I have been in a training role for six months now and I'm finding some communication difficulties with a couple of supervisors who I should be supporting.
I'm finding it increasingly difficult to keep changing the way I do things just to keep the peace.
I was previously an operator in one of their teams. I am aware that having been promoted to be at the same level may have created personal issues as one was previously demoted from department manager and has remained within the department.
I am keen to get any ideas or suggestions on how to best manage the situation.
Can anyone help?
Anonymous
3 Responses
Communication
Hi
First thing I would ask is why do you feel the need to keep the peace?
And whats wrong with the way you do things that you have to keep changing things all the time?
Is your training role in alignment with the departments objectives?
Are you and the supervisers you are supporting working towards the same direction or away from each other?
Regardless of personal issues, Approach this professioanlly and you can’t go wrong.
Arrange a meeting with the supervisers you support and have an ideas session about their staffs development over a period of time. Conduct a proper TNA and use this as the basis of your relationship with them
Then, manage that relationship, check in with them regularly and enthusiastically, review the progress of their teams and support what they are doing
Once they see you are all about helping them and their teams get to new heights you you build yourself a hell of a reputation (It may take a while so be patient)
Hope this helps and the situation gets better soon
Best Wishes
Rich
Realtionship with Supervisor
Hiya
I would agree with Rich’s comments. Until you understand the reasons why, then you can’t effectively adapt your behaviour to help the relationship.
I would also add that you may want to be prepared to adapt your training offer. One of the negatives I’ve had from Supervisors is taking people away from the job (i.e. training courses) to develop them. You may want to think about how you could break any courses down into smaller chunks (I introduced one hour sessions at lunchtime into a busy department and provided lunch – they were always over subscribed and popular with Supervisors). Or even introduce self study options.
You may even want to see if you can add value by encouraging on-job development e.g. work with Supervisers to produce written tools like on-job development plans, that might give people a framework / ideas on how to develop on-job.
Hope that helps.
Happy Days!
Bryan
Thanks!
I’d just like to thank you for answering my query and offering advice.
Many thanks!