Shownotes
The “New Supe’ Group” is an educational, supportive, and mentorship program that was recently created for COAAA employees that recently were promoted into supervisory roles. Transitioning into this type of role can be challenging, with learning new programs, skills, and requirements.
The goal of the New Supe Group is to create shared learning experiences and connection to peers to ensure a supportive and successful work environment across the agency. Bruce Rhodeback from Care Transitions and Leslie Miller from Assessment share their experiences as new Supervisors.
Leslie, who almost has two decades of service at COAAA, opens up about her evolution from case management to her current role as Assessment Supervisor. Having recently stepped into this position, Leslie outlines the multifaceted responsibilities that come with it, such as training staff, managing chart reviews, and dealing with complex consumer issues.
Bruce, with COAAA for almost 8 years, brings a slightly different perspective. His journey began with the Aetna MyCare waiver program and transitioned through Care Transitions to his supervisory role. He speaks to the challenges that come with overseeing case managers, adhering to clinical demands, and often finding himself caught between the expectations of upper management and the needs of his staff.
Empowering Connections in Large Agencies: "But with these new programs that we're working in, like the (COAAA) University, like the "supe group," and different trainings, we're working to create those cohorts so that people do have peers and people they can go to to support." — Katie White
Both Bruce and Leslie tackle the complexities of middle management, from protecting confidential information to guiding their team through difficult times without divulging sensitive details.
Bruce advises those considering a supervisory role to explore available resources, such as coursework and guidance from current supervisors, emphasizing the City of Columbus website as a valuable starting point.
Challenges of Being a New Supervisor in a Growing Program: "I've learned a lot about myself in the last year, but also a lot about the, you know, the program and the program that I'm with that is constantly growing and changing and moving." — Bruce
Leslie complements this by encouraging honest conversations with supervisors about the benefits and drawbacks of stepping into a leadership role.
The Joy of Mentorship in the Workplace: "I mean, I've always enjoyed teaching, and so that's, you know, one of my favorite parts about being a supervisor. And, you know, I love this agency, so I really on, you know, instill that in other people and, help new people really be happy here and feel like this is a place for them." — Leslie
3 Key Takeaways
- **The Support System**: Learn about the impact of structured support through cohorts and small groups. Discover how these systems foster peer learning and prevent isolation within a large organization.
- **Middle Management Insights**: Gain insight into the balance required between satisfying upper management expectations and advocating for your team's needs, including the delicate handling of confidential information.
- **Personal Growth Strategies**: Uncover strategies for personal and professional development as a supervisor. From leveraging resources like books and podcasts to reflecting on your own values, find out how continuous learning shapes effective leadership.
Memorable Moments
05:12 Navigating supervisory challenges with older staff members.
07:23 New supervisor learns and grows in unique role.
13:00 Grateful for growth, seeking feedback on reports.
14:09 Staff receive regular supervision, support, and training.
16:49 Consumer issues require timely, attentive handling.
21:27 Supervising case managers, meeting requirements, balancing act.
25:26 Clear communication and validation are key with supervisors.
29:39 Columbus offers online classes for supervisor preparation.
31:55 Seek guidance from supervisors and explore resources.
37:34 Teaching is empowering, agency is supportive, successful.
Let me know what you think of this podcast, as well as any ideas you have for an episode. Email me at kwhite@coaaa.org!
Copyright 2024 Central Ohio Area Agency On Aging
Transcripts
Welcome to Pretend I Know Nothing About. I'm Katie White, your host, and Administrator of COAAA.
Katie White [:On today's episode, we will be learning about what it's like to be a new supervisor. We'll hear from Bruce Rhodeback in Area Transitions, as well as Leslie Miller in Assessment. Let's get into it. Well, welcome to the show, Bruce and Leslie. We are excited to have you here today. I've got Bruce Rhodeback, Area Transition Supervisor, and Leslie Miller, Assessment Supervisor, here on the show today. And we are on talk about the new sup group and what it's like to be a new supervisor. Welcome.
Bruce [:Thank you.
Katie White [:So, Leslie, please, tell us a little bit about yourself, your role, how you got here. Let's get to know you.
Leslie [:Okay. So I actually have been with COAAA for, it'll be 20 years in April. Wow. And, I started out before we had split between case management and assessor. So I was a case management. By case manager in passport. Great. And, then when we did the split, I think it was
Katie White [:2015. Okay.
Leslie [:I decided to go to assessor because I, I like things that are I like to be in and out, when I work with people. I was an ER social worker for 10 and a half years, so I felt like that, And I always liked that, and I felt like that, gelled more with doing with what I did as a in the ER. Okay. So I, was an ER social worker, and then, I was an ER social worker in for 10 and a half years in the nineties, but then I got, became the assessment supervisor, a little bit over a year ago.
Katie White [:That's great. Yeah. And I've definitely talked to case managers and assessors, and there is a difference between ongoing engagement, and some people really want that, and kind of the the in and out like you described. So they are they're different skill sets, they're different, comfort levels and passions, and we need both. So it's great. Well, thank you. And, Bruce, how about you?
Bruce [:Yeah. I have, been at COAAA. I'm going on 8 years. It'll be 8 years in November. I started off, on internship at, a nursing facility here in Columbus. And then shortly after that, when I graduated in 2016, I came over here. So I spent the majority of my professional career at COAAA. I started off in the Aetna MyCare waiver program, in November of 2016.
Bruce [:I was did multiple roles in that program until February of 2023 White I transitioned over to Care Transitions, and I've been a supervisor since.
Katie White [:That's great. So you were in, which facility?
Bruce [:I was at Wexner Heritage House.
Katie White [:Oh, great. Okay. Village. Village. Yes. Yep. It's a good one.
Bruce [:Yes.
Katie White [:Alright. So we are with 2 semi new supervisors. And what we learned on an episode about COAAA University is that we also have this, quote, unquote, new sup group. So we had a big influx in new supervisors in, 2023 and a little bit into 24. And so this group comes together, and you guys have some education and on, but I wanna get to know even more about that. So tell me a little bit about the new super, Leslie.
Leslie [:So as you said, we do have education and, bonding. I think for me, what was really helpful is, when I was an assessor, if I had a difficult case, I could talk with my coworkers about it. You know, if I was walking down the hall, how are you? And I'd say, oh, I just had this. When you're a supervisor, you can't really do that.
Katie White [:Okay. Tell me more about that.
Leslie [:I mean, I it's just you don't you I didn't feel it was appropriate to talk with, you know, with everybody about what I was doing.
Katie White [:So When some of the challenges
Leslie [:Yeah. Some of the yes. So, it was really nice to have people that I did feel that I could share that White, that, you know, that they got me, they understood what I was going through and that I was able to get understanding and support.
Katie White [:Yeah. They're your peers. Right? So thinking about how the work shifts from being the person doing the work to being the person supporting and overseeing the work. That is that is a lot of, shifting in in terms of skills and all of that. Got it. Okay. And, Bruce, a little bit more about the SIP group. So what kinds of stuff do you guys talk about?
Bruce [:So, we talk about how to deal with, you know, obviously our staff. And I guess the biggest thing, that I've really taken to heart is, my age and, supervising people who are much older than me, who have been in the profession much longer than me, or even I supervise multiple nurses. So I'm a social worker who is supervising nurses. So, just dealing with that kind of thing and how to go about doing that in a respectful manner. But also making sure that, you know, you get you get your message across while, still started off in Aetna, my care and I was on Aetna, my care until I became a supervisor in another program. That's very unique because most people become a supervisor in the program they've been in.
Katie White [:Oh, interesting.
Bruce [:Yeah. So I'm like, I think on of maybe 2 in our, small sup, group that has, transitioned to a whole new department. So that's been a huge challenge for me and just, learning from everybody in that group has been great. Not just about supervising, but also learning about other programs because you stay in your little cohort for so long. And when you're thrown into agency wide things, you learn a lot more about the agency than just your little group of Aetna or Molina or, you know, passport, things like that. So just learning from everybody and how different everybody does things just because every program has their different needs or different requirements, their, all that stuff. So just taking a little bit from everybody has been really helpful.
Katie White [:So I didn't think about the difference between becoming like, so, Leslie, you were an assessor and then you were able to, be promoted into assessment supervisor. But then you make a good point, Bruce, that you were an Aetna, so you knew all things Aetna, but you weren't soup you weren't, then moving into a supervisor there. So you had to learn a whole new program as you were also learning about yourself as a supervisor and learning those supervising skills.
Bruce [:And that's kind of been, like, my biggest struggles I've had being a new supervisor. I've learned a lot about myself in the last year, but also a lot about the, you know, the program and the program that I'm with that is constantly growing and changing and moving. It's not so set in stone like some of the other programs, within COAAA. But also, like, I was thinking, like, I'm very also very unique because my program is very small. And until just, the end of December, we only had me as one supervisor and then a clinical manager, Lisa Castro. So I didn't have, anybody to go to, other than Lisa to talk to things about, where other programs obviously have multiple supervisors. So, the small soup group has really helped me, interact with people that I normally wouldn't interact with
Katie White [:Okay.
Bruce [:And learned a lot, from them. So we have, a large supervisor group, and then, we break off into smaller groups. And Leslie is which is great because I'm learning, just how everybody is doing things on our small group. We that's what we really do. We really kind of, vent to each other and throw ideas around and try and figure out, you know, solve problem solve. Mhmm. Just because we don't have, we don't always get that, as a supervisor, in our own program.
Katie White [:Sure.
Bruce [:So it's like just problem solving and figuring out, like, what are you running into and how are you, you know, working through that? So that's kind of what we're doing on the small group, which is what I really appreciate. The big group is great, but the, the, the one on one interaction with the small group is what's really gotten me through, some difficult times in the last year with the career change and just all the challenges of being a supervisor, but also being a new supervisor in a new program.
Katie White [:Yeah. So, in the COAAA University episode, we talked about how they were intentionally creating these cohorts. So because the agency is so big, it's easy to kinda come in here and get swallowed up and feel like you're on an island. But with these new programs that we're working in, like the university, like the soup group, and different trainings, we're working to create those cohorts so that people do have peers and people they can go to to support. So it sounds like that's working. So that's good.
Bruce [:Yeah. Absolutely. Yes.
Katie White [:So, Leslie, in the big soup group, there are some specific topics you guys all cover. Like, is there always education and then there's just q and a? What does a big soup group event look like?
Leslie [:So each small group is in charge of some kind of, activity at the beginning, so kind of like a an icebreaker kind of activity. And, and then there's usually a topic that we talk about or we've had guest speakers, you know, related to supervision, and then it's, you know, discussion.
Katie White [:Okay. Yeah. So, again, it's a lot about learning, but then also about just team building and building that trust and knowing that if you have a question, you've got people to go to to support you. Okay. So now when I think about being a new supervisor, there's a leadership component, but there's also a lot of just very tangible requirements that come along with that, right? Whether it's supervision or reviews. Bruce, take me through a little bit about what it's like to be a supervisor, kinda your typical day or week.
Bruce [:So, again, my program is very not straightforward. Every every day is very different, but, usually we're, my typical week is, reviewing, charts, going through data. Because again, my, program is, new and we're innovative. So we're trying to look at what's working, what's not working, and adjusting how we, approach things based off of data that we're pulling, based off of, things that our staff is telling us. So, yeah. So I currently, I'm very lucky. I supervise only 5 people. I know that is very unique in our, in our Agency.
Bruce [:So I am very blessed by that because it does give me the opportunity to spend more one on one time with people and actually work through issues and, help them, learn and grow from things, that I'm noticing in their documentation or just any confusion that they may have. So obviously meeting with, our, upper management, Lisa Castro and Melissa Galtieri, who are just, constantly, you know, dealing with new needs and new things that are coming up and just, workshopping those. So that's kind of what we do throughout the COAAA. And then, just supporting my staff, going out on visits.
Katie White [:Okay.
Bruce [:I'm just shadowing them to make sure, you know, that everybody feels safe, but also that we're getting the results that we want, for our new programs that we're creating.
Katie White [:And then do you do the annual reviews for everyone?
Bruce [:I do. I've only I've only done a couple, but, yeah. So I guess that's like been the biggest thing is just, there is a lot that goes into those annual reviews. And obviously it's very important, not just for, us to do them correctly, but also it could, you know, obviously affect the staff members, merit raise, but also, you know, any potential
Katie White [:performance.
Bruce [:Thank you that, they, may have in the future. So yeah, so I've done, 3 so far, and each one has been, I've grown. I'm I'm sure the first one was not the greatest, but the, the second one and third one hopefully has gotten better. But yeah, I, I usually send those back and just ask for feedback, from Lisa Castro and then Melissa Cultieri obviously also reviews those. But, yeah. So that's kind of been the biggest another big challenge is just learning all those supervisory Aging. Mhmm. Because, there isn't there isn't a whole lot of grace Area for those kind of things.
Bruce [:You just kinda, like, gotta do it and learn from that, which has been something that is Aging, but, the way of doing it is just by doing it. So, I I do feel like I've grown just with a couple that I've done in, learning. I actually recently bought a book, on performance reviews and how to document those. I don't remember the name of it off the top of my head. I apologize.
Katie White [:That's great.
Bruce [:But, so, yeah, just learning stuff like that. Like, stuff that obviously you don't learn in school or as a social worker or as a nurse, but just learn by doing it and then kind of adjusting based off of the results of that. So, yeah. So, I mean, I, we do, each staff member has a monthly supervision where we go over their caseloads, any issues that they've run into, concerns, any improvements that we know we're looking at. So we do that once a month with every staff member. New staff, we're meeting with them weekly just to check-in, make sure that, you know, everything's going well because, we try to be very proactive instead of reactive. So we wanna try and make sure that they are getting the support they need so that they can continue to grow and, we can foster that growth the way that we, want to. So
Katie White [:Great. So you are supervising a program that's new, and so it's also a lot of creating and designing and implementing processes and changing those. Whereas, Leslie, in assessment as a supervisor, it's very regimented, right, in terms of, like, the processes and what's required and things like that, and it's, it's an established program. So tell me a little bit about, your typical day or week and and maybe contrast of what that looks like for Bruce since his program is newer?
Leslie [:So even though it is established, we have frequent changes just like everyone else. So it's a lot of so, it's kind of making new, procedures, new route sheets. I have, trained. I'm in the process still of training 4 people.
Katie White [:Four new people?
Leslie [:Yeah. That's a lot. Right. It's just a lot out of here. Since I started. Okay. Yeah. 4 I have 4 people that have been under a year.
Katie White [:Okay.
Leslie [:1, just a month, and yeah. So a lot of training, and luckily, I have a coworker, and she and I help each other with the training.
Katie White [:Oh, good.
Leslie [:So we might, you know, train, you know, do something to train 2 people at the same time and take turns with that. So a lot of training and then, you know, when people are newer, especially a lot of review chart reviews, you know, on, coaching and taking calls a lot of times because the assessors might be out.
Katie White [:Okay.
Leslie [:And then issues might come up with the consumers. So, taking calls, from the consumers and family members, and especially, we do passport and assisted living. And so a lot of the assisted Aging, assessments are pretty timely as far as that, you know, something needs to be done quickly because the person has, you know, might be at risk of losing their spot in the assisted living facility. So a lot of times, sometimes I need to act on those cases when the person is either out on visits or out on vacation or works part time. I have a couple of people that work part time, So handling those kinds of Aging. And, you know, planning, Aging super supervision with all of my staff and, doing I've done a lot of performance appraisals. I seem to have a whole bunch do at one time,
Bruce [:and
Leslie [:then, I'm actually preparing to go out on a medical leave, so I need to prepare the performance appraisals that would be due when I'm out. So Okay.
Katie White [:And so, a route sheet. Can you describe to me what a route sheet is and some examples that you have route sheets for?
Leslie [:So a route sheet is telling people really step by step, you know, telling the assessors, you know, what they need to do for the assessments. And, so we have assess we have route sheets for our regular passport assessments, route sheets, a different route sheet for assisted living waiver assessments, a different route sheet for, if somebody is a transfer from another Area agency on aging to our White, maybe they're in a nursing home in, a different, area Agency on aging, but they're coming back to their home on that happens to be in our area or vice versa if they're on be going from our site to another site. So those, you know, all have different procedures and, we've had a lot of changes, especially with assisted living. So we're constantly needing to revamp the
Katie White [:but then also sort of a checks and balances to make sure we're not missing anything within the everyday tasks and things that we need to do. Right. And task sheet or excuse me, route sheets are not unique to assessment. They exist all over the Agency. And I think it's another one of those examples of our clinical excellence of making sure that we are, you know, meeting all of our requirements, you know, we're always meeting all of our demands.
Leslie [:Right. And sometimes you realize, oh, we all do all this because we just know or some of us do, but it's really not on the route sheet. We need to add that on the route sheet. Okay. So, yeah, Okay. That kind of thing. As far as the changes and realizing that, you know, we need to add things to the route sheet. Okay.
Katie White [:Yeah. So some similarities in terms of supervision and meeting with people and problem solving. When I think about the difference between being a case manager or an assessor and moving into a supervision role, I feel like some of the surprising things for people are how much A lot of problem solving.
Bruce [:Mhmm.
Katie White [:Right?
Bruce [:Absolutely.
Katie White [:Probably a few difficult conversations here and there, which are their own unique beast that you have to kinda figure out and get used to, the reviews, the supervision, the the team meetings. And so, for people that are interested in becoming supervisors, sort of White are some of those, unique things that you now have to do as a supervisor that you might not have, anticipated?
Bruce [:So I I'll start. Like the, I guess, like, the hardest thing is that I guess I didn't quite understand being a case manager for so long how difficult middle management is. It's extremely difficult because, you're not just responsible as a case manager, you're just kind of responsible for yourself.
Katie White [:Mhmm.
Bruce [:As a supervisor, you are responsible for your case managers, but also making sure that you are meeting the requirements, set by your clinical manager. So trying to balance all of that and being literally that middleman, is, something that I, was kind of taken back by on not, not that I wasn't expecting it, but just not expecting how intense of it, how intense it is. Because obviously you do wanna make sure that your, your case managers are heard, but, we are also, we also have to follow the rules set by these, insurance companies and the grants that we are receiving to provide these services. So, it's a it's a balancing act that I, continue to, try and work on every day, making sure that I'm meeting the requirements on my staff, but also making sure I'm reading meeting the requirements by my, management, upper management team. So I guess that's like the biggest thing is that, middle management is. Yeah. And, just to, like, reiterate, that's why this this supervisor group is so great because we're all on the same boat. We're all new to this.
Bruce [:We're all experiencing this at the same time. So anything that we're doing, we can really learn from each other.
Katie White [:Leslie, anything that is kind of Katie not surprising, but something that you weren't necessarily anticipating as you moved into this role, and it's okay if that's no?
Leslie [:Yeah. I mean, there's a lot that I hadn't anticipated. I guess, you know, when you're when I was an assessor and I thought, oh, why aren't things done this way? This makes more sense. It would make our job easier. You know, unfortunately, it's kind of like you might look at when I was looking at a consumer, I would like to do this for this person, but then you need to look at what is reality and what's possible. And so I, you know, have to do the same thing with my team that I would like to do this, but what is the reality and what's possible? So, definitely that, you know, definitely, just that I do have to get used to having difficult conversations, especially with people who were my peers. So that's, you know, that's sometimes a challenge.
Katie White [:Mhmm. I keep thinking about as you kind of move into higher level supervision or on manager roles, there's, at least for me, there's a pressure of knowing, and there's a pressure of not being able to tell. And then there's a pressure of trying to make sure everyone feels supported within all of those different pieces. But, you know, the the more you know, the more confidentiality basically that comes with a role. Mhmm. And then the harder it is to make sure your team knows you're really there for them.
Bruce [:But Exactly.
Katie White [:X White z is not possible. I can't necessarily tell you all the details as to why, but I want you to know that I hear you and I'm advocating, but, you know, here's the reality.
Bruce [:Yeah. And I just to kind of piggyback off of that. Yeah. That is the other thing is, like, I always want to give the why because I feel like that that will eliminate a lot of the frustration, but we can't always give the why because we're, for one, things are constantly changing and moving, but we may not even know the why at the time.
Katie White [:Right.
Bruce [:So, just trying to let them know that I I understand your frustration, that this is a requirement that is being set forth, so we have to follow follow that. Yeah. So that's that. Because I I mean, I like kinda like Leslie was Aging, when when I was a case manager, I was always like, why are we doing these things? Why are we doing these things? Not realizing that there's a lot more to it than this that supervisor saying, please do this. Yeah. And because they may not know the why themselves.
Katie White [:Yeah. So Absolutely. No. I think that's well said and, a lot of clear communication to the extent possible and validating and really showing up for people goes a long way with supervisors. And I feel like that was something when I attended the new sup group that you all were sharing some of those, kind of best practices and and making sure people felt supported too. So we talked a little bit about some things that were surprising or not anticipated, but what about a success story or a favorite story? When you think about yourself as a new supervisor, what's something that you're proud of or or a successful example?
Leslie [:I have a holiday card I got with just really nice things that everyone wrote. So if I'm having a bad day, I you know, for my team, sometimes I look at that.
Katie White [:That's wonderful. I have a I have a, happy inbox folder happy folder in my email, and I put stuff in there and same thing because there are bad days. And then you have to go in there and you're like, no. No. I'm doing a good job. I like that one. Bruce, how about you?
Bruce [:The thing that comes to mind is, I'm very hard on myself and nobody's a bigger critic to, I'm I'm my biggest critic. So, I'm always feeling like I'm like I'm not doing well enough or failing my team. So when I have staff come up to me and to say, say thank you for, you know, going through this process with me. Thank you for listening. Thank you for helping me through x, y, or z. That really reiterates to me that I am doing well, and that I am learning and I have to be graceful to myself, because, you don't know what you don't know.
Katie White [:Right.
Bruce [:So, that's the biggest thing is just having staff say thank you and, just feeling like I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing. So
Katie White [:Yeah. And being a supervisor isn't necessarily something that people are born with, those skills. Right? Being a skilled supervisor is definitely learned. And so just because one day you Area case manager and assessor and the next day you're a supervisor, doesn't mean you're gonna have all the answers, doesn't mean you're gonna know how to do everything. That or, you know, just being authentic, I think goes a long way.
Bruce [:Yeah. Like, just to add to that, like, I if I mess up, I tell my team, I'm sorry, that was on me.
Leslie [:Yeah.
Bruce [:That was I I learned from this. I messed up. Let's let's we'll grow from this together. So just letting them know that, like, I'm not perfect by any stretch. Yeah. Which I, I think is huge just because it kinda reiterates that to the staff that, White, you know, they're learning as well. And it's okay if I mess up because they mess up too.
Katie White [:Yeah.
Bruce [:So, but yeah. So yeah.
Leslie [:I try to say to myself what I would say to someone on my team if they felt like they made a mistake or, you know, I try to say that to myself. You know, what would I tell somebody that I'm trying to supervise if they were encountering that?
Katie White [:If they made this mistake. Yeah. That's a really good way to think about it because, yeah, I think we all are easy to be hard on ourselves. But there's also a factor of Aging on a new supervisory role in and of it itself is a challenge. And so just a testament to saying, I'm not on know everything, but I'm gonna work hard to get there and to be there, you know, be as as good as I can. And I'm gonna make mistakes. I'm gonna forgive myself just like I would forgive you.
Bruce [:Mhmm. Exactly.
Katie White [:There's it's impossible to be perfect, right, especially around here in clinical work because people are people y. Right? Aging things there's no way to control everything. Bruce, you mentioned a book that you are reading. Are there any other articles or quotes? Or what are some things as you've stepped into, or even as you were preparing to be a supervisor, that kind of motivated you both to want to take this next step?
Bruce [:I actually have received several books from staff here who are still supervisors. I read quite a few of those. I've listened to a lot of podcasts. I've listened to a lot of your podcasts about leadership and everything.
Katie White [:Bonus points.
Bruce [:But yeah. So, also the city of Columbus, offers a lot of great classes online. You don't even have to go to the building downtown that help you prepare to be a supervisor. By just looking up, you can just go to the, the education COAAA of Columbus education courses, you can just type in supervisor, and they'll it'll pop up with, classes that you can, take, go on person or watch online, just helping you to, learn how to be a supervisor, but how to supervise people, and all the stuff you have to do when it comes to, performance reviews and things like that. So I really utilized, the resources that we have.
Leslie [:Good.
Bruce [:But also, I appreciate Katie I have you know, people giving me great books to read, and I do read those. And I listen to podcasts, about being a supervisor, being a leader. That's been really the thing that I've been doing a lot is just listening just, so I can multitask because we're all so busy. So those podcasts are great because you can listen and, a lot of that resonates, with what we do. So
Katie White [:Yeah. Leslie, how about you? Anything to add?
Leslie [:I mean, I would say, you know, we do have a lot of resources, like on our, the HR for supervisors. I use a lot of those materials. I got that same book about writing performance, appraisals. I think someone had suggested it in our meeting. I think, you know, just having been at this agency and really remembering the things that I really love about it, you know, and how I would want to be supervised, has helped me.
Katie White [:Yeah. I love that introspective that you have on that. So someone that is thinking that they might want to be a supervisor and, thinking about applying, what would you recommend that they, either, you know, read or attend or just even ask some themselves in their process of considering applying to be a supervisor?
Bruce [:I would say, 1, go on to the City of Columbus, website, where we have all those courses and just review some of those. But also the thing that I think is really helpful is just going to your supervisor that you are that's currently supervising you and, getting some thoughts and ideas out there from them. Like, you know, what what can I go to your supervisor and say, what can I do? I'm looking at becoming a supervisor. What are some things I can do now, to really help improve on, you know, my resume to, help me become a supervisor here at COAAA, because we've all been Area. We've all, not all of us have, you know, most of us have not started out as a supervisor immediately, within the agency. So, I would just go to your supervisor and ask, you know, Katie, maybe they'll mentor you, and really take you under their wing and kind on, help you get to a point where you feel confident utilizing the resources that the city of Columbus has, has for us, which is a lot, but also, just reaching out to supervisors within our own agency and just, you know, kind of having them mentor you.
Katie White [:Yeah. Great. Anything to add?
Leslie [:I I would say maybe also if there's somebody that you can really relate to that is a supervisor or just really having an honest discussion with them about what are some of the pros, what are some of the on, and, you know, do you think it's something that I would like to do? Mhmm.
Katie White [:Yeah. Just being really open and honest about the work with someone that knows you. Yeah.
Leslie [:Right. Got
Katie White [:it. Great. So, we've got time for the miracle questions. So I love this one. What is one thing you would change or add about COAAA? Pay people more on. Okay. Popular answer?
Leslie [:Yeah. Yeah.
Bruce [:I mean, just to add on on that a little bit, that that is, one of the biggest challenges as a supervisor that you run into is people, not being paid what they deem necessary and having limited to no, ways of fixing that for them.
Katie White [:Sure.
Bruce [:And that's usually the thing that, you know, most people are upset about is their pay or, you know, the rate their yearly raise. You can do everything. We can do everything on our end, but it's it's really out of our control just because of the way the setup is within the city of Columbus. So I kind of agree with that one. But I would I mean, the other thing I would agree with is just in the ideal world is just we've gotten so especially since COVID, we've gotten so stuck into our little group, and not realizing that there's so many great people in this agency that we can lean on and help and support and vice versa. Just expanding that, not, not staying in your, your little pod, which is what most people wanna do because it's comfortable. Yeah. So being, being comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Bruce [:So that's like the thing is that there is, you can learn a lot from a lot of people. There's a lot of great smart people at this agency, who can really help you, propel, you know, your career. If whether that's, you know, you wanna see a case manager, become a better case manager, be you know, working to manage upper management, is just really getting out of that comfort zone. Because I, again, I I I moved from 1 program to a program I knew nothing about, and I it made me very uncomfortable, but I have grown a lot as a person in that year. So Yeah.
Katie White [:Yeah. So some opportunities to kinda learn from people across the agency. And regarding pay, speaking of the knowing and not being able to share all of the Aging, but, we are on contracts. So I'm not sure if everybody knows how our budget works, but we self fund ourselves. And so when we negotiate a contract increase or not getting an increase, then that obviously on turn, affects what we can or cannot pay. We did recently go through a pay equity review, and we increased, to the point that we could and White, you know, within different constraints. But, yeah, the pay isn't necessarily all within our control, and there's a lot of variables that go in it.
Katie White [:Any final thoughts that you want people to know about being a new supe or a new supe group?
Leslie [:I mean, I've always enjoyed teaching, and so that's, you know, one of my favorite parts about being a supervisor. And, you know, I love this Agency, so I really on, you know, instill that in other people and, help new people really be happy here and feel like this is a place for them.
Katie White [:That's great. And teaching. Yeah. That's a huge piece. We've I mean, we've talked about supporting and things like that. But, yeah, teaching is a huge role of a supervisor too. And I could see if that is a skill or an interest of people, that teaching would be a good thing to think COAAA. Oh, maybe I would be a good supervisor because I like to teach.
Katie White [:Great. Bruce?
Bruce [:Again, just to kind of piggyback off of Leslie, I would yeah. I would say that, teaching is that the opportunity to teach is really, empowering, for me. And but also I this agency is great, and there, there's a lot of great people here. So just continuing to really let people know, like, this this is this is some place that you could really grow, and, become the best version of yourself here. And there's so much support, with management, and everybody wants everybody to succeed, but also we want to provide, you know, the best care possible for the people of Central Ohio. And really, I feel like we're doing a heck of a job at doing that, with the very limited, limited resources and very limited things that we have here. We are, we're just doing great.
Katie White [:I love it. Well, thank you both so much for being on. I appreciate your time, and, thanks for being here.
Katie White [:Thank you.
Katie White [:I hope now you know something about being a supervisor at COAAA.
