TRAITS OF A GOOD SUPERVISOR

work centers aware of it so they can ensure that it does not happen again. RESPONSIBILITIES TO UPPER MANAGEMENT As a combat systems/weapons supervisor, you will find yourself in a middle-management position. You will have more responsibilities and direct input to the upper echelon than you did as a petty officer second class. One of the supervisor’s responsibilities is to support the goals and requirements of upper management (the division officer and the department head). This support may take many forms, such as providing unscheduled corrective maintenance, technical reports, additional manpower for important command functions, opera- tional training in specialized areas, or any one of a dozen other tasks that may be required of your person- nel. On occasion, you may be called upon to solve a difficult problem. If after much brainstorming, you are unable to solve the problem, you should seek assistance from the next senior person in the chain of command. Keeping a problem to yourself when you have run out of ideas will not solve it. Inform your division leading chief petty officer (LCPO) or your division officer of your problem; one of them should be able to assist you. TRAITS OF A GOOD SUPERVISOR Good supervisors usually have certain desirable traits. These traits are loyalty, positive thinking, genuine interest in people, initiative, decisiveness, tact and cour- tesy, fairness, sincerity and integrity, teaching ability, and self-confidence. Loyalty One trait that should stand out in every supervisor is loyalty. You must show loyalty to your country, the Navy, your unit, your superiors, and the personnel who work for you. To receive and keep the respect and loyalty of your personnel, you must be loyal yourself. Positive Thinking Good leaders will always be positive thinkers. They think in terms of how things can be done, not why they can not be done. They maintain an open mind to changes, new ideas, and training opportunities, Positive thinkers look to the future with confidence, and their confidence is contagious. They are enthusiastic about their jobs and the part they play in the Navy. If you want to lead others, start practicing the art of positive thinking today. Genuine Interest in People Did you ever meet a really great leader? If so, you probably found that instead of being cold and aloof, the person was a warm, friendly human being who seemed to make you feel important by paying close attention to what you had to say. One of the first steps you, as a supervisor, should take is to get to know your technicians personally. This not only creates a feeling that you are genuinely in- terested in them, but it also helps you place the right person in the right job at the right time. You will appreciate the importance of knowing your technicians personally when the need arises for them to convert from technicians to professional defensive tacticians and fighters. Here, the wrong person in the wrong place could prove disastrous. However, you must avoid falling into the familiarity trap. Many experienced supervisors will tell you of cases where they were overly friendly with certain per- sonnel. Then, when the time came for discipline or other adverse action, it was very difficult to deal with those personnel. Initiative Personnel with initiative are always needed in the naval service. Initiative is evidence of an open and alert mind. Personnel with initiative continually look for bet- ter ways to do things; they don’t wait for someone else to take action. 3-5