Towards better well-being by making role skills equal

Take a look to following skills:

• Acts proactively
• Maintains own professionalism, both proffessional and social
• Supports, encourages, and takes responsibility
• Abilty to provide and receive constructive feedback
• Understands what is required from supervisor
• Maintains own ability to work; good physical condition

At the first glance these look like skills of managers with supervisor role. Yes and no, of course these fit to managers but actually these are also important skills of employee without manager/supervisor role.

There are number of books, trainings, studies, discussions, etc. about how to supervise, how to be professional manager, how make leadership better, but all of these are main from the supervisor point of view. Is this ok? Do we get success only by paying attention to manager and supervisor level? No, we do not get.

Nowadays culture of work is changing. Manager/Supervisor is not the one and only who knows everything authority, solves all the problems, and makes all the decisions. Nowadays culture is more collaborative, knowledge is spread around and it need to be gathered from multiple places. It is obvious that one person, manager/supervisor in this case, cannot have all the knowledge but it comes from supervisees.

In order to get organization working, above mentioned skills are needed from both supervisor and supervisee. More attention is needed to ensure that old fashioned "supervisor knows everything" roles are brake down and also old fashioned "I do what you command me to do"-attitudes are changed.

With this change the main cornerstone is open and continuous dialogue. It is based on equal respect between supervisor and supervisee. Skilled supervisee understands what is like to be supervisor and what is the status of supervisor and supports supervisor to carry out tasks properly. And vice versa supervisor knows well supervisee, knows her/his strengths, professionalism, capabilities, etc. and gives responsibility and possibilities to affect for example to working practices. As mentioned this requires continuous discussion with respect from both sides.

So, let's start thinking how increase skills of employees to be skilled supervisee and how increase open dialogue between supervisors and employees.

What do we get? Mostly likely motivated employees, better commitment, better well-being, positive atmosphere, ...