Tips for New Supervisors

Are you starting a new job where you will be supervising people for the first time? Or perhaps, you’ve been promoted to a new supervisory position at your current job. If you have never worked a job with a supervisory capacity, this new role may seem daunting to you. However, with the right information and confidence, you can successfully navigate this change and create a positive and productive work environment for yourself and your employees under you.

Things to Know About Supervising

Perhaps the most important thing you can do as a supervisor is get to know your team. By understanding your team members likes and dislikes and how they function in an office setting, you are better prepared to manage them as employees. Of course, this doesn’t mean you will be completely effective as a supervisor. A strong understanding of your employees is only the start.

Creating a Balance

As we’ve discussed in previous blogs, creating boundaries between supervisors and employees at work is essential. You want your employees to like you and feel comfortable with you, however, you must ensure this does not cross the line of professionalism.

You want your employees to like you and enjoy working with you, but you also want them to respect you and listen to you.

Being a Middleman

As a supervisor, you will often act as a middle man between upper management and the employees under you. Here, you must also strike a balance between enforcing upper management’s policies and bringing the needs and wants of your employees back to management. If your employees feel you are one sided in this it can hurt their relationship with you and make your work environment significantly less functional.

Employees will respect and trust a supervisor who they feel is able to enforce management’s policies while also going to bat for them. Knowing how to build this type of stability in a work relationship can mean success and happiness in your office.

Things to Do Day 1

One of the best things to do on your first day as supervisor, if you haven’t already, is discuss goals and improvements your boss wants to see. This ensures you know what info to take to your team and what type of coaching or motivation may be necessary.

Afterward, discuss similar objectives with your team. While you can tell them what to do and expect, make sure to listen. Understand what your team wants and hopes for. This can help you know how to create that bond and what type of road bumps you may encounter along the road.

The best thing you can do is be conscientious and thoughtful. With the right attitude and intentions you can make the most of your new supervisor position!