Subscribe to the Three Star Leadership Blog

The Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training.

Follow me on Twitter

For weekly tips and resources pointers, check Wally's Three Star Leadership Letter

Find out more about having Wally speak to your company or convention.

Find out more about Wally's coaching services.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie Jurassic Park is the one where Tyrannosaurus Rex approaches the Land Rover. We know T-Rex is coming because a container of water on the dash trembles with every approaching step.

At that point, T-Rex probably saw the Land Rover as a crunchy shell with a luscious human filling. The humans saw T-Rex as almost unstoppable.

Problems are a lot like that. If you let them grow big, they're hard to kill and they can eat you and your team alive.

The good news is that dinosaurs and problems are both really easy to kill when they're small. Here's the process as outlined in my Working Supervisor's Support Kit.

Start by setting clear and reasonable expectations for your people. Without this, there's no hope of success.

Check for understanding. It may be clear in your head, but there's no guarantee that the same thing is in your team member's head. The only way to find out is to check. Sometimes there will be problems.

Correct as needed. Making corrections now is like killing the dinosaur before it has even hatched.

Then go and see if the understanding has turned into performance. You should be showing up a lot, so your visit is not a big deal. Observe. Sometimes there will be problems.

Correct as needed. Small corrections are easier and easier to take than big ones. Like dinosaurs, problems are easier to kill when they're small.

But beware. If you don't go and check, you won't know if there are problems that need solving. And if you don't correct early, the problems will grow big. And if the problems grow big, just like T-Rex, they can eat you and your whole team.

Boss's Bottom Line

The Dinosaur Principle is simple. Problems, like dinosaurs, are easier to kill when they're small.

Make this a routine part of your work as a boss. Check for understanding. Show up a lot. Correct as needed. Do it right away. Don't let that problem grow any bigger.

Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training. Click here to check it out.