Top 3 Lessons Learned from My First Year Supervising Professional Staff

Photo by Tony Hand on Unsplash

I have recounted over the years my experience looking for a job in my chosen field. After losing my job to a college closure in 2018, it took me several years to re-enter my field as a departmental manager. Even with 20+ years of experience working in my field, I admit that I lacked any practical experience supervising a professional staff of any size.

Sure, I had years of experience working with graduate students, and I once supervised a staff of 40 college student workers at one point. But other than short-term stints supervising a professional staff member at various points in my career, I admit that this experience was sorely lacking.

But it was never for a lack of asking! But decades of experience may not substitute the actual experience of being a supervisor.

I have spent the past few months, since starting my job, tracking what has made this transition to a departmental supervisor feel so effortless. I believe I have identified three areas that will benefit others that are finding themselves in the position of a new supervisor.

Lesson One: Pace Your Onboarding

Many of the positions I filled this year had been empty for a year or more. And since I filled in for these positions while doing the…