Supervisor's Survival Kit: Your First Step into Management, Ninth Edition

TRANSITION DANGERS

In making the transition, it may help traditional supervisors to think of themselves as “boundary managers” instead of direct, forceful bosses. That is, a supervisor acts as a team “facilitator” and public relations agent, as well as a leader-supervisor. For example, spend more time coordinating productivity efforts with other departments, obtaining resources the team needs, and negotiating conflicts inside and outside of team boundaries.

A team boundary is the sphere of responsibility or work area of the team. A boundary manager is needed when a problem transcends the team's boundary. The team hands the problem off to the boundary ...