Supervisors have a vital role

Combat Edge, Feb, 2003 by Kevin SMSgt Ennis

Today's supervisors have many pressures thrust upon them. This occurs at every level in the Air Force. The mission, regardless of your contribution to it, also figures in. The mission must be done, done right the first time, and done safely.

Preventable loss is unacceptable and translates directly to a reduction of combat capability. If you are not a supervisor now, you may well be one soon. As the person in charge, you are not only responsible for your contribution, but also for the contributions of others.

The supervisor's role to ensure work is done in a manner that protects Air Force assets is vital to the mission. That includes the equipment you work on, the tools you work with, funds, and--the most valuable Air Force asset -- the people you are charged to supervise.

Help is available for everyone to do their job right and preserve assets; this help is usually found in instructions, technical orders, safety standards, and other forms of written guidance. Each, when correctly followed, assures us of a safe, effective work environment -- or at least it should. Human nature being what it is, however, we do not read correctly every time; we cut corners on the most familiar tasks, and we get complacent. This leads to mishaps. We lose people from injuries; we lose assets from property damage. The Air Force loses.

What's the answer? Involvement. Risk Management. Caring.

Are you an involved supervisor? Your senior leadership is charged with being involved, and as a supervisor, you're expected to be involved too. You should be involved in your area of expertise and ensure your people accomplish their tasks safely and correctly. Involvement also includes situations away from your area of expertise as well. Today's supervisors must lend their knowledge of safe practices to any situation observed. If you see something that doesn't look right, it probably isn't. Don't stand on the side; get involved and take action.

The easiest way to be involved is to be the example. When you do things safely, most likely others will follow. Those who look up to you as the person in charge will want to emulate your behavior. You set the standard. If you cut corners or encourage deviations from proven safety practices, others soon believe it's the proper way to do business -- that it is okay to be unsafe. You may get away with it or you may not be so lucky. Ideally, the standard is to allow only the best from yourself and expect the same from those you supervise, both on and off the job.

We all assess risk. Every time we set out to do something we should be aware of the risk involved. If we remain alert to our surroundings and properly assess risk, we can confidently perform tasks correctly and, to the maximum extent possible, perform them safely. As a supervisor you must understand that, but you must help your subordinates understand that too.

The people who work for you might not be as experienced as you; and even if they are, as their supervisor they will look to you to forge the way ahead. You are expected to identify potential problems, make sure the proper equipment is available and used, and ensure procedures are established and conditions surrounding the task do not present any unanticipated hazards. With that done, people are set in motion and the job is completed without loss.

This really equates to caring. You care about the mission. You care about your role, your responsibilities, and yourself. You must also care about the people and resources you supervise. A task completed at the expense of the equipment or personnel injuries needs intervention. The mission cannot be sustained well or for very long under such conditions. We can't afford to replace the equipment, and we can't replace lost experience and motivated people who aren't available because of mishaps.

Unfortunately, accidents do happen. Good supervisors can have bad experiences too. When all your effort isn't enough and injury or damage occurs, have the courage to report it through the appropriate channels and help figure out the best possible way to prevent it from happening again. It's difficult to admit a mistake or accept less than complete success, but those that do demonstrate far more than job ability.

There is much more to supervision than seeing that a job gets done. It must be done right. Safety is part of doing it right.