How to Be an Effective New Supervisor

We all love the idea of becoming a supervisor- more money, more power, and more appreciation. Plus we have spent the last few years looking up at our supervisor and thinking "I can do that." Now you are a supervisor and it is quite a bit different than you expected and definitely not as easy as you thought that it would be. Unfortunately problems don't fall on your desk one at a time, instead they come by the dozens or hundreds. Here are tips on how to be effective as a new supervisor.

Instructions

1. First realize that you no longer are only responsible for your own work. Now you are responsibly for the timeliness and quality of other people's work. This means that you need to talk to your staff often and ensure that they have the tools that they need to provide the work on time and at the appropriate quality. It also means that you need to train your staff. New supervisors often think that they can do things better or quicker so will do a project or correct it themselves. This may save time in the short term. However, you can not and do not have time to do everyone's work plus their own.

2. Another thing to remember is that you need to make sure that you show that you are no better than your staff. Many new supervisors immediately start pulling rank and bossing people this only results in staff laughing at you behind your back.

3. Next remember that your job is to get work done by others. Therefore you need to manage them but giving them tasks and not looking over their shoulder. This way they will feel trusted and do their work regardless of whether or not you are around.

4. Additionally in order to maximize the work of your staff you need to get them involved. This means that you should ask them to help plan what needs to be done and have a voice in deciding how to organize to get the job done.

5. Next make sure as a supervisor you get to know your staff. What you know as their peer is very different from what you need to know as their supervisor. Talk to staff and find out their weaknesses and their strengths. Try to find out what each person wants and needs to get from his or her job.

Tips & Warnings

• Be a leader not a boss

• Treat everyone equally

• Be a teacher, assistant, and guide but not a buddy or bully