Congratulations you’ve been made a supervisor! Now the hard part starts that needs to be tackled effectively and efficiently.
Supervisors are the bridge between the subordinates and higher authorities, they help in conveying the messages from top to bottom and vice versa.
Therefore, great emphasis has been placed on specifically the supervisors performing their roles effectively.
Thus, the question arises what the essential supervisory skills are for great supervisors to be master and employ in their daily day to day basis. We’ve rounded up a few and they are as follows:
1) It’s all in Communication!
We might as well talk about communication the first point, as its importance cannot be emphasized enough. Communication between the subordinates and the higher authorities needs to contain clarity and be complete.
All parties concerned should feel like their voice is being heard rather than information flowing only from top to bottom.
2) Accept You’re Human!
That’s right you read correctly! “Accept you are human” as there is a tendency of people in power to perceive themselves as the always correct.
Which is quite incorrect therefore, if you make a mistake as a supervisor, rather than blaming someone else, accept that it was your fault and move on.
This will make your subordinates respect you immensely and in turn, they will not question your authority.
3) Don’t be Rigid!
In today’s era, its survival of the one who adapts the fastest rather, than survival of the fittest as changes are occurring frequently.
Therefore, your goal as a supervisor is to adapt yourself and your team to the incoming waves of change and reduce resistance as much as possible.
4) Delegate!
Many supervisors struggle with delegation and tend to keep all decision making centralized. This is counterproductive as the whole point of allocating a supervisor is to delegate tasks and save time.
If delegation is not practised then the organization might as well remove the supervisor.
5) Light the Way!
The opposite of delegating is not providing sufficient guidance to the team members which results in confusion and mayhem.
The role of a supervisor is to make the team members understand what the purpose of the tasks is and what would be the best way to perform them.
Leave room for autonomy but make sure they aren’t straying away from the path.
6) Be Kind!
It’s very easy to get bogged down in the everyday task and forget that your team members are humans and not machines.
The supervisor must understand that some members may be experiencing personal problems which affect their office performance.
In this case, it’s better to show kindness to the afflicted member and allow them to get their productivity back on track.
7) Be Observant!
As a supervisor, it’s very important to keep track of all minor details. If a particular member is committing mistakes continuously then they need to be noted and addressed.
Or another member may be struggling with a skill which means they need further guidance or training and as a supervisor, you need to be practice observation skills to be able to identify them.
8) Pat their backs!
Literally pat their backs for performing well and acknowledge their good performance. Appreciation can be monetary or non monetary but as a supervisor, you have access to more non-monetary methods.
A simple appreciation of someone’s work can bring a tenfold increase in their productivity.
9) Cultivate an Environment!
A supervisor can curate their team’s environment to best suit the needs of the organization.
Ideally, the environment should be open and toxic-free, but these environments are not made overnight rather they take time to cultivate and need nourishment.
10) Right any Wrongs!
It’s very important to be stern whenever the need arises as, even though it’s important to be kind and compassionate, it’s equally important to ensure your position of power.
If any malpractices are being conducted within the office premises then they need to be addressed sternly and quickly to ensure the workplace remains a healthy place.
11) Be a Source of Encouragement!
It is of vital importance to encourage the employees to attain their full potential. Do not in any case act as a barrier between them and their success, as this will only be counterproductive to the organization.
Encourage them to take training and pursue studies in line with your organization and allow them to bring the newly acquired skills to the workplace.
12) Say No to Nepotism, Favoritism and any Other Unfair Practices!
Be a fair supervisor who only values the work a team member brings to the table regardless of their, gender, religion, ethnicity and more. Provide equal opportunities for all to utilize rather than being selective as to who can avail them.
This practice will earn you respect and credibility among the workplace and in turn result in increased productivity.
13) Bring Fun to the office!
This may sound like a cliché but in reality, it isn’t. If an employee doesn’t want to come to the office then don’t expect them to perform to their fullest ability.
However, if you make work fun and well not seem like work then it increases productivity by a mile. Organize fun activities such as “drinks hour” or color days to make the workplace a happy place.
14) Listen!
Although we have already talked about communication, listening deserves a separate point in itself. Listen to your subordinates and to your bosses.
Listening in itself is a skill which needs conscious effort in order to perfect. Make sure whenever you have a conversation, listen attentively and actively.
15) Give Yourself a Break!
That’s right, it’s important to shake off all the accumulated stress and let it all go. A stressed supervisor will never be able to perform their job effectively; rather they would act as a hindrance to the office.
Take that long overdue vacation and feel the sand between your toes to relive all the stress. Allow all the buildup of emotions and stress to melt away so that you can perform your job better.
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