Supervising: get bad at what you do sponsored by BUSINESS TIP Manager. Foreman. Supervisor. Boss. These are all titles for the per- son who is responsible for getting a job done by directing other people. They might describe you or some- one you work with. The key point, regardless of the title, is that this person is tasked with accomplishing a certain amount of work beyond that which one person is capable of doing. And, this person is expected to oversee the production of others to get that work done. Often, this person is placed in this position of responsibility because of demonstrated proficiency at the task he or she is supervising. For example, an adept carpenter is told he will now supervise three other carpenters on a job; he becomes the foreman. No big deal really, as he generally works alongside the other three, set- ting the pace, and, if necessary, tak- ing immediate corrective action if one of his crew makes a mistake. The foreman is commended for his ability to “make it happen,” and this reinforces his behavior. He may be promoted to superintendent, where he will oversee several foremen. Each time he visits one of his crews, he shows them the “right way to do it.” After all, he is one of the best carpenters, which is how he got to be in the position he’s in. With pride, he steps in and implements the cor- rective action. The work is executed well and the company is happy. But the crew is not. This situation is not limited to the field; it happens in the office, too. Consider the accounting supervisor who is known for her attention to detail. Nothing slipped by her when she was a clerk, and now, nothing slips by her as a supervisor. The reason for this is that she practically replicates the work of her team as she closely checks and re-checks their work. She puts in longer hours, but that’s what it takes to make the numbers right. Her people may not By Wally Adamchik, president, FireStarter Speaking and Consulting 26 TileLetter | November 2018