Salt has two primary functions related to food: Preservative and Seasoning. Many people, me included, find that a little bit of salt brings out the flavor of food. In the same way a front line supervisor or manager is responsible for bringing out the best in employees. The supervisor is also responsible for preserving the values of the organization.
Some supervisors are more like sugar always trying to keep everyone happy by being too sweet. Often the front line leader ends up doing the work their employees could and should do.
And of course some supervisors are extra spicy – they enjoy being autocratic and telling people what to do. They might be demeaning and disrespectful, thinking that is the way to get employees to perform.
What kind of supervisor are you? There are situations where being sweet or spicy might be exactly what’s called for and yet most of the time the supervisor should focus on being the salt that brings out the talents, abilities and contributions in order to achieve the desired results.
Why not try being the salt and help your team achieve its true potential?
