About This Course
Effective first-line supervision is critical to the success of nearly every organization. The ultimate execution of corporate plans and objectives rests at the supervisory level and depends on the supervisor’s skills and abilities. This updated and revised fifth edition of First-Line Supervision prepares supervisors to develop the competencies required to translate the organization’s goals at the front line.
As a first-time supervisor, your initial objective is to make the transition from staff member to supervisor, assuming the responsibilities of motivating, coaching, and leading your staff. This course will guide you in making the move to your new role, helping you identify your abilities and target skills to strengthen. Here you learn how to develop your own leadership style, understand the important personal qualities of an effective supervisor, build a strong team, and master techniques for getting the work done. The course focuses on developing the key competencies required for success in a changing business environment. It offers practical strategies for dealing with the daily realities of planning and conducting meetings, solving problems, crafting clear documents, training employees, and managing people, conflict, and change.
New to this edition is a chapter on supervising in a changing environment. The chapter features legal issues for supervisors, the challenges of supervising a diverse workforce, managing distant and virtual employees, and managing change. Added or expanded topics include developing a partnership with your boss, managing communication technology, providing performance feedback, working with difficult employees, and performance motivation.
First-Line Supervision, Fifth Edition, is designed to encourage you to apply these new skills to the job you are doing every day. You can use the exercises and assessments to work through your own supervisory challenges and hone the skills you need to be a dynamic and effective supervisor.
Charles M. Cadwell is the president of Training Systems +, based in Mulvane, Kansas, which specializes in training system design and development. He has more than twenty-five years of experience in the training field. Prior to starting Training Systems + in 1986, he held positions as Director of Field Training for Pizza Hut, Inc. and Director of Training for Popingo Video, Inc.
Cadwell’s clients have included Fortune 500 companies as well as a number of small- and medium-size service, retail, and manufacturing businesses. In addition to developing training materials, he also frequently facilitates classroom training sessions.
His first book, New Employee Orientation, was published by Crisp Publications in 1988. Since then he has written three audiocassette programs for the American Management Association on the subjects of recruiting and selection, orientation and training, and leadership skills. He has also written four issues of the Trainer’s Workshop for AMA. His most recent books are How to Be an Effective Facilitator (AMA, 1997), Performance Management (AMA, 2000), and Leadership Skills for Managers, Fourth Edition (AMA, 2004).