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Dr. John Burton LL.B. M.B.A. M.Div. Ph.D. is an ethicist, mediator, lawyer and theologian. John is currently located in Prince Rupert, B.C., Canada, working with Canada's aboriginal communities.

The office supervisor is 'missing in action' most of the time and is completely incompetent as a supervisor...

Dr. John Burton LL.B. M.B.A. M.Div. Ph.D. responds, "If your supervisor has been in this position for 15 years then she must be meeting the expectations of her managers... It is not an easy situation to address from your position, but I urge you to do something..."

March 2006

Dear Office-Politics,

I work for an investment company. We are over-staffed and several employees have too much time on their hands. The office supervisor is 'missing in action' most of the time and is completely incompetent as a supervisor. She has never taken any kind of supervisory training and has no desire to do so. She has no clue about group dynamics and is very unprofessional. When any staff issues come up she has no idea what to do - so she wings it, usually with disastrous results. This has been very bad for staff morale and we have had periods where office relations have been very tense. We have lost a couple employees because of her and others are considering leaving.

Local management has rec'd many complaints about her from staff throughout the years but does nothing. (She's been a supervisor for 15 years). Every year our head office distributes surveys and questionnaires dealing with employee satisfaction etc.and every year I make note that our company should train our existing supervisors. Nothing is ever done. How do we get local management and head office to see that this supervisor desperately needs to be trained and that all future supervisors should be trained in order to run an efficient office?

Wiser than my Supervisor

Dear Wiser,

If your supervisor has been in this position for 15 years then she must be meeting the expectations of her managers. This is confirmed by the inaction that has resulted from the complaints, staff turnover and survey results.

Local management will only take action if they see that either their expectations are no longer being met, or that something better is possible. The first option suggests some sort of collective action whereby all employees would approach management and demand that the problem be addressed. You might do this all together, or elect a delegate to approach management with a list of concerns.

Alternatively you might try to help management imagine a better workplace. What would that look like? What would the impact be on your firm's business? How would this supervisor have to change to achieve that? What courses or training does she need? What might employees do to help bring about the change?

If you decide to take this approach I would recommend that it be done collectively as well. Get together with your fellow employees and come up with some ideas that you can pitch to management for the benefit of all.

It is not an easy situation to address from your position, but I urge you to do something rather than let your obvious dissatisfaction continue to gnaw away at you. Perhaps it is time to look elsewhere for a job if you decide that there really is no likelihood of change.

Thanks for writing to Office-Politics.

Good luck,

Dr. John Burton

Dr. John Burton LL.B. M.B.A. M.Div. Ph.D. is an ethicist, mediator, lawyer and theologian whose passion is helping people and organizations create better relationships and stronger communities by being clear, committed and collaborative in their approach to ethics and conflict. John is currently located in Prince Rupert, B.C., Canada, working with Canada's aboriginal communities.