Chapter 1 Roles of a Supervisor Flashcards
The role of today’s supervisor involves much more than getting the work of your unit done with and through your immediate team. As a supervisor, you are: (Page 2)
- A “vital link” b/t the organization vision and day-to-day activities that contribute to making that vision reality
- The “connection” b/t the leaders who established strategic goals for the organization and the “boots on the ground” who implement those goals
- The “glue” that hold your team and projects together, so that the work keeps moving regardless of political change, tight budgets, changing priorities, staff reduction, and new demands from citizens.
Being a supervisor is a tough and demanding job that requires a blend of _____, _____, and _____ to achieve agreed-upon outcomes. (Page 3)
- technical
- management
- people skils
Whether you are a veteran supervisor or fairly new to the job, you must ____ the expertise that helped you get the promotion in the first place while developing and refining new skills to get work done with and trough a high performing team. (Page 3)
leverage
What are four challenges that today’s public sector supervisors face? (Page 3)
- A growing workload with shrinking resources.
- Frequently changing priorities and needs
- A diverse and multicultural workforce that creates new dynamics and leadership responsibilities
- High expectations from citizens seeking the best return on their tax dollars.
Your roles and task as a supervisor will vary greatly depending on these four things: (Page 4)
- The culture and climate of the organization
- The function for which you are responsible
- The degree of autonomy you are granted
- Your awareness of your strengths and areas needing development.
_____ focuses on establishing direction, aligning employees based on the direction, motivating and inspiring employees to succeed. It produces change, with an emphasis on achieving long-term outcomes.
Leading
_____ focuses on short term results. It involves planning and budgeting, organizing and staffing, and control and problem-solving function.
Managing
_____ keeps things running- that is, the day-to-day operations of an organization.
Management
_____looks towards the future. (page 5)
Leadership
Effective Supervisors use both _____ and ______.
Page 5
leadership/ management skills
In many organizations, the management responsibilities of supervisors are communicated by _____ or through established processes. (Page 5)
Senior Managers
What is a key distinction for supervisors of high-performing teams. (Page 5)
To develop your leadership skills along with your management skills: thus becoming a leader and not a boss.
One of the toughest professional challenges you’ll face if you are a new supervisor is _____ (page 6)
becoming a boss to your former co-workers and friends.
Becoming a successful supervisor requires making changes in your operating style to adapt to your new role and responsibilities. That includes: (Page 6)
- Rethinking your relationships with work friends who are now subordinates.
- Letting go of task you used to do and trusting your
team to get those task done. - Keeping an eye on the big picture and longer-term
goal.
A team that reaches a high level of functioning is a group of people who _____ and _____ each other and know they can rely on each other. (Page 7)
Respect and Trust
When it comes to getting the job done, team members share the same goals, attitudes, and values. ______grows out of a sense of pride and belonging. (Page 7)
Team Spirit
Accomplishing work with and through other people requires _____ those people in decisions that contribute to team effectiveness. (Page 7)
Engaging
Successful Team Leaders discuss what _____ and _____ mean and then guide their teams through the work with a clear understanding of expectations and results. (Page 7)
Accountability and Empowerment
You should rely on your _____ for their expertise and their ideas on how to get the job done effectively and efficiently. (Page 7)
Employees
_________ encourage team members to participate in many decisions, including planning, goal setting, scheduling, and allocating resources. (Page 7)
Effective Supervisors
A supervisor who delegates authority and accepts employees’ decisions about how best to do their job is the _____, rather than the boss of a work group. (Page 8)
Leader of a team
Delegating is essential to your supervisory success because it _____, _____, _____, _____, and _____.
(Page 8)
- Helps employees feel valued,
2.Encourages creative and innovative problem solving
3.Motivates employees to take full responsibility for their
work.
4.Increases productivity and ensures that the work gets
done.
5.Helps you manage your supervisory work load
______ can improve performance by requiring the mastery of new skills by your employees.
Delegating
Some supervisors are reluctant to delegate. Why? (Page 8)
- Because they are afraid that the person might make a
mistake.
2.Because they are afraid to let go of work they see as
their own.
To be an _____, you must focus on helping employees to
reach their full potential-even if that means encouraging team members to become more skilled in some areas than you are. (page 9)
Effective supervisor
There are four parts to successful delegation . What are they?
- Responsibility
- Authority
- Instruction
- Accountability
When delegating responsibility for a task, who remains responsible for the task being completed? (Page 9)
The supervisor.
Giving responsibility without ______ undermines the effective completion of work.
authority
As part of the instruction process when delegating authority, what should you do as a supervisor, _____? (Page 9)
Welcome suggestions on new or more efficient ways of completing the task that might be different from how you would have done it.
Although a the supervisor is ultimately responsible for the completion of a task, the team member should still be held ____ for the completion of the task. (Page 9)
Accountable
What are four things that will help increase the effectiveness of your delegation? (Page 10).
- Be clear about what you want done.
2.Chose the right person for the task.
3.Give the team member time and space to complete
the assignment.
4.Maintain open communication and check on the
process.
5.Hold team members accountable for assigned task
6.Recognize the person’s accomplishments
Successful delegation requires you to be _____ and _____ and to trust your employees. (Page 10)
creative and clear
Your success as a problem solver requires that you be ____, ____, ____, ____, and ____. (Page 10)
- Approachable
- Connected
- Alert
- Open
- Aware
Effective supervisors are willing to ______ jobs to make them more interesting and challenging. (Page 10)
Redesigned
Although it is often assumed that what workers want most from their jobs is more money, studies have shown that employees also want __________ (page 10, 11)
More control over their work.
Putting time and effort into enriching or redesigning employees’ jobs and helping employees balance life goals with job expectations is likely to be rewarded with ___, ____, ____, ____, and _____. (Page 11)
- higher morale
- increased productivity
- better work quality
- lower turnover
- less absenteeism
Building a broad base of support among key stakeholders to achieve desired outcomes and working collaboratively within and across organizational boundaries enables you to better support your employees and achieve _______. (page 11)
Division goals
How do you build strong productive relationships? (Page12)
- Listen closely to informal comments from supervisors from other departments
- Keep and open door policy
- Follow-up with people you meet in other settings
- Get to know supervisors in surrounding jurisdictions
Today’s supervisor often function as a _____who must balance competing interest to achieve broad goals.
Broker
Staying in touch with the needs and views of your work unit, maintaining a steady focus on defined goals, being familiar with important external resources, who may influence outcomes, and modeling working across dept. lines and with outside organizations to achieve team success are part of being an ________ (Page 13)
Effective broker.
Effective supervision requires you to be clear about work expectations and to have a strong understanding of what it takes to be successful in managing a divers work team. However, it also depends on _____, _____, and _______ with your employees. (Page 14)
- Constructive
- Positive
- Continuous Interaction
_______ makes it easier for you to identify roadblocks that may interfere with achieving the work units objectives, provides opportunity for coaching, makes better use of resources, quickly mediates conflict and allows for changes in course direction if necessary.(Page 14)
Continuous, Two-way
Helping employees grow and develop professionally by taking the time to ____, ____ and ____ is key to shared success. (Page 14)
- Listen
- Observe
- Coach
