art of supervision guide

8/3/2019 Art of Supervision Guide

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An Organisational Learning and Development initiative


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Contents

Sect ion 1 Gett ing Star ted .........................................................................................................1

Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1

Key Features ............................................................................................................................ 1

Do I have to do all the activities and conversation starters?.......................................................... 3

Do I need to buy any books to work through this learning guide? ................................................. 3

Sect ion 2 Manag ing Yourself ....................................................................................................4

Topic 2.1 Building the foundation for success ........................................................................... 4

Topic 2.2 Your Job................................................................................................................. 5

Topic 2.3 Your Personal Skills Leading by Example................................................................. 6

2.3.1 Building your Personal Power........................................................................... 6

2.3.2 Developing Political Savvy ............................................................................. 12

2.3.3 Assertiveness ............................................................................................... 14

2.3.4 Managing your Work Priorities ....................................................................... 16

Topic 2.4 Blending Work and Life .......................................................................................... 22

Sect ion 3 Manag ing Rela tionsh ips .........................................................................................25

Topic 3.1 Managerial Courage............................................................................................... 25

Topic 3.2 Giving and Receiving Feedback............................................................................... 28

Topic 3.3 Your Relationship with your Manager ...................................................................... 34

Sec tion 4 Managing Your Team : Common Cha llenges ...........................................................38

Topic 4.1 Get to know your staff A Key to Motivation ........................................................... 38

Topic 4.2 Attraction and Retention ........................................................................................ 39

Topic 4.3 Managing People with more knowledge or experience than you have......................... 40

Topic 4.4 Team Meetings An Important Tool for Communication........................................... 41

Topic 4.5 Managing Change.................................................................................................. 43

Topic 4.6 Managing Conflict .................................................................................................. 43

Sec tion 5 Managing and Developing Pe rfo rmance .................................................................46


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The Art of Supervision The University of South Australia Page 1

SECTION 1 GETTING STARTED

Introduction

Welcometo

the

Art

of

Supervision,

an

action

learning

toolkit

to

help

you

build

your

skills

in

your

role

as

a

supervisor. As a supervisor, you have the opportunity to build and nurture a team, contribute

significantly to theUniversityby settingandachieving thegoals foryourworkareawhiledeveloping

yourownpersonalandprofessionalskills.Supervisorsareoftenthekeychangeagentsinanorganisation,

with the opportunity to help drive the many changes that organisations face, effectively through the

people in their team. There are general principles and strategies considered to be good practice in

managementand leadership,but real lifeoftenbringsusa rangeofpeopleand situations that require

something different to what traditional management theories suggest. One size does not fit all. As a

supervisoritisimportantthatyoudevelopyourownbrandofsupervisiongoodpracticetailoredtoyour

personality,yourteam,yourworkareaandthecultureoftheUniversity.

Who is this toolkit for?Supervisors have a range of responsibilities and this guide focuses on some key aspects of the people

managementfunctioninasupervisorsrole.ThistoolkitisdesignedforProfessional,DocumentServices

andGroundsandSecuritystaffwhoarenewtosupervisorroles.Moreexperiencedsupervisorsmayfind

sectionsof thetoolkitbeneficialforreferenceandtips.Ifyouare lookingformore indepth information

andconcepts, the twomain textsrecommended in thisguideareexcellentresources formoreextensive

theoreticalframeworks,casestudiesandactivities.

What is it designed to do?

Thislearningtoolkitoffersyouarangeofactivitiesandstrategiestoadaptgoodpracticetoyourspecific

situationandmanagementstylewith theultimateaimofbuildingaproductive teamwithhealthyteam

relationships. Itisimportanttonotethatalearningguideisnotanexhaustedlistofhowtooreventext.

It isaguidetohelp triggerreflection,discussionand furtherresearchtohelp theparticipantstrengthen

their skills. Use it to support you in developing a skillsbase and seeking further development from

people,books,theinternetandworkshops.

Some people will go through this document on an informal, self initiated need to knowbasis, while

othersmayfindtheirmanagersuggestingitasausefultoolforfurtherdevelopingsupervisoryskillswith

amorestructuredapproachofundertakingtheactivitieswithfollowupdiscussionwiththeirmanager.

Terminology disclaimer

Some language in this toolkit is not gender inclusive and refers to boss and subordinate. We have

retainedthosewordsbecausetheyarepartoftheoriginaltext,butacknowledgethattheseandotherterms

inthearticlesdonotnecessarilyreflecttheUniversitysapproachtogenderinclusivelanguage.

Key Features

Listedbeloware thekeycategoriesofactivitiesandheadings for thisdocument.This learningguide is

dividedintofivesections,GettingStarted,ManagingYourself,ManagingRelationships,ManagingYourTeam

andManaging

and

Developing

Performance.

Each

section

is

divided

into

topics

or

mini

chapters.

Each

topicwillhavethecategoriesthatarerelevantforthetopic.


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FY I

This is the theory section, which provides you with abrief summary of key frameworks and

information relating to the topic being discussed. This information will be communicated via

articles, information sourced from the research for this guide and information written from the

writers experience. This is intended tobe abrief abstract, rather than exhausting the topic as a

textbookwould.

At

the

end

of

many

topics,

there

is

aTaking

it

Further

section

which

recommends

furtherreadingifyouwouldlikemoreindepthinformationonanytopic.

Good Practice

Adotpoint listofbehaviours,practicesandapproaches thatareconsideredgoodpractice in the

areabeingdiscussedforyoutouseasaquickreference. Thissection isasummaryofkey issues

coveredineachtopic.

Common De-Railers

Discussion of common actions andbehaviours that can derail a supervisors relationships and

effectivenesstohelpyoulearnfromthemistakesofotherswhohavegonebeforeyou.

In The Real World

Thissectionwillmostlybecasestudieshighlightingreallifedilemmasandthepossibleadaptation

ofstandardtextbookgoodpracticetothem.

Activity

Activity foryou todevelopstrategies foradapting the topicbeingdiscussed to thepolitics,

dynamicsandskilllevelofyourteaminawaythatisconsistentwithgoodpracticeandtrue

toyourpersonalityandworking style.Howyou recordyouractivity isup toyou. Some

suggestedwaysare:

Learning Journal

Somepeoplefinditusefultodocumentnewideasornewwaysoflookingatacurrentsituationinajournalorfolder.Itcanalsobehelpfultowritedownacurrent

situation,intendedactionstoimprovethesituationandthejourneyfromcurrent

situationtoimprovedsituation.Thiscanbeaveryusefulwayofseeinghowfarone

hascomeinasituationevenifthestepshavebeenveryincremental.Sometimesthis

isreferredtoasreflectivelearningwhichisaveryeffectivemeansoftakinginand

actinguponnewlearning.

Action P lan

Documentingactionswithdates,outcomesandanticipatedbarriersisaveryeffective

wayofincorporatingnewlearningintoyourworkpractices.ThereisanActionPlan

Templateonpage29intheTools,SurveysandotherUsefulFormsSection.

Notes

Makingbriefinformalnotesonaseparatepieceofpaper.

Discussions

Somepeoplelearnandgrowbestbydiscussionswithothers.Youmayfindmanyof

theactivitiesworkbestforyouifyoudiscussitwithothers.ThereisaConversation

Starters categorywhichmakes suggestions about specific conversationsyou can

undertakewithotherswhoseadviceandfeedbackyouvalueandtrust.

Conversation StartersSome of the most effective learning, development and solution finding moments come from

interactionswithothers.Therewillbesuggestionsofconversationsyoucaninitiatewithothers

tobechallengedandencouragedasyouprogressthroughthislearningguide.



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Keeping Your Manager in the Loop

An importantpartofbeingasupervisor iskeepingyourmanagerappropriately informed.This

sectionwillsuggest thatyou initiateaconversationwithyourmanageraroundcertainactivities

andaspectsofthislearningguide.Thiscouldhavetwobenefits:modellingkeepingyourmanager

inthe

loop

and

keeping

your

manager

informed

of

your

current

and

emerging

skills

as

a

supervisor.


Taking It Further

Suggestedfurtherreading,reflectionquestionsorwebsites.Oftenyouwillbegivensuggestionsof

topicstoGoogleratherthanspecificwebsitessinceweblinkssoquicklygetoutofdate.

Do I have to do all the activities and conversation starters?

Itisuptoyou(andwhereappropriate,yourmanager)todecidehowbesttousethisguideandwhether

youwilluseall,oraselectedrangeoffeatures.TheActionLearningactivitiesareprovidedasapossible

resourcefordevelopment.Undertakethosethatyouthinkwouldbeusefulanddisregardthosethatarent.

At theback of this guide is an optional SignOffSheet for people who would find it useful to track

progressbyrecordingit.

Inmostcases,yourselectionoffeaturesyouusewillbeguidedby:

anyrequestsoragreementsyouhavemadewithyourmanageraboutwhichtopic;andactivities

tocomplete;

theareasyouhaveidentifiedasdevelopmentneeds;

yourlearningstyle;and;

themostpressingissuesinyourteam.

Yourmanagementofhowyouusethisguide,whatyouselecttodo,howfocusedyouareonundertaking

itandhowandwhenyouinvolveyourmanagerwillinvolvethesameskillsofdiscernment,prioritising

andapplicationthatyouwillapplyinyourroleasaneffectivesupervisor.

Do I need to buy any books to work through this learning guide?

Thereisnorequirementforyoutopurchaseabook,butitishighlyrecommendedthatyoupurchase(or

access)Management,TheoryandPractice (3rdedition)byKrisCole,publishedbyPearsonEducation,2005.

Thisis

an

excellent,

comprehensive

and

very

practical

resource

for

managers

at

all

levels,

particularly

supervisorsatthefront line level. Anotherverycomprehensivetext isCarlopio,J,Andrewartha,Gand

Armstrong,H2005,DevelopingManagementSkills,3rdedition,PearsonEducation,Sydney.

ExtensivereferencewillbemadetobothofthesebooksintheTakingitFurthersection.


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SECTION 2 MANAGING YOURSELF

TOPIC 2.1 Building the foundation for success

There isasayingIfyoufail toplan,youplan to fail.Planning isan importantcomponent tosuccess.

Thisappliestoyourdevelopmentaswellasyourroleasasupervisor.Afewplanningstepswillhelpyou

derive maximumbenefit from this learning guide. The more you tailor your usage of the kit to your

development requirements and your team, the more likely it is that you will stick with it and see

tangibleoutcomes from theactivitiesyouundertake.The tyrannyof time isyourgreatestopponent in

undertaking thisdevelopment.Pressingpriorities,peopledemandsandmeetingdemandsonyour time

andotherdeadlineswillmeanprogressingthroughthis learningguidewillneedtobemanagedwellto

avoiddelayingorabandoningyourcompletionofit.

Preparation

Read through theheadings in this toolkitandspendsome time thinkingabout the following (youmay

wanttorecordtheseinajournaltoaddtoandtrackthroughoutyourcompletionofthistoolkit.

Whatareyourstrengthsasasupervisor?

Inwhatwayshaveyoudemonstratedthose?

Whatareyourareasofpressingneedintermsofdevelopmentandtipsforbeingasupervisor?

Whenyouhavefinishedgoingthroughthistoolkit,whatwouldyouliketohaveachieved?

Willyougothroughallthesectionsofthetoolkit?Ifso,whatprioritywillyougivethem?

Ifyouwillgothroughselectedsectionsofthetoolkit,whatwouldtheybe?

Conversation Starters

Thinkof23peoplewhoyouwillinvolveintheConversationStarters.Somequalitiesyoumight

wanttolookforare:

peoplewhosemanagement/leadershipyouadmire;

peoplewhowillsupportivelychallengeyoutogrowandcontinuallyimprove;

peoplewhowillbefairlyaccessiblefordiscussions;

peoplewhoyouconsidertobementors.

Youmayfindthatthepeopleyouengageindiscussionschangefromtopictotopic.Takeafewminutesto

thinkaboutwhoyoumightapproachfortheseconversations.



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Learning Styles

Understandingyourlearningstylewillhavethefollowingbenefits:

giveyouinsightintothebestapproachesforyoutotakeintheinformationinthistoolkit;and

provide you with appreciation and understanding of the various ways that people take in

informationand

how

you

as

asupervisor

may

have

to

adapt

your

style

to

different

peoples

needs.

Activity - Learning Styles

CompletetheLearningStylesQuestionnaireintheTools,SurveysandotherusefulForms

section,oralternatively,theIndexofLearningStyles(ILS)questionnaireat

http://www.ncsu.edu/felderpublic/ILSpage.htmlandthenanswerthefollowingquestions:

Whatisyourlearningstyle?

Whatdoesthedescriptionofyourlearningstyletellyouaboutthewaysthatyoubesttakein

andapplylearningandnewinformation?

Whatmightthatmeanforhowyouworkthroughthislearningguide?

Read the Learning Styles descriptors and write down how you think each learning style

wouldinteractwithothersasasupervisor.

Whatarethepositiveaspectsofyourlearningstyleinsupervisingothers?Whataretheareas

thatyouneedtodevelop?

TOPIC 2.2 Your Job

It is important that you have a clear understanding of the expectations that the University of South

Australia has of supervisors. The Human Resource Unit has developed Supervising Staff@ UniSA: A

QuickGuideforProfessionalStaffwhichassistnewsupervisorstounderstandtheirresponsibility.Ifyou

areunfamiliarwithanyof the topics in theQuickGuide,youshould read the relevant sectionsof that

documentnowbeforegoingany further in this learningguide. Itwillbe important thatanyactionsor

activitiesyouundertake inthistoolkitarewithintheguidelinesandexpectationsthattheUniversityof

South Australia has of supervisors. If there is anything in Supervising Staff@UniSA:AQuickGuidefor

Professional Staff that is unclear to you,be sure to promptly clarify it with your manager or another

appropriateperson.

TopicscoveredintheQuickGuideare:

ExpectationsOfASupervisor;

http://www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/ILSpage.htmlhttp://www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/ILSpage.htmlhttp://www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/ILSpage.htmlhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/guides/supervision_quick.pdfhttp://www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/ILSpage.html


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UnderstandingTheLegislativeAndPolicyEnvironment;

ViceChancellorsAuthorisations;

DutyOfCare;

LeadingChange;

CorporatePlanningAndReview;

WorkforcePlanning

And

Succession

Planning;

FamiliarityWithTermsAndConditionsOfEmployment;

StaffRepresentation;

MeetingStaffRequirements;

RecruitmentAndSelection;

InductionAndProbation;

PerformanceDevelopmentandManagement;

LeaveManagement;

FormalGrievanceResolution;

EndOfEmployment;

OccupationalHealth,SafetyAndWelfare;

ValuingEquity

And

Diversity;

EmployeesAssistanceProgram;

Compliance,RiskManagementAndFinance;

HRSummary;

LinksAvailableToYou.

TOPIC 2.3 Your Personal Skills - Leading by Example

2.3.1 Building your Personal Pow er

FY IInyourrole,thereareprobablyanumberofpeopleandsituationsthatyouwillneedtoinfluence.They

willmostlikelyinclude:

yourmanager;

yourteam;

otherworkgroupsattheUniversity;

Seniormanagersabovethelevelofyourmanager.

Activity - Who do you need to influence?

Inthetablebelow,writethenamesofkeypeopleorgroupsyouneedtoinfluenceandfillinthe

columns.AlargercopyofthistemplateisintheToolsSection.

WHO YOU NEED TOINFLUENCE

FOR WHAT PURPOSEWHAT TYPE OF POWER DOES

THIS REQUIRE?

WHAT IS YOUR GREATESTCHALLENGE

INFLUENCING THISPERSON.



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Power and Influence

Therearetwotypesofpowerapersoncanhaveinanorganisation:positionpowerandpersonalpower.

Positionpowerreferstoyour formalauthority in theorganisation.Asasupervisor,yourrolegivesyou

authorityoverthebehaviourofothers.Onecouldsay,peopleinyourteamhavetodoasyouask,because

you are their manager. Personal power is the unofficial, informal influence you have on otherpeople/colleagues.Theemergingchallengesforsupervisors (whichwillbediscussed ingreaterdetail in

theManagingYourTeamsection)aremoreeffectivelymetbypersonalpowerthanpositionpower.The

tablebelowshowsyouthetypesofpositionandpersonalpowerthatonecanhave.

BASES OF POWER IN AN ORGANISATION

LegitimatePower

The power you have as a result of your position.

Coercive Power The power to threaten and have people follow you out of fear(this is obviously not a constructive power).

PositionalPower

Reward Power The official authority to reward people by some formal means.

Expert PowerPower that comes from being an expert or a highly respectedspecialist.

Referent PowerRespect and goodwill that a person has earned. A person withreferent power may have no positional power, but can still be akey influence in the organisation.

PersonalPower

ProximityPower Information or knowledge that a person has that can be sharedwith others. The inside scoop on certain decisions or incidents.

Personalpoweristhemostimportantpowerfortodaysmanagers.ThedoasIsaybecauseIsaysoandI

amthemanagerwayofmanaginghasbeenreplacedbyaneedtoengagepeople,buildtrust,demonstrate

thattheyarevaluedandhaveopportunitytogrow.

Activity - Your Bases Of Power

Whatbasesofpowerdoyouhave?

Writedownsomeexamplesofhowyouusethatpower.

Whataresomewaysthatyourpersonalpowerneedstobeimproved?

Canyou

identify

specific

examples

of

how

other

people

recognise

your

bases

of

power?



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Building Personal Power

Trust - The Cornerstone of Personal Power

Oneofthemost importantways tobuildpersonalpower istobuildcredibilityandtrust.Research 1has

identifiedfivedimensionsthatmakeuptrust:

Integrity Honestyandtruthfulness;

Competence technicalandinterpersonalknowledgeandskills;

Consistency reliability,predictabilityandgoodjudgementinhandlingsituations;

Loyalty alwaysdemonstratingsupportivewordsandactionstowardapersonintheirabsence;

Openness willingnesstoshareideasandinformationfreely.

Building Personal Power w ith Your Team

Therewillbeanumberoftimesthatyouwillhavetoinfluencevariousmembersofyourteamforarange

ofreasons.Someofthemostcommonsituationsareaskingsomeonetoundertakeatasktheydontwant

todoordontbelieveshouldbedoneoraskingthemtobehaveinadifferentmanner.

Personalpowerstartswithqualityrelationshipsanditreallycomesdowntothosecharacteristicsoftrust.

OnecouldalmostdevelopaGoldenRuleforbuildingpersonalpowerwithyourteam.

Building Blocks to Developing Personal Power

Befair;

Givecreditwhereitisdue,taketimetogivegenuinepositivefeedback;

Keeppeopleintheinformationloopasappropriate; Beclearaboutwhatyouexpect;

Beapproachable;

Beconsistent;

Bepositiveandhelpyourteamtoseethepositivesideofsituations;

Spendtimewithteammembersgettingtoknowthem(notinaninvasiveway);

Begoodatyourjobandbeopenabouttheareasyouneeddevelopmentin(thismayneedto

betailoredtothepoliticsofyourteam);

Beproactiveratherthanreactive(solutionfocussedvs.blamefocussed);

Influencewhatyoucanandmanagewhatyoucantinfluence;

Remember you always have an audience watching how you react, respond and interact.

Practiceselfcontrol.Respondratherthanreacttosituations.

Ifyouhavebuiltthatfoundationoftrust,whenitcomestoaskingyourteamtodosomethingorcorrect

somethingyouaremuchmorelikelytobeabletoinfluencethembecausetheywillrespectyou.

1 P.L. Schindler and C.C. Thomas, The structure of interpersonal trust in the workplace, Psychological Reports, October 1993m pp.

563-73.


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Activity - Improving your personal power

Reviewyourresponsestotheactivitiesinthistopicandwritedownthefollowing:

Thestrengthsofmycurrentlevelofpersonalpowerare:

Theareasforgrowthare:

OneactionthatIcan/willtaketoimprovemypersonalpoweris:

AsituationinmyteamthatIamgoingtohavetoapplypersonalpowertois:

OnewayImightapproachthatis:

Building Personal Power with Senior Managers

Thefirststepinbeingabletoinfluenceseniormanagersorothersaboveyouintheorganisationalchartis

toapplythecharacteristicsoftrustthatwementionedearlier. Youwillneedtoadaptthelevelandnature

ofeachof thosecharacteristics toyoursituation.Buildingasoundrelationshipwithyourmanagerand

otherseniormanagersandcontinuingtobuildyourowncredibilityisthecriticalfoundationforbuilding

personalpowerwiththesepeople.

The followingsuggestionsforforgingapositiverelationshipwithyourmanager (attimesreferredtoas

managingup)arealsohelpfulforbuildingrelationshipswithanyseniormanagerthatyouwillneedto

workwithandpossiblyinfluence.

RememberyourpurposeFocusonwhatneedstogetaccomplishedandusetherest

ofthesetipstogetyourmanagerssupport.Ifyouarerequestingfurtherresourcesor

something thatneeds tohaveadecisionandapproval,besure thatyouhaveallof

yourfactsinorderandthatyourrationaleisbasedonsoundfacts.

UnderstandyourmanagersproblemsAskyourmanagerwhatkindofpressureshe

orshe

is

under.

Now

you

may

not

think

it

syour

place

to

do

that,

but

it

can

make

a

great difference in your understanding why your manager is not managing you

properly.



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Compliment what is working Give your manager positive feedback on what is

working inyourrelationship.Forexample,say Thanksforyourvaluablefeedback,

whenheorshegivesyouausefulresponse.

Bearolemodel Ifyouwantyourmanagertodocertainthings,dothemyourself.

For example, if he or she doesnt listen well, practice active listening in your

interactions.He

or

she

will

probably

mirror

your

positive

behaviour.

Understand and follow necessary formal and informal protocol In a situation

whereyouareseekingfurtherresourcesoradecisioninyourfavouronsomething,be

sureyouknowtheproperstepsthatyouneedtotake.Whoneedstobeinformed?Is

thereasequenceofwhotoinformfirst?Doyouputthingsinwritingorverbally

LethimorherbewrongRememberthatyourmanagerhastherighttobewrongor

makeamistake.Trytocorrectsomethingafewtimesandifitdoesntwork,letitgo.

Youwontalwaysbeabletosavehimorher.

Source: Managing Your Bossby Michael H Smith @ http://www.michaelhsmithphd.com/manageboss.html

Activity - In fluencing your Manager

Whataresomeofthewaysyouwillneedtoinfluenceyourmanager?

Whatchallengesdoesthispresenttoyou?

When have youbeen successful at influencing your manager? What has not worked for

you?

Whatstrategiescanyouapplytomoresuccessfullyinfluenceyourmanager?

http://www.michaelhsmithphd.com/manageboss.htmlhttp://www.michaelhsmithphd.com/manageboss.htmlhttp://www.michaelhsmithphd.com/manageboss.html


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Good Practice

Showpersonalintegrityinhowyoutreatpeople;

Practicenottakingcomments,actionsandbehavioursofotherspersonally.Viewthemaspurely

professionalinteractionsandtransactions;

Indifficult

or

unfair

situations,

identify

what

you

can

influence

and

take

steps

to

do

that

and

determinewaysofmanagingthatwhichyoucantinfluenceorchangeimmediately;

Build on your successes. Remember times that you have successfully influenced others? What

madethemsuccessfulsituations?(Oftenthiscanrevealstrengthsthatyoudidnotknowyouhad

andhelpyoutodevelopfurtherstrategiesforaction.);

Respond,dontreacttosituations.Whenfacedwithasetbackorfrustratingsituation,askyourself

whatam Igoing todoabout this?asopposed towhyme?orhowunfair. Itwillchannel

yourenergytopositiveaction.

Common De-Railers

Allowingsomeonetogettoyouandrespondinanangrymanner;

Regularlygossipingaboutothersorspeakingnegativelyofthem(thisoftencommunicatesaneed

tomakeoneselffeelbetterbecauseofalackofpersonalpower);

Complainingabouthowyourmanagerorothersaboveyoutreatyouratherthantakingactionto

effectivelymanage thesituation.Oroftenreferring to theyas intheywont letusdo thisor

theywontapprovethis;

Notfreelysharinginformationwithyourteamorkeepingyourmanagerintheinformationloop;

Notworkingoncontinuingtobecomemoreandmorecompetentinyourjob;

Anunwillingnesstotakeondevelopmentalfeedback.

In the Real World

After a few months in her job as Team Leader, Annie discovered some challenges that she had not anticipated. Inmeetings with her Manager and the other Team Leaders, she found that her viewpoints were often overlooked. Shefelt very sidelined. John, one of the Team Leaders seemed to really have the ear of the Manager who always seemedto give him the good projects and Annie was never approached to do any of them. John was often asked to undertakework that she was much more experienced in. Johns team was in great conflict because John was not an effectivesupervisor, yet he kept getting rewarded with interesting projects. He clearly was one of those protected speciesthat every organisation has! Annie went home many nights very frustrated and spent hours debriefing with her flatmate. Her temptation was to just withdraw, figure there was little she could do and just make subtle points inmeetings and conversations. She knew this would not be very effective and that the most constructive action wouldbe to talk to her manager about her desired involvement. Annie knew it would be important to be unemotional in this

and just stick to the facts of what she could contribute, not making any comment about John. She prepared for theappointment by making notes about her skills and identifying the types of projects she would like to be considered for.She opened the conversation explaining that she would like opportunities to further use her skills and would likesuggestions about the best way to be considered for them. Her manager responded very positively and asked whattypes of projects she would like to be considered for. Because of her preparation, she was able to be very articulateand professional in her discussion. The manager made some suggestions, which Annie followed and she soon wasinvolved in the projects she wanted to be part of. With each project, she proved her skills to more people in theorganisation, which resulted in more requests for her skills.

WhatAnniedidwasmovebeyondherreactionsandworkedtoincreaseherpersonalpowerby:

showinghermanagerthatshewasproactiveandwillingtotakeonextrawork;

positioning

herself

to

work

on

other

projects

that

gave

her

exposure

to

others

in

the

organisation;

and;

notreactingtosituationsthatseemedunjust,butusingthemasopportunitiestopractice

resilienceandfurtherdevelopingstrategiestobetterpositionherself.


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Activity - Document your progress in Building P ersonal Power

Onaregularbasisforthenext46weeks,documentyourprogressinbuildingyourpersonal

powerwithyourteamandwithyourmanager.Whatstrategiesworked?Whatoneshavenot

beeneffective?Why?Whatdoyouneedtodonow?Whatprogresshaveyoumadesincethe

lastentry?

Taking it further


PerformaGooglesearchonManagingUpandBasesofPower.

CarlipioetalChapter7GainingPowerandInfluence.

2.3.2 Developing Political Savvy

Culture = the way we do things around here Politics = the way we do things to other people around here

Leaders will increasingly have to operate in environments where there is competition for scarceresources, where games are played and where the race to benefit from shrinking opportunities becomessharper. Maurik, 2001

FY I

InSocialAction theory,thestructureofanorganisation isnota thing,butratheraprocessoccurringas

individualsand

groups,

negotiate,

bargain,

contest

their

relations

with

others

in

acontinuous

flow

of

actionwhilstpursuing theprimacyof theirbeliefsand interests.The locationofpower isnot fixedand

resides inresourcesanddependencies.Managersarenotnecessarily thecontrollinggroupbutonlyone

groupofactorswhoareattempting to impose their interests,meaningsand concerns in theprocessof

organising.Conflictisinevitable.

Source: Dr Beth Kotze, Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators

Organisationalpoliticsisoftenconstruedas:

Doingdeals;

Gettingoneover;

Scoringpoints;

Secrecyandsubterfuge; Mafiosatactics;

Winlose.

Organisationalpoliticsisreallyabout:

Influence;

Collaboration;

Buildingrelationships;

Opennessandhonesty;

Beingstreetwise(notnaive);

Winwinsituations;

Beingvisible; Makingyourcontributionsknowntothepeoplewhohaveformalandinformalpower.



15/51

Good Practice

Networking formmutuallybeneficialrelationshipswithothersintheorganisation;

Professionalismdowhatyoudowellanddontletpeopledown;

Positiveselfmarketing;

Creategoodwill

and

organisational

diplomacy;

Acknowledgment of informal organisational structure, functioning comfortably and effectively

withinanambiguousenvironment;

Refineinterpersonal,conflictmanagementandnegotiationskills.


Common De-Railers

Opportunism:reinforcingfailureinotherstosupportyourcause;

Misinformation;

Brownnosing,bullying;

Powerplays:threateningtowithholdorrevealinformation,refusingtogivesupport;

Engaginginconversationsandbehaviourthatunderminetheorganisationanditsmission.


Activity - Where do you need to be more politically savvy?

Review the Good Practice list.

Foreachitemrateyourself15(1beingneedsmuchimprovementto5verystrong)

Review the areas that you rated yourself less than 4. For each of those areas, write down one

strategythatyouwillputintoplacetoimproveinthatarea.

Areyouengaginginanyofthederailers?Ifso,whatstrategiescanyouapplytocorrectthispartof

yourstyle?



16/51

2.3.3 Assert iveness

FY IAssertiveness is a skill that anyone can learn. This does not mean it will be easy. For many it is more of ajourneythan an overnight success.

Manypeopleconfuseassertivenessandaggression.Aggressivebehaviour isstandingonesgroundand

arguing a point without compromise. This usually does not result in constructive outcomes. Assertive

behaviour on the other hand is marked by communicating your needs, wants, feelings, beliefs and

opinionstoothersinadirectandhonestmannerwiththeintentionofhelpingpeopletounderstandyour

view.Assertiveness is themiddlegroundbetweenbeingaggressiveandpassive.Whileaggressionand

bully tactics are destructive to relationships, remaining passive, while avoiding conflict, can lead to

feelingsofhelplessnessandlackofcontrolandcanultimatelyruinrelationships

The advantages of assertive behaviour

Yourneeds,viewsandopinionsareunderstood;

Bothpartiesfeelheardandthattheirviewisrespected;

Relationshipsaremadestronger; Therearefewerconflictsandarguments;

You feel in control of your life which then leads to further confidence for future assertive

behaviour;

Thereisusuallyanincreaseinconfidenceandselfesteem;

Youaremorelikelytogetwhatyouwant.

When the oth er person is not co-operating

At times, the other person will sometimesbehave like youre having an argument and want to yell,

criticiseandgoadeventhoughyouaretryingtobecalmanddirect.Somestrategies thatmaybeuseful

are:

Suggestyoutakeupthesubjectatanothertimeandleave;

Ifyoudo stay, remaincalmandkeep theconversation to theoriginalpoint,not responding to

baiting,accusationsoranyotherattemptstogetanegativereactionfromyou;

Recognisethattheremaybeotherissuesmotivatingtheirbehaviourthiscanhelpyounottotake

itpersonally.

Adapted from Better Health Channel, www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

Activity - Assertiveness Check

Inyourrole,whatsituationsarethemostchallengingforyoutoapplyassertivebehaviour?

Whatarethebarrierstoyourbeingassertive?

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/


17/51

Good Practice

Makeaconsciousdecisionthatyouwanttobeassertiveratherthanaggressiveorpassive;

Reviewarecentconflictandconsiderwaysyoucouldhavehandleditinamoreassertiveway;

Practisetalkinginanassertivewayaloneorwithafriend;

Respectthe

wants,

needs

and

feelings

of

others,

and

accept

that

their

viewpoints

may

be

different

to yours. This can help when reaching a compromisebecause you have understood what is

importanttotheotherparty;

Viewconflictasaproblem tobesolvedrather thanabattle tobewon,and try tosee theother

personasyourcollaboratorratherthanyouropponent;

Behonestwiththeotherperson,withoutmakingaccusationsortryingtomakethemfeelguilty;

UseassertivelanguagesuchasIfeelandIthink,ratherthanaggressive,accusatorylanguage

suchasYoualwaysandYounever;

Dont interrupt the other person when they are talking, and listen and demonstrate that you

understandtheirpointofview;

Iftheexchangedoesntgowell,learnfromtheexperienceandplanhowyouwilldothingsalittle

differently

next

time.

Use appropriate body language

Lookthepersonintheeye;

Holdyourbodyupright;

Consciouslyrelaxyourshoulders;

Trytobreathenormallyanddontholdyourbreath;

Keepyourfacerelaxed;

Speakatanormalconversationalvolume(dontyellorwhisper).

Common De-Railers

Negativeselftalkthatcan leadtounderminingyourconfidenceandthereforeyourabilitytobeassertive;

Feelingcontrolledbythesituationratherthanseeinghowyoucaninfluenceit;

Refusingtoshowrespectforothersandyourself;

Givingintoangerandthereforetakingtheconversationtoanunproductivepoint;

Beingpassiveandgivinginwhichoftenleadstoresentmentthatstewsbelowthesurface;often

explodingatveryinopportuneandinappropriatetimes.

Conversation Starters

With a trusted person, discuss your assertiveness, your strategies for improvement and seek

feedbackfromthem.


Taking it further

Cole,pp142152

Carlopio,J, etal,pp376382


18/51


2.3.4 M anaging your Work Priorities

FY ITime is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have and only you can determine how it will be spent.Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you

Carl Sandburg US Author

Time Management

Timemanagementisoneofthegreatestchallengesformanagers.Manymanagersfindthatasignificant

partoftheirtimeisspentonthepeopleissuesthatariseincircumstanceswhichoftencannotbeplanned

for.

ELEMENT OF TIME MANAGEMENT EXAMPLE OF WHY IT IS IMPORTANT

Assertiveness and Influencing When delegating work to others, you may need to applyassertiveness and influencing skills in gaining their co-operation.

When saying no to a task, deadline or your involvement in aparticular project, assertiveness and influencing may be needed.

Delegation Being able to delegate work to others, appropriate to their skilllevel, job responsibilities and potential for growth is one of thekey factors in time management.

Prioritising Distinguishing the important from the urgent is the first step inprioritising. It is unlikely you will get through everything you hadplanned to on many days. Prioritising will be the key to be sureyou are progressing the priority projects and tasks.


19/51

The Fifteen Biggest Time W asters and Solutions

Causes Solutions

Unaware of importance Keep a three day time log. Analyse tendency to take on things your team and

others could be doing. Delegate more and say no when appropriate.

Lack of priorities and planning Set objectives, priorities, deadlines in four critical time frames (daily, weekly,monthly and yearly). Focus on top priorities and ignore the bulk of activities thatcontribute nothing to your objectives.

Unrealistic time estimates Recognise that everything takes longer than you think (Murphys second law).Analyse characteristic underestimates, then add appropriate cushion to all criticalestimates (20 to 50 percent).

Responding to the urgent Distinguish the urgent from the truly important. Balance short term objectives.Ask Whats the worst that can happen? before responding.

Over-response Limit your response to the real demands of the situation. Stay uninvolved if

others can handle it. Delegate if staff can handle situation.

Over-ambition and inordinateneed to achieve

Control your ambition to fit your abilities and situation. Ask yourself what you aretrying to prove. Be realistic, keep perspective. Stop killing yourself.

Desire to impress manager Discuss what the manager really wants. Recognise that long term success ismore important than short term impressions.

Over-desire to appearcooperative

Stop saying yes just because you want to be appreciated. Recognise differencebetween being cooperative and doing others work. Learn to say no withoutoffending. Use your own priorities as reasons and offer alternatives whenappropriate.

Understaffed Expose staff to time management and target saving two hours a day for eachperson. Do feasibility study with time log to demonstrate that actual additionalhelp would be cost effective.

Perfectionism Lower standards to what is reasonable. Allocate time frames more closely.

Activity-What are your tim e robbers?

Whatare

your

top

three

time

wasters?

Identifyonestrategy forreducing those timewastersanddevelopaplan for implementing

theminthenextweek.

Setasidetimetoreviewandrefinetheseonaregularbasis.



20/51


Delegation

One of the biggest challenges to a new supervisor is how to do all of your work while you also supervisesomeone. Learning the art of delegation is one of the keys to time/task management for supervisors.

Manymanagerssaythattheydonotdelegatenearlyasmuchastheycouldorshould.Colesuggests5Ds

ofdelegation.

Doitnow;

Doitlater;

Doitiftimepermits;

Delegateit;

Dumpit.

Cole (214)

Toenablesomeoneelsetodothejobforyou,youmustensurethat:

theyknowwhatyouwant;

theyhavetheauthoritytoachieveit;

theyhavetheresourcestoachieveit;

theyknowhowtodoit.

Thiscantaketimeandthatiswheredelegationoftenfails.Managersbelieveitiseasierandfastertodoit

themselves. While this maybe true in the short run, in the long term, this is not a solution and will

continuetocontributetothetimepressuresamanagerisunder.

Whenthejobisnotdonethewayitshouldbe,itisoftenduetooneofthefollowingfactors:

Thepersonhasnotbeenproperlytrainedtoundertakethetask;

Thepersondidnotunderstandtheinstructionscompletely;

Thepersonwaslefttotheirowndevicestoosoon;

Thepersondoesnothavetheadequateresourcestoundertakethetask.

Good Practice

Delegatewholepiecesorentirejobpiecesratherthansimpletasksandactivities;

Clearlydefinewhatoutcome isneeded, then let individualsusesomecreative thinkingof their

ownastohowtogettothatoutcome;

Clearlydefinelimitsofauthoritythatgowiththedelegatedjob.Canthepersonhireotherpeople

toworkwiththem?Aretherespendingconstraints?

Clearstandardsofperformancewillhelpthepersonknowwhenheorsheisdoingexactlywhatis

expected;

Assessroutineactivitiesinwhichyouareinvolved.Cananyofthembeeliminatedordelegated?

Never underestimate a persons potential. Delegate slightly more than you think the person is

capable of handling. Expect them to succeed, and you will be pleasantly surprised more

frequentlythannot;

Donotavoiddelegatingsomethingbecauseyoucannotgivesomeonetheentireproject.Let the

personstartwithabitesizepiece,thenafterlearninganddoingthat,theycanacceptlargerpieces

andlargerareasofresponsibility;


21/51


Agreeonamonitoringormeasurementprocedurethatwillkeepyouinformedastoprogresson

this project because you are ultimately still responsible for it and need to know that it is

progressingasitshould.InotherwordsIfyoucantmeasureitdontdelegateit;

Keepyourmindopen tonew ideasandwaysofdoing things.Therejustmightbeabetterway

thanthewaysomethinghaspreviouslybeendone;

Nevertake

back

adelegated

item

because

you

can

do

it

better

or

faster.

Help

the

other

person

learntodoitbetter;

Agreeonthefrequencyoffeedbackmeetingsorreportsbetweenyourselfandthepersontowhom

youaredelegating.Goodcommunicationwillassureongoingsuccess;

Delegation strengthens your position. It shows you are doing yourjob as a managergetting

resultswithothers;

Delegation is takinga risk that the other person might makeamistake,but people learn from

mistakesandwillbeabletodoitrightthenexttime.Thinkbacktoatimeaprojectwasdelegated

toyouandyoumesseditup;

Findoutwhat the talentsand interestsofyour teamareandyouwillbeable todelegatemore

intelligentlyandeffectively;

Besensitive

to

upward

delegation

by

your

staff.

When

they

ask

you

for

adecision

on

their

project,

ask them to think about some alternatives which you will then discuss with them. This way

responsibilityforactionstayswiththestaffmember;

Pushresponsibilitydowninacaringhelpfulway;

Remember,youarenottheonlyonethatcanaccomplishanendresult.Trustotherstobecapable

ofachievingit;

Break largejobs into manageable pieces and delegate pieces to those who can do them more

readily;

Keepfollowingupandfollowingthroughuntiltheentireprojectisdone;

Resist theurge to solve someoneelsesproblem.Theyneed to learn for themselves.Give them

suggestionsandperhapslimitsbutletthemtaketheirownaction.

Source: Howto Delegate Work and [email protected]

Common De-Railers

Nottrustingstaffenoughtodelegate;

Hoveringover staffwhoare capableof completing thejob;ornotprovidingeffectivecoaching

andgradualfulldelegationtostaffwhoneedsupport;

Givingworktoyourfavouriteteammemberswhileothersareunderutilised;

Always giving work to the people you know who will do it well this can make your best

workersfeelpenalisedfordoingwell.IworkhardandcompetentlyandIjustgetmorework.
http://www.zeromillion.com/business/management/delegating-work.htmlhttp://www.zeromillion.com/business/management/delegating-work.htmlhttp://www.zeromillion.com/business/management/delegating-work.htmlhttp://www.zeromillion.com/http://www.zeromillion.com/http://www.zeromillion.com/http://www.zeromillion.com/business/management/delegating-work.html


22/51

Activity - Your Delegation Challenges

Whatisyourgreatestchallengeindelegatingtoothers?

Whatareoneortwostrategiesyoucanadopttoimproveyourdelegationskills?

Reviewyourworkload,particularly those things thataremostpressuringyouand identify

oneortwotasksorprojectsyoucandelegateandthenbriefthebestpersonforthetaskand

delegateit.


Once you have identified and started to implement strategies for time management, and

delegationshareyourprogresswithyourmanagerandaskforfeedback.


Taking it further

Cole,pp364371

Carlopio,J, etal,pp563572

More on delegation

http://www.businessballs.com/delegation.htm

Prioritising

Itisessentialtohaveaclearunderstandingofwhattheprioritiesofthedemandsonyourtimeare. Some

questionstoaskyourselfare:

Isthisurgentorisitimportant?

Sometimesurgent

tasks

appear

important

because

of

the

emotion

and

pressure

of

the

people

briningthemtoourattention.Thisdoesnotnecessarilymeanitisimportant.

Whoismakingtherequest?

IftherequestisfromaSeniorManager,BoardMember,Ministeroranyonewhohasahigher

positionandfunctionthanyoudo,itusuallyneedstobeconsideredwiththeurgencythatitis

giventoyou.

DoIhavetodoitmyself?

Ifyoucannotdelegatetheentiretaskorproject,theremaybepartsofitthatyoucandelegate.
http://www.businessballs.com/delegation.htmhttp://www.businessballs.com/delegation.htmhttp://www.businessballs.com/delegation.htm


23/51

Good Practice

CreateaToDolistandlabeltheitems:

1=ImportantandUrgent(Must) 3=Routine(CoulddoorDelegate)

2=Important(Should) 4=Wasted(WhydidIdothat?)

Evaluateurgent

matters

to

be

sure

they

are

truly

urgent

in

the

context

of

your

role

and

responsibilities;

Be prepared to change priorities throughout the day to accommodate interruptions, crises and

unexpectedtaskswithshortdeadlines;

Periodically complete a time log to check how your time isbeing spent and if it is on true

priorities.

Common De-Railers

Responding/reactingtoeverythingimmediately;

Absenceofaplanandasenseofwhatisapriority;

AbsenceofunderstandingofyourKRAs(KeyResultAreas)andwhatthatmeansintermsofhow

youprioritise.

Inabilitytobeassertivewithotherswhoseurgentworkisnotyourpriority.

Activity - Time Log

CompletetheTimeLogintheToolsSection,pp1519tohelpyouprioritisemoreeffectively.

Identify3areasthatyoucanimproveyouruseoftimeanddevelopandimplementstrategies

foraddressingthem.

Taking it furtherCole,214222

Carlopio,J, etal179184



24/51

TOPIC 2.4 Blending Work and Life

FY I

The Big Rocks of TimeOne day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students. As he stood infront of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, Okay, time for a quiz. He then pulled out aone-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it on the table. He produced about a dozen fist-sized rocksand carefully placed them one at a time into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rockswould fit inside, he asked, Is this jar full? Everyone in the class said, Yes. Then he said, Really?He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shookthe jar causing it to work down into the space between the big rocks. Then he asked the group oncemore, Is the jar full? By this time the class was on to him. Probably not, one of them answered.

Good! he replied.He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand and started dumping the sand in the jaruntil it filled the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, Is this

jar full? No! the class shouted. Once again he said, Good.

Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then helooked at the class and asked, What is the point of this illustration?One eager beaver raised his hand and said, The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you tryreally hard you can always fit some more things in it! No, the speaker replied, thats not the point.

The truth this illustration teaches us is that if you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them inat all. What are the 'big rocks' in your life? Your children, your loved ones, your education, your dreams, aworthy cause, teaching others, doing things that you love, your health; your mate. Remember to putthese BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all. If you sweat about the little stuff then you'll fillyour life with little things and you'll never have the real quality time you need to spend on the big,important things.So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question:What are the 'big rocks' in my life? Then, put those in your jar first.

Source: Big Dog Little Dog http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadtime.html

Blendingworkandlifeisreallyaboutmakingsurethatyouputthebigrocksintoyourlifeandschedule

first. Itisprobablymostrealistictoevaluateyourworklifebalancefromalongertermperspective. Some

weekswilldemandmoreofyourtimeandlongerhours.Thisdoesnotnecessarilyindicateanabsenceof

worklifebalanceifyoulookatsay,atwomonthperiodandcanseetimeswhenyouhavebeenabletofit

thebigrocksin,evenifperhapsitisnotasfrequentlyasyouwouldlike.

Activity -Your big rocks

Whatarethebigrocksinyourlife?

Whatarethegrainsofsandandpebblesthatcanrobyouofthetimeyouwantandneedto

spendonthebigrocks?

http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadtime.htmlhttp://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadtime.htmlhttp://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadtime.html


25/51

Good Practice

Whatcanhelpleadtoworklifebalance?Probablyitisnosurprisetofindthatmanystrategiesrelateto

goodmanagementpractices,manyofthemthepersonalskillscoveredinthissection.

Prioritise.Be

sure

that

you

are

spending

your

time

on

the

tasks

that

are

progressing

your

key

resultareas;

Manageinterruptionssotheydontrobyouoftimetoworkonhighprioritytask,whichmay

increaseyourworkinghours;

Delegate.Checkthatyouaredelegatingallthatyoucan;

Beassertiveandproactive.Ifyoubelievethattasksorprojectsgiventoyouarenotinyourscope

ofresponsibility,raiseitwithyourmanagerinaprofessionalmannerwithsoundrationalebased

onyourpriorities;

Fixacertainpartofyourscheduleforbigrocks.Itmaybeahobby,class,orfixedtimeformeeting

withfriendsorrelatives;

Ifyoudotakeworkhome,particularlyontheweekends,besuretoquarantinethetimedevotedto

work.

Set

aside

a

certain

time

(e.g.

Sunday

afternoon

etc)

and

try

to

stick

to

that.

Otherwise,

you

mayfindthatthewholeweekend(orevening)isanendlessstreamofstopandstartworkandyou

dontfeellikeyouhaveabreak.

Common De-Railers

Doingitallyourselfandnotdelegating;

Notbeingproactiveinseekingsolutions;

Allowinginterruptionstointrudeonyourschedule;

Notviewingyourpersonalbigrocks(e.g.yourneeds)asenoughofapriority;allowingthemtobe

crowdedoutbyotherdemands.

Activity - Getting m ore of your big rock s

Whatbigrocksarecurrentlybeingcrowdedoutofyourlife?

Thinkingofyourresponsetothepreviousactivityandthearticleandinformationinthistopic,

makealistofactionsyoucantaketoachievegreaterworklifebalance.

Whatbarriersdoyouanticipate?

Whatwillyoudotoovercomethosebarriers?

Howandhowoftenwillyoureviewyourprogresstowardworklifebalance?



26/51

Taking it further

Thefollowingwebsiteshavefurtherinformationonworklifebalance:

http://www.worklifebalance.com.au

www.worklifebalancecentre.org/

http://www.docep.wa.gov.au/LabourRelations/Content/Work%20Life%20Balance//

Fastcompany.Comisanonlinemagazinethathasanumberofarticleswww.fastcompany.com(searchon

worklifebalance)

http://www.worklifebalance.com.au/http://www.worklifebalance.com.au/http://www.worklifebalancecentre.org/http://www.worklifebalancecentre.org/http://www.docep.wa.gov.au/LabourRelations/Content/Work%20Life%20Balance/http://www.fastcompany.com/http://www.fastcompany.com/http://www.docep.wa.gov.au/LabourRelations/Content/Work%20Life%20Balance/http://www.worklifebalancecentre.org/http://www.worklifebalance.com.au/


27/51


SECTION 3 MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS

TOPIC 3.1 Managerial Courage

FY IItislikelythatoneormoreofthefollowingsituationsapplytoyouandyourroleasasupervisor

Iwasateammemberandnowamthesupervisorindefinitely;

Iwasateammemberandamactinginthesupervisorroleforanundeterminedamountoftime

andwilleventuallygobacktotheteam;

Iwasnotateammemberbeforebecomingthepermanentortemporaryactingsupervisorofthis

team.

Each of these scenarios presents challenges. Challenges that require you as the supervisor to exercise

leadership that will move the team forward. Sometimes this outcome will take courage to move in a

directionthatnoteveryonesupportsorisenthusiasticabout.

Building Personal Power with Staff

InTopic2.2.1BuildingYourPersonalPower,wediscussed the importanceof increasingyourpersonal

power to increase your influence in the organisation. Many of those principles apply to influencing

membersofyourteam.

Oneof themosteffectiveways to influencea team is tomodelsoundmanagementpracticeswhichare

listed inGoodPractice. The courage comes in terms of persevering and not taking attacks personally.

Regardless of your situation, (e.g. permanent Supervisor, returning to the team after a short tenure as

Supervisor or Supervisor in a team of people who are your friends) if you apply consistent, fair,

managementpractices,youwillfindyourselfearningtherespectofyourteam.

Managing theexpectationsofothers ischallenging.And theremaybesomewhoconsideryoua friend

and expect favours only to find themselves disappointed when you prove tobe a manager who is

equitableandnotonetoplayfavourites.Thesepeoplemaychallengeyouandattempttocauseproblems,

but keep in mind that yourbest action is to keep persevering, applying thebehaviours, actions and

decisionsthatyouknowareconsistentwithsoundmanagementpractice.

In the Real World

When 25 year old Jeff moved into a supervisory position after 2 years in the University, one of the team members hehad to manage was Beryl, a 59 year old woman who felt that she should have been appointed supervisor because shehad been in the University for 30 years. She worked to undermine Jeff and was very disrespectful to Jeff in teammeetings. From the beginning, Jeff did not let Beryls attempts to undermine him get to him. In staff meetings, herespectfully responded to Beryls questions (some were an attempt to trap Jeff). Other team members approached Jeffand tried to get him to engage in criticising Beryl, but he did not. When Beryl raised a petty issue or tried to hijack themeeting with something irrelevant, Jeff politely would say Beryl, I heard you say that we are really stuffed as ateam, how does that relate to our discussion about the phone roster? Jeff did not always feel confident and often didget angry at Beryls petty attempts to undermine him, but his behaviour was always very professional with a focus onthe task at hand; making sure to acknowledge positive actions on the part of Beryl and other team members. In timeBeryl started to give up her attempts to undermine Jeff because she saw that they were futile. They were futile,

because Jeff did not give away his personal power to Beryl.


28/51


Your management of an attack, more than the substance of the accusation, determines your fate.Leadership on the Line, p 195.

Whenyouareattacked(andwedefineattackhereasanyattempttoundermineyouovertlyorsubtly)itis

importanttokeepinmindthattheattackistargetingyourrole,notyoupersonally.Generally,attacksare

on the rolesandperspectives thatyourepresent.Separateyourself from therole.Remember,rolesend, if

yougetcaughtupinyourroleanddefineyourselfasyourrole,whatwillyoudowhenitends?Inthecase

study,BerylwasnotattackingJeffpersonally,butattackingwhatJeffrepresentedinhisrole.IfJefftook

Berylsattackspersonally,heprobablywouldhavereacteddefensivelywhichmostlikelywouldhaveled

tobehavioursthatwouldhaveunderminedhisreputationasaprofessional.

Courage requires that you:

Nottakeattacksorstubbornlackofcooperationpersonally;

Keepmovingforwardwithsoundpeoplemanagementpractices;

Treatandinteractwiththeattackersinafairmannerwithoutallowinganger,frustrationorother

emotionstobepartofthecommunication;

Recognisebehaviouroractions that cross the lineandneed tobeaddressedasaperformance

situationandtakeappropriateaction;

Keepthefocusontheissueathandandbringtheconversationbacktoit.

It is important to distinguish between attacks and legitimate challenges to a direction, decision or actionthat you are taking. It is important that your team believes they can challenge ideas and engage inhealthy debate without consequences.

Good Practice

Minimiseyour

concern

about

avoiding

attacks

or

what

appears

to

be

rejection.

People

are

respondingtowhatyourrolerepresentstothem;

Stayfocussedontheissues,projects,goalsandtasks;

Beclearwithpeopleaboutwhatisexpectedofthem;

Provideregularfeedbackcatchthemdoingright;

Consultwithpeopleondecisionsandinitiatives,wherepossible;

Keeppeopleinthecommunicationloop;

Demonstrate that you are a fair manager and seek to understand how you can give people

opportunitiestoextendthemselves.

Common De-Railers

ThislistcouldbecalledHowNotToWinFriendsandInfluencePeople

Personalappeal drawontheirloyaltyorfriendship;

Ingratiation flatterthem,paythemcompliments,butterthemup;

Exchange dosomethingfortheminreturn,bribethem;

Pressure gettough,demandaction,usethreats,coercethem;

Legitimacy claimmyrights,usemyauthority,citetherules;

Coalitions ganguponthem,getmypalsonside,getpolitical;

Packaging getliberalwiththetruth,exaggeratetheupside;

Sulk pretendtobehurtoroffendeduntilIgetsympathy;

Withdrawfavours ignorethem,cutthemoff,untiltheycrack,andSource: Leaders Direct: http://www.leadersdirect.com/influ.html

Reactdefensively getangryanddefendyouractions.
http://www.leadersdirect.com/influ.htmlhttp://www.leadersdirect.com/influ.htmlhttp://www.leadersdirect.com/influ.html


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Activity - You and Managerial Courage

Whatsituationsrequireyoutoexercisemanagerialcourage(listasmanyasyoucanrecall)

Which ones do youbelieve you have successfully integrated into your routine management

behaviour?

Whichonesdoyouneedtodevelopbetterstrategiesfordealingwith?

Select the threemostpressingsituationsand thinkaboutstrategies thatyouwilluse tobetter

applymanagerialcourage.Developaplanforreviewingyourprogress.

Conversation StartersWhoinyournetworkisapplyingmanagerialcourage?

Start a conversation with them about their management style, how they have overcome the

problemsoffacingadversereactionsandkeptcourageinthefaceofbeingchallengedpersonally.


Discussyourstrategiesforfurtherdevelopingmanagerialcouragewithyourmanagerandaskfor

feedback.

Taking it further

Heifetz,RandLinsky,M2002,Leadershipon theLine:StayingAlive through theDangersofLeading,

HarvardBusinessSchoolPress,Boston.

Hill,L.A2003,BecomingaManager:HowNewManagersMastertheChallengesofLeadership,

HarvardBusinessSchoolPress,Boston.

For development opportunities at UniSA, check out the following w ebsite.

http://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/

http://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/http://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/http://www.unisa.edu.au/staffdev/


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TOPIC 3.2 Giving and Receiving Feedback

FY I

Principles of communicationUsercentredcommunicationgoesbeyondjustbeingclear.Itincludes:

Empowerment

Communicatingsootherscanmakeinformedandindependentdecisions

Respect

Youacknowledgethateachtimeyoucommunicateyouareusingaportionofsomeonesday

Usefulness

Youorganiseandsharewhatyouknowsootherscanquicklyandeasilyputittouse.

Givingandreceivingfeedback

Asignificantamountofcommunication isgivingandreceiving feedback. It is important togive

positivefeedbackaswellasfeedbackaboutaperformanceissueorabehaviour,patternorprocess

thatisneedingtochange.

Therearetwomaintypesoffeedback:positiveanddevelopmental.

PositiveFeedbackappliestosituationswherethepersonhasperformedwell. Itconsistsofsimplepraise,

butismorepowerfulifithighlightswhyorhowthejobwasdonewell. Themorespecificthefeedback,

themorethe individual learnabout theirbehaviourand theirabilitytomeetexpectations.Manypeople

saythat

they

never

are

told

when

they

do

something

well.

The

power

of

genuine,

detailed

positive

feedback

cannotbeunderestimated.

DevelopmentalFeedback highlights how a person hasbehaved / performed and how they mightdo

better next time. When describing the persons action it is important to focus on specific observable

facts.Source: OCPE Performance Management Supermarket

Activity - Your experience with feedback

Whatexperienceshaveyouhadofamanagergivingyoufeedback?

Whatbehavioursandactionscanyouincorporateintoyourstylefromthepositiveexperiences?

Whathaveyoulearnedtoavoidfromthenegativeexperiences?



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DISC model w ith positive feedback

Positivefeedbackisveryimportant.Itmustbespecific,timelyandgiventothepersoninthewaytheyare

most likely tobestreceive it.Somepeople likepublicrecognition,others likeprivate recognition,some

find it hard to receive verbal positive feedback, but find written positive feedback an encouraging

motivator.Askyourstaffhowtheyliketoreceivepositivefeedback. Focusonwhatisgoingwell.

Describe the situationWhen you offer to help Sally when she struggles with budgets.

Indicate the impactIve noticed that the whole team seems to be inspired.

Steps of actionId like to explore ways to help others take similar initiatives.

Consequences (positive)-describe themI think this would greatly improve team harmony.

Rew ard and Recognition

Thereareanumberofwaystorewardandrecognisepeople.Inmanycases,moneyandsalaryincreases

arenottherewardsthatpeoplearemostlookingfor.Askstaffhowtheywouldliketoberecognisedand

rewarded.

Reward and recognition mustbe genuine and it canbe very effective. Some ways of rewarding and

recognisingare:

Asimplethankyou

Specificinformationaboutcompetenceorsuccessinatask

Positivefeedbackaboutadifficultsituationhandledwell Recognitioninateammeeting

Opportunities to work on more challenging projects or be on committees which provide

opportunitiestonetworkwithpeopleatahigherlevel

Opportunitiestoactupinahigherrolewhensomeoneisonleave.

Activity - Rew ard and Recognition

Whatrewardsandrecognitionhavebeeneffectiveforyou?

Whatothermethodsofrewardandrecognitioncanyouidentifyforyourteam?

The Difficult Conversations

Someof themostchallenging feedbacktogivesomeone isfeedbackregardingsomethingthathas tobe

done differently but it is also a challenge for many people to give others positive feedback. The

suggestionsbelow relate to giving developmental feedback,but are also relevant for feedback in any

situationwhereyouhavetoconfrontsomeoneaboutanissue.



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Starting the ConversationUsing the DISC approach can be helpful

Describe the situationWhen you arrive two hours late for work.

Indicate the impact and find out if th ere is a problem.Ive noticed that you have not been able to complete all your job assignments. Can you tell mewhat is happening there? Do you need any support?

Solution-propose a solutionIf there are days when you think youll be late, Id prefer that you planned your work schedulein advance and if necessary stay back at work to finish

Consequences-describe themIf you dont you wont be meeting your work objectives that we agreed on 3 months ago.

Theword consequencemightsoundharsh,but itreallydependsuponhowyourpresent it; thewordsyouuse,thetoneyouuseandthebodylanguageyoudisplay.Itisimportantthatpeopleunderstandthe

results of their actions. It may be a bit uncomfortable to address the situation and open up the

conversation,butchancesare,youwillfurtherearntherespectoftherestofyourteam.Thisoftenrequires

managerialcourage.Manyproblemsoccurbecausepeopledonotaddress issuesand theyareallowed to

festeruntiltheybecomeserious.

Keeping the Conversation Going

Attimesitishelpfultoaskquestionsratherthanmakestatements.Openendedquestionsarethebest

Canyou

give

me

an

idea.

Tellmeabout..

Howdoesitfeel..

Canyoupleasedescribe..

Whatwouldyoudo

Howdoyouthink..


Whatwouldhappenif..

Openquestionshelpthereceivertonotbedefensive.Theyusuallyinvitegreaterinteractionand

invitemoreexploratorycommentsthandirectconfrontation.

Activity Open Question s

Whataresomewaysthatyoucouldusetheopenquestionstoaddresstheexampleusedforthe

DISCmodel?

When the conversations get stuck

Oneofthemostchallengingpartsofdifficultconversationsiswhentheygetstuck.Theyusuallygetstuck

whenthe

person

receiving

the

feedback

makes

astrong

statement

that

is

hard

to

move

beyond.

On

the

nextpageare some suggestionsofwaysofmovingbeyond thebarriers thatpeopleputup indifficult

conversations.


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RETHINKING QUESTIONS CHALLENGING NEGATIVE BELIEFS REFRAMIN G TO CRE

NEGATIVE

Its too expensive

Weve tried that already

I dont want to, cant etc

RETHINKING

How can we achieve thesame outcome withinbudget?

What would we need todo to make it work thistime?

What would we have todo, or what would haveto happen to .

RETHINKING

How can we achieve thesame outcome withinbudget?

What would we need to doto make it work this time?

What would we have to do,or what would have tohappen to .

REFRAMIN G BELIEFS DOUBLE OR TRIPL

Im too old to change What have you learned inthe past that will help memeet this challenge?

You bring a huge amount ofskill and experience to thesituation.

If a person is putting upbarriers, ask questions thatpresent limited choices

F

The Art of Supervision The University of South Australia


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Activity - Practice Open Ended Questions

Inthenext23weekspracticeonafriend,trustedcolleagueorpartner

Openendedquestions

Atleastoneofthewhenconversationsgetstucktechniques

THEN

Applyittoasituationthatyouneedtoaddressinyourteam

Youmayfinditusefultodocumentyourprogressingivingandreceivingfeedbacksoyoucan

trackgrowthandrecordwhichstrategiesworkbestforyou.

Good Practice

Beopentoandmodelreceivingfeedback; Alwaysgivedevelopmentalfeedbackinprivateandwithoutinterruptions;

Avoid giving developmental feedback at every possible opportunity select issues that are

directlyrelatedtoperformanceandareimportant;

Be specific about the behaviour or action that was inappropriate and explain why it is

inappropriate;

Focusonthefuturedeterminestrategiesforimprovedperformanceandgainagreementonhow

tohandlethesituationifitwastooccuragain;

Developateamthatisopentoandacceptsconstructivefeedback;

Feedbackshouldbetimely;

Givepositivefeedbackandrecogniseachievementsinwaysthepersonvalues;

Askopenendedquestions; Whenconversationsgetstuck,reframethebeliefs.

Common De-Railers

Waitingtoolongtogivefeedback;

Focusingonpersonalityratherthanthefactsandtheissue;

Nothavingthefactsright;

Approachingitwithanaccusingmindset;

Notbeingspecificenough;

Notofferingsolutionsorwaystochangeskillsorbehaviourtoimprove;

andNOT

HAVING

THE

CONVERSATION

AT

ALL!

Receiving Feedback

Whenmostmanagersthinkoffeedback,theyimaginethattheyarethepersonofferingittoothers. The

reality,however, is thatyouwillalso receive feedback fromyourmanagerand, ifyouhaveapositive

workingrelationshipwithothers,yourcolleaguesandstaff.

Whenreceivingpositivefeedback:

Allowthepersongivingthefeedbacktotalkandlistenattentivelywhiletheydoso;

Askforspecificdetails,makesureyouunderstandthebehaviouraboutwhichyouarereceiving

information;

Ifthefeedbackrelatestopersonalitycharacteristicsorotherpersonalattributes,askthepersonto

describethebehaviourthatwasappropriate.



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Whenreceivingfeedbackaboutsomethingthatisnotworkingforsomeone:

Allowthepersongivingthefeedbacktotalkandlistenattentivelywhiletheydoso;

Askforspecificdetails,makesureyouunderstandthebehaviouraboutwhichyouarereceiving

information;

Ifthe

feedback

relates

to

apersonality

characteristic,

ask

the

person

to

describe

the

behaviour

that

theywouldlikeyoutochange;

If the feedback does not appear constructive, say so, and ask the person to provide some

constructivecommentsthatwouldhelpyoutomakesomechanges.

Sometimes,peoplemaynotbeforthcomingwithfeedbacksoyouwillneedtoseekitout. Whenseeking

feedback:

Selectsomeoneyoutrustandtherightpersonforthetopice.g.Ifyouwouldlikefeedbackonyou

managerialskillsitwouldbeagoodideatogetfeedbackfromsomeoneyoumanage;

Givetheotherpersontimetopreparefortheirdiscussionwithyou;

Be

open

to

the

feedback,

ask

for

specific

examples

and

respond

after

you

have

reflected

on

the

issuesraised. Respondingdefensivelywillnotestablishanenvironmentwheretheotherperson

willfeelcomfortablegivingyoufeedback;

Whereappropriate,followthroughontheadviceandsuggestionsgiventoyou.

Activity - Receivi ng feedback

Whatareyourstrengthsinreceivingfeedback?

Whatareasdoyouneedtoimprove?(isit fromacertainperson?certaintypeoffeedback?)

Whatcanyoudotobetterreceivethefeedback?

Notethetimesyoureceivefeedbackandhowyouhandledit.Usethesenotestodevelop

yourabilitytobetterreceivefeedback.

Taking it further


Grant,A2003,SolutionFocusedCoaching,PearsonEducation,Sydney.

Cole,388396

Carlopio,J, 425426


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TOPIC 3.3 Your Relationship with your Manager

InSection2.3.1BuildingYourPersonalPowerwediscussedbuildingyourpersonalpowerandincluded

somespecificactionsyoucantaketoeffectivelymanageyourrelationshipwithyourmanager.Thisissuch

an importantaspectofyour roleasasupervisor, thatwehavealso included thisYourRelationshipwith

YourManagertopicintheManagingRelationshipsSection. TheFYIofthissectionincludestwoarticlesthatmaybeusefultoyouintermsofmanagingyourrelationshipwithyourmanager.

REMINDER: Some of the terminology in these articles does not reflect the Universitys approach to genderinclusive language.

Managing Up: An Overlooked Factor in Career Success

by Joanne Murray @ Management.Monster.com/articles/managingup/

Oneof themostcommonobstaclespeopleface in theircareers isabadrelationshipwith theirmanager.Difficult

relationships with supervisors lead to missed advancement opportunities, forced resignations and damaged

professional reputations.Many otherwisesolidmanagers,adeptatmotivatingandanticipating theneeds of their

staff,overlooktheimportanceofbuildingstrongupwardrelationshipswiththeirownmanagers.

The relationship with your manager is key to success in your current position and advancement in your

organisation. Why? Not for the reasons often associated with getting along with your manager political

manoeuvringorapplepolishing.Tothecontrary,youandyourmanagershareacriticalinterdependencethatmakes

thedevelopmentofastrongandtrustingrelationshipessentialforeachofyou.

WorkonRelationships

Managingupmeansfocusingontherelationshipwithyourmanagertoobtainthebestresultsforyou,yourmanager

andyourorganization.Activelymanagingyourrelationshipmaximizesbothyourabilityandyourmanagersability

tocontributetotheorganization,andithelpsyouweathertheinevitableconflictsthatwilloccuroccasionally.Your

supervisorhas critical informationandanorganizationalperspective thatyouneed inorder tomost competently

performyourjobwhilestayinginlinewithyourcompanysgrowthanddirection.Hecansharedevelopmentsthat

occurathigherlevelsinyourcompanyandcanupdateyouonemergingpriorities.Yourmanagercanconnectyou

withotherareasintheorganization,ensuringthatyourdepartmentstaysatthecoreofthecompanysgrowth vital

intodayscorporateclimate.And,ofcourse,yourmanagercanserveasyouradvocatewhenyouneedresourcesand

cooperationfromotherdepartmentsordivisions.

Equally important,yourmanagerneedsyou inorder toaccomplishhisjobeffectively.Yoursupervisorneedsyoursupportandinsighttoadvancehisprioritiesandagenda.Heneedstobekeptinformedandadvisedofconcernsyou

seefromyourperspective in the organization.Too often, individualshigher inorganizationsmissouton critical

informationaboutproblemsotherscanmoreeasilyidentify,hinderingtheireffectivenessandabilitiestoadvancetheir

broaderagendas.

Twokeyfactors influenceyourabilitytobuildthiscriticalrelationship:Understandingyourmanagersgoalsand

priorities,andunderstandingyourmanagersworkstyle.Knowledgeofeachwillhelpyoutakethestepstorebuild

yourcurrentrelationshiporbuildasolidfoundationwithanewmanager.

UnderstandYourManagersNeeds

Considerthe

key

priorities

and

projects

your

manager

needs

to

accomplish.

Take

the

time

to

anticipate

and

appreciate

thepressuresofbalancingmultipleprioritiesandconflictingneeds.Reflectthisperspectiveinyourapproachtoyour

work.Howdoyourprojectsfitwithinthislargercontext?Wouldaccomplishingyourgoalsadvanceyourmanagers

prioritiesor inadvertentlyconflictwithanotherteamthatreportstohim?Tieyourwork tothe largergoalsofthe
http://management.monster.com/experts/murray/http://management.monster.com/experts/murray/


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division.Valueyourmanagerstime.Planyourmeetingscarefully,gaugingyourprojects levelofprioritywithin

thedivision.

UnderstandYourManagersWorkStyle

Isyourmanagerformalor informal?Doeshe like tobebriefed inwritingbeforemeetingsorprefer tobrainstorm

issueswith

you?

Is

your

supervisor

ahands

on

manager

who

likes

to

be

consulted

about

issues

as

they

arise,

or

will

regularand informalupdatesmakeyourmanager thinkyouarent taking the lead inperformingyourmanagerial

role?Whileyoumightthinkyourmanagerwouldbepleasedthatyoukeephimintheloop,hisworkstylemayvalue

amanagerwhoactsmoreautonomously.Payattention to thedifferences inyourworkstyleandyourmanagers

style.Wherepossible,makeadjustmentstobeconsistentinstyle,eliminatingunnecessaryannoyancesthatcanbuild

intorealmiscommunications.

Evidence suggests that themost effective individuals in organizationsunderstandmanagement isnotunilateral.

Buildingasolidnetworkofcollegialrelationshipsiscritical,asisaninformedandmotivatedstaffandrecognitionof

theinterdependencebetweenyouandyoursupervisor.Thisrecognitionensuresyoustayinclosealignmentwiththe

visionanddirectionofyourorganization,andgivesyouthetoolsandopportunitytoadvance.

Activity - Do you know your managers style?

Answerthefollowingquestionsaboutyourmanager.Ifyoudontknowtheanswertosome

of the questions, find them. Check your style in relating to your manager with his/her

preferred style. Do you need to make any changes? If so, make note of them and start

makingthem.

Isyourmanagerformalorinformal?

Does s/he like tobebriefed in writingbefore meetings or prefer tobrainstorm

issueswithyou? Isyoursupervisorahandsonmanagerwholikestobeconsultedaboutissuesas

they arise, or will regular and informal updates make your manager think you

arenttakingtheleadinperformingyourmanagerialrole?

Doesyourmanagerpreferemail,facetoface,phoneormemocontact?

Managing Your Manager byKatherineSpencerLee@http://www.careerbuilder.com

Wedallliketohavetheperfectmanager:theonewhoischeerful,professional,experiencedandfair.Butmanagers,

likeeveryoneelse,arentperfect.Perhapsyoursupervisor isagreatcommunicatorbutapoordelegator,ormaybe

your departments visionary leaderfalls shortwhen it comes to attention to detail. Learningwhatmakesyour

manager tick not tomention what ticks him off can helpyou better communicate and improveyour odds of

developingagreatworkingrelationship.Herearesomesuggestions.

TheManagerasClient.Youveprobablyhadavarietyofmanagersinyourworklife.Somegaveyougoodfeedback

andalwayswenttobatforyou.Othersmadelifedifficult;theyweretoocontrollingordisorganized.Nomatterwhat

yourmanagerislike,recognizethatyoucaneitherworkwithhimoragainsthim.Anditsaloteasiertoworkwith

him.Youprobably alreadygo out ofyourway to accommodate clients or customers. Sowhy not think ofyour

managerasyourclientHeorshehasexpectations,andthoseexpectationsshoulddefinewhatyoudeliver.Keep in

mindthatyourrelationshipwithyourmanagerisyourmostimportantoneatwork;itaffectsyourjobsatisfaction

andadvancementopportunities.

http://www.careerbuilder.com/http://www.careerbuilder.com/http://www.careerbuilder.com/


38/51


Begintherelationshipontherightfoot.Haveameetingwithyourmanagerwhereyoudiscusssuchfundamental

issuesasjobresponsibilities,performanceexpectationsandobjectives,yourcompanyandmanagersguidingvalues,

andpreferredworkprocessesorbestpractices.

Haveregularmeetings.Thismeansnotonlythoseweeklyprogressreportsonprojects,butalsoaquarterlyorsemi

annualmeeting

where

you

and

your

manager

revisit

those

big

issues.

(You

may

need

to

take

the

initiative

and

request thesemeetings.)Business eventsfrom reorganizations tonewproduct launches can shiftpriorities.Make

sureyourprioritiesarestillthesameasyourmanagers.

Trytounderstandyourmanager.Byobservingandaskingquestions,youcanlearnalotaboutyourmanagers

world.Trytonotesuchthingsasscopeofresponsibility,numberofdirectreports,industrybackground,andhistory

withthecompany.Evenmoretellingmightbeyourmanagerscareergoals,relationshipwithhismanagerandany

outsidepressures.Placingyourselfinhisshoescanprovideinsightintothedemandshemayalsobeunderandhelp

yougainperspectivewith regard toyour ownprojects. Perhaps he or she is experiencing stressfrom his own

managerandthereforemayseemtohavelesstimeforyou.Inthiscase,offeringyourassistancecancomeaswelcome

newstoyourmanagerandallowyoutotakeonincreasedresponsibility.

Communicateeffectively.Figureoutthebestwaytocommunicatewithyourmanagersomemanagerspreferface

toface contact throughout the day and othersprefer email or voicemailupdates or questions.Also, ask ifyour

supervisorprefersaquickoverviewwithbulletpointsoradetailedreport.

Tellyourmanagerwhatyouneed.Onceyouvefound the bestway to communicatewithyourmanager, be

proactiveintellinghimwhatresourcesyouneedtogetyourjobdone(donthopeyourmanagerwillguess).Maybe

youneedadditionalcomputertrainingtocreateapresentation,forinstance.Letyoursupervisorknowwhyyouneed

itandhowitwillhelpyoudoyourjobmoreeffectively.

Dealing

art of supervision guide

Documents