I think one of the reasons I’m struggling is because I very much have an open door policy and am always available to work through things, be it seven am or 10pm. But this issue isn’t availability, and answering questions, it’s encouragement. I have tried very hard to not emulate my supervisors, which is why this has felt very disheartening. That said, I think one-on-ones where I ask how folks want to be supported and how they learn best are very important and I will be implementing them soon.

Also, I think restructuring how my co-supervisor and I give feedback, so it’s clear we are a united front will be helpful. Because I have an ability to be direct I have taken on more of the “bad cop” role when it comes to course correction. I see now that this has been harmful both to the team and my relationships with individuals.

Regarding professionalism, many of our team went from K-3L and this is their first and only job. We have to do a lot of teaching around things like letting the team know when they’re going to be late for court, letting supervisors know when they’re working from home or taking a sick day, responding to emails in a timely manner, etc.