#69 sound advice

I am always reflecting on my supervisory style and its effectiveness, so I was talking to a friend the other day about the delicate nature of being a supervisor.  The tone of an entire department can be set by one individual, making it an almost daunting responsibility to do it well.  I wondered what "well" looked liked.

My friend made an insightful comment that he has learned more about what not to do from supervisors. "When you have a good supervisor, you don't pay attention to it, but when you have a bad supervisor you are really aware of how negative traits impact people," he said.  I asked him what behaviors made a good supervisor and he had two thoughts to share:

> People will be willing to bend over backwards for you if they think you care about them.  Don't always be about the business side; also be about the people side.  Work through people, not just through management policies.
> Be willing to change your mind.

Seems to me like the key ingredient in both nuggets is the willingness to listen -- and really hear what people are saying.  

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
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