Free Basic Guide to Leadership and Supervision
Written by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD | Applies to nonprofits and for-profits unless noted otherwise
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(Some of the following information is adapted from the guidebook, Nuts-and-Bolts Guide to Leadership and Supervision.)
This guide is basic, yet comprehensive, in nature to be useful to new managers and supervisors. Note that many organizations struggle, not from lack of advanced information -- rather, they never really master the basics. This guide will help you master the basics.
Each topic includes references to Web addresses that provide additional, advanced, free information. These Web addresses are spelled out in the text of the guide. Therefore, the reader might best benefit from this guide by printing it out for continued reference.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction to Management and Supervision
What is "Management"? What do Managers Do?
What is "Supervision"? What Do Supervisors Do?
Chapter 2. Core Skills in Management and Supervision
2.a.Problem Solving and Decision Making
2.b.Planning
2.c.Delegation
2.d.Basics of Internal Communications
2.e.Meeting Management
2.f.Managing Yourself
Chapter 3.a. Designing the Organization and Staff
Designing the Organization and Staff
Chapter 3.b. Staffing
3.b.1.Defining a New Job Role
3.b.2.Hiring (Advertising, Screening and Selecting)
3.b.3.Building Teams
Chapter 3.c. Employee Training
3.c.1.Orienting New Employees
3.c.2.Job Training
Chapter 3.d. Employee Performance Management
3.d.1.Setting Goals
3.d.2.Supporting Employee Motivation
3.d.3.Observing and Giving Feedback
3.d.4.Conducting Performance Appraisals/Reviews
3.d.5.Addressing Performance Problems
3.d.6.Firing Employees
Chapter 3.e. Personnel Policies
3.e.1.Developing Personnel Policies
3.e.2.Developing an Employee Manual
3.e.3.Sample List of Personnel Policies
Chapter 4. General Resources
Additional Resources
Free, Complete, On-line Training Programs That Include This Topic!
For For-profit Organizations:
This topic is also included in the Free Micro-eMBA learning module, Staffing and Supervising of Employees. This complete, "nuts and bolts", free training program is geared to leaders, managers and consultants who work with for-profit organizations.
For Nonprofit Organizations:
This topic is also included in the Free Nonprofit Micro-eMBA learning module, Staffing and Supervising of Employees and Volunteers. This complete, "nuts and bolts", free training program is geared to leaders, managers, consultants and volunteers who serve nonprofit organizations.
Tell Friends! Local Professional Organizations! Spread the Word!
Tell friends and professional organizations about these free programs! Advertise them in your newsletters and web sites so that others can save training dollars, too!
CHAPTER - 1
**INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION**
What is "Management"? What Do Managers Do?
What is "Management"?
Traditional Interpretation
There are a variety of views about this term. Traditionally, the term "management" refers to the set of activities, and often the group of people, involved in four general functions, including planning, organizing, leading and coordinating activities. (Note that the four functions recur throughout the organization and are highly integrated.)
Another Interpretation
Some writers, teachers and practitioners assert that the above view is rather outmoded and that management needs to focus more on leadership skills, e.g., establishing vision and goals, communicating the vision and goals, and guiding others to accomplish them. They also assert that leadership must be more facilitative, participative and empowering in how visions and goals are established and carried out. Some people assert that this really isn't a change in the management functions, rather it's re-emphasizing certain aspects of management.
What Do Managers Do?
Both of the above interpretations acknowledge the major functions of planning, organizing, leading and coordinating activities -- they put different emphasis and suggest different natures of activities in the following four major functions. They still agree that what managers do is the following:
1) Planning,
including identifying goals, objectives, methods, resources needed to carry out methods, responsibilities and dates for completion of tasks. Examples of planning are strategic planning, business planning, project planning, staffing planning, advertising and promotions planning, etc.
2) Organizing resources
to achieve the goals in an optimum fashion. Examples are organizing new departments, human resources, office and file systems, re-organizing businesses, etc.
3) Leading,
including to set direction for the organization, groups and individuals and also influence people to follow that direction. Examples are establishing strategic direction (vision, values, mission and / or goals) and championing methods of organizational performance management to pursue that direction.
4) Controlling, or coordinating,
the organization's systems, processes and structures to reach effectively and efficiently reach goals and objectives. This includes ongoing collection of feedback, and monitoring and adjustment of systems, processes and structures accordingly. Examples include use of financial controls, policies and procedures, performance management processes, measures to avoid risks etc.
Another common view is that "management" is getting things done through others. Yet another view, quite apart from the traditional view, asserts that the job of management is to support employee's efforts to be fully productive members of the organizations and citizens of the community.
To most employees, the term "management" probably means the group of people (executives and other managers) who are primarily responsible for making decisions in the organization. In a nonprofit, the term "management" might refer to all or any of the activities of the board, executive director and/or program directors.
What is "Supervision"? What Do Supervisors Do?
What is "Supervision"?
There are several interpretations of the term "supervision", but typically supervision is the activity carried out by supervisors to oversee the productivity and progress of employees who report directly to the supervisors. For example, first-level supervisors supervise entry-level employees. Depending on the size of the organization, middle-managers supervise first-level supervisors, chief executives supervise middle-managers, etc. Supervision is a management activity and supervisors have a management role in the organization.
What Do Supervisors Do?
Supervision of a group of employees often includes
1. Conducting basic management skills (decision making, problem solving, planning, delegation and meeting management)
2. Organizing their department and teams
3. Noticing the need for and designing new job roles in the group
4. Hiring new employees
5. Training new employees
6. Employee performance management (setting goals, observing and giving feedback, addressing performance issues, firing employees, etc.)
7. Conforming to personnel policies and other internal regulations
To be continued……
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