Supervisors vs. Subordinates and Workplace Relationships

The first component of Supervisor vs. subordinate that I would like to go over is semantic information distance. All this is saying is that there is a gap in understanding between the boss and the subordinate in job duties or knowledge. I among many have run into this problem. For my situation it was a problem with how little the boss knew about the job and that I was much more knowledgeable about the position. My manager was very new to the field and had no prior experience involving fundraising and communication over the phone. It was a little frustrating trying to get him up to speed and allow him to be the boss at the same time. Occasionally he would try and take on too much, and would then tell subordinates things that weren't correct. After bridging that gap it was easier to focus on my own tasks knowing he was more affluent in the system and able to fully help the other subordinates.

Communication. communication, communication. Communication is extremely important for both sup-sub interaction and work place relationships. in sup-sub interaction you need to be able to communicate and listen while receiving feedback and using that feedback. Same goes for work place relationships. Coworkers need help occasionally and also give help. Sometimes there are projects in which myself and another coworker were teaming up on. This project had a timeline and he was the one who started it. He didn't let me know what he had accomplished or where he had saved it. Due to his lack of communication the project was late and the boss was not happy. Effective and timely communication helps everything go smoothly and keeps everyone on the same page. This in a way provides satisfaction as a team member and can help social bonds as well.

One of my biggest pet peeves pertains to office gossip. Right now I work with a supervisor team of 4 girls and then myself. I'm not saying guys gossip less, but in this case that is true. On a daily basis one of the girls comes up to me and complains about another one. Its frustrating and really makes for an awkward atmosphere at work. Repeatedly they bicker and fight and then complain without working it out themselves. After a couple weeks we had to have a supervisor meeting just to get out some of the tension and work things out. The gossip really took a toll on some of the girls and it was something that needed to be stopped. Here is an example from the office of workplace gossip and how it can effect people. The gossip can get skewed and it can be hurtful and plain stupid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjeXOu1wKs4