How can you avoid common supervisor mistakes?

Employees (we) come from different backgrounds, demographics, lifestyles etc. We never truly know the thought process of our team mates. Understanding this and having empathy to many communication styles is pivotal. Keep communication easy to understand and follow up with those you feel may not understand a task first time around. I have found that many employees have the answers within them, but just need a comfortable outlet to explain and succeed.

As a supervisor, more is required from you. A few ways to avoid common mistakes are: 1.) Be open and honest with your people, 2.) Be observant of your people, a good understanding of your people will help you navigate tough conversations, 3.) Understand how your generation dealt with issues may not apply to the current work force, 4.) Don't abuse the good workers on your team. If there are workers who are not up to par, that's where most of your work should focus instead of overworking good workers.

Listen to your employees, most times their ideas are better than yours because they are not trapped in your perspective of the daily operations. Give THEM credit for it in front of upper management so they can get internally promoted.

To be a good boss, communicate openly, give feedback regularly, support growth, treat everyone fairly, and lead by example. These simple steps can help you avoid common supervisor mistakes and be an effective leader.

One thing I have found helpful is to provide my staff with a "user guide" for me. I have a little document that spells out how I like to communicate, what my top priorities and values are, etc to help set us all up for success.

Beyond just delegating, I like to give my team ownership over parts of our work. This means I also have to do the work of letting them do things differently than I would. Regular check-ins and shared understanding of milestones and critical components are key.

Skilled and focussed teams do not need micromanagement. Unskilled people has to be encouraged first to ask for guidance how to proceed the delegated tasks. A supervisor shall be aware what tasks can be delegated to which team members with particular attention to the proper deadlines even if it makes tension between the best and the least performers.

Understand the difference between delegating and assigning tasks because you failed to manage your time. One empowers, the other degrades.

As a supervisor, you need to reset your ego first. You need to be and behave as a leader, not as a boss. Assign the task, but let them accomplish the task themselves. You need to monitor from outside and ask the result of the task. Also, you need to avoid to intervene the team member during the conduct of the work, unless a fatal mistake is done for the outcome of the task. Lastly, avoid criticising your team member in front of others, but do not hesitate to admire their success in public.

But make sure, above all, you plan time for YOU first! Too often we fall into the trap of living in the gaps between work. The problem is, Parkinson’s Law makes sure that very little of that time is left over. The best leaders work in the gaps between life, by planning their down-time into their calendar before work is even considered.

Na verdade, a gestão de tempo acaba sendo de extrema importância para que você possa desempenhar de forma satisfatória todas as suas metas, sejam elas profissionais ou pessoas.

Absolutely, poor time and priority management can have detrimental effects not only on a supervisor but also on the entire team and organization. Some tips: Time Blocking, To-do Lists, Time Management Tools (Calendar, Asana, Jira, etc). Set SMART goals: Make sure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Learn to Say No: Don't overcommit yourself. Setting boundaries is essential for time management. Effective time and priority management not only reduce stress and burnout but also contribute to better decision-making, improved productivity, and higher-quality work. By implementing these strategies and continuously refining your approach, you can become a more efficient and effective supervisor.

In my experience, this is what I have done to ensure I stay on task. Write down absolutely everything I want to do. Whether the task is big or small, write it down. Get it onto paper so you have a better chance of tracking and completing the task. Once it’s written down, prioritize each task by number. 1 being most important, 2 being somewhat important, 3 being something not necessary, but you want to do it. As you complete 1’s, 2’s then become 1’s. As 2’s become 1’s, 3’s then become 2’s. As you continue to check things off, you’ll continue to re-evaluate the list, ensure you keep prioritizing as your goals change. Each day, make sure to schedule time for you to work on yourself. Whether is personal or work, take the time.

My mantra for supervising is; 1/ Organize 2/ Deputize 3/ Supervise and yes, strong and clear communication has been my key too success.

I find it helpful to be able to examine my emotions at a deeper level when I am leading others. I don't just think 'I'm stressed', I think about what is driving my stress. Is it anxiety about a deadline? Is it fear that I am not delivering what I need to? Is it concern that stakeholders are not on board or that I've missed including someone's perspective? Being able to dig deeper helps me target what I need to do to address it and helps me get clearer next time on what needs to be my focus.

In early Spring ‘23, I sought mental health support for stress. It turns out that my stress was of my own making because I wasn’t setting appropriate boundaries with work, which began to bleed into how I responded to coworkers, students, and staff. Basically I was fostering an environment of dependency based on my presence. After a few months and the implementation of coaching techniques (thank you to my Lyra coach Tyge) I was able to complete my final goals I’d set for myself and then I resigned feeling grateful for my experience and positive on my step into another part of my career. Communication with your team needs to happen the same way, clearly and honestly. Things change and people are the most important part.

I believe individualization is a key characteristic of managing your team. What makes your team unique? What are the technical and soft skillsets offered by each team member? What can YOU learn from your team? A good supervisor knows how to identify strengths and potential areas of development for each person. Adapt your management style to connect and encourage your team’s productivity. Learn what motivates each member of your team; Identify and nurture individual strengths: Ask for their opinions. Encourage two-way dialogue. Get to know your team as individuals beyond the job title. Encourage your team to be leaders within their roles.

Recognition of a team or an individuals smallest achievements right through to their largest is one of the best forms of encouragement. It manifests a positive culture where empowerment and ownership develop in the future.

Quando o feedback chegar, fique aberto para aprender com ele. Ouça com atenção, mantendo a defensiva sob controle. Mantenha a calma, mesmo que o feedback não seja o que se espera. Se algo não estiver claro, sinta-se à vontade para pedir mais detalhes. Lembre-se de que seu valor vai além de apenas suas habilidades. Reserve um momento para refletir sobre o feedback; ele oferece orientação para ajudá-lo a melhorar. Reflita sobre o feedback e considere como você pode fazer ajustes com base nele. E, por último, seja paciente consigo mesmo – desenvolver essa habilidade leva tempo e, com cada experiência, sua capacidade de gerenciar o feedback melhorará.

I’m my experience, the very basic building blocks of Supervision is: 1. Planning. 2. Leading. 3. Organise. 4. Control. 5. Communicate. This is followed by a principal of supervision that is: A wrong decision is better than No decision.

Great points Jeremiah. I always tell my staff that thought I meditate daily, I'm not the buddha yet! I have growth mindset and want feedback, but sometimes I get defensive in the moment; I apologize for that in advance and let them know that I value their input feedback even if it makes me prickly. Saying that out loud also helps me diffuse my own defensiveness.

Always give feedback and if it’s necessary to give what would be termed negative then put a positive message across by saying something like “a good learning point would be ….. “ and explain why.

Set a philosophy for your team: If you have a complaint about someone’s work, offer a productive solution. If you think we can improve a process, show us the idea and we’ll shoot holes in it… not to be mean but to find the potential problems and work those out too. If your team says the problem is you, respect their willingness to communicate and start working on you.

I've found in my time as a leader in multiple industries that motivating employees is not possible. I just finished a master's level leadership class and we talked in depth about this topic. You can, however, strive to hire self-starting, motivated individuals with a strong work ethic. You can inspire, you can provide all the tools for success, you can model behavior and expectations, but ultimately the responsibility falls within all of us to motivate ourselves as employees and leaders. You can try to prevent burnout in employees by checking in with them regularly and ensuring they have the support they need. Just my two cents.

Providing motivation and inspiration to your team is one of the most crucial functions a leader has. The repercussions of NOT inspiring can cause a team to fail because just as motivation is contagious, so too is the lack of. And each teammate is driven by different things so find what drives them and use it as motivation. You'll inspire them by leading from the front, being decisive (people want to be led), valuing all of their input no matter their role, and keeping open clear communication.

While it's true that organization and values pave the way forward and govern an organization, it's crucial to lead by example. It's ineffective to ask your team to maintain certain behaviors if you don't practice what you preach. Therefore, the key idea is to lead from a position of equality and set an example from there. There's nothing more inspiring than a peer who motivates you to improve. Understanding and empathizing with your team not only fosters trust but also encourages them to emulate the positive attributes they see in you.

All you can do is the best you can do… as previously mentioned set realistic goals study your task figure out where you can make up time and plan accordingly Saying that plan your work and work your plan. Follow the steps for your process. Only audible if needed. But be clear and precise with your instructions to others any time you deviate from the original plan As a supervisor you have to be willing to own your mistakes… if someone on the crew fails it’s your fault in some circumstances … but don’t allow yourself to berate or humiliate the employee instead treat them with respect Lastly let your employees know you care… tell them good job… ask their advise… build them into leaders themselves…

Lots of proactive tips here, but it’s the managing of high-stress, high-stakes, or deeply emotional situations that are the make-or-break moments. If there’s one takeaway from this article it should be this: Don’t make snap decisions. As supervisors, we often get caught up in the day-to-day, which may include dealing with de-escalation scenarios, managing tensions, or conflict resolution. As a supervisor, remember that at the heart of it all, you’re dealing with people. Emotional, reactive, fallible. 1. Be informed. Assess each situation critically and objectively. 2. Be calm. Be intentional with how you communicate. Excuse yourself if you need time to collect your thoughts. 3. Be decisive. Make decisions only when you’re ready.

Keep your ego in check. You may be responsible for people and programs. And perhaps you're in control of a lot of money and you're in a decision-making position. Don't let that sense of power go to your head. Don't make people miserable just because you can, or do things because that's how it's always been done. Use your power for good and make things better for people. Grow and develop other people and teach them the programs you're working on. Delegate by empowering them to make decisions within their scope of responsibility. Be proud of their accomplishments and encourage them to take pride in their work as well. You're not better than anyone just because you're their supervisor.

I have served in many leadership roles, as a Sergeant in the Army, a Site Lead for my company as a government contractor, and now as a Correctional Sergeant to name a few. One thing I have always done that my staff have told me they've greatly appreciated was standing up for or defending them against unnecessary disciplinary or unjust treatment, sometimes to my own detriment. I was taught that a supervisor's job was to take care of their subordinates and in return the subordinates will take care of the supervisor.

Avoid micromanaging, no blame game, give regular feedback, no email bombardment just manage emails wisely , and be a ultimate team player and with all of these you’ll be the supervisor who gets invited to all the parties 😉