Supervising
When you have to deliver bad news to someone, follow this protocol that medical doctors use to tell patients about dire prognoses:
Forget the theory about “learning styles.” Instead, mix things up when you teach or coach.
From time to time, people who report to you will bring you problems created by a decision that you made. They may appear exasperated by the pickle you put them in. Your response, in all cases, should be a good-natured invitation for the two of you to go have a look. Use these exact words: “Let’s go see!”
If you’re in a supervisory position, don’t wait until it’s time for a formal performance review to dish out the positive words. Here are six guidelines for effective praising, from Bob Nelson, author of 1001 Ways to Reward Employees:
Should you really have to say something twice to get someone to follow through? The most effective managers repeat themselves at least once, according to Harvard researchers. Some even send three or four redundant communications.
Does it ever seem like your newly promoted manager is blindly muddling through the job? Well, she probably is. A recent poll revealed that only one in 10 recently promoted individuals received any leadership training or coaching. If you find yourself promoted—without feeling prepared—here’s a crash course in managing others:
Question: “I’m not sure how to handle my new supervisory position. Before being promoted, I was friends with my former co-workers, so I’m finding it difficult to tell them what to do … I know I have to demonstrate leadership, but I’m afraid this will turn me into an unlikeable person. After all, does anyone really like their boss?” — Nice Guy
Linda recently wrote on our Admin Pro Forum, “I recently took a job where I supervise three administrative assistants. I work directly on a daily basis with one admin … but I don’t have daily contact with the other two admins, because they are in different parts of the building. How do I supervise the other two and complete their performance evaluations?”
Question: “Our group has one person, ‘Cindy,’ who is called the team lead. This is not a supervisory position. Although she is just supposed to assist our supervisor and fill in when he’s away, Cindy constantly tells me what to do. Because our open-door policy says we can go straight to the vice president, I plan to discuss the situation with her. What do you think?” — Not a Pushover
Question: “I manage a group of four women who bicker constantly and ‘cop an attitude.’ To make it worse, I recently hired a young, inexperienced secretary who is very rude … I feel like I’m supervising a bunch of tattling 2-year-olds. Sometimes, I plan what I’m going to say about these issues, then I chicken out. I know I need a stronger backbone, but I don’t like dealing with conflict. What should I do?”
Moving on up can be thorny if you’re not prepared to make the transition from peer to supervisor. David Peck, aka “The Recovering Leader,” offers six points to consider during and after a promotion:
Question: “After a recent promotion, I have two former peers reporting to me. Supervising them has been very challenging. ‘Terry’ frequently comes into my office to gossip, and ‘Ellen’ refuses to recognize me as her boss … If I constantly remind them that I am now the manager, I’ll look like I’m full of myself. How do I handle this?”
When you’re promoted to a position where you must manage former peers—or current friends—it’s only natural to want them to like you. But at the same time, as a manager, you need to demonstrate fairness. Earn the respect of the team and build trust with these tips:
