You may now be a seasoned company manager with responsibility for supervising people, but there was a time when you were a newbie experiencing a number of "firsts." Your first employee review. Leading your first team meeting. How did you prepare for these "firsts?"

Companies often promote employees without preparing them for the "firsts" of management. Today and tomorrow, Promotional Consultant Today shares these tips for first-time supervisors. Even if you are highly experienced at supervising others, chances are you may learn something new too.

1. Don't try to be everyone's friend. This doesn't mean you shouldn't be friendly but there's a difference. It's not realistic to think you can be everyone's friend, especially if, at some point, you need to discipline an employee or deliver bad news. This is particularly true if you've "moved up through the ranks" and are supervising former coworkers.

2. Fair and equal are not the same thing. Employees want to be treated fairly. But it's possible to be fair and not give everyone the same thing. Recognition is a good example. Everyone enjoys being recognized but not all people want to be recognized in the same way. Find out what kind of recognition has the most value for those you supervise.

3. Ask for feedback and input. You don't have to know everything. We often put unnecessary pressure on ourselves by assuming, incorrectly, that being a supervisor means we need to have all the answers. Being a supervisor means we should be able to find all the answers but not that all the answers are located in our own heads.

4. Learn how to run a good meeting. People complain all the time about the time wasted in meetings. Developing a reputation for chairing a good meeting will do wonders for your career because people will want to attend your meetings and participate at a high level. This leads to productive conversations and measurable results.

5. Find time to relax. Let's not sugar coat it—most of the time becoming a supervisor includes extra work. We must be able to effectively manage our workload without getting burned out. Our team relies on us to keep ourselves healthy and energetic. Otherwise, we're a drain on the organization.

Want more first-timer tips? Read PCT again tomorrow.

Source: Sharlyn Lauby is a human resources pro turned consultant. She created the HR Bartender blog so people would have a friendly place to discuss workplace issues.