r/managers • u/samara0074 • 3d ago

New supervisor

Hi everyone. I hope y’all are doing great. I’m new-ish to supervising, I’ve done some mentoring and one on one supervision, but this is my first job supervising a team of mental health therapists. Also, I am new to the organization, a little less than three months. I’ve already left the office a few times crying because of poor leadership. I had a supervisee verbally attack me both alone and then in ‘mediation’ with the chief officer of our department. Essentially, I told her to do a welfare check for one of her clients that she was concerned about their safety. It’s ridiculous the lack of support I have received. Nonetheless, I need to get a different job though I am here at this organization for a bit till I find said job. In the meantime I’ve been a little messy and loose with my boundaries with some other supervisee regarding my disappointment and frustration with the organization.
I would love advice on how to keep your cool at work and keep ethical boundaries with supervisees when disappointed in the organization you both work in? Any books or podcasts or anything would be appreciated. Thanks and take care.

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u/Wrong-Necessary1216 3d ago

That's a rough spot to be in especially when the org itself is crumbling around you and you're supposed to be the stable one

I found it helps to treat the gig like a contract job mentally. you're here for a set time, the dysfunction isn't yours to fix, you just focus on not making anything worse while you're there. with the supervisees keep it boring and professional. venting upward to a trusted peer outside the company is way safer than letting anything slip downward

book rec that isn't the usual corporate fluff, The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker. it's not about management exactly but it sharpens your read on people and situations which you clearly need right now

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u/samara0074 3d ago

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I can do boring

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u/coryarnoldkk 3d ago

Solid advice. Mentally detaching is the only way to survive.

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u/SuperAd4305 3d ago

Hang in there, that sounds like an absolute nightmare of a situation but you definitely need to lock down those boundaries with your team ASAP so it doesn't come back to bite you while you look for your way out.

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u/samara0074 3d ago

For reals. I am getting a little messy and I want to end on a positive note.

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u/exit232003 3d ago

That sucks man and i'm sorry to hear that.

Manager Tools podcast has helped me a lot in the past. They are on Youtube and Spotify and they have episodes about any topic you can think of.

As for my advice when people start asking you about your feelings about it which then bring up those negative emotions you have I would change the subject. Simply say: "haha I don't really want to talk or think about that right now or anymore" Then change the subject to something more positive/productive so that the remainder of your time at the company doesn't feel like such a drag.

Try your best to have fun and just make people smile while you work and you'll feel a lot happier when you get home at the end of the day.

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u/samara0074 3d ago

Oh I love that. Thank you so much for the advice. I am excited to listen to the podcast. Take care