Chapter 5. The Supervisor-Employee Relationship

After you have finished reading this chapter, you should be able to (1) identify the psychological ingredients or factors in a typical supervisor-employee relationship, and (2) write a specific plan that would enable you (as a supervisor) to achieve a better-than-average relationship with an employee.

“Sorry to put this additional responsibility on you at this time, but you know how it is….”

“Here's a new report we have to get back to headquarters by Friday, even if it means letting something else slide.”

“J.B. has called another special meeting for tomorrow afternoon….”

The supervisor soon learns that a constant stream of additional and unexpected time-consuming duties filters down from above. Most supervisors occasionally feel that they need more arms and legs and a twenty-four-hour work day to give full attention to their growing list of responsibilities. But no matter how many or how urgent your multiple responsibilities may be, one must take priority over all others: your responsibility to build and maintain a productive relationship with each employee under your immediate supervision. No other single responsibility demands the same degree of attention.

Why? As we discovered in the last chapter, building a good relationship with an employee is the best way to close the employee's productivity gap. In addition, only through good relationships combined with strong, sensitive leadership can a cohesive department be built. The quality of relationships constitutes the fabric of the department. If relationships fall apart, the whole operation is weakened. If you do not learn to build and maintain these relationships skillfully, your days as a supervisor will be full of turmoil, and you will not reach your potential as a manager. As we shall see in Chapter 9, building interpersonal relationships is the key to success as a team leader.

What is the all-important relationship that exists between the supervisor and each employee? What is its function? How can a productive relationship be built?