Dean of Springs

The Forgotten Manager

By Dan Sebastian

Over the years, we have recognized the importance of helping new employees get assimilated into their new jobs and the unique culture of our companies (if I were still working, my HR department would make sure I said that). It is even more important for those who are entering the workforce for the first time. There is another class of our employees that never seem to get the attention they deserve, and that is our first-time supervisors, who were likely promoted from within or were outsiders recruited for their special skills.

I took on a number of supervisory roles during my career in the corporate world. Each was different and taught many valuable lessons.

My first role as a supervisor took place when I was asked to manage the technicians at our research and development center. It proved very hard, as these were my friends and workmates. Like many first-time supervisors, I immediately began to micromanage all their activities. Fortunately, one of the techs, who I was very close to, finally had enough and sat me down as only a good friend can do. He taught me lesson No. 1: “Most employees know the job better than their supervisor.” His words, which I will never forget, were, “I was here before you and I helped train you. We all knew when you came in that you would soon be the leader. Now you should lead us with direction and support and let us do our job.”

I had to learn these lessons on my own, because my supervisor was very busy and had no time to be a mentor or advisor. He believed in the “sink or swim” style of management. I learned that new supervisors need the same “care and feeding” as any new employee does. The next lesson took a little longer to sink in, but it was equally as painful to learn. It was: “Be able to separate friendship and the responsibilities of leadership.” This was especially hard for me, as I really like people and tend to make friends easily (I still struggle with this one). One episode, in the days before HIPAA laws were in place, involved an employee and close friend of mine who became ill. His doctor, who was also a close friend, confided in me that he was in much worse shape than he realized. The doctor told me that if I let him return to work in his old position, he would be endangering himself and those around him. I could not break the confidential information I had received, but I did not want to endanger my friend and the company. I made the difficult decision to limit his time and responsibilities when he returned. My friend never forgave me for what he perceived as unfair treatment, and our friendship was irreparably damaged. Lesson two was the need to manage the process between being a friend and being a supervisor.

His words, which I will never forget, were, “I was here before you and I helped train you. We all knew when you came in that you would soon be the leader. Now you should lead us with direction and support and let us do our job.”

The final lesson is about being a new supervisor in a new place. This is one I encountered a number of times as I moved around the spring world. When you come in from the outside, you encounter two issues from the very beginning. One is that you frequently are believed to be the outsider, taking the place of an insider who should have had the job. The second is the perception that you are there to clean house and bring in your own team. Each of these has some semblance of truth but must be managed. The only way to get around these issues is to gain the respect of employees by demonstrating your special skills and abilities that got you there. You must gain their respect and earn their loyalty.

One of the best ways to ensure the success of a new supervisor is to be a mentor and advisor who helps them to:

1. Lead and not overmanage 2. Balance their friendship and leadership roles 3. Earn the respect of employees by not dictating, but by demonstrating your skills and abilities 4. Be a lifeguard, instead of watching them “sink or swim,” because their success is your success (and the company’s) and it is less stressful on everyone. n

Dan Sebastian is a former SMI president and currently serves as a technical consultant to the association. He holds a degree in metallurgical engineering from Lehigh University and his industry career spans more than four decades in various technical and management roles. He may be reached by contacting SMI at 630-495-8588.