Good Worksite Relations 


Supervisors come in all shapes and sizes. They all have their own style of supervising. Below are 3 common types of supervisor and how to interact with them. Remember that it is the supervisors who make all hiring decisions.

 

LOUD SUPERVISOR – The loud supervisor orders in a loud voice and sounds tough, sounding even louder when things get too busy.  Some employees think that the supervisor does not like them when he or she yells at them.  However, talking extremely loudly is just the way this supervisor gets thing done.

 

DOUBLE SUPERVISOR – Some workers have more than one supervisor. Sometimes one supervisor will tell a worker to do one thing while the other supervisor will tell the worker to do something else.  If you work in a Double Supervisor situation and each one gives you a different order, you should:

  1. Tell one supervisor what the other told you to do.
  2. Ask the supervisor which of the two things you should do first.

 

NICE QUIET SUPERVISOR – The Nice Quiet Supervisor does not talk much.  Even if you do a great job, this type of supervisor is not likely to compliment your work.  If you have a Nice Quiet Supervisor, you may think he or she does not like you or you may find yourself wondering if you are doing a good job.

 

WHAT YOU NEVER SAY TO YOUR SUPERVISOR

 

You were hired to do a specific job, not to cause problems.  Problems, though, do occur everyday on the job, such as:

 

The way you talk to your supervisor about these types of problems can be very important.  It can help you get a raise, a promotion, and a good letter of recommendation.  On the other hand, if you talk to your supervisor in a wrong way, you could lose your job.

 

There are certain types of wrong things you should never say to you supervisor.  Thing that mean “I can’t” or “I won’t.”  You have heard them at home, at school, and at your place of work.  For example:

 “It won’t work.”                                 “That’s not my job.”

The following negative statements are followed by a better way of expressing yourself:

  1. “I’m too busy.” I’m working on the job you gave me yesterday and I’m trying to           

meet the deadline. Once I’m done, I will be able to help you.                            

 

  1. “I don’t know.” I’ll check on the answer and get back to you.