The research basis of employee-centered supervision

As supervisors in libraries, our job is to achieve, through the efforts of others, those results for which we are responsible. On the surface, the task appears to be relatively simple. However, if we were aware of all the variables involved and had control of them, there would be no need for conferences like this Allerton institute. As supervisors, we are fully aware that unknown variables influence the supervisory process and that, even when variables are known, we do not always know how to handle them. Managing people in a library or any other organization can be a very tenuous affair. One of the main purposes of interludes such as this conference in our busy work schedule is to provide an opportunity to step back from the activities that constitute a major portion of our lives and reflect on their meaning. We must understand them in order to perform effectively. The volume and complexity of the work that must be done make it impossible for us to complete it all and to achieve all the desired results.published or submitted for publicatio