“Good leadership begins with strong management training,” said Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, the bill’s author. “It is time to ensure that federal managers receive appropriate training to supervise federal employees.”
The Federal Supervisor Training Act would require agencies to set performance standards and train new supervisors within their first 12 months on the job. All current supervisors would have to take the training within three years of the bill’s enactment. Additionally, all managers would need to repeat the program every three years.

The bill would also require that new supervisors be mentored by more experienced managers. They would also be taught how to mentor employees and receive training on enforcement of whistleblower and anti-discrimination rights.

The only requirements placed on training in the bill are that it be instructor-based and interactive. Training could be in the classroom or Internet-based, and each agency would be allowed to develop its own training and performance standards that would be subject to yearly Office of Personnel Management and congressional review, Akaka’s staff said.

It was unclear when the bill will head to the Senate floor for a vote.
Among other bills moved from the committee today is one that would allow all nonexecutive senior employees — GS-15 and above — access to the same pay as Senior Executive Service employees if they are a part of a performance-based pay system. Currently those employees are capped at Executive Schedule Level III, which has a cap of $154,600 for 2007.

“This bill would enhance our ability to keep these people in those key jobs in the federal government,” said Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, who authored the legislation. “We have to recognize that we are going to have to really hustle if we are going to be able to attract the people we need to run this federal government. … This is the biggest business in the United States and, you know what, if you don’t have good people, it ain’t going to work.”
Also moved from the committee was the Federal Employee Protection of Disclosures Act, a bill already approved in the House that would, among other things, expand whistleblower protections to intelligence agency employees and private-sector contractors.

Supervisor training should cover performance appraisals. Performance appraisal is the practice or reviewing an employee’s work performance in a face-to-face conversation. It is important that the appraisal is documented. The purpose of a performance appraisal is so the supervisor can give feedback to an individual on his/her performance over a certain period. During the performance appraisal a supervisor may set new goals for the employee as well as the individual expressing his/her personal and career goals for the future.

It is the responsibility of supervisors to develop performance tasks and standards as well as continuing monitoring an employee’s performance. Performance appraisals are usually done over a three month, six month or twelve month period. Supervisors should give employees feedback on their work and help them improve if needed. This is an opportunity for discussions of any problems that either party may have encountered and how they can be fixed.

Performance appraisals are important for supervisors to conduct because it helps them realize the contribution one is making towards their job. They assist supervisors in determining which employees are working under par, at par and which ones are exceeding job expectations. This helps supervisors when determining pay raises and bonuses. Performance appraisals have the ability to motivate an employee and stimulate them to do better the next period.

At the end of the performance appraisal, the supervisor and the employee should discuss the evaluation together. All performance appraisals should be documented and filed.

Every organization should have a drug-free workplace policy. Training supervisors is a fundamental part of every drug-free workplace program and these employees need to be provided with information on the program, how to implement the program as well as how to enforce it. Supervisors need to be educated on how to recognize and deal with employees whose job performance may be suffering due to alcohol and/or drug abuse.

Supervisors play a critical role in maintaining a drug free workplace. The drug-free workplace policy must be communicated clearly to all employees, and it is the responsibility of the supervisor to make sure it is. It is the responsibility of a supervisor to maintain the day-to-day flow and operations of a company as well as individual job performance of employees. Although supervisors are not policemen or babysitters, when a worker begins to demonstrate a consistent pattern of behavior problems or a decline in job performance, action needs to be taken.

If a supervisor feels an employee may have problems with substance abuse and it is affecting their work, it is important for them to properly follow the outlined procedures to thoroughly investigate any suspected situations. Supervisors must be careful not to try to diagnose any drug or alcohol problems an employee may have. It may be best for the human resources department to handle such allegations.

The drug-free workplace supervisor training session should teach supervisors how to help employees regain a satisfactory level of performance after they have gotten pass their problem. The supervisor’s main focus should be on the employee’s job performance and not their personal lives.

A supervisor must implement good communication between their-self and their team. For any team to be successful the team needs to know what their goals are, they need to understand what is happening in their surroundings (coworkers, upper management, company objectives), and they need to know which tools are required and how to use them in order to achieve their goals.

Communication entails the transfer of meaning or in other words the process of exchanging thoughts and information. With good communication comes a clear understanding between the communicator and the communicatee. Note that communication includes verbal, non-verbal and written communication.

Steps to improve communication

• Think before you speak- Think about the message you are trying to convey to your listener and make sure your message makes sense and it can be easily understood.
• Hold back emotions- Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. When your emotions run high the meaning of what you’re trying to say may get distorted, as well as what others are trying to convey to you. If you feel you are getting upset over an issue it is best to walk away, take a breather and resume communication later.
• Match words with actions- Remember the saying “actions speak louder than words?” This saying still holds true. Make sure that your actions support the words you are using and you are not falling short on promises. If what you communicate to your employees is backed up by the actions you take you will gain your teams trust.
• Utilize feedback- Ask your listener if they understand what you are saying or have asked them to do. Have a conversation with them to make sure they do understand everything that is going on. It may be a good idea to have them express your message in their own words so you get clarity and if there was any miscommunication you can further discuss the matter.
• Listen- It is important for you to listen to the messages that are being conveyed to you.  To improve on your listening skills it is important to avoid any actions that may be distractive. If you are communicating face-to-face try to use eye contact as much as possible. Show interest and be motivated to understand what is being communicated. Ask questions if you are not sure about any part of the message.

In the quest to finding excellent employees, good hiring decisions are a vital part of that goal. Effective interviews are crucial when making decisions on which applicants to employ. Although potential employees usually submit applications or resumes and may possibly take tests when applying for a particular job, in the end of the decision making process it usually comes down to the hiring personnel and the candidate, sitting and engaging in conversation with one another. It is extremely important that supervisors are properly trained on how to conduct interviews and how to phrase questions.

It is important that supervisors or whoever may be giving the interview does not ask any questions that may be discriminatory. Laws vary state to state on the type of questions that interviewers may ask candidates. Questions of age, ethnicity, religion or personal questions should never be asked. Interviewers must also be careful not to make any unauthorized promises to a potential candidate or false statements.

It is imperative that the interviewer is properly prepared for the interview. They need to have a set of questions ready to be asked that relate to the specified job. Interviewers should give a thorough explanation of  what the job entails and its specific duties during the discussion. Open-ended questions are also a good way to learn more about candidates. Lastly interviewers should take notes throughout the interview so they can make reference to them later when reviewing all the applicants before making a final decision.

Do you want to see your organization attain higher levels of success? One answer is to train your supervisors to become excellent leaders and not just managers. An effective leader will have the ability to inspire and motivate the individuals in his or her group  to contribute toward the success of the organization.

Weather your business is big or small there are countless benefits of leadership training to supervisors for every organization. First and foremost a strong leader will be able to enhance the groups teamwork which will in turn improve the productivity and results of the teams outcomes. With the proper leadership training supervisors will understand their role in their organization and their ability to use their own natural leadership style so they can recognize areas for improvement. Supervisors will learn how to communicate better with their team, delegate work to individuals and follow through to their members effectively.

Leadership training for supervisors will provide individuals with better time management skills as well as strategic leadership skills. New supervisors will recognize that their job title means there are many new responsibilities. They will learn how to set goals, not only for themselves but for everyone in their group. Leadership training provides supervisors with coaching and training skills so they can train new employees effectively and continue to motive current employees. Lastly leadership training for supervisors will help them recognize and deal with any conflict that may arise.

A supervisor is in charge of the day-to-day operations of a small group. A supervisor’s job is to make sure that their team is being productive and are working together for the common good of the company for which they are employed. A supervisor is usually the most junior form of a management position in a particular company. Typically becoming a supervisor is the first step towards management positions.

To be classified as a “supervisor” an employee typically has the power to give orders to the employees that they oversee, administer disciplinary action and be held accountable for the work and actions of other employees. The main differences between a supervisor and a manager, is that a supervisor usually does not have the power to “hire” or “fire” an individual (although they may be involved in the initial hiring and firing process), nor does the supervisor usually have control of the budget.

Supervisor training is important to remain competitive in today’s marketplace. These skills may be some of the hardest skills for an employee to master but are essential for any team to operate smoothly and in an efficient manner. Supervisors must have sufficient training themselves so they can provide adequate training to the employees they oversee. This training will also help the supervisor when developing a team-oriented attitude and give the team the motivation they need to succeed.

While many businesses tend to promote with-in the company, supervisor training is still highly recommended so these new leaders will run their team in alignment with the company’s overall core values and goals. Without the proper training the new supervisors may direct their team in a manner they feel is best, but may differ from that of the company.

Supervisor training enhances the learner’s capacity to be a high-quality supervisor.
The training will allow the supervisor to carry out the daily and ongoing practices of planning, delegation, decision making and problem solving. It is best for supervisors to receive continuing training which will in-turn provide ongoing education for the whole team as well as keeping everyone in sync and performance of the whole team high.

Supervisor training includes:

• Leadership training
• Communication skills for supervisors
• Training new employees
• Customer service training
• Interviewing skills
• Setting goals
• Performance Appraisal
• Time and stress management
• Employee mentoring and coaching
• Team building
• Preventing sexual harassment
• Legal issues
• Safety training

Leadership Skills

Communication Skills

Perfomance Goals and Standards

Perfomance Feedback

Work Habits

Job Skills

Delegation

Effective Discipline

Managing Complaints

Change

Resolving Conflict

Project Management

Hiring Talent

Retaining Talent

Please email us with your contributions or questions at info@trainigsupervisor.net