Your Superiors Can Impact Your Career in So Many Ways:

5 Ways to Make Them All Positive.

I am writing this article to inspire all LP professionals (young and old) to continue your Loss Prevention education. If it does not inspire you, it will most certainly motivate your superiors. Our superiors are our mentors and we trust them with our careers. In turn, they trust us to uphold the reputation and integrity of the company. This has to be a two-way street for the Loss Prevention department to thrive. Please do not think ill of your superior or become disrespectful if he or she lacks a certification. I once wrote in a testimonial, "A certification is just a piece of paper but it is a piece of paper that everyone in the Loss Prevention field wishes they had." Once again, this article is meant to inspire all Loss Prevention professionals young and old.

5 Questions to Ask About Your Relationship with Your Supervisor

1. Does he or she have any certifications or higher education? (LPQ, CFI, LPC)

Your boss's education level can have a great impact on your career. This impact can be positive or negative. If you walk into his or her office and see several certificates on their wall, this will certainly impact your decision on furthering your education. On the other hand, if you walk into their office and see nothing on the wall, there will be no motivation for you to even seek further education and personal development. I once had a boss who was well respected throughout the company. I walked into his office one day and saw a CFI (Certified Forensic Interviewer) certificate displayed on his wall. This inspired me to research the CFI program and later complete the CFI certification. On my next trip to the corporate office, I noticed that his certificate was gone. Nor could I find him listed among the CFI recipients online. This issue was discussed among my peers and we all came to the same conclusion. He did not have the certification at all. Understand, just seeing this piece of paper on his wall inspired me to get my own. This incident discouraged my peers and they were no longer motivated to further their education.

2. Does he or she encourage you to further your education?

Is furthering your Loss Prevention education encouraged or is it an inconvenience for your company? In 2012, the industry is tumultuous and Loss Prevention budgets shrink every year. Encouraging education can only reduce turnover and develop the talent the company already has employed. They hired you for a reason; it would only be wise for your employer to continue to invest in you. If your superiors have not furthered their education, the chances of you enhancing your career are reduced. This subject might cause tension within your department.

3. Does your boss treat everyone the same?

Your superior may be respected by everyone, but are they respecting everyone? I once had a boss who had favorite store managers. All of their requests were fulfilled expeditiously while the rest of the store managers had to make due with minimal attention. This disparity can cause you to choose sides even though you may be a fair and equitable person. You may find yourself siding with your boss out of fear of being judged and retaliated against. This can never be good for the company; we are only as strong as our weakest link.

4. Does your boss exhibit appropriate ethics and values? Do you both maintain your professionalism?

I learned the hard way that it is not a good idea to drink heavily with your boss. You have to maintain a certain level of professionalism; your boss should not be your friend. I know, he is the boss and it is good to have a relationship with him. If your superior has any sense of professionalism, he will not want to drink heavily with you because he has to maintain his professionalism, too.

5. Does your boss always do what is right for the company?

Some people say that the right thing to do is not always the best business decision. I strongly disagree. If your ethics structure is in the right place, you will always do the right thing. The definition of integrity is always doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. In the long run, doing what is right will always trump what you may deem unethical but good for the company. Remember that almost all scandals can be traced back to one unethical decision that made the company lots of money.

These are five questions that I consider when supervising my subordinates. Superiors please take this and use it to build better rapport with your subordinates. Subordinates please take this and gauge your superiors. Do so ever cautiously and remember that we are all imperfect human beings. Most importantly, remember that you may be the boss some day.

Herman Laskey Jr., LPQ, CFI, worked for three major retailers in loss prevention for 17 years before recently starting his own consulting company, Laskco, Inc. He earned an associate's degree in criminal justice from Rose State College as well as LP Qualified (LPQ) and Certified Forensic Interviewer (CFI) certifications. Laskey is trained in both Wicklander-Zulawski Advanced Interviewing and John Reid Technique of Interviewing and Interrogation. He is also a licensed private investigator in the state of Oklahoma. Laskey can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .