On the Job: Do the Job

In my position, I supervise a dozen or so part-time employees. While I sometimes refer to my team as "my minions," I would be remiss if I did not mention how important my employees are to the productivity of my office. If my part-timers disappeared, it would be nearly impossible for me to keep up with the duties of the Stacks Maintenance office. One way I've learned to value the work of my employees is to do their job.

As I mentioned in my introductory post, I started my career in libraries as a part-time employee of the Stacks Maintenance office. My years as a student shelver have been immensely helpful as a Supervisor. I know what the position entails, the downsides/upsides of the job and its projects, where one can slack off, and, in general, the mindset need to complete each shift. With this background in mind, I try to make my employees' time in the stacks as enjoyable and productive as possible.

As a supervisor, I think it is very easy to hand off tasks each day and forget the greater role your employees play. When you do their job, you have a better understanding of what duties you are assigning. Furthermore, when it comes to training and explaining projects, you are better able to describe the assignment because you know each step in the process. It becomes much easier to troubleshoot issues and setbacks when you've done the job. It also gives you a chance to praise employees who complete more complicated and long term projects.

If you supervise staff, I highly recommend working their role for a few days. The insight it gives you is amazing. You'll have greater understanding of how to design projects and assign staff, find where adjustments to methods can be made, and better value the suggestions of your employees. Additionally, doing the job makes it easier to tell when your employees are not meeting expectations. If you know a certain project takes an hour, but your employee needed six, you know to question their work.

Nothing says, "I know how you feel," than being able to swap stories about assignments with your employees. You may be the supervisor, but doing the job shows your employees that you value their work and role in your organization. On occasion, you may even find that taking on a task of an employee can offer a great way to change up your normal routines and give you some time to pause and think about your role as supervisor.