Effective Supervisor Flashcards
Tasks of a supervisor
- Plan
- Organize
- Delegate / Developing
- Measure / Evaluate
The supervisor’s job is to get work done through others..
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What are good techniques for supervisors to use
- Anticipate and plan
- Help employees set goals
- Make employees part of work team
- Keep employees up to date
- Give employees responsibility and authority
- Show respect / Encourage to speak up
A supervisor has what is called formal authority that goes with the position.
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An effective work group has team spirit and a sense of belonging so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
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Formal authority comes from management and leadership authority comes from the workers
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Define leadership
a person who shares a vision with a group of people, articulates the vision so that everyone understands it and then shows the group how to make that vision come true.
Loyalty is earned by an individuals actions.
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What 3 things should a supervisor consider when dealing with a problem?
- Do I have all the facts
- How quickly to I need to act. Is it a critical factor or not?
- Corrective action and will the solution have consequences
Deciding on how to solve a problem they talked about tell/sell/test/consult and join
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What are four leadership characteristics they talked about
- Strong vision
- Willing to take some risk
- Inspire others / committed to the cause
- Try to change or improve things / no status quo
Your leadership style says a great deal about your perception of people
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Tough driving boxes do the planning themselves and typically don’t involve their workers.
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Sweetheart supervisors usually do not plan unless the work group wants to. makes the group happy
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Indifferent supervisor tend to use how we’ve always done it. Avoids investing too much of themselves
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Balancer supervisor tend to do the planning themselves then share with their workers
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Delegation is to keep your hands on the work but not in it
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Driving bosses look for things that are wrong and overlook things that were done right
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Key elements to achieving an excellent work team are:
- Trusting
- Respecting
- Developing
- Coaching
A good plan has what 4 parts?
- A clear statement of specific goals
- A step by step description of the tasks
- A schedule for people, supplies and equipment
- A description of ways in which progress and results will be measured
The 5 main steps to plan are?
- Stating goals
- Streamlining the work
- Listing tasks, subtasks, and activities
- Scheduling resources
- Checking on the progress of work
Work planning starts with a goal that is broken down into tasks, subtasks, and activities that are scheduled by working days
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Fire departments work in a formal organization with chain of command
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Types 5 types of formal organizations
- Line Organization
- Line and staff Organization
- Functional Organization
- Program or project Organization
- Quality Organization
Line organization is what
a chain of command which is the simplest type
Line and staff organization is what
its similar to line but uses experts to advise line officials
Functional organizations si what
specialized functions has its own department headed up by an expert or specialist in that function
Program or project organization is what
different arrangement of personnel for each project that the organization works on
Quality organization is what
is a series of interlocking teams that follow a process to continually improve services
Most government models use which type of organization
Functional Model
Who uses line organization
Military and small police and fire departments
Line and staff organization has staff experts that advise the top. They have no line authority except in their own offices
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Functional organization works more efficiently than the line and staff becasue experts are in the chain of command dealing with problems
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Program organization are assigned to a project because of a certain skill set regardless of the department they work for
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Quality improvement organizations focus on the customers both internally and externally
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Working as a team is formal organization
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What are the four phases of a work group
- Forming
- Storming
- Norming
- Performing
What is forming
When members come together. First stage
What is storming?
second stage. decides who will lead the group
What is norming?
Third stage. Cohesiveness and closeness among group members. Group has built its own value structure
What is Performing?
Fourth stage. When the group moves forward to accomplish its objective. Where the group is considered a team
What are the 7 steps to building a work team?
- Show workers where they fit in
- Hold frequent planning meetings
- Set goals with workers
- Encourage workers to suggest solutions
- Let workers tell you things you may not want to hear.
- Let team members help set standards
- Be sensitive to diversity
Three of your most important tasks as a supervisor are selecting, orienting and training
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Reduce tension in the evaluation interview by talking about the employee’s strengths first
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Communication is behavior that transmits meaning from one person to another
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What are the elements of communication
- Sender
- Message
- Medium, receiver
- Feedback
- Environment
When we transmit feelings, facts, or ideas to others we become senders
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The message is the feeling, fact, or idea, the sender conveys to the receiver.
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The medium is the means the sender uses to transmit the message
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The person who gets the message is called the receiver
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As the receiver attempts to understand the message, he reacts calling it feedback
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The environment is both the physical location and the conditions existing when communication occurs
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Downward communication comes from people in positions of authority within the organization such as department heads.
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Upward communication keeps those at higher levels informed about the work effort
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Horizontal communication takes place between people on the same level in different areas or departments
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What is the best way to overcome barriers in communication
Feedback
Face to face communication works best
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What are the aspects of intercultural communication
- Language
- Nonverbal Communication
- Physical distance
Praise and encouragement are the most effecive coaching tools
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What are a few elements to a coaching plan?
- Let employees know what is expected
- Give feedback. srenghts & weaknesses
- Mutually develop a plan for improvement
Basic coaching: look at the employee, measure the employee and work with the employee.
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The difference between coaching and counseling. Counseling is?
- Help your employee identify a problem
- Have employee figure how to deal with probelm
- Have employee arrive at at a solution
- Hold employee accountable
To coach is to direct activities for others. A counselor more or less act to help the employee manage his own work
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In most cases a supervisor cannot force an employee to seek help. Your role is to..
Confront the employee with the problem
Advise the employee of any consequences
Recommend that you work together
What is the order of Maslows hierarch of needs?
Physiological needs Security needs Social needs Esteem needs Self actualization
Once a human need has been satisfied, it no longer motivates a person
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Theory X supervisors state:
- Most people think work is unpleasant
- Most people must be supervised
- Most people don’t want to get ahead
- Most people are incapable of thinking
- Most like to be told what to do
Theory Y supervisors state:
- Work is as natural as play
- Self control is necessary
- People are motivatedby their needs of social acceptance, recognition
- Most people will accept responsibility
- Many people have the ability to come up with creative solutions
Theory X supervisors think of workers largely as tools of production, motivated by fear of punishment or by desire for money
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Theory Y see workers as having varied needs. They see the employee and organization benifit. hey work with workers to set goals for the unit, encourage workers to share in decison making
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Theory Z supervisors state:
- People are complex
- A person’s motives interact with each other. might work hardfor money in order to go on vacation.
- People bing their motives with them. The experiwnces they have teach them newe motives.
4.
What is job redesign
Gives employees additional responsibility for planning their own work.
What is Job rotation
Asking employees to trade jobs for a specicifc period such as cross training.
As you introduce the need for change to your work unit and the public, you want to help people develop a commitment to change rather than force them into complicance with your demands.
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To be an effective supervisor it is helpful to have both problem solving skills and create opportunities. What are the 8 steps for problem solving and decision making?
- Name the problem
- Brainstorm causes
- Select the cause
- Brainstorm a solution
- Choose a solution
- Write an action plan
- Implement the action plan
- Evaluate solution
Discipline comes fom the word disciple - aperson woh follows the teachings and example of a respeced leader
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What are steps to strengthen self-discipline?
- Issue clear, reasonable rules and regulations
- Set a good example
- Communicate clearly
- Keep complete records on workers
The purpose of disciplinary action is to
Change the employees behavior
What is an informal talk
A conversation that they have violated a rule and are asked for an explanation.
A spoken warning is what
The employee’s behavor must improve or more serious action will be taken
What is a written warning
Used for more serious offenses or for employees who have broken a rule several times
What is suspension
A far more severe penalty. Days off without pay
What are some causes of grievances
- Work assignments
- Working conditions
- Problems with co-workers
- Relations wih the supervisor
- Personal problems
