I wanted to quit the very first day I started to run a shift!
It was mid-morning and customers were starting to come in. Orders were pouring and the delivery men barged in with boxes of supplies to pile up in the shelves. I have in my mind all the steps discussed from my two-weeks training in running shifts successfully. However, it was totally a different story when things started to unfold around me and it was my turn to call the shots. I had to lead the team to finish the shift smoothly. I wanted to quit! Things were not happening the way I planned it until my manager came in and told me, “Don’t worry, things can really get crazy around here but I know you will get by.”
His statement was enough to keep me going. I know for a fact that if God allowed me to have this leadership position, then He must have a greater plan for me and my whole team. And on that day, I realized He wanted to teach me humility and responsibility. He gave me every reason to involve my team in managing the shift.
I asked my senior staff to manage the queue and that made her feel responsible. Someone volunteered to check on the delivery and I trusted him the list and that made him feel excited to try a new task. I focused on managing bottlenecks from every station. I never left them during the peak hour of operation. And it actually made me feel satisfied knowing that all things were completed because of teamwork.
As a supervisor, I can never run a shift alone. I can never be successful doing it on my own. It was never fun to celebrate success all by myself.
Supervision is indeed having super powers in having a vision. It is seeing how each part completes the whole operation. It is guiding people to be at the right place at the right time. It is providing them with the right resources to produce the right product. And it is ultimately inspiring them to see their value as part of a whole.
Supervisors lead from the middle. We get things done for our bosses through other people. Supervisors are not born; we are tried and tested by years of hard work, honed with passion, inspired and empowered by a vision.
Moses answered the people. He said, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm. You will see how the Lord will save you today. Do you see those Egyptians? You will never see them again. The Lord will fight for you. Just be still.” - Exodus 14:13-14
Sheila Marie P. Pacia
Manager. Coach. Mentor.
Daughter. Sister. Friend.
Through the years, she has learned how to appreciate diversity. For her, we are all so different from each other that we have so much to share.
