Skills for Successful Supervision

1. Skills for Successful Supervision Presenter: Nicole McPherson Shaw Date: February 14 – 16, 2012 Georgia Department of Human Services

2. Vision, Mission and Core Values Vision Stronger Families for a Stronger Georgia. Mission Strengthen Georgia by providing Individuals and Families access to services that promote self-sufficiency, independence, and protect Georgia's vulnerable children and adults. Core Values • Provide access to resources that offer support and empower Georgians and their families. • Deliver services professionally and treat all clients with dignity and respect. Manage business operations effectively and efficiently by aligning resources across the agency. • Promote accountability, transparency and quality in all services we deliver and programs we administer. • Develop our employees at all levels of the agency.

3. Skills for Successful SupervisionDay One: A Primer of Basic Supervisory Skills and Techniques

4. Introduction Congratulations!! Fundamental Supervisory Skills Class • Some Review & Some New • Group & Individual Exercises/Assessments • Information/Discussion (& some practice) • Participant Expectations Exercise • Pre-Test

5. Agenda - Day 1 • “After All, You’re the Supervisor!” • Elements of Successful Supervision • Transition & Establishment Skills • Communications & Relationships • Planning and Prioritizing • Problem Solving and Decision Making • Delegation and Motivation • Training and Team Building

6. Agenda – Day 2 • Ethics and Values • Progressive Discipline • Fact Finding • Grounds for Disciplinary Actions • Employment Law • Employee Relations Policies • Employee Relations Best Practices • Case Studies

7. Agenda Day 3 New Performance Management Process E-Performance Web Site PMF Format Performance Management Process Timeline Core Competencies Rating Scale Coaching and Development Employee Recognition

8. Objectives-Day One • Be able to identify the keys to successful supervision • Understand the basic elements of the problem solving model • Be able to identify the critical factors to consider when making a decision • Understand and be able to apply the steps of the delegation process • Understand the importance of motivating employees and the positive impact it can have on the working environment

9. Exercise • Why do you want to be a supervisor? • Please take 5-8 minutes to complete the questionnaire • Participate in discussion

10. Video After All, You Are the Supervisor

11. Key Elements of Successful Supervision • Transition and Establishment • Communications and Relationships • Planning and Prioritizing • Problem Solving and Decision Making • Delegation and Motivation • Team Building • Training

12. Transition/Establishment Issues • Going from buddy to boss • Hard decisions / Hard circumstances • Can’t: Always please, Have answer, Meet need • Controlling staff members • What is most difficult? • Confronting employees • Setting Limits

13. Transition/Establishment Issues • Giving up old tasks • Getting things done through others! • Maintaining accessibility • Managing by Walking Around • Showing initiative • Accepting responsibility

14. Transition/Establishment Issues (cont) • Making your own decisions; confronting challenges • Learning the facts & being consistent • Demonstrating a can-do approach • Assessing staff members

15. Earning Respect • Listen to staff concerns • Stand up for your staff • Show confidence & express appreciation • Make expectations clear and be honest • Do not tolerate poor performance • Do not apologize for being the boss • Control yourself; do not bluff employees • Control yourself; anticipate being “tested”

16. Communication • Activity: Just For Fun • Review of handout • What are the implications of this?

17. Communication Mediums • Face-to-face • Telephone • Written communication • Memos and letters • Electronic • Group or Staff Meetings

18. Passive/Active Listening Skills • Listening for the content • Listening for the feelings • Responding to the feelings • Noting the speakers verbal and nonverbal cues • Reflecting back what you think you are hearing

19. Relating to Your staff members • Learning styles • Interpersonal styles • Motivators

20. Benefits of Boundaries • Maintains focus on goals and objectives • Reduces risk of favoritism and harassment charges • Facilitates objective decision-making • Earns respect and credibility • Creates foundation for building trust

21. Exercise • Defining Boundaries • What Would You Do? • Review and complete the questionnaire in your packet and then we will discuss

22. Conflict Resolution 1. Meet with both and give assignment 2. Parties meet and discuss assignment with each other and resolve conflict 3. Supervisor holds joint meeting and processes their meeting and action plan 4. Supervisor follows up to ensure compliance

23. Relating to Your Boss • Supportive and positive • Demonstrate good work habits • Willingness to learn • Complete work assignments • Cooperation with others • Creativity • Even temperament • Say “No” appropriately

24. Relating to Peers • Deal directly with people you need help from • Spread requests around • Accommodate peers and make adjustments • Don’t tolerate bullying • Don’t pressure or bully peers • Return the favor

25. Supervisor Loyalty Priorities • The Agency – DHS: Support mission • Your Supervisor: Support your boss & upper level management • Your staff members: • Show positive concern and recognition • Give developmental feedback • Encourage innovative ideas

26. Planning/Prioritizing • Identify office/division operational goals • Identify priorities • Find a mentor • Listen • Ask questions • Review written materials • Observe the workplace

27. Exercise A Problem Solving Exercise: Deserted Island

28. Problem Solving/Decision-making • Uses the same model • Closely related • May use some different strategies • Decision-making more proactive than problem solving • Action plans and follow up are critical • Determining who to involve is a key issue

29. A Model • Define the problem • Determine the cause • Generate and evaluate possible solutions • Select and troubleshoot the chosen solution • Develop and implement an action plan • Follow up

30. Decision Strategies: Involving Others • Authority/Expert - No involvement • Authority/Expert - Data gathering involvement only • Consultative - Input from individuals or group • Majority • Consensus

31. Decision Strategies - Other Critical Factors • Expertise and Access to Info • Acceptance • Time • Importance • Capability

32. Criteria for Decision-making • Multiple alternatives • Well-defined criteria • Assumption testing • Dissent and debate • Troubleshoot options • Perceived fairness

33. Why You Must Delegate Your responsibility Your ability

34. Why You Should Delegate • Importance to the supervisor: • Better time management • Improved opportunity for promotion • Develops others • Importance to the employee: • Increased qualifications • Increased eligibility for advancement • Increased confidence, motivation and self-esteem

35. What to Delegate • Routine tasks with clear objectives • Low priority tasks you don’t have time for • Problem-solving on low to medium priority issues • Developmental tasks and projects

36. Things You CANNOT Delegate • Ultimate accountability • Responsibilities regulated by law • Selection of new employees • Power to counsel, discipline and maintain morale

37. Things You CANNOT Delegate • Evaluating performance • Resolving conflicts or any duties involving trust • Formulating goals, strategies and policies • Preparing or approving budgets (if you are a manager)

38. The Delegation Process • Analyze and Plan: use SMART model • S - Specific • M - Measurable • A - Attainable • R - Relevant • T - Time-limited & Target-driven

39. The Delegation Process • Select staff members & make assignments • Be clear & tell them why • Specify time and quality standards • Don’t play favorites or delegate to punish • Monitor - Supply supports and check progress • Evaluate and give rewards/consequences

40. Exercise Delegation Exercise Are you ready to delegate?

41. Motivation: Pygmalion Effect • Self-fulfilling prophecy • Express confidence and high expectations • Don’t be surprised by high performance • Share the rewards • Inspire others with “sight triggers”

42. Level of Needs • Physiological: Pay • Safety/Security: Fringe benefits and seniority • Belonging/Social: Unions, informal work groups, offices, departments and task forces • Self esteem/ respect: status symbols, recognition, influence • Self-Actualization: task competency, growth, achievement 5 Self- Actualization 4 Self-Esteem 3 Social/Relationship 2 Security/Psychological 1 Survival/Physiological

43. When to Provide Training • Employee: • can’t do the job • can do the job, but not well • is doing the job incorrectly Show ONLY the correct way to do the task

44. When Training is Not the Answer • Doesn’t know what is expected • Doesn’t know how he/she is doing • Lack of Support • Lack of Willingness These issues should be handled by coaching and effective performance management which we will discuss tomorrow

45. How to Train Employees “Tell me and I forget…” • Step 1 • You tell them what to do • You do it correctly • Step 2 • They tell you what to do • You do it correctly • Step 3 • They tell you what to do • They do it correctly “Show me and I remember…” “Let me and I understand.” - Confucius

46. 7 Winning Team Essentials • Sell Your Vision • Understand/balance your use of power • Understand/provide what your team wants • Give the team ownership • Encourage experimentation • Enlist members with complementary skills • Incentives for team members

47. Team Maturity • Organization ahead of personal agenda • Knowledge and skills to consistently get the job done • Clear understanding of the group’s goals • Diverse group of creative and innovative employees focused on shared goal • Each employee contributes something unique

48. Review • Elements of Successful Supervision • Transition & Establishment Skills • Communications & Relationships • Planning and Prioritizing • Problem Solving and Decision Making • Delegation and Motivation • Training and Team Building

50. Skills for Successful SupervisionDay Two:Employee Relations