A while back I posted a note titled "Are You My Friend or My Boss?" and received many thoughtful comments about the critical importance of a manager developing a good relationship with his or her staff. This is not an easy task, I know. It requires give and take from both parties for the larger good of the organization.

The reason I bring this up again is that I received an e-mail from a frustrated transportation supervisor who is trying to build a healthier workplace, but has had no success. Many of the responses to my previous blog addressed the general dilemma faced by managers who need to be leaders while retaining the friendship of their charges. Please do me a favor and read the following e-mail excerpt from the frustrated supervisor and post any thoughts on how he or she might improve the morale in the bus yard. . .

"After several years as a driver, I became the supervisor last year. We had a lot of unhappy drivers, so I decided to do my best to empower them, to make their workplace something they would enjoy.

I asked the school principals to put together a driver appreciation day for them and then created an awards program for the top drivers in areas such as perfect attendance and congeniality.

Well, a lesson learned for me. They do not want to be happy at their job. I had heard this from several veteran supervisors, but did not believe it. They were ungrateful over the appreciation breakfast, complaining about only getting this or that. And they didn't take the awards program seriously, voting for their friends or themselves or no one.

Our drivers have been here for a long time, but I think it is more because what they know and what they are comfortable with than love of the workplace. I would be interested in other ideas of how to work with this. It just baffles me that folks would want to be in that environment day after day."

I realize that much is left unsaid in the e-mail, but I'd like to see how you would handle a situation like this.

Until next time.

Steve