Excelling as a First-Time Manager or Supervisor Presented by SkillPath Seminars

Take Charge and Put Your Best Foot Forward From the Beginning Listen and learn Use hands-on techniques to learn Make time to get to know your employees Avoid making sudden changes Be available and visible Be confident

Establish Your Authority, Boost Your Credibility and Earn Respect Be fair and consistent Communicate effectively Involve team members in decisions Have a thorough understanding of department procedures Have a positive, enthusiastic attitude Confront and deal with poor performance Give employees recognition for a job well done Be proactive Do unpleasant duties right away—don’t procrastinate Accept responsibility for mistakes Be respectful toward your employees Enjoy your job

Why Bosses Turn People Off— and Leaders Turn People On Push workers Manage solely with policies and procedures Punish Hold power Leaders Have vision Encourage creativity Communicate Empower Motivate Challenge Demonstrate confidence and integrity Encourage ownership

The Advantages of Being Available and Visible to Workers You’re able to develop relationships You learn what goes on outside your office You’re able to spot problems early You’ll see a decrease in “goofing off”

Reasons to Delegate To allow managers to spend time on tasks to which they can add the most value To divide work among team members so it can be done more efficiently To increase employee commitment to the company To develop team members

Benefits of Delegation Frees your time for other tasks May produce better results Enriches and challenges other people Is cost effective Educates and trains other people Increases your span of accountability

A Nine-point Checklist to Help You Delegate Effectively Does the employee have all the necessary skills? Be sure you give the employee the necessary authority to carry out the job Employees must have the resources needed to carry out the task Hold your employees accountable Reward success Be sure your expectations are clear Gain acceptance Evaluate Give your employees ALL pertinent information

When Praising Praise with purpose Target your praise Praise authentically Praise with the right frequency Praise as close to the action as possible Praise in public Reprimand in private

The Six Keys to Clarity Always use the simplest word available. Avoid indefinite words. Isolate your most important ideas into separate statements. Follow grammar rules—within reason. Be aware of your nonverbal skills. Check in with the receiver periodically.

The 10 Keys to Leading Successful Meetings Circulate an agenda at least two days before the meeting Assign specific roles such as timekeeper, minutes taker and gatekeeper Distribute handouts before the meeting starts Be sure the meeting starts and ends on time Cover problems first, planning second and miscellaneous third State the meeting’s purpose at the beginning Stick to your agenda Summarize meeting decisions Be sure everyone has a chance to contribute and that no one monopolizes the conversation Begin to summarize the meeting 10 – 15 minutes before it is over

Six Keys To Listening Effectively Tune in Ask for an overview statement Take notes Notice the speaker’s delivery style, but don’t take it too seriously Repeat the message back to the speaker in your own words Take a moment to consider what was said before you respond

Overcoming Supervisor-Employee Communication Barriers Watch for inadequate listening—on both your parts Appeal to the interest of the receiver Confront preconceived ideas Beware of differences in meaning Use bias-free language Repeat messages and avoid communication overload

Common Reasons for Poor Employee Performance The employee doesn't know what to do or what is expected There is a mismatch between the employee’s skills and the job requirements The employee receives no feedback and is unsure where he or she stands There is low morale in the workplace The employee lacks motivation The employee has family, health or drug abuse problems

Six Steps You Must Take Before Termination Develop and distribute the employee’s development plan (performance improvement plan) Conduct regular performance appraisals Document efforts to help the employee improve Document verbal warnings or informal performance meetings Issue and document a written warning as a result of a formal performance meeting Consult with appropriate personnel to be sure that proper procedures have been followed

The Purpose of a Performance Review Enhance your employee’s performance Let employees know their strengths and weaknesses Provide a review of past performance Establish new performance goals Provide an opportunity for communication Aid in career development Obtain formal documentation of employee performance which can lessen the risk of legal action for wrongful termination

To Address Tardiness and Absenteeism Understand the root cause Find out how frequently the behavior occurs throughout the organization Establish consistent policies Enforce the policy equally Offer incentives for positive behavior Publicize the policy and the incentives Show your concern over the employee’s inability to practice positive behavior Look for patterns Take corrective action Take disciplinary action if the behavior persists

When an Employee Makes a Mistake Remain calm Decide how serious the mistake is Look to see if mistakes are made often and are widespread Decide what your inclination is—assistance or discipline? Don’t become consumed by the mistake Listen to the employee’s side—privately Ask the employee what he or she will do differently next time Put the mistake behind you and forget it Make it a point to praise the employee when he or she does something well the next time Understand

When You’re the One Who Makes a Mistake Don’t panic Contain the damage—if possible Decide the best way to fix the blunder Be objective about the seriousness of your mistake Tell your boss Treat your mistakes as learning opportunities

Common Causes of Conflict Competition for limited resources Differences in values and goals Different problem-solving styles Rivalries Jealousy Pressure Unmet promises

Interruptions, Procrastination and Other Time Robbers Announce a time limit. Get to the point assertively. Use the “walk-talk” method. Arrange your desk with your back to the door to discourage drop-ins. Maintain your work posture. Check voice mail and return calls in chunks of time. Treat phone calls like meetings. Slip a task you dislike between favorite ones. Provide yourself mini-rewards for task completion.

How to Bear the Emotional Burden of Supervisory Nightmares Don’t take it personally. List your payoffs. Manage your stress effectively. Measure your problems. Talk with someone trustworthy. Work on your skills. Care about your people and the work.

Developing an “I’m OK” Attitude Schedule time for yourself Make use of goal setting, affirmations and visualizations Keep a positive focus Build on your strengths Take care of your physical self Turn negative situations into positive challenges Build a support group Celebrate your victories and accomplishments

Excelling as a First-Time Manager or Supervisor Presented by SkillPath Seminars