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This handbook has been to help supervisors manage employees in an effort to achieve supervision skills. This handbook will help give supervisors different methods or ways of dealing with employees and aspects of what is expected of the employees.
Rue and Byars (2004) states “Communication…can be used to inform, command, instruct, assess, influence, and persuade other people (p. 39).” Communication is an essential part of being a good supervisor and yet it can be the hardest form of contact in any relationship. A good supervisor must be able to write evaluations, reports, letters, and e-mails with professionalism. Knowing what information to include and how to format the information in these forms of communication is essential to maintaining a good working relationship with employees. The ability to write and speak clearly has become necessary in the workplace and a good supervisor will encourage communication and let employees know that they are ready, willing, and able to take on this responsibility. A good supervisor will also be able to give clear direction to the employees. When the supervisor lacks in their ability to communicate, employees will have a poor understanding of what is required for the job. When the supervisor has developed good communication skills, employees will have a clear understand of what is required and be able to reach or possibly exceed their goals.
A good supervisor should also be able to motivate employees, keep them up-to-date on changes, listen to what they have to say, and be willing to hear their suggestions (Denton, 2001). A good supervisor will let the employees take part in planning new projects or procedures and have some say in how they complete their job. Employees who take part in the planning process will believe that their input is important that they are a part of the organization, and that their feeling and opinions are respected. This will not only make the employees happier in their job, it will encourage the employees to work harder, be more willing to accomplish goals, and stay longer with the organization. Remembering to give feedback on comments or suggestions will help assure the employees that they are being heard and that the supervisor is listening to what they have to say. The grounds for a good working relationship can be encouraged when the supervisor is open to suggestions and feedback from the employees. A good working relationship can also reduce the need to be overly persuasive or assertive when the supervisor has to pitch a new idea to the employees.
Although there are many methods that can be used for training new employees, it is best to develop a training method and schedule that covers all areas of work the employee will be completing. Orientation starts this process by showing the new employees their responsibilities; familiarizes everyone with what is expected, and informing them what the functions of the job include. Employees should meet with the department managers to discuss advancement opportunities and what qualifies for termination and meet with the supervisor to become familiar with what the company produces. Employees should then meet with the head of the human resources department to discuss information on the code of conduct, safety in the workplace, time card entries, absenteeism, paydays, verbal harassment policies, sexual harassment policies, the company history, vision, and mission, and other related policies or practices. Information concerning benefits the company offers such as vacation, sick time, 401k, profit sharing, personal time off (PTO), and voluntary time off (VTO) should also be discussed.
Once the training objectives have been established, obtaining the correct training information can greatly improve the effectiveness of the training process. Training should cover the following areas:
There are several training programs available, such as instructor-led training, training via the internet, and web-based training that would be appropriate methods for a three-day training course.
A second method of training is on-the-job training or mentoring. Supervisors select experienced workers or mentors to show the trainees what they need to know about the job. Selecting the best person to train the new employee is critical to the trainee’s success. If the wrong employee is chosen as the instructor, the trainee will not properly learn the job and will have difficulty completing the requirements once he or she is on their own. To help deter this possibility, the trainer will be given a check-list to follow during the training process. The check-list is to be initialed by both the trainee and the trainer when training has taken place. The trainee should not initial an item on the check-list until they fully understand the requirements of each section and are comfortable performing the job (Dysvik and Kuvaas, 2008).
To improve productivity in teams the use of the plan, do, check, act cycle can be repeated as needed. According to ASQ Quality Press (2004) the plan, do, check, act cycle is a four-step continuous improvement process that identifies and fixes problems based on previous information and consists of the following procedure:
The second-best practice to improve productivity for teams and increase productivity is a time study. The time study determines how much time it takes to complete a specific task and should be based on the average worker’s speed. The primary use of the time study is to create a rating scale to compare the performance of all employees. To keep the rating scale up-to-date reevaluations are needed when changes in equipment, materials, technology, and methods occur.
There are many methods supervisors can choose from when conducting performance appraisals, but the management by objectives and the graphic rating scale methods are less invasive and extremely effective.
The management by objectives method is a results-oriented method of supervision that involves the supervisor and employee sitting down together to set goals and objectives. Once the supervisor and employee have established the objectives to be obtained, the employee self-audits and monitors their own skills, strengths, and progress to meet the objectives. Periodic reviews will ensure objectives are being met and enable the supervisor to reward the employees based on their current results.
The graphic rating scale is the most common method for evaluating employee performances because it is easy to understand and easy to use. Supervisors use this form of review to check the level of performance by placing a check in the unsatisfactory, fair, satisfactory, good, and outstanding columns. A variety of standards can be used on this type of rating scale, and it is easily adaptable to include standards the company considers important or effective.
Hill (2001) states that “discipline is defined as: 1. Training that is expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior.” 2. “A systematic method to obtain obedience.” Conflict is a natural occurrence that happens between employees on any job, and it is up to the supervisor to resolve the conflict. The first thing a supervisor must do is find the source of the problem and the employees involved. After becoming familiar with the reason behind the conflict, the supervisor has several courses of action they can take to deal with the problem. Supervisors can use one of the following strategies to deal with conflicts: Compromise, smoothing over the conflict and pretending that it does not exist, withdrawing, forcing the conflict to a solution, and confrontation.
Compromise can be used if the conflict is small in nature. Compromise can expedite a solution to the problem by forcing the employees to meet on middle-ground, but it does not find the main cause of the problem. Smoothing over the conflict and pretending that it does not exist does not resolve the issue and allows more room for conflict. Withdrawing from the conflict by refusing to talk about the problem or separating the employees does not to the underlying problem and again allows more room for conflict. Forcing the conflict to a solution by telling the employees what will happen and how it will happen may fix the immediate problem, but it does not resolve the original problem. Although the solutions above may be an attempt at solving the problem, they do not attempt to find the root of the problem: Which may lead to further conflict.
Confrontation is the most effective and longest lasting method for resolving conflict. A meeting between the employees in a supervisor-controlled environment will get to the main cause of the problem when both employees are urged to resolve the problem in an appropriate manner. The supervisor should never arrange for the confrontation to take place without both employees being aware of what will happen. Both employees need to be encouraged to communicate openly and to try to identify any areas of mutual agreement. The supervisor should never place blame or take sides as this can make the situation worse, and they should also never give a solution to the problem too quickly. The supervisor should mediate the situation, keep emotions under control, and direct the conversation toward resolving the problem between the employees.
Rue & Byars (2004) states that “when properly managed, conflict can have these very useful benefits:”
Improving employee relations involves a positive approach to maintaining good discipline and minimizing employee grievances. To improve employee relations supervisors, need to have exceptional team leadership, influence, creativity, interpersonal communication, and listening skills.
The first step to any disciplinary action is to keep accurate records on all employees. Keeping records will help to trace any problems the individual could be experiencing, and he or she will keep track of all decisions made between the supervisor and the employee for future references. When both parties sign the agreement, the notes will also prevent the employee from claiming that he or she did not understand what was agreed upon.
The supervisor must make sure to follow-up with the employee to see if the agreement is being followed. If the agreement is not being followed by the employee, the supervisor may be required to take further actions at that point by scheduling a second meeting. When the second meeting occurs, the supervisor should find out why the employee has not fulfilled his or her end of the agreement. The supervisor should also ask what the employee thinks can be done differently to help him or her keep with the agreement. The supervisor should also explain to the employee that if they do not see an improvement in the near future, the employee will be given a one-day un-paid suspension to determine if they would like to continue working for the company. Upon their return to work, the employee must let the supervisor know what he or she has decided. If the employee has decided to continue working for the company, the supervisor should then explain that the next course of action will be termination if the employee does not perform up to standards or fulfill his or her end of the agreement.
Rue & Byars (2004) states that “a grievance is a formal dispute between management and an employee or employees over some condition of employment.” Although grievances must be handled with care, the supervisor should try to resolve grievances before they become formal disputes. The supervisor should attempt to resolve the issue by speaking with the employee, listen closely to what the employee has to say, and take all necessary actions to correct the problem. If the supervisor can not correct the problem to the employee’s satisfaction, the employee can file a formal grievance. It is important to remember that the supervisor can not fix all of the problems that may arise.
ASQ Quality Press. (2004). Project Planning and Implementing Tools. Retrieved
from http://www.asq.org/learn-about-quality/project-planning-tools/overview/pdca-cycle.html
Denton, Lisa. “Communication Skills for the Workplace.” School Library Journal 47.8
(2001): 78. Academic OneFile. Web. <http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/start.do?prodId=AONE&userGroupName=apollo> Gale Document Number: A77748864
Dysvik, A., & Kuvaas, B. (2008, September). The relationship between perceived
training opportunities, work motivation and employee outcomes. International Journal of Training & Development, 12(3), 138-157. Retrieved from, DOI:10.1111/j.1468-2419.2008.00301.x
Hill, Tom. “Discipline in the Workplace.” ICS Cleaning Specialist 39.4 (2001): 18.
General OneFile. Web. <http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/start.do?prodId=ITOF&userGroupName=apollo>
Gale Document Number: A78053998
Rue, L. W., & Byars, L. L. (2004). Supervision: Key link to productivity (8th ed.). New
York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Ch. 3 (pp. 38 -50), Ch. 7 (pp. 111-124), Ch. 9 (pp.
144-55), Ch. 11 (pp. 185-201), Ch. 16 (pp. 273-286), Ch. 17 (pp. 292-319), and
Ch. 22 (pp. 382-393)
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