Preparing For The Next Level Of Your Leadership Career

Now that you've had a chance to settle into your new supervisory job and become somewhat comfortable, it's time to start planning for the rest of your career. It may be hard to think about the rest of your career now that you've taken on added responsibilities. But it's definitely not the time to start coasting. Succeeding as a supervisor requires a continuous development of your skills.

First, rid yourself of the self-defeating behaviors that keep you from being as effective as you can be. Substitute more effective skills. Success also means upgrading your knowledge of supervision and management principles, practices, and strategies.

Second, examine your performance as a supervisor. Assess which skills you need to improve upon and develop a strategy to do so. This is your time to plan for improving your supervisory skills and further your career as a supervisor, and potentially, a higher-level manager. To be practical, no supervisor can hope to attain all the skills attributed to a successful supervisor. However, you can be constantly moving in that direction.

You will want to develop a self-improvement habit throughout your supervisory career. The benefits abound:

1. Your credibility with management and employees will improve

2. Your promotion potential will increase

3. Your self-confidence will be strengthened

4. Your contributions to the success of your organization will become apparent to those around you

Fortunately, you can get started now developing that self-improvement habit. You don't have to wait until you have a year or two under your belt.

Here is a general strategy for supervisory self-improvement:

1. Find a mentor

2. Assess your supervisory development needs

3. Pursue development strategies for increased knowledge and skills

4. Track your performance and make adjustments

If your mentor is your supervisor, and you're able to talk to him/her about your performance, you should get informal as well as formal evaluation of your performance. Seek others' evaluations as well. Even consider talking to your employees about your performance.

Using your mentor and others to assess your performance, you can get a good fix on what and how to increase your knowledge and skills. Attend formal training opportunities every chance your get.

By tracking your performance you will see where you need improvement. Continue to assess yourself as a supervisor, devise a plan to improve, and continue monitoring your performance.

Many supervisors fail to develop a mental or a written plan to improve him or her. That's unfortunate. With a little forethought, they could constantly be improving their performance as a supervisor.

By doing these things they will provide for greater opportunities in the future.
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