The Supervisor Unicorns: Do They Really Exist?
The world has changed a lot in the last four years. No matter how much we say this, it’s hard to really comprehend how every single part of our lives and workplaces has been upended. And that level of change does something to us. As a society, we face a strong uncertainty about the future and a general lack of trust in institutions. As human beings, we now see work as a means of purpose and fuel for a life worth living.
As organizations, we confront a different way of managing people with fewer people being interested in supervisory roles. Supervisors may now have a mix of in-person, remote, and hybrid employees in addition to more temporary and/or gig workers. Employees are requiring more personal connection and vulnerability from their supervisors, which feels overwhelming to supervisors. The leadership practices that worked in 2019 don’t necessarily work today.
Now, let’s set something straight from the beginning. Leadership, management, and supervision are used interchangeably, but these words do not mean the same thing. Here are the definitions that I’m using.
Leadership: setting a vision and moving forward with collaboration and transparency. Anyone can be a leader, even those who don’t manage other employees. (source: Forbes)
Management: developing a goal for what is to be done. Most often people in management positions are developing goals across the organization. (source: AboutLeaders)
Supervision: giving employees specific instructions on what is to be done, monitoring their efforts, and holding them accountable for specific results. (source: AboutLeaders)
In my consulting work, I am finding that many supervisors are attempting to transition to the new work environment without much inside help. Why? Because we are all figuring out this new normal as we go along. The supervisory practices that work in 2024 are still being created.
That doesn’t help the supervisor in need right now. That’s what we are discussing in this month’s newsletter – what to do now. First, I will walk you through how many hours you need for supervision and how to use them. Second, I’ll ask about your supervisory style and offer resources for building self-awareness. Then, I’ll share how coaching can be a great way to grow your leadership skills.
I’m Ready. Now Where Am I Going?
I recently read an article that said supervisors need to use 30% of their time on supervision. When I read it, the 30% allotment seemed high, so I started some back of the napkin calculations and found 30% to be a magical number. Here’s what I found.
If a supervisor is working full-time, year-round, then 30% is 624 hours per year or 12 hours per week. Ideally, a supervisor is one that promotes collaboration in the team and doesn’t constantly monitor employee activities for accuracy.
So, what would a supervisor do for 12 hours per week? I’m basing my assumptions here on a supervisor with 6-8 employees. The hours within this range would break down into weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual, and as needed hours.
Weekly
15-minute informal check-ins with each employee (1:1) = 2 hours
Check-in questions include: What is going well? How are you feeling? What are your goals for this week? How can I support you?)
Team meetings and supporting team needs (use the action meeting flow) = 1-2 hours
Organization updates & communication = 1 hour
Participating in workgroups & other meetings = 1-2 hours
Personal planning for next week = 1 hour
Monthly
30-minute formal supervision with each employee (1:1) = 4 hours
Check-in questions include: What is going well? What challenges are you currently facing? Where are you developing your skills right now? How can I support you?
Team planning & reflection (use the retrospective meeting flow) = 1 hour
Organization participation (Ex. leadership meetings) = 2-4 hours
Personal planning for next 30 days = 1 hour
Quarterly
60-minute reflective supervision with each employee (1:1) = 6-8 hours
Team strategy meeting (use the strategy meeting flow) = 2 hours
Team Building activities = 2 hours
Leadership development (whether offered in-house or external) = 2 hours
Personal planning for next 90 days = 1 hour
Annually
60-minute annual review with each employee (1:1) = 6-8 hours
Team planning retreat (use this sample flow) = 8 hours
Organization planning & budgeting processes = 8 hours
Personal planning for next 12 months = 2 hours
That’s about 600 hours per year in addition to any “as needed” items added during the year. I’m also assuming that the supervisor is documenting these meetings somewhere and somehow. With this breakdown, supervision seems manageable. However, we know that supervisors are often carrying a workload in addition to managing a team.
What’s Your Supervisory Style?
What is your leadership style? That’s a question I ask a lot of clients, and I’m always fascinated by the answers. More often than not, people describe a style that they learned from a previous coach, mentor, or supervisor. Sometimes people detail a management philosophy that they studied in school or a formal program. And still a good number don’t know how to describe their style because they’ve never thought about it.
It’s important to articulate your leadership style for two reasons. First, this is good information to share with your team - when you begin as the supervisor and when new teammates join. Outlining your leadership style sets expectations for the people you manage. Second, this articulation is a good speech to have in your proverbial back pocket in case you are ever asked by senior leadership, stakeholders, or even future employers.
Fortunately, the world offers a large variety of leadership assessments. Let me be clear – I am not a big fan of leadership assessments. That may be strange to hear from an HR consultant and coach. However, I have valid reasons. In my three-decade career, I’ve seen people:
Take assessment results as actual fact. These people have treated the results like a ruling from a higher power, judgment from the universe, and even conclusive excuses for poor behavior.
Hide behind assessment results. Rather than using the assessment as a self-awareness tool, these people use the results as an unalterable image that cannot be changed for the better.
Just flat out deny assessment results, even if peers participated in the assessment! Some people do not take feedback well, especially when it calls them out to an uncomfortable degree.
For this reason, I have practiced on-the-job and situational coaching as a consultant and left the assessments to others. However, I will recommend two assessments that I use when needed.
iEQ9 Enneagram
The Enneagram is a self-awareness tool that increases one’s personal effectiveness and relationship skills and identifies 9 types of ways that people show up in the world. Several tests are available online to help you with identifying your type, and you can even work with a narrative Enneagram practitioner for an interview instead. The iEQ9 Enneagram for Professionals is a paid test with 170 questions that change based on your personal responses.
I had taken a free Enneagram test several years ago, so I felt fairly confident in my type. Taking the iEQ9 test for Professionals confirmed my previous results and offered major new insights for me. What I like about this test is its unique offerings like:
Instincts: While the Enneagram holds 9 types, each type has an instinct creating 27 subtypes. This provides a deeper and richer understanding of self. The instincts are self-preservation, one-on-one, and social.
Centers: The Enneagram offers three centers – head, heart, and body/gut. The centers represent preferred ways that we interact with the world. The stacking of these centers proposes how we show up, process external events, make decisions, and how we are perceived by others.
Lines: The Enneagram is a nine-pointed geometric symbol with lines connecting between types. These lines suggest growth opportunities between types. Movement in these lines can diminish strain and elicit significant change.
Social Styles: How we get what we want and need in everyday life varies by person. The Integrative Enneagram probes three social styles: assertive (move against), compliant (toward), and withdrawn (away from). These social styles help us get our needs met in relationships.
Conflict Styles: Similar to our social styles, how we resolve conflict, failure, and loss varies by person. The Integrative Enneagram examines three conflict styles: competency, reactive, and positive outlook. These conflict styles help us achieve our goals.
I offer iEQ9 Enneagram assessments and coaching packages. Read more here.
High Five Test
The High Five test is a free strengths assessment, and I use this tool a lot with my Navigating Change team retreats. This assessment identifies a person’s top 5 strengths out of a list of 20 options. The test takes about 20 minutes to complete. You get the initial results for free, and you can pay $20 USD for a full report.
The strengths in the High Five test are categorized between Doing, Feeling, Motivating, and Thinking. I use this tool with teams because we can pretty quickly identify patterns based on the free results. Of course, the goal is not to necessarily have every strength represented in your team; it’s more about understanding your team’s specific make-up.
When Can A Coach Help?
The word “coaching” can generate a host of emotions, depending on your personal experience with people in authority. At Loftis Partners, we define coaching as simply helping someone become a better version of themselves as defined by you. We use a coaching style that encourages and empowers our clients to internally build capacity for change. We also incorporate the activities of reflection, mindfulness, nature, and humor into our sessions.
You may wonder, “Is coaching right for me?” Here are a few situations to consider:
· You have come to a crossroads in your life and need help making a big shift.
· You’ve got a new strategic plan ready but feel unsure about how to operationalize the plan.
· You are struggling to re-enter society or certain relationships post-pandemic.
· You started down a diversity and inclusion learning path and want to discover what’s next.
· You have a troublesome employee or work situation and need a trusted human resources advisor to listen and think through next steps.
If you identify with any of these situations, then coaching is a strong option of support for you. Book a free 30-minute call with me today to share your needs. In these 30 minutes, I’ll introduce myself, learn more about you, and offer quick thoughts on how to move forward in your leadership.