Have you had such a fantastic supervisor that you wanted to work harder for him? A great manager is someone who talks the talk, walks the walk, and has a positive impact on their team while increasing the success of each employee. They have a diverse range of skills and talents that support their supervisory role.
Leaders must consider supervision a profession requiring ongoing learning on current trends and best practises. For example, staffing structures of years gone by had multiple layers of leadership, and today their flat and titles are less important than complementary skills.
Want to make sure you are doing right as a supervisor? Here are seven things they do differently.
1. Great supervisors set a positive example.
When you consistently practise what you preach your team will respect and trust you. Setting clear expectations and honoring them goes a long way and double standards will not do.
So, you will have to work harder than your team to demonstrate what is required. You can’t expect your team to come in early, work hard and stay late if you aren’t doing this yourself.
2. Great supervisors treat others as they would like to be treated.
Do you go to work wanting to be treated poorly? Of course not. Wise leaders know treating their team with respect, trust and honesty not only improves morale and open communication but helps the team to be more productive, happy and motivated to perform.
3. Great supervisors recognize their team members.
When is the last time you felt awesome at work? Was it because you got thanked for a job well done? Maybe your organization’s newsletter was sent out mentioning your name as someone who went above and beyond for a client. Whatever the reason, being recognized by your manager increases job satisfaction and a personal sense of being valued.
A successful leader frequently gives credit to their team for their accomplishments privately and publicly, and when someone congratulates him on a job well done, the team gets included in the response. Furthermore, meaningful recognition must be explicit and identify what is being valued. Continually saying “good job” is not going to strengthen employees’ commitment and motivation to you and the organization.
4. Great supervisors are ethical and are team players.
Trustworthy managers operate from a particular set of values and standards including integrity, honesty, sincerity, and consistency.
They also understand that ego has no place on a high-performing team, so they work alongside their staff with humility versus above their employees with power.
5. Great supervisors “listen to understand” and communicate well.
Engaged managers are attentive to their team and listen carefully to what is wanted and needed. Active listening is a must if you want to show your interest and support of your staff.
Also, a winning supervisor speaks clearly, concisely and directly so staff of all cultures and generations can understand. You cannot shy away from either positive or corrective feedback if your employees are to perform as expected.
6. Great Supervisors use different styles for overseeing their employee’s work.
Instead of relying on one way of aiding staff, conscientious managers use different leadership approaches for meeting their employee’s needs. One style, for example, is coaching. By involving employees in their learning, motivated staff develop problem-solving and decision-making skills while taking ownership for their job. Once done independently, the manager delegates (a style) the responsibilities of the employee and gets out of her way so as not to micromanage.
7. Great supervisors encourage and motivate.
Encouragement helps teams get through challenging times and has teams striving to do better. When leaders demonstrate faith in their team, the team responds by wanting to succeed. They not only persevere but are driven to overcome. Ongoing encouragement motivates staff, is contagious amongst the team and establishes enduring positive relationships built on trust.
Do you have some of these great supervisor traits? How do you ensure you are an exceptional leader?
Join me for a FREE WEBINAR TRAINING – WEDNESDAY JUNE 7th, 2017 @ 12 PM MST
Remember the Golden Rule: 10 Ingredients for Great Supervision
