How does your Supervisor stack up?

[787nightmare]

Saw the following list of "qualities" for an external posting for Mgr MIA operations position.
Thought it was a rather..."unique description". Looks like someone in HR is getting rather "spirited" on the external job board.
How's this for a wish list?

. "Confident without being arrogant
· Speaks, presents, and communicates effectively
· Decisive; and shows good judgment
· Anticipates and handles problems before they become major issues
· Engages staff as a resource to solve problems and implement solutions through "rigorous" questioning, not answers
· Engages staff in dialogue and debate, not coercion.
· Resilient and can handle setbacks and pressure well
· Shows initiative and anticipates problems and opportunities ahead of the crowd
· Unafraid of conflict and maintains composure and resolves conflict professionally
· Inspires confidence
· Intellectually honest and discreet
· Commands the respect of others
· Strong (won't wilt at first challenge)
· Understands effective delegation, follow-up, flawless delivery process
· Elicits trust
· A willing and effective coach. Others seek him/her out for advice and guidance"

 

[Frank Szabo]

Saw the following list of "qualities" for an external posting for Mgr MIA operations position.
Thought it was a rather..."unique description". Looks like someone in HR is getting rather "spirited" on the external job board.
How's this for a wish list?

. "Confident without being arrogant· "

I can't speak for MIA but at TULE, a soupervisor with these qualities wouldn't last very long - probably less than a week, assuming they'd be hired at all.

All of HR needs to be drug tested.

 

[Kev3188]

Saw the following list of "qualities" for an external posting for Mgr MIA operations position.
Thought it was a rather..."unique description". Looks like someone in HR is getting rather "spirited" on the external job board.
How's this for a wish list?

. "Confident without being arrogant
· Speaks, presents, and communicates effectively
· Decisive; and shows good judgment
· Anticipates and handles problems before they become major issues
· Engages staff as a resource to solve problems and implement solutions through "rigorous" questioning, not answers
· Engages staff in dialogue and debate, not coercion.
· Resilient and can handle setbacks and pressure well
· Shows initiative and anticipates problems and opportunities ahead of the crowd
· Unafraid of conflict and maintains composure and resolves conflict professionally
· Inspires confidence
· Intellectually honest and discreet
· Commands the respect of others
· Strong (won't wilt at first challenge)
· Understands effective delegation, follow-up, flawless delivery process
· Elicits trust
· A willing and effective coach. Others seek him/her out for advice and guidance"

I'm sure I'm gonna get torched here, but I actually think those are all traits I would want in a supervisor. In fact, as a crew chief, I try to embody a lot of them.

What's the old saying? "A manager has all the answers, but a leader asks all the questions?"

 

[Observer]

I'm sure I'm gonna get torched here, but I actually think those are all traits I would want in a supervisor. In fact, as a crew chief, I try to embody a lot of them.

What's the old saying? "A manager has all the answers, but a leader asks all the questions?"

Kev, you are too sane to post here

 

[Tex-Mech]

Saw the following list of "qualities" for an external posting for Mgr MIA operations position.
Thought it was a rather..."unique description". Looks like someone in HR is getting rather "spirited" on the external job board.
How's this for a wish list?

. "Confident without being arrogant
· Speaks, presents, and communicates effectively
· Decisive; and shows good judgment
· Anticipates and handles problems before they become major issues
· Engages staff as a resource to solve problems and implement solutions through "rigorous" questioning, not answers
· Engages staff in dialogue and debate, not coercion.
· Resilient and can handle setbacks and pressure well
· Shows initiative and anticipates problems and opportunities ahead of the crowd
· Unafraid of conflict and maintains composure and resolves conflict professionally
· Inspires confidence
· Intellectually honest and discreet
· Commands the respect of others
· Strong (won't wilt at first challenge)
· Understands effective delegation, follow-up, flawless delivery process
· Elicits trust
· A willing and effective coach. Others seek him/her out for advice and guidance"

Nothing like that is currently serving time on the rock. In fact, I don't think we have ever had anyone who gets past the first quality.

 

[odie01]

Saw the following list of "qualities" for an external posting for Mgr MIA operations position.
Thought it was a rather..."unique description". Looks like someone in HR is getting rather "spirited" on the external job board.
How's this for a wish list?

. "Confident without being arrogant
· Speaks, presents, and communicates effectively
· Decisive; and shows good judgment
· Anticipates and handles problems before they become major issues
· Engages staff as a resource to solve problems and implement solutions through "rigorous" questioning, not answers
· Engages staff in dialogue and debate, not coercion.
· Resilient and can handle setbacks and pressure well
· Shows initiative and anticipates problems and opportunities ahead of the crowd
· Unafraid of conflict and maintains composure and resolves conflict professionally
· Inspires confidence
· Intellectually honest and discreet
· Commands the respect of others
· Strong (won't wilt at first challenge)
· Understands effective delegation, follow-up, flawless delivery process
· Elicits trust
· A willing and effective coach. Others seek him/her out for advice and guidance"

This sounds like a Bud Light commercial, just add:

enjoys long walks on the beach, sunsets, and spooning with level 5's and above.

 

[787nightmare]

I'm sure I'm gonna get torched here, but I actually think those are all traits I would want in a supervisor. In fact, as a crew chief, I try to embody a lot of them.

What's the old saying? "A manager has all the answers, but a leader asks all the questions?"

And I would tend to agree.

 

[eolesen]

I'm sure I'm gonna get torched here, but I actually think those are all traits I would want in a supervisor. In fact, as a crew chief, I try to embody a lot of them.

What's the old saying? "A manager has all the answers, but a leader asks all the questions?"

I'd agree on both statements...

 

[Hopeful]

Nothing like that is currently serving time on the rock. In fact, I don't think we have ever had anyone who gets past the first quality.

I agree. Now for reality.

JFK just hired 6 more supervisors who embody NONE of these qualities.. They took the job as a last resort. No communication skills and too much of it's MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY."

By the way, has anyone asked WHY the company is flooding the ranks of supervisors? How many do they need?
The are doing this because they know that labor relations are soon to hit a new low and are expecting "trouble"

You see, when they have more than one member of management, it is easier for them to go after the workers as a means of intimidation..

This page is taken from the playbook of Eastern Airlines and PanAm...They felt more management would solve all their woes..

You do remember Eastern and PanAM, don't you, boys and girls?

 

[jimntx]

When I was at Texaco, there was a female manager whose employees would have done anything for her. If she called her staff together and said, "We need to walk single file up the stairs to the roof and jump off," they would have immediately formed a neat single file line. I asked her one day over lunch what her secret was. She said, "Jim, the day I became a manager, which was some time after I got the title, was the day I realized that my employees knew how to do their jobs better than I did--that my job was to get them the tools they needed to do their jobs, and get out of their way. Oh, and run political interference for them when necessary."

That to me has always defined a true manager.

 

[787nightmare]

When I was at Texaco, there was a female manager whose employees would have done anything for her. If she called her staff together and said, "We need to walk single file up the stairs to the roof and jump off," they would have immediately formed a neat single file line. I asked her one day over lunch what her secret was. She said, "Jim, the day I became a manager, which was some time after I got the title, was the day I realized that my employees knew how to do their jobs better than I did--that my job was to get them the tools they needed to do their jobs, and get out of their way. Oh, and run political interference for them when necessary."

That to me has always defined a true manager.

Maaannn, where do you find those people at? Better...do they exist?
Comml carriers aren't interested in a man(or woman) that's been a wrench for years, that feels like he or she would be a good team leader. No, they're more interested in a "yes man", politically correct, toe the corp BS/kool-aid line(better, intravenously).

From what I've seen the last 15 yrs or so,it's pathetic what carriers have got managing mechanics in this business.
I mean ZERO aircraft maintenance savvy, competencey or true interaction with a/ps out there.

What I c/p'd and threw up was a wish list by the company. They post the list of desirables, but the reality is, it's not really what there subordinate (Mgr)wants to see.

 

[eolesen]

Maaannn, where do you find those people at? Better...do they exist?
...
<snip>
...
What I c/p'd and threw up was a wish list by the company. They post the list of desirables, but the reality is, it's not really what
there subordinate (Mgr)wants to see.

Yes they really exist, and yes, there are managers who want nothing more than to have some minions, and there are managers who realize that if they hire those "do they really exist?" types that it really makes *their* job easier.

As a director, I had good managers who I never needed to worry about, and I had managers that never should have made it thru probation, much less been in the position they were in. The ones who lasted were those smart enough to stand out of the way and let those responsible for doing the work actually do the work, yet were also smart enough to tell me when they'd screwed up.

A few simply told me what they thought I wanted to hear, and there were a few who wound up creating more work for me than I did for them... I never needed to fire those managers or supervisors. They usually fired themselves once they were trapped by their own actions or inactions.

Yes, I know. TUL and M&E have been inbred for so long that it probably can't be fixed without firing everyone and starting over... but that's really not an option. Maybe there's hope if they start hiring the right front line supervisors and the right VP's. The rest who can't do their job will soon stand out, and with luck, eventually fire themselves along the way...

 

[Bob Owens]

Yes, I know. TUL and M&E have been inbred for so long that it probably can't be fixed without firing everyone and starting over... but that's really not an option. Maybe there's hope if they start hiring the right front line supervisors and the right VP's. The rest who can't do their job will soon stand out, and with luck, eventually fire themselves along the way...

The fact is that with M&R when you pay the guys right and leave them alone minimal Supervision is needed. We know our jobs and work best when not interfered with. The best thing a maintenence Supervisor can do is keep management from other departments out of our hair. I've worked in stations where we had no supervision, if we needed a payroll issue fixed we would call up a Supervisor in another station. We still have a few that run that way. Fire everyone? I doubt that would work, there are some out there that are pretty good, however there are many that were not "stallar" when they were on the floor, are even less impressive in management and never should have been given the job and only got it for one of two reasons, they were the only one who put in for it or they were they only one willing to accept what they were offering(low bidder). My guess is that TUL is the same.

 

[Mr Red]

The fact is that with M&R when you pay the guys right and leave them alone minimal Supervision is needed. We know our jobs and work best when not interfered with. The best thing a maintenence Supervisor can do is keep management from other departments out of our hair. I've worked in stations where we had no supervision, if we needed a payroll issue fixed we would call up a Supervisor in another station. We still have a few that run that way. Fire everyone? I doubt that would work, there are some out there that are pretty good, however there are many that were not "stallar" when they were on the floor, are even less impressive in management and never should have been given the job and only got it for one of two reasons, they were the only one who put in for it or they were they only one willing to accept what they were offering(low bidder). My guess is that TUL is the same.

In the old days when a new supervisor came on the floor ready to change the world,the CC told him if he wanted aircraft on time
he needs to stay in his office!!DONE DEAL.

 

[eolesen]

Bob, I'd agree that probably ~90% of any given workforce doesn't need day to day supervision. The problem comes with the 5-10% who need supervision for one reason or another, and then there's another % who never seem capable of making a decision (or are simply afraid of being held accountable?) on their own, and actually want supervision....