I was promoted to supervisor one year ago. I am one of 5 supervisors in charge of crews doing maintenance and repair work for the county.
The pay is good, the work is hard labor, but the quantity of work was reasonable. They have been slowly increasing the expectations and trying to run it like a corporation. I am doing my best to fight the system, but as the newest and often only supervisor fighting it feels like a losing battle.
I took over one of the senior crews that previously had been micromanaged and has Post Stupid Supervisor Syndrome. I feel like we are doing OK, but there is constant pressure from management and resistance from the crew. I know pay is a big deal, so I have tried to do right and give decent annual reviews. Many of the guys have argued for better raises, while my boss and fellow supervisors are complaining I am not following the guidelines and giving too good of raises. I feel like a tech tonic plate, just waiting for an earthquake. I have tried boosting morale by spending my money on food, I bought a cornhole set so if they get done early they can toss a bean bag around the warehouse. But I get very little feedback from my crew. I have heard positive feedback from other crews. I often see what not to do as a manager, but rarely examples of how to be a better “boss”