Effective Supervisory Skills

8/8/2019 Effective Supervisory Skills

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES :

You will clarify thescope & nature of asupervisory positions.

You will learn someways to deal with the

challenges of the role. You will recognize the

responsibilities youhave as a supervisor, toyourself, your team &

your organization. You will learn key

techniques to help youplan & prioritizeeffectively.



ROLE OF SUPERVISOR :

Traditionally, supervisors have carried outthe following responsibilities :

1. Assign & distribute work

2. Monitor & control performance3. Review & evaluate performance

4. Lead the group

5. Communicate

6. Handle administrative duties



Making the Tr ansition to Supervisor :

What are the biggest differences betweenbeing an ³employee´ and being a³supervisor´?

Several things may change, but 2 thingswill almost certainly be different :

I. The wor k will be diff erent More administrative work, more supervising, more

managing: less involvement with the actual work of

the group.

II. The responsibilities will increase As a supervisor you are responsibilities for the work

of others not just your own output.



Some of the new challenges you will haveto deal with include :

I. Mastering your identity as a supervisor

II. Overcome a fear of failure

III. Being a role model for your employee

Making the Tr ansition to Supervisor :



Keep Your Distance Without Losing Rapport :

Your success as a supervisor depend inpart on how well you maintain the³supervisory gap´ between yourself & your staffers.

Striking a balance between acting like the³boss´ & trying to be one of the gang takesconscious effort, but it provides positiveresults.

- blend these techniques into your work

routine & you will earn a reputation as an

even-handed boss.



Avoid sensitive subjects :- Discussing controversial social & political with

staffers serves no useful purpose.

- How you feel about these issues is your own

business. Besides, revealing your position on highlychanged issues only promotes conflict.

Respect Policy & Confidences :

- Supervisor who agree to ignore policy ³just thisonce´ can be sure of one thing : They¶ll be expected

to do it again. Once sets a precedent. Also refuse to

share confidential information with staffers. When 2

people know something, its no secret.

Keep Your Distance Without Losing Rapport, cont. :



Manage by walking ar ound :- Circulate through your work area each day to

show employees that you want to keep in touch.

Talking with ± and listening to ± them earns

their respect & keeps you in tune with the

rhythm of the workplace & employee morale.

- Having coffee in the employees¶ lounge several

times a week is another way to make yourself

accessible. Good officers keep in touch with

their troops.




It is lonely at the TOP :

- As a supervisor, you have to relinquish some of

the easygoing relationships, you enjoyed before

you left the rank & file to join management. Thiscomes with the territory. When you need a

sympathetic ear, try talking to your spouse,

friends outside work or co-workers at your level,

but no employees.




Responsibilities Of A Supervisor

Responsibilities to Management

Responsibilities to your work group

Responsibilities to yourself



Planning Your Day

You arrive in themorning & have a

number of things to

accomplish during the

day.

Prioritize the following

activities & give

reasons for priorities.

In some instances theamount of time

required to complete a

task has been noted

for you.



Elements of Planning

The 4 elements of planning :

1. Goals :

Goals / objectives specify future

conditions the planner wants to attain

2. Action / Strategy :

These are the preferred means or

courses of action to each those objectives



3. Resources :

Time, equipment, people, etc. that are alwaysin short supply & which put constraints on theaction. These have to be considered as you

set targets & develop your strategies

4. Implementation :

Including the assignment & direction of

personnel to carry out the intended

action.

Elements of Planning



Planning : 6 Steps in thePlanning Pr ocess

i. What must be done?- what actions must be taken to reach the

objective?

ii. Why must it be done?

- is the investment of resources justified?

iii. When should do it?

- dates, time-frames & deadlines should

be selected & co-ordinated



Cont «.

iv. Who should do it?- appropriate personnel must be selected

v. Where it should be done?

- related to question 4 above. Where will

the appropriate people & equipment be

located?

vi. How should it be done?

- what are the ways & means? Can current

methods can be used or should new ones be

developed?



Leader ship

What followers admire in Leader :% choosing

a.Honesty 83

b.Competence 67

c.Forward-looking 62

d.Inspiring 58

e.Intelligent 43

f. Fair-minded 40

g.Broad minded 37

h.Straight forward 34

i. Imaginative 34

j. Dependable 33



A Supervisor Checklist For Motivating Staff

T he top 10 things I can do to motivate my employees on a daily basis :

i. Be visible

ii. Know everybody¶s name

iii.S

pend time building relationships, one-on-oneiv. Ask for suggestions

v. Acknowledge individual & group contributions

vi. Say thank you when it is deserved

vii. Share as much information as I, can both goodor bad

viii. Develop employee

ix. Celebrate successes



FUNCTION ANDFUNCTION AND

ROLES OF ROLES OF

EFFECTIVE EFFECTIVE

SUPERVISORS SUPERVISORS



1

Observing Observing

Per formancePer formance

Look for evidence to supportyour impression of howemployees do their jobs

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Observing Employees¶ Per formanceSkill

1

An invaluable tool toassess workers¶ skills,abilities, motivationsand attitudes about their

job

±S

ome supervisorsprefer to studyactivity reports,spreadsheets andwork-flow charts

± Instead, observehow workers behaveand what theyactually do duringtheir shift

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How to Observe

Devise a system thatencompasses what tolook for

Watch each employeenot only to assess work

quality, but also toevaluate conduct,appearance, vitality,attitude and eagernessto learn

Skill

1

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Documenting Documenting Per formancePer formance

22

Treat documentation as aTreat documentation as a

communication tool tocommunication tool topreserve facts and removepreserve facts and remove

ambiguities.ambiguities.

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Do You Have All theDocumentation You Need?

The best answer: ³

Sure. I¶vebuilt a file that documents

everything completely. We¶reon solid ground.´

The wrong answer:

³No, but I¶ll put somedocumentation together sowe¶re safe.´

Skill

2

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Document Per sonnel Matter s as They Occur

Skill

2

Must reflect a complete,accurate account of what individuals discussedand what events transpiredon a specific date

Failing to maintain ongoingdocumentation can not onlyembarrass you, but also limityour organization¶s abilityto terminate poor employees

This may lead you to falselyconclude that your employer does not support you

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Master ing Master ing

ConstructiveConstructiveConf r ontationConf r ontation

33Speak with clarity andSpeak with clarity and

purpose for maximumpurpose for maximumresults.results.

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Constructive Conf r ontationSkill

3

Many supervisors dreadconfronting employees

± It¶s often easier to drophints and make indirectthreats«

± Rather than initiate aconfrontation

Constructive Confrontationworks best when:

± Organize your thoughts in

advance ± Map out what to say so that

you follow a clear, logicalframework

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Steps to SuccessSkill

3

1. Summarize thesituation from theemployee¶s point of view

± Reflect on what the

worker has said andrecall specificphrases, examplesand argumentsyou¶ve heard

2. Ask for confirmation

± Ask a neutrallyworded question toconfirm that you¶vecaptured his or her views accurately

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Evaluating Evaluating Per formancePer formance

44Give employees ongoingGive employees ongoing

feedback on their feedback on their

performance so that theyperformance so that theyalways know what they¶realways know what they¶re

doing rightdoing right²²and what theyand what they

need to improve.need to improve.

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Benefits of Frequent Feedback

Effective supervisorsshower employees withfrequent feedback

They praise superior work and provideconstructive suggestionson how employees canelevate mediocre or

substandard work intosomething truly excellent

Skill

4

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Evaluating Per formance

Workers shouldnever wonder if their

performance meetsor exceeds your expectations²or your organization¶s needs

Remove the mystery

Don¶t withhold andsave feedback for anannual performance

appraisal Many companies set

specific policies andprocedures

Skill

4

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Resolving CoResolving Co--

wor ker wor ker ConflictsConflicts

55

Pick your battles andPick your battles and

focus on shared goals tofocus on shared goals toreferee disputesreferee disputes

effectively.effectively.

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Conflict ResolutionSkill

5

Conflicts are reality. Theyhappen

It¶s not necessarily your job to intervene inconflicts

May be best to adopt ahands-off policy ± keepyour distance; let peopleresolve their own issues

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Giving Giving FeedbackFeedback

66

"Express both good and bad

input with judgment-free

specificity so that it has a more positive, lasting impact on the

employee."

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Importance of Feedback

Good supervisorsgive feedback withan eye towardmotivatingemployees

Feedback is a wayto help fuel goodperformance, teachnew skills andprovide guidancethat leads to

improvement

Skill

6

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What is Feedback?

Feedback is definedas the process of providing informationto your employeesabout their pastbehavior in order to

influence their futurebehavior

Effective feedbackrequires mutualunderstanding

Skill

6

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Delegating Delegating

Wor k andWor k andFollowing UpFollowing Up

Boost your efficiency²and

your team¶s morale²by

handing off assignments to theright people.

77

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Delegating is a Win-Win Pr oposition

You free yourself tofocus on what matters

most, while you trainand motivate your workers by entrustingkey assignments

to them

Skill

7

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Misconceptions About DelegationSkill

7

Some supervisorsequate delegating

with ³doling out tasks´to people

Delegating is the

process of havingemployees addressmeaningful projects ±including ongoingduties ± that gobeyond short-term, to-

do items

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Dispensing Dispensing

DisciplineDiscipline

Treat disciplining as a way to

educate employees, and

elevate their behavior, not as

a form of punishment

8

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Eff ective Discipline Flows f r om Clear Communication

Provide clear, writtenguidelines toemployees on your standards andexpectations

Employee handbookshould state policy for responding to improper conduct or poor performance

Use a fair, consistentapproach

Skill

8

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Be Flexible

Allow for flexibility Don¶t confine yourself

to following the samecourse of action inevery situation

You may favor progressive disciplinebut your policy shouldpermit immediatetermination in the most

severe cases

Skill

8

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Inspir ing andInspir ing and

Pr aising Pr aising Employees to Employees to Build Mor aleBuild Mor ale

9

Energize employees by taking

every opportunity to recognize

their contributions and urgingthem to excel.

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Skill44/196



How to Inspire

Set their sights on afaraway goal that¶s soexciting andpotentially rewardingthat they cannot helpbut covet it

Help them visualizewhat it¶ll feel like toreach the mountaintop

± to know that theygave every ounce of

their effort to deliver superior performance

Skill

9

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Skill45/196



Don¶t Do All the Talking

Skip the longspeeches whenyou¶re trying toinspire employees

Instead, summarizea tantalizing goaland then ask lots of questions

That will turn your workers into truebelievers

Skill

9

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Building Your Building Your TeamTeam

10By choosing the right

people and getting them to

believe in a shared goal,

you lay the groundwork for

a winning team.

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Skill47/196



Importance of Trust

People work together more effectively whenthey share a desire toachieve group goals

Skill

10

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Skill48/196



How to Ear n Credibility Skill

10

Admit what you don¶tknow and ask the teamfor help

Allot plenty of time inmeetings for teammatesto give input so that youspeak less and listenmore

Support the team¶sfindings andincrease itsinfluencethroughout your organization

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Communicating Communicating Eff ectively Eff ectively

with Upper with Upper ManagementManagement

11

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Relate to top management

on their terms and focus onsolutions to problems they

face

Skill50/196



Relating to Upper ManagementSkill

11

One critical skill!

Analyzing issues fromtheir perspective, not yours

Use empathy todeepen your understanding of thebosses¶ outlook

Step into their shoes

Measures?

Success?

Pressures?

Care About Most?

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Skill51/196



Prepar ing to CommunicateSkill

11

Before you propose ideas,you must anticipate their questions, concerns andobjections ± and know whatto say to address them

± Collect data, analyze trendsand conduct risk-rewardanalyses with clarityand precision

± Avoid bringingonly your idea

and your excitement aboutit to the meeting

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Investigating Investigating

Complaints andComplaints andIncidents Pr oper lyIncidents Pr oper ly

Take an unbiased,

fact-based approach

when investigatingemployee complaints.

12

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Skill53/196



The Litigation Explosion

A litigation explosionhas occurred in the past20 years

Employers facemounting legalexposure on manyfronts, from harassmentto discrimination

Skill

12

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Skill54/196



Avoiding Litigation

By investigating employeecomplaints properly, youcan keep your employer out of court and help allparties reach a fast, fair resolution

Speed andresponsivenessare critical

Procrastination or putting off aninvestigation isviewed asnegligence andapathy

Skill

12

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Managing Managing UnfitUnfit--for for --Duty Duty

EmployeesEmployees

1313Your top priority is

protecting employees

and providing a safe

workplace.

Skill56/196



Drug or Alcohol Abuse

Out-of-controlbehavior of drug or alcohol abusers mayendanger you andyour staff

It¶s your responsibilityto identify suchbehavior quickly andaddress it decisively

Follow your organization¶s fitnessfor duty policy and itsprocedures

Skill

13

Skill57/196



Handling Unfit Wor ker s

First priority is toprevent harm to theemployee and others

Enlist another manager to help you approach

the employee; never take action alone

This reducesphysical danger and you gain

the benefit of having a reliablewitness in caseof litigation

Skill

13

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Acting to Acting to

Prevent ViolencePrevent Violence

1414 Awareness of the red flags

that can signal violent

behavior can save lives.

Know the conditions thatbreed violence and protect

your workplace from toxic

conflicts.

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Preventing Wor kplace Violence

Violence we hear about isoften faraway places.

At work, it's an entirelydifferent type of tragedy

We are more affected when

it happens at work becauseof sense of control isinvolved.

It's impossible to prevent allworkplace violence.

We can takes steps to lower its odds of occurrence.

Skill

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Skill60/196



Preventing Wor kplace ViolenceSkill

14

Adopt a three-prongstrategy:

± Analyze the threat

± Enhance security tomitigate hazards

± Know how to respond toa potentially violentsituation

Effective Supervisory Skills

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