1. Introduction to Supervision

2. The good, the bad, and the neutral
What do you believe?
Everyone is bad (Freud)
Everyone is good (Rogers)
Everyone is shaped by their history
of rewards (Skinner)
What you believe will shape your
interaction with your employees

3. Getting off to a good start
Be yourself
Start slowly
Be confident
Be visible
Use your boss
Ask questions
Be a good listener

4. Dealing with friends you now
supervise
Usually everyone will adjust quickly to
your new roles
Avoid favoritism. It’s perception more
than reality.
Best answer “you know I’m not like that,
so put the needle away”
Discuss the situation with your friends and
ask them to help downplay the
relationship at work.
But don’t take that to extremes either
True friends will be happy for your success

5. How would you respond to these
things if you’re being needled about
being a boss?
Things must be bad if they made you a
boss
I think Herb should have been promoted
instead of you
I guess you know the right people around
here if you got promoted.
I guess you have to be a good looking
woman to get a promotion
 Just what we need around here, another
new supervisor

6. Five things to tell your employees
right away
Keep doing your job, it’s business as usual
You have no preconceived notions about
anyone. It’s a new day and a clean slate.
You believe in teamwork and cooperation
to get the job done
You promise to keep them informed and
hope they will do the same
ANY problems should be brought to you
for attention.

7. Learning the Ropes
Identify the priorities of your job
Find a mentor
Listen
Learn to ask questions
Review written materials
Observe the workplace and the
workers

8. Establishing the right atmosphere
Be evenhanded with everyone
Make your own decisions
Learn the facts
Ask your workers for advice
Be generous with your praise
Stand up for your team
Be nice, show interest
Listen carefully to concerns
Play to their strengths
Demonstrate a “can-do” attitude
Don’t put up with slackers

9. Why slow is better
Facts take time
There are always conflicts of interest
It’s never as easy as it looks
It takes time to communicate (both
up and down)
It’s not ALWAYS ok to take it slow

10. When they try to make you look
bad
Don’t let remarks go unchallenged
But don’t go overboard with a response
Ask them to repeat what they said
Talk to them PRIVATELY
Tell them to stop.
Be firm but NOT angry
Brief your boss after you talk to the
employee
Keep your sense of humor

11. Common Pests
The
The
The
The
The
The
complainer
chatterbox
advise giver
busy body
potty mouth
balkers

12. Categories of Priorities
Things that affect getting the job
done
General work flow (who’s in today;
work assignments)
Personnel matters
Paperwork
How important are these to your
employees?

13. Speaking of Paperwork
Sometimes it’s just a question of
figuring out what to do with it
– Call ins/leave slips
– Time cards
– Overtime authorization forms
– Medical slips
– Accident report forms
– Personal files (NOT personnel files)

14. Basic Practices to make you a
better boss
Handle employee complaints
promptly
Be informed
Don’t let minor irritants distract you
Don’t dodge unpleasant duties
Prevent little problems from
becoming major issues

15. Basic Practices to make you a
better boss
Have confidence in your employees
Don’t worry about looking foolish
Don’t dwell on any mistakes you
make
Listen carefully to everything and
everyone
Show your gratitude for assistance

16. Basic Practices to make you a
better boss
Maintain your confidence
Try to avoid mood swings
Don’t try to do everything at once
Don’t volunteer for anything
Don’t make your life miserable over
your job

17. Communicating
Listening
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Keep an open mind
Pay attention
Assume it’s important
Be patient
Give feedback to show you heard them
Pay attention to what they’re NOT saying
Know when to nip it (chronic complainers)

18. Communicating
Giving praise
– Don’t always praise everyone
– Be timely
– Relate it to specific behavior
– Don’t praise routine effort
– Praise the group when warranted
– Constructive criticism sandwiches
– Praise your staff to others

19. Communicating
Asking questions
– Be persistent (keep asking)
– Don’t get angry
– Ask SPECIFIC questions
– If you want to learn, you have to ask
– Avoid yes or no answers
– Ask for more detail
– Rephrase questions
– Ask for information, not accusation

20. Communicating
Answering questions
– Some you can answer on the spot, some you
will need to find out.
– Like what?
Answering loaded questions
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Think before answering
Never feel obligated to answer right away
Get clarification before answering
Answer the question with another question
Email: Get one!!!!!!

21. Arguments, Requests, Complaints,
oh my!
Arguments
– Emphasize the value of teamwork
– Impact on team when disagreements
– Talk to them separately
– Tell them to knock it off
– Don’t get dragged into taking sides
– If it continues, talk to them together
– Feel free to talk to HR or the union

22. Arguments, Requests, Complaints,
oh my!
Time off requests
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Vacations are easier to plan for than illnesses
Be flexible
But you CAN say no
If
If
If
If
If
If
If
a legitimate business need
too many previous requests
you are shorthanded
it violates policy
someone else asked first
they have no time left
it’s their poor planning

23. Arguments, Requests, Complaints,
oh my!
Complaints
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Is it valid?
Can you do anything about it?
Is it legitimate or something else?
Are they about recent changes?
Did you involve them?
“Let’s try it for awhile”
Something will always change
Safety complaints should always be
addressed immediately!

24. Performance Evaluation:
Necessary or Necessary Evil?
Up to you
Can be valuable communication tool
Your annual chance to talk to
employee about their work behavior
Gives direction and sets goals
Hopefully provides constructive
feedback
Evaluations at Cobleskill

25. Performance Issues
Goofing Off
– Ask if there’s a problem you can help
with
– Make sure they’ve been trained
– Make frequent visits to their area
– Ask them about their progress
– Tell them they aren’t doing their job
– Give them short deadlines
– Don’t give up

26. Performance Issues
Tardiness
– Get there early yourself
– What are the rules? Who follows them?
– What is your expectation?
– Are there exceptions? How handled?
– Enforce your expectations
– Take action as necessary
What’s the excuse exercise?

27. Performance Issues
Giving constructive criticism
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Goal is to correct behavior, NOT punish
No ranting and raving
Don’t want to demotivate
Focus is on the behavior, not the person
Tell what’s wrong and how to fix it
Involve them in the solution
Let them tell their side
Criticize in private, praise in public
Allow for mistakes, that’s how we learn!

28. Handling Difficult People
Intimidators
Procrastinators
Practical Jokers
Know-it-alls
Sneaks and Liars
Flirts
Minor Irritants

29. 15 Supervisory Mistakes and How
to Avoid Them
1: Why it doesn’t pay to get angry
– Fear
– Apathy
– Revenge
– More errors
– Less work
– More absenteeism

30. 15 Supervisory Mistakes and How
to Avoid Them
2: Setting the Right Example
– Monkey see, monkey do

31. 15 Supervisory Mistakes and How
to Avoid Them
3: Keeping Distance without being
distant
– Mixing business with pleasure (DON’T
discuss business with your employees)

32. 15 Supervisory Mistakes and How
to Avoid Them
4: Being fair while being firm
– They WILL grumble
– Take the time to explain WHY
– Take the time to hear WHY

33. 15 Supervisory Mistakes and How
to Avoid Them
5: Establishing Credibility
– Don’t make promises you can’t keep
– Follow through when you said you would
– Don’t be inconsistent
– Don’t guess what’s going to happen in
front of employees

34. 15 Supervisory Mistakes and How
to Avoid Them
6: Avoiding Appearance of Favoritism
– It may not exist but people will think it
does

35. 15 Supervisory Mistakes and How
to Avoid Them
7: Get off the hot seat without
making excuses
– Acknowledge your mistakes and then
forget about it
– You WILL make mistakes
– If it’s not your fault, get your facts
together

36. 15 Supervisory Mistakes and How
to Avoid Them
8: When and How to Take the Blame
– Criticism of your workers is also
criticism of you
– It is actually better to take the blame
for your workers’ errors
– EVERYONE makes mistakes
– DO follow up with the worker in private

37. 15 Supervisory Mistakes and How
to Avoid Them
9: Not cutting employees short when
they ask for help
– There ARE legitimate reasons
– Sometimes they want to be reassured
– Sometimes they want to talk to you
about something else

38. 15 Supervisory Mistakes and How
to Avoid Them
10: Getting new employees off to the
right start
– Don’t overload with information
– How and when they get paid
– Time and attendance procedures
– Specifics of the job
– Pair them with a coworker

39. 15 Supervisory Mistakes and How
to Avoid Them
11: Scheduling work fairly
– Start the day with a brief meeting about
assignments for the day
– Don’t always give the same people the
same tasks
– But DO assign people to things they are
good at
– AND ask people what they prefer doing

40. 15 Supervisory Mistakes and How
to Avoid Them
12: Planning training
– On the job is still the best
– Consider demonstrations rather than
handouts
– Have each person try it
– Follow up with more training after the
intial stuff is done
– DON’T do it when you are the busiest

41. 15 Supervisory Mistakes and How
to Avoid Them
13: When morale is low
– Show concern (maybe their old boss
didn’t)
– Ask people on an individual basis what
they think might be going on
– Don’t downplay obvious problems
– You HAVE to be willing to listen to their
issues

42. 15 Supervisory Mistakes and How
to Avoid Them
14: Dealing with chronic complainers
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Is it legit?
Are they just trying to get your attention?
Give them a job to do whenever they complain
Team them up with a good listener
Refer them to someone else
Have them put it in writing
Try out-complaining them
Go about your business and let them keep
talking
– Tell it like it is: “I’m too busy right now.”
– Give them a time limit
– Leave whenever they show up, and walk fast.

43. 15 Supervisory Mistakes and How
to Avoid Them
15: Being the boss without being
bossy
– What’s your attitude?
– If you were the worker, would YOU want
to be treated that way?
– Would you act this way toward YOUR
boss?
– You can catch more flies with honey
– Strive to be polite and thoughtful
– Assert your authority ONLY when you
need to

44. Final Thoughts
There will always be work to do
There will always be problems
DON’T PANIC !