The quality of supervision you receive has a direct impact on the commitment, performance, and well-being of an employee. Two key factors have changed the nature of supervision in recent years: the entrance of young generations into the labor market and the physical distance caused by the pandemic.
Other economic, emotional, and sociocultural events in Puerto Rico must also be noted, including hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, the summer of 2019, earthquakes in 2020, the pandemic in 2020, the recruitment crisis present, and Hurricane Fiona in September 2022. All of us are affected by these external factors, but employees are particularly affected.
As well as impacting your daily routine, your safety, your mental and emotional well-being, your finances, and your family, it also requires that the supervisor possess different skills. According to statistical findings, the leadership, and management styles of a company have a direct impact on the organizational culture and work environment, which includes:
- Attracting new employees
- Key Talent Retention
- Diversity, equality, and inclusion
- Trust and compliance
- Achieve the company’s objectives
- General well-being of employees
As a business faces a crisis, it is time for the supervisor to demonstrate his or her commitment, determination, and leadership. If you are supervising a work team, your actions should be guided by a human capacity to respond, vulnerability, and empathy. You must see yourself, be seen, communicate more and with frequency, be active, demonstrate commitment, serve as an example, be and be. Remember that employees measure their employers by how they handle change and crisis.
We share some relevant trends that a leader and all supervisors should incorporate into their work style:
Know yourself
Do you know how your team perceives you and how your team sees you? Is there a relationship between what you say and what you do? Coordinate short appointments and transparent conversations in order to know how your team perceives you. Identify whether you are approachable, actively listen, and collect feedback from the bottom up. If there is a disconnect between how you look and how your team sees you, if you are promoting discontent, non-compliance, and / or demoralization. The key thing in this exercise is to be honest, accept constructive criticism, and aspire to be a balanced supervisor who retains key talent and manages to meet objectives.
Invest with intention
Promote certifications, licenses, studies, recognition bonus structures, benefits that meet current needs (financial planning, executive presence, etc.), continuing education, and assigning special projects, mentoring, or coaching. Investing with intention allows teams to stay engaged, not to mention improve productivity and reduce attrition. Continuous feedback from your team is required to understand their needs and foster growth not only for your employees but for the organization as a whole.
Prioritize employee well-being
A consequence of the pandemic is the importance of working from home for everyone. In addition, this includes flexibility, different absence licenses, and continuous monitoring of workload, equipment, systems, and the desired and appropriate deliverables. Now, if you have to retrain or teach something new in the role played by each employee, here are two strategies to employ:
1. Empower instead of delegate
Delegating is transferring responsibilities or tasks to be exercised in your place or on behalf of another. As a result of delegation, the other person will assume responsibility. You do this with specific instructions and clear expectations of compliance.
2. Rise as a leader
When, as a supervisor, I don’t have the tools to solve it, I climb to another level, but I never leave the circle open. Be a supervisor who is a person who is sensitive to change, but also focused and well-structured to meet both present and future challenges. In the times of perpetual change we live in, it is imperative to promote a consistent and systematic approach to aligning the company’s core values and communicating the purpose behind the work we do; Why do we do it?, Why do we do it?
There is nothing more damaging to an organization than leaders talking about their values, but not demonstrating them in their actions. Leaders are the main driver of the company’s values, so they must represent them correctly. As a team, we are able to reach the company’s objectives, “LEAD BY EXAMPLE”, effectively.
Newland HR Services
For more than 30 years, we’ve worked with organizations around the world on their most critical executive recruitment, talent management, and consulting needs. Contact us for a complimentary consult.
