Leadership skills for Supervisors
Does your leadership team have the skills to successfully manage and supervise?
The leadership skills of both new and experienced supervisors/managers can dramatically affect the culture and effectiveness of an organization.
Without formal leadership skills education and training, most supervisors learn how to manage and supervise by an “apprenticeship of observation”. In other words, they’re left to learn how to manage and supervise using their own individual experiences of how they were managed and supervised. As a result, without ongoing leadership skills education and training to offset individual experiences, organizations become staffed by people who have little concern with building a shared leadership culture. In the absence of such a shared culture, the diverse histories of each supervisor will play a cardinal role in their day-to-day activity and limit organizational effectiveness.
Creating a Shared Leadership Culture requires a common vision and effort from everyone in an organization. There is compelling scientific research demonstrating that the management philosophy of an organization is fundamental to high performance. As such, all of SPS’s efforts address leadership’s role in changing, supporting, and maintaining a positive culture as a part of their daily operations. SPS’s co-founder E. Scott Geller, Ph.D., the leader in applying psychological principles to industrial safety, referred to the importance of leadership support in his latest book “The Participation Factor” (2002). Here, Dr. Geller states “leadership makes the difference between a ‘flavor of the month’ initiatives and long-term continuous improvement processes.” Thus, arming leaders with proven leadership skills and techniques is an important beginning to reaching a Shared Leadership Culture.
How SPS can help?
SPS works with each organization to customize the Leadership Skills workshop, which is generally designed for new or experienced managers, supervisors and/or crew leaders to teach new and/or reinforce current leadership skills and techniques.
Leadership Skills for Successful Supervisors topics include:
- Safety Leadership
This module introduces leaders to the concept of a safety culture and to several key Total Safety Culture principles.
- Managing Transition
This module helps identify common issues faced by new supervisors and some tools and techniques to make the transition easier.
- Characteristics of Effective Supervision
This module covers several areas critical to becoming an effective supervisor.
- Characteristics of Effective Leadership
This module introduces leaders tools, concepts and philosophies needed to become an effective leader.
- Setting Goals & Expectations
This module will guide the participants into setting SMART goals that not only set expectations, but motivate employees.
- Upward Communication & Workgroup Involvement
This module introduces leaders to techniques to get their ideas up the “corporate ladder” into the hands of the decision makers.
- Planning, Problem Solving & Decision Making
This module introduces principles of effective problem solving and techniques to make decisions.
- Facilitating Work
This module focuses on the many ways supervisors can facilitate the work of their employees.
- Feedback & Recognition
This module teaches the importance of feedback and recognition, as well as the techniques to give effective feedback.
- Power / Influence / Control
This module introduces leaders to the concept power, influence, and control and how these factors can greatly influence how they get things accomplished.
- Delegation
This module introduces leaders to the concept delegation a gives them many tools and techniques to help them become an effective delegate.
- Workgroup Motivation
This module teaches that an individual employee can accomplish relatively little, no matter how motivated and led, but the sheer productivity and energy of the committed workgroup can far outpace the output of the same individuals working alone.
- Managing Performance / Performance Problem Analysis / Performance Appraisals
This module teaches supervisors to manage performance by tracking behaviors based on specified objectives and identifying opportunities for improvement.
- Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills
This module introduces leaders to effective tools and techniques to become proficient communicators.
- Introduction to Ethics, Diversity and Legal Issues in the Workplace
This module teaches leaders how to consistently treat all employees with dignity and respect, and to ensure all have equal access to opportunity.
- Conflict Resolution – Styles & Techniques
This module teaches tools and techniques to deal with conflict in a respectful and constructive manner.
- Behavioral Observation & Managing Difficult Behaviors
This module revisits the ABC model with respect to other organizational behaviors and teaches the 4-step problem-solving process called DO IT.
- Managing Change
This module introduces key aspects to effectively help the supervisor and his/her employees deal with change.
- Group Dynamics & Team Motivation Techniques
This module helps supervisors understand the concept of group dynamics and by understanding those dynamics, bring about positive change.
- Interviewing & Selection (Tips & Techniques)
This module helps the supervisor conduct effective interviews and to select the best person for the job based on a systematic approach.
Related Links
More resources to help you get your supervisors to “walk the talk”:
- Culture Transformation
- Safety Culture Assessment
- Leadership Skills for Senior Leaders
- Communication Skills
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