What Makes a Remarkable Supervisor?

Most people agree that not everyone has the capability to be a surgeon.  Maybe you don’t have stable enough hands or couldn’t get better than a “D” in anatomy to save your life.  And if you didn’t graduate from medical school and practice your craft under the wing of a seasoned colleague, it’s not going…

Read More

4 Simple Ways to Build Effective Relationships with Staff

Do you connect easier with some of your direct reports than others?  Are you more comfortable communicating with your high performers than other team members?  Do you have employees that you sense don’t respect you? These are all common experiences for supervisors and managers.  Great leaders have figured out how to make positive connections with…

Read More

Excellent Supervisors Can Make Big Waves and Calm Waters

HR consultants discussing leadership training.

Think about the best supervisor you’ve ever had or worked alongside.  Think about what specifically made them such a good supervisor.  It likely isn’t the person’s knowledge or skill that makes them stand out in your mind, but how they behaved in relation to you. In a past article, What Makes a Remarkable Supervisor?, I…

Read More

5 Simple Ways for Supervisors to Avoid Destructive Feedback

An HR consultant giving his team constructive feedback.

One of the most challenging parts of supervision is giving feedback that is helpful, rather than harmful, to the people we support. In a previous article, we walked through how to determine what to do when someone is having an issue with performance or behavior.  But what if you’ve decided to discuss the subject and…

Read More