S UPERVISION AT A PROFESSIONAL TEAM LEVEL Shannon Staten, University of Louisville NHTI, June 2011.

SUPERVISION AT A PROFESSIONAL TEAM LEVEL

Shannon Staten, University of Louisville

NHTI, June 2011

WHO ARE YOU SUPERVISING?

SESSION OUTCOMES : Gain an appreciation for the value of good supervision

and leadership

Understand leadership skills needed to become an effective supervisor

Consider the importance of knowing departmental and institutional culture, policies and practices

Consider methods for motivating self and staff

Identify skill areas to develop

“WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN YOUR FIRST YEAR?

About motivation About staff development About managing multiple projects About holding staff accountable

HOUSING PROFESSIONAL

The Housing professional develops and maintains staff relationships in a climate

of mutual respect, support, trust, and interdependence recognizing the strengths and limitations of each

colleague.

The challenge of each supervisor is to remain professional, to develop skills of the staff while accomplishing the responsibilities of the team,

while balancing between the needs of the organization and those of the staff within the

team.

EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION

Goal with the job: is it a career or a job?

Generational characteristics

• Traditionalists: 1927 – 1945 (66-84 in age)

• Baby Boomers: 1946 – 1964 (47-65 in age)

• Generation X: 1965 – 1976 (35-46 in age)

• Millennial: 1977 – 1998 (13-34 in age)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W46bfYUJCeM&feature=player_detailpage

EXERCISE:

Combine two clusters together

From the list provided, place the appropriate characteristics on each of the four generational groups

Add any that you think are missing and should be considered

INTERACTION/REJECTION

Traditionalists

Baby Boomers

Generation X Millennials

Baby Boomers

Millennial

s

Traditionalists

Generation X

Generational categories

Reactions against/rejections

BOOMERS AND THE GENERATION X DISCONNECT:

MOTIVATION AND EXPECTATIONS

Traditionalists Baby Boomers

Generation X Millennials

Hierarchical structure

Structured work environment

Casual work environment

Supportive work environment

Clear direction and expectations

Schedules, defined hours

Involvement in decisions

Personalized work

Believes boss has the authority / follows instructions

Low expectations of administration

Flexibility and freedom – place to learn

Willing to make demands, high expectations

May not have a cell phone

Low technology understanding

Technology more comfortable / Don’t look for new

Technology is a constant and expected

Satisfaction in a job well done

Ribbons, certificates

Public Acknowledgement

Constant praise

SUPERVISING UNION AND CONTRACTED SERVICE STAFF

Understand your staff perspective about you and or your position and learn from that perspective

Learn about contracts and the grievance process

Respect the concepts of the contract Assist staff advance themselves Seek assistance when unclear Recognize accomplishment Have well documented and publicized processesGallo, Scott. University of Connecticut

http://www.reslife.net/html/facilities_0700a.html

KNOW YOUR STAFF

KNOWING YOUR STAFF’S NEEDS

Areas of Job Satisfaction %

Full and part time staff left job due to lack of growth potential or vision

41%

Full and part time staff said opportunities for advancement are key motivator

43%

Full and part time staff say that their employers give them a career path plan or coaching

12%

Fulltime staff say they stay with company due to receiving professional development

84%

Full and part time staff have never had a performance review or if they have felt it was neutral and not useful for growth

79%

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“I wish I had realized that I would be supervising employees that were older (in age) than I was, or who had been with the department longer than I

had before supervising them.”

Asking seasoned housing supervisors,

“What do you wish you had known as a young professional

supervising full time staff?

BUILDING CONNECTION

Promote active, two-way interaction among all staff members

Find a thousand ways to say the same thing. Use multiple communication channels

Recognize that employees hear and learn differently

Empower employees to solve their own problems

GAINING ACCEPTANCE

Make people feel they are working with you for the good of the program rather than for you

Look for human rather than material answers to problems

Be fair and tolerant; avoid favoritism Have high morals and follow the rules Be loyal both to your staff and to the

department Know your mannerisms and the way they

are perceived

ASKING SEASONED HOUSING SUPERVISORS,

“WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN AS A YOUNG

PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISING FULL TIME STAFF?

“I wish I had realized that I did not have all of the answers. As much as I tried I was wrong on

many occasions.”

DEVELOPING CREDIBILITY

Be consistent Show stability and a capability of controlling

your emotions Be loyal to your staff and to the department Recognize obstacles and work out ways to

overcome them Be available Be a role model – maintain your health and

appearance

AN EFFECTIVE SUPERVISOR HAS A COMBINATION OF SKILLS

Blends supervision, leadership and management skills

Communicates effectively – the vision, expectations, performance and team role

Builds and maintains a team

Teaches, mentors and leads staff through processes

Learns from staff and situations

CHARACTERISTICS STAFF APPRECIATE IN SUPERVISORS

Show a concern more with the development of the person than the output

Do different work than their staff Show staff how to do a job correctly when

they’ve done it wrong Have a trust and confidence that their staff

can do the work Provide resources and advice to help their

staff be successful Act and talk positively and in a timely

manner, even when correcting performance

IT COMES DOWN TO…

Communication Constancy – no surprises (when possible) Congruity – walk the talk Commitment – to the staff and to the

program (unit, division, institution) Reliability – presence when it counts Integrity – honors commitments and

promises Ethical decision making

ASKING SEASONED HOUSING SUPERVISORS,

“WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN AS A YOUNG

PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISING FULL TIME STAFF?

“I wish I had realized how time consuming supervision is – and how much of a role it plays in

the overall success of the department.”

YOUR ROLE FOR THE DEPARTMENT

Understand the culture of the program and the processes for working within the system

Balance between your responsibility for your staff and for the greater vision/program

Identify the appropriate supervisory response for the situation (advocate, hold accountable, challenge, correct, re-educate)

Help your staff understand the “whys” of procedure and policy

Teach staff how to try to change a process in future

REMAINING VIABLE WITH THE MANAGERS WHO SUPERVISE YOU

Give priority to requests from above and keep those concerned updated

Respond in a timely manner Use clear, concise written communication

(professional language, error free, summarization) Take Initiative Coach and train your people Learn and execute the processes Maintain flexibility; Don’t be surprised

AND, A QUESTION FROM A YOUNG SUPERVISOR:

How do I know when I should share information gained from an

employee with my supervisor or manager and when to hold that

information confidential?

Is it illegal or unethical?

Will it have an adverse affect on your team or our department?

Will it affect future funding or staff issues?

EXERCISE: MY SKILL SET:

My strengths My challenges

Discuss with your table. How many different skills are at your table?

KNOW YOUR SELF SKILL SET AND ROLE AS A SUPERVISOR

Self Skill Set Organization Vision Preparedness Planning Delegation

Role of Supervisor Building connection Gaining acceptance Developing credibility Gaining cooperation Running effective

meetings Avoiding discrimination Handling pressure

COMMON MISTAKES WITH STAFF PERFORMANCE

Allowing staff to continue performing in a manner that is not to standard or expectation

Use of overly personal language in performance appraisals or correspondence (superlatives such as excellent, horrible, phenomenal, etc)

Unclear expectations Inconsistent language between reviews

and daily discussion or correspondence

EVALUATING PERFORMANCE

Offer regular feedback. There should be no surprises at the annual performance review

Provide clear examples when referring to either good or weak performance

Take notes at 1on1 and performance meetings and share with staff member

Follow personnel / HR guidelines Allow staff to improve if possible Treat staff fairly; have no favorites

LANGUAGE AND EVALUATIONS

Typical: …she is outstanding

in this area…

Better: she consistently

communicates with students regarding their status…

Typical: …poor job this year

Better: …Performance in this

area was not to standard. For example, the occupancy report she does was late 10 of the 14 weeks….

TABLE EXERCISE. EDIT THE FOLLOWING:

Judgment and Problem Solving

Anticipates and identifies problems, gathers facts and analyzes causes, evaluates alternative solutions, demonstrates skills in decision making, takes or recommends actions, adapts to varying assignments and/or situations, and follows-up to ensure resolution in a timely manner.

Position Responsibilities: Assist in assignment conflicts Research system errors Complete “special” assignments

(special needs placement, holds for athletics or international programs)

This was a weak area for Sue this year.

LETTING STAFF GO

Follow HR procedures

Ensure your manager / HR is supportive

Have someone with you as you talk with employee

Document, Document, Document

Allow HR help you determine the conditions of the removal (leave pay, date / time)

Do not share details or even general information with others

Brace yourself – it is never easy

HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE STAFF DURING STRESSFUL MOMENTS?

Care •Being honest, laugh, relieve the tension however works•Check on each person (temperature checks)

Be present •Listen, offer advice, jump in where appropriate•Snacks, monotony breakers go a long way

Plan ahead •Maintain planning calendars and preparation•Work ahead to take control of those times we know of

AND AGAIN FROM SEASONED SUPERVISORS, “WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE MIGHT YOU OFFER TO A NEW SUPERVISOR?”

“Respect has to be earned.”“You will make lots

of mistakes which is the only way you will ever get good

at this.”

“Find the middle road position that involves getting to know your staff, but

maintaining your relationship as the ‘boss’.”

ADVICE TO REMEMBER

Be intentional – leave little to risk

Relax and enjoy your role and your staff

Know when to hand off a problem or incident

Allow others to listen to your concerns and offer advice (don’t take on an attitude of hiding your staff flaws from supervisors and other teams)

REFLECTION:

What is one skill or mannerism about your own style that you will work to improve?

Back to the employee who makes you sigh. Think of one thing you can do differently with this employee to change that sigh to a positive thought.

CLOSING WITH STORYTIME:

REFERENCES

Carnegie, D & Associates, Inc. (1995). The leader in you. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Gallo, S. Supervising union employees in residence life. Retrieved from www.reslife.net/html/facilities_0700a.html.

Harris, J. (1998). The employee connection: Empowering your people through open communication. Successories Library.

Levering, R. (1988). A great place to work. New York, NY: Random House.

Maxwell, J. C. (1997). Becoming a person of influence: how to positively impact the lives of others. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Winston Jr., R. B. & Creamer, D. G. (1997). A handbook for staffing practices for Students Affairs. Retrieved from http://www.staffingpractices.soe.vt.edu/introduction.htm