Supervising for Success

Why should supervisors be trained in Supervising for Success?

The key to an efficient, profitable and favorable workplace is engagement.  If people are engaged when they come to work, that equates to good productivity, profitability, less turnover, less absenteeism and less safety incidents.  Situations where people are disengaged consistently lead to less productivity, unprofitability, absenteeism, more turnover and increased safety violations.  A sad reality in the workplace is that supervisors are trained well on how to do the job, but more often than not they receive very little, if any training on how to effectively manage people.  Supervising for Success training fills that void, and helps supervisors become better leaders and communicators that know how to effectively engage with the workforce. 

Overview of the Program

Our experts work with management to develop a tailor-made program for your organization.  The full version of Supervising for Success is usually a 2-3 day program of half day (4 hours) sessions.  However, we are able to easily adapt the program to fit the needs of each specific project we handle.  The program itself is extremely interactive.  It is NOT an individual giving a PowerPoint presentation.  Attendees are provided with a workbook that is theirs for the session and to keep.  The program has small group discussions, case studies directly taken from the company, role play situations, self-evaluations, videos, assessments, etc.  Attendees are strongly encouraged to actively participate in the program in many ways. 

 Each training session is fit to the specific needs of the client and the situation, but the following is a brief outline of the baseline topics covered during a typical training program.   

Topic 1:  Effective Supervision

Supervisors are essential to the success of developing employees and expanding an organization’s footprint and business model.  This session starts with an inhouse Case Study.  After completion of this module, attendees will be able to:

·      Demonstrate an awareness of how assumptions about people influence a Supervisor’s effectiveness

·      Identify characteristics of effective Supervisors

·      Identify the “role” of the Supervisor

Topic 2:  Onboarding New Employees

Most new employees decide if they will be happy at their new job in the first day on the job.  Good onboarding practices are critical components of effective supervision.  Onboarding is not a 1 hour or 1 day process – it takes 12 months to effectively onboard an employee.  When employees are effectively brought into an organization, they tend to stay.  This session involves an Evaluation and Group Discussion.  After completing this module, attendees will be able to:

·      Understand the steps in effective onboarding

·      Know why onboarding should be a part of their regular routine

·      Develop their personal onboarding plan

Topic 3:  Communication & Listening

One of the most important characteristics of a good supervisor is being an effective communicator and good listener.  According to Sir Winston Churchill, “The difference between mere management and true leadership is communication.”  This session involves multiple Role Play situations.  After completion of this module, attendees will be able to:

·      Define an open communications climate

·      Identify barriers to communication

·      Identify how perceptions affect communication

·      Understand the natural behavioral preferences of different personalities in communication

·      Create awareness of how the response affects the outcome

·      Demonstrate empathy

·      Paraphrase what someone is saying

·      Understand ways to improve listening skills

Topic 4:  Problem Solving & Conflict Resolution

Every supervisor will encounter problems and conflicts during her/his career that directly relate to personnel issues or that affect production in the workplace.  Sometimes the problem may arise between employees, or sometimes between the supervisor and employee.  This session involves Role Play situations and self-evaluation.  After completing this module, attendees will be able to:

·      Identify problems in their department/work area

·      Use problem-solving steps to reach a solution

·      Identify areas of conflict

·      Identify their own conflict-resolution style

·      Utilize steps necessary to resolve conflict

Topic 5:  Performance Management

Studies prove that employees sincerely want to work and be effective in their jobs.  However, employees often state that they do not know what is expected of them.  If employees do not know what their supervisor wants, it is impossible for them to do it.  This session involves Role Play and an Evaluation.  After completing this module, attendees will be able to:

·      Identify challenges and the joys of the supervisory role

·      Determine steps to communicate expectations effectively

·      Determine steps for improvement

·      Provide constructive feedback

·      Learn how to balance positive and constructive feedback

Topic 6:  Motivation

A supervisor can use her/his coaching skills to find out what will motivate an employee to enhance the employee’s performance, set and achieve goals, and solve problems.  Everyone is different and is motivated by different actions and styles.  This session involves a Role Play and Evaluation.  After completing this module, attendees will be able to:

·      Identify/create a motivational structure

·      List motivating factors

·      Identify de-motivating factors

·      Determine when and how to coach

·      Use coaching techniques to help motivate employees

·      Describe how motivating and coaching can be used to enhance employee performance

·      Share daily recognition –“catch someone doing right’

·      The ‘be loved, belong, be brave’ factor

Topic 7:  Counseling

Counseling is different from coaching in that with coaching, the supervisor takes a positive approach to enhancing the employee’s performance.  Counseling, although not necessarily negative, implies a need for intervention by the supervisor to correct a situation.  This session involves Role Play and an inhouse Case Study.  After completing this module, attendees will be able to:

·      Realize the positive results of effective counseling

·      Recognize when to counsel

·      Demonstrate effective counseling techniques

·      Understand the importance of documentation

Topic 8:  Team Building

The words “team” and “team building” are often used in our daily work without thought as to what they really mean.  To many of us, “team” means a group of people who are needed to do a specific job, task or solve a problem because one person cannot accomplish the goal.  That is not what team or team building really means.  This session involves a Group Discussion.  After completing this module, attendees will be able to:

·      Define the characteristics of a high performing team

·      Learn how to develop consensus

·      Form an effective team to achieve winning results

·      Experience the positive impact resulting from teamwork

·      Gain momentum from the diversity of the team

Topic 9:  Leadership

Effective leadership is the key to success in any supervisor/employee relationship.  Supervisors are the demonstrative example of leadership to their employees.  This session involves a Situational Evaluation.  After completing this module, attendees will be able to:

·      Understand the value of good leadership

·      Evaluate their own leadership style

·      Evaluate their strengths and weaknesses as a leader

·      Learn to lead inside the Circle of Influence vs The Circle of Concern