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Congratulations are in order because you’ve just become a boss for the very first time. Whether you were promoted from within or landed a job at a new company, this is very exciting — but also terrifying.

Leading a team is a huge deal, and you want to make sure you do it right. Here’s some advice to get you started.

5 Tips to Excel as a New Supervisor

Acknowledge the Change

If you were promoted from within, some of your previous teammates are now your subordinates. This can definitely be awkward, so it’s important to address the elephant in the room.

Talk to your new staff and let them know this is going to be a transition for everyone. You may also need to have individual conversations with anyone you now manage who you were previously close with. For example, continuing to have daily lunch dates with your best work friend will cause issues, so you’ll need to reconfigure those relationships as well.

Treat Everyone Equally

It’s only natural to relate to some of your employees better than others. However, you can’t be an effective and fair boss if you don’t treat everyone equally. Different personality types require different management styles, so you’ll need to relate to everyone in their own way, but in a manner that’s completely impartial.

Find a Mentor

Being the boss is hard work. Sometimes you’re going to need to lean on someone for advice, so find a mentor you can count on. It doesn’t matter if this is your own supervisor or someone else in a managerial role, as long as you trust them enough to open up and allow them to guide you in the right direction.

Listen to Your Team

No one likes a boss who constantly barks out orders. Part of being a great manager is taking the time to listen to your staff. From learning about their career goals to hearing ideas for innovation, these people have valuable things to say, so give them the floor — a lot.

Lead by Example

When you were an individual contributor, you might’ve gotten away with breaking your fair share of rules — i.e., coming into work 10 minutes late every day. However, now that you’re in a position of power, you need to act like it. Employees look to you for guidance, so behave as if they’re watching your every move — because this is actually the case.

Ready to hire your first Michiana employee as a new supervisor? Wood Staffing wants to help you get it right the first time. Contact us today to discuss a partnership!