6 ways to becoming a competent supervisor January 8, 2018

A competent supervisor taps into talents and resources in order to support and bring out the best in others. An outstanding supervisor evokes possibility in others. A skilled supervisor is an effective communicator, problem-solver and employee motivator. In order to be a good leader and get the most out of all of your employees, you need to have insight into their strengths and developmental needs. You also need to have a clear set of expectations and goals.

We have put together 6 ways to becoming a competent supervisor:

Have faith in yourself

One of the worst things you can do as a supervisor is to doubt your own abilities. You need to recognize that you will probably make some mistakes along the way, but that does not mean you are not a good leader. Don't let yourself believe that bosses never make mistakes. Nobody expects you to be perfect except yourself.

Interactive Communication Skills

Without an ability to make your desires clear, your employees won’t know how to accomplish the tasks you delegate. Equally important is understanding and incorporating employee feedback. A good supervisor interacts effectively with their employees, maintaining open lines of communication to ensure she stays informed about project progress and brewing problems.

Value the employees

The people are any supervisor’s real asset. They are ones running the business and the work. A good supervisor understands their worth and treats them accordingly.

Mental agility

The supervisor must have the ability to grasp problems quickly, to think of several things at the same time, and assess the whole situation quickly. In the busy modern world of business this quality is necessary for success.

Good at delegating

An effective leader ought to be able to delegate a task to a person who has the right skills to handle it. This maximises the team’s talent, nurtures good skills for those who get the work done and ensures that tasks are handled well and in good time.

Delegating also shows that you have confidence in your team, which boosts the team’s morale and ability to learn new skills. It also goes without saying that a good leader is able to let people creatively come up with solutions to problems without micromanaging them. Giving people the freedom to find solutions to problems boosts their problem-solving skills, makes them more confident and grows the team’s overall skills. Delegating tasks and responsibilities also frees up your time as a supervisor and lets you focus on the most important tasks at hand.

Flexibility

No single approach to management works in every situation. Rather, a good supervisor chooses tactics based on the situation. For example, as a deadline nears, you might adopt a hard-line approach to ensure the work gets done. But your employees can’t operate at full-speed perpetually, so adopt a more relaxed approach during downtime between projects. This gives employees time to recover their strength.

Not sure where to go for supervisor training? Read more about our supervisor courses and contact us to find out more about the supervisory skills course we offer.