2
Role of the Supervisor

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

• Identify and describe the roles of a first-line supervisor.

• List the personal qualities of an effective first-line supervisor.

• Explain how best to work with your boss.

• Describe the six key competencies for effective first-line supervision.

Stephen was ready for his first meeting with his team as their new supervisor. He waited until five minutes past the planned starting time to enter the conference room. He wanted to make a grand entrance and let everyone know he was in charge. He was surprised when the room didn’t become quiet immediately after he walked in. He was also surprised that not everyone was there—where was Eileen? Not to be deterred, he took a seat at the front of the room and said, “Let’s get down to business. As you know, I’m Stephen and I’m your new supervisor. I plan to make this group more productive than you have ever been before. Today I will outline my plan and what I expect from you. First, don’t call me Steve or something stupid like Stevie—my name is Stephen. You can either address me as Stephen or as Mr. Warren. No exceptions. Does everyone understand?” As he looked around the room, he could see some surprised and even concerned looks on the faces of some of his employees. Apparently they were getting the message that things were going to change. There was a new boss and he was the one.

Some first-line supervisors, when they get promoted, suddenly think they know everything there is to know. These supervisors also think that their employees will automatically do everything asked of them. They make themselves the center of attention and seem to quickly lose sight of their people. Stephen was taking that approach and even though he could see some signs of concern, he had his mind made up and was ready to move full steam ahead on his planned path—because he was the boss.

Successful first-line supervisors know that they have to earn the respect of their people before they will be fully accepted as the boss. In order to be successful, you have to do more than just hold the title of supervisor if you want the respect of your people. You must understand the need for knowledge, for setting a good example, and for gaining experience.

Nothing builds respect better than demonstrating your knowledge to your employees. They want to know that you know what you are doing. Chances are, one of the reasons you were promoted was because of your job knowledge. As a first-line supervisor you will often work side by side with your employees. Being knowledgeable gives you power. In describing their best supervisors, employees often say, “They really know their stuff.”

Knowledge alone, however, is not enough. You also have to set a positive example for your employees. You have to “walk the walk” as well as “talk the talk.” In other words, just knowing what to do isn’t enough. You have to be able to perform as well. Your employees will watch what you do. If they see you taking shortcuts to get the job done, they assume it’s okay for them to take shortcuts as well. Effective first-line supervisors know that telling their people, “Do as I say, not as I do,” won’t work for long, if at all.

The added ingredient of experience, along with knowledge and setting a good example, will help make you an effective first-line supervisor. Experience comes from doing the job consistently and learning from what you do right as well as from what you do wrong. Effective supervisors are usually quick learners. They don’t make the same mistake twice. They learn from their mistakes, but don’t dwell on them. They move forward and make sure that next time things are done correctly.

DAY-TO-DAY SUPERVISORY ROLES

Once you have the knowledge, set a positive example, and gain experience, it’s your day-to-day actions that define you as a good boss or a bad one. There are five actions that effective first-line supervisors consistently take:

1. Plan and Organize Work

2. Provide Resources

3. Manage and Develop People

4. Administer and Control

5. Handle Problems and Issues

Plan and Organize Work

People need to know what you expect them to do. It’s your responsibility to plan and organize their work. Employees look to you for structure and direction; you have to be ready to provide both. Effective supervisors have a clear picture of what needs to be done and why, and they are able to communicate it clearly to their employees.

Provide Resources

It’s your job to make sure your employees have the tools and supplies they need to get their jobs done. If you’re on top of your job, in most cases you should know when your people need something; even better, you should know ahead of time. Don’t wait for your employees to come to you. By then it may be too late, and you’ll have to delay a project until you get the necessary supplies.

Manage and Develop People

Each day you are expected to manage and develop people. Effective supervisors know how to get the most out of their people. They view their employees as their most important asset. They understand that an important part of managing people means helping them do their jobs. They also know that developing their people to their fullest potential makes their employees more productive and enables the whole team to achieve more. Remember, if your employees are successful, you are successful.

Administer and Control

Numerous administrative tasks will take up your time each day. Although they vary from organization to organization, some of the most common are scheduling, keeping track of absences or tardiness, responding to requests, and completing required reports. The records you maintain help you keep track of what is happening today and provide control over the longer term. The regular completion of these tasks also communicates to your employees that you are aware of and monitoring their day-to-day activities.

Handle Problems and Issues

Nearly every day a supervisor has to handle some problem or issue. It may be an employee who doesn’t show up for work or an employee who isn’t doing the job properly. Conflicts between employees can also hamper the effectiveness of the team. First-line supervisors are expected to be proactive and handle problems and issues before they get out of control. Good supervisors generally deal with fewer performance problems and issues because they are aware of what’s on the minds of their employees. They also handle the situation at the first level, so it doesn’t have to go on up the management ladder.

Exercise 1: Day-to-Day Supervisory Roles

INSTRUCTIONS: Think about each of the five roles described in this section. Take a moment to identify some specific actions you can take to be an effective first-line supervisor.

1. Plan and Organize Work

(a) What can you do to ensure that all employees know what they need to accomplish?

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(b) What can you do to help employees organize their work so they can be productive?

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2. Provide Resources

(a) What resources do your employees need to get the job done?

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(b) What are the benefits of providing these resources?

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(c) What are the negative consequences of not providing these resources?

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3. Manage and Develop People

(a) What can you do to effectively manage your people each day?

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(b) What steps are you taking to help your people develop their potential?

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(c) How do you communicate to your employees that they are important?

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4. Administer and Control

(a) What administrative tasks are you required to do each day? Each month?

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(b) How much control do you have over what is happening?

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(c) What are you doing so that you are viewed as in control, but not over controlling?

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5. Handle Problems and Issues

(a) What seems to be the primary source of supervisor problems and issues?

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(b) How can you be proactive in handling problems and issues?

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(c) What can you do to decrease the amount of time you spend handling problems and issues?

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PERSONAL QUALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE FIRST-LINE SUPERVISOR

Stephen Warren, whom you met earlier in this chapter, created a somewhat negative first impression with his team by the way he approached his first meeting as a supervisor. He seemed to expect his employees to look up to him and respect him merely because of his new position. His self-centered attitude was probably obvious to all those in the room—except himself. Had he taken another approach, the tone would have been quite different. He could have started by asking his employees to tell him a little bit about themselves and what they expected. He could have engaged in some “small talk” to break the ice instead of just wanting to immediately get down to business. These may seem like small things, but they can make a difference in the success of a new supervisor.

Effective first-line supervisors must possess certain personal qualities that enable them to gain and maintain both the trust and respect of their employees. These personal qualities provide a foundation on which supervisors can build a mutually beneficial relationship with their employees. These qualities should be evident to your employees as you perform the day-to-day supervisory roles discussed earlier. In addition, these qualities must be consistently and continually obvious to those around you. As you read this section, think about how you measure up to these personal qualities and what changes, if any, you need to make.

Set High Personal Standards

People want to follow someone they can believe in. You must set an example for others to follow, and display a sincere, honest concern for quality and high performance. Invariably the group’s activities reflect your standards and example. What people see in your conduct is what you receive in return. If you want respect, you have to respect the people who work for you. Emotional outbursts, unbecoming behavior, poor manners, or unethical conduct on your part detract from your ability to supervise. Instead, be certain that you practice ethical conduct, maintain an even temper, and use respectful language regardless of the situation. In short, role model the kind of behavior you want from your employees.

Be Accessible

Keep an open door policy. Let employees know that you welcome their suggestions and even their complaints. Be available whenever they want to talk to you. Listen to what they say. Often some of the best ideas come from the people doing the job, not the person supervising the job. Put into practice the communication techniques you learn in this course to ensure you don’t have communication breakdowns.

Don’t sit in your office and look at reports all day. Go wherever your employees are and talk to them. Find out what they are doing and help them if they are having problems. When you find good work, compliment your employees on their efforts. People like to be recognized for what they do—especially by the boss.

Inspire Success

Inspire people with the believability of success. All too few people believe they can be winners. Help your people believe in their own ability. Effective supervisors constantly emphasize that success is expected and de-emphasize the difficulty in reaching goals.

Deal with performance by displaying a constant commitment to quality and responsibility. Develop the belief that things will get better for everyone if they work together. Initially you may have to set up easy-win situations to develop self-confidence. Then you can progress to worthwhile challenges. Recognize satisfactory performance, not just the exceptional.

Constantly re-emphasize the value of the work. Involve people in mutual goals of self-respect, personal responsibility, and pride in their work. Show them that what they do relates to their own personal goals. Develop the idea of value in doing a job well. Encourage people to think of the product they are developing or the service they are providing as being done for themselves.

Accept Responsibility for Your Actions

No matter how hard you try, you will make mistakes. Something will go wrong. You will be asked to explain your actions. How you respond when things don’t go as planned is a reflection of your maturity. Your response may also provide others with one way of assessing your ability to move up in the organization.

When things go wrong, you have to be willing to accept responsibility for your decisions and actions. Don’t be afraid to admit you made a mistake. Most people understand that mistakes do happen. Instead of finding someone to blame, your boss most likely will want to know, “What did you learn from your mistake?” and “What can you do so it doesn’t happen again?” The worst approach you can take is to deny that you made a mistake or to try and make someone else the scapegoat.

Sometimes a mistake made by one of your employees will reflect on you and your supervision. Even if you weren’t directly responsible for the mistake, you have to be willing to accept your share of the responsibility. Somewhere along the line your action or inaction contributed to the mistake. Perhaps your communication wasn’t clear or maybe you forgot to follow up on the employee’s work. Accepting responsibility in these situations can help your relationship with all those you work with—your boss, your peers, and your employees.

Emphasize Quality and Service

Effective supervisors place great emphasis on quality and service. They focus on the things that give meaning to work and display empathy toward what has to be done. Define what your product or service does for others. Identify for team members how others need and depend on the work the team does. Just as quality and service are two of the most important things that people look for in the marketplace, quality and service within an organization are critical to long-term success. Developing a quality and service emphasis among your work team is a priority for those who want to be effective first-line supervisors.

Believe in Employees

Make sure your entire work group knows that you believe that strong employees are a benefit and not a threat. If you encourage participation by delegating and training, your employees will be more willing to accept you as their supervisor.

Indicate that you want people to be self-reliant and self-disciplined. Encourage your staff to accept personal responsibility. Effective supervisors constantly challenge their people to reach high, achievable goals. You do this by letting your employees know that you believe in them and their capabilities.

The best supervisors communicate and reflect their individual concerns and values and the purpose of their organization to the group. They willingly accept feedback and provide feedback to ensure that people are listening and that they understand what is being communicated. Effective supervisors reflect the common concerns of their group, as well as the goals of the organization.

The fact that you are interested in and concerned for your people’s development can do wonders to strengthen your supervisory role. You may have employees who do not want to grow beyond a certain level or leave their comfort zone. In most cases, however, your employees will strive for improvement if they know you believe in them. Your job as a supervisor is to provide every opportunity possible to train, teach, or encourage those individuals who are interested in personal development.

Set Priorities and Stick to Them

People want and expect a manager to be decisive about important things. By keeping the focus on the major concerns and not on minor issues, you demonstrate your personal involvement and commitment.

Supervisors often impair their ability to be successful by focusing first-rate energy on second-rate concerns. By implying that all issues are equally important, and attempting to control and direct everything, they abdicate responsibility. When many things are started and only a few are completed, supervisors confuse their people.

At times you will receive contradictory or unreasonable demands from upper management. If you can tactfully and unemotionally define the limits of the possible and impossible, you will have the chance to develop yourself as an effective supervisor in the eyes of your people. Never forget, however, to acknowledge as cheerfully as possible the ultimate authority of upper management. Your job is not to lead a revolt, but to ensure that upper management and your people understand one another and work toward the same goal.

Strive for Continuous Improvement

Effective first-line supervisors recognize that there is always room for improvement. They look for ways to make things better or to make improvements, even when everyone else is satisfied with their efforts and results. They are rarely satisfied with the status quo.

Your willingness to be your own worst critic is an important quality. If you are “tough” on yourself, most of the negative comments you hear from others will pale in comparison. In fact, if you develop a reputation for closely scrutinizing your own work, there will be less reason for others to do so. When people realize that you want to do what’s best, they will get behind you and support your efforts.

Exercise 2: Using Your Personal Qualities

INSTRUCTIONS: Take a moment to consider each of the personal qualities described in this section. In the middle column, write a brief description of how you measure up to each quality. In the right column, describe what changes, if any, you need to make when you are working with others so the quality is evident in your actions.

WORKING WITH YOUR BOSS

For Michelle Vaughn getting promoted was, in her view, a double victory. First, she would now be able to call some of the shots. Second, she would no longer have to put up with Dean Canton as her boss. She hadn’t met her new boss yet, but he couldn’t be any worse than what she had been dealing with for the past year. Michelle had already decided that the best course of action would be to take the initiative and do things her way. That would show her new boss that she was capable and would not be a bother. If he wanted to talk to her, she would always be willing to listen. Right now, however, she wanted to focus on her priorities and get things moving in the right direction.

When you are promoted to first-line supervision, your initial thoughts are likely to be focused on yourself and what you will be doing. You may not give too much thought to your boss—other than thinking about his or her excellent decision-making for recognizing your ability and selecting you for your new supervisory assignment. This is a mistake. The truth is your boss is a very important person to you—just as you are to your boss. Developing and maintaining a positive working relationship with your boss will pay many dividends as you deal with the day-to-day challenges of your supervisory responsibilities. Even if you have the same boss you had before getting promoted, there is likely to be some change in the relationship because of the different situation.

Keep in mind that your boss has a boss too. Just as you may sometimes feel pressure from your boss, you can be sure your boss is also feeling pressure from above. Since your boss is one step higher up the ladder, the pressure is likely a little heavier than what you are feeling. Recognizing this can help you have empathy for your boss. Just as you have to spend a lot of time helping the people who report to you, your boss has to do the same thing for the people who report to him or her—and you’re just one of those people. There may be times when you feel like your boss isn’t giving you the support you need. Before you become critical of your boss, ask yourself, “Am I giving all the people who report to me the support they need?” Likewise, ask yourself, “Am I giving my boss all the support he or she needs from me?”

The more attuned you are to your boss’s situation, the easier it is for you to do your part to develop a mutually beneficial relationship. Exhibit 2–1 shows the four things you can proactively do:

• Develop a Partnership

• Focus on Common Priorities

• Communicate Upward

• Maximize the Relationship Potential

Develop a Partnership

People enter into partnerships because they believe they can benefit from the strengths of others. In a good partnership, all parties recognize what contributions they can make to others and in turn, they recognize what they can gain from others. In a legal partnership arrangement, formal written documents spell out the roles and responsibilities of the partners. In the workplace, there are also written documents—such as job descriptions, policies and procedures, project plans—as well as specific goals and objectives that all communicate expectations between the partners.

In order for a partnership to be successful, those involved have to understand these expectations clearly. This can be difficult because not all the expectations are written down; sometimes they may not even be talked about—just assumed. For example, you may expect to receive positive feedback from your boss when you do something well. In turn, you give your boss the best work possible. However, if you don’t receive regular positive feedback, you may lower the quality of your work because you think your boss fails to appreciate what you do.

The first step in developing a partnership is to understand as clearly as possible the expectations that you and your boss have for each other. The clearer the understanding, the more likely you are to have a thriving partnership that is mutually beneficial. Here are three ways you can approach the situation.

First, assume 100 percent responsibility for making the partnership work. Don’t think your boss will automatically make time available for you and provide all the support you need. Don’t wait for the boss to come to you, go to your boss with a plan of action. If your boss does come to you, even part way, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Waiting for that to happen can be a mistake.

Second, shoot for early successes in areas that are important to your boss. Figure out what is important to him or her and focus on getting those things accomplished. Let him or her know what you are doing and about the success you are having. When your boss realizes that you are working on the things he or she considers most important, you are more likely to develop a partnership.

Third, make a favorable impression on those your boss trusts and respects. Your success in your boss’s eyes is based in part on what he or she hears from others. Make sure your interactions with the people who also interact with your boss are positive. Eventually the word will get back to your boss and be a positive force as you work to create a partnership.

Focus on Common Priorities

It is important that you and your boss work on common priorities so that you can both be successful. Although it may seem like common sense, it is not always common practice. Part of the problem is that you may think you know what your boss’s priorities are and what, in turn, your priorities should be. Unless you take time to confirm what you think is true, you could be spending time and energy working on something that is not important to your boss.

In the best case scenario, you have a boss who tells you the priorities as soon as you are promoted, keeps you informed of changes, and perhaps even involves you in establishing the priorities. At the other end of the spectrum is the boss who doesn’t tell you what the priorities are. This doesn’t mean you have a bad boss. Your boss may just assume that you already know or because of time constraints hasn’t discussed the priorities with you. Some bosses may think that the priorities are common knowledge, having been communicated previously.

If you are unsure of what the priorities are, there are ways to find out. Obviously the best way is to discuss them with your boss. Until you have the opportunity for that discussion, you may have to do a little detective work on your own. Many organizations have regular and systematic planning processes to identify vision, mission, and goals. These processes are usually documented. Ask for copies of such documents and use them to determine what the priorities are for the organization as well as within your own department.

In addition, you can do other things to get a feel for the priorities. You can read messages on the bulletin boards, in company newsletters, or annual reports, or you can obtain a copy of the company goals. When you attend meetings, listen for themes or ideas that are mentioned frequently. These can give you a clue as to the priorities. Sometimes talking to your peers provides the information you need. Since they have the same boss you do, they may be able to answer your questions. The sooner you find out what the priorities are and can start working on them, the more effective you will be in your new role.

Communicate Upward

Establishing guidelines for communication between you and your boss is also essential. Does your boss want to talk to you every day, once a week, once every two weeks, or only when time permits? Does your boss want to know about everything that happens or just about exceptions to previously developed plans? Does your boss prefer to be the one who initiates the communication or are you expected to take the initiative? Does your boss prefer e-mails, memos, phone calls, or face-to-face meetings? Regardless of the method, the most important thing is that you keep your boss informed.

You are the gatekeeper of information between your boss and your employees. You have to make decisions about what your boss tells you and what, in turn, you tell your people. Equally important is to keep your boss informed about what your people are doing. Tell you boss about their successes and how they have helped you. This provides insights into the quality of the people that you have working for you and your ability to get the most out of them. It also lets the boss know that you are building bench strength for the company. Sharing the success of your employees doesn’t take away from your own accomplishments—it shows your ability as a supervisor.

Nearly every boss wants to know some specific things—your job is to communicate that information upward in the manner that the boss wants it. First, keep the boss informed on the progress of your projects. Provide updates about what has been accomplished and target dates for completing the next phase of the project. Don’t be hesitant to share bad news if you are running behind schedule. It’s better that your boss hears it from you than finding it out some other way.

This leads to the second important thing to communicate—anticipated problems or roadblocks. Let your boss know about these as soon as possible. Don’t just state the problem—take the initiative to tell your boss what you are planning to do to solve the problem. At the same time, ask for the boss’s ideas on what you could do. Take advantage of his or her experience.

Third, tell your boss when you have completed a project and ask for feedback. This shows you are getting things done and are concerned about the quality of your work. Use the feedback to guide your efforts on future projects.

Keeping your boss informed is essential to your long-term success. It is always better for your boss to get information from you rather than from someone else or through the grapevine. Always be intentional, informative, and honest in your upward communication. Keeping the information flowing upward helps your boss be successful because he has the right information on which to base decisions. Often these decisions affect you and your people, so it’s important that your boss have all the information needed.

As a new supervisor, don’t worry about communicating too much or too often. If you do, your boss will let you know. Think about it from your own perspective. Wouldn’t you rather have too much information than not enough? Your boss is the same way. Frequent and open communication can build a foundation for developing a positive working relationship with your boss.

On the other hand, there are bosses who prefer to limit the amount of information they receive and when they receive it. Don’t try to guess what the boss prefers; remember, it’s up to you to take the initiative and find out. The activity at the end of this section (Exercise 2–3) provides some questions you can ask to ensure that you and your boss are both on the same page when it comes to communicating upward.

Maximize the Relationship Potential

Developing a partnership, having common priorities, and communicating upward are essential to working with your boss in a positive manner. There are several other things that you can do to maximize the relationship with your boss. First, start by ensuring you possess and exhibit the personal qualities discussed earlier in this chapter. Second, apply as much as possible of what you learn throughout this course. Third, develop good work habits and stick with them. Fourth, continually focus on what you can do to be an effective supervisor and work to improve your skills. As your effectiveness increases, so will your relationship with your boss.

Though it is always better to focus on the positive things previously mentioned, it is also important to be aware of things that you should not do because they can have a negative impact on the relationship. With that in mind, here are some specific things you should avoid if you want to maximize your relationship with your boss.

Don’t Stay Away

It should be evident by now that you may have to take the initiative when it comes to working with your boss. Though it might seem good to be given a lot of latitude, don’t be lulled into taking that as a green light to do whatever you want to do. Ask your boss for regular meetings and use that time to make sure the boss knows what you are doing, the issues you are facing, and how you are doing in meeting his or her expectations.

Don’t Trash the Past or Others

Avoid pointing out mistakes that were made before you got there. Don’t try to build yourself up by tearing others down. In the end, these approaches only make you look less sure of yourself. Instead, focus on what you are doing and the results you are getting. Let other people draw their own conclusions about how things are better.

Don’t Embarrass Your Boss

There may be times when you are with your boss and he or she says something that you know is not exactly right. Correcting the boss publicly can have an adverse effect on your relationship. Instead, talk about the situation in private. It may be that you don’t have all the information that the boss has or that something has changed that you didn’t know about.

Don’t Surprise Your Boss

Be willing to be the messenger who delivers the bad news. Though it may be painful, your boss would rather hear it from you than from someone else. Most bosses become more upset if they find out about problems from someone else. When that happens they wonder what you are trying to hide. Let your boss know of problems early on and ask for assistance, if needed, to get things back on track.

Don’t Be Part of the Grapevine

Your boss wants someone who can be trusted with facts and won’t spread rumors. When you hear gossip or rumors, tell those who are spreading them that such stories can have a detrimental affect on many people. Take steps to quash the stories and make sure you don’t spread them. At the same time, don’t totally discount everything you hear. Being aware of people’s thoughts and feelings can help keep you informed and avoid surprises. You may want to follow up on some of the things you hear through the grapevine to verify their accuracy. Just be sure you don’t pass along baseless gossip to your boss as if it were fact.

Don’t Complain About the Boss to Others

If you have an issue or concern about something that your boss does, take it up with him or her. When you complain to someone else it only makes you look like someone who goes behind others’ backs and can’t be trusted yourself. If you are angry, confused about an assignment, or don’t like something your boss said or did, always talk to your boss rather than someone else.

Don’t Be Subversive

Don’t attempt to get rid of your boss or have him or her fired. As previously mentioned, if you have a problem with your boss, discuss it with him or her. If that doesn’t work, follow the organization’s grievance policy. State your specific concerns in a clear and concise manner. Avoid suggesting that your boss should be terminated or transferred—that is not your decision to make.

Don’t Be Negative

Maintain a positive attitude and approach to your job, even when it’s difficult. Your negative attitude can easily rub off on others and cause them to become negative or demoralized. When a negative person comes to you, take time to address his or her concerns and get that person back in a positive frame of mind.

Don’t Steal

This may seem obvious, but it covers a wide range of things. Don’t steal time by not doing your work or taking extra long lunches or breaks. Put in the time and effort required and expected. Don’t steal ideas or information. The things your organization does are considered proprietary—that is, they belong to the organization. Be sure you are aware of the policy on sharing information with those outside the organization. Likewise, don’t steal property—paper, pens, pencils, envelopes, and the like are for your use at work, not your personal property.

Exercise 3: Working with Your Boss

INSTRUCTIONS: Developing and maintaining a positive relationship with your boss requires work. Use this activity to evaluate your relationship with your boss. First, complete the portions that you can on your own. Second, arrange for a meeting with your boss to discuss your answers and/or to complete the rest of the items. Don’t be hesitant to ask your boss for these answers. Though it may seem that you are being pushy, most likely your boss will appreciate the fact that you have taken the initiative to get the answers so you can work together in a positive manner.

1. Develop a Partnership

Complete the left column of the following grid. Then meet with your boss and have him or her complete the other column.

2. Focus on Common Priorities

The following questions help ensure that you and your boss can establish common priorities.

What are the top three priorities for the company?

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What are the top three priorities for our department?

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What are the top three priorities for my boss?

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What are my top three priorities?

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How often are priorities to be re-evaluated?

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3. Communicate Upward

What communication method does my boss prefer to get information?

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How frequently does my boss want to get information?

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What type of things should be communicated immediately?

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Are there any things that do not need to be communicated?

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Are there any regular reports that are required? If so, is there a standardized format for the reports?

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4. Maximize the Relationship Potential

What are some things you want to be sure you do?

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What are some things you want to be sure you don’t do?

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What Dos are important to your boss?

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What Don’ts are important to your boss?

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FIRST-LINE SUPERVISION KEY COMPETENCIES

The first part of this chapter discussed the five roles that a first-line supervisor needs to play to ensure day-to-day success. Next, we discussed several critical personal qualities and provided a foundation for supervisory success. You also learned about the importance of developing a good working relationship with your boss. We now briefly look at the six key competencies of a first-line supervisor. Each competency consists of a bundle of skills that are used by effective first-line supervisors. Because of their critical nature, each competency is covered in greater detail in separate chapters (Chapters 3 to 8):

• Communicating

• Developing People

• Managing People

• Building a Team

• Getting the Work Done

• Supervising in a Changing Environment

All of these competencies are intertwined and several may be your focus at the same time. In other words, you can’t communicate one day and develop people the next. Instead you need to use communication skills as you are developing people. The relationship among the personal qualities and competencies discussed is shown in the supervisory model in Exhibit 2–2.

Communicating

Communication is the lifeline of every organization and occurs at every level and among various levels. As a first-line supervisor, you are expected to communicate up, down, and across the organization. You will frequently be asked to communicate up to your boss and to those above you in the organization. You may do this through informal and formal presentations or through written reports. You communicate down as you interact with those who report to you. This doesn’t mean “talking down” to your employees, but simply acknowledges the fact that you have to communicate with those who are lower on the organizational ladder than you are. You also have to communicate across to other supervisors within the organization. Your interaction with your peers can provide you with valuable insights if you take advantage of the opportunities to communicate with them.

Successful first-line supervisors are successful communicators. In Chapter 3 you learn about the communication process, communication factors, how to make work assignments, listening, conducting meetings, written communication, and how to use communication technology to your advantage. Take time to develop these critical communication skills. With rare exceptions, you will find that those who are the most effective communicators are the most effective supervisors; they are also the ones most likely to be chosen for promotion or assignment to important positions within the organization.

Developing People

Your ultimate success will be judged not only by your own accomplishments, but also by the accomplishments of your people. In order to be successful, you have to help your people be successful. When they succeed, you succeed. When they fail, you fail. Your ability to develop your people will be a major factor in your ability to achieve the desired results. The most successful supervisors are those who have the best people to work with, and they have the best people because they develop their people. Effective supervisors make the most of the people who report to them.

In Chapter 4 you learn how to develop your people through three key activities: orientation, training, and coaching. Each activity focuses on providing employees with the guidance and direction they need to be successful. The better you are at helping them succeed, the better they will be at helping you succeed. It’s a cycle that tends to repeat itself over and over in organizations. Effective supervisors have effective people and effective people work for effective supervisors. Conversely, look at a group that doesn’t perform up to expectations and you are likely to find a supervisor whose performance is subpar.

Managing People

Two questions every supervisor asks at one time or another are: “Why do people do what they do?” and “What can I do about it?” Many first-line supervisors get frustrated when they find their people don’t have the same level of motivation that they have. They often tear their hair out trying to figure out how to get people to do what they want them to do. Unfortunately, they often push when they should be pulling, or they pull when they should be pushing. Effective supervisors have learned the art of keeping their people focused so they give the best performance possible.

Some of the key topics you learn about in Chapter 5 are providing performance feedback, doing performance appraisal, working with difficult employees, managing workplace conflict, and taking disciplinary action. These and other management techniques, when properly applied, can make the difference between having a work environment where everyone gets along and works together or having an environment that puts people on edge. You learn how to set the tone for the work environment and how to keep things “humming” along.

Building a Team

Every new supervisor starts with a group of employees who report to him or her. Whether it remains a group or becomes a team depends on the supervisor. Some supervisors seem to have the knack for developing a team whereas others continually struggle to get everyone moving in the same direction. Their “knack” is really a combination of knowledge, experience, and the ability to work with a variety of people—it doesn’t happen by accident.

In Chapter 6 you learn the benefits of teamwork, how to tell whether you have a group or a team working for you, how to transform your group into a team, how to be a valuable team member yourself, and how to overcome obstacles to team development. Once your team is working together and everyone is pulling in the same direction, you will find that your efforts are more effective and productive.

Getting the Work Done

In the end, it’s performance that counts. What those above you in the organization expect from you are results. They want you to accomplish the goals and tasks that are within your area of responsibility. Upper management won’t care if you are a great communicator, people developer, team builder, and people management expert unless you can get the job done. Never lose sight of this one important fact—if you don’t get the job done, someone else will most likely be given the opportunity to see what they can do.

When it comes to obtaining top performance, you have to use all the skills described earlier. Beyond that, you also have to be effective at delegating tasks to your employees and creating a positive work environment. In Chapter 7 you learn how to plan and organize for success. Setting goals, determining priorities, and managing your time are all part of ensuring that the work that needs to be done gets done. At the end of the day, you will feel best about yourself and your team when you can honestly say to yourself, “We did it, we did it right, we did it on time, and we had fun doing it.” In the end, getting the work done often becomes its own reward.

Supervising in a Changing Environment

The work of first-line supervisors has always been a challenge—even back in the days when it seemed like things remained the same and familiar routines could be followed every day. This all changed with the coming of the information age and the growing use of technology. Now with each passing day it seems that the role of the first-line supervisor becomes increasingly complex. What was true yesterday is not necessarily true today and what is true today will likely not be true tomorrow.

Chapter 8 focuses on the legal issues that you have to be aware of and be prepared to deal with on a daily basis. You learn about the impact the continually changing nature of the workforce with its increased diversity has on supervisory issues. New ways of working—virtual employees in virtual offices or distance managers supervising people at multiple and distant locations—are also addressed. The chapter concludes appropriately enough with techniques on how to manage change.

Exercise 4: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Opportunities

INSTRUCTIONS: Developing your skills in each of the key competencies enables you to be a more effective supervisor. Take a moment to think about whether you consider each of these competencies a current strength, a current weakness, or an opportunity—a situation that may arise in the near future in which you can apply the competency. Circle the letter that applies and then briefly describe what action you want to take to help you build on the strengths, improve the weaknesses, or take advantage of the opportunities. Keep this sheet handy as you go through the remainder of the course.

This chapter lays the foundation for beginning to understand your roles and responsibilities as a first-line supervisor. Several important issues were discussed. First, your employees have to respect you—not the position you hold. You earn respect by demonstrating your knowledge to your employees, setting a positive example, and having the experience that enables you to be effective on a daily basis.

An effective first-line supervisor helps people by planning and organizing work, providing resources, managing and developing people, administering and controlling, and handling problems and issues.

In addition, you must posses certain personal qualities that enable you to be successful. Included are setting high personal standards, being accessible, inspiring success, accepting responsibility for your actions, emphasizing quality and service, believing in your employees, setting priorities and sticking to them, and striving for continuous improvement.

It is also important that you recognize the important role your boss plays in your success. The four keys to having a positive working relationship with your boss were discussed. First is to take the initiative to develop a partnership; second is to be sure you and your boss are focused on common priorities; third is to communicate upward in a manner that meets your boss’s expectations; and fourth is to work to maximize the relationship potential.

Finally, you must develop several competencies: communicating, developing people, managing people, building a team, getting the work done, and supervising in a changing environment. The first-line supervisor who is able to integrate these roles, personal qualities, and competencies, is well on the way to success.

Exercise 5: Taking It Back to the Workplace

INSTRUCTIONS: Now that you have completed the reading and the activities in this chapter, it’s time to think specifically about how to apply what you have learned. The following questions are designed to help you consider what you need to do to succeed back in the workplace.

How confident are you in your ability to perform the day-to-day supervisory roles described in this chapter?

Have you identified any personal qualities that you need to change? If so, are you committed to making the change?

What have you done to lay the foundation for developing a partnership with your boss?

What do you need from your boss to be successful? Does your boss know that you have this need?

Have you identified which key competencies you need to focus on as you complete this course?