First Time Boss: Essential Tools for Your New Leadership Role

By R.C. Williams and Michael Trust

Filled with tips, examples, and explanations, this book is written for anyone who is beginning a career in supervision. Whether you are a first time supervisor, manager, or executive, you will benefit from the insight of the authors.  This book is written in plain language as is an indispensible tool for those who are responsible for the wo

• Language: English
• Publisher: ShelfGuides
• Release date: Mar 20, 2017
• ISBN: 9780997416718

R.C. Williams

R.C. Williams, JD ("Cliff") first began advising employers with workplace issues over a decade ago. Since then, he has held many leadership roles. Among them, he has headed performance management, examinations and recruitment, policy development, and a director level position in education services. Cliff has also provided HR leadership in the area of administrative hearings. His experience includes preparation and presentation of thousands of hearings involving employee separations, suspensions, discrimination cl-aims, promotional appeals, and performance evaluations. While serving as a member of the policy review committee, Cliff was tasked with addressing a substantial number of policy issues for an organization employing over 6,500 staff. In this capacity, he worked with executive management and employment counsel to develop countless policies and procedures, including issues such as attendance, drugs, social media, investigations, and personal appearance. Cliff is a graduate of Trinity School of Law and an avid chess player.

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First Time Boss cover

First Time Boss:

Essential Tools for Your

New Leadership Role!

R.C. Williams, J.D.

&

Michael Trust,

MPA, SPHR, PHR-ca, SHRM-SCP

First Edition

ShelfGuides™

A Publishing Company

Copyright ©2017 by R.C. Williams, J.D. & Michael Trust, MPA, SPHR, PHR-ca, SHRM-SCP

All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotes used in connection with reviews written specifically for the inclusion in a magazine, news article, or website specializing in such reviews.

First Time Boss

Kindle Edition

Library of Congress Number:  2016904318

Print ISBN-13:  978-0-997416-70-1

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LEGAL DISCLAIMER THIS BOOK IS NOT INTENDED, NOR DOES IT PURPORT, TO PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE. IT IS ONLY INTENDED TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION THAT MIGHT HELP INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ASSIGNED SUPERVISORIAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE WORKPLACE. YOU ARE ADVISED TO CHECK WITH YOUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT OR A COMPETENT EMPLOYMENT LAW ATTORNEY FOR DEFINITIVE ANSWERS REGARDING WORK-RELATED ISSUES AND CONCERNS. MATTERS DISCUSSED IN THIS PUBLICATION ARE CURRENT AS OF THE PUBLICATION DATE TO THE BEST OF THE AUTHORS’ KNOWLEDGE. NO WARRANTY, NEITHER EXPRESSED NOR IMPLIED, IS CREATED WITH RESPECT TO YOUR USE OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PUBLICATION. YOUR USE OF ANY OR ALL OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS AT YOUR OWN RISK AND WITH YOUR OWN JUDGMENT. THIS PUBLICATION IS SOLD AS IS.

Leadership is not magnetic personality. That can just as well be a glib tongue.  It is not making friends and influencing people, that is flattery.  Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.

– Peter F. Druker

I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the length of it.  I want to have lived the width of it as well.

– Diane Ackerman

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all of the supervisors, managers, HR professionals and leaders out there who take employee satisfaction, engagement, development, and growth seriously.  It is your dedication that paves the way for tomorrow’s workplace leaders.

A Note on How to

Use This Book

This is not your typical how-to book on managing staff.  Instead, think of this book as your companion while you embark on your new adventure: employee supervision.  Yes, the experience of becoming a leader in the workplace will certainly be an adventure. Filled with tips, examples, and explanations, this book is written for anyone who is beginning a career in supervision.  Whether you are a first time supervisor, manager, or executive, you will benefit from the insight of the authors.  This book is separated by sections with corresponding discussions.  For an easier read, each section is designed to be brief and to the point.  You may refer to the Table of Contents to find each section.  The Resources section provides additional information to assist you, such as professional development organizations and government agencies.

You will find information about the authors in the About the Authors section.  For simplicity, he is used throughout this publication and is intended to refer to both he and she. Supervisor, manager, boss and leader are used interchangeably, but are each intended to represent someone who is responsible for the work of others.  All references to laws, regulations, and the like are representative samples and are in no way exhaustive.

While this book is not intended as nor is a substitute for legal advice or practical experience, it will provide you with a solid foundation and certainly inspiration.  If, however, any part of this book conflicts with your employer’s established policies or practices, you should defer to those procedures and consult your Human Resources Department or a competent Employment Attorney.

Table of Contents

Inspiration

Dedication

A Note on How to Use this Book

Introduction

So You Wanna Be a Boss?

Transitioning From Worker to Boss

What Makes a Great Leader?

All Work and No Play

An Eye Toward Your Next Promotion

Conducting a Meet and Greet with Your New Staff

Effective Delegation

Jealousy In the Workplace

Finding a Mentor

Setting Expectations

Handling Workplace Complaints

Becoming a Leader in the Workplace

Effective Discipline/Corrective Action

Coaching and Counseling Employees

Chain of Command in the Workplace

Running Effective Meetings

Communicating Through Evaluations

Your Role as a Part-Time Mediator

Becoming a Public Speaker

Knowing the Law

Dealing with Problem Employees

Winning at Office Politics

Motivating Your Staff

Conducting Job Interviews

Last Words of Encouragement

About the Authors

Resources

SECTION ONE

Introduction:

First Time Boss

If you’re like most aspiring supervisors, managers, or team leaders, you probably have plenty of determination, but few strategies to help you get to the next level.  Unfortunately, most organizations offer very little training for the newly promoted supervisory employee.  Many people make the mistake of believing that being a supervisor requires the same technical skills similar to what made the employee successful in past roles.  What is often forgotten in the fantasy of promotion is that there are necessary changes one must make in order to take on the added responsibility.  Your overall objective will change from a limited role with clearly defined goals to big picture challenges and broader issues.  

As a supervisor, you must successfully, positively, and motivationally bring out other people’s strengths, effectively communicate with them, and remain influential and impartial.  Your new role is a big career step.  Supervisory and managerial skills don't automatically come with the title.  Be prepared for everything to go wrong and little to go right, despite your best efforts. This is not about you; it’s just the way things work.  Expect a bit of controversy at the onset. You won’t fully know what will change and how those changes will affect you until it happens.  Being a people person doesn't mean you will be effective while being an introvert doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t be effective. You will need a balance between great decision-making skills and charisma.  A leader who is top-heavy in