by Paula MacLean | Managers and Supervisors
After more than thirty years as a line supervisor, manager and senior executive, I learned a few things about working successfully with people. Successful supervision (or management or leadership of any kind for that matter) is more art than science and more high touch than high-tech. While courses focus on skill development, truly great supervisors go well beyond skill and technique to engage, motivate and inspire the people they work with. They are results oriented but not at the cost of human-beings. They are considerate and compassionate with people but not at the cost of getting a job done well and on time.
1. Great supervisors know themselves. They know their strengths and most also understand and admit their limitations. They engage others to help fill the gaps in their own skills. The teach then delegate and never expect others to do a job without the training and resources to succeed.
2. Most great supervisors have had at least one positive powerful role model. Most have also had some significant negative experiences with previous supervisors. These help shape how they relate to those they supervise, as well as how they interact with their peers and managers. They have learned what to do and also what not to do.
3. Great supervisors listen to understand. They know that listening is more an attitude than it is a skill. They care about what people have to say and even when they disagree, they work hard to appreciate the other person’s point of view.
4. Great supervisors regularly spend scheduled, uninterrupted time with people they supervise. They invite the employee to set the agenda for these sessions, spending time discussing issues that are the employee’s priority.
5. Great supervisors know when they’ve made an error, they admit their mistakes and take steps to correct and prevent them in the future.
6. Great supervisors know getting things done through others (individuals and teams) is necessary and worthwhile. They know they can’t do everything or even control everything so they put energy into engaging, teaching, coaching and mentoring others to get the work done.
7. Great supervisors use kindness and encouragement generously with everyone they relate to.
8. Great supervisors understand that it is necessary to use disciplinary action with employees who are not doing their jobs well. They manage these difficult situations with calm, grace and humanity. They seek good outcomes from bad circumstances.
9. Great supervisors know supervision is not simply a matter of technical skill. It is about heart, relationships, respect and genuine caring for people.
10. Great supervisors know that becoming “great” is a journey for a whole career. They are active learners, through formal courses, life and work experiences and by carefully choosing their coaches and mentors.
by Paula MacLean | Managers and Supervisors
In my 30+ years working in human services the positions I’ve held are a story about how the work gets done in our sector. Community development worker, group home worker, line supervisor, manager, assistant program directors, associate executive director and executive director. I’ve seen firsthand what makes someone a fantastic leader who coaches, guides and inspires his or her employees.
Here are five common denominators of great supervisors or managers:
- Great supervisors know their strengths, as well as their weaknesses. They work to their strengths and hire others who excel in areas where the supervisor falls short.
- Great supervisors realize that giving feedback, including disciplinary action, is a necessary and inseparable part of their role. Despite bad circumstances, a great supervisor is able to helm difficult circumstances with grace and uses encouragement generously and appropriately.
- Great supervisors learn from their role models, both good and bad. This learning shapes their current interactions with those they supervise, and with their peers and managers. These great supervisors are able to bring a richer and better-rounded expertise to the organization.
- Great supervisors listen to understand. Many people don’t grasp the concept that active listening is more attitude than skill. By honing that attitude, great supervisors enrich their interactions with those they supervise through better communication and understanding.
- Great supervisors realize that knowledge and education are not the only hallmarks of good supervision. They lead and motivate by example, with respect and with their heart. None of which can be taught or trained. Instead these are personal qualities that may be honed by hard work and experience.
by Paula MacLean | Managers and Supervisors
The Internet was alive this week with another round of stories about Generation Y and the struggle many appear to be having to make their way in the adult world of work and life.
Gen Ys were born between 1986 and 2000, making the oldest 26 years of age while the youngest are still in grade school. As the best educated generation, they are also burdened by record student debt, struggling to find permanent jobs and therefore reportedly likely to be living at home for years to come.
Employers complain about Gen Y’s poor work ethic, obsession with technology, inattentiveness to detail and lack of concern with authority or rules. Managers report feeling lost on how to motivate younger employees and how to get employees from older generations to work with them.
Recent research by best-selling author Paula J. MacLean provides insights and strategies on how to work with this puzzling generation. Her research shows that Gen Ys regard themselves as having a high work ethic, a perception that older co-workers do not share.
Connecting to Gen Ys intrinsic source of motivation is not as difficult as you might imagine. Many from this generation work best in groups. This should be no surprise, they grew up attending play school, preschool, kindergarten and many also participated in team sports. As a result, they understand cooperation, relationship building and how to compromise better than any other generation.
Unlike Boomers who were raised to compete and rise to the top, Gen Ys value team contribution over individual accomplishment or winning. As a generation (and not without individual exceptions) they are decidedly not a good fit in highly competitive workplaces. They are respectful of authority only after creating personal connections with those who are their bosses. They can be fiercely loyal to customers and employers only when they perceive their work matters and connects them to some greater good.
by Paula MacLean | Managers and Supervisors
May readers of this blog are involved in hiring, supervising and sometimes even firing employees. When was the last time that you (and your HR person if you have one) have looked at the standard set of interview questions to determine if the questions are really getting at what you are looking for in candidates?
The biggest challenge in an interview is to assess the “fit” of the person with the job. Have you ever interviewed someone with limited skill, training or experience, but your gut told you that they would be “great”? Did you hire them? Where you right or wrong about that gut feeling? It takes a leap of faith to hire someone because of their potential to learn the job rather than for their existing skill.
Finding people who fit the job is as important finding people with the education, skills and experience needed. A new hire who meets all formal criteria but who is not a good fit with the nature work, organizational culture and team composition will likely not last long. Employees who are mis-fits for the job may cost you a lot of hours coaching, giving feedback, disciplining and eventually (perhaps) firing him or her. Chances are your exit interview form does not have a tick box for “bad fit”, but it is a major factor in many early resignations and probationary dismissals.
So what’s the magic question? Here it is:
“If you could have any job, in any location, doing the kind of work you most want to do, what would it be? And Why?”
You are NOT looking for the candidate to say “Well, this job of course!” If they do so, they better give you a really honest answer “Why?” What you are looking for is a response that lines up with the most important aspects of the role you are hiring for. Look for qualities that are implied in the answer – do these align with the expectations of the position? If possible, write down each candidate’s response as an exact quote and discuss it with your interview team after the interview is over. You should discover some information that will help you make better hires.
Paula J. MacLean is the best-selling author of six books for nonprofit leaders. She is an educator and coach for Canadian nonprofit managers, ED/CEOs and boards of directors. Visit learningforleaders.ca for information on online video training (including two free courses), to sign-up for blog posts and for information about books and ebooks.
by Paula MacLean | Managers and Supervisors
Even when asked, giving feedback to your boss can be a bit touchy. The first thing that may run through your mind is, “Does she really want to know what I think?” Or, “Why is he asking me?” Or, “Do I trust my boss to accept my feedback without retaliating?” If you don’t trust him/her, you will likely aks, “How do I tactfully get myself out of this situation?” Here are a few responses that may help you address your momentary discomfort.
#1 “You are asking for my feedback on this and I would like a day or two to give it some thought.” If you believe the request for feedback is genuine, develop a few points that are both positive and if necessary, critical. Meet face-to-face and present your comments. If you have criticism to offer, do so as constructive suggestions – point out how something could be improved upon rather than what’s wrong.
#2 “Perhaps we should put this on a team meeting agenda and get everyone’s feedback rather than just mine.” This buffers the pressure and gives others an opportunity to share their opinions as well.
#3 “I don’t have much to offer by way of feedback.” This sidesteps the real issue of not trusting your boss to accept critique. It is not entirely honest on your part, but it is better than getting into hot water over something trivial.
When You are the Boss. When you are in a leadership role, asking for and accepting feedback from others is crucial to keeping open lines of communication and establishing trust. If you don’t really care what others think, don’t ask them. When you ask them, be willing to hear what they have to say. Listen carefully and be open to the opinions of others in your team. If you receive critique, ask questions to clarify but do not debate or argue. An effective leader keeps an open mind and invites different perspectives. Translate criticism into suggestion for how to do things better the next time round.
Finally, avoid asking counterfeit questions such as “What does everyone think? This is a great idea, right?” Or, “I think we’re on the right path with this decision. Does everyone else agree?” Counterfeit questions have implied “right” answers and are not really asking for feedback at all. Remember, accepting feedback is not about being right or wrong. People’s perspectives may differ from yours. Make this an opportunity for discussion, learning and relationship building.
Paula J. MacLean is the best-selling author of six books for nonprofit leaders. She is an educator and coach for Canadian nonprofit managers, ED/CEOs and boards of directors. Visit learningforleaders.ca for information on online video training (including two free courses), to sign-up for blog posts and for information about books and ebooks.
by Paula MacLean | Managers and Supervisors
Whether you are considering your own personal or professional goals or are developing goals for an employee you supervisor, for your team or organization the SMART acronym is an excellent tool. SMART stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time defined.
Let’s use a professional development example for someone in a supervisory position:
Goal: “To improve my skill as a supervisor.” Something is missing, let’s make it measurable too.
Goal: “To improve my skill as a supervisor by reading two books on effective supervision and attending three short courses (workshops) and one university or college course.” Is this an achievable and realistic goal? It may be depending on the resources available to pay for the courses and time allowed for completion. Let’s try it again.
Goal: “To improve my skill as a supervisor by reading two books (purchased at my own expense) on effective supervision and successfully completing 2 short courses (workshops) or one university or college course (sponsored by my employer)” Now, that’s a bit more realistic. Now, how about a timeline to wrap up our SMART goal?
Goal: “To improve my skill as a supervisor:
By reading two books (purchased at my own expense) on effective supervision by March 30, 20xx; and
successfully completing 2 short courses (workshops) or one university or college course (sponsored by my employer)” by September 30, 20xx.”
Note that reformatting the goal makes it more readable and also will help with monitoring completion in the months ahead.
Remember that SMART goals are not written in stone, just on paper! You may negotiate changes to any aspect of the goal with your team or employer as the year progresses. Complex or multi-step goals may have longer timelines and may also require sub-goals (objectives) and action plans (who, will do what, by when). This is especially true when accomplishing the goal involves several people.
Paula J. MacLean is the best-selling author of six books for nonprofit leaders. She is an educator and coach for Canadian nonprofit managers, ED/CEOs and boards of directors. Visit learningforleaders.ca for information on online video training (including two free courses), to sign-up for blog posts and for information about books and ebooks.
