Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors 1

Running head: BEST PTACTICES MANUAL FOR NEW SUPERVISORS

Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors

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Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors 2

Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors

The success or failure of supervisors in getting first-rate performance from employees is

paramount in determining the success or failure of the strategies and objectives of the entire

organization. The purpose of this manual is to provide a set of flexible and adaptable tools and

guidelines to support supervisors in the pursuit of improving performance in their departments.

This manual will cover a set of best practices that managers and supervisors need to succeed in

their position including demonstrating communication skills; determining effective orientation

and training methods; improving productivity for teams; conducting performance appraisals;

resolving conflict, and improving employee relations.

Demonstrating Communication Skills

Effective communication is the most important tool in a manager’s leadership tool chest.

Positive, enthusiastic and open communications with staff has the power to motivate them and

keep them engaged. Motivated and engaged employees are in turn instrumental in helping

organizations achieve their goals. Additionally Management can build trust through open and

honest communication. Listening and speaking skills are very important to effective

communication, because they are instrumental in team building and providing effective feedback

during performance appraisals.

Attentive listening is an important skill in leadership communication. It means thinking

and acting in a manner that connects the listener with the speaker. When a person chooses to

listen actively it increases the quality of his or her listening. When listeners engage in multi-

tasking instead of giving full attention to the speaker, however, they seldom listen effectively

(Wilson, 2005). Supervisors cannot be good listeners unless they maintain proper eye contact,

Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors 3

have good body language, and focus on the speaker, not on activity out in the hall, paperwork at

their desks or the incoming text message on their Blackberries (Linney Jr., 1995).

There are a number of straightforward steps supervisors can take to become effective

listeners. These steps include not interrupting the speaker or multi-tasking while listening,

recapping regularly, using connecting words, and using the correct body language. Using these

steps will improve the quality of information exchanged, the supervisor’s experience as a

listener, the experience of the employee the supervisor is listening to, and the relationship

between the supervisor and the employee (Wilson, 2005).

While face to face communication is still the chief method of communication in business,

the advent of electronic media has been a boon to improving internal organizational

communication. Online communication has brought with it an expanded need for effective

written communication skills. Such skills can make the difference in getting a supervisor’s

message across in reports, letters, and e-mails.

The ability to communicate well in writing can therefore improve the effectiveness of a

supervisor as a leader and enhance his or her ability to influence others. Many supervisors

receive their promotions to a supervisory position as specialists in their technical fields that

involve either little to no writing or writing of a highly technical nature. Neither style of writing

is suited to business leadership needs which demand both brevity and clarity. Writing coaches

and writing classes at local community colleges can improve supervisors’ writing skills and are

available for modest costs, which employers will often reimburse through their tuition

reimbursement or career development programs (Linney Jr., 1995).

Any supervisor can learn business communication skills essential to leadership if he or

she is willing to work on them. Local universities and community colleges can be a great

Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors 4

resource in learning communication skills of all sorts including public speaking, creative writing,

and business writing. Such courses will be great help in developing all the necessary

communication skills for supervisors (Linney Jr., 1995).

Determining Effective Orientation and Training Methods

Orientation and Training programs are essential in integrating new employees into a

company and helping them to acquire needed skills to enhance their performance. Clear and

effective employee orientation and training programs can significantly increase productivity.

Orientation

New employees often feel nervous about their new job. Supervisors should take basic

steps to acquaint new employees with all aspects of their new job and the responsibilities and

privileges that go with it. Supervisors should give employees appropriate documents and other

relevant material during the orientation program to keep as a reference guide (cheat sheet).

Orientation material must also clear any doubts that employees may have about their work and

the company’s culture. Supervisors must also include information regarding all benefits and

privileges along with rules that govern employee behavior, safety measures and policies in the

orientation material. Supervisors must point out to all employees in general where safety

equipment is located; what type of precaution employees need to take to promote a safe working

environment and explain emergency drills in case of an emergency. Supervisors should walk

employees through the premises and explain the process of how the company operates, because

getting this overall view will help employees to better understand how their work fits within the

company’s objectives. Supervisors should also introduce all new employees to co-workers to

make them feel integrated into the company’s environment.

Training

Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors 5

The training process is a very important because it can help new and existing employees

all require the skills they need to become more productive. Supervisors should use training

program that they have already carefully assessed, visualized and planned. This ensures that the

training program is aligned with the company’s strategic goals before presenting it to employees.

A best practices training program will:

• Focus on building highly motivated, effective and efficient employees who will

be capable of steering the company towards its competitive best.

• Include the advances in technology which the employees need to gain knowledge

and skills.

• Identify training needs by analyzing the long-term strategic plans of the company.

• Select trainers carefully to ensure that they have the necessary knowledge and

skills and know how to communicate with adults in the adult learning process.

• Determine the skill level of each employee prior to training through observation

testing and investigation and focus on enhancing individual skill sets

• Select trainees carefully based on their ability to learn the material provided and

using it effectively.

• Prepare new employees to learn and assimilate the new skills by having

supervisors explain the importance and place of the new skills and answering any questions that

arise.

• Focus on explaining the material thoroughly and making the tasks clearly

understandable to a new employee.

• Have measurable goals that relate to the strategic plans of the company and

include milestones to ensure employees are achieving what the company needs and expects.

Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors 6

• Include periodic supervisor evaluation of the employees’ newly acquired skills

against the objectives of the training program. If aggregate discrepancies exist, supervisors

should note these and adjust the training program accordingly.

Improving Productivity for Teams

The overall reason why teams fail, according to Kreitner and Kinicki, is the existence of

unrealistic expectations, which cause a number of mistakes for both team members and

management. One management mistake is that supervisors may think teams can rise above weak

strategies and poor business practices. In reality, however, teams who are pressed too hard try to

accomplish too much too quickly and fail as a result (2003).

Another management mistake is that supervisors often set up hostile environments for

teams such the existence of a command-and-control culture, and using competitive/individual

reward plans. Such management structure can result in team members clashing over differences

in personal work styles and/or in causing personality conflicts between team members. When the

team members have poor interpersonal skills and use aggressive instead of assertive

communication, and employ win-lose negotiation tactics this causes destructive conflict. Conflict

then takes on a life of its own consuming what should be productive time. Such conflicts thus

reduce productivity. Supervisors must also be aware of poor interpersonal chemistry among team

members as some maybe loners, dominators, self-appointed experts that negatively disrupt the

team (Kreitner &Kinicki, 2003).

Supervisors can also lessen team productivity if they think of teams as a fad or quick fix

with no long-term benefits. This can cause supervisors to have little to no commitment to their

teams and the teams can give up easily when they face a new or unforeseen challenge. It is

important for both supervisors and teams to focus less on results, and more on team processes

Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors 7

and group dynamics at the time of team formation. Once these processes are successfully in

place results will follow because of better team work (Kreitner &Kinicki, 2003).

Finally it is important for supervisors to take the lessons of past team experiences into

account when forming new teams. If lack of clarity has stifled team productivity in the past

supervisors must be aware and avoid assigning tasks to teams that are vague or conflicting. They

must also make certain that there is sufficient team skill training and adequate staffing of teams

to avoid repeating problems that have arisen out of overwhelming teams with unrealistic

expectations (Kreitner &Kinicki, 2003).

Conducting Performance Appraisals

The performance appraisal is the process where supervisors communicate to a

subordinate how well he or she is fulfilling the requirements of the job. It is not a system to

punish employees, rather it is part of a system of communication that helps employees better

understand their roles in fulfilling company objectives, company expectations and how to

achieve performance success. Performance appraisals are one of the most versatile tools

available to supervisors and can help bring about higher productivity for both the employee and

the organization (Bohlander & Snell, 2007).

Conducting performance appraisals is therefore an important part of a supervisor’s area

of responsibility, but it is also one of the most difficult parts of a supervisor’s job. The ideal

performance appraisal system will allow supervisors to make objective judgments about

employee performance which they can use for three principal purposes: (1) to improve employee

performance in the present job, (2) to prepare employees for future opportunities that may arise

in the organization, and (3) to provide a record of employee performance that supervisors can use

as a basis for future decisions (Rue & Byars, 2004).

Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors 8

Research has revealed that performance appraisal systems which show higher levels of

participation generate higher levels of acceptance. Such acceptance is an important factor in

generating appraisal system satisfaction, motivation, and productivity. A comprehensive

participatory performance appraisal system will allow both those who rate and those who are

rated to jointly develop performance standards, the rating form, employee self appraisal, and the

participation of those who are rated in the appraisal interview. Two key processes control the

effectiveness of participation. These are the amount and quality of informal performance

feedback and goal setting, which focuses on the future. These elements strengthen a

participatory, empowered work culture. If one or more of these factors are missing, the

probability of an unsuccessful performance appraisal system increases significantly (Roberts,

2002).

Participatory performance appraisal is a vital part of a fair and ethical evaluation of an

employee's performance. Because of the potential effects of performance appraisals on employee

career success, self-esteem, and mental health, supervisors have an ethical obligation to perform

this complex function in a fair and unbiased manner. Comprehensive employee participation

means supervisors must give employees meaningful input in developing performance standards

and the rating form, worker self-evaluation, and two-way communication in the appraisal

interview. When employees have a meaningful role in the appraisal process, their acceptance and

satisfaction with that process increases considerably. If supervisors fail to establish a

participatory system, performance appraisal will become and remain ineffective (Roberts, 2002).

When giving a performance appraisal to an employee with less than satisfactory

performance record, the effective supervisor must be able to clearly yet respectfully and non-

judgmentally communicate supervisor concerns and the concerns of the organization regarding

Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors 9

the person's performance and company expectations and the necessary behavior change that will

bring about better performance. The supervisor must also communicate how he or she and others

in the company can help the employee with a corrective action plan as well as the consequences

if performance does not improve (Linney Jr., 1995).

Resolving Conflict

Conflict is a concept that often calls negative images to mind especially conflict in the

workplace. Conflict is a struggle that two or more interdependent parties engage in when they

perceive incompatible goals, insufficient rewards, and interference from the other party in

achieving their goals. The supervisor/employee relationship and the employee/employee

relationship are interdependent relationships. Employees depend on their supervisors to impart

guidance and provide skills training that will enable the employees to accomplish their job

requirements. The employees also need supervisors’ feedback to get raises and advance their

careers. The supervisor depends on employees for cooperation to accomplish work related tasks

that go toward achieving company objectives. Employees similarly depend on each other for

cooperation. These interdependent relationships set the stage for conflict which can follow.

Conflict within these relationships is inevitable, but it does not have to be destructive or disrupt

business and productivity. Supervisors can reduce and manage the amount of conflict that they

and employees experience using several methods to minimize the frequency and intensity of

conflict (Korinek & Kimball, 2003).

First, supervisors should build good relationships with their employees. Supervisors can

do this by taking the time to learn the employees’ general approach to work and life and to

discern their particular method of learning. This will prove useful in providing the right kind of

Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors 10

guidance and training for employees. A supervisor should maintain a good connection with a

trainee by displaying a positive and supportive attitude (Korinek & Kimball, 2003).

A second way for supervisors to minimize conflict in the supervisory relationship is to

make the terms of the supervisor-employee relationship clear through effective communication.

An effective supervisor clearly outlines logistics, clarifies the supervisory relationship, identifies

goals, describes supervision methods, and specifies evaluation procedures. Good supervisors also

stay aware of and communicate formal methods of conflict resolution that the company uses. For

example if the company uses alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods, the supervisor

should educate employees on the particular method of ADR that the company uses and make

certain that employees know how to access the ADR system. Supervisors should also make

perfectly clear what constitutes grounds for disciplinary action and termination (Korinek &

Kimball, 2003).

Balancing hierarchy and power is another way to minimize conflict between supervisors

and employees. The supervisory relationship is hierarchical by nature and the supervisor must

have final say in management matters since he or she bears the responsibility for them. To avoid

conflict supervisors must exercise their power over employees ethically and responsibly.

Employees should be empowered to do their jobs without constant overseeing from supervisors

especially as they gain in skill and confidence (Korinek & Kimball, 2003).

To reduce conflict between individuals, supervisors must again use team building skills.

Teams can become extremely effective through cooperation, trust, and cohesiveness. Individuals

are cooperating when their work is systematically integrated to accomplish a common goal. The

degree of cooperation increases as the level of integration increases. Cooperation is superior to

competition for inspiring successful and productive teamwork. Thus supervisors can minimize

Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors 11

conflict between team members by providing team-based rewards instead of individual ones.

This will decrease competition and conflict, and increase integration, cooperation and

productivity (Kreitner &Kinicki, 2003).

Improving Employee Relations

If supervisors are employing effective communication, team building and conflict

resolution skills, they are already well on their way to improving employee relations. There is

however one very important issue remaining and that is building trust between supervisors and

employees.

The absence of trust between supervisors and their employees can be a substantial drain

on team productivity. It can cause some or all team members to resist performing tasks according

to management plan especially if there are new work procedures involved. Trust is the give-and-

take faith in others’ intentions and behavior (Kreitner &Kinicki, 2003).

When employees see supervisors acting in a manner that implies they trust the

employees, the employees become more inclined to give that back by trusting in supervisors

even more. On the other hand, employees are inclined to distrust supervisors whose actions seem

to break employee trust or supervisors who seem to distrust employees. Supervisors can build

trust through open communication, and showing employees support, respect, fairness,

predictability, and competence. Members of a cohesive team literally stick together because they

enjoy good relations (Kreitner &Kinicki, 2003). Trust, between supervisors and their employees,

improves relations between them considerably and thus increases cohesiveness and productivity

in the process.

Conclusion

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If supervisors use this manual correctly, they can significantly improve their

communication skills, orientation and training methods, team productivity, performance

appraisal and conflict resolution skills, and employee relations. The flexible and adaptable tools

that the manual provides will be a valuable resource to help new supervisors succeed in

improving productivity and performance within their departments and organizations.

Best Practices Manual for New Supervisors 13

References

Bohlander, G.W., & Snell, S.A. (2007). Managing Human Recourses (14th ed.). Florence,

KY: Thomson Learning Higher Education

Korinek, A. W. & Kimball, T. G. (2003, September). Managing and resolving conflict in the

supervisory system. Contemporary Family Therapy: An International Journal, 25 (3 0,

295-310. Retrieved March 4, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database

Kreitner, R., & Kinicki, A., (2003). Organizational behavior (6th ed.). New York, NY:

McGraw-Hill

Linney Jr., G. E. (1995, July). Communication skills: A prerequisite for leadership. Physician

Executive, 21(7), 48-49. Retrieved March 2, 2009, from MasterFILE Premier database

Roberts, G. E. (2002, Fall). Employee performance appraisal system participation: A technique

that works. Public Personnel Management, 31(3), 333 -343. Retrieved March 3, 2009

from MasterFILE Premier database

Rue, L.W. & Byars, L.L. (2004). Supervision: Key link to productivity (8th ed.). New York, NY:

The McGraw-Hill Companies

Wilson, B. (2005). How to listen: Attentive listening skills. BusinessListening.com. Retrieved

March 2, 2009, from .http://www.businesslistening.com/listening_skills-3.php