I was a Electronics Stockroom Supervisor once for a short time. In charge of two stockroom clerks, but one clerk, who was also a part-time delivery/pickup driver for the company, decided he wanted to go back to school. The other clerk, decided he wanted to go into Production, so they took him, but he only lasted one month and the Production Supervisor let him go. At my last job, before leaving to move out of state, I worked directly for the Materials Department Supervisor/Director. When he was at meetings, or took a vacation, I was (sort of) in charge of the Department. I was the Materials Coordinator, but ended up learning everything, from the Director, about running the Department. Now, how many companies look at hiring a former military person as a Manager or Supervisor: They don't necessarily. Why? Overly strict. Companies today want much more of a laid-back person to be in that position. I was actually told at one interview, we run a very laid-back company here, so, if we hire you, leave your former "military mind" at home! I've actually worked at places where I thought "boy talking about playing around at work".
At my last job, my Supervisor/Director liked to go into the internet, during working hours, and check out sports on ESPN. Both the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) and the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) found out about this and told IT to shut off our internet, except during a designated break and lunch time. Actually, the only time we had to use the internet was to order a specified item. So, the internet was not available except for three designated times, but, somehow, my Supervisor/Director convinced the CFO and CEO that we needed access to the internet while we were there. Too many personal calls happening. At my last job, the warehouseman would go in the back of the warehouse and call his wife on his flip phone and talk to her.............until he had to hang up due to somebody needing to talk to him about something in the warehouse.
My wife was an Accounting Manager one time, and, that's all it took was one time for her to know that she didn't make a good manager. IOW, if one of her staff didn't finish something they were suppose to finish on a certain day, they would go home and my wife would stay and finish their work. Nope, I wouldn't have stayed. It was the staff members job to finish what was due at the end of the day. I found out, extremely fast, that the military, no matter which Branch, doesn't settle for excuses much, if any, for not completing something that was suppose to be completed. Unfortunately, my wife's staff could tell, easily, just how my wife was as a Manager and took full advantage of it.
Supervisor, acting supervisor, adjuster-supervisor, director, assistant director, program chairman, owner, meta editor, and chief editor. In every job that I stayed at for more than a couple of years, I had someone under me. I hate taking orders from people who are dumber than I am.
Titles are normally just glorified to make you seem important. I was not a manger- but a dept head. it was called at the time. More work same pay.
I supervised two individuals and it was more work and stress than running my 150 client caseload, I would never supervise anyone again I’m just not made to do it as I’m more the easygoing, laissez faire type I’m thankful for those individuals who have the personality and fortitude to be able to manage and lead others such as my husband who is a consummate leader.
I managed people from the time I was in my mid 20s until very late in my career. At one point I managed the buyers, contract negotiators and inventory managers for a $500 million reseller of computer hardware & software. At the end of my career I worked on my own. The issue I had with many businesses is they would have an employee who was very good at their job, but that person would top out on the salary structure for their position and was ready to go work somewhere else for more money. The only way the company could give them more money in order to retain them would be to put them in charge of others. The stellar employee did not want to manage people. That person had neither the skills nor the desire to do such a thing. But they liked where they worked, they had been there for a long time, and doing this was the only way the company would give them a raise. So the business: -Paid more money to someone to do a job they did not want, which made them miserable -Paid more money to someone to do a job they were not good at, causing them to fail -Paid more money to someone to ruin the morale and careers of those who reported to them This was all because the business could not find another way to compensate a star technical performer without opening the door to giving more money to every one else in the business with a similar job title. edit to add: Actually, I was in my late teens when I managed a 24 hour Hess gas station.
While in Air Force tech school I was put in charge of the barracks, I guess because I was getting good grades or my shoes were shined or something. I tried to decline but couldn’t. There was no need to be a hard ass but to some it goes to their head. We had an inspection once and our trash barrel was found to be dirty. My excuse was that we used it. At least I was honest.
If I'm made a Manager or Supervisor, the employees I'm in-charge of, have to know their job and do it...........correctly. I wasn't necessarily a "hard ass", but I wasn't really "easy going" either. "Do your job, do it right and do it on time", just like the Navy taught me.