11 essential qualities and skills for great supervisors July 27, 2018

11 essential qualities and skills for great supervisors

Most good supervisors do not become good by chance. It takes a certain type of individual to become a good supervisor and there are several things that all good supervisors have in common. These things are essential leadership qualities that are required for leaders in all areas of life.

A supervisor often supports team members in a range of roles, which means they need to understand lots of different jobs, and how to solve all the problems associated with each one. A good supervisor also motivates. They make sure their team has the tools to do their job, and the confidence to do it brilliantly. Without a supervisor, things break down fast.

Read on to find out about the 11 essential qualities and skills for great supervisors.

Interactive Communication Skills

Without the ability to make your desires clear, your employees won’t know how to accomplish the tasks you delegate. Equally important is understanding and incorporating employee feedback. A good supervisor interacts effectively with their employees, maintaining open lines of communication to ensure he/she stays informed about project progress and brewing problems.

Accept You’re Human

That’s right you read correctly! “Accept you are human” as there is tendency of people in power to perceive themselves as the always correct. Which is quite incorrect therefore, if you make a mistake as a supervisor, rather than blaming someone else, accept that it was your fault and move on. This will make your subordinates respect you immensely and in turn they will not question your authority.

Quick-thinking

Two things make the modern workplace hectic: constant change, and the quest for higher performance. As a supervisor, you must be ready to grasp new ideas fast, and juggle multiple problems at once. The skill of quick-thinking is essential.

Great supervisors demonstrate it by:

Being alert to new challenges
Addressing issues as soon as they arise

Value the employees

The people are any supervisor’s real asset. They are ones running the business and the work. A good supervisor understands their worth and treats them accordingly.

Conflict Resolution

Conflict is when change happens and stances differ. When a supervisor has the ability to manage conflict well, issues come to resolutions and successful relationships are developed. A supervisor’s ability to define and identify conflict styles, causes, and methods for handling conflict can improve the department’s or organization’s productivity.

Empathy and Compassion

If you can’t place yourself in your employees’ shoes, you can’t lead them effectively. For example, a parent might not be able to work overtime, or an employee going through a hard time might need temporary special considerations. Be as accommodating as possible in the face of genuine need, and your employees will be loyal in return.

Offer credit to those who earned it

A great leader does not want all of the credit of a company, project or job. Instead, a great leader distributes credit where it is due. He offers credit to those who earn it, and readily displays selfless characteristics. Many times, a leader will not take any credit himself, but will instead credit those around him.

To display genuine magnanimity, a person must not be looking for attention to make themself look better, but must be willing to make those around them, stand out.

Delegate

Many supervisors struggle with delegation and tend to keep all decision making centralized. This is counterproductive as the whole point of allocating a supervisor is to delegate tasks and save time. If delegation is not practiced then the organisation might as well remove the supervisor.

A coacher/mentor

Share your experience. A good supervisor shares there wisdom, knowledge and experience with the employees. They help them perform better. This also strengthens the bond and the trust between them.

Positive Attitude

Supervisors who come to work with a positive attitude make the office environment a great place to be. They use this attitude when solving problems, so the issues don't loom as large as they might. And positive attitudes are contagious. People tend to take on the attitude of their environment, and being positive is a good one to assume.

Listen

Although we have already talked about communication, listening deserves a separate point in itself. Listen to your subordinates and to your bosses. Listening in itself is a skill which needs conscious effort in order to perfect. Make sure whenever you have a conversation, listen attentively and actively.

A supervisor ought not to take the power for granted and continue working on the qualities required to become a great supervisor.

Looking for supervisor training to become a successful supervisor within your company? Read more about the supervisor courses we can offer you and book on to supervisory skills course at London TFE.