Going to lose a good supervisor

john346

No more Brown!
What can we do as drivers to step on a micromanaging manager, or higher, to defend a good supervisor? Our supervisor, I'm pretty certain, is looking for another job to get away from this jerk. He'll lose so much by switching at this stage. Any suggestions, hotline numbers, or do we just wish him well?:anxious:
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
Unfortunately, there isnt much you can do. The same qualities that make him a good sup...honesty, people skills, compassion, a conscience, and the willingness to listen and delegate...also mean that he has no hope of promotion beyond the level of center manager. He will always be handicapped by his ethics. If he really is a decent human being, he is probably better off somewhere else.
 
W

westsideworma

Guest
similar situation going on at our building. Its pretty bad when hourlies are defending supes as well. Sometimes the things this company does just really boggles the mind. We've been going through a lot of supes in our area lately. When they go, their workers are less than pleased as they were good people. One worker even pulled the division manager aside and told him to "back off" while the supe was helping him out (the guy was sick and asked him personally for a hand).

One of my good friends who has been a supe for years is now seemingly a target. Its so obvious that everyone, management (PT supes anyway, FT doesn't care) and hourly notice. The guy is always beating his numbers (occasionally the misloads are high but not too often) and his people like him and work hard for him minus one guy who doesn't show up (though he's been like that even before this supe was put here).
 

toonertoo

Most Awesome Dog
Staff member
Unfortunately, there isnt much you can do. The same qualities that make him a good sup...honesty, people skills, compassion, a conscience, and the willingness to listen and delegate...also mean that he has no hope of promotion beyond the level of center manager. He will always be handicapped by his ethics. If he really is a decent human being, he is probably better off somewhere else.
I agree, he will be fine, and probably happier where he can actually use his skills, and his brain.
 

HEFFERNAN

Huge Member
When I was part time supervising, I enjoyed working with the 10 people I was assigned to. I treated them with respect and dignity, and they in turned became loyal and were sad to see me leave for driving.
I didn't think I was cut out for full time, it is tough to be likable as a FT sup. You have to make decisions that will upset even the ones that are mutually respecting you.
We lost a great center manager because he put his people ahead of the numbers he was to attain. He was a good friend and he is doing very well outside the "prison gates"
 

toonertoo

Most Awesome Dog
Staff member
Why must every slam on management, include the word Tieguy? Give it a rest!!! He is not the only management person on here you could target. Just one of the few who posts his thoughts from time to time.
 

browniehound

Well-Known Member
Obviously UPS is doing something right in the method of how they choose their leaders. UPS has been in business for a century and you don't accomplish that on luck or by making poor business desicions.

That being said, I think upper mangement needs to look at itself going forward. They are slipping big-time and the management commitee is lacking the people of James Casey's ilk. We are losing volume to our competitors. Their response is to pound sales-leads on the drivers becuase we are at the front-lines and are the eyes and ears of UPS.

My eyes and ears tell me a scary scenario in which we continue to lose volume, not becuase a lack of sales leads but because of corporate desicions that affect every operation in this country. Our potential customers use the competition for a reason, and those reasons don't include not knowing what UPS has to offer. They know, thats why they are using the competition:knockedout:. Me asking for their volume is not going to change their mind about damages, customer service, price and delivery and pick-up time.

One quick example would be the implementation of EDD/PAS and the corresponding slashing of routes. This resulted is astronomical service failures on top of our customers recieving their inbound packages at their scheduled pick-up time. It was the only way we could service the packages.

Our customers can't operate like that. They need their freight early so they can turn it around that day and service their customers:smart:. It secures us pick-up volume if we can deliver it to them at a reasonable time (not 10 2-day airs delivered at 445 PM). When we don't, we lose pick-up volume.

Fed-Ex ground can meet our customer's needs because their drivers leave the terminal at 7AM. All their businesses are off by noon!

How can I asking for sales leads compete with that and stem that tide? This needs to be addressed by corporate. If UPS sinks like the Titanic it won't be because of the drivers (we are so far superior in terms of production that the competition isn't even on the chart), it will be because of the desicion makers and how they decide to operate the business. I know "Big-Brother" is reading this and I'm sorry, but those are the facts.

Its July and 2 routes (about 320 stops) in a town of 7 routes have been cut. So know I get 40 stops added to my normal 9 hour route. I can't get a sales lead now because I simply don't have the time:whiteflag:. I have to worry about being off the clock in under 12 hrs.

If you want to cut 2 routes in 1 town its fine with me I'll take the 42+ bucks an hour to deliver QVC, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the rest of the easy stuff, just don't mention the word sales lead to me because I'm not listening until I'm dispacthed under 9.5.
 

705red

Browncafe Steward
Why must every slam on management, include the word Tieguy? Give it a rest!!! He is not the only management person on here you could target. Just one of the few who posts his thoughts from time to time.
From time to time? He must have some sort of software set up that makes his computer turn on if anyone responds to one of his posts.

But i do agree with tooner! tie can be a real #$@ but he does have a gentle softer side, but those are pm's to me and i cant share them. were does he get the kissing lips icon he keeps sending from?
 

toonertoo

Most Awesome Dog
Staff member
From time to time? He must have some sort of software set up that makes his computer turn on if anyone responds to one of his posts.

But i do agree with tooner! tie can be a real #$@ but he does have a gentle softer side, but those are pm's to me and i cant share them. were does he get the kissing lips icon he keeps sending from?

He borrowed them from me. :princess:
 
Why must every slam on management, include the word Tieguy? Give it a rest!!! He is not the only management person on here you could target.

If your going to quarterback for the team your gonna take some hits now and then.

I don`t know about any auto-on computer thing. I think he`s been genetically engineered to read our minds. Excuse me now I need to go get some foil and make a protective hat.
 

pkgdriver

Well-Known Member
Fed-Ex ground can meet our customer's needs because their drivers leave the terminal at 7AM. All their businesses are off by noon!

Not in my area. Plenty of commercial stops DR by Fred Ex Ground in every place you can imagine after 5-6 pm.
 

gostillerz

Well-Known Member
It all depends if he really wants to stay. You could try a petition, but I highly doubt that it would work. I'm still new to the game here. How about having everyone work slower, claiming it's a "lack of leadership and motivation". If your center manager is that much of a dick to force out a supe that you all like (and still gets the job done) , you're screwed. Brush up on some Melrose Place and go after the center manager. Either way, give him a handshake, and buy him a beer.
 

tieguy

Banned
Unfortunately, there isnt much you can do. The same qualities that make him a good sup...honesty, people skills, compassion, a conscience, and the willingness to listen and delegate...also mean that he has no hope of promotion beyond the level of center manager. He will always be handicapped by his ethics. If he really is a decent human being, he is probably better off somewhere else.

I'm sure you see some examples of what you describe. But we aren't all like that. Your answer and Westsides are typical for those that don't understand the processes.

Think about this you have to like to deal with people to be in management some do it well some don't. Dealing well with people not only means those that report to you but those you report to. some can relate and deal with those that report to them very well. But to do well in management you also have to know how to deal with those you report to.

Some have called it managing upwards. Some manage upwards by establishing clear communication lines with the boss and those folks tend to handle the responsibilities of management better then others.

managing upwards is not only a skill that supervisors need to acquire but one non-management can benifit from. Harvard mentor teaches this skill. Doing a brief search of the internet I find this link which I think helps explain it in better detail.

https://web.archive.org/web/20070816204320/http://www.contacthrg.com/ManagingUpwards.shtml
 

tieguy

Banned
similar situation going on at our building. Its pretty bad when hourlies are defending supes as well. Sometimes the things this company does just really boggles the mind. We've been going through a lot of supes in our area lately. When they go, their workers are less than pleased as they were good people. One worker even pulled the division manager aside and told him to "back off" while the supe was helping him out (the guy was sick and asked him personally for a hand).

One of my good friends who has been a supe for years is now seemingly a target. Its so obvious that everyone, management (PT supes anyway, FT doesn't care) and hourly notice. The guy is always beating his numbers (occasionally the misloads are high but not too often) and his people like him and work hard for him minus one guy who doesn't show up (though he's been like that even before this supe was put here).

The best thing you can do for your friend is to help him realize there may be things he is doing that put him in the bosses doghouse.
 
But what about the manager that works well with the people above him and sucks at dealing with his subordinates? This could well be what is happening with the sup in this thread. He works well with his crew, they like him and work hard for him, good so far. Then he does well at trying to work with his boss, yet his boss sucks at the managing non-forward. Get what I mean? I'm not disagreeing with you but applying your theory in a different place in the pecking order.
 

HEFFERNAN

Huge Member
Think about this you have to like to deal with people to be in management some do it well some don't. Dealing well with people not only means those that report to you but those you report to. some can relate and deal with those that report to them very well. But to do well in management you also have to know how to deal with those you report to.


I agree with this statement. A great manager can balance it both ways to be effective. I've seen many that have mastered this, but also I've seen a few that are more one way and end up losing because of their faults.

I was liked and respected from both sides but didn't feel joining the full-time ranks would work out with me. First, you are encouraged to get a degree in business management or some type of secondary schooling. Not having a degree I feel will stop you at a certain point up the corporate ladder (98% of the time, with exceptions)
With the hours you put in FT, it is extremly difficult to get this without earning credits while you were a PT sup. Operation managers tend to work 10-12 hours a day, so having most of your schooling done before is critical.

It is also important to realize every center is different. Some areas you can develop managing people skills better than others. For instance, as a preload sup., i was given a lot of newer people to train and "massage" into viable employees. My counterpart had more experienced veterans where all he did was walk around and look busy. Not a great way to build those skills.
 
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