Best_Practices_Manual_for_Supervisors

Best Practices Manual for Supervisors MGT/210 September 4, 2010 Oluwole Oshinubi Best Practices Manual for Supervisors Introduction The supervisors assume great roles and responsibilities to keep the group function efficiently and effectively. The supervisor covers different aspects that will keep the group to work as a team. Such aspects include communication skills, orientation and training, and factors geared towards improvement of the working relationship of the team, guiding the team performance, and improving the team productivity. This paper presents two best practices for the essential supervisory responsibilities which will serve as a guide for supervisors. Demonstrating Communication Skills Always keep articulation of thoughts and ideas clear both in speaking and writing. Communication is very important in every team. Most importantly, the thoughts and ideas needs to be well understood to keep an effective communication. Vague communication often leads to misunderstanding and invites conflict development. The supervisor who is assuming a great role and responsibilities in the team needs to keep himself clear and well understood. He must be particular in expression of his thoughts and ideas and he has to make sure his ideas are easily understandable no matter what he says or does. Learn how to listen, understand and discuss things with the members. A good and effective communication involves exchange of ideas. It is a two way process that involves give and take. A supervisor must possess excellent skills in listening, understanding and discussing things with the members. The way how the supervisor communicates with the members do matter a lot. Communication is best efficient if mutual understanding exist. Learning how to listen will enhance expression of ideas by the members. Each member has differences in expression of their ideas. The supervisor has to be sensitive on that aspect and learn how to understand every member with their distinct way of communication whether it is in speaking, writing and even with some gestures and body language. That will greatly enhance the supervisor’s communication skills and will have a better understanding of all the members. Keeping an open line of communication within a group, particularly with members and their supervisors, is probably the most important for the survival of the team. Teams must exhibit skills in talking things over with other team members, even if the setting is casual. Determining Effective Orientation and Training Methods Orientation programs need to be well prepared. All new employees need to have a foundation to grow on, that foundation has a lot to do with the orientation program that is created. The first impression that new employees get, other than the original interview, is their new hire orientation program; where they learn about their work environment, the job, and the organization itself. In most cases new hires are full of anticipation and thrill during their orientation period. For a majority of the newly hired employees they need an ample amount of information which will make available plenty of direction in the new job. They need a well developed orientation program that will make them feel that they are given importance by the organization. Supervisor’s should never overlook that matter and must provide the needed attention to the orientation process. The supervisor has to always keep in mind that a well planned orientation program contributes to the development of positive attitude towards work by new employees thus ultimately beneficial to the team. New employee’s optimism could turn around into pessimism if the organization fails to imprint a good first impression. As the saying goes “First impression is lasting” and that first impression could be highly significant in producing efficient and desirable employee. “A poor orientation program can quickly sour a new employee’s attitude toward the job and the organization.” (Robbins, 2002). Whereas a good and well planned orientation is a sort of good investment as making the new employees feel welcome will promote the development of good impression and early bonding with the organization. “The things you do and the impressions you create at the start of your tenure can shape the way your new colleagues think of you for years to come” (Dowdall, 2002) Provide training based on individual needs. Training is very important in every team which is needed by all members from the time of joining all throughout towards upgrading and promotion of career. There are different sorts of training that can be implemented in every team. From simple to basic and to a more higher training, the efficiency is largely affected by the individual suitability to a particular training. The supervisor therefore, needs to access adequate information about the skills, capabilities and professional qualification of every member and decide which is the best training applicable to every individual member and as a group. All sorts of training must be always available for the team. On-the-job training must be provided individually as needed on the daily performance. Regular training and extra training must be planned to boost the potentials of the members. Improving Productivity for Teams Enhance unity and cooperation within the group. Effective and efficient functioning can be compromised in a team with lacking unity and cooperation. Such aspect must be within the priority. Great leadership and effort is needed to maintain that aspect. As a supervisor, all strategic measures to motivate the team members to give out their potentials must be well planned. That includes taking care of the satisfaction of every member on their job in association to the pays, compensation, and incentives. Respect to every member and enhancing respect among the members should be taken cared of. The individual’s role must always be clear and all members must be treated fairly without any prejudice and criticism. Satisfying the needs of every member and avoiding any source of conflict is best to strengthen unity and cooperation. Each member must clearly understand the common goal of the team and must appreciate the products of the team efforts performed with unity and cooperation. With a team working hand in hand, a great room for improvement of the team productivity is provided. . Provide due support and assistance to every member. The productivity of every member is affected by individual performance. The success of the team depends on how the team is managed and more importantly depends on the contributions of the members. The supervisor needs to be kept informed and must be understanding of the needs of the team and its members. Every needed support and assistance must be provided as needed. It is very important for the supervisor to understand the needs of the team and the members with support and assistance planned ahead. All members must be given importance and not only provided with support and assistance for the gain of organization but full support and assistance must also be provided for the members’ career improvement and advancement. A supervisor needs to act to make the members’ potentials to come out as an effective and productive contribution and performance that will be for the professional and career gain of the member and for the benefit of the team. Conducting Performance Appraisals Conduct performance appraisal regularly. Performance appraisal provides a chance for both the employee and the supervisor to discuss matters related to job performance. It is one way of gathering information on how is the job done. It is a sort of monitoring the efficiency of an employee in fulfilling his/ her functions. Performance appraisal is best utilized if it is done aiming to improve the performance rather than finding out the flaws to give punishment to an employee. As the process can possibly lead to some misunderstandings, the employee must always be advised and must be fully aware of the purpose of the process. Performance appraisal is very important as this provides an idea of how the members are doing thus the supervisor must ensure that this should be done in regular basis. A supervisor’s guidelines in University of Northern Iowa developed by human resource department mentioned: “The performance meeting helps the supervisor and employee establishes a clearer understanding of the employee’s job duties, responsibilities, and priorities. It also provides an opportunity for the supervisor to coach the employee on how to become more proficient and productive.” (Supervisor Guidelines, n.d. para.2, page 4) Conduct performance appraisal objectively. Performance appraisal is highly beneficial to the team however it is important to note the supervisor should refrain from being tempted on appraising an employee based on individual personality. It is a necessity that appraisal should be mainly based and should reflect the employee’s job performance. Personal matters should always be segregated during the appraisal and should always involve honesty when looking back at every performance of an employee. The personality issues may be included in appraisal if such largely affects the employee’s performance and disrupt others’ performances in the team. It is important for the supervisor to keep in mind that performance appraisal will be more successful if there is a mutual respect and understanding between the employee and the employer. Appraisal will be best enhanced if the supervisor’s possess adequate courtesy and are sensitive in their approach and delivery during the appraisal meeting. Resolving Conflict Be clarified with the conflicting issues before attempting to resolve it. Conflict is often the cause of disorganization and failure to achieve the team’s goal. Conflicts actually are not all bad. They can be sometimes considered as sort of challenges empowered to produce positive impacts to the team once resolved properly and peacefully. Conflict can occur in any team at any time. It is one of the roles of the supervisor to look over any conflict within the team and should be ready to resolve before significant changes develop. Resolutions to conflict which can be in various aspects can be difficult sometimes. Steps and strategies may require special technologies. It is very important for the supervisor to always obtain information which will help in understanding the conflict, as to what is the cause, and who are involved. Clarifying the issue will help the supervisor to think of a resolution fairly and unbiased decision as to what measures are to be carried out. An attempt to resolve a conflict with insufficiency of information can possibly cause misunderstanding which can flare up the conflict. The aim is to resolve the conflict and not to aggravate the situation thus the supervisor has to handle any situation with utmost care. Plan out resolutions and alternatives to the conflict. Planning ahead the resolutions yields better effect than implementing a random resolution at all times. An ample time can be provided to have due analysis of the situation and the supervisor can think more efficiently of the most appropriate resolution. In any issue, whatever is the situation, it is always essential to maintain respects of the rights of any employee caught in conflict. Considering their feelings in any situation will help to avoid building up of additional conflict and grudges. Improving Employee Relations Be fair in dealing with all the members. The employees’ relation takes a significant part in effective functioning of the team. A team in harmony enhances unity and cooperation which improves employee relations. There are many factors that need to be considered to maintain and improve the working relationship within the team. Dealing fairly with all the members is a very important point that the supervisor should handle efficiently. Unfair treatment of the team members is the typical origin of complaints, development of indifferent behaviour and fighting, jealousy, personal grudges and grievances. Usually with the budding of unhealthy relations among the employees, the team is at the losing end. The work performances will have inevitable disruptions and significant changes of the attitudes towards works can be expected which puts the productivity and effectiveness of the team into compromise. It is a wise move for the supervisor to ensure that each and every member of the team receives fair treatment in interpersonal dealings, allocating the tasks, receiving the rights, privileges, compensations and incentives. Everyone has to be given fir support and assistance and development of inferiority within the members should not be given a room. Reinforce a good discipline within the team. As with many factors that has significance and strong impact in the team performance, discipline is as important as any factor of priority. In any aspect of life, the scent of discipline is always needed. The team and the members need good discipline to maintain its smooth, efficient and productive functionality. Good discipline facilitates good organization and lessens the workload of those who have to look over the activities and performance of every member. With good discipline, members are expected to act within the norms and expectations acceptable to the team and the society. The supervisor needs to be consistent in reinforcing good discipline within the team and decide which kind of discipline is suitable in handling the team. It can either be positive or progressive discipline. In any situation, full guidance and assistance must always be provided to the members to stay right on the track during their performances. Every member must be guided through with a shining light to allow adaptation and development of appreciation on good discipline. Discipline is very significant for the progress of any organization. References Dowdall, J. (2002, July 01). "Off to a good start: Thoughts on the first weeks of a new job,”. Retrieved June 10, 2008, from Chronicle of Higher Education Web site: http://chronicle.com/jobs/2002/07/2002070101c.htm Robbins, R. (2002). “Orientation: Necessity or Nightmare'” Supervision. 8-9. (2000). Supervisor Guidelines for Conducting Employee Appraisals. Retrieved June 10, 2008, from University of Northern Iowa Web site: http://access.uni.edu/forms/merit/cdperapp.pdf