Delegate tasks! Even after 2.5 years of being a shift I still struggle cause I just want to do everything myself. It will make your life so much easier though. Also time management is key. It will make or break your shift. But also don’t take things too seriously. It’s easy to get stressed out but if you remember that it’s just coffee then you will be fine.

Make sure you get everyone on their breaks. Now more than ever. You can move them when you have to, but sometimes it's better to suffer a short time to make sure everyone else is taken care of.

Make sure your handoffs are good. If you're not the opener, ask everything you need to know. For us, we usually go through breaks needed, cold brew sitch, food pulls, trash rotation, and what you're working towards.
If you are the opener, make sure you answer all their questions. And tell them everything they should know going in. You get better as you go with what you need to know.

Know what needs to get done for your day part, and work towards that. Personally, regardless of open or close, I can't look at the schedule and know what's going to happen in the duration of my shift. I've been doing it long enough to know about where I should be at what time, and where I would like to be. Sometimes they're the same, sometimes not. Sometimes you get a rush at the worst time. Bad handoffs happen, more so when you're newer and are figuring out how you run things.

Be in a position that allows you to flex. Not sure if you're DT or cafe only, I've only worked at dt stores. In go mode, dto is a good spot for me, sometimes bar 2. We usually run a 6-7 play for peak, depending on the day. Outside of peak, I almost exclusively run my shifts from customer support. We've had some turnover and I find that there are few partners that I like running CS that are not shifts, and we usually only overlap shift coverage for part of the morning. Every store is a different case though. The important thing is to ensure you're able to respond to issues and observe all parts of the store.

Take care of your partners. While I covered some of this in the first paragraph, it is so important, I'm mentioning it again. You've been at their level, soloing on bar during rushes, getting through peaks. First and foremost make sure they get their breaks. Get to know everyone too though. Ask them frequently how they're feeling. If it's cold out, swap out the window partner frequently, every 30-60 minutes max. When they have issues, you need to solve them. Customers are at their worst right now. You need to be the one to step in when you see they're getting to be a problem. If you see someone without a mask, meet them with one before they reach the POS. Give people the time to go to the bathroom when they need to, to hide in the back when they just dealt with a problem customer and are in tears. Sometimes it happens. Everyone else pulls together and suffers a bit on the play to let them recover. If someone is sick and needs to go home, send them home right away. Hopefully you'll find coverage, and or your sm will help find coverage. Remember that you were once just a partner, and you're responsible for the safety and security of your partners, yourself, and your customers.

Approach every conflict with an open mind. Nobody knows what you're going through, and you don't know what anyone else is. Try to understand before you pass judgement. That goes for partners and customers. If someone comes in without a mask, usually they just forget to put it on. It happens to all of us sometimes. It's easier some days than others, but you should always try to be better.

Making the moment right doesn't always mean giving people free shit and recovery cards. There's times when you know people are scamming you for drinks. Try to give people the benefit of the doubt, and treat them with respect and kindness. Most people that are upset become less so when you approach them with genuine intention to try to fix their issue, at least in my experience. Sometimes they're unaware of our policies or recipes. We also do sometimes mess up drinks. That said, some people will never be happy. You'll probably have to deal with an antimasker at some point. Just remember that you're there to ensure everyone feels happy and safe in the store, and you're welcome to and responsible for asking assholes to leave if the situation warrants. I've had a couple situations that went different ways if you're interested in hearing about them.

Learn where your partners work well, and where they enjoy working. Knowing this will allow you to call plays that allow for greater production flow, and when it's less crazy, you can make partners happier putting them where they want to be.

The last point I have is to continue asking questions, and keep in very good communication with your sm. Your sm should often be the most knowledgeable, but your other shifts can also provide help and guidance, and you can still learn from regular partners too. Get better at knowing where to find information without asking people first, and being able to point out to others where that is. It's easier to ask questions in general, but I've found that you learn better when you have to find the answers yourself. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions.

I matter what happens in a shift, make sure you do your temps. It’s such a simple thing to miss, but it could result in disciplinary actions very quickly.