In the SHARE survey, 70% of SHARE members rank respect and how department leaders treat people as a high priority for improving their day-to-day experience at work, higher than any other item on the list. In our survey, SHARE members had a lot to say about what makes managers and supervisors helpful in making their department run better, as well as what their managers could do better.

Here are some of the ideas the SHARE Negotiating Team brought to the table in the discussion about how to improve supervisor and manager interactions with SHARE members.

How some managers show respect and help the department run better:

Involve staff in decisions, ask our opinions
Share information often & with everyone
Pitch in when we are short-staffed
Good listener, and available
Open to new ideas
Treat everyone fairly
Help us fix problems
Give recognition for hard work

What other managers do that does not help the department run better:

Micro-manage – not trust staff to do their jobs
Favoritism: Treat some people better than others
Criticize someone in front of co- workers or patients
Think s/he knows best
Not understanding the work we do
“Run hot and cold” or add drama to the workplace

In SHARE’s opinion, UMass Memorial has had a culture of a “command and control” style of managing over the years. Not every manager for sure, but in general. In contract negotiations we are talking with management about how we can together move UMass Memorial toward a new more supportive and collaborative model of managing. We don’t know exactly how to do that, but we’re working on it!