Chapter 2 - Basic Supervisory Skills Flashcards
What is the difference in management and leadership?
Leaders set direction, articulate the organization’s vision, and act to transform both individuals and the organization.
Managers administer, monitor, direct, and refine current performance.
Competing values framework:Categories of management and leadership skills
Clan Skills
Adhocracy Skills
Market Skills
Hierarchy Skills
Clan Skill Traits
good team builder
communicates effectively
works to build employee’s confidence in their abilities (empowering)
Adhocracy Skill Traits
solve problems creatively,
articulate a vision,
and fosters innovation
Market Skill Traits
motivates others,
gaining power and influence,
managing conflict
Hierarchy Skill Traits
managing self awareness
managing personal stress
managing time
analytical problem solving
Characteristics of periods of flexibility or change and are often associated with leadership
Upper Half (Clan Skills and Adhocracy Skills)
Associated with stability and control and usually associated with management
Lower Half (Hierarchy Skills and Market Skills)
Closely Associated with the Internal Maintenance of the Organization
Left-Hand Side (Clan Skills and Hierarchy Skills)
External Positioning - organization’s relationship to its environment
Right-Hand side (Adhocracy Skills and Market Skills)
effective supervisors need
both leadership and management skills
A mission statement is
A clear, succinct description of an ideal future
A call to direct action
A foundation for setting goals.
Questions a mission statementmight address
What is our purpose?
Why do we do what we do?
What are the essential and nonessential elements of our programs and services?
Where do we need to be as a team?
The purpose of goals
To serve as a target
To state exactly what must be done, who must do it, and when it must be completed
To foster trust throughout a work group or organization
To provide a means for measuring progress
To help set priorities
When a work group becomes a team,
Workers gain a sense of belonging
The whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts.
The supervisor’s responsibilities as team leader
Involving employees in decision making
Delegating
Identifying and resolving problems
Making jobs more interesting and rewarding
Integrating employees’ personal goals into organizational goals
Evaluating progress
Determining when goals have been met
Supervisors who identify and resolve problems early on
Are approachable
Budget the time to evaluate potential risks within the context of the work team’s mission and goals, and the organization’s expected outcomes
Actively watch for small signs of trouble
Look for trends or patterns that may indicate that a problem is developing.
Why is it important to focus your supervisory efforts on the government’s mission and vision?
Supervisors and employees alike are motivated by the knowledge that their work makes a difference - that it contributes to the organization’s success. They will be happier and more efficient if they know how their work advances the mission of the organization. You can also eliminate or minimize activities that do not directly advance that mission.
________ is essential in helping employees understand how their work supports the larger purposes of their work unit or the organization.
Mission statement or vision
A mission statement generally describes
what an organization wants to do
A vision statement generally describes
what an organization wants to be
How should you communicate goals in the workplace?
A goal is a target. It states exactly what must be done, who must do it, and when it must be completed.
How do successful teams work?
They share the same goals, attitudes and values. They have team spirit.
What is included in delegation?
It is one of the foundations of self-managemet.
True delegation involves transferring to others much of the authority to decide HOW the work should be performed.
It does not give up overall supervisory authority.
How can you make the work more interesting and satisfying for your employees?
Give employees more control over their work
Resist monotonous work
Redesign to make it more challenging and rewarding for the employee.
Integrate the employees’ personal goals into the job.
Why is the supervisor more of a broker than a boss?
The effective supervisor often functions as a go-between who works to balance competing interests - as a director of work.
To be effective as a broker the supervisor must:
stay in touch with the needs and views of the work unit;
maintain a steady focus on defined goals;
delegate other work, so as to leave time for brokering among different groups.
