Supervisory Leadership

You probably know the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That is a great moral principle, but there is a better rule to use for effective supervision and communication.

For that we use the Platinum Rule. The first person I ever heard use that term was Dr. Tony Alessandra. He has even got a book out with that title: "The Platinum Rule: Discover the Four Basic Business Personalities and How They Can Lead You to Success."

The Platinum Rule refers to the way that you deal with people, especially how you communicate with them. It is pretty simple: "Treat others in the way they like to be treated."

Doing it is simple, too, even if it's not always easy. It takes different strokes for different folks. Just because you like chocolate ice cream doesn't mean everybody else does.

The Platinum Rule also means that you use different strokes for the same folks. You also may use different strokes for the same folks, but at different times. Even if somebody likes vanilla ice cream, he or she may want hot chocolate on a winter day or chocolate ice cream because they just feel like it. Sometimes the situation dictates your choice of style.

When you start applying this to supervision, begin by paying attention to the people you supervise. If you're around them a lot, you'll find this easy to do. You may do this naturally, but a little conscious attention will pay big dividends in better communications and better supervision.

Some folks like to move quickly and make quick decisions. Others like to move a bit more slowly.

Some folks think that getting the job done and being focused on the task is the most important thing. Others put relationships ahead of tasks.

There's more. Different people use different kinds of language to express their thoughts. One person may describe an idea he or she thinks is good by calling it "solid." Another person might say that it "sounds good" or "feels right" or "looks like it will work."

Pay attention to the metaphors your people use and try to use the same kinds, if that's natural for you. Some people use gardening metaphors. Others use sports. Still others use family situations. If you know your people well, you'll find that there's almost at least one area of common interest and vocabulary.

As a supervisor, you make the Platinum rule work first by paying attention to the people who work for you, so that you know and understand them and the way they like to communicate, and the way they like to be treated. Next, you act on that. You adapt your communication styles to what is most effective for an individual subordinate. That's one of the secrets of great supervisory leadership communication.

I've answered a question about the use of personality styles material in supervisory skills training.

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