Hints for new Supervisors

You have just been promoted to the role of supervisor? Check out these simple tips to help you on your way.

As a supervisor your main role is twofold: to get the job done and look after the people doing it. To achieve this, four key areas need to be addressed: your own skills, the responsibilities of your job, your team and the individuals within it.

A good place to start is with an assessment of your own skills, including strengths and weaknesses. A successful supervisor should be a role model to his or her team. It is important to be fair, honest, motivated and possess expert knowledge about the job. Of course no one expects you to be perfect. But by identifying and addressing areas of weakness you will quickly become a more effective leader.

There are plenty of good training books and short courses out there. Just ensure that theory is balanced by practical application.

The next step is finding a mentor - someone you admire and respect as a manager. Mentoring is a valuable opportunity to debate new ideas and strategies in a non-political and confidential environment. Many businesses have an in-house mentor program. If yours doesn’t, don’t be scared to approach someone, or several people for that matter.

While sharpening your own skills it is important not to lose sight of the bigger picture. What are the short, medium and long-term goals for the company, your team and you? How can you work to achieve these goals? Do your homework before making any drastic changes to existing structures and systems and remember to balance significant goals with more immediate details. This approach will allow you to utilise resources strategically and let staff get on with their jobs. Success will require careful planning, problem solving and analysis.

Fortunately, you are not out there alone but have valuable staff alongside you. As a supervisor it is your job to provide staff with adequate support and assistance.

Here are four more tips to consider.

1.Keep staff busy and challenged.
Remember that clear lines of responsibility make it easy for staff to understand who is responsible for what. While you are ultimately accountable for achieving set outcomes, learn when to delegate tasks. Share problems with your team and allow them to find solutions - you may be pleasantly surprised.

2. Effective communication is crucial.
Have an open-door policy to keep communications open and transparent. Create avenues for feedback from your supervisors and staff. If there is a problem amongst the staff that seems to be hindering work output, don’t rely on second hand information. Try to locate the source of the problem and rectify it.

3. Give constructive feedback on work performance.
Remember to address strengths and weaknesses - avoiding a problem can end up being worse than the problem itself. Always acknowledge valid contributions and a job well done. This practice may simply amount to an affirming email to say ‘Great idea, thanks for raising it’. Or it may be some form of public recognition.

4. Don’t lose sight of team members.
It is important to take a genuine interest in the individuals that make up your team. Go beyond the scope of their job. Try to understand what motivates and drives them - personally and professionally. Remember, that as circumstances change, so too will these driving forces.

And perhaps the most important tip to remember is this one. The road to effective leadership, be it supervisory or managerial, will take time. As you work towards it, create a positive work ethic. Make the job fun and challenging and above all, learn how to get the most out of your staff.