Approximately one year ago, representatives from the Administration and Finance Executive Area (A&F) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 509, met to discuss their mutual concerns regarding supervision at the University. The outcome of this meeting was to establish a joint Supervisory/Leadership Committee comprised of SEIU members and A&F managers. The goals of the joint committee were to:
The attached Joint Blueprint for Good Supervision and the Supervisory Leadership Roles and Competency Model were developed by the joint committee. Together they provide what we feel is a vision of good supervision and a set of six key supervisory roles, including specific behaviors and attributes of the effective and competent supervisor.
The primary goals of the joint committee are to begin the process of sharing this collaborative vision of supervision and to gather feedback regarding this work.
The committee will continue its work by developing training modules to support supervisors and managers in understanding and attaining the skills outlined in these documents after they have been reviewed and endorsed by SEIU and the A&F council.
The committee members are: Lynn Braddock (Parking Services), Ashoke Ganguli (Auxiliary Services), Maxine Greenblatt (Controller's Office), Richard Ford (Training and Development), Jack Hirsch (Polymer Science), Ronald Lenois (Academic Custodial), Linda Marchesani (Training and Development), Marianna McKim (University Child Care), Bill Rose (Administration and Finance), Graeme Sephton (Facilities Planning), Earl Smith (Physical Plant), and Helen Wise (Publications).
The Blueprint is an outline for action. Using its foundations and raw materials, supervisors can begin to build good working environments. The attributes below are often used by supervisors as they assume their roles as mentors, coaches, communicators, team-builders, organizers, and mediators. The great challenge met by good supervisors is to remain constructively employee-focused, supportive, and positive as they encourage their staff to be effective and efficient.
First and foremost, good supervisors possess excellent communication skills which they use to build a cohesive and energized team. Good supervisors are good listeners who provide constructive feedback -- both positive and negative -- without being judgmental. They have clear, "up-front" expectations for performance, and are able to express their expectations clearly. They disseminate information in a timely manner, consistently utilize the expertise of their staff, and solicit opinions in decision-making and planning for the future. They are accessible and seek to promote high morale and maximum productivity. Effective supervisors create a climate of open communication and do not personalize problems or conflicts encountered by the team. They properly orient all new employees, have a keen perception of each employee's strengths and weaknesses, empower their employees by requesting and accepting feedback about the team or themselves, and challenge, as well as support, team members.
Good supervisors respect their staff and give them recognition for work well done. They are courteous in their dealings, provide support and direction when needed, and offer constructive criticism in private. Good supervisors strive to be fair and respectful when resolving conflicts among staff. They have a working knowledge of group dynamics and how organizational development is affected by individuals and their "unique baggage," have had anti-oppression training, and understand and are committed to diversity. Good supervisors recognize that people have lives away from their jobs that will occasionally affect their work lives.
Effective supervisors are skillful organizers. They schedule staff meetings regularly. They give all staff appropriate directions, clear goals, and guidelines, but do not act unilaterally. Rather, they solicit and use input from their staff. They keep the "big picture" in mind, have a vision of the future, and demonstrate competent leadership, especially through making timely decisions. Competent supervisors ensure that their units run as smoothly as possible under all conditions.
On a day-to-day- basis, good supervisors delegate and share responsibility and distribute workloads fairly. They provide the necessary tools and resources needed to meet agreed-upon goals. They respond promptly to complaints and suggestions, and do not arbitrarily deny reasonable requests. Competent supervisors generally know how long a task takes and, therefore, set reasonable deadlines. Effective supervisors do not "crisis-manage" or react emotionally; rather, they react calmly, analyze the situation, and function as problem-solvers.
Over the course of the year, good supervisors meet regularly with their staff to discuss goals and assess programs. If they perceive problems, they alert their staff promptly and attempt to determine the cause. Once a year, they meet with all staff members individually to discuss their performance in a constructive context. In the event of a problem in the office, they identify, and deal with, its cause, rather than impose inappropriate, blanket policies. Competent supervisors also maintain human values in the workplace, even when under pressure.
Competent supervisors have the basic knowledge and managerial skills needed to do their job well. They recognize that effective leadership and competent supervision are essential skills and important aspects of their job. Capable supervisors demonstrate competence in both the tasks and subject areas of which they are in charge. They need to speak and write clearly and have considerable knowledge of labor relations, union contract provisions, and work-site policies. They must apply this knowledge in an even-handed manner, and always guard against even the slightest perception of favoritism. Effective supervisors give staff the encouragement and independence to learn new skills and develop professionally. They continually strive to improve the working environment, both physical and emotional.
Good supervisors must care about the people they supervise and be committed to their success. This means they must be willing to allow employees to structure their work in a way that is beneficial to the individuals while maintaining the high standard of the department. Both personal and professional growth are to be encouraged.
Finally, the qualities which make a good supervisor are
the very same qualities to which most of us aspire. Good supervisors
have integrity and a conscience, are ethical, trustworthy, and
honest with themselves and the people with whom they work. Responsible
supervisors are consistent in their actions and in administering
policies, are dependable, flexible, and follow through on promises
they make. They display common sense, are empathetic and reasonable,
and exercise good judgment. Good supervisors convey enthusiasm,
are even-tempered and stable, and work with a calm demeanor. They
take pride in their performance, are self-motivated, pursue and
accept constructive feedback, and can own up to their own mistakes.
The role of the supervisor has changed. In the past, the supervisor has directed and controlled what and how work was performed. This traditional command and control model was utilized in many "top/down" organizations. Today's supervisor needs to be a coach and a collaborative team player who works with individuals as well as with groups to ensure job satisfaction, productivity and high quality customer service. The tasks and responsibilities are multifaceted and require a variety of skills.
The new supervisor is expected to fulfill a number of equally important roles which include COMMUNICATOR, ORGANIZER, TEAM BUILDER, MENTOR, MEDIATOR and EVALUATOR. The model presented in this document provides descriptions of specific skills under each of the roles and suggests three levels of expertise, progressing from core (basic) to emergent (developing) to advanced (upgraded).
While this model suggests a particular progression of skills from core through advanced, it is important to consider this as a flexible model whose application can be customized to meet the needs and priorities of individual departments. Departments may have their own standards and expectations with respect to what constitutes a set of core skills for any particular position.
Managers and supervisors are encouraged to use this model as a performance development tool. It provides guidelines for assessing one's current level of skill, a map for planning future skill development, and a method of evaluating skill attainment. It can also serve as a guideline when considering candidates for hiring or promotion. It is important to note, however, that this document is a work in progress. As new skill areas are identified they will be added to the model and as people work with this model, refinements will be made.
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