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Ask the Business Coach Becoming a SupervisorQuestion: I have recently been asked to become supervisor over two people at my job. The director told me that she'd heard great things about my work, and asked me if I would feel confident in supervising these two people. I told her that I could do it. I'm just a little nervous because that would make my position change and it would be official. I have never been asked to take on this responsibility before, I know that it will benefit me financially. Should I not be feeling anxious about this? I know that sometimes things change once positions shift. I'm a very easy going person and I know how to get work done. I just don't want people to start to looking at me different. I know I'll be the same person, just with new responsibilities. I've seen people loose friends when these things come up. What are some strategies do you think I should take when it is time for me to make this transition. I still have a couple of months before any of this takes place. I just need to know what to expect and know how to handle it.Anita Answer: Taking on that first supervisory position is always a challenge – especially if you are assuming managerial responsibility for former peers. Generally speaking, such challenges are well-met by people who truly aspire to leadership and apply their talents in that direction. Knowing if you fit this category is, therefore, the first thing you will want to determine. In so doing, you will want to revisit two things you mentioned in your query: that this offer came unsolicited – that is was your director’s idea; and that it may benefit you financially which, presumably, is true. The reason I direct you to these two points is to highlight the absence of any stated personal or professional aspirations in the direction of management. In fact, you declare that you are an easy-going person who knows how to get work done but that you do not want people to ‘look at your differently.’ That you fear losing friends as a result of supervisory decisions you might have to make. If what you are stipulating is that you are looking for ‘some strategies’ that would allow you to remain the person you are today – taking that same person into this new supervisory role - I would say it is inadvisable to proceed into management. In order to fulfill our potential, we are obliged to grow and change. Learn new skills. Exercise more professional muscle. Clearly, these things are expected of a supervisor – new or experienced. So, if you have no interest in learning how to lead, train, motivate and discipline a staff – at the required cost of people seeing you quite ‘differently’ – than don’t take the promotion. On the other hand, if you honestly decide this is a challenge you’d like to accept and meet - that you truly wish to identify the level of and hone your supervisory potential – then, go for it. Your honesty in knowing that you are presently under-skilled for the job will make it easier for you to look for and accept appropriate mentoring or coaching. There are also some good books on this topic, for example, The New Supervisor: How to Thrive in Your First Year as a Manager, by Martin Broadwell and Carol Broadwell Dietrich which addresses the key issues facing the person thrust into that first supervisory role. Immerse yourself in this kind of reading and seriously determine your desired supervisory profile. Remember, that once the excitement of your promotion wears off, the reality will set in and you will have to get down to the delicate business of managing people. Your first hurdle might just be your very own insecurities – having visions of being totally ignored or seeing a wholesale rebellion against your new authority. Both understandable but neither very reasonable fears. Remember, people will now be working for you with a bit of their destiny now in your control. You will want to place your focus on acquiring the behaviors and habits of good managers so you can get off to an excellent start, ensuring these people that you intend to be a good manager for their benefit. Be yourself – that person who modeled excellent work habits and a winning personality. Don’t think you have to turn yourself into a hard-charging leader – rather that you need to be confident, fair, and caring in the management style you adopt. Start slowly. Be prepared to make mistakes – we all do - and correct them quickly. Cultivate the interest of your supervisory peers and engage the on-going interest of you boss regarding training that will help you become the excellent manager she thinks you can be. Know that you are in uncharted waters and that it’s more than OK to ask questions of the right people. Key learning issues you’ll want to tackle include how to inspire and model teamwork, develop good cooperative and organizational levels in your department. Concentrate on learning excellent communications skills and managing any stress that results from stretching into your new position. Consider using a mentoring or coaching – rather than directing or controlling - management style. Employ good delegating methods and motivating skills. Focus on ethical leadership and problem-solving mandates. Learn how to successfully lead, correct and showcase your people. In the end, if you decide to tackle all these challenges and accept the promotion, your rewards will go far beyond financial.
Also see: Disclaimer: The information in this column is intended to provide the reader with general ideas or concepts to be used as part of a broader base of knowledge they collect to determine their own best course of action and solutions most suitable for solving their workplace challenges. The information in this column is not guaranteed to be the appropriate solution for each individual.
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Joyce K. Reynolds is an expert Business Coach who works with CEOs, Sr. Execs, entrepreneurs and countless others providing knowledge, solutions, motivation and support that assist her clientele in successfully meeting workplace challenges.