Key Supervisory Skills

A supervisor is anyone who is responsible for the work of others. This person is familiar with the daily work of their staff and receives direction from those who make bigger decisions for the company. There are 10 essential skills that supervisors need to possess in order to do their job as successfully as possible:

1. Excellent Communication. Communication skills are one of the most important assets a good supervisor should have, as they communicate important information to staff.
2. Conflict Resolution. Conflict can happen in the workplace. A good manager recognizes this and creates an effective method of minimizing conflict and dealing with it when it takes place.
3. Strong Leadership. The supervisor must assert leadership. A strong leader will encourage their team and lead the way to success.
4. Critical Thinking. With a high-level position comes more responsibilities and more decisions to be made. Critical thinking skills make the decision process easier.
5. Time and Priority Management. Time management is essential in a business with deadlines and deliverables. Managers must also be able to structure the workload to ensure all projects are given the correct amount of priority and that high priority projects are finished first.
6. Diversity Awareness. A great manager recognizes the importance of diversity and encourages their company to continue working on company diversity and inclusion (D&I).
7. Guiding Workloads. Supervisors need to guide the overall work of their employees. Being an effective supervisor means understanding the bigger picture and adjusting work to accommodate that.
8. Staff Development. A large role of a supervisor is developing personnel. They should have a plan for the employee’s development, setting goals for how they can work on their weaknesses and contribute to projects where they are likely to succeed.
9. Interpersonal Skills. Developing and maintaining good relationships with other departments is also vital. To ensure that both their employees and the organization meet their goals, a supervisor should recognize the importance of working together cohesively.
10. Openness to Advice and Willingness to Learn. The supervisor should look to their peers for advice and guidance when they are faced with a problem that is outside of their expertise. Effective supervisors should also have a willingness to learn and grow. With these essential skills, managers can effectively solve any supervisory issues they may encounter and prepare for future situations.

Developing Supervisory Skills

Supervisory skills training activities allow the manager to grow and learn how to work with their staff better. Assessments offer supervision training for leaders to develop core skills and the ability to balance the sometimes-opposing demands of management and employees. Explore the supervisory skills training activities available at HRDQ to develop effective supervisors!