principles of supervision chapters 09 - 10 2007

Principles of Supervision

Providing Effective LeadershipChapter 9

Learning Goals Define leadership and describe the

difference between a leader and a supervisor

Identify the traits that may help you become a successful leader

Define charisma and its key components

Describe the skills of a visionary leader

Learning Goals Differentiate between task centered

and people centered leadership behaviors

Identify and describe three types of participative leadership styles

Explain situational leadership Describe situations in which

leadership is irrelevant

Leadership The ability an individual

demonstrates to influence others to act in a particular way through direction, encouragement, sensitivity, consideration and support

Goes beyond formal positions

Are You a Leader Because You Are a Supervisor? Supervisors

Formally appointed Have legitimate power – can reward

and punish Power comes from the authority

inherent in their position Supervisors should be leaders!!!!!!!!

But…

Are You a Leader Because You Are a Supervisor? Those who emerge from a group to be

come leaders can influence others to perform beyond the actions dictated by formal authority

Leader/supervisor Anyone who supervisors should be a

leader But there are leaders who are not capable

of supervisory functions and should not be given formal authority

Can There Ever Be No Leader? Yes .. there are factors that act as

substitutes

Employee characteristics Experience Skill level and training Need for autonomy

Can There Ever Be No Leader? Job characteristics

Well-defined and routine Intrinsically satisfying

Organizational Characteristics Explicit and formalized goals Rigid rules and procedures Cohesive work groups

Are People Born to Lead? Look at traits that separate leaders

from nonleaders If traits do separate the two we

should be able to identify characteristics and traits of successful leaders

Six Traits of Effective Leaders

Drive

Intelligence

Self-confidenceDesire to influence

others

RelevantKnowledge

Honesty and Moral Character

Six Traits of Effective Leaders Drive – reflects a person’s desire to exert

a high level of effort and complete a task Desire to influence others – willingness to

accept responsibility Honesty and moral character Self-confidence Intelligence Relevant knowledge – job relevant –

employee relevant

Leaders and Charisma Is a magnetism that inspires

followers to go the “extra mile” to reach goals that are perceived as difficult or unpopular

The Charismatic Leader Has an idealized goal that they ant to

achieve Can communicate the goal to others

in a way that they can understand Strong convictions about their goal Often do things in an unconventional

way Are assertive and confident, can

convince followers that they know best

The Charismatic Leader High self-monitoring - are good

actors, can easily adjust their behavior to different situations

Do not like the status quo, prefer goals that will significantly improve the way things are and are committed to achieving that goal

Are often perceived as agents of radical change

The Charismatic Leader People working for them are

motivated to exert more effort and, because they like their leader, express more job satisfaction

Can Leaders Be Trained – Yes A person needs certain skills

Technical skills - the procedures and techniques involved in the job process, become an expert, people will follow if they have confidence

Conceptual skills – you must be able to see the big picture, you must be able to make sense out of chaos – harder to teach this skill

Can Leaders Be Trained – Yes Networking Skills

Ability to socialize and interact with those associated to the unit

Use this skill to take care of people, get things needed to do the job

Your employees will know you can fight for them

Can Leaders Be Trained – Yes Human-relations skills - critical

Ability to work with, understand, and motivate those around you

Effectively communicate with, and listen to your employees

Includes the people skills of coaching, facilitating, and supporting others

Includes honesty and values Needed to influence others

Leadership – Behaviors and Styles Traits and skills are difficult for

employees (followers) to detect, they will define your leadership by the behaviors they see in you.

Supervisory Leadership Behaviors

Consultative

Participative

Democratic

Free Rein

Employees incontrol of thosethings thataffect them

Autocratic

Leader/supervisorin totalcontrol

Task-Centered Behavior A strong tendency to emphasize the

technical or task aspects of the job Employees are viewed mainly as a

means to an end The supervisor’s major concern is

ensuring that they know precisely what is expected of them

Task-Centered Behavior These individuals may not be

leaders but are rule, regulation and goal enforcers

Often exhibit Theory X, autocratic, or authoritarian leadership styles

Behavior = Leadership Style

Task-Centered Behavior

Autocratic Leadership Style

Autocratic Leader Task master Centralized decision making Gives orders and expects results Performs negative reinforcement Common in all types of organizations Definitely a Theory X type manager

People-Centered Behavior Emphasizes interpersonal relations

with those you lead by taking a personal interest in their needs

Shows trust, friendship, and provides supportive interactions with employees

Often exhibit Theory Y, participative managerial traits

Participative Leadership The leadership style of an

individual who actively seeks input from followers for many of the activities in the organization

Two types Consultative-participative style Democratic-participative style

Behavior = Leadership Style

People-Centered Behavior

Consultative-Participative Leadership StyleDemocratic-Participative Leadership Style

Consultative-Participative Leadership Leader seeks input, hears concerns

and issues of followers Uses input as an information-

seeking exercise Makes the final decision

Democratic-Participative Leadership Leader seeks input and does all

the things listed under Consultative-Participative Leadership

Allows workers to have a say Decisions are made by the group

Free-Reign Leadership Also known as Laissez-faire

leadership, hands off management Give employees total autonomy to

make the decisions that will affect them

After establishing overall objectives and general guidelines, the employees are free to establish their own plans for achieving their goals

Free-Reign Leadership Does not imply lack of leadership,

rather that the leader removes himself or herself from the day to day activities but is available to deal with the exceptions

This style works well with highly trained professionals

What Behaviors Should You Exhibit? Evidence points to people-centered

leadership as the preferred style FOR most employees

While people-oriented leadership may make a happier work force it does not necessarily produce results

Effective Leadership There are several key situational

models of leadership Fiedler Contingency Model House’s Path-Goal Theory Situational Leadership

Situational LeadershipEmployee Characteristics

Job Characteristics

Productivity&

EmployeeSatisfaction

ExperienceAbilityPersonalityGroup Cohesiveness

Goal ClarityTask Structure

Autocratic

Participative

Free-Reign

LEADERSHIP

STYLE

Fiedler Contingency Model Effective leadership is a function

of: A proper match between the leader’s

style of interacting with followers The degree to which the situation

gives control and influence to the leader

House’s Path-Goal Theory It is the leader’s job to assist his or her

followers in attaining their goals Is accomplished by providing necessary

direction and or support to ensure that their goals are compatible with the group or organizational goals

Leader clarifies the path to help employees achieve their goals by reducing potential roadblocks and pitfalls

Situational Leadership No single leadership style fits every

case Focus is on leadership styles that

adjust to specific situations and places attention on employee readiness

Readiness is defined as the ability and willingness of an employee to complete a task

Situational Leadership

R3

R1 R2

R4

Low High

High

SkillLevel

Willingness to Perform

Situational LeadershipParticipating

R3

DelegatingR4

TellingR1

SellingR2

Low High

High

RelationshipBehavior

Task BehaviorR4 R3 R2 R1

Readiness of Employee

Situational Leadership R1: Employee both unable and

unwilling to do job Telling style required, task behavior

R2: Employee is unable to do the job, but willing to perform the tasks Selling style required

Situational Leadership R3: Employee is able to do job, but

unwilling to be told by a leader what to do Participating style of leadership required

R4: Employee is both able and willing to do job Delegating style of leadership required

Contemporary Leadership Roles Credibility – The most dominant

component is honesty Employees judge their supervisors in

terms of their honesty, competence and ability to inspire

Trust – the belief in the integrity, character, and ability of a leader

Five Dimensions of Trust Integrity: honesty and truthfulness Competence: knowledge and skills Consistency: reliability and good

judgement Loyalty: willingness to protect and save

face for a person Openness: willingness to share

information

Trust is Important Empowerment has reduced or

removed many of the traditional control mechanisms used to monitor employees

Employees are increasingly free to schedule their own work, evaluate their own performance, and participate in team-member hiring decisions

Trust is crucial

Building Trust Practice openness – be candid,

disclose relevant information Be fair – give credit where credit is

due, be impartial, objective Speak your feelings – be real, human Tell the truth – critically important if

you want trust

Building Trust Show consistency Fulfill your promises – keep your word Maintain confidences – be discrete,

don’t betray confidences Demonstrate confidence - show

technical and professional ability, as well as communication, negotiating, and other interpersonal skills

Leading Through Empowerment Empowerment is needed to get

quick decisions from people who are most knowledgeable about the issues

Restructuring and downsizing has left many supervisors with too wide spans of control, they have no choice but to empower

Leading Through Empowerment

Sharing power and responsibility by showing trust, providing vision, removing performance-blocking barriers, offering encouragement, motivating and coaching employees

Leadership Issues Cultural issues – different cultures

lead differently Gender issues – men and women

lead differently

Leadership Issues Women – tend to lead in a more democratic

style Encourage employee participation and

are willing to share their positional power Influence others through charisma,

expertise, contacts, and interpersonal skill

Open communications and trusting relationships

Leadership Issues Men – tend to use a task-centered

leadership style Rely on positional power to

control activities Tend to dominate how they

influence others

Transactional Leader Guide or motivate employees by

clarifying their roles and task requirements

Transformational Leader An approach built on top of transactional

supervision Inspires followers to transcend their own

self-interests for the good of the organization

Can have a profound effect on followers Pays attention to concerns and

developmental needs of followers Is able to excite, arouse, and inspire

followers to put out extra effort

Principles of Supervision

Communicating EffectivelyChapter 10

Learning Goals Define communication and the

communication process Contrast formal and informal

communication Explain how electronic communications

affect the supervisor’s job List barriers to effective communication

Learning Goals Describe techniques for overcoming

communication barriers List the requirements for active

listening Explain what behaviors are

necessary for providing effective feedback

Communication Facts Words mean different things to

different people The initiation of a message is no

assurance that it is received or understood as intended

Communications often lose much of their accuracy as they are transmitted and translated

Communication Facts Communication is much more than

the spoken word or even the written word

Understanding is the goal Involves the spoken word, the

written word, grammar, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, the “whole ball of wax”

Communication The transference and understanding of

meaning from a sender to a receiver

Communication can take place without agreement between sender and receiver

Do not equate effective communication with agreement

Methods of Communication Two Types

Formal Informal

Berlo’s Communication Model

Sender Receiver

Feedback

Barriers Barriers

Verbal

Nonverbal

Communication: The transference of meaning and understanding

Formal Communication Addresses task-related issues and tends

to follow the organization’s authority chain

Used to give orders, provide advice, listen to suggestions, interact with employees

Occurs via speech, written documents, electronic, media and nonverbal behavior

Informal Communication Can move in any direction Skips authority levels Is likely to satisfy social needs as it

is to facilitate task accomplishments

The grapevine

Oral Communication One-to-one with an employee A speech to a department A problem solving session with a

group Phone conversations

Oral Communication Advantages

Speed and nonverbal language – information transferred quickly and is enhanced by nonverbal cues such as tone, mood, and except for phone conversations gestures and facial expressions

Positive symbolic value More personal, intimate caring Can build trust, create openness

Written Communication Message is intended to be official

Performance reviews Departmental reports

Message has long-implications Used for introducing changes –

new procedures

Written Communication “Good”

Provides a reliable, provable , paper trail for decisions or actions that are called into question

Reduces ambiguity

Written Communication “Bad” - Obsessive documentation

can: Take too much time Lead to risk avoidance Create a a highly politicized work

environment Cause task completion to become

subordinate to a CYA mentality

Electronic Communication E-mail Voice mail Electronic paging Cellular phones Video conferencing Modem-based transmissions

Electronic Communication Increase a supervisor’s communication

options and abilities Messages to and from employees Massive speed Constant contact Massive monitoring possibilities Great networking possibilities with superiors,

subordinates, suppliers, and customers

Nonverbal Communication Body Language

Gestures and facial expressions can communicate aggression, fear, shyness, arrogance, joy, and anger

Can account for 55% oh how a message is interpreted

Nonverbal Communication Verbal Intonation

The emphasis someone gives to words or phrases

Soft, smooth tone is vastly different from a harsh or abrasive tone

Can account for 38% of how a message is interpreted

Yes that’s right – words only count for 7% of how a message is interpreted

Informal Communication Is active in all organizations Where employees get most of their

information Usually only 75% accurate The “Rumor Mill” “Grapevine” Too powerful to stop

Informal Communication Useful to provide insight to

employees’ concerns, fears Can be used to spread (transmit)

the truth Can be used to identify issues that

employees consider important Can help make sense of limited

information

Is there a preferred medium? Face-to face transmits the most

information because of nonverbal possibilities

Telephone follows because of tonal inflection

Followed by e-mail, memos, letters, fliers, bulletins and general reports

Is there a preferred medium? The more ambiguous and

complicated the message, the more a sender should rely on a rich communication medium

Supervisors don’t always know to do this

Barriers to Effective Communication

LanguageListening HabitsLack of Feedback

PerceptionRole Requirements

Information MediumLack of Honesty

Emotions

The messageas envisioned

by sender

The messageas interpreted

by receiver

Barriers to Effective Communication

Language Age Education Cultural background Diverse backgrounds in general Use of specialized technical language Vertical differences – “incentive” =

manipulation, “goal” = control

Barriers to Effective Communication Listening habits

Hearing is not listening Poor listening skills may be present Distractions from listening – noise,

background, tasks Emotions can cloud listening

Barriers to Effective Communication Feedback

We don’t seek it We don’t provide it

Barriers to Effective Communication Perceptions

Attitudes, interests, experiences, and expectations determine how you process, organize and interpret your surroundings

We all have selective perception This can distort our communications

to and from others

Barriers to Effective Communication Roles

Behavior patterns that go with positions people occupy

Positions can create jargon (specialized language)

Requires role-player to interpret events selectively

Barriers to Effective Communication Information Medium

Choice of medium can be critical Media differ in the richness of

information – a measure of the information that is transmitted based on multiple information cues (words, posture, facial expressions, gestures, intonations), immediate feedback, and the personal touch

Hierarchy of Information Richness

Level of Type of InformationRichness Message Medium

Complex Richest Ambiguous

Leanest Simple Clear

Face-to-face talkTelephoneElectronic MailMemo, lettersFliers, bulletins,General reports

Barriers to Effective Communication Honesty

If employees don’t trust you, communication will be poor

Saying what you think others want to hear creates a barrier due to this

Creates tension and distrust

Barriers to Effective Communication Emotions

Employees only see the emotion not the total message

Rational and objective thinking can be replaced by emotional judgments (rage)

Improving Communication Think first! Constrain emotions Learn to listen Tailor language to the receiver Match words and actions Seek and provide feedback Participate in assertiveness training

Assertiveness Training Designed to make people more

open and self-expressive so they can confront issues without being rude or thoughtless

This training can teach verbal and nonverbal behaviors that can enhance communication

Active Listening Intensity

Requires you to concentrate intensely on what the speaker is saying

You must tune out all other thoughts You must summarize and integrate

what has been said, and put it in the context of what has preceded it

Active Listening Empathy

“Put yourself in the other person’s shoes”

Try to understand what the speaker wants to communicate rather that what you want to hear

Suspend your own thoughts and emotions, adjust to the speaker’s world

Active Listening Acceptance

Listen objectively without judging

Take responsibility for completeness Do whatever it takes to get the full-

intended meaning from the speaker’s communication

Developing Effective Listening Skills Be motivated Make eye contact Show interest Avoid distracting actions Show empathy Take in the whole picture Ask questions

Developing Effective Listening Skills Paraphrase Don’t interrupt Integrate what is being said Don’t overtalk Confront your biases Make smooth transitions from

between speaker and listener Be natural

Importance of Feedback Positive feedback

Likely to be given promptly and enthusiastically

More readily and accurately perceived Fits with what people wish to hear and

already believe Negative feedback

Often avoided, delayed or distorted Should be used when supported by hard

data

How Do You Give Effective Feedback Focus on specific behaviors Keep feedback impersonal Keep feedback goal oriented Make feedback well timed Ensure understanding

Have receiver rephrase back to you Direct negative feedback toward

behavior that the receiver can control