Supervisory Skills Training Module

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MOSAT MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Experts in: -
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Course Outline

SUPERVISORY SKILLS TRAINING

OCTOBER 2017

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1. Introduction
Designed for middle level managers and supervisory staff in the manufacturing
industry, the Supervisory Skills Training Program teaches valuable skills such as
time management, communication skills, conflict resolution and how to maintain
productivity. The general supervisory principles acquired here can be applied in
any setting where one is overseeing or directing the activity of others. The program
consists of in-class instruction.

The approach used is a practical one where the learner can associate the concepts
with the day to day operations.

2. COURSE OBJECTIVES
The following topics are covered in this training module:

Topic Objectives
Foundations of management • Understand the role of a supervisor
• Understand the skills for effective
supervision

Interpersonal communication • Understanding the importance of
communication skills
• Recognize the characteristics of an
effective communicator
• Design clear and concise messages
• Understand and develop strategies to
resolve typical communication problems
Effective communication • Understand how your behaviour affects
strategy (Leveraging your communications with your crew
personal styles) • Use strategies for modifying negative
behaviour
• Use strategies for dealing with rumours,
discipline and counselling issues
Workplace respect • Awareness of the legal responsibilities
(Developing legal awareness) associated with respect in the workplace.
• Knowledge of how a respectful workplace
is defined.
• Understanding of your personal
accountability as an employee for building
and maintaining a respectful workplace.
• Identifying the signs and understanding
consequences of ‘disrespectful behaviour’.
• Clarity of what to do if you have
experienced, witnessed or become aware
of unacceptable behaviour
Managing time and priorities • Understand the importance and benefits
of effective time management.
• Identify the skills involved in effective
time management
• Identify strategies to balance work and
personal responsibilities.
• Establish effective work related short and
long-term goals
• Apply time management principles to set
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priorities and allocate work
Managing performance • Establish objective, observable and
measurable performance standards.
• Communicate clear and specific
performance expectations.
• Identify factors in determining frequency
and methods for monitoring employee
performance.
• Assess gaps in performance.
• Select appropriate actions to address
performance gaps.
• Prepare for and provide timely
performance feedback
Coaching and mentoring • Define coaching and identify the coaching
process and skills required
• Describe different approaches to coaching
• Plan and deliver ABC coaching
conversation
• Define the role and purpose of a mentor
• Apply the WISE model in the mentoring
process
Handling of conflict • Decision making
Managing teams • Delegating work to the team
Productivity and quality • Apply the Productivity Equation
control • Use tools and techniques in assessing and
measuring productivity
• Identify key factors that influence
productivity
• Identify ways to balance Quality and
Productivity
• Identify and communicate quality
measures to your crew
• Use strategies to recognize and reward
quality effort

2.1 Foundations of management


1. Introduction
a. What is supervision?
Supervision is getting the work done through others.
Just imagine:
Until a few weeks ago, you were a normal worker in the production line and you
received orders from your supervisors. They gave you instructions on what to do and
how to do it and you followed. A few days ago, you got a promotion to be a
supervisor. You got excited, because of the pay increase. But even more importantly,
you will not have to do all the dirt work yourself anymore. No more shouting from
your supervisor.

Last week you started your work in the new position and you suddenly realize that all
is not as rosy as you thought. Before you dealt only with work itself. But now you have
to deal with people, telling them what to do and how to do it. You realize that you are
creating more enemies than friends.
Just think about the problems you suddenly have to deal with:
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• Failing to meet production targets
• Accidents are happening
• Absenteeism of workers
• Poor product quality
• Conflict among the employees
…etc

There is a big difference between the two jobs and you have to learn the new skills
before you are really able to do your new job properly.

Exercise 1
Make a list of a supervisor’s duties and responsibilities individually, discuss them in the
class, make a poster on the wall, keep it as a reminder as long as the course runs.

2. Organizational Structure
The figure below represents a structure of a company.

Top
Management

Middle
Management

Supervisors
(Leaders)

Workforce
(Followers)

Now, you moved up from the workforce into your new position as a supervisor and that
means that you moved up from being a “Follower” to being a “Leader”.

As a follower you received your orders from the supervisor or the middle management
and you were following those orders. Your main task was to function as a worker and
most of your labor was physical, like cracking nuts, sorting, packing etc.

In your new position as a supervisor you will find a completely different situation to
handle:
• You have to receive orders from the management and give reports to
them, and
• You have to give orders to the workers and receive reports from them.
You realize that most of your work as a supervisor will be more mental and not so
physical.
The figure in the next page illustrates the relationship between the supervisor,
management and workers.

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Middle
Management

Receive Orders Give Reports

Supervisors

Give Orders Receive Reports

Worker

The position of a supervisor means more responsibilities and therefore more challenges.
To be successful as a leader, the new supervisor needs to consider three broad
Areas
• Administrative
As a supervisor, you will be responsible for many organizational procedures
that the subordinates are not aware of. They include reporting, time
management, acting as a link between the management and the worker etc.
• Technical
As a supervisor you will be expected to help other do the technical work.
Technical know-how of what is to be done is very crutial.
• Interpersonal
Becoming an effective supervisor involves learning a whole set of leadership
skills. These include coaching and mentorship skills, negotiation skills, and
communication skills among others.

2.2 The role of a supervisor


Supervisors are responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the
activities of employees who do the necessary tasks and services of organizations. The role
of a supervisor includes the following:

• Planning and Organizing:


Lay out the work and decide how to handle it.
• Coordinating and controlling the Work:
Assign the work and supply what your employees need to get the job done.
Keep the work up to standards and check on costs and materials.
• Administering Rules:
See that conduct and procedures are done according to the rules.
• Keeping People Informed:
Talk with and listen to staff - up and down the line.
• Making Improvements:
Find better ways for doing the work and solve job problems.
• Handling Personnel Matters:
Administer leave time, benefits, pay, change of jobs, overtime, and other personnel
functions.
• Training and Development:
Induct new people, build morale, plan replacements.
• Monitoring Safety and Security:
Prevent trouble. Deal with accidents and illnesses. Safeguard equipment and supplies.
• Serving as Representative:
Act for the group or the organization as required.
Responsibility to top and middle management

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The top and middle management expect the following from you as a supervisor.
• Stay aware of the big picture
• Create a productive environment for your employees
• Make decisions on your own
• Implement new programs and methods
• Inform your people about company policies and procedures
• Teach effectively
• Planning and coordination of work
• Reporting problems to management
• Assign work to employees considering their skills
• Training employees on specific jobs
• Communicating to the workers so that they understand their work assignments
• Maintaining discipline and morale among the workers
• Improve performance and productivity
Responsibility to the workers
• Assigning jobs to workers and explain how the job is to be done
• Instruct and train workers for special jobs
• Create a trusting working climate where workers can talk openly about
problems in meetings
• Treat all workers equally – do not favour your old buddies as this will make the
others jealousy
• Handle workers’ problems correctly – be a counsellor where possible but be
careful not to get involved personally into the problems.
• Provide a predictable and stable workload

Responsibility to other supervisors


• Good working relationships
Improve the work flow between the departments, exchange of good information
like deadlines, productions targets etc).

Responsibility to the Human Resource Department


• Evaluate and report on employee performance
• Consult with appropriate managers to utilize their special expertise on staff
problems (life work balance, drug and alcohol abuse/dependency)

Responsibility in labour matter (if unionizable)


• Treat all workers equally
• Keep a professional relationship with the union
• Respect the terms of agreement as a representative of the employer even if
you personally disagree with them

Exercise 2
Discuss common problems between the different departments in your group.

3. Skills for effective supervision


• Planning
• Assessing performance
• Communication
• Recording

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2.3 Supervisory skills
With the understanding of the responsibilities of a supervisor, let us now look
at the skills needed to fulfil these responsibilities and become an effective
supervisor.

2.4 Interpersonal communication


Communication skills
◼ Present one idea at a time
◼ Keep it simple
◼ Make it brief
◼ Personalize it to the other person
◼ Use the right tone of voice and body language
◼ Get acceptance of each idea
◼ Respond to the emotions of the person
◼ Appreciate your listener’s concerns
◼ Encourage listeners to express themselves

Communication is the transmission of a message between a sender and a receiver.


If the message does not get through to the receiver, then no communication has
taken place.

Whenever you communicate with someone else, you each follow the steps of the
communication process shown below.

Here, the person who is the source of the communication encodes it into a message, and
transmits it through a channel. The receiver decodes the message, and, in one way or
another, feeds back understanding or a lack of understanding to the source.

By understanding the steps in the process, you can become more aware of your role in
it, recognize what you need to do to communicate effectively, anticipate problems
before they happen, and improve your overall ability to communicate effectively.

Methods of communication.
• talking,
• writing,
• signs,
• pictures,
• singing,
• music,

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• rhythms,
• codes,
• appearance,
• inflection,
• eye contact,
• gestures, etc.

All of these methods can be categorized into two; oral or written.

Why communicate?
There are three reasons why people communicate:
• to give or get information
• to change someone’s thinking or to convince someone about something
(persuasion)
• to vent or absorb anger (emotions)

If communicators can analyze their reason for communicating, they can then
choose appropriate and effective methods of communication
As a supervisor, you need to develop your skills to be able to convey what you
mean accurately and concisely.

Oral and written communication should cover the following elements:


i) what is to be communicated
ii) when to communicate
iii) with whom to communicate
iv) how to communicate
v) who communicates

Advantages of oral communication


i) Messages can be delivered quickly.
ii) You can ask questions if the message is not understood.

Disadvantages of oral communication


i) Unable to evaluate receiver’s reaction
ii) Increased chance of error in interpretation
iii) Memory may not be reliable

Advantages of written communication


i) More information can be given and understood.
ii) Chance of error in interpretation is reduced.
iii) Information can be retained for future reference.

Disadvantages of written communication


i) It is slower to write than to speak.
ii) A courier may be needed to relay written information.

Effective communication
Communication skill is the ability to clarify what one person is expressing to
another. It includes the ability to clarify the reception of messages as well as
the sending of messages.

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Communication between two people is often inaccurate because they do not
check to see whether or not they understand each other.
Paraphrasing is a technic that can be used to verify if the message has been
understood.
Paraphrasing is repeating back in your own words what you heard a person
say.
Use phrases like:
"So, you're saying that . . . "
"If I understood correctly, you are saying that . . . "
"What do you mean when you say . . . ?"
"Have you really done . . . ?"
Feedback is acknowledgment between the sender and the receiver that
communication has occurred and is understood. Feedback is very essential for
effective communication. Ask for feedback to ensure that the message is
understood.
Encourage questions - Never tell anyone that the question they are asking is
stupid.
Never tell anyone that they should already know something
If you don't know, say so. - Don't answer just to have an answer. When the
truth comes out you will lose that person's trust

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Better Listening
You can't learn anything from another person if you do all the talking. You
can't figure out what a member of your team is likely to do by talking at them.
Good leaders listen to what team members are saying.
Tips for good listening:
• Maintain eye contact - Look at the person who is talking to you. Nod or
make "agreement sounds" when the other person makes a point. Look
interested.
• Leave pauses, allow silences - Let the other person have time to gather
their thoughts and continue. Don't jump in every time there is a brief
pause.

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

i. Perception – people see and hear things differently


ii. Language – Communication is for expressing, not impressing. When
trying to communicate an idea, use language that is not going to
confuse your receiver.
iii. Semantics – Words that have multiple meanings present serious
problems
iv. Inflections – It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. People may
read between the lines, so be cautious about your tone of voice.
v. Personal interests – When the subject matter personally affects the
receiver, communication efficiency picks up considerably.
vi. Emotions – Emotions often produce obstacles to good
communications. Keep emotions in check. If you recognize that
emotions can play havoc in dealing with others, this barrier can be
minimized.
vii. Attention – The attention of the receiver is essential to getting one’s
message through to another person or group.
viii. Wordiness – Becoming too wordy in both oral and written
communication invites the receiver to turn off the sender. In written
communication, don’t use a paragraph for what can be written in one
sentence.
ix. Inferences – Don’t jump to conclusions before all the facts are in.
Don’t make assumptions or inferences that later may prove to be
incorrect.
x. Hostility – This occurs when communicating with an individual with
whom you are angry, or it may be a carry-over from a recent
experience. Hostile confrontation often distorts messages in such a
way that provides fuel for further venting of hostility.
xi. Hidden Agendas – If a person’s hidden agenda is at cross purposes
with the goals of another employee, they may reject all the suggestions
made by the other employee. They may attempt to manipulate others
into distorting the messages they don’t like.
xii. Status – Status can be a very difficult condition to overcome in
communication. Individuals in positions of high status may find
communication difficult with most of the people with whom they
interact.

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The 7Cs of communication

According to the 7 Cs, communication needs to be:

1. Clear.
2. Concise.
3. Concrete.
4. Correct.
5. Coherent.
6. Complete.
7. Courteous.

Clear

When writing or speaking to someone, be clear about your goal or message. What is
your purpose in communicating with this person? If you're not sure, then your audience
won't be sure either.

To be clear, try to minimize the number of ideas in each sentence. Make sure that it's
easy for your reader to understand your meaning. People shouldn't have to "read between
the lines" and make assumptions on their own to understand what you're trying to say.

Bad Example

Hi John,

I wanted to write you a quick note about Daniel, who's working in your department. He's
a great asset, and I'd like to talk to you more about him when you have time.

Best,

Skip

What is this email about? Well, we're not sure. First, if there are multiple Daniels in
John's department, John won't know who Skip is talking about.

Next, what is Daniel doing, specifically, that's so great? We don't know that either. It's so
vague that John will definitely have to write back for more information.

Last, what is the purpose of this email? Does Skip simply want to have an idle chat about
Daniel, or is there some more specific goal here? There's no sense of purpose to this
message, so it's a bit confusing.

Good Example

Hi John,

I wanted to write you a quick note about Daniel Kedar, who's working in your
department. In recent weeks, he's helped the IT department through several pressing
deadlines on his own time.

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We've got a tough upgrade project due to run over the next three months, and his
knowledge and skills would prove invaluable. Could we please have his help with this
work?

I'd appreciate speaking with you about this. When is it best to call you to discuss this
further?

Best wishes,

Skip

This second message is much clearer, because the reader has the information he needs to
take action.

2. Concise
When you're concise in your communication, you stick to the point and keep it brief.
Your audience doesn't want to read six sentences when you could communicate your
message in three.

• Are there any adjectives or "filler words" that you can delete? You can often
eliminate words like "for instance," "you see," "definitely," "kind of," "literally,"
"basically," or "I mean."
• Are there any unnecessary sentences?
• Have you repeated the point several times, in different ways?

Bad Example
Hi Matt,

I wanted to touch base with you about the email marketing campaign we kind of
sketched out last Thursday. I really think that our target market is definitely going to
want to see the company's philanthropic efforts. I think that could make a big impact,
and it would stay in their minds longer than a sales pitch.

For instance, if we talk about the company's efforts to become sustainable, as well as the
charity work we're doing in local schools, then the people that we want to attract are
going to remember our message longer. The impact will just be greater.

What do you think?

Jessica

This email is too long! There's repetition, and there's plenty of "filler" taking up space.

Good Example
Watch what happens when we're concise and take out the filler words:

Hi Matt,
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I wanted to quickly discuss the email marketing campaign that we analyzed last
Thursday. Our target market will want to know about the company's philanthropic
efforts, especially our goals to become sustainable and help local schools.

This would make a far greater impact, and it would stay in their minds longer than a
traditional sales pitch.

What do you think?

Jessica

3. Concrete
When your message is concrete, then your audience has a clear picture of what you're
telling them. There are details (but not too many!) and vivid facts, and there's laser-like
focus. Your message is solid.

Bad Example
Consider this advertising copy:

The Lunchbox Wizard will save you time every day.

A statement like this probably won't sell many of these products. There's no passion, no
vivid detail, nothing that creates emotion, and nothing that tells people in the audience
why they should care. This message isn't concrete enough to make a difference.

Good Example
How much time do you spend every day packing your kids' lunches? No more! Just take
a complete Lunchbox Wizard from your refrigerator each day to give your kids a healthy
lunch and have more time to play or read with them!

This copy is better because there are vivid images. The audience can picture spending
quality time with their kids – and what parent could argue with that? And mentioning
that the product is stored in the refrigerator explains how the idea is practical. The
message has come alive through these details.

4. Correct
When your communication is correct, it fits your audience. And correct communication
is also error-free communication.

• Do the technical terms you use fit your audience's level of education or
knowledge?
• Have you checked your writing

• for grammatical errors? Remember, spell checkers won't catch everything.


• Are all names and titles spelled correctly?

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Bad Example
Hi Daniel,

Thanks so much for meeting me at lunch today! I enjoyed our conservation, and I'm
looking forward to moving ahead on our project. I'm sure that the two-weak deadline
won't be an issue.

Thanks again, and I'll speak to you soon!

Best,

Jack Miller

If you read that example fast, then you might not have caught any errors. But on closer
inspection, you'll find two. Can you see them?

The first error is that the writer accidentally typed conservation instead of conversation.
This common error can happen when you're typing too fast. The other error is using
weak instead of week.

Again, spell checkers won't catch word errors like this, which is why it's so important to
proofread everything!

5. Coherent
When your communication is coherent, it's logical. All points are connected and relevant
to the main topic, and the tone and flow of the text is consistent.

Bad Example
Traci,

I wanted to write you a quick note about the report you finished last week. I gave it to
Michelle to proof, and she wanted to make sure you knew about the department meeting
we're having this Friday. We'll be creating an outline for the new employee handbook.

Thanks,

Michelle

As you can see, this email doesn't communicate its point very well. Where is Michelle's
feedback on Traci's report? She started to mention it, but then she changed the topic to
Friday's meeting.

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Good Example
Hi Traci,

I wanted to write you a quick note about the report you finished last week. I gave it to
Michelle to proof, and she let me know that there are a few changes that you'll need to
make. She'll email you her detailed comments later this afternoon.

Thanks,

Michelle

Notice that in the good example, Michelle does not mention Friday's meeting. This is
because the meeting reminder should be an entirely separate email. This way, Traci can
delete the report feedback email after she makes her changes, but save the email about
the meeting as her reminder to attend. Each email has only one main topic.

6. Complete
In a complete message, the audience has everything they need to be informed and, if
applicable, take action.

• Does your message include a "call to action," so that your audience clearly
knows what you want them to do?
• Have you included all relevant information – contact names, dates, times,
locations, and so on?

Bad Example
Hi everyone,

I just wanted to send you all a reminder about the meeting we're having tomorrow!

See you then,

Chris

This message is not complete, for obvious reasons. What meeting? When is it? Where?
Chris has left his team without the necessary information.

Good Example
Hi everyone,

I just wanted to remind you about tomorrow's meeting on the new telecommuting
policies. The meeting will be at 10:00 a.m. in the second-level conference room. Please
let me know if you can't attend.

See you then,

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Chris

7. Courteous
Courteous communication is friendly, open, and honest. There are no hidden insults or
passive-aggressive tones. You keep your reader's viewpoint in mind, and you're
empathetic to their needs.

Bad Example
Jeff,

I wanted to let you know that I don't appreciate how your team always monopolizes the
discussion at our weekly meetings. I have a lot of projects, and I really need time to get
my team's progress discussed as well. So far, thanks to your department, I haven't been
able to do that. Can you make sure they make time for me and my team next week?

Thanks,

Phil

Well, that's hardly courteous! Messages like this can potentially start office-wide fights.
And this email does nothing but create bad feelings, and lower productivity and morale.
A little bit of courtesy, even in difficult situations, can go a long way.

Good Example
Hi Jeff,

I wanted to write you a quick note to ask a favor. During our weekly meetings, your
team does an excellent job of highlighting their progress. But this uses some of the time
available for my team to highlight theirs. I'd really appreciate it if you could give my
team a little extra time each week to fully cover their progress reports.

Thanks so much, and please let me know if there's anything I can do for you!

Best,

Phil

What a difference! This email is courteous and friendly, and it has little chance of
spreading bad feelings around the office.

Use the 7 Cs of Communication as a checklist for all of your communication. By doing


this, you'll stay clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete, and courteous.

This site teaches you the skills you need for a happy and successful career; and this is
just one

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2.5 LEADERSHIP
What is leadership?
Leadership is the ability to influence the actions of others.
Leadership is characterized by commitment to a vision and motivation of the
followers to do what must be done today to move us to tomorrow. Leaders speak to
their followers in ways that cause the followers to want to contribute to realizing
the leader’s dream. The way a leader speaks may not always be with words and
often actions alone suffice, but the followers believe in it and believe in their own
ability to contribute to bring the dream into reality!

Successful leaders inspire and empower their people.

Elements of good leadership


A. A series of steps through which goals are achieved.
B. A system that is affected by external and internal influences.
C. A systematic approach requiring defined goals, objectives, and tasks.

Planning, assigning, controlling, and evaluating (PACE system)

• PLANNING,
Planning utilizes goals, objectives, and tasks to develop strategy and
tactics. Establishes specific time frames, guidelines, and directives for tasks
to be accomplished.
• ASSIGNING,
Assigning Responsibilities to accomplish tasks are delegated along with
the authority to persons with necessary skills and capabilities.
• CONTROLLING
This process involves varying degrees of coordination, monitoring, and
communications to ensure the task being done will result in the desired
goal/objective.
• EVALUATING
This is the portion of the process by which success is measured and
difficulties and failures are mitigated. If the assigned task did not satisfy
the intent of the objective or reach the specific goal, there are two choices:
• Try another alternative with different goals/objectives/tasks.
• Start the process over after having fixed what broke down or did not
work.
Four leadership styles
Most leadership styles have two dimensions:
1. Task: concentration on what is to be done.
2. Social-emotional: concentration on who is doing the task.

1. Telling Style – “This is how I want it done.”


a. This style assumes low group maturity, meaning little or no background
expertise in the task area.
b. Leader style is high in task and low in social-emotional communication (one-
way communication)
c. It is often used by leaders who are not confident of their interpersonal skills
or who do not see motivation as an issue. They do not want feedback (my
way or the highway).

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2. Selling Style – “Here’s how – and why.”
a. The Selling style assumes moderate group maturity, in terms of task
familiarity.
b. The group has spent a little time working together.
c. Leader communication is high in task and low in social-emotional
communication (One way communication).
d. This style must be used in an honest and forthright manner; the leader must
be convincing or nobody will “buy” what the leader is selling.
e. It is often used to sell policy or instructions from higher levels.

3. Consulting Style – “We’ll work this out together.


a. The Consulting style assumes moderate group maturity in terms of task
familiarity.
b. Leader asks for and receives input from group.
c. Leader demonstrates to subordinates that their inputs are valued.
d. Leader communication is low in task and high in social-emotional
communications.
e. The leader must have high level of confidence in group.
f. The leader makes the ultimate decision on how the task is handled

4. Joining Style – “Up to group to handle it.”


a. The Joining style assumes high group maturity in knowledge of task.
b. The group has extensive experience working together.
c. The task is well defined.
d. Decision boundaries are clear and time is available for a group decision to
be made.
e. The group has the ultimate decision on how task is handled.
f. Leader communication is low both in task and social-emotional
communication.

An adept leader has the ability to assess the group situation and use the correct
leadership style.

Factors that determine the leadership style chosen by a supervisor


• The group maturity and experience working together determine a
supervisor’s leadership style
• External forces e.g. emergency, management pressure etc.
• The amount and type of power the leader has over a group
• Leader’s personal strengths, weaknesses, and preferences
• Experience - An experienced leader won’t be afraid to make adjustments for
a specific situation if there are clear reasons for doing so.

APPRAISAL, DELEGATION, AND EVALUATION

Appraisal
Appraisal is determining an employee’s ability to perform various tasks. It occurs both
consciously and subconsciously.
Appraising an employee’s abilities is a continuous process throughout the supervisory
period.
a. Supervisor becomes more familiar with subordinate’s abilities.
b. Abilities change with increased training and experience.
Your perception of a subordinate’s strengths and weaknesses will directly affect what
you will feel comfortable delegating to them.

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Delegation

Definition: Delegation is trusting another person to do a job for which you are
responsible.
Delegation occurs when a supervisor gives authority, responsibility, and accountability
to a subordinate to complete a job or task.
The four steps of delegation are:
i. Make sure the employee understands the assignment and agrees to do the work.
ii. Tell the employee how you will check his or her work, or how he or she is to report
completion. Check back later in the way you have said you would.
iii. Make sure that everyone involved knows that the employee has the authority to
carry out the work.
iv. Review who does what.
To delegate successfully, the supervisor:
i. verifies the employee's acceptance of responsibility,
ii. specifies a method of accountability,
iii. establishes authority equal to accountability, and
iv. monitors progress and completion.

Supervisors are always accountable for the work of their units. Supervisors are also
accountable for the effectiveness of their delegations.
Subordinates accept responsibility for work assignments and are then accountable
for those assignments. It is the job of the subordinate to accept assignments and to
eport on progress in designated ways.
Divide the work into tasks that can be accomplished by individual subordinates. Make
sure that all subordinates have enough tasks to challenge their capabilities.
In all delegation situations for which you are accountable, make sure that you know
the answer to this question:
WHO DOES WHAT?

Benefits of delegating
i. A more equal distribution of work load
ii. More time to devote to other work
iii. More time for self-development
iv. Help employees become competent and self-confident
v. Enrichment of the jobs of employees
What stops you from delegating
i. You dislike asking others to do things.
ii. You are unsure of how to teach employees.
iii. You are unsure of what jobs to delegate.
iv. You are concerned that someone will be able to do the work better than you
can do it.
v. You are worried that you will be blamed for the mistakes of others.
vi. You are worried about getting the job done on time
vii. You believe that people don't want more work.
Guidelines for Delegation:
i. Explain the task clearly.
ii. Check their understanding of what you have said.
iii. Be reasonable in what you expect them to do.
iv. Be available to explain things.
v. Let them work by themselves to build their self-confidence. (Don't stand over
them.)
vi. Let them know that you trust their intelligence and judgment.
vii. Don't accept poor work.
viii. Recognize and reward good work.
ix. Don't take over, let them do it.
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x. Don't expect perfection.
xi. Make sure that their time is occupied with useful work.
xii. Make sure that all subordinates have enough tasks to challenge their capabilities.

Authority is the right to make decisions and take action. The limits of authority
need to be defined.
1. Responsibility is having moral and legal obligation to make decisions and take
actions. The amount of authority must match the amount of responsibility.
2. Accountability is having to answer for results.
3. However, the supervisor is still ultimately responsible for what they delegate.
This makes the appraisal process all the more important.

Relationship of delegation to leadership.


1. Leadership is the process of influencing others toward the achievement of
organizational goals.
2. Leadership requires the development of subordinates in order to help them
maximize their potential.

Effective Leaders:
a. Know they are responsible for getting the job done.
b. Are committed to maximizing the potential of each subordinate.
c. Realize delegation of responsibilities/duties to subordinates is an effective
method to instill ownership in the work group.
d. Understand the principles of delegation.

Principles of delegation
1. Delegate the right task.
a. Don’t delegate:
• Supervisory responsibilities,
• Confidential tasks,
• High-risk tasks,
• The vital few responsibilities requiring the leader’s direct attention.
b. Do delegate?
• Routine tasks,
• Tasks you don’t have time for,
• Tasks you’ve been wrestling without success,
• An unexpected, unplanned requirement,
• Tasks you dislike that would interest someone else.
2. Delegate to the right person.
• Subordinate must be competent.
• Subordinate must be ready.
• Subordinate must have self-confidence and credibility.
3. Define the task specifics
a. What?
• How much?
• How well?
• By when?
• With whom?
b. Provide necessary information, training, tools, and equipment

4. Get agreement.
a. Provide opportunity for acceptance/rejection of the task.
b. Cannot force acceptance.
c. Subordinate should want the assignment.

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5. Demand accountability.
a. Subordinate should assume responsibility for results.
b. It should be clear that final results will be evaluated against established
criteria
6. Establish feedback mechanisms
a. Set milestone dates to assess progress.
b. Can be face to face or written.
c. Feedback frequency depends on:
1) Complexity,
2) Importance,
3) Subordinate.
d. Solicit feedback from subordinate also.
7. Be available to offer suggestions if requested
a. Back off – leave subordinate alone.
b. Allow opportunity for self-correction.
c. Be willing to tolerate different approaches.
d. Provide constructive feedback on deficiencies.
e. Intervene if safety becomes an issue

8. Reward accomplishments.
a. Give positive reinforcement while task is in progress.
b. Reward final product if it meets criteria.

Reverse Delegation.
1. Occurs when a supervisor assumes/accepts responsibility for a task which
rightfully belongs to a subordinate.
2. How to avoid:
a. Return tasks completed incorrectly.
b. Provide help and support but don’t do it yourself.

Performance evaluation
Performance evaluation is determining how well an employee completed a task.
The Purpose of Performance Evaluation is to:
i. Let people know where they stand,
ii. identifying training and development needs, and
iii. providing information for organizational decision making.
As a first line supervisor, you must set tasks and standards and evaluate the
performance of your subordinates. You must also communicate those tasks,
standards and evaluations to the employee and to management.

A performance evaluation system comprises the following three areas:


i. Setting up a Performance Program: Defining the specific tasks that are part of the
employee's job, setting measurable standards for how those tasks are to be performed,
and communicating expectations about performance to the employee and to
management.
To help you set performance standards, look to the key measurement areas of
your work. What are the important factors of measurement in your unit?
Traditional measurements include timeliness, accuracy, customer satisfaction,
adherence to budget, and other tangible concerns. You can find the appropriate
measurement by considering the nature of the employee’s work.
ii. Development: Working with the employee to allow him or her to competently perform
their job tasks. This could involve coaching, O-J-T, redesigning tasks, solving problems, and
arranging opportunities for practice and/or training.

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iii. Rating: Rating the employee's job performance by comparing actual performance to
agreed on standards, review of the first line supervisor's rating by a higher level supervisor,
and communication of that rating to the employee.

1. Evaluations are based on known performance criteria:


a. Job performance criteria should be reviewed with each employee soon after
starting work.
b. Can be written (for end of season evaluations) or verbal (for daily tasks).
c. This tells subordinates how well they performed what was expected of them.
d. Like appraising, evaluating should be continuous.
2. Delegated tasks should be evaluated upon completion.
3. Employees should be given a mid-season evaluation.
a. Good time to exchange feedback on how the fire season is going.
b. Let employee know what they are doing well.
c. Review areas that need improvement.
d. Solicit suggestions and ideas.
e. Can be verbal or written.

4. Final evaluations are given at time of separation.


a. Should be written.
b. Should not contain any surprises to the employee.
c. Serve as a record and basis for rehire eligibility.

Techniques for conducting Performance Evaluation discussions with employees:


• Focus on observable behavior, not on personality traits. Describe specific
activities. Maintain good relations with the employee. Support the employee's
morale.
• Describe tasks and standards in terms of what you and the work unit need
from the employee. Avoid describing tasks and standards in terms of what the
employee "should" be doing.

DOCUMENTATION
Documentation is the process of recording written information for future
reference. This serves as your record for events that occur on a particular day.
The importance of documenting cannot be under estimated.
• Sometimes your records will be all that you can fall back on in many
situations.
What should be documented?
a. Subordinate performance.
• Poor performance such as:
• Tardiness,
• Insubordination,
• Repeated safety violations,
• Harassment of any type,
• Property theft,
• Any warnings given for the above.

b. Good employee performance in the form of:


• Cash awards,
• Letters of commendation.

c. Basically any event you think is significant enough to write down. Think of
documenting as another tool to aid your memory.

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2.6 Workplace respect (Developing legal awareness)

2.7 Managing time and priorities


a) How to manage your time
4. Prioritize your work
5. Assess how you are currently spending your time
6. To do lists
7. Plan your tasks daily
8. Evaluate time management several times during the day

2.8 Coaching and mentoring

2.9 Handling of conflict

2.10 Managing teams

2.11 Productivity and quality control

i) Course Timetable

Morning
0900HRS. Registration
0900HRS. Introduction to Food Safety
0930HRS. General principles of food hygiene
1030HRS. TEA BREAK
1100HRS. Implementing food hygiene (Prerequisite Programs)
1300HRS. LUNCH
1400HRS. Practical on the relevance and applicability of the principles of hygiene
1530HRS. CLOSURE

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