© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting,
LLC.
Adapted from the Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision.
Simply put, supervisory development is an effort (hopefully,
planned in nature) that enhances the learner's capacity to be
a supervisor. Supervision often includes conducting basic management
skills (decision making, problem solving, planning, delegation
and meeting management), organizing teams, noticing the need for
and designing new job roles in the group, hiring new employees,
training new employees, employee performance management (setting
goals, observing and giving feedback, addressing performance issues,
firing employees, etc.) and ensuring conformance to personnel
policies and other internal regulations. A critical skill for
anyone is the ability to manage their own learning. The highly
motivated, self-directed reader can gain a great deal of learning
and results from following the suggestions and using the materials
in this section.
The following topics are very closely related to this topic:
Supervision, Management Development and Leadership Development.
Sections of This Topic Include
Preparation
Optional: Suggested Readings from the
Library
Before Supervisory Development, Get Impression
of What "Supervision" Is
What Does Supervisory Development Look
Like?
Strong Value of Self-Directed Learning
Informal Activities to Learn About Supervision in Organizations
Attempt to Go Beyond Reading Books
...
Ideas for Activities to Learn About Supervision
Customizing Your Own Supervisory Development Program
Preparation for Designing Your Supervisory Training
Plan
Determining Your Overall Goals in Supervisory Training
Determining Your Learning Objectives and Activities
Developing Any Materials You May Need
Planning Implementation of Your Supervisory Training
Plan
Evaluating Your Supervisory Training Plan and Experiences
Follow-Up After Completion of Your Plan
Guidelines
for Conducting Supervisoral Development Programs
General Resources
Additional
Information for Nonprofits -- Auditing Personnel Management Practices
Basic Guide to Supervision
and Personnel Management
Also see
Related Library Topics
Also See the Library's Blogs Related to Supervision
In addition to the articles on this current page, see the following blogs which
have posts related to Supervision. Scan down the blog's page to see various
posts. Also see the section "Recent Blog Posts" in the sidebar of the blog or
click on "next" near the bottom of a post in the blog.
Library's Leadership
Blog
Library's
Training and Development Blog
Preparation for Learning
Optional: Suggested Readings from the Library
To gain broad perspective on supervisory development, the reader
would benefit most from first reading the following information.
Introduction
to Organizations (read documents referenced from the section titled
"Basics")
Basic
Definitions and Roles in Management
Training
Basics -- Understanding Learning and Development
Training
Basics -- Understanding Training and Development
Before Supervisory Development, Get Impression of What "Supervision"
Is
The first place to start learning about supervision is to get
some sense of what supervision is -- in particular, understand
get an impression of the areas of knowledge and skills recommended
for effective supervision in organizations. Review information
in:
Basic
Overview of Supervision
Skills
and Practices in Organizational Supervision
What Does Supervisory Development Look Like?
If you read the information in the section Training Basics -- Understanding Learning and Development
listed above, you learned about training programs that are informal and formal,
and other-directed or self-directed. Supervisory development programs come in
all of these combinations, as well. You can learn about supervision in informal
"programs", for example, by reading some articles, discussing supervision
with a friend, etc. You can attend formal training, for example, a course, seminar
or workshop. At this point, it might help you to get some perspective on the
nature of supervision development programs by looking at some. See
Supervisoral
Development Program (including developing leadership)
Multifaceted
Training for Supervisors: A Best Practice
Five Ways to Look at Bosses — a Leadership Training Profile
On-the-Job Development Opportunities for Nonprofit Staff
A Future of Leadership Development
Ready to Lead? The Next Generation Speaks Out
Strong Value of Self-Directed Learning
The ability to manage one's own learning is an increasingly
critical skill. Bouchard explains, “Over the years, it has
become increasingly clear that traditional approaches to [training!]
program design and delivery in the workplace and in associative
organizations present some important weaknesses. Problem areas
include: coping with the short life span of useful knowledge;
passing down acquired competencies to succeeding cohorts; accommodating
the demands of productivity while providing for a continuity of
learning; [and!] enabling learners to pursue activities that correspond
to their learning styles and needs” (in Self-Directed
Learning in Organizational Settings (working paper), Concordia
University, Montreal, Canada, p. 1).
This topic in the library provides an excellent opportunity
to begin managing your learning. To learn more about self-directed
learning, see
Strong
Value of Self-Directed Learning in the Workplace
Informal Activities to Learn About Supervision
Attempt to Go Beyond Reading Books ...
There are a wide range of everyday and on-the-job activities
from which you can learn about supervision and even enhance your
supervision skills. Informal methods can include, for example,
reading books, having discussions with friends, on-the-job training,
keeping a diary with thoughts about supervision , etc. One of
the more insidious ways to avoid learning to supervise is by reading
lots of books about supervision, rather than actually implementing
any of the advice offered in any of them. You're not likely to
develop much for supervision skills merely by reading, talking
or attending a course unless you actually apply new materials
and methods, and continue to reflect on what you're learning along
the way.
Ideas for Activities to Learn About Supervision
One of the most effective and reliable ways to learn is to
do so consciously, in a planned fashion. Therefore, be sure to
consider customizing your own supervisory training plan. Complete
guidelines are provided in the next section, Customizing Your Own Supervisory Development
Plan.
The following table includes numerous ideas for activities
from which to learn about supervision.
Get guidance and assistance:
- Seek to find a mentor
- Hire a personal/professional coach
Readings to consider:
- Read free Basic Guide to Management and Supervision
- Read articles on management
- Read major function -- planning
- Read major function -- organizing
- Read major function -- leading
- Read major function -- coordinating
- Read books on management and supervision
- Review the basics of organizational change
- Review the self-management for new managers and supervisors
Skills to practice:
- In your next assignment or in a personal plan, design
and word goals to be SMARTER
- Learn to be a mentor
- Learn to coach others
- Give a presentation
- Practice basic skills in delegation
- Practice basic skills in listening and sharing feedback
- Customize personal guidelines for some basics in leading,
for example, problem solving, - decision making
- planning
- Plan a meeting and facilitate a meeting
- Clarify your personal values and how you live them out
-- develop your codes of ethics and codes of conduct
Some workplace activities for learning:
- Start (and stick to) a new project at work or in
your life, ideally that includes supervising someone
- Ask your supervisor, peers and subordinates for ideas
to develop your supervisory skills
- Ask to be assigned to a supervisory position
- Regularly solicit feedback from others about your supervisory
skills
- Give a presentation about major personnel policies in your organization
Other sources for learning:
- Identify traits and behaviors of your favorite supervisors
and managers
- Consider these development methods
- Design a personal development plan
- Take strong participation in an apprenticeship or internship
that involves supervising someone
- Take a leadership or management role in a management
association
- Volunteer to lead a work or community project, or join a board of directors
Capturing your learning:
- Schedule (and stick to) ongoing periods for private
reflection; record them in a journal
- Consider designing a formal training plan ((see below)
- Also consider Ideas for Activities to Learn About Management
- Also consider Ideas for Activities to Learn About Leadership
Customizing Your Own Supervisory Development Plan
Your are much more likely to learn useful skills in supervision
if you develop and implement a training plan. The following sections
will guide you to develop your own complete, highly integrated
(and performance-oriented) supervisory development plan. Each
section includes reference to particular sections in the Complete Guidelines to Design Your Training and
Development Plan (hereafter called the "Guidelines").
That document includes guidelines for you to identify your overall
training goals and the learning objectives and activities to achieve
the goals. Guidelines are also provided for carrying out the learning
activities and evaluating your entire learning experience.
Preparation for Designing Your Supervisory Training Plan
Read the following two initial sections of the Guidelines (up
to "Determining Your Overall Goals in Training") and
then return to the next section below.
Directions
to Use "Complete Guideline ..."
Preparation
for Designing Your Training Plan
Identifying Your Overall Goals in Supervisory Training
Purpose of this Section
This section helps you identify what you want to be able to
do as a result of implementing your training plan, for example,
qualify for a certain job, overcome a performance problem, meet
a goal in your career development plan, etc. Learners are often
better off to work towards at most two to four goals at a time.
There are a variety of ways to identify your training goals, depending
on what you want to be able to accomplish as a result of implementing
your training plan.
Begin Identifying Your Training Goals
Consider Performance Gaps, Growth Gaps or Opportunities Gaps
Performance gaps are areas of knowledge and skills need to improve performance
and are usually indicated during performance reviews with your supervisor. Growth
gaps are areas of knowledge and skills need to reach a career goal. Opportunity
gaps are areas of knowledge and skills needed to take advantage of an upcoming
opportunity.
Conduct Self-Assessments
The following online, self-assessments may help, as well, by helping you assess
certain areas of your own supervisory abilities.
Needs Assessments for Management Training and Development
Collect Input From Others
Ask others for ideas to improve your supervisory skills. Try get their input
in terms of behaviors you can show. Consider input from performance reviews.
See
Performance Reviews / Appraisals
360 Degree Leadership Training: Does It Work?
Reference Lists of Areas of Knowledge and Skills Needed in Variety of Roles
and Function
Competencies are lists of the general abilities needed to perform a role. Consider
the following list.
Suggested Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Needed by Supervisors
Caution About Using
Competencies in Management Development
Reference Books and Other Materials About Management
There is a vast amount of information available regarding supervision and management
skills. See
Various Suggestions for Knowledge and Skills Needed in Management
Look at Goals and Objectives of Supervisory Development Programs
The following programs might give you ideas for training goals, etc. Be careful
not to simply adopt goals without first considering if they'd really be useful
to you.
Supervisoral
Development Program (including developing leadership)
Don't Forget to Supervise Yourself!
Developing skills in supervision involves changing yourself, stretching yourself.
Therefore, you may want to include developing skills in:
Basics for New Managers and Supervisors to Management Themselves
Self-Confidence
Assertiveness
On to Refining and Writing Your Training Goals in Your Plan ...
The Guidelines provides additional advice for identifying your training goals.
Follow the steps in the following section of the Guidelines until you come to
its section titled "Determining Your Learning Objectives and Activities
" and then return to the next section below.
Determining
Your Overall Goals in Training
Thoughts About
Improving Management Training and Development Programs
Determining Your Learning Objectives and Activities
Purpose of this Section
The purpose of this section is to identify the various learning
objectives you should achieve and learning activities you should
undertake in order to achieve the overall training goals in your
plan.
Identifying Your Learning Objectives
Carefully consider each of your training goals. What specifically
must be accomplished (that is, what objectives must be reached)
in order for you to reach those goals? Which of these objectives
require learning new areas of knowledge or skills? These objectives
are likely to become learning objectives in your training plan.
To get a stronger sense for learning objectives, see Basic Guidelines and Examples for Writing Learning
Objectives.
Identifying Your Learning Activities
Learning activities are the activities you will conduct in
order to reach the learning objectives. The activities should
help you work toward your training goal, accommodate your particular
learning styles, be accessible to you and be enjoyable as well.
The following link might help you.
Ideas for Activities to Learn About Supervision
On to Refining and Writing Your Learning Objectives and Activities
in Your Plan ...
The Guidelines provide additional advice for identifying your
learning objectives and activities. Follow the steps in the following
section of the Guidelines until you come to its section titled
"Developing Any Materials You May Need" and then return
to the next section below.
Determining
Your Learning Objectives and Activities
Developing Any Materials You May Need
Developing materials might include, for example, getting books,
signing up for courses, reserving rooms, getting coaches, etc.
The Guidelines provides additional guidance to develop any materials
you may need. Follow the steps in the following section of the
Guidelines until you come to its section titled "Planning
Implementation of Your Training Plan" and then return to
the next section below.
Developing
Any Materials You May Need
Planning Implementation of Your Supervisory Training Plan
During implementation, you should think about whether you're
really understanding the materials or not, need additional support,
etc. The Guidelines provides additional guidance to you during
implementation of your plan. Follow the steps in the following
section of the Guidelines until you come to its section titled
"Planning Quality Control and Evaluation of Your Training
Plan and Experiences" and then return to the next section
below.
Planning
Implementation of Your Training Plan
Evaluating Your Supervisory Training Plan and Experiences
Evaluation includes assessing and making value judgments on
whether you achieved your training goals or not, and on the quality
of the process to reach those goals. Follow the steps in the following
section of the Guidelines until you come to its section titled
"Follow-Up After Completion of Your Plan" and then return
to the next section below.
Planning
Quality Control and Evaluation of Your Training Plan and Experiences
Follow-Up After Completion of Your Plan
Follow the steps in the following section of the Guidelines.
Follow-Up
After Completion of Your Plan
For the Category of Supervision:
To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may
want to review some related topics, available from the link below.
Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.
Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been
selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.
Related
Library Topics
Recommended Books
General Information About Supervising Other Individuals
