Does Your Boss Have Your Back?
As the world was transfixed by the rescue of the Chilean miners today, one person was still conspicuously out of sight. The shift foreman, 54 year old Luis Urzua whose leadership was credited with helping the men endure the isolation for 17 days after the collapse when the world didn’t know if they were alive or not, is expected to the be last miner to reach the surface.
According to an account on msnbc.com from Reuters, before the miners were discovered alive Senor Urzua insisted that the men make their rations last. He insisted that each be allotted two spoonfuls of tuna, half a cookie and a half-full glass of milk every 48 hours. News account says he’ll be tidying up their living space before departing for the surface. “We don’t have any place to put the garbage,” he said.
Few would argue that he had the welfare of his crew at heart. Much the same cannot be said for many bosses as National Boss Day, October 15 arrives. A holiday registered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for over 50 years, it was first proclaimed a holiday in Illinois in 1962 and is now recognized internationally.
A 2010 Boss Day study being released today by Spherion Staffing Services, shows that nearly half of (45%) of U.S. workers indicate their relationship with their boss has been affected by the recession. Of those who say their relationship with their boss has been affected, 74% say the recession has weakened that relationship negatively.
The survey also found over one-third of workers say they are somewhat or very dissatisfied with the relationship with their boss. Why? Nearly 40% say their boss is uncaring about their career development. A quarter say their boss has been dishonest about their job security.
Could management be putting its faith in the wrong employees? Fully 44% of employees feel they could do a better job than their boss, with 61% believing they possess better management qualities than their boss.
As the Chilean miners make their way out of the subterranean dungeon, there’s a cautionary tale for bosses everywhere. Do you have your employee’s backs? You never know when their lives or yours may depend on it.
Tags: career development, Chilean miners, job security, managerial skills
