All companies rely on effective frontline managers. Good Supervisors are the backbone of the business the strength that links the strategic planning of upper management with the body of the organisation.
Good Supervisors are often the people who:
- Make the difference between meeting production targets and missing them (because they motivate and energise their teams).
- Have the most significant impact on workplace culture (because they set the tone of behaviour in their individual work areas and across the plant).
- Influence the retention of staff (because people feel a strong sense of loyalty to their Supervisor).
- Provide an incentive for people to join a company (because word gets around that people will be treated well and fairly).
Ineffective Supervisors may cause:
- High levels of absenteeism (because people simply don’t want to come to work).
- Reduced productivity (because people are not motivated to give their best).
- Workplace conflict (among workers because there is no team cohesion and between departments because there is no effort to achieve common goals).
- Safety issues (because people are not inspired to care for the welfare of others).
- Resentment toward upper management (because the communication conduit is not working well between the various levels in the company).
- The impacts listed above relate to the way Supervisor behaviour can influence those around them in the workforce. However, the nature of the Supervisor’s role means there are also other impacts to consider.
- Supervisors manage the day-to-day operations of the workplace and ensure both production and quality targets are met. The decisions they make while doing this affect not only their specific work areas, but also other areas of the business.
- This is true for all industries, but has a particular impact in manufacturing, where each stage of the production chain is so dependent on previous links.
