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Introduction to Leadership, Coaching, and Supervision

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Objectives

By the end of this training, participants will have an understanding of:

Key competencies of good leaders
The difference between leading and managing
Their own leadership qualities and those they wish to develop
The difference between coaching and mentoring
The coaching process and coaching techniques
Qualities of an effective supervisor
Supervision challenges
Ways to encourage productivity
Communication basics

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Leading vs. Managing

Subject	Leader	Manager
Quality	Change/Growth	Stability
Focus	Leading people	Managing work
Horizon	Long-term	Short-term
Seeks	Vision	Objectives
Approach	Sets direction	Plans detail
Decision	Facilitates	Makes
Dynamic	Proactive	Reactive
Likes	Striving	Action
Wants	Achievement	Results
Risk	Takes	Minimizes
Direction	New roads	Existing roads

Adapted from: http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/articles/manager_leader.htm

When promoted to a leadership position – whether it is as a supervisor or manager, you job description identifies many management expectations – managing staff workloads, ensuring objectives are met, maintaining stability, and so on. As a leader, you must also have vision, be proactive, and strive for continued improvement. Both of these roles are important.

Let’s look at the difference between leadership and management. What defines leaders as distinct from managers? One of the key elements of leadership is the way one approaches situations. Leaders seek growth, innovation, engagement, and risk taking. Managers, on the other hand, seek stability, focus on objectives, make decisions and announce them, minimize risks. Both qualities are necessary at different points in time. If there is a crisis in the organization, stability is important, but taking risks to make changes may also be needed. Being able to maneuver between the two roles, and knowing when to, is necessary for effective leadership. Maintaining the status quo, getting results, being decisive all have their place, but without a long-term vision, engagement of others, embracing change and opportunities for growth, an organization will stagnate even as the external environment changes.

Consider your own approach to work. Which of these leadership attributes do you have? Which of the management ones? In which areas would you like to grow?

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Quote:

A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader. A great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

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Controlling vs. Connecting Leadership

Controlling: Leads from…

Position: “I’m the boss”
Intimidation or threat to get what they want
Compliance-focused point of view
A culture of survival mentality among their team
An approach that results in low productivity. Their team is just doing the minimum to keep their job.

This leader’s team isn’t inclined to do anything extra

Position: “We collaborate and celebrate team successes”
Engaging others, and creating a caring culture
Strong relationships with each of their team members
Trust and respect for and from their team members
An approach that gives teams a sense of belonging and purpose

This leader’s team will go the extra mile

Connecting: Leads from…

Adapted from: https://www.aaepa.com/2018/10/lessons-in-leadership-connecting-vs-controlling/

Leading individuals and teams requires an ability to connect with others. Sure, you can demand compliance from those who work for you, but you are likely to get very little more than the bare minimum if you lead from a position of “I’m the boss, you have to do what I tell you to do.” Creating a culture in which others WANT to contribute to achieve your goals requires connecting with them in meaningful ways. It doesn’t mean you have to become friends with your staff, but you should appreciate them as human beings first, workers second. Doing this means practicing emotional and social intelligence and building relationships that are mutually trusting and respectful. Doing so will not only help you ensure that your team achieves success, but it will feel good to be doing so, even when circumstances are challenging or stressful.

Optional: Think about leaders you have known. Did they have controlling or connecting leadership approaches

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Quote:

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Leadership Qualities

Has strong ethics and moral standards
Is self-organizing
Nurtures growth
Creates connection and belonging (has social and emotional intelligence)
Demonstrates personal mastery
Is an effective communicator
Shows commitment to inclusivity
Is agile and flexible
Engages in strategic thinking
Is visionary

Leaders can exist at all levels of an organization, from line staff to executive management. We all know someone who shows leadership - in our work, volunteer, or home life. Think about that person or those people. There are many attributes that they all share – integrity, authenticity, and competency, just to name a few. Multiple research studies have explored what key competencies good leaders demonstrate. They include:

Strong ethics and moral standards – operating in all their decisions, actions, and interactions with a strong “internal compass”; being purpose driven,
The ability to self-organize to create order and direction using internal processes and resources,
Nurturing the growth and development of those they work with,
High social and emotional intelligence that allows them to create a sense of belonging and connection among teams or groups of people,
Personal mastery – an ability to master their emotions, thoughts, words, and actions, and take personal responsibility,
Effectively communicating with a wide range of individuals,
Inclusivity – engaging others appropriately and meaningfully in decisions and activities,
Agility and flexibility - being able to maneuver through difficulties by changing course when necessary
Strategic thinking – understanding both the internal and external environment and planning a course of action to achieve goals
Being visionary – seeing the big picture and imagining opportunities for potential, and sharing it with others

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Leadership Behaviors

Communicate a clear & inspiring vision
Demonstrate courage
Be innovative
Lead by example
Demonstrate openness & adaptability
Show compassion
Develop and empowers others
Project humility
Act with integrity
Be strategic / a strategic thinker

Effectively leading others requires a set of behaviors that engender confidence in the leader as well as create an environment in which team members feel empowered.

One of the most effective ways of ensuring all members of a team are working toward a common set of outcomes is for the leader to communicate his or her vision of the future. A leader who has effectively shared a clear and inspiring vision will have staff who know where they are going and what they’re striving to achieve. The vision is shared and serves to inspire the team to work together to create a desired future.

Strong leaders are strategic in what course they take in achieving their vision. The chart the best course of action to achieve the end goals. This may be done independently or as a part of a collaborative process with other team members. The key is that they act with a level of thoughtfulness that considers the current environment, the challenges to be faced, the opportunities that exist, the desired goals to achieve before taking action and directing others.

Effective leaders show both courage in the face of challenges and an openness to shifting one’s thinking as circumstances change and then innovate and modify course as needed. They are compassionate and create caring relationships with their team members and can be counted on to listen to new ideas, knowing that others may have a different, and important, perspective. They not only listen to, but empower, others to take responsibility for addressing issues that arise. This demonstrates trust in others as well as level of humility – knowing that they don’t have all the answers.

Think about these behaviors as you do the following activity.

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An Inspiring Leader

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The Way Good Leaders “Show Up”

Professionalism
Honesty
Commitment
Reliability
Authenticity
Responsibility
“Presence”

In addition to the qualities that good leaders demonstrate, the way they “show up” – engage with others and their surroundings – impacts whether others will follow them and hold them in high regard.

Leaders who demonstrate a level of professionalism and commitment to their work and in their interactions with others, who are honest and can be relied upon, who are authentic in all they do, inspire others to achieve. These qualities are reflected in how a leader presents him or herself to others. If he or she does not behave in ways that demonstrate them, others will lack trust and are less likely to strive to support them.

Optional Activity: Take a few moments to consider the leader you thought of in the previous exercise. How did he or she demonstrate these qualities? How do you? In which of these areas would you like to challenge yourself to grow?

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Leadership �Self-Assessment

Zero to Three Leadership Self-Assessment

Purdue University Leadership Self-Assessment

Columbia University Leadership Self-Assessment

The Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid

To reflect on your current leadership attributes, select one of the following tools to assess your leadership skills, abilities, or qualities.

NOTE TO INSTRUCTOR: Select ONE of the above self-assessment options and have the learners all use the same one. Delete the links to the others.

Zero to Three (5 – 10 min): this is a short quick assessment for reflecting on one’s leadership style. It has no “result” page to analyze responses. (Assessment must be taken while online or copied and pasted into Word document)

Purdue (15 – 20 min): this assessment is longer and has a feature for respondents to identify areas for growth. (Downloadable assessment available via link)

Columbia (5 – 10 min): A bit longer than the Zero to Three assessment, has an “Assessment Key” that identifies results to rate respondent’s level of leadership. (Downloadable assessment available via link)

Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid (15 – 20 min): This is a robust assessment with a grid to identify what kind of leader the respondent is and identifies the optimal type. This is the recommended self-assessment if there is time to do it. (Downloadable assessment available via link)

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Developing Your Leadership Abilities

Self-Assessment
Identify areas for growth
Identify sources of information
Explore opportunities to develop skills
Seek support
Consult with a mentor or supervisor
Develop a plan

With an overview of the key competencies and qualities of good leaders, and having done a self-assessment of your own leadership skills, let’s consider how to develop the skills you need to lead your team.

First, based on your assessment, identify the areas of leadership you’d like to develop. What specific skills would you like to enhance? What sources of information, opportunity, support do you have for building these skills. Take a moment to jot down your thoughts. Do this for each skill development area.

Next, talk with your supervisor or a mentor about your interest in developing more skill in these areas. Ask them if there are ways they can contribute to your skill development.

Develop a plan, complete with check in opportunities to do a self-assessment (perhaps using the same one you used in the previous exercise) to assess your progress.

(See handout in Attachment 1 pages 12 and 13)

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Coaching and Mentoring

Mentors

Provide knowledge
Guide
Demonstrate
Correct
Give opportunities

Coaches

Ask questions
Listen
Reflect
Expand thinking
Empower to find own answers

One of the areas in which a leader can have great impact is through coaching and mentoring members of their team. This encourages the ongoing growth and development of each individual and strengthens the team overall.

In order to do this well, it’s important to understand the difference between the two.

Coaching is a process by which the coach asks questions to help the learner expand his or her thinking and develop their own understanding or find their own solutions.

Mentoring occurs when an experienced individual helps guide another by sharing their expertise and providing opportunities for the mentee to practice.

Employees benefit from both mentoring and coaching experiences. An effective leader, manager, or supervisor will provide opportunities for their staff to experience both.

Mentoring may come naturally to those who move into supervisory or leadership positions. Coaching is a skill that requires knowledge and practice. Let’s explore more about what coaching is.

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Coaching

Is…

Isn’t…

Punitive
Directive
Negative
A step in the corrective action process
Imposed

Supportive

Learner led

Positive

Reflective

Collaborative

First, let’s consider what coaching is, and isn’t.

A coaching relationship should be:

Supportive – helping the learner grow and develop in an atmosphere of respect and support
Learner led – the learner should identify area for growth and drive the learning process
Positive – the coaching process should focus on and achieve positive change
Reflective – coaching encourages both the learner and the coach to reflect on their perceptions, thoughts and ideas, conceptions, interactions, and experiences to build a deeper understanding of self and the circumstances in which one operates
Collaborative – the coaching relationship should be one of a partnership in which each person brings insights, strengths, experiences, and value.

Coaching shouldn’t be:

Punitive – used as a means of disciplining the learner
Directive – the coach doesn’t have all the answers. S/he should help the learner find their own answers through questions and exploration. Providing direction and answers have their place, but are not a part of the coaching relationship.
Negative – coaching should not focus on what’s wrong, but rather seek ways to achieve better results.
Corrective action – coaching may be used to help an underperforming learner grow and develop new skills or habits, but should not be used as a part of the corrective action process
Imposed – the coaching relationship should be mutually agreed upon.

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The Coaching Relationship

Effective leaders, managers, and supervisors know that their greatest assets are the members of their team.
They provide guidance and instruction as needed, but also devote time to coaching others to help them achieve their highest potential.
Coaching promotes growth and development for the individual employee, which has a positive impact on the organization.

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“Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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"...coaching focuses on equipping the individual to discover their unique potential."

~ Brian Cagneey

(Author of the “7 Laws” book series on personal growth)

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Coaching Basics

Foster growth and development through offering new opportunities
Understand your team members’ strengths and areas they want to focus on for growth
Agree on the process / coaching relationship
Create individualized approaches for each person
Ask questions to encourage understanding and self-reflection

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Work as a Team

Remember that coaching only works if there’s an agreement between the coach and the employee. Set priorities together based on the employee’s interests and desires for growth.

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Be Curious

Good coaching requires the coach to be curious – ask powerful questions that can open up new perspectives,
Engage in appreciative inquiry – focus on what is working best and building on it.

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The Key to Good Coaching: Listening

Listen to understand
Listen deeply
Listen for what’s behind the words
Listen without judgment
Listen without attending to your own thoughts

Beyond being curious, the coach’s biggest asset is his or her ability to listen deeply to what the person is saying. Listening for understanding, not only of what they are trying to convey, but for how they are conveying it. Listening for what is behind the words – are they expressing anxiety, fear, hope, shame, desire, shame?

It’s critical that the coach not attach a value or judgment to what the person is saying or formulating their own thoughts or perceptions about what is being said. Doing this takes practice.

Activity (See instructions in Attachment 1, page 14 of the Learning Guide) : Listening with intent to understand. Pair up with another person. Each person has a turn to tell a short story about how they spent their weekend while the second person listens with intent to understand. The listener may ask clarifying questions but may not offer any comments.

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The Coaching Process

Reach agreement – on roles, process, timeframe
Set boundaries – determine ground rules for relationship
Set expectations – for how the process will work, what the results will be
Identify goal(s)
Agree on accountability
Evaluate progress – determine what change has occurred, what further progress is desired

Before a coaching relationship begins, some key steps must be taken to ensure the time spent is effective and the outcome(s) positive. To do this, the coach and learner should jointly discuss the coaching relationship and process. They should:

Reach agreement – on roles, process, timeframe
Set boundaries – determine ground rules for relationship
Set expectations – for how the process will work, what the results will be
Identify goal(s) – identify specific goals for the work (“Strengthen my communication skills” or “Write better reports” or “Improve my relationship with a coworker”)
Agree on accountability – jointly identify how the coach and learner will maintain accountability throughout the process
Evaluate progress – determine what change has occurred, what further progress is desired

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Getting Started

How do we want to work together?
How can I be most valuable to you?
How would you like to use our time together?
What would you like to focus on?
What would you like to achieve by the time we’re done today?
What would make our time together feel successful to you?

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Types of Coaching Questions

Exploratory Questions
Coping Questions
Magic Wand Question
Success Questions
Scaling Questions
Strength-Based Questions
Resource Questions
Exception Questions

(Adapted from Northern California Training Academy at UC Davis Coaching training materials)

There are several types of questions that can serve to open up new perspectives or ways of viewing situations, get to the “core” of an issue, or otherwise support exploration with a learner. These six categories of questions might be considered when working with someone to uncover their desires, interests, strengths, and potential. (Provide learners with handout from the Learning Guide, Attachment 1, page 15)

Exploratory questions – these questions begin to uncover what the person is wanting to achieve. “What would you like to work on today?” or “If things were perfect for you at work, what would that look like?”
Coping questions acknowledge the challenge the learner is facing – “That must be difficult. How are you managing?” or “You took a big risk doing that. How were you able to find the courage to do it?” These questions help the learner become aware of their own strengths and acknowledge they’ve got what it takes to move forward.
Magic wand questions ask “If you had a magic wand and could……………. (fill in based on the desired growth), what would you make happen?” or “If you came to work tomorrow and everything would be just as you want it, what would it look like?” This allows the learner to imagine how things can be better/as they want them to be, and gives them a sense of possibility in dealing with the situation.
Success questions draw on the strengths the learner has demonstrated in the past – “When you faced something like this in the past and you were able to resolve it, what did you do?” or “What did you do in the past that was helpful in a situation like this?”
Scaling questions – help the learner look at where they are right now and help to provide a concrete measure of the issue they’re exploring. “On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being poor and 10 being excellent, how would you rate your handling of the situation?” or “On a scale of 1 to 10, how did well did you facilitate the meeting?” A follow up question might be, “What would it take for you to move up (or down depending on the scale) one point on the scale?”
Strength-based questions focus on what’s working well, not what’s wrong. They build a person’s understanding of what they do well/right. “Tell me about how you managed that” or “Can you describe what you were thinking or doing when you handled that situation?”
Resource questions help a learner identify resources they may have as they work to solve problems or grow in an area. “What’s something you accomplished even though it was difficult? How were you able to do it?” or “Who might be able to provide some support to you as you tackle this situation?”
Exception questions serve to identify exceptions to the situation. “Can you tell me about a time when that (the concern or bad outcome) didn’t happen?” or “Have there been times when you were able to….?”

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Asking Powerful Questions

What matters to you right now?
What are your concerns?
What challenges are you experiencing?
What are you wanting to achieve?
What options do you see?
What have you tried? How did it work?
What action can you take now?
What does success look like?
What are your next steps?

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The Supervisor

“The talented employee may join a company because of its charismatic leaders, its generous benefits ……

….but how long that employee stays and how productive he is while he is there is determined by his relationship with his immediate supervisor.”

~Marcus Buckingham

(Author, Motivational Speaker, Business Consultant)

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Supervision Essentials

Planning, organizing, delegating and guiding work
Supporting, coaching, training, and motivating staff
Providing resources and feedback
Ensuring that policies, procedures,

and requirements are being met

Monitoring and evaluating performance
Support organization’s objectives

While leading and coaching can occur at any level of an organization, the supervisor has a specific role. Though the term “supervisor” is often used to refer to the position that oversees the productivity and development of entry-level workers, supervisors exist at all levels of an organization. A senior manager supervises mid-level managers who in turn manage junior managers or frontline supervisors.

Unlike leading, for which there are no explicit responsibilities, a supervisor has a specific set of tasks and requirements they are accountable for. These include:

Planning, organizing, delegating and guiding the work of others,
Providing support, coaching, training and feedback to individual employees,
Ensuring that the organization’s policies and procedures along with local, state, and federal mandates are being met, and
Directing and evaluating individuals’ and group progress as they work to carry out the organization’s mission.

Let’s look at some of the issues supervisors may face in carrying out these duties.

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Challenges in Supervision

Motivating employees
Managing conflict
Improving performance
Having difficult conversations
Managing change
Representing the organization

While the essential tasks of the supervisor seem straightforward, many challenges exist in carrying them out. In a perfect world, all employees show up for work ready to do their best. They have the skills, experience, training, and attitude necessary to excel in their work.

But we don’t live in a perfect world. Most organizations screen for experience, and train to the skills needed to do the job. Some of this is the responsibility of the supervisor, some of it occurs as part of onboarding.

Training and skill development may be time consuming for the supervisor, but motivating employees, managing conflict and change, having difficult conversations, and improving performance among staff present greater challenges.

Additionally, as a supervisor or manager, you are a representative of the organization and must support its policies and procedures, even if you disagree with them. This can be uncomfortable at times, yet your ability to navigate your way through will have an impact on your staff and their productivity.

Let’s take a look at each of these challenges.

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Motivating Employees

Know your employees
Provide autonomy
Seek input and engagement
Set meaningful goals together
Share context (The Big Picture)
Acknowledge accomplishments

There are many approaches to motivating employees. The challenge comes when you have an employee who is underperforming. There are effective approaches to keep good employees motivated, and to engage those who may be operating at less than a desired level.

First, know your employees. Understand what matters to them. Do they want to feel involved in decision-making, or problem-solving? Do they need regular check ins, support, validation? Do they need more direction and/or guidance? Are they interested in promoting? Answers to these kinds of questions will help you find the best way to increase their performance.

Give those employees who are self-motivated plenty of autonomy. They will rise to whatever standard you set. Adults want to feel in control of their work life. Let strong employees soar. For those who need more guidance and supervision, play to their strengths and give them autonomy where you know they will excel.

Whenever appropriate, seek input and follow the ideas of employees. There is no better way to motivate someone than when they have “skin in the game”. One way to do this is to set goals together. Goals for individuals as well as the team can serve as a rallying point. Having staff participate in setting those goals increases their commitment to achieving them.

Supervisors and managers often provide direction without setting the context for what the big picture is behind the directions. Staff are more likely to be engaged and on-board with getting tasks accomplished if they understand how they fit within the overall needs of the clients, unit, and agency.

Lastly, make sure to take time to celebrate along the way. Acknowledge individual and team accomplishments. Doing this individually and publicly both boosts morale and ensures your employees know that their work is appreciated. Also be sure to keep notes so you can include these accomplishments when it’s time for annual evaluations.

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Managing Conflict

Identify a time and place to talk
Listen carefully to all sides
Focus on behavior, not persons
Focus on solutions, not problems
Identify points of agreement
Make a plan for change
Follow up

In large organizations that have employees from different backgrounds, cultures, experiences and personalities, there are bound to be differences of opinion and, occasionally, conflict.

When disagreements among employees aren’t managed well, they can begin to affect other workers as well as the work that needs to be done. In these instances, supervisors must step in address such conflicts.

While facing these kinds of situations can be challenging, even for a seasoned supervisor, taking the following steps can provide a framework for successfully managing conflict.

First, set a time and place to meet with the individuals. Make sure they understand what the intent of the meeting is: to resolve a conflict.
Learn what the conflict is about. Be sure to listen to all sides without judgment.
When discussing the conflict, focus on the behavior and actions, not on individuals
Once the situation is clearly defined, look to the future. Dwelling on what happened won’t get you to a resolution. Focus on finding solutions, not rehashing the problems.
Identify where the parties agree, build on those areas of agreement.
Seek their ideas for what changes to make. Suggest your own. Once you have agreed on the ideas, make a plan for change.
Be sure to follow up to see if the desired change has occurred. If it hasn’t revisit the previous steps to make needed adjustments to the plan.

Recognizing and dealing with conflicts in the workplace early will build trust between your and your team members. If they know they can count on you to help them navigate sticky interpersonal work situations, they are more likely to come to you early on for assistance and thereby avoid negativity and difficult situations from arising.

https://blink.ucsd.edu/HR/supervising/conflict/handle.html#8.-Build-on-your-success.

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Improving Performance

Explore underperformance
Engage employee
Identify potential barriers
Communicate goals and values
Create opportunities to improve
Monitor and acknowledge change

A key element to any supervisory role is to ensure all team members are performing at an acceptable level. The fortunate supervisor will have a team full of high performers. For most, however, they will work with an employee who is not performing up to standards set for their position. In these cases, the supervisor must act.

It’s important to clearly define what, specifically, is expected and how the employee is falling short. The more specific you can be, the better. Addressing underperformance requires observation, collecting relevant data, and identifying the gap between expected and actual performance.

Once you’ve clearly identified areas for improvement, engage the employee by getting their assessment of the situation. Does he know that he’s not meeting expectations? Is she struggling to meet the demands of the job? Listen with a focus on understanding what their perspective is.

With this knowledge, you may be able to identify potential barriers and create a plan to address them.

Identify or create shared goals with the employee. Share your values regarding the work and why it is important.

Clearly identify areas for improvement and how improvement will be measured. Offer supports to help the employee become successful.

Be sure to monitor work and acknowledge positive change when it occurs. Knowing their efforts are being noticed may become a motivator for the employee to continue to improve.

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Having Difficult Conversations

State your positive intent
State your observations
Describe impacts/consequences
Ask for other’s perspective
Identify areas of agreement
Create a plan together

One of the most challenging aspects of supervising others is when you need to have a difficult conversation. Because of this, it is easy to put one off. This seldom serves anyone well as the underlying situation is liable to get worse rather than improve. Having a plan can be of great support when you need do have a tough conversation with someone. Here are some basic steps to follow when having any difficult conversation:

Start by stating your positive intent – let the person you’re meeting with know that you want to resolve an issue, create a positive outcome, etc.
Describe what behaviors or actions you are seeing that are concerning
Describe the impact and/or consequences of the behaviors – either those you have already witnessed or those you predict will occur.
Ask for the other person’s perspective. Listen with an intent to understand, not challenge.
Identify areas where you both agree on the situation and/or a resolution
Work together to create a plan that will address the concern

Activity: Complete the Planning for a Difficult Conversation worksheet on page 19 of the Learning Guide. Share with a partner.

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Managing Change

Understand the change and why it’s needed
Communicate openly about the change, why it’s needed, how employees will participate
Support employees as they adjust to the change – recognize some will be “early adapters” while others will take more time to make the shift.
Check back frequently to see how things are going.

Managing change, especially if it is frequent, or if the changes are major, can be challenging. Individuals react differently to change. Most change upsets the status quo, where employees, who felt confident and comfortable in their work must now learn something new. This can be destabilizing for some.

In order to effectively support change, the leader or supervisor must first understand what the change is and why it’s needed. This will allow him/her to provide the context staff need in order to both understand the change and their role in it.

Once you know what must happen and why, it’s important to openly communicate it to your team. Be clear about the reasons for the change and what role each employee has in making it.

For some, the change may be welcomed, but for many, it will represent a shift that may leave them feeling off-balance for a while. During the transition period from doing things the “old” way to the new, be sure to acknowledge the challenges your team is experiencing and support them as they make needed adjustments.

Be sure to check in regularly on progress. Address any changes that need to be made and seek out ideas for how to implement them from those closest to the work.

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Representing the Organization

You are the “face” of the organization
Support organization decisions and directions publicly
If you have concerns, bring them to your supervisor

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Renegotiating Relationships

Understand your role change
Communicate your responsibilities
Treat employees fairly and as individuals
Seek support and guidance from a seasoned supervisor or manager

Being promoted to supervisor, manager, or director is a great career opportunity, but it may be a difficult transition related to your relationships with your peers. In some cases, you may become their supervisor, complete with the responsibility for holding them accountable for their work. This can be awkward and even uncomfortable.

When you begin in your new role, it’s important to clarify the new relationship you will have. Be clear about your responsibilities as you define your new role. Be sure all your employees understand the shift in roles, and that they will each be treated fairly and as individuals, regardless of what your relationships were previous to the promotion.

It may be helpful to discuss this with others who have made the transition from peer to supervisor as they will already have navigated this shift.

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Effective Supervisors….

Motivate others

Are available

Develop positive relationships

Manage time & priorities

Are well-organized

Have strong communication Skills

Demonstrate empathy

Resolve conflicts

Are role models

Delegate

Show compassion

Reflect

Respect others

Are fair

Have positive attitude

Have knowledge and skills

Have good facilitation skills

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Activity

Think about the qualities effective supervisors have and how they encourage productivity.
Which of these qualities do you currently have? Which are strong and which would you like to develop further?
Make a list of those you’d like to develop.
Identify three steps you can take to further develop these qualities.

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Encouraging Productivity�

Inspire with vision

Identify clear goals

Prioritize

Use data

Mark progress

Seek input

A key function of the supervisor’s role is to ensure the work of the organization gets done. Motivating staff and encouraging productivity requires more than just directing others to do the work.

Supervisors who are successful in doing this know that staff need to have a sense of shared vision and understand the goals or outcomes they’re trying to achieve. They are clear about what the priorities are and communicate them regularly, especially in environments where everything seems important.

They use data to track progress and share it with their team members so that everyone knows where they are, what progress has been made, and if changes need to occur in order to better meet goals.

Rather than simply directing, effective supervisors seek input from their staff to find better ways of working. They are collaborative and support creative approaches.

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Inspire with Vision

REPRESENTS A POSITIVE IMAGE OF THE FUTURE

CAN BE VISUALIZED

TOUCHES HEARTS AND MINDS

ORIENTS AND ALIGNS GROUP’S ENERGY

SPEAKS TO SHARED VALUES

IS CLEAR AND CONCISE

In order to bring a team together, they must have a shared picture of where they want to go – what they are trying to achieve. A strong vision can do this. It brings to mind an image of a better future and rallies a team to strive to create it through their work. A bold and ambitious vision – “an end to hunger in our county” for example may seem very grand, but it will give a team whose responsibility is enrolling people in the SNAP program a sense of the importance of their work and will help inspire them as they perform their day-to-day tasks.

A strong vision statement will include the following elements:

Positive image of the future (“Everyone who needs housing will have it”)
One can “see” the vision (“A world without hunger”)
It touches hearts and minds (“All children are loved and cared for”)
Orients and aligns the group (“We provide the highest quality services possible”)
Speaks to shared values (“Our employees have access to all the resources they need to do their jobs”)
Is clear and concise – long, complex statements don’t serve to inspire others. Be sure to develop a clear, concise positive image of the future that your team can remember.

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Identify Clear Goals and Prioritize

Identify specific goals that will lead to achieving the vision
Make sure goals are SMART
Communicate the goals to your team
Prioritize
Ensure the work processes support achieving the goals

In order to strive toward the vision, it’s important for your team to have specific goals they are trying to reach. You may identify the goals yourself or the organization may have predetermined goals.

Ensure that the goals you communicate are SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-based.

Communicate them to your team and make sure the processes and workflow supports achieving them. If it doesn’t, it’s important to make the changes necessary to do so in order to ensure staff are able to be successful.

Be sure to help staff set priorities around what’s important as they work to reach the goals that have been set. Remember, if everything is a priority, nothing is. Priorities may shift given a changing climate. Staff need to know what matters most to the organization at any given point in time in order for them to move toward reaching the set goals.

Ensure workflow or business processes are designed to help staff reach the goals. Once a functional system is in place, identify what you’ll measure to be sure you are progressing toward the goals.

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Measure Progress

Identify measures to determine if you’re meeting your goals
Use data
Seek input
Remember to celebrate

Once goals are set and communicated, and the workflow is structured in a way that supports workers’ ability to meet them, it’s important to identify how you’ll measure progress. What are the steps along the way that will show you whether you’re moving in the right direction at an acceptable pace?

Once you know what your measures are, determine what data you can use to track progress on them. Are numbers of clients served a good indicator? Or client satisfaction with services? Where can you access the data you need? If you aren’t sure, check in with others in your organization – your own supervisor, an analyst, or a peer. You can also seek input from members of your team.

The key is to be able to track progress toward the goals you’ve set and communicate it often to your team members.

Celebrate milestones reached and good work done. Remember to take time to appreciate the good work your team is doing. This builds morale and further motivates your team to strive.

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Supervisor Self-Assessment

Supervisor Self-Assessment Questionnaire

Supervisory Style Self-Assessment Checklist (Note: this assessment is from the medical field. Some statements do not apply to human services. Consider these statements as they might apply to your work)

Supervisor Self-Assessment / Discussion Guide

San Mateo County Self-Assessment Tool For Managers and Supervisors

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Communication Basics for Leaders, Coaches, and Supervisors

Listen, Listen, Listen
Check for understanding
Know what your message is
Be clear and concise
Know your listener
Attend to non-verbal communication

In any leadership, coaching, or supervisory relationship, good communication is the key to developing a good and productive connection. In order to be an effective communicator, you must be able to both express your thoughts well and in a manner in which they can be heard and be a good listener. Six key elements essential to good communication are:

Listening – effective listening requires one to concentrate, putting aside their own thoughts and reactions while the other person is speaking, keeping an open mind to the other’s perspective, and “listening” for what’s behind the words - attending to what may not be being said.
Checking for understanding – make sure you are clear about what the other person is saying. Rephrasing a point made and asking, “Did I get that right?” or asking for clarification if you aren’t clear will help ensure you are both on the same page.
Knowing what your message is – before bringing an issue or thought up with a person you supervise, lead or coach, be clear about what it is you want to communicate – especially if the conversation is about something that is challenging or a difficult topic to discuss. Be clear about what you want to say, what your intent is in bringing it up, and what you hope the outcome will be.
Being clear and concise in delivering your message. The more you talk, the more likely your core point will be lost. Be respectful, but get to the point without a lot of unnecessary information.
Knowing your listener – Communicate with words, concepts, and an approach that you know he/she can understand and relate to. Use examples that you know will be familiar. Address values you know he/she shares.
Attending to non-verbal communication – your own, and the listeners. How a person physically presents is as important as the words they use. Be aware of your body language and pay attention to your listener’s. If he/she becomes uncomfortable, and physically closes off, you may want to adjust your approach. Knowing your listener will help you better read his or her non-verbal communication.

When supervising, managing, or otherwise communicating with remote employees (those working out of the office), clarity and frequency of communication become even more important. If you have staff that work from home or are “in the field”, make a point of communicating regularly – both formally and informally – and check to ensure that the message you are trying to communicate is being understood.

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Putting the Pieces Together

Leadership
Coaching
Supervision
Communication

Use this slide to review and summarize each section or the full 3-part training

Leadership: Good leaders inspire others to be their best. This is done through leading by example, connecting with others, demonstrating key leadership qualities like integrity, honestly, competence, and accessibility. Leadership is a skill that can be learned. Pay attention to inspiring leaders. Learn what you can from them. Make a plan to develop your own leadership qualities and style.

Coaching: Coaching is the act of supporting someone to be the best they can be through asking questions that help them uncover their own answers to the challenges they face. Good coaches don’t offer advice, but rather draw knowledge and insight from those they coach. Becoming a good coach take practice. Using the resources in this training module is one way to build your coaching skill.

Supervision: Supervision happens at all levels of an organization. It is the supervisor’s role to direct, guide, and support his or her staff as they complete their tasks. A good supervisor knows what motivates each member of his or her team and supports them in their growth and development. Key functions of supervision are planning, organizing, delegating and guiding work, supporting, coaching, training, and motivating staff, providing resources and feedback, ensuring that policies, procedures, and requirements are being met, monitoring and evaluating performance, and supporting the organization’s objectives

Communication: In order to lead, coach, or supervise others, it is important to be an effective communicator. Essential communication skills include the ability to listen with a desire to understand. Many people listen somewhat inattentively, waiting for our turn to talk. Effective communicators listen more deeply, wanting to understand what the speaker is trying to communicate. They check for understanding to make sure they are following the speaker. They also attend to non-verbal communication to make sure they aren’t missing any nuances in what the speaker is trying to convey. When it’s their turn to talk, they are clear and concise and know what message they are trying to communicate.

Now that we’ve explored the role of the leader and supervisor, and discussed the elements of effective coaching and communication, do you have and questions or thoughts you’d like to share?

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A Bay Area Social Services Consortium Project

Developed by Evelyn Hengeveld-Bidmon – BASSC Consultant

In collaboration with the Bay Area Human Resources Committee

and

the Mack Center on Nonprofit and Public Sector Management in the Human Services

School of Social Welfare

University of California, Berkeley