an open conversation with your supervisor asking for guidance, e.g. "You directed me that I should do X. However, head guy came over and told me that my top priority is Y. What do you recommend that I do?"

If the situation does not improve, you may want to reach out to HR to help mediate the relationship. The department head or supervisor may already be on a performance improvement plan or some other measure that you are not privy to.

Good luck riding the two headed horse to water!
 
B

biboy2012

Re: How to handle/follow supervisor and department head with different supervisory st

1) What is the supervisor's supervisory style?
He didn't identify any roblems or barriers the employee has experienced in achieving the objectives.

Or

Maybe he identified the problems or barriers, but didn't identify strategies and plans to remove any performance barriers.

2) What is your supervisory style?
From an employee's point of view, if I would be a supervisor, apart from letting an employee know:

1. What do you (employee) need to accomplish?
2. Why are you doing what you are doing?
3. How well must you do it?
4. how are you doing?

I would want to help my staff remove any performance barriers because for a business unit, a department (or an organization as a whole) to achieve its objectives effectively, each employee must do his/her part in completing the job.

Also, I believe that the organization need to be able to coordinate the work of individual employees and work units. That way everyone is pulling in the same direction.
3) Is this your supervisor?
Yes

4) if #3 is yes, how long has the supervisor been in this role?
More or less 10 years

5) If #3 is yes, what was the supervisor's previous role?
He started as Supervisor
 
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Jen Kirley

Quality and Auditing Expert
Leader
Admin
Re: How to handle/follow supervisor and department head with different supervisory st

Maybe the supervisor can be asked for assistance to remove barriers to performance as needed. Since he seems less than forthcoming and not everyone has the same level of organization in goals and managing constraints, a case-by-case request may help.

This person has been your supervisor for 10 years, or is this a recent organizational move?
 
B

biboy2012

Re: How to handle/follow supervisor and department head with different supervisory st

Maybe the supervisor can be asked for assistance to remove barriers to performance as needed. Since he seems less than forthcoming and not everyone has the same level of organization in goals and managing constraints, a case-by-case request may help.

This person has been your supervisor for 10 years, or is this a recent organizational move?
I have to agree with you that it's the employee that needs to initiate by asking supervisor's assistance on addressing performance barriers. However, I also noted that though our objectives are specific and includes a criterion to measure wether the employee achieve the objectives or not, but he failed to balance with other workplace issues.

He became my supervisor since the recent organizational move (six months now in particular)
 
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Jen Kirley

Quality and Auditing Expert
Leader
Admin
Re: How to handle/follow supervisor and department head with different supervisory st

I have to agree with you that it's the employee that needs to initiate by asking supervisor's assistance on addressing performance barriers. However, I also noted that though our objectives are specific and includes a criterion to measure whether the employee achieve the objectives or not, but he failed to balance with other workplace issues.

He became my supervisor since the recent organizational move (six months now in particular)
I think we will find this kind of "tunnel vision" very common. Many people in supervisory positions lack the ability/tendency to apply Theory of Constraints. In their defense there is no pill to swallow, or book to read, or class to take that turns a person into a really effective supervisor.

In cases like this you may find the best option is to help close the gap, but subtly so the other person does not feel threatened. Who knows, maybe he will learn something over time. I hope so.
 
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