A Message to Supervisors

​I am out of the office this week conducting training for 40+ new supervisors. Sometime during the 2-1/2 days, I am bound to share some tidbits I've pulled from the archives.​

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Supervision is not as hard as some make it out to be. If you are a supervisor, take a few minutes to read through the questions below. Think about them and answer honestly.

• Do you counsel employees over email?
• Do you have to "win" employee discussions?
• When asked why, do you respond, "because I can?"
• Do you view employee questions as challenges to you ego? 
• Do you expect your support people to "read your mind" in regards to work expectations?
• Do you look past behaviors because addressing them is a bit "uncomfortable" for you?
• Do you hold back information because members of your staff just "don’t need to know?"
• Are your performance reviews consistently late?
• Do you engage in shouting matches with you staff?
• Do you take this stuff personally?!

If you answered "yes" to any of the above, stop that right now. This is not about you. It is about helping others to succeed, to make the goal, to achieve the mission. It's about addressing problems head-on and making the tough decisions.

Does this make sense to you? Do you see the possibility? Do you see that there may be another way? If you do, then BRAVO to you. If you don't, reach into your wallet, your purse, or your top desk draw and pull out your supervisor card. Hold it out. I'm coming by to collect it. Now.

Leaders Struggle, Too

​Leaders struggle. Should leaders share their struggles with others? Steven Snyder’s book, Leadership and the Art of Struggle, inspired this guest blog post by Becky Robinson. 

Leadership and the Art of the Struggle, posits that struggle is an unavoidable and positive force on each leader’s journey. It is only through embracing our struggles that we can grow to be stronger and even more effective as leaders.

And talking about our struggles can be an important part of the journey.

But how, when, and in what context can leaders share their struggles? Is it possible to share struggles with the people you are leading?

While I think it is important to let your team know you are human and to discuss struggle in general, you want to be careful about the specifics you choose to share.

Here are three ideas to consider when sharing leadership struggles.

Dig into the past for struggles to share. Even though you may have current struggles, it may not be helpful to share those with your team. Instead, you can share past struggles as a way to highlight learning, show progress, and encourage those who may be struggling with similar issues. It’s okay to let your team know you struggle, while maintaining distance by avoiding sharing specifics of current struggles.

Record current struggles to share in the future. Every lesson you learn now can be a gift to others…later. Use a personal journal to record your lessons and growth and wait until a significant amount of time has passed before sharing the struggles with those you are leading.

Find a trusted friend or coach to be a sounding board for current struggles. Venting to team members about struggles could cause serious problems for you as a leader. Instead, rely on a trusted friend or coach who can keep sensitive information confidential.

This week is the official launch of the book. You can buy it on Amazon or read a free preview and learn more at snyderleadership.com.