The best definition of management was created by the American Management Association. “It is the act of getting things done through others and having them do it willingly”. It is a difficult art, not a science, like the computer business or manufacturing. Have you ever bought 10 boxes of performance or three cartons of morale?
These are intangible things that are concepts, yours and your employees, and they don’t always match. You also have to get things done. You are responsible not just for what you do, but also for the results of others. Accomplishments, results, productivity are all now your responsibility. And now the hard part. You have to accomplish this through others and have them do it willingly.
How to achieve this is in large measure what this series is all about.
How do you become successful supervisor? Supervisors should establish objectives, create the proper work environment, remove obstacles for employees and follow-up.
First, you need to know what the objectives are. It’s amazing how many people, when asked what their objectives are, will reply with answers about what the job is. In other words, we’re all so caught up in the process of how to do the work (the trees) that we don’t know where we’re going (the forest).
So, define your goals, with your supervisor, in writing, and communicate them to your employees.
The next steps are to make sure that your employees have the proper tools, information, etc., and remove any obstacles that can prevent them from accomplishing the goals that you have agreed upon. It is also amazing the number of people who will stop when they hit an obstacle. Since you are responsible for what is accomplished in the company or the department, then you need to be alert to these problems, and resolve them quickly.