Frontline leadership is dependent upon influence. And influence is a natural byproduct of earned respect. In this episode, podcast host Joe White discusses ways supervisors can earn the respect of direct reports, better enabling them to achieve performance outcomes required for success.
Transcript
Announcer:
The SOS Podcast is a production of AEU LEAD, an organization redefining how mid and frontline managers are developed.
Joe White:
Hello, and thank you for joining us. I'm Joe White and this is the Supervisor Skills: Secrets of Success Podcast. Today's recording is the 10th in Season 4 as one of the final 3 episodes we'll be releasing this year. For those joining us today, wherever you might be, I would like to extend a warm welcome and express sincere gratitude for your continued support as a listener. Our discussion today involves a core tenet to our leadership philosophy. It directly relates to skills required for success as a frontline supervisor. We're talking about respect. While respect is often viewed from the perspective of what we demonstrate or show to others, I'm going to shed light on the subject from a different angle. Our emphasis today is on how you earn respect from direct reports, a subtle but very important nuance in how you view and hopefully understand the topic. For those interested in learning more, let's jump right into it.
In a workshop setting, a participant once told me, "Respect is a term difficult to describe, but easy to recognize." The young man's statement sort of captures the essence of today's discussion. As a supervisor, your ability to lead others has little to do with what you say. It's what you do that matters most. Respect is earned through actions and example. What your employees see in you is important and has a great deal of impact upon the amount of influence you'll have with them and the performance of your job. Defined, respect is a feeling of deep admiration for someone based on their abilities, qualities, or achievements. Functionally, it's a measure of what others see in you and reflects how they feel about it. As a supervisor, few things are more important or impactful upon your success than having the respect of your direct reports.
In many labor-dependent industries, supervisors are promoted from within. In most instances, the skills used to identify supervisor potential share little in common with the ones required for supervisor performance. Success as an individual contributor requires strong technical skills and a solid work ethic. Success as a supervisor requires people skills and involves achieving performance objectives through others. Translated, it requires influence, which is a byproduct of leadership built upon earned respect. As a wise man once told me, "Respect is for those who deserve it and not for those that demand it."
So what do you do? How can you integrate the practice, actions and behaviors that lend themselves to earning the respect of those reporting to you? Here are several recommendations for consideration.
1. Walk the talk
One of the quickest ways to destroy your credibility with employees is to say one thing and do another. Closely related involves outlining requirements your employees must follow that you don't. A case in point involves wearing personal protective equipment. I vividly remember working with a supervisor that routinely walked through a production area at a manufacturing site to and from meetings without wearing a hard hat, hearing protection or steel-toed shoes, which were all required of employees working in the area. Not a good look for anyone trying to earn respect.
2. Be consistent
Doing the right thing when it's easy or convenient doesn't earn you respect in the eyes of others. Doing the right thing when it comes at an obvious cost does. If you give employees stop work authority and they enact it in response to a legitimate safety concern, don't second guess their decision because of production loss resulting from it. If you proclaim safety as a foremost priority and a condition of employment, employees need to see consistency in actions and behavior supporting these statements.
3. Regulate emotions
Advancements in neuroscience have shed new light on how we perceive, interpret, and respond to the world around us in real time. Research has shown human behavior is driven primarily by emotions. While we can't change how we feel, we can and should strive to take control over how we respond to our feelings. Supervisors should avoid wearing emotions on their sleeves as an example. They should also avoid expressing frustration or anger when dealing with employees. While this isn't always easy, it's a key to earning respect and something that gets easier with time.
4. Follow up
We've all been there. You're late for a meeting and someone stops you to ask a question or to request information you don't readily have. You get an email or a text and can't respond in the moment. While no one expects instant answers, they do expect follow up and response. I routinely talk to employees about frustrations they collectively share and follow up to requests they occasionally make always makes the list. Keep a notepad or some other means of tracking requests from employees and follow up with them in a timely manner.
5. Show you care
With any expression of care or concern, do so genuinely and authentically or not at all. Actively listen, don't interrupt and remain over-focused in conversations with direct reports. Express condolences for losses, acknowledge achievements, and respond to subtle shifts in behavior or demeanor. Get to know employees and remember those things important them like grandchildren, pets, or hobbies. Putting this all together helps humanize the working experience and greatly enables your ability to earn respect through actions and example.
Influence is a byproduct of effective leadership practices. It requires respect, which is earned over time through actions and example. Walking the talk, being consistent and regulating emotions are all traits and characteristics consistent with what employees expect to see in their supervision. Following up on conversations or requests and showing genuine, authentic, and sincere caring help humanize the worker's daily experience greatly improving levels of engagement.
For those wanting to improve as a supervisor, developing influence among direct reports is a key to success. The pathway from where you are to where you want to be is walked one step at a time. By focusing on the little things, the big things take care of themselves. Thank you for joining us. It's my sincere hope you found benefit in our discussion today. We'll be back in November and look forward to you joining us then. If you know of someone else that could benefit from our topics of discussion, please forward a link with an endorsement for their consideration. Should you have any questions or need additional information regarding today's topic, just let us know. Our contact information is provided in the show notes accompanying this episode. For those that may not have reviewed or rated your experience with our show, we would greatly appreciate you doing so. That's it for now. Stay safe and thanks for listening.
