Being a Supervisor or Manager of a department full of employees can be a very challenging thing. There are so many different dynamics involved in the work that you have to be a real people person with excellent balancing skills.
The staff at a normal work place is very diverse. There are many different personalities and cultures to accommodate that can sometimes be overwhelming. If you take a step back and think about how they are just people like you then it can be easier to deal with.
You must first understand that what works for one of your staff members in terms of how you communicate with them may not work for the others. You may be able to joke around with one or two of your employees but find it difficult to do with others. You will have to learn your employee's personality types and develop you relationships in a way that is comfortable for them.
Another piece of advice is to never allow a personal relationship or friendship to develop between you and someone that you manage. While it can seem harmless in the beginning, there may be a time in the future that you have to apply discipline to them.
The end result is this individual takes it to heart because they can't separate the two relationships. The heartfelt betrayal will make them feel as though you have broken the bond, when in fact you were just doing your job. This is an easy situation to fall into, the first time.
There will come a time when individuals want to come to you with personal problems. It's quite alright to lend an ear, but when you start offering advice or give them solutions for life outside the workplace you will form a bond. Obviously you need to know about their rough patch if it is affecting work, but solving the problem is not your job.
You are there to make sure your staff reaches and maintains goals set forth by your bosses. By knowing that someone is going through a rough time you can make some accommodations that will be helpful to them. For example, you can let the Leads know that this person has some personal issues going on and that they should try to let them have their space.
You do not have to offer solutions to their personal problems in order to be an effective leader. You must simply be there when they need to talk, let them get it off of their chests and then motivate them to get back to work and to concentrate on the job at hand.
Then again, if you hired these employees, don't be afraid to tell them upfront that their problems are left at the door. Negative feelings of any magnitude can spread like a virus throughout your employees. The less people know what's going on outside of work, the easier it will be to Supervise or Manage them will they are at work.
More Information:
Managing a staff effectively is just one of the many topics covered on Michael Murray's
Job Cover Letters blog. Visit it for more career tips.
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