When asked about the most important personal qualities of a good Supervisor, most people will answer ‘people skills’. This can be a little tricky to define- and it’s also important to remember that Supervisors have other important aspects of their job in addition to managing people.
- An effective Supervisor will therefore have a ’package’ of personal attributes which contains as many as possible of the following:
– Good communication skills– Supervisors need to be able to present complex ideas in simple terms and convince others about why tasks need to be done a certain way. They also need to be able to communicate upward to higher management about issues and concerns on the floor- and, importantly, good Supervisors have good listening skills which they use with both upper management and their work teams.
– Resourcefulness- A good Supervisor needs to be able to ‘make things happen’ when confronted by obstacles. Some people refer to this as having ‘problem-solving skills’ but it’s also about being innovative and thinking ‘outside the square’- being creative and seeing solutions others just don’t see.
– Flexibility-The needs of the business will change throughout the year, throughout the week, maybe even throughout the day. The needs of work team members will change also- and flexible working arrangements are a valuable tool for today’s businesses to use in attracting and retaining the workforce they require for success and sustainability. A good Supervisor will understand and accommodate these requirements for flexibility and adapt readily to ‘change’.
– Commitment and Responsibility– Managers need to know that tasks assigned to Supervisors will be completed. They also need to be confident that the work will be done in line with the company’s values and long-term goals- even for routine work.
– Empathy– This is about being sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of other people. Understanding others and their likely reactions to specific situations is the first step in developing relationships which can help to get the best performance from the work team. Good Supervisors remember what it was like to be ‘new on the job’.
– Respect– Being respectful is more than just being courteous and polite. Good Supervisors treat people as individuals, acknowledging their individual needs and aspirations.
– Enthusiasm– People who are enthusiastic can generally motivate and energise others to behave the same way and reach their full potential.
– Time management skills– Good Supervisors don’t try to do everything at once or try to do everything themselves. They know how to manage interruptions and distractions from the task at hand- and they also know how to say ’no’ when it’s needed. They know how to prioritise!
– Ability to delegate and influence- Being able to effectively delegate tasks and influence others to perform the work in an appropriate way can be difficult to master, but there should be early signs that the trait exists and can be developed through mentoring and experience.
– Being open to new ideas- This is related to flexibility, but it’s also about being open to looking at things from different perspectives and trying new approaches. A Supervisor with this trait is particularly valuable in a multigenerational or multicultural workplace.
– Attentiveness to team stresses– Being able to recognise hazards or stresses in the workforce team is important- as are the skills to address them (many of which will come from the attributes listed above).