Super training – New course geared toward new postal supervisors
Northern Ohio District supervisors gather for a recent New Supervisor Program session.
USPS has introduced a comprehensive training course for newly promoted supervisors, part of a broader effort to strengthen the postal workforce by helping employees hone their talents and skills.
The 16-week New Supervisor Program is required for new supervisors in areas such as Customer Service, Distribution Operations and Maintenance Operations. Classroom, on-the-job and virtual training is included.
“We want to provide all participants with the knowledge and experience they’ll need to succeed as supervisors and leaders of the Postal Service,” said Learning and Development Director Susan McKeen.
Topics addressed include management, communications, team building and effectively dealing with conflict. The program also trains participants in areas such as timekeeping, safety and labor relations.
“It’s been very educational,” said St. Paul, MN, P&DC Distribution Operations Supervisor Gregory Bell, who is now taking the course.
“It’s good to learn that some of the issues you face in your facility seem to be postal-wide. You may get an opportunity to help someone through a situation you’ve already experience.
This is just great. You just got rid of alot of postmasters, basically forcing them to retire, then you close a number of plants, which should have displaced God knows how many managers, without forcing them to retire? Now, you are creating a waste of time 16 week course for future supervisors?? What of the displaced ones you have on the payroll now? Why is this a 16 week course, the old ASP 12 week program sure didn’t create any great managers, just more sluff offs who don’t want to touch mail.
Hmmmm. Supervisor training? I’ve dealt with supervisors when I was a union officer who had been supervising for quite a while who were totally ignorant of such manuals as the M-41, M-39, ELM, and local agreements. Oh, yes, and the JCAM/National Agreement, too. Some were good about it and told me that their superiors told them (the supervisors) that they didn’t have the time to learn the manuals or what was in them, and would not be given the time to familiarize themselves with the most basic manuals either.
So much for management cooperating with the contracts.
It is possibly a good thing labor relations will be taught, but in a crash course, you can bet the new supervisor trainees will not get the right information and will probably be instructed to do what they’re commanded, labor agreements be damned. If the system had a program that effectively dealt with chronic indifference to the contracts and repeat violations the USPS would be a much more fair place to work, but that day probably will never happen.
The only requirement is a bottle of grease . How to lie and cheat .
I wonder if being able to speak English be a requirement because it’s amazing how many supervisors in SF have problems with the language. Another thing they might want to consider. How about having supervisors speak only English to their subordinates from their same country. It’s amazing how speaking the same foreign language get’s you some perks..
Why is the USPS still promoting into EAS when cutbacks should be made to “right size” the numbers when more closures of plants and post offices are are coming?
The Post Office severed the connection between authority and responsibility in its supervisor ranks long before my twenty year career began. Until that is corrected and people are given the authority to do the job they are given – and then held responsible for an outcome – teaching these people anything will not help. It really is as simple and as complex as that.
It all comes down to:
1. Supervisors not given the authority to make decisions to do their specific job.
2. Supervisors not held responsible for the outcome of their decisions.
I could give a thousand examples of failure and stupidity and everyone would think I worked at THEIR plant.
OK here is one crazy easy example. Plant manager gives authority to settle level two grievances in the plant to the junior supervisor in maintenance. In six months she runs up a hundred grand in grievance money to eight mail handlers. She controls the senior supervisors through control of their disciple, attendance at level two. She soon gains control of the supervisor schedule. Now the the plant supervisors have to come to her to ask for a day off. She then locks up the records in her office and changes the lock so managers have to come to her to request access. The junior maintenance supervisor is now running the plant with her authority but has no responsibility for any of the decisions she makes. Real plant manager spends his days on the golf course working intently on his high three. Chaos and empire building prevail. No interest from outside the plant except to occasionally inject themselves in what hours to post some job (they have friends too). NO link between authority and responsibility.
The captain of the HMS Titanic was following orders.
Management wanted to break records.
Just a thought.
In my 30 plus years with the Postal Service, I have seen some very talented people act as supervisors for a short time, and then decline to ever do it again. I think most USPS employees could identify such people, who really have the smarts, but could not be recruited to act again for all of the proverbial tea in China.
In a perfect world, we would try to make the prospect of supervising more attractive to those who would benefit the organization. We would remove the obstacles that frustrate and discourage otherwise good candidates. Of course, we should not insulate any acting supervisor from the ordinary tribulations of the work place (such as dealing with the occasional Dud), but find a way to make the prospect of supervising a little more attractive to those who ought to be doing it.
Lets not for get people skills…most live under a rock and only peek out to make sure their numbers match. I hope they have a “No hands on” course and a “anti-bulling” course. Just for those who like to get physical with their employees. The postal services “Zero Tolerance Policy” is only used on craft employees!
if these stupidvisors fail to pass a written test on the subject matter will they be subject to termination? 99% of postal mismanagers have no college education. compare that to management at FDX and UPS where you need a college education to go into management. do not ever confuse a professional manager in the Fortune 500 with the clowns running the PO into the dirt. not captains of industry….more like captains of the hms titanic!
That is RMS, Royal Mail Ship; how appropriate for this forum. HMS, His/Her Majesties Ship is reserved for warships.