According to another new study, nearly half of all companies have no formal supervisor training in place.  Worse yet, when there is one in place, no one measures its’ effectiveness.  No wonder “training” is always one of the first thing “axed” when a company is trying to save some cash. 

Employees Quit A Boss, Not A Company

I know, I say it often.  That’s ’cause not everyone believes it… yet.  But I’m working on it.

Most companies who provide training make sure the new supervisor understands the technical aspects of their (new) job.  They train the new sups on time sheets, production reports, nightly/weekly performance reviews and how to use PowerPoint.

However, it’s the valley of ambiguity, the struggle between doing what is “consistent” for the company and what is “right” for the employee that causes new supervisors (and experienced ones) the most problems. 

How do you deal with an employee who says they are leaving for more money?  What about an employee who wants to go home early nearly every week?  What motivates an employee to work harder and smarter for their team?  When do I get Human Resources involved in a squabble between an employee and another supervisor or manager?

These are the tough issues.  These are the issues that require training, not only for new supervisors, but those with years of experience.  Just because you have done something for a long time doesn’t mean you’ve done it well.