The Ability To Delegate Makes You A Better Supervisor

Becoming a supervisor requires the development of people skills that not only focuses on the front line workers but also other stakeholders such as the building manager, your superiors and even visitors to the account.  Some of the most talented people as far as technical expertise fail at supervision unless they are aware of the potential mistakes they can easily make.  

Failing to delegate work and tasks appropriately can have devastating impact on not only the supervisor but also staff and the entire account.  Although many of us do not believe it, we simply cannot do everything well.  Hence the need for delegation.  It is certainly not an effective use of your time and talents.  Too many supervisors revert to the dangerous attitude of “If it is to be done right I guess I will have to do it myself.”  

That attitude is the sign of an untrained supervisor who lacks the ability or willingness to train others in the correct, safe way of performing a task.  When you were a floor tech, you knew all the right steps to strip/scrub and recoat a floor.  Now it is your responsibility to pass that knowledge on to others and as supervisor, make sure the work is done correctly even though you may not have even gotten your hands dirty.  One very important aspect of the supervisor function is to train others in correct, safe techniques.  

As you train and develop others you will be multiplying your best habits and standards so that over time the worker needs less and less direct supervision. This means you can focus your time on other important tasks and be a greater value to your company.  More in future articles on this important subject.  

Your comments and questions are always welcome. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean…

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678.314.2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net.