How to be a Better Supervisor

Managing people can be an exasperating experience. Every time you think you have it figured out, someone does something to frustrate you. Over time it is easy to become cynical. However, there are certain skills and procedures that can help you succeed.

Here are just a few:

Keep future focused. You cannot do anything about the past so focus on the future. Ask what and how questions, not why questions. Why questions drive you into the problem not the solution. Problems are always in the past and solutions somewhere in the future. For example, asking an employee why he or she is late can generate a barrage of excuses. “The baby kept me up, I had to find my dog, the alarm clock broke, etc.” I know an employee who had 17 grandmothers die each year on the first day of hunting season. Acknowledging the issue and asking a what or how question avoids excuses and focus on a solution. “You’re late. What can we do in the future to ensure you are on time?” is a much effective discussion.

Identify if the problem is an attitude or skill issue. With an attitude problem they won’t do it. With a skill problem they can’t do it. While this is way to simplified of a solution, a standard rule of thumb is train for skill problems and terminate attitude issues. Be careful as pride and ego can make skill problems initially appear to be an attitude problem. For example, rather than admit he/she doesn’t know how to do the paperwork, many will express that it is stupid, a waste of their time, etc. rather than show their inability.

The first question to ask is if you gave the employee a million dollars could he or she do it? If the answer is no, capacity and ability are impacting the situation. Sometimes it is unpopular to question capacity but in reality, no matter how hard I tried, I could never be an NBA center. I’m just not tall enough. People do have limitations such as age, physical strength, learning disabilities, etc. If the person does not have the ability, reassignment is essential. If the person is capable but cannot do a specific task, coaching and training is required.

If the person has an attitude problem is it an issue of values or circumstances? Some people just do not have the work ethic and other values required to be a good employee. You can teach people a skill but it is almost impossible to teach someone how to work. While some jobs require a warm body to help, ultimately such people need to be replaced. It is not unusual for employee circumstances to create a short-term attitude issue. Martial or children issues, a death in the family or illness can all create employee issues. Talk with the employee about it. Listen once and then insist or performance. Losing his or her job certainly won’t help the situation. Plus winning at work can create a refuge from life’s challenges. If they are unable to get it together, suggest a leave of absence until things sort out.

Manage behavior and work environment rather than trying to change personalities. Remember that teacher in middle school who had a no-nonsense classroom environment. I bet you still remember his or her name. “Little Johnny Hellian” wanted to misbehave but knew better. When Little Johnny went into that room, his personality didn’t change, what changed was the classroom environment forced a change in behavior. As a manager it’s perfectly acceptable to control and monitor employee behavior but totally unrealistic to try and change employee personalities. For example, I can’t make people want to come to work but I create an environment not to pay them unless they show up. I can’t make a whiner stop whining but I can choose not to listen to them. Trying to change is a person’s personality is like trying to teach a pig how to sing; it doesn’t work and annoys the pig.

Establish achievable production goals. Everyone likes to know where they are going and what success looks like. Help employees hit the estimate by setting daily and weekly production goals. A manager’s role is help employees succeed and develop an engaging attitude. Uncertainty can block our brain’s ability to prepare for future events and move forward. Anxiety or worry is typically about an immanent event or uncertain outcome. Keeping employees in the dark creates an anxious and unproductive workplace.

A manager’s role is to help workers succeed thru employee engagement, systematic communication and production targets. Set realistic goals and helping employees achieve them. Everyone likes to win. One study found that only 1 in 9 construction workers could tell you what they were supposed to accomplish in a given day.

Being a supervisor is always challenging but using these basic skills can help relieve your frustration. Stay future focused. Evaluate employee shortcomings and act according. Establish a culture of productive behavior by focusing on achievable goals.

Monroe Porter

is president of PROOF Management a firm that teaches seminars and runs networking groups for painting contractors. www.proofman.com