Blogtrek

Supervisors

I don't think I have had much luck with supervisors. They have varied from somewhat above average to really abysmal. So I thought of what I would like in a supervisor and came up with three levels of them:

Level 1. Autocratic. This supervisor either criticizes a lot or barks out commands; a dictator. Some of these make me afraid of them. Needless to say, when I get one, I want to get out. Three of the supervisors I have had have been at the Autocratic level.

Level 2. Laissez-faire. This supervisor does not look over my shoulder all the time, but he or she either ignores me or is pleasant and easy to get along with all the time without really guiding me anywhere. This one leaves me wondering what to do next. It's as though we live in two worlds. Most of the supervisors I have had were at this level.

Level 3. Involved. This supervisor keeps track of what I am doing, but also gets substantial input from me. Relationship is friendly with a lot of discussion between us. We feel like we are a team headed towards a goal. He provides me with guidance, and I am able to provide good feedback to him. This is the type of supervisor I want. Unfortunately, I have had none. However, I have had two team leaders who were at this level - one of these on a real project and the other at a training session.

So maybe if I ever were to get another job, I would like it to involve a Level 3 relationship with my supervisor. How do I find such a relationship? It is not the most easily obtained thing from a job interview or from biographies of supervisory personnel. A similar conundrum exists in searching for a place to live. It may be that the most important criterion in buying a house is whether you can develop good relationships with the neighbors at that house. So far I see such choices as a gamble and want to turn the odds in my favor.