Supervising

If you ask me, I get absolutely stressed up having to supervise a colleague or an intern. If the colleague or student fail to perform or fail to understand the processes, I am the one who will be questioned. I'd be more than glad to take on more cases than to take on more underlings. Sadly, life is never all about learning and not imparting so I have been given the privilege to impart.

Currently, I have a co-worker who has been following me for the past 3 months. She is a fantastic helper but I do feel bad because I am unable to coach her in a systematic way. My other colleague has urged me to guide her in every way that I can so what I did (and all that I could offer) was to do it on-the-job. She followed me wherever I go. Unfortunately, every family I am working with right now can only converse in Mandarin. Ultimately, she missed out the work processes with the family but did spend a considerable amount of time seeing me communicate with the professionals (teachers, other social workers, etc).

One day while I was driving, I was wondering "Hmm... it has been about 2 months. Why is it that so-and-so dare not speak up at the meeting even though I have given taken a seat back and zipped?" Then it hit me "Hey! Sandra! You were like that too remember?" When I went for meeting with my boss last time, I dare not speak a word for fear that I will talk wrongly. So I kept quiet and just observe. Just a couple of weeks, when my boss let me swim in the deep ocean holding reminding me that he's holding the float. That was when I really learn. With this knowledge, I went and ask my colleague and she confirmed her feelings were exactly. She said that she'd rather observe me now than to make a mistake at a meeting.

Well, today I told her "Ok, go and swim. There is a new case that's going to be English speaking." Now, I can't wait to observe!

On hindsight as I think about it, I really thank God for this opportunity to impart because it's with imparting my knowledge do I learn more. I will question myself on the things that I long to see in a supervisor then I will be that to my colleague. I do often communicate openly with my colleague and ask her to critic me. I do also tell her very often that we are like iron sharpening one another as our strengths may differ. On the whole, I do appreciate the learning process.

Well, I don't know to count my blessings or what but my boss just dropped me yet another bomb. He told me that he is going to have an intern under him and he has decided to place her under my care. *sigh* So here I am, feeling all stressed again like how can I train this girl? My strength is really not in training.

Here I go again.....