Less than half of new supervisors receive any supervisory training. Somehow, organizations continue to underestimate the importance of training for a new supervisor and overestimate how well people can succeed without it. There remains an assumption that being good in one role means you will be good at supervising others in the same role, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Too many continue to hire or promote people into supervisory positions without providing any training or support and without any apparent understanding- or care- of the challenges this causes for everyone involved.
In the case that a new supervisor does receive training, it is often in the form of skill development. Leadership skills are an important part of effective leadership, of course, but they are only one component and arguably one of the least important. Ostensibly, if supervisors are competent, bright and driven, the acquisition of the skills they need to become strong leaders will not be all that difficult to obtain. The challenges a new supervisor faces almost always have less to do with skills and more to do with the other, more important components of effective leadership, including:
CONFIDENCE- In order to lead effectively, new supervisors need to believe they can lead effectively while also recognizing that it takes time and effort. Too many new supervisors fall on either end of the spectrum, by either having too much confidence or by not having enough.
People are often promoted because of their strong track record of success. Much to their surprise, however, once they are in their new role, they find themselves struggling, unprepared and overwhelmed. For many, this will be the first time they have experienced this type of struggle, leading to feelings of failure and inadequacy. They begin to doubt themselves and experience imposter syndrome. Never having experienced this before, they may be reluctant to admit their challenges and avoid seeking support. They may assume they are just not very good at supervising.
On the other end of the spectrum, a new supervisor may embrace their new role with confidence and conviction. They do not think they need any training or support because they believe they are naturally good at what they do. They are slow to admit when they do not know something and are quick to blame others when things go wrong. Too much confidence gets in their way, but they are generally too arrogant to see it.
To be effective, a new supervisor needs to fall somewhere in the middle with a healthy dose of confidence and a sincere level of humility. They must believe in themselves and the vision they have for their team while being honest about where they need to grow and invest. It is a difficult level to achieve on their own and nearly impossible to do so in the beginning. To help them get there, it is important that they have a strong level of support.
SUPPORT- Like any new role, becoming an effective supervisor takes time, practice and knowledge to do well. Ideally, staff who are about to be promoted to a supervisory position should receive training and coaching before they are promoted. This allows ample time to ask questions and enter the new role feeling prepared and confident. This support should continue throughout a supervisor’s career regardless of how experienced or skilled they become.
We know that learning does not happen by telling someone how to do something and then expecting them to master it. We know that learning new skills requires a lot of time, experience, mistakes and processing. To most effectively learn, adults need both training and coaching to work through the successes and failures that inevitably coincide with something new. This is as true for leadership development as it is for anything else.
To best support a new supervisor- and a less than new one- it is important that organizations commit to supporting them throughout their careers. The type and level of support should change over time depending on the person’s strengths and goals, but it should always be available. Supervising other people is hard and there are constantly new situations that arise that add to the challenge. To lead well, people need to work through these situations in a supportive environment. This support can happen internally and/or through an outside resource. It may take the form of a class or a conference or a coach or a mentor. It may include all of these at any given time. Preparing and continuously supporting your supervisors shows your understanding of their importance and value to your organization. Denying such support results in just the opposite.
INVESTMENT- Closely related to support is investment. To get good at anything, it is essential to invest. This investment requires time, money and energy. To be an effective leader, new supervisors must invest in themselves, and their organizations must invest in them. Like support, this investment can take many forms, and it is necessary for it to continue throughout a supervisor’s career. Like all learning, becoming a strong leader has no finish line and to continue to grow, supervisors must constantly adjust to new circumstances and deepen their level of expertise.
It is also essential for leaders to invest in their teams. In fact, the most important role of a supervisor is to develop their team collectively and their team members individually. This requires investment. Like support, this investment requires time, money and energy.
The goal of investing in your team is not merely to ensure current tasks are completed satisfactorily. To be a true leader, you must invest in your staff’s growth to help them reach the goals they have for themselves. These goals will not always align with your staff’s current position, organization or even field. Invest in them anyway. People stick around when they know they can grow, even if they will eventually grow out of their need for you. And if this is the case, it is a better outcome for everyone involved than having someone stay who does not want to be there.
To be successful, a new supervisor requires a lot of support and development. Ideally, this should come from the organization that is trusting them to fill a role that is essential to their organization’s success. Either way, it is up to the supervisors themselves to also invest in their growth and development. It is important for all involved to understand that strong leadership does not just happen. It requires confidence, support and investment to make it happen. We know what works. The question becomes, are we willing to do what it takes to get there?
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