Topic 18 Important qualities of a good supervisor
When asked what are the important qualities of a supervisor, different people
hold different perspectives, due to their different experiences. After pondering
this question on many occasions, I sum up three vital qualities that a supervisor
or a boss should possess.
In my understanding, the most essential trait of a boss is that he or she should
be able to do what is required of his or her subordinates. As an English proverb
says," Example is better than precept." If a boss wants the employees to be
hardworking, he or she should be diligent himself or herself. The dean of my
department, for example, is a very conscientious man. He is never late in the
morning and never leaves earlier than the rest of the staff. By setting himself as
a good example, he teaches us what is a right attitude to work.
Another crucial feature of a boss is communication skills. The duty of a boss is
to give instructions and directions to his or her employees. If the purpose and
the means are not clearly explained, people may feel at loss as to what to do.
Again, our dean is an expert in explaining a task. He usually not only lets us
know what and how we should do, he also stirs up our interest and enthusiasm
in the job to be done.
The last but not the least vital feature of a boss is that he or she should be an
understanding or considerate person. If an employee made a mistake, the boss
should not rush to criticize him or her. Instead, the boss should first figure out
the reasons behind the wrong deed. By saying that, I do not mean that a boss
should always be lenient. What I mean is that a boss should consider himself or
herself equal to the employ as a human being. In that case, both parties can
reach an understanding on the basis of mutual respect.
In short, a supervisor should be a person who is self-disciplined, expressive and
considerate and who does not deem him or herself a superior being to others.