CHAPARRAL

Do You Feel the Pressure?

          Have you already begun to notice the changes brought on by staffing reductions?  Are you busier?  Struggling to keep up with your assigned work load?  Wondering about how to prioritize the extras?  Realizing that your supervisor is of little help or maybe even a hindrance?  In fact, are you feeling as if your supervisor is part of the problem rather than the solution?  

          If the calls and concerns being brought to CSEA are any indication, you are not alone!  More and more of us are feeling these effects and problems on a daily basis.  Too many of us work for supervisors who have risen to that level through the ranks with little or no training on how to supervise, how to lead, how to motivate, or how to improve and sustain morale among those they supervise.  Promotion can be good, but training should go with the promotion.

            Many of our supervisors are educated and competent classroom instructors.  They never planned on supervising and therefore, never learned how to do a good job of supervising.  Not that they aren't interested in us and in doing a good job of supervising us; they are simply untrained or lacking in the necessary skills.

            Our other supervisors are former classified professionals who have been promoted over the course of their employment.  Good fortune for them can be unfortunate for us, as they too have no training.We happen to work for a district which does not require basic or ongoing managerial/supervisorial  training as part of the job.  This causes untold problems for CSEA.

            Complaints range from supervisor's dishonesty to lack of support for employees trying their best, to extreme favoritism and special treatment for some while singling others out for harassment or compounded work loads.  While managerial skill can't correct every problem we have with managers, it should be of some help.

            Now, for the hard part.  How do we get managers who are knowledgeable, skilled leaders who care about us and value the job we do rather than making our job harder and destroying what little morale we have left?  As working conditions get tougher, work loads increase, staffing decreases, and the District continues to express a need for employee givebacks, how can we encourage managers to treat us better rather than worse?  How can we help them to realize our contributions and value us for our flexibility and willingness to meet the needs of the students we serve?

            I have many questions, but not too many answers it seems.  I know that some of us are lucky enough to work with really good supervisors.  Maybe the really good ones just have the right personalities, or maybe they have in the past worked for really good or really bad supervisors and have used that experience for self-improvement and become the best we have because of that experience.

            Whatever the answers, maybe we can help our least favorite supervisors to improve.  The first effort made by CSEA is to file grievances for contract violations.  Sadly, many of the problems are not violations of the contract, and therefore cannot be grieved.  Solving those problems is much more difficult.  Hopefully, some supervisors will read this article and realize we might have complaints about them.

            Our willingness to work flexible schedules so that areas stay open to serve students as many hours as possible, to come in early to meet a special need, to stay late and complete a task, to smile and serve a student when we had planned to meet a friend for lunch are everyday activities for the classified professionals of Glendale College.  To increase our value in the eyes of supervisors, we need to continue to do these things, but as we do them, we need to demand compensation for these additional activities.  The District may not have money to pay overtime, but it can give us comp time for the extra time we invest in keeping the college functioning and meeting student needs.  Be sure that your supervisor knows of the extra time you invest and get comp time authorization.  Keep good records of the comp time, and use it to relax and regenerate yourself.  Gain respect from your supervisors for the good job you do and by so doing, help them to become more supportive supervisors.

            It is likely that we will never all be happy with our supervisors, especially at the same time, but maybe we can make supportive supervisors spread across the campus like the rumors do!    Let's try to make good supervisors our goal for the year ahead. &

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