Fundamentals Of Effective Supervision. Starting Out: The Basics

Transcription

1 Fundamentals Of Effective Supervision Starting Out: The Basics

2 Starting out: The Basics How to learn the ropes quickly First impressions are important in your new role. Your initial days on the job will lay the foundation for future expectations. Keep these tips in mind. 1. Start with a clean slate. Many well-intentioned people may approach you eager to share their advice on how you should handle your new responsibilities and staff. One of the first impressions you want to create is that you are objective. Keep an open mind and do not be swayed by others opinions or perspectives. 2. Ask questions, listen, and observe. You have two eyes, two ears, and one mouth. Use these proportionally (i.e. listen more than you talk). The more you listen and ask questions, the better context you will have to understand processes and systems, and the more insight you will gain into how employees do their jobs. 3. Be visible and circulate. Spend as much time as you can circulating throughout your work area (e.g., retail floor, warehouse, office, etc.). Don t neglect other departments as well. Introduce yourself to staff, managers, and other supervisors as time permits. 4. Concentrate on important issues. Stay focused on the most significant duties of your job and don t get sidetracked by petty matters. 5. Don t avoid unpleasant duties. If something requires immediate action deal with it immediately (e.g. insubordination, inappropriate interactions with customers, tardiness or absenteeism). 6. Learn from mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes when they are starting out. Mistakes are part of the learning process. 7. Ask for guidance. You are expected to require some guidance in the first few weeks of your new job. 8. Identify priorities. In general, always place the highest importance on meeting the standards by which your job is measured. Specifically, in order of priority: Formally established priorities. Do these first. Obstacles to meeting your department/area objectives. These are your next priority (e.g. staffing shortage). Work flow. Next, prioritize anything to do with the flow of work (e.g. scheduling). Personnel matters. Typically, these are of lesser importance than the preceding items (e.g. preparing a performance objective). Routine paperwork is of lowest priority. 2

3 Exceptions will occur for reasons of diplomacy and politics. For example, if a high-level manager asks for something to be accomplished immediately but it conflicts with another priority, you may need to bring this to the attention of your boss and ask their advice. Example: I just received a request from the store manager to create a customized report for a supplier. The timeline conflicts with a priority we previously established. How do you want me to proceed? 9. Review written materials, procedures, regulations, etc., that relate to your job. 10. Find a mentor a veteran supervisor whose skills you admire. Your first meeting If you are asked to lead a meeting soon after you start in your new position, here are some tips. 1. Keep it brief. Let everyone get back to work quickly. 2. Avoid complex or unwelcome topics. Choose a routine, straightforward topic (e.g. an administrative matter). 3. Use the opportunity to build trust. Reassure your staff of the following: They should consider doing their job as they have always done. You do not have preconceived notions. You believe in teamwork and cooperation. You will keep everyone informed about things that might affect the group or individuals. They should bring problems to your attention. 4. Listen as much as you can. Give staff an opportunity to contribute. Note: More tips for effective meetings are contained in the Communication section of the course. Supervising friends and former co-workers One of the tasks that you will have to confront is supervising people who used to be your co-workers and friends. Complicating matters further, some of these people may have competed against you for the supervisor position. To avoid hard feelings, keep the following in mind: 1. Most people quickly adjust to the new working relationship. 2. Do not show favoritism. If required, state I treat everyone equally and I separate my friendships from my working relationships. 3. Downplay outside relationships when you are in the workplace. Tell your friends that you want to keep conversations about outside interests to a minimum. 4. A true friend will be happy for your promotion. If someone makes comments or actions that make you uncomfortable or undermine your position, confront the person and talk it over. 3

4 Time management tips As a new supervisor you need to manage your time. Establishing good time management habits now creates a solid foundation upon which you can develop. Step 1. Identify ways in which you waste time. For example: not having clear priorities leaving tasks unfinished too many meetings or meetings that run too long procrastination solving employees personal problems long phone conversations poor scheduling too much paperwork with no clearly identified need Step 2. Keep a time log. Step 3: Establish priorities. Review your Time Log and take note of any activities that you absolutely must do, any activities that you don t really need to do yourself (i.e. can be delegated) and any time wasters. Record this information in the Time Log. To improve time management, try the following: Delegate tasks that you don t need to do. Ask yourself am I the person who should be doing this? Learn more about delegation in later sections of the course. Create a daily list of things to do and prioritize them so you give the greatest amount of time to truly important areas. As you complete a task, check it off. Determine the times of day when you work best and take on your most important projects during those times. Set aside quiet time for each day, reflect upon the day s events, and plan for tomorrow. Plan what you will do at least one day ahead. Organize tomorrow s to-do list, today. Plan telephone calls in advance. What do you want to say? How will you keep it brief? For meetings you call, plan the agenda in advance and distribute it. Priorities change throughout the day. Adjust accordingly. Look at your list of time wasters. Develop your own action plan for the offenders. Try to avoid handling paperwork more than once. Act on things as they come up or plan for when you will take action. Deal with your mail the day you receive it, and prioritize your messages. 4

5 Time Log Make copies of this Time Log and keep track of your activities for one typical work week. Adjust the schedule and hours as needed to personalize the information. 5:00-5:30 am 5:30 6:00 6:00 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:00 7:30 7:30 8:00 8:00 8:30 8:30 9:00 9:00 9:30 9:30 10:00 10:00 10:30 10:30 11:00 11:00 11:30 11:30 12:00 12:00 12:30 pm 12:30 1:00 1:00 1:30 1:30 2:00 2:00 2:30 2:30 3:00 3:00 3:30 3:30 4:00 4:00 4:30 4:30 5:00 5:00 5:30 Priority of the task Time Activity/Task Must do myself Delegate Time waster 5

6 Stress management tips As a supervisor, you have the task of getting a job done while dealing with schedules, employee issues, customers, etc. With all of these responsibilities, stress is inevitable. You will experience it, and so will your employees. Some degree of stress is not a bad thing it keeps you motivated, energized, and enthusiastic. Too much stress, however, and you or your employees will begin to make mistakes, make poor decisions, interact poorly with employees or customers, etc. Whether stress is a problem for you or your staff, you need to know how to deal with it. The first step is to recognize the signs of stress. The signs of stress include: headaches frustration irritability indigestion inability to sleep tiredness anxiety indecisiveness confusion poor memory frequent errors and mistakes absenteeism frequent illnesses The next step is to do something about stress. The key to managing stress in the workplace is to modify how much control you have, or believe you have, over your circumstances. The following changes to the workplace may help: 1. Breaks. Employees (or yourself) feeling too much pressure may need to have some leeway to relax and shift gears when needed. 2. Bureaucracy. If you or employees feel overwhelmed with tedious procedures that interfere with priorities, you might need to do something to eliminate or cut down on these. 3. Time off. If you or an employee is experiencing a particularly difficult time outside of the workplace (i.e. in personal life) a lighter workload may be required until adaptation to that stressful situation can occur. 4. Social support. One of the most powerful ways to reduce stress is to have support from others. If you are stressed, talk it over. If someone else is stressed, offer them a chance to talk about their concerns. Sometimes practical solutions arise from these conversations. At other times, the act of sharing and supporting is enough to reduce the stress. 6

7 If your work conditions cannot be changed or modified, shift the focus of stress management to what you, personally, can do. The focus is on changing your inner state. 1. Try relaxation. Stress is accompanied by muscular tension (which, in turn, can lead to back aches, headaches, etc.). Take a break for a few minutes to take some deep breaths. 2. Get active. Physical activity helps to release stress from the body. Take walks at break-time or lunch time. Do regular physical activity outside of the workplace (e.g. aerobics classes, jogging, yoga). 3. Change your attitude. Stress builds up as worries accumulate. You can counter stressful thoughts by using optimistic thinking. Think about the positive side of things. Consider the long-term perspective. Replace stress-producing worries with positive thoughts and positive mental imagery (e.g. recalling happy times). 4. Be assertive. If you feel overloaded, consider bringing that to the attention of your own supervisor or manager. Encourage employees to do the same with you. Be certain to propose reasonable solutions, as well. 7

8 Remember the Basics: Your Action Plan The information in this session will help you get off to a solid start. Starting Out Create an action plan for starting out. The following questions may help you know where to begin. 1. What are the priorities of your job? 2. How can you be visible and meet employees, other staff, managers, supervisors, etc.? 3. What unpleasant duties should you attend to? 4. Who can you turn to for guidance if you have questions? 5. What written materials do you need to review? 6. Who could be a mentor for you? How can you enlist their assistance? 7. When you make mistakes, what can you do to learn from them? 8. If friends or former co-workers are among your staff, what can you do to avoid pitfalls or potential complications? (e.g., do not show favoritism, downplay outside relationships, explain the situation to the person). 8

9 Your First meeting Create an action plan for starting out. The following questions may help you know where to begin. 1. How can you keep it brief? 2. What topic should you choose to discuss? How can you keep this topic simple and positive? 3. What actions can you take in this meeting to build trust? Here are some tips: Reassure staff that they should consider doing their job as they have always done. Let staff know you do not have preconceived notions about anything or anyone. Emphasize that you believe in teamwork and cooperation. Point out that you will keep everyone informed about things that might affect the group or individuals. Remind everyone that they should bring problems to your attention. 4. How can you give staff as much opportunity as possible to contribute? 9