Regardless of our position at BYU, one of the most important things we focus on is developing students of faith, intellect, and character. It is easy to see how this happens in the classroom, but often it’s more difficult to visualize how it might happen in a work setting. We asked students how supervisors could be more effective in this important responsibility. Here is one student’s response:
Showing student employees that you care about their success and wellbeing will help them grow in innumerable ways. For example, one day, as I logged into my work computer and checked the daily tasks assigned to me by my supervisor, one in particular stood out. It read, “Professional Development; Come up with a skills goal for the semester”. I came to realize that the assignment was to research and select a skill that would help me in my professional career and then report back to my supervisor for insight and advice. I was taken back by the concern my supervisor showed for my professional development. On another occasion, when my wife and I received news of a heartbreaking Alzheimer’s diagnosis in her family, I was allowed to take work off to travel home to Saint George and then work online for a time to be able to provide both emotionally and financially for my family. Throughout all of this, my supervisor demonstrated interest and concern in my professional and personal wellbeing. As a consequence of these wonderful acts of kindness, I have an increased desire to perform my job to the very best of my ability, to show gratitude and to follow my supervisor’s example. Christ like leadership, like the kind I was show, inspires us to do our best.
- Sam Stewart, HRD Assistant