Ineffective Supervisor Essay

Thinking back to some of my favorite past jobs I have had, were because of great supervisors. Nothing can make a job terrible like an ineffective supervisor. Having an ineffective supervisor can create a bad working environment which can negatively affect work and make unhappy employees. Three attributes of an ineffective supervisor is not following through, playing favorites, and unprofessionalism. As a result of not following through, employees do not care about the work they do. For example, my boss has told us at work we need to be wearing transfer belts, which is state mandated. If we do not wear a transfer belt at all times we will get a verbal warning. Three verbal warnings can lead to a suspension. I have worked for this company for five years and have been told this from the beginning, but five years later I still do not wear my transfer belt because they do not follow through. My supervisor has never given me a warning about not wearing my transfer belt. As a result of never getting a warning and not getting in trouble, I see no point to change my ways and wearing my transfer belt. Why should I
care when my supervisor does not care? In addition to not following through playing favorites makes for a negative work environment. Picking favorite staff and choosing who to discipline, which happens all the time.
Calling in sick to work at my job is a big problem. This continues to be a problem because some people get in trouble for calling in while others do not. The staff that continue to get away with it continue to do it. The other staff who see them not getting into trouble, are annoyed and upset with our supervisor. We have polices in our handbook that state “if you call-in the next shift that is open or call-in is your obligation to work. “ This policy has been used on certain staff, while other staff continue to call-in and do not have to follow the policy. Supervisors need to be fair treating every situation the same. Picking and choosing what staff to discipline, makes for upset employees who don’t trust supervisors. Along with not trusting supervisors this is
unprofessional. The last attribute of a bad supervisor is being unprofessional. Being professional starts with outer appearance, not wearing baggy Scooby-Doo shirts and capris with funky socks showing. Looking the part is important, most people judge off first impressions. Besides dressing professional, how you communicate with employees is just as important. Texting employees over disciplinary action is never acceptable. Also going as far to have an all-day long texting conversation as to why I didn’t attend a mandatory meeting. It is not only unprofessional, it is bad management. After saying I would be at the make-up meeting the following week. My supervisor continued to harass me over text messages about demanding to know my reason to miss the meeting. Not only is that unprofessional, but reflects on them poorly as a supervisor. These attributes of an ineffective supervisor creates a negative working environment. First not following through makes staff not care and unmotivated to change to do better at their jobs. Second picking favorites makes employees not trust supervisors. Lastly being unprofessional makes staff not have respect for their supervisor. Not caring about their job, not trusting supervisors, and not having respect for supervisors, all make work a negative place. Staff who are not happy at their jobs are going to trash talk the business, not recommend it for customers, and not recruit new employees.