13 Don’ts for Supervisors
Throughout your career, you have probably worked with both effective and ineffective supervisors.
The difference is not only how employees feel about their supervisor. Poor supervisory habits can contribute to communication problems, conflicts, mistakes, turnover, waste, and inconsistent performance.
Effective supervisors need to understand not only what to do — but also what NOT to do.
Below are 13 behaviors supervisors should avoid, along with a free interactive lesson you can use with your supervisory team.
What NOT to Do to Become an Effective Supervisor
What should a leader avoid to be effective?
Here are 13 behaviors that you or your supervisory team should never engage in:
Here are some things and behaviors that a supervisor should not do.
1. Don’t Disclose Confidential Information
Protect three types of information: employee, management, and business.
2. Don’t Exempt Friends or Family from Company Rules
Avoid favoritism based on personal relationships. It’s unethical.
3. Don’t Let Ego Take Control
An inflated ego can diminish your effectiveness and the company’s success.
4. Don’t Pretend to Know Everything
Acknowledge your limitations; a know-it-all attitude hinders effective supervision.
5. Don’t Gossip
Discussing an employee’s behavior or performance with others is unprofessional.
6. Don’t Let Personal Relationships Influence Your Judgments
Evaluate employees objectively and document any issues fairly.
7. Don’t Excuse Poor Performance Due to Personal Issues
While empathy is important, it shouldn’t justify subpar performance.
8. Don’t Offer Unsolicited Personal Advice
Unless your role specifically involves counseling, avoid diagnosing or advising on personal issues.
9. Don’t Make Moral Judgments
Respect employees’ privacy and personal lives.
10. Don’t Tolerate Dangerous Behavior
Ensure the workplace is safe from harassment and other harmful actions.
11. Don’t Let Concern for an Employee Compromise Performance Management
Maintain professional boundaries.
12. Don’t Abuse Your Authority
Delegate tasks fairly and provide necessary resources without overstepping.
13. Don’t Disrespect Employees
Be mindful of your body language, tone, and language.
Knowing What NOT to Do Is Only the Beginning
Knowing these 13 behaviors is important. But creating better supervisors requires more than reading a list.
Leadership habits change through repetition, discussion, practice, reinforcement, and accountability.
That is why Supervisor Eficaz™ was designed as a complete leadership development system, rather than a one-day seminar.
It helps companies develop greater consistency in areas such as:
Communication • Teamwork • Respect • Accountability • Leadership • Conflict Reduction • Process Improvement
Most companies don’t have a leadership knowledge problem. They have a leadership consistency problem.
Most supervisors were promoted — not trained. The qualities above represent what great leadership should look like. The gap between this list and your supervisors’ daily behavior is what’s costing your company.
The lesson of the Effective Supervisor (Supervisor Eficaz) program for Hispanic teams shows exactly how that gap plays out — and what closing it looks like in practice. The lesson is delivered in Spanish, with English subtitles.
See How Supervisor Eficaz™ Turns These Principles Into Training
Watch a complete interactive lesson:
“What a Supervisor Should and Should Not Do.”
Your supervisors can watch the lesson together, pause for discussion, complete exercises, and learn from one another.
Experience a Free Interactive Lesson
What Could Supervisor Problems Be Costing Your Company?
Poor communication, conflicts, mistakes, waste, turnover, overtime, and other workplace problems can quietly cost a company thousands of dollars.
The Supervisor Eficaz™ Cost & ROI Analyzer helps you:
Measure the Cost. Track the Improvement. Calculate the ROI.
Use it to estimate your current costs before training, measure improvement later, and evaluate the potential return on your leadership investment.
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