Discussion Scenario:
(A). One-on-one supervisor with employees
Your peer (a first-line supervisor at a major retail store) is conducting a performance evaluation of a subordinate in the break room, where numerous other employees are eating lunch. Your peer is raising their voice and noticeably frustrated with the employee. The employee is attempting to defend their position but it is obvious your peer will not let them get a word in edge-wise. You notice numerous other employees shaking their heads. You decide to approach your peer (also a friend) and address what you saw. What do you say?
(B). Supervisor to a team
You are a team member on a major project for a defense contractor. Your supervisor has just called an “urgent meeting” to discuss the current problems with the project’s progress. The project is months behind and slightly over budget. Most people feel it is due to the lack of resources (your project is the third priority). The meeting is in 30 minutes and you have no additional details as to the meeting content. Your supervisor routinely calls meetings with little or no warning and then expects various employees to brief their portions of the project. When employees cannot brief their sections, the meeting is often canceled and rescheduled for after normal working hours to allow “time to better prepare (words of your supervisor).” You have had enough; you decide to email your supervisor and recommend a better way to conduct the meeting.
(C). Supervisor with a manager.
You are the manager of a department at the local shipyard. You have 7 supervisors that work for you and run the day-to-day operations of your six divisions. One of your supervisors continually disrupts planning meetings to discuss personal problems within their division. They dominate the meeting time and often no one else gets to talk. You have talked to him and counseled him several times about the proper time and place to discuss the specific division and worker problems. Your friend (a manager of another department) recommends that your move the supervisor to a less challenging division or have the meeting without him. What are you going to do? How? Why?