Supervisor

It’s said that a watched pot never boils. What people fail to mention, however, is that the alternative — an unwatched pot — boils over and makes a big mess! Because companies would rather see their waters simmer than seethe, they hire Supervisors to watch the proverbial pot. That is, they pay Supervisors to organize and oversee employees.

When you’re one of those Supervisors, you keep the employees in your department productively on point and on task. Employed at all sizes of companies, in all types of professions, and in all types of industries, you’re equal parts Manager and mentor, tasked with dictating, delegating, detecting, and defusing.

Deemed a leader in your department, you’re like the child who’s been put in charge while Mom and Dad are out for the night. Among your most important duties are helping to hire and fire employees in your department, assigning projects, scheduling work, and delegating tasks. You also mediate employee conflicts, manage employee performance, communicate company news and objectives, and arrange and administer employee training, development, and education.

In addition, you conduct performance reviews, enforce company rules, and approve employee time records and requests for time off. And on top of all that, you recognize star performers with employee rewards, and discipline employees when they break rules or demonstrate performance problems.

Although you’re a leader, you’re not yet a member of the upper management team. Instead, you’re a middle child who has more responsibility than a typical employee but not as much authority as a senior executive. Because “Supervisor” is the first rung on the management ladder, however, you’re definitely on your way to the top!