Etthical Supervision

Introductory Paragraph

In my working life I have encountered many different types of supervisors and their

approach to leading the work force. I was taught very good & very bad approaches to

supervising people. The most effective approach that I have been taught & use is to be

truthful, be it good or bad, is truthfulness. Of all the styles and approaches I have learned

that being Ethical with your approach to supervising people will produce the most results.

Concrete Experience

I began working with my father in the summer of 1976 he owned his own trucking company. I assisted in load and unloading the merchandise from the trucks. The work was very hard, all manual labor on my part. The only supervision involved was Ð''let's get started' and the occasional Ð''hurry up'. The memory is through the eyes of a fourteen year old. I now looking back through the eyes of a forty one year old supervisor I can remember many different supervisory approaches that lacked an ethical approach, not on my father's part, but those he had to conduct business with. I can remember one of the business's had leased his truck to was based in Georgia but had a small operation in Columbus. The local operations manager was what appeared to be a Ð''good guy', he was always talking to the owners about how he was working to get more local business so the owners would make more profit from their trucks. The local business would never come through and the trucks would be sent out on long distance trips. The regional operations manager finally was transferred to oversee the entire northeast operation for the company. The first meeting with the regional manager the issue of the lack of local business was brought to the table, the issue was a surprise to the regional manager.

The local operations manger had been informing the corporate office that none of the local owners wanted local business even though he had been encouraging them to take it.

The regional manager after speaking to the local owners and support staff fired the local operation manager for un-ethical practices. The un-ethical practice was lying, even though his practices was not costing the corporation in dollars the company had been built by a Christian man and would not allow his employees to lie. I being brought up in a Christian home always knew the importance of not lying, but this was very good way for a young person to see even though money is involved lying is not acceptable.

In my first job working for a company other than my father began December 3rd 1979. I was hired as a grocery bagger/stock at the Westerville Super Duper in my home town. I felt a sense of freedom not working for my father soon this freedom would leave. The first manager I worked for was an older rough cut kind of guy; he was loud and always right, no matter. The word ethical was not in his vocabulary, I don't even think he had heard of the word. The owner of the store was a very different type of person on the exterior but very much the same on the inside; he as well had no idea of the meaning of the word ethical. The two men supervised with one style get it done the way I say no matter what, unless you were a drinking buddy, female or would lie to their wives about where they were. The owner was married and dated every woman who would go with him. The wife of the owner would often stop at one the stores to see how the operation was doing, so she would say. I learned very fast that she was trying to see if her husband was truly there doing business. The owner would let new hires know if you covered for him your job would be safe and a raise would be coming your way. The manger would allow the female staff to due pretty much what they wanted if they would show him a little Ð''attention'. The level of supervision was very little everyone was covering someone; the manger would allow beer to be purchased and consumed in the store after hours by anyone not matter their age. The age was not the only law being broke, the city of Westerville was dry, and it was the capital of the temperance movement. In the eyes of a teenager this was a great place to work. I now looking back see all of the potential problems that were possible due to two men and the lack of ethics in their supervision.

If either of these men had been the least bit ethical in their thinking they would have not allowed sex, underage drinking, drug usage and theft to take place in their own business, but they did not care of the outcome they only thought of what they could take away for their self.

The next employer was the Nation Wise Auto Parts Corporation this was a company that taught ethical treatment of customers as well as staff. I was hired as a parts clerk and as part of my training the store manager continually expressed the need to be truthful and honest when dealing with customers. The company as a whole was very successful and they contributed this to their customer satisfaction policy Ð''the customer is always right'.

The only way this policy would be effective if the employees were taught and supervised in correct manner. The store manger I first worked for was not a college graduate but he was very intelligent, he could balance the cash reports faster and more accurately than the bookkeepers, he could sense if an employee was having problems before any outward signs were visible. The supervision style was passed down through all of the staff.

The manager treated all employees and customers the same, with respect first and always told the truth. I never observed him show any type of special treatment to anyone, if you were wrong you always were given the correct way prior to being told you had made a mistake. The second year I worked for the company they ask if were interested in becoming an assistant manger, I thought about the offer and accepted. The second week of my new position I was sent to mangers training for two weeks. The majority of the training involved retail set-up of displays that would generate higher revenue, store appearance issues, security policies. The hardest part of the class was the supervisor to staff communications section. I as well as the other trainees thought this was were we would be given the ability to chew out people without getting in trouble skills, keep in mind the majority of the trainees were very young males. The bomb was dropped, we were taught how to look at people through different eyes, treat everyone as if they were your mother or father no matter what color their skin,