You ever been in the workplace where you have either had or have observed someone in a supervisory position enjoy to the point of getting a head rush the power they have over their subordinates?
I have been in the workforce since 1980, all in retail and I have observed this from afar and experienced it from above or rather from the bottom, depending on perspective. It seems supervisors whom fit the mold I describe, have some co-dependency with their job duties, its like a head rush for them as if what they experience is the same thing many experience when drunk on alcohol or high on some drug.
Over the years I have seen employees face abuse from people like this and I have felt it too, but I am feeling it moreso now with one supervisor than I have had at anytime in the past 28 years of my employed life. It is pretty telling that one can contrast this over a span of 28 years.
One cannot reasonably expect that all their bosses to be the same as the ones they liked, personality and life experiences and backgrounds all vary. This aside from personality, maturity and priorities.
A supervisor is not there to be ones friend, buddy, pal, they are there to do a job, to run the business and execute company directives the company way.
A supervisor, should however be treated with respect and treat those under them with respect, this is not to say a supervisor has earned penultimate respect simply because of an affixed title. Abuse is not a prerequisite for any job whether it is given or taken.
I have worked with this supervisor for 7 years now, the first couple of years I was in a supervisory position, he was not, but not over him, when my supervisory position got eliminated, he and I sat as equals, peons on the low part of the pole so to speak. He and I got along fine then. In this time frame, we both had supervisors whom had attributes we didn’t like, but we got over it, but we both had the same things to bitch about.. “Boy is so and so in a mood today”.
Last year a supervisory position opened up and he applied for it and got it, I was really happy for him, it was better someone we all knew and was knowledgeable for the area of responsibility get it, rather than someone whom was a stranger to all and a stranger to the company, kind of like “one of our own”.. When I found out about his promotion, I went up to him and congratulated him, then his response is “now I get to tell you what to do”.
A normal person would have said thank you, but this was the first thing on this persons mind was to tout his new authority, he certainly is not the first time in all my working life when I have seen a co-worker be elevated in their career path, but I never seen in 28 years someone let this elevation go to their head, much less change them, as in personality and otherwise.
This is akin to the abused child syndrome where they say when a child is abused, they grow up to be child abusers, but in this case, he technically was abused by past supervisors and then adopts their behaviour as his own when he attains similar status.
Yes, this current supervisor is the embodiment of that which he detested at the hands of past supervisors, but the sad thing is, he is worse and he thrives on the power he has over others.
Going into work now, often has me having a sick feeling in my stomach, especially if there is any overlap in our schedules, I hate wondering how I am going to be treated that day, just how am I going to get talked to, in what tone? It is not right that I am made to feel dread coming into work on the premise that he is working that day or a certain shift when I will be there as well.
The main issue is how he talks to people, by extension me, there is no please, thank you or do me a favour, it is ORDERS and they are conveyed as if you are a lowly peasant and he is your King.
I must admit that I don’t react kindly to his tone and I bristle and I argue, which isn’t always the right thing to do, and because of this it only fortifies this guys “bad points”, so I know I ain’t helping the situation any, but I have been in the business to long to just sit and take the abuse, one still is allowed to have their pride and self-esteem which this guy is trying to deny me. In all fairness, I don’t think he is actively trying to deny me anything, but that is how he is making me feel and I think that is a result of his personality that allows him to channel his power as if its the force and he is Yoda or Darth Vader.
You can hear this man barking orders to others, they aren’t requests or simple direction, they are in the simplest form, orders.
Supervising is in its simplest form is the art of delegation, however to achieve a goal, proper delegation must be handed out, improper delegation does not achieve any goal other than to sow dissent and resentment.
Maybe I will invite this supervisor to read this post and see if he see;s himself here, fortunately he has not the power to hire and fire.