Have you ever asked yourself that question? If not, do it now…like for real pull up a mirror and ask that question. Or better yet, ask one of your staff members the question. If you are afraid of the answer, there might be a good reason why. I can’t imagine you were expecting to read this in a blog post but if it gets you to ask the right questions at the right time then my job here is done. Well almost done, we have to talk about some ways to not suck as a supervisor.
Let’s first address the elephant in the room, being a supervisor (on any level) is hard work. Why? Because people bring their “people” problems to you to solve on a consistent basis. Whether your people are RAs, Graduate Hall Directors, entry level or even more seasoned professional staff; they all have and will bring you their problems! Perhaps you didn’t factor that in as part of the job, but it is. Ok now that we got that out of the way.
Here are a few tips (and some questions to ponder) to not suck as a Res Life supervisor:
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.
Insert the word effectively after each of those statements. Effective communication is at times a lost art. As a supervisor, most times you feel as though you are communicating effectively only to find out later you weren’t. Always be clear and concise when communicating with your team, whether in writing or verbally. Brene Brown always says, clarity is kindness. Confirm that everyone is on the same page or ask if there is anything that needs to be clarified further.
Be open to feedback. If you knew me personally or had the pleasure of working for or with me. You would see my laptop has a handwritten post it note that says “feedback is a gift”. Many years ago I received some feedback that I didn’t think was so great but the fact that it was given to me was a gift. Bottom line, you can’t change anything that you don’t know about. So it may not come gift wrapped the way you want it to be but be open to receiving (and giving) feedback. Remember feedback can and should come from whatever level of staff you supervise. Don’t ever feel like you are too good to get feedback from a student staff member. Stay humble my friend, we can learn about yourselves from staff on all levels.
What’s the last piece of feedback you received?
Model the Way!
In an effort to not suck as a supervisor you must be ready to lead by example. Show up on time, meet deadlines, be the kind of person/staff member that you desire to have on your team. Your team is more likely to respect and listen to you if you do as you say you are going to do. You may not think they are looking but I guarantee you they are.
What would your staff say you do really well?
Feedback…again?
I know I mentioned being open to feedback and receiving it but let’s chew on it a little bit more. Part of supervision in Res Life or any other profession, is giving constructive feedback because we could all improve in some way, shape or form. Focus on the behavior or performance rather than what may come across as an attack on the person. Constructive feedback encourages growth and improvement which at the end of the day you should want for your team.
What’s the last piece of feedback you shared with a member of your team?
Be visible and available…
Do you currently have an open door policy? Why or why not? If the answer is no, why do you not? I will let you answer that truthfully to yourself. I challenge you to lean into having some open door time so your staff know you’re there and present. Sometimes they just need to see you to be reassured of things. I remember reading lots of leadership notes/thoughts during peak COVID-19 outbreak time about supervising in the midst of chaos. One of the most important takeaways from the information I saw was, people didn’t necessarily expect their supervisors to have all of the answers but they took some solace in being able to see them (via zoom or in person) and their presence made the situation a little more bearable. Your mere presence is important!
How do you find/make time in your day/week to spend “face time” with your team?
Trust your TEAM!
Your job as a supervisor is to get out of the way of your team and let them do the work they have been hired to do, whether student staff or professional staff. Seems simple, right? Well often we as supervisors don’t see how much we are in the way and the toll that takes on staff just trying to do their work. This sentiment resonates deeply with me because I have never been a micromanager. It is just not my nature, my instinct is to always trust you’re doing your work to the best of your ability until you show me otherwise. That is when I step in to see what is going on. Now micromanaging may be your default, if it is I challenge you to take a step back and allow your team more leeway and grace to do their work. Find other things to focus on, use the “free” time to be innovative and find creative ways to do a process differently within your office. Allow your team to take ownership of their work but be there to provide support and guidance when needed.
What is your default supervisory style? Where did you learn to supervise?
I see YOU!
The art of recognizing and rewarding your team can go a long way. Take time to learn how your team (individually and collectively) likes to be recognized for the hard work they are doing. Your job as a Res Life supervisor is to tell the story of the great work that is happening. That is often a shortcoming of supervisors/leaders. We see the good work but we often don’t stop long enough to recognize the person or group for doing it nor do we find or make space to shout it to the roof tops. I challenge you to find those spaces where you can sound the alarm and say my team is doing AMAZING work. We are doing this, this and this. Don’t think of it as bragging, think of it as doing your job as a leader. I wholeheartedly want my staff to know I think highly of them and their work and I share the great things every chance I have. Also, recognition is as simple as a thank you or a quick email message. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture all the time. Showing your staff that you see them and appreciate them goes a long way. Working in our field is often thankless work. You will get an email detailing your shortcomings often before you get one acknowledging your amazingness. Let’s offset the statistics and recognize and reward our team.
How do you creatively recognize your team?
Better everyday!
Every day as a supervisor and human you have the opportunity to be better than you were the day before. Yes, this may seem like a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be. I typically walk to work and spend most of that time when not listening to 90s Rap and R&B, listening to a variety of leadership podcasts. It keeps my mind engaged and thinking of ways that I can be a better leader and further hone my skills. After all of these years, I still have lots of room for improvement and you do too whether you have supervised people for 2 months or 28 years. Never close yourself off to learning and improving. Find training opportunities, locally on your campus or in your city or through your professional associations. As mentioned several times before, seek feedback from and grow from it. Learn from your mistakes and try not to repeat them. Have a growth mindset. Practicing all of these things and many more will help you not suck as a supervisor.
What is your go-to form of professional development?
I had the opportunity to do a SPRINT session at the end of the 2019 ACUHO- I Annual Conference (or ACE now Campus Home, Live!) and I coined this phrase, don’t be a burpee in someone’s professional journey. If you have ever done a burpee (a dreaded movement that we often do in Crossfit) there usually aren’t any redeeming qualities that people list about this movement. Even though it is just picking yourself up after hurling your body to the ground, it ain’t as easy as it sounds. So when I say don’t be a burpee in someone’s professional journey, that means when your name is mentioned don’t be the reason that someone frowns up or looks sad like most of us do when burpees are programmed in the workout. Don’t suck the joy out of someone’s work by being a bad supervisor. Far too many professionals leave the student affairs field due to less than stellar supervisors. Make time to ask questions, find out how you are coming across as a leader. Seek feedback and learn from it. Seek opportunities for development and improvement. Stay humble. Remember every day you are doing something that will either gracefully pour into your legacy or detract from it. Be kind to yourself and your team.
