Supervision I Flashcards
Five foundations for effective supervision:
· Give clear & complete instructions
· Communicate & let people know how they are doing
· Give credit when due
· Involve people in decisions
· Maintain an open door
Levels of Management:
· Executive
· Middle management
· First line supervisor
Skills needed by supervisors:
· Technical
· Interpersonal
· Analytical
· Technical skills are most often used by first level supervisors
Responsibility
the duty or obligation to perform a prescribed task or service or to attain a specific objective
Line of Authority:
· Allows supervisors to exercise direct control over subordinates
· Issue orders to a person and expect compliance
· Authority flows in a direct line down to their subordinates
· Command authority with the responsibility for coordinating the functions under it.
Span of control:
· Preferable is 6 to 1 ratio
Four primary functions of management:
· Planning
· Organizing
· Leading
· Controlling
Organization:
An organization is the structure derived from the grouping of people together so that they can work effectively toward a goal that the entire membership wants to win.
Formal Organization:
Official blueprint if the organization – organizational chart and rules and regulations of the organization. Jobs are defined. Tasks are specified. Relationships between operational units are stated through policy and goals.
Informal Organization:
Unplanned/unofficial components of the organization based on personal contacts, interactions, and relationships. Unofficial leaders.
Ways to promote professionalism:
· Reward ethical acts
· Avoid making fun of honesty, dedication, and being ethical
· Encourage a positive organizational culture
· Role models are the single greatest factor that create professional attitudes or ethical views within any organization
Continuum of Compromise (a perceived sense of victimization can lead to the rationalization & justification of:
· Acts of Omission (leaving stuff out)
· Acts of Commission – Administrative
· Acts of Commission – Criminal
· Entitlement verses Accountability
Reasons for unethical behavior:
· Greed
· Anger
· Lust
· Peer pressure
How to survive professionally:
· Exhibit professional attitudes and conduct
· Must be instilled and reinforced throughout each employee’s career
· Be aware of the “organizational culture/climate”
· Remember decisions, not conditions, determine your ethics
Tort
A private wrong other than a breach of contract in which the action of one person causes injury to the person or property of another in violation of a legal duty imposed by law. Can be categorized as intentional, negligent and other related torts.
Title 42 USC, Sect 1983:
· Civil action for deprivation of civil rights
· Section 1983 lawsuit for money damages and/or declaratory relief (as in prison cases)
Title 18, Code Section 242:
· Punishes the act
· Criminal liability for deprivation of civil rights
· Must be acting under color of law
· Deprivation of rights secured by federal law & United States constitution
Title 18, Code Section 241
· Must be a conspiracy (2 or more involved) to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate
· One or more of intended victims must be a US citizen
· Conspiracy must be directed at free exercise or enjoyment by such a citizen of any right or privileged under federal laws or the US Court
Slight negligence:
failed to exercise the minimal amount of care
Gross negligence:
intentional failure to perform a reasonable amount of duty and reckless disregard.
Negligent Assignment:
· Assigning an employee to a job without ascertaining employee competence or the keeping of an employee on a job after he or she is known to be unfit.
· Must be aware of their subordinates and must not assign them to perform tasks for which they lack skills or competencies.
Requirements to establish liability:
· a legal duty
· did not obey the law & caused an accident
· harm to the plaintiff, done through negligence
· Plaintiff must prove the extent of the damage.
Absolute immunity:
· There is no liability for damages at all – judges, legislators, prosecutors, some state agencies
Quasi immunity:
Certain officials are immune if performing judicial-type functions but not when performing other functions in connected with their officer.
Personal liability:
· Knew or should have known
· Of the existence of a pattern of gross abuse, and
· Did nothing after such knowledge
Rules defined:
· Rules are inflexible
· No exceptions
· Specifically direct people how to act
· May limit discretion and good sense
· Are necessary
Procedure defined:
· Chose methods for carrying out tasks
· Tell how to do something
· More specific than policies
· Less restrictive than rules
SWOT:
S – Strengths
W – Weaknesses
O – Opportunities
T – Threats
Autocratic
– One where the manager makes decisions
unilaterally, and without regard for even the most
talented and experienced subordinates
Consultative
Style is where managers consult other team
members before arriving at a decision
Persuasive
Involves the manager sharing some characteristics
with that of an autocratic manager
Chaotic
Gives employees the power to make all of their
decisions
Laissez-faire
Leaders are hands-off and allow group members
to make the decisions
Leads to the lowest productivity among group
members
Management by Walking Around (MBWA)
A style of business management which involves
managers wandering around. – Done in an unstructured manner, through the
workplace, at random, to check with employees,
equipment, or on the status of ongoing work
Asian Paternalistic
Involves a dominant authority figure who acts as a
patriarch or matriarch and treats employees and
partners as though they are members of a large,
extended family
Policy Defined
• Policies tell us what to do, not how to do it
• Guides to thinking, decision making and
general statements that guide decisions.
Rule Defined
- Rules are inflexible
- No exceptions
- Specifically direct people how to act
- May limit discretion and good sense
- Are necessary
Procedure Defined
- Chosen methods for carrying out tasks
- Tell how to do something
- More specific than policies
- Less restrictive than rules
Plans Used by Public Safety
• Long-range: • Short-range: • Standing plans: • Single-use plans: • Operational versus Administrative 2- 5 years 1 year or less Ongoing with little change Typically from year to year Used once and revised to meet special situations such as budgets
Planning
Process, concerned with defining goals for the
agency’s future direction and determining the
missions and resources to achieve those targets
Responsibility:
The duty or obligation to perform prescribed
task or service or to attain a specific objective.
Accountability:
A non-assignable liability for the manner in
which a supervisor’s responsibility is carried out.
Organizing and Staffing:
– Establishes the work to be done in an organization
– Decides the relationships among tasks required to
achieve the objectives
Leading
The process of influencing and supporting others
to follow you to do willingly the things that must
be done
Controlling
– Involves activities which are essential to make
sure events proceed as planned
Line Authority
Allows supervisors to exercise direct control over
subordinates
• Issue orders to a person and expect compliance
• Authority flows in a direct “line” down to their
subordinates
Chain of command:
An official hierarchy of authority that dictates
who is in charge of whom and of whom
permission must be asked.
Understand how supervisory style can affect the quality of work life for the employee.
The supervisor must be fair and concern for the welfare of his subordinate. Must create a culture of success.
Understand how ambiguity can create resistance to change.
change can disturb established procedures and generate resistance. Effects of changes are unknown.
Understand that it requires more than a code of ethics to motivate employees to be accountable.
Public officer holders need to genuinely want to be public services. Must have good character and be a positive role model.
Know the definition of negligent assignment.
The keeping of an employee on a job after he or she is known to be unfit. Don’t assign tasks for which personnel lacks skills or competencies.
Know the requirements to establish liability.
Some got hurt or harm because I breach the duty that was owed. The plaintiff must prove the extent of damages.
Know the definition of strategic plans.
The process of developing and analyzing the organization’s mission overall goals, general strategies and overall goals. The process to achieve long term goals.
