Essential Skills for Supervisors

Course Description

This course explains the essential components of effectively supervising individuals and teams. Supervisors will learn what performance management is and how to use conduct standards and performance standards to ensure that employees meet the required standards, so that everyone—employees, supervisors, and company leaders—succeeds. Ultimately, the course focuses on the practical skills that supervisors need to succeed in their new role.

Course Objectives

• Understand the responsibilities of a supervisor: to plan, organize, and control work.

• Know how to manage the transition to becoming a supervisor [for new supervisors].

• Know how to use feedback and listening skills to build positive relationships with employees.
• Know the 7 steps to top performance.
• Know how to use conduct standards and performance standards to ensure employees meet the expectations of the company and the position.
• Know what SMART objectives are, how to write them, and how to use them.
• Know the difference between performance and conduct problems.
• Know how to use feedback and other tools to coach employees to correct problems.
• Know how to create conditions for motivation and engagement.

Course Length:  1 day

Course Outline

What is supervision? What do supervisors do?

• The job of the supervisor

• Planning, organizing, and controlling work
• Best Boss/Worst Boss – What makes an effective supervisor?

• Managing the transition to supervisor – What’s changed in moving from individual contributor to supervisor
• The importance of positive feedback and active listening in building relationships with employees

High Performance Management – How to help employees do their best

Planning and Organizing

• 7 Steps to Peak Performance
• How to use conduct standards and performance standards to ensure employees are clear about what is expected
• How to use Critical Success Factors and Performance Standards to assess and track conduct and performance
• How to write SMART objectives

Handling Performance and Behavior Problems – How to help employees get back on track

Controlling

• What constitutes a conduct problem? A performance problem?
• How to address conduct and performance problems – Two different approaches
• How to handle serious behavior problems

Fostering Motivation and Engagement – How to Unleash Initiative

• What is motivation?

• The Motivation Game
• Ten Things We Know About Motivation
• Top Ten Motivators

• What is the supervisor’s role in fostering motivation and engagement?
• Activity: How can you foster motivation for your staff?

Summary/Action Planning