How to Improve Your Results as a Manager or Supervisor

What is your idea of a manager? 

Do you see yourself as responsible for getting things done, performing systematic evaluations of employees’ performance, recognizing and rewarding that performance, and generally having control of the department you supervise?

If so, you are not alone.

Like many others, you believe the principal duties of a manager or supervisor are to direct employees, ensure things are running smoothly, and that the bottom line is always front and center.

However, things are changing—for many, it’s a welcome change! 

Modern Managers

In our brave new world, the managers and supervisors  DON’T HAVE all the answers and are likely to have just as many questions! 

So, it’s probably not a surprise to see that many successful companies are moving away from traditional “command-and-control” practices and seeing the benefits of a very different model: managers and supervisors providing support and guidance rather than instruction and transactional direction.

We have delivered thousands of leadership training programs to a wide variety of businesses and industries. And, without fail, the participants stated their best manager or supervisor provided support and mentorship when surveyed. 

Leaders as Coaches and Mentors

Managers who serve as mentors and coaches in employee development outperform their counterparts and get the job done!

To be progressive and influential leaders, managers and supervisors must learn the role of a coach and mentor. Questions are more important than answers. Rewarding employees for thoughtful questions can produce remarkable results!

Supporting employees by facilitating their development will take you much further than dictating what needs to be done.

More than providing power points of how you do things, a supervisor can generously share knowledge with their team and actively encourage questions and new ideas to ponder.

A skilled manager or supervisor knows how to unlock a person’s potential to maximize their performance and share knowledge that can help them discover it themselves.

Next week we will look at implementing a coaching and mentoring management style.