What should the new supervisor attempt to accomplish during the first few weeks?

What will be an ideal response?

1. Maintain productivity. Try to keep the productivity and efficiency of the department at previous levels, with some improvement if possible.
2. Build relationships with employees. Redefine and start building a new, strong relationship with each employee. Get to know your people. Introduce yourself. Let them get to know you. Self-disclosure can help employees see you as a person, not just as a supervisor.
3. Build relationships with peers. Keep in mind that fellow supervisors can often assist you in making your transition.
4. Think like management. Make some progress in the direction of becoming a solid member of the management team. Start the process by thinking like a manager, not like an employee. Do not fall into the trap of criticizing management openly to your employees. Work as a member of management to correct problems, and do so with a spirit of unity and teamwork.
5. Ask questions and learn. Begin with the premise that the people doing the work know more about how things are done, and why things are done in certain way, than you do. Inquire about their jobs and work processes without feeling you have to immediately fix things. Once you are assured you have the full picture, you will avoid implementing premature changes that may backfire. Assess now; make changes later.
6. Stay positive. No matter how you feel on the inside, stay positive and appear confident on the outside.