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Effective Suppervisory Practices > Chapter 1 - The Supervisor's Job in a Changing Environment > Flashcards

Chapter 1 - The Supervisor's Job in a Changing Environment Flashcards

1
Q

The workplace in the 1970s was:

A 
Relatively predictable
Power based
Competitive
Emphasis on independent work
Emphasis on “working harder”
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2
Q

Today the workplace is:

A 
Uncertain
Relationship based
Cooperative
Emphasis on team work
Emphasis on “working smarter”
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3
Q

Four factors changing the character of local government

A

Demographic changes
Technological changes
Changes in legal accountability
Shifts in employees’ expectations and attitudes

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4
Q

Demographic changes

A

Increasing cultural diversity
Aging population

Managing a diverse workforce means being more flexible and adaptable, and keeping up with new trends.
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5
Q

Technological changes

A

Internet and e-mail
Computer advances
Cell phones
These and other technological advances have made possible telecommuting and other flexible work arrangements.

Clarity about expectations and accountability have become increasingly important.
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6
Q

Legal accountability

A

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

These and other state and federal mandates help supervisors by providing a standard of conduct and fair treatment.
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7
Q

State and federal mandates may also

A

Increase the complexity of managing the workforce
Reduce supervisors’ flexibility
Add to administrative burdens
Diffuse responsibility for the implementation of public policy
Expose local governments to greater risk of litigation.

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8
Q

To protect the organization from lawsuits, supervisors must be

A

proactive. They must keep records, refer to departmental policies and procedures, and focus on objective outcomes and results.

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9
Q

Changes in employees expectations and attitudes

A

Many employees today
Expect their jobs to fulfill needs for friendship, affirmation, and acceptance
Seek a balance between work and home
View their talents and skills as commodities to be marketed
See their careers as cyclical, not linear
Look for jobs that are interesting, meaningful, and enjoyable.

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10
Q

Top-down hierarchical management is giving way to

A

self-managed teams in which the supervisor plays the role of liaison.

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11
Q

Four fundamental tasks of supervisors

A

Achieving predefined results and outcomes
Sustaining a spirit of teamwork and cooperation
Continually developing the skills and talents of employees
Fostering a work environment that is flexible but in which accountability is maintained

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12
Q

To build good working relationships,

A 
Respect and listen to employees
Help set goals
Involve employees in decisions
Communicate frequently 
Delegate responsibility effectively
Find the right balance between being “one of the gang” and being the person in charge
Relate to everyone on the work team equally well
Be fair, compassionate, and predictable.
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13
Q

If you are not quite sure how to be a better supervisor

A

try asking your employees.

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14
Q

To cultivate a management attitude

A

Learn the larger goals and processes of the organization
Help employees understand how their work fits into the organization’s goals and processes
Encourage employees to develop a forward-looking attitude.

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15
Q

Protestant Ethic - A set of values centered on:

A

Hard work
Self reliance
Thrift,
Respect for traditional authority

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16
Q

Local Governments are more likely to be sued because of ______ than for any other reason.

A

Human resource actions

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17
Q

Supervisors and nonsupervisors see their careers as

A

cyclical

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18
Q

Today’s employees expect to make more decisions about the issues that

A

directly affect them.

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19
Q

Many people today expect their carers to lead to

A

self-actualization and fulfillment, So they want to know how the work they are doing serves the larger good. Especially public sector employees.

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20
Q

Jobs need to be

A

interesting
meaningful
enjoyable

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21
Q

The supervisor may be a

A 
coach
team leader
process facilitator
mentor
change agent
but not necessarily the sole or principle decision maker
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22
Q

The increasing diversity of the workforce requires supervisors

A

familiarize themselves with different expectations, traditions, work styles, and perspectives.

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23
Q

Managing a diverse workforce means

A

being more flexible and adaptable, and keeping up with new trends.

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24
Q

With the advent of new technologies, supervisors have become accustomed to

A

handling their own research and communicating directly with others, instead of relying on support staff.

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25
Q

Computers have largely transformed what traditionally was regarded as

A

clerical work

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26
Q

Telecommuting has a number of advantages

A

made it possible for central offices to be downsized,

encouraged employers to focus more on results and outcomes than on “face time”

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27
Q

When work is decentralized through nontraditional arrangements

A

both the supervisor and employee must have a clear understanding of what the expectations are & the employee must understand that he or she will be fully accountable for the timely completion of tasks.

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28
Q

Clarity about _______ is especially important if the nature of the work allows personal time to overlap with tasks performed for the employer.

A

expectations and accountability

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29
Q

While some mandates can be helpful to supervisors by providing a standard of conduct and fair treatment,

A

the complexity and uncertainty created by mandates can slow the decision-making process and may limit the supervisor’s ability to be creative and responsive in dealing with the needs of individual employees.

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30
Q

As a supervisor, you probably have to assume that nearly everyone of your actions and decisions can be

A

litigated

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31
Q

While the risk of litigation may make supervisors more careful and deliberative,

A

it also slows down the responsiveness of government and makes the work environment far more rule bound.

32
Q

A rule bound environment can

A

stifle creativity
hurt morale
creating additional challenges for the supervisor

33
Q

To protect their local governments from lawsuits, the supervisors of today must

A

be proactive: they must keep more records than they did in the past, refer more often to departmental policies and proceedures, and focus more on objective outcomes and results than on relationships with individual employees.

34
Q

Today stability and loyalty are often supplanted by other criteria:

A

fulfilling their human needs including:
friendship
affirmation
acceptance

35
Q

The Protestant Ethic has gradually enlarged by the idea that

A

productive workers are entitled to certain basic necessities such as decent housing, a job, assistance with their health care expenses, and a reasonable retirement in exchange for their efforts.

36
Q

Some workers are interested in having careers that

A

are less consuming- providing more of a balance between life and work

37
Q

Workers are beginning to view their talents and skills differently as

A

commodities to be marketed to various employers over the course of a career

38
Q

The 21st century supervisor is often more of a ____ than a commander.

A

broker

39
Q

Supervisors still wield a formal power and authority but relying on the “weight” of the supervisory role is not usually the most effective way to

A 
motivate employees
manage stress and conflict
delegate,
build effective teams
facilitate change
or solve problems creatively.
40
Q

Supervisors must learn to function as

A

liaisons,fostering communication and cooperation between members of the same team, between different teams or departments, between external customers and internal agencies, and between frontline workers and top management.

41
Q

Supervisors must learn to function as liaisons,fostering communication and cooperation between

A

members of the same team, between different teams or departments, between external customers and internal agencies, and between frontline workers and top management.

42
Q

Only one of the Four fundamental tasks of supervisors stems from the traditional view of supervision:

A

Achieving predefined results and outcomes

43
Q

The other three fundamental tasks of supervisors derive from the

A

uncertainty of the work environment, and from its emphasis on relational and behavior-based supervision and leadership

44
Q

You and the skills you bring to your position

A

are essential to getting the government’s mission accomplished.

45
Q

You have a great deal of responsibility because you must keep your unit on schedule, decide what tools and resources it needs, determine how to assign the work, and ensure that your employees remain motivated. Four personal habits will help you do this:

A

Developing self-awareness,
building good working relationships with employees,
cultivating a positive management attitude,
learning to broker competing interests.

46
Q

The first step to being a good supervisor is

A

self-awareness - understanding yourself

47
Q

To build good relations with employees and strenghten their willingness to work harder, better, and smarter, today’s supervisor must

A

appreciate human complexity and understand the sources of motivation.

48
Q

The best way to obtain an understanding of others is to

A

strive to understand yourself.

49
Q

_______ wil help you to sense and to adapt to changes in employee needs.

A

Healthy self awareness

50
Q

________ can also help you keep your personal beliefs from interfering with your supervisory decisions

A

Healthy self awareness

51
Q

Effective supervisors build good working relationships by

A

creating an atmosphere of trust on the job

52
Q

As a supervisor, you must

A 
respect and listen to employees
help them set goals,
involve them in decisions,
and keep them up-to-date,
communicate frequently and honestly,
delegate responsibility effectively.
53
Q

You must meet two personal challenges:

A

find our own balance between being “one of the gang” and being the person in charge, and you must relate to everyone in the workforce equally well.

54
Q

Building a good working relationship does not mean

A

building a personal friendship with every employee

55
Q

Building a good working relationship does mean

A

being fair, compassionate, and predictable.

56
Q

Employees respond positively to supervisors whom they

A

respect and admire

57
Q

When asked for their ideas and creative input, individuals and small groups can be remarkably effective at

A

planning, organizing, and carrying through on specific assignments.

58
Q

The modern supervisor must alos work effectively with employees who have

A

unique needs and expect to be dealt with as individuals.

59
Q

In a diverse workforce, you may spend more time

A

cultivating and maintaining productive and effective relationships with employees and strengthening their willingness to contribute to common goals.

60
Q

The results are likely to be

A

a stronger sense of commitment to the organization’s objectives, increased creativity, and a greater ability to adapt to change.

61
Q

Wherever possible, match employees _____ to the job

A

Talents.

62
Q

People are usually ________ when they are doing what they enjoy and what they do best.

A

happier and more productive

63
Q

The Management Attitude is

A

Supervisors who understand the larger goals and processes of the organization, and how toe work of individual employees advances those goals and processes.

64
Q

The supervisor must have _______ to be effective.

A

The Management Attitude

65
Q

Successful supervisors help employees understand

A

how their work fits into the organization’s long term goals.

66
Q

The supervisor must encourage emplyees, especially those who may one day be supervisors themselves, to develop a

A

forward looking management attitude.

67
Q

One of your best tests as a supervisor is whether your employees

A

work as hard when you are away from the job site as when you are there.

68
Q

The effective local government supervisor is skilled at

A

competing interests, values, and perspectives so as to best serve internal and external customers.

69
Q

As a supervisor you are a member of

A

management and a member of a work team

70
Q

______ is critical

A

first line supervision

71
Q

The people most vital to an organization’s success are its

A

first-line supervisors

72
Q

Whatever an employee’s stated reasons for making a job change, the actions of the ________ are most likely to influence a job decision.

A

supervisor

73
Q

7 questions for the supervisor to help measure the strength of a workplace

A

Do I know what is expected of me?
Do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
Does my supervisor, or someone else, care about me as a person?
Is there someone who encourages my development?
Do my opinions seem to count?
In the last six months, has someone talked to me about my progress?

74
Q

The supervisor must be able to get work accomplished

A

with and through others.

75
Q

Success depends on your effective management of three competing interests:

A

Your obligations to the local government,
your duty to function as a change agent,
your relationships with your own supervisor and employees.

76
Q

Entities to which you are accountable

A

Yourself
Your employees or work team
Your supervisor and management
Citizens and other customers of the local government

Effective Suppervisory Practices (17 decks)

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