Take a second to reflect on some of your most meaningful mentors and supervisors. What qualities did they have that you want to emulate as you supervise your own staff? Many leaders strive to have deep connections with the individuals that make up their team: this helps to take the supervisory relationship beyond simply serving as a boss, helping your employees develop in the role and fostering a personal relationship that will last beyond the duration that either of you are in your positions. While these connections are aspirational and often organic, there are a few considerations to increase the likelihood that a relationship like this will be more likely to develop.
Lead By Example.
Even if you aren’t in a similar position to those who you supervise, your staff will be looking to you and will follow your lead. If you show up to work with a miserable attitude, it is likely that they will emulate the same. By the same token, when you are positive and engaged, they will respond and act similarly. It’s not always going to match but this is a simple way that you can help with team morale. Likewise, your employees are going to be looking to match you with their work ethic and commitment to the position. If they see that you are often out of the office and that you’re disengaged when you’re working, they will be more likely to phone it in when it comes time to do their own duties. You don’t have to be a high achiever to show your staff that you are committed to your job and that you want to encourage them to do theirs to the best of their abilities. In my experience, this was something that I found easy to model for students. While my staff would have their own programming requirements, I would have larger-scale event plans myself and help them understand what my planning process looked like. Likewise, they would have intentional conversations with students to check in on their needs throughout the semester. I would review how I’m connecting with students through conduct and care meetings and my intent behind those conversations. While Housing staff have different positions throughout all levels of the organization, there are always areas of overlap in which you can share your framework to help others find success.
Communicate Openly and Honestly
In order to create a level of trust needed for a strong supervisory relationship, you will need to communicate transparently with your team. Let’s be clear: this does not mean that you overshare information with your staff or discuss things that are irrelevant to them within their role. It means sharing information freely and keeping the team updated about changes and decisions that are being made throughout the year. When you don’t have an answer, being transparent that you don’t have it yet but it’s something you will follow-up on is another effective way to communicate. Part of this is also in providing constructive feedback to help your staff grow. The first time that you point out an area that’s lacking for an employee should not be during a performance review. It can be an uncomfortable conversation but make sure you address these issues openly with your staff early on to help them develop in the role. Higher Education is focused on development and that seems emphasized within Housing. While your staff may not be in their roles for an extended period of time, we are committed to identifying how they can grow in their positions to help prepare them for future endeavors. Through all communication, you need to display active listening by understanding your team’s concerns, ideas, and feedback. How you can show that you value this input is by applying their suggestions when realistic and possible.
Show Empathy and Support.
When it comes to being a leader, the use of empathy cannot be underestimated when building relationships that are rooted in trust. Whether they are student staff or full-time employees, we all want a boss who care s about our well-being and understands the nuances of both personal and professional challenges. When you can provide your employees with grace and support through these difficult times, it helps overall buy-in when life settles down. Whether it’s providing resources, mentoring, or showing flexibility to meet their needs, your employees will respond to your support (or lack thereof). It doesn’t seem like a generalization to say that Housing is a field in which a majority of staff have a deep care for others. Why else would you serve in an on-call rotation to assist with anything from a mental health crisis to an intoxicated student passed out in a shower at 3:00am? But I’ve been guilty of being so busy that I just put my head down and get the work done; when this happened, I missed out on the opportunities to support my staff and build genuine relationships. One way that I found I could remedy this and show that I was approachable was to hold regular one-on-one meetings with my staff so I could stay current on how they were doing and what they were going through. Another tip is to keep your door open as often as possible. I understand that’s one of the best ways to be productive and get work done. At the same time, you’d be surprised how many staff members will come to you with something in the moment that you can help with when they know you are available. Find a way to have a balance of both!
Be Consistent and Fair.
It is easy to identify favorites on your staff: they’re likely the ones who commit to the role and find their own ways to excel using their various skill sets, going above and beyond expectations. With how close knit teams in Housing are typically established, this is something to be extra cognizant of. Avoid falling into this issue as it will be demoralizing to the other members of the team. While there will be a handful who have demonstrated their reliability, everyone needs to be treated equally. This is especially true when it comes to holding everyone accountable to their actions as it pertains to policy and rules within the position. Believe it or not, your staff members will talk and, if someone gets off the hook when another person receives disciplinary action, it will create distrust and erode the sense of fairness that you have been working hard to establish. Your employees should know what they expect of you as a staff member, regardless of who they are or how they’ve performed in the role. Also connected to this is effective conflict resolution. When you learn about a staff issue, don’t just leave it to your team to sort it out on their own; there may be times when you need to step in to provide assistance to ensure that your team isn’t falling apart over something that could have been resolved with a neutral party.
Recognize and Reward Contributions. One of the most surprising things I’ve ever heard a supervisor say is that they felt they never needed to provide recognition. Their rationale? “I’m not going to praise my team for doing their jobs. That’s what they’re paid to do.” Needless to say, this was a supervisor that struggled to create a commitment within their team and the community suffered from high turnover. Even when people are meeting expectations and just completing the basic responsibilities of their position, provide some encouragement: these people need to hear that they’re heading in the right direction in order to continue building their skills. If we’re hoping to move anyone from a mid- to a high-performer, you need to give them feedback and positive reinforcement so that they can continue to grow. Learn more about how your employees want to be recognized and rewarded for their efforts. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive or costly, especially if you don’t have a recognition budget for your staff. One of the ways I liked to thank my staff was by making banana bread for them, which was a cheaper home baked good for them and satisfied my baking fix for the month. A simple thank you card or words of affirmation can go a long way to supporting your team members. Learn about how your staff want to be recognized and take a moment to meet them where they’re at.
By consistently applying these strategies, you can build and maintain a high level of trust with your team, leading to a more collaborative and successful work environment. While many of these need to be emphasized early on in your supervision, it’s never too late to start implementing these to course correct your supervisory relationships. If you’re not sure where to begin, ask peers or your own supervisor how you can better develop connections with those whom you supervise.
