Congratulations! You have just been promoted to a supervisory position. You think you know everything...
Well, think again.
Outstanding supervisors have a big impact on their organizations. Their behavior, integrity, and treatment of their direct reports creates a ripple effect and rubs off on others within the organization. Not only that, the people they manage will someday move on and become supervisors themselves, and more often than not they emulate how they were supervised. So, let’s get started.
Step 1. Your Job is different now.
You are no longer an individual contributor. Before you become a supervisor, you were used to resolving your own problems. Now you have to resolve your teams’ problems. Your job now is facilitating and resolving issues on a daily basis. Get used to it.
Step 2. Don’t try to be everyone’s friend.
Sure, you can become very popular saying YES to every request. But remember, one YES is one NO to something else. You simply cannot do it all. Stay focused on your priorities. Simply explain respectfully why you cannot entertain the request at that time. You will be fine if you simply say NO at times.
Step 3. If you don’t ask... they won’t tell you.
Don’t assume that your people will tell you everything. They won’t. If you want to know what’s going on in your team then ask them. But first, make sure that you create a safe environment in which your employees feel comfortable talking to you without any repercussions. Build up trust with your people.
Step 4. The company is not the most important thing in your employee’s life.
Your employees probably don’t feel the same level of dedication towards the company as you do. But that’s OK. Understand that people have hopes, dreams, relationships, and family issues outside of work that often is more important to them than their work lives. As a good supervisor, you need to be sensitive to the big things going on in your employees’ lives, whether it's a parent's surgery date, a child's latest sports accomplishment, or just that someone likes to play the guitar.
Step 5. Treat your employees as you would like to be treated yourself.
Think of how you would like your supervisor to act towards you. Keep that in mind while interacting with your team. Be honest, fair, and loyal. Listen to them and try to understand their position.
Step 6. Listen and communicate with your employees.
Remember the old adage – “We have two ears and one mouth.” So, listen twice as much as you talk. Two-way communication with your employees is extremely important. Overall, it is important to understand the significance of communicating with those you manage. Without proper communication, relationships cannot be formed, therefore hindering long-term success.
Step 7. Encourage and bring out the best in your people.
Each one of your employees is unique in what they bring to the table. Try to understand their strengths and weakness and bring out the best in them. Help them to work on their weaknesses and build on their strengths.
Step 8. Don’t be afraid to delegate.
You must realize that you can’t do it all. Try to delegate tasks to your employees. In this way, you will also be building up their capabilities for the long run.
Alnoor Ebrahim | Marketing Strategy Development
Jordan Ponizhaylo | Marketing Specialist
Eric Reed | Human Resources
