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Lesson 1.8 of 10Module progress: 10 of 14

Supervisor Foundations · Lesson 1.8

WHAT EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXPECT FROM A SUPERVISOR

Employees have responsibilities.

Supervisors do too.

Employees should reasonably be able to expect supervisors to:

  • communicate important expectations
  • provide necessary information
  • apply standards fairly
  • listen before reaching conclusions
  • give relevant feedback
  • protect confidential information appropriately
  • follow through on important commitments
  • escalate issues when necessary
  • avoid humiliation
  • acknowledge good work
  • model professional behavior

This does not mean employees will agree with every decision.

Fair supervision is not the same as giving everyone what they want.

WORKPLACE EXAMPLES

EXAMPLE 1

An employee asks why their leave request was denied.

Where appropriate, the supervisor should explain the legitimate workplace reason rather than simply saying:

“Because I said so.”

EXAMPLE 2

Two employees report conflicting versions of an incident.

BETTER RESPONSE

Both should be heard before the supervisor reaches a conclusion.

EXAMPLE 3

A supervisor promises:

“I will check this and get back to you tomorrow.”

BETTER RESPONSE

If possible, the supervisor should follow through—or update the employee if more time is needed.

EXAMPLE 4

An employee performs exceptionally during a difficult shift.

BETTER BEHAVIOR

Good supervision includes recognizing the contribution rather than communicating only when something goes wrong.

Remember

Respect flows both ways.

Accountability flows both ways too.

Workplace action

Consider your own supervisory style. Do employees mainly hear from you when they have done something wrong?

Quick Check

Which is NOT a reasonable expectation of a supervisor?