A little guidance for leaders that worked their way up
Last August I was promoted from the highest level CNC operator to a shift lead position, I am one of 4 in our department on our shift. This site is growing rapidly, I was hired when we had less than 500 employees, we have a little over 2k and in 5-7 years they are planning on 5k. There is a lot of opportunity coming, my employer prefers to promote from within as much as possible and in the next 3 years or so I have a chance to seize that opportunity again.
We have a new supervisor, formerly a machine operator and then shift lead as well, and one of his goals set by his boss’s boss was to identify and begin grooming the next supervisor for our shift and department. To my surprise he picked me, apparently immediately on the spot. It is of course no guarantee but in my one year as a shift lead I have had to be involved in a sexual harassment situation, a conflict between two other shift leads that damn near became a fist fight and another very sensitive situation. I apparently made a name for myself for my handling of these situations much higher than I had realized as it was decided I was the perfect fit.
The problem is I have no background in leadership and I can already see what my biggest challenge will be…disconnecting from the floor. I have no degree, help between truancy and discipline issues I barely graduated high school. I never thought I’d be in a position to climb any ladder, I have always been a machine operator. They want me in the same department on the same shift.
I am a people person, I made friends with everyone. How do I begin to separate myself from the folks that were my coworkers a year ago? I know that I can do the supervisor job, I can have the hard talks, write people up or potentially terminate them. I’m fully capable at doing what needs to be done. I’m concerned that it will eat me up inside, I’m also worried that former coworkers may take issue with someone they used to work next to eventually being the one to handle raises and disciplinary issues and whatnot, especially when I legitimately made friends with so many of them. Our new supervisor climbed the same ladder but he is the opposite of me, he was respected and liked, but he made friends with nobody.
My current position is between operator and supervisor, leaders on the shop floor, we basically run things day to day. But when it’s a hard decision or sometimes a stupid one, we have the excuse that we don’t actually make those decisions, we just carry them out. It gives us a level of separation that allows us to work together with the operators. Training them, coaching them, motivating them, working on their machine, convincing them that yes this is dumb but it’s what we are doing so let’s stop whining and get to it because this is the way it is.
Our previous supervisor already told me that I approach issues from the operators standpoint, which he said was overall very good because being their advocate and voice in the office is part of my job. But that equally important is carrying out the directives from management. Not that I don’t, but apparently I advocate too hard for the people in my lines sometimes.
I understand what is needed of me as a supervisor, I understand where I need to be and how I need to make decisions, the level of separation needed. What I’m having a hard time with is how do I start making changes now to be prepared in 3 or so years to confidently step into a supervisor role, what mindset is needed to fill that role, what things should I start doing now to distance myself somewhat from my former coworkers to begin to set that boundary now?
Any guidance is appreciated.