This serious approach to position not only negatively affects our workers, but us, too. When we reach a toxic level of ‘position’, it is usually painful: we feel misunderstood, overwhelmed, crisis-oriented, over-stressed and we begin to hate our job, and maybe our co-workers, which we may have previously loved. Others see this and they begin to shy away from us. This cycle happens so often that many supervisors quit within 3 years of promotion.

So here’s where results of study comes in. Supervisors need to remind themselves that no matter what work they think are in, they are really in ‘human services’. No matter what company does: make widgets, produce soft or hardware, sell via phone; once you become a frontline supervisor your priority must be human beings who are responsible to you, as it is those humans who produce final product. The work or final product is no longer your priority. No work is done well if people aren’t happy doing it. So don’t lose your ‘person’ to ‘position’.

And here we must be reminded why people leave their jobs (this, from yet another study). Most people leave because they see their supervisor as a jerk, and second they leave because they don’t feel acknowledged, recognized or appreciated. We can again become ‘person’ known to be talented, liked and therefore, promoted, by remembering importance of people who do job. Stop vicious cycle. Lighten up! Smile. Visit. Have fun. It’s a win-win situation!

Linda LaPointe, MRA, is author of The New Supervisor, who has taught thousands successful supervisory techniques. See part two of this article, buy book, and sign up for Linda’s FREE E-Tools News at www.thenewsupervisor.com

How do you do that? Let’s break it down to basics, to ABC’s.

We need first, to act (A) upon basic positive beliefs (B) about people. This means we treat them with respect, dignity and make them and their needs our priority. And, second, we need to be clear and specific in our coaching (C) of people to help them do right job, right way. This includes teaching them, and listening to them, so they become more responsible, therefore have more say into their work and products they create.

You’ll notice that supervisors are being told to concentrate on people who work for them and not job or final product. If supervisors spend their time attending to these needs of workers, products will be superior. Happy workers produce excellent products. And you will be a boss who will eliminate three reasons above why people leave their jobs.

‘Well’, you say, ‘I can’t spend all my time doing that. My bosses have expectations of me, too!’ And you are right! Those are second and third things you do. So here are three things you spend your time on to remain you as a person, not become you as position:

1. Act, Believe and Coach with staff, making them your priority. 2. Any administrative work expected by our bosses, i.e. reports, budgets, meetings. 3. Any tasks that only you can do and that are required by any special credential, education or experience you hold. See! Simple as ABC.

Linda LaPointe, MRA, is author of The New Supervisor, and has taught thousands successful supervisory techniques. See part one of this article, buy book, and sign up for Linda’s FREE E-Tools News at www.thenewsupervisor.com