Description of the Supervisor's Role Paper Example

Introduction

The observed supervisor carries out the daily tasks of an organization. He heads the sales and marketing department and has experience in what sales and marketing entails. He earned the position based on the management's belief that he has the ability to guide the department. The following are the responsibilities of the supervisor:

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• Helping the department comprehend performance targets and goals
• Training and ensuring employees are well trained to carry out the assigned tasks
• Scheduling work hours and shifts
• Coordinating job training
• Updating the top management about employee performance in his department
• Updating the department members about the profitability of the company and new objectives
• Participating in emergency resolution. For instance, he assists to handle quality and customer problems
• Identifying and resolving problems that arise in the workplace such as absenteeism
• Preparing and presenting reports and activity to the top management
• Assisting in employee recruitment and firing
• Performing performance appraisals

Examples of Anti-Social Behavior Described by the Supervisor

Antisocial behavior refers to the kind of behaviors where an individual disregards the feeling of other people (Crossley, 2015). Antisocial behaviors imply an individual who lacks empathy, which is the ability to respect the feeling of others (Dick & Murningham, 2011). Also, an antisocial tendency may mean a person who does not care how his/her actions will affect others (Bhogal, 2015).

Antisocial behavior includes a wide range of undesirable behaviors. Some of the antisocial behaviors at work identified by the supervisor were physical fights, bullying, giving wrong information about others for personal reasons, doing reckless things to others, engaging in illegal acts which although do not directly hurt others, indirectly affect other people in a negative way such as stealing or even destroying other people's property.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Supervisor's Ability to Deal with Anti-Social Behavior

Strengths

Self-Motivated and Determined

The supervisor is determined and self-motivated to create a working environment where every person feels comfortable to work. He is determined to find out what is affecting employees and resolve it.

Success Oriented

The supervisor guides members in his department to work towards one goal. He wants every member to succeed and encourages them to work according to their talents and available resources. He encourages workers to report to him if they experience any workplace behavior that may hinder their success. Such a characteristic is essential for leaders and supervisors who are dedicated to addressing antisocial behaviors (Murari, 2015).

Team Player

A person may not achieve success if working alone. In the modern world, like never before, an individual requires the support of others to succeed. The supervisor is determined to work as a team player and has a good rapport with others.

Quick Action Taker

Whenever he gets information that one of his members has been affected, he quickly takes action to assist the victim. If the solution is beyond his ability, he directs the member to the proper management that would timely handle the problem.

Advocator of Equal Treatment

The supervisor is concerned about the well-being of every worker. He wants to see every person gets equal treatments from others and advocates for 'do to others what you will want them to do for you." He is against any antisocial behavior or any practice that would negatively affect the feelings of others.

Weaknesses

Extremely Work-Oriented and Wants to See Every Member Completes the Assigned Tasks

Every person has his/her ability to do work. Other people are slow learners than others. The supervisor ensures that every member completes his/her assigned work. He sometimes threatens subordinates to get them quickly complete the work.

Does not Believe that Negative Outcomes Are Self-Caused

The supervisor believes that not every negative outcome is self-caused and sometimes ascribes blame to the subordinates and may lash out in return.

Getting Easily Frustrated by People

Today, with the advent of the new work culture where one frequently meets and interacts with other people, it is highly likely to be frustrated. The supervisor gets easily frustrated which may trigger the desire to engage in antisocial work behaviors.

Being a Debater

He is too passionate about work and requires a reason if any change is to be introduced in the company. This behavior is good for his department and the company at large, but it might indirectly rub some people in a negative way which is an antisocial behavior.

Critique of the Supervisor's Leadership Style

Most leader lack executive presence and the basic good characteristics to effectively manage people. Being a supervisor or holding any leadership position in the company does not give a leader a position to disregard or threaten other workers. Good leaders should be emotionally intelligent enough to know when they are affecting other people in a negative way (Murari, 2015). Unfortunately, some find themselves insulting their subordinates unaware.

Effective leaders should be aware of their actions and how their actions are affecting others. Employees want to be appreciated for the work they do even if they don't meet the target. They want their contributions to be valued and be provided with an environment conducive to carry out tasks. Although this may appear idealistic, employees expect their leaders to behave in a certain way and when they fail to do so, they begin to disrespect them (Murari, 2015). The supervisor's leadership style has some weaknesses and may encourage the development of antisocial behaviors. Although every strength has a weakness, some of his weaknesses may make him learn aggressive work behavior through direct experience. For instance, he wants every employee to complete the assigned tasks and sometimes threatens them to get them quickly complete the work. Threatening is an antisocial behavior because it negatively affects the feelings of others (Pickard, 2014).

Leaders who get angered or frustrated easily will find it difficult to stimulate employee performance within an organization. Workers are having a tough time to find their footing in the dynamic workplace, where they best fit and how they can participate in meeting organizational goals (Murari, 2015). Having a frustrated leader who leads by threatening them by not meeting the set standards may demotivate them. The above supervisor sometimes exhibits negative emotional reactions (frustration) and this may trigger a desire to "even the score" by engaging in antisocial work behaviors (Crossley, 2015).

Recommended Specific Improvements that Will Help the Leader Be More Effective in Dealing with Anti-Social Behavior

Keeping a Diary

It would be useful for the supervisor to make note of everything happening at the workplace including the time it happened, the frequency of occurrence and the name of the employee involved. The supervisor should keep a note of employees' behaviors that are affecting him. This will help him to form a picture of what has been happening. Keeping a record of things happening at the workplace will show employees that there is a pattern to what they are doing in case the supervisor decides to confront them. Most likely, the behavior that is affecting the supervisor may also be affecting other employees within the organization (Bhogal, 2015). Keeping a diary will also help the supervisor to have a record of what has been happening to support what other people in the workplace are saying.

Talking Things Through

If employees' behaviors are affecting the supervisor, he should stay calm. It's easy to get angry about such behaviors which is understandable. In some cases, the employees may be unaware that they are affecting the supervisor in a negative way and it might be worth to approach them to explain how their behavior is affecting him and request them to change. Its best for the supervisor to talk to the employees about the problem early to avoid stress and frustration. If some of the actions are affecting the well-being of others, a similar approach should be taken to ask those responsible to stop.

Reporting to the Responsible Management

If either the supervisor or other people within the workplace is suffering because of antisocial behavior, the supervisor should report to the responsible management such as security or top management within an organization.

Avoiding Practices that May Encourage Antisocial Behaviors

Practices such as threatening juniors may get the tasks done but they encourage the development of antisocial tendencies. Employees want to be comfortable and their efforts appreciated even if they fall short the set target. Therefore, the supervise should appreciate the work of all employees and avoid using threatening statements.

References

Bhogal, K. (2015). Cornerstone on anti-social behavior: the new law. Haywards Heath, West Sussex: Bloomsbury Professional.

Crossley, J. (2015). Anti-social behavior: the new regime. Bristol: Jordan Publishing.

Dick, D. v., & Murningham. (2011). Social psychology and organizations. New York: Routledge.

Murari, K. (2015). Impact of Leadership Styles on Employee Empowerment. Mumbai: Partridge Publishing India.

Pickard, S. (2014). Anti-Social Behaviour in Britain: Victorian and Contemporary Perspectives. London: Springer.