The director is not subject to any bias arising from previous work experiences or educational background. Utopia, of course, is not found here on Earth. The real world is full of daily struggles to get resources, keep the lab staffed, buy equipment, and answer calls from clients eager for results or assistance. Directors often look to supervisors to take care of the Utopian details. But supervisors in crime labs are often in the same position as the director, due to pervasive staffing shortages.
Supervisors are often responsible for casework and management.
The more urgent of these two requirements often gets the lion's share of attention. Due to these daily realities, a level of trust is at the core of all successful laboratory operations. There are excellent programs available to assist in the objective determination of the competence and proper development of staff, adequacy of methods, and sufficiency of the quality assurance structure of the lab. These programs are based on peer input, inclusive design and routine review. If you are a lab director, I hope that you have already come to appreciate how much better your life can be if you augment your trust and knowledge with these objective tools.