How to Train Employees to Be

Supervisors
NSAA/NASC Joint Middle Management
Conference April 16-18, 2007
Presentation by
Robert Black
Dean, Government Audit Training Institute
Graduate School, USDA
TEST
Which role is the most challenging?

Manager?
Supervisor?
Employee?
Questions to Consider in Training
Employees to be Supervisors
1. Does every employee want to be a
supervisor (want to move up)?
2. Can every employee be an effective
supervisor?
3. How do you know when an employee is
ready to be a supervisor?
4. Should an employee be trained first, then
moved up, or moved up then trained?
This Discussion Will Cover:

The various responsibilities of a supervisor
3 steps to developing a supervisor
The adjustments required for moving from
staff to a supervisory role
Power, personal styles, performance
Gen Xers, the New Millennials retention
and motivation
Definition of a Supervisor


One who supervises others by assigning
and monitoring tasks.
Think about it


Responsibility cannot be
delegated.

Individual Exercise

Write down as many duties, functions,
responsibilities that you can think of that
should be performed by a supervisor.

Take one minute to make a list
You may be asked to share it with the group

Multi-dimensional Role of a
Supervisor
Assign tasks
Monitor work
Provide OJT
Coach
Discipline
Counsel
Influence
Control quality


Assess performance
Ensure EEO
compliance
Enforce policy and
rules
Administer leave
Communicate rules,
policies, objectives
Run meetings
Food for Thought
A manager [supervisor (added)] has got to
remember that he is on stage every day.
His people are watching him. Everything
he does, says, the way he says it, sends
off clues to his employees. These clues
affect performance.
(Manager quoted in First Break All the Rules:
What the Worlds Greatest Managers Do
Differently, Simon & Schuster, 1999)
Performance

What are the key components of a persons
performance?

Performance = Ability + Support + Motivation
How to Approach Developing a
Supervisor

I. Ensure employee learns the basic
technical aspects of the job
II. Set expectations - plan together by
writing down steps leading to a
supervisory role/teach HR role
III. Follow through and always model the
expected behavior
Step I. Learning the Job Basics
Assume this is an auditor position; the
auditor must be able to (among other
things):

Research
Interview
Prepare working papers
Understand auditing standards





Preparing Staff for a Supervisory
Role
There are two main roles for which staff
must be trained:

1. Technical
2. Human relations
Segments of Development

Formal training
On-the-Job training
Job experiences
Individual development plan (IDP)
Technical Role of the Supervisor
Define audit objectives and scope
Determine methodology
Develop audit guidelines
Segment work into tasks
Delegate and assign tasks to staff
Monitor audit progress
Review evidence and working papers
Review report products
Step II. Set Expectations and
Teach HR Role

This step involves a combination of
discussions, demonstrations, instruction,
modeling
Timing as to when to start and when to
carry out these functions is dependent on
circumstances and judgment
Human Relations Role of
Supervisors
Set expectations
Provide OJT and feedback
Monitor staff performance
Appraise staff performance
Identify developmental needs
Manage conflict
Discipline
Creating a Climate for Productivity

Communicating

Motivating

Optimizing diversity

Required Adjustments from Staff to
Supervisor
In order for a staff person to become a
supervisor, that person must make
adjustments in 3 areas:

1. Role
2. Attitude
3. Skills

Examples of Adjustments
1. ROLE
Old ROLE to new:

Direct control over
results to indirect ctl.
Work with peers to
supervise former
peers
Follow policies to
interpret policies

Required adjustments:

Accept less direct
control
Maintain role of
leader

Represent the
organization
Adjustments to 2. ATTITUDES
Old ATTITUDES to new

Desire to/willingness to:
Be well liked/praise or
criticize others
Avoid conflict/deal
with conflict
Compete with others/
develop cooperation
Required adjustments:


Accept new power &
relationships
Expect conflict

Shift focus to team
Adjustments to 3. SKILLS
Primary emphasis on
technical skills to
greater emphasis on
human skills and
broader goals:
Preparing working papers
to reviewing
Outlining and drafting
report segments to re-
viewing for compliance
with audit prog., policies,
and standards

Required adjustments:



Improve skill at finding
holes in evidence,
support, etc.
Improve skill at reviewing,
communicating, and
advocating reports to
higher levels


POWER is now MINE!


Power is the ability to influence the actions
of others.
POWER!
Formal

Legitimate

Coercive

Reward

Informal

Expert

Referant
Personal Styles
In order to become a supervisor, staff
must:

a. Recognize their own managerial and
interpersonal styles, and
b. Improve their effectiveness with
subordinates
III. Followthrough & Modeling
In training staff to become supervisors,
you must teach and model behaviors for
them; for example:

Personal styles of managing
How to conduct meetings
How to handle conflict
Focusing on performance
Myers Briggs Type Indicators
Extravert (E)

Sensing (S)

Thinking (T)

Judging (J)




Introvert (I)

iNtuiting (N)

Feeling (F)

Perceiving (P)
Think About It

Responsibility cannot be delegated.

Supervisors are accountable for what
others do.

Working with Staff Performance
Challenges

Performance system elements:
Task
Direction
Resources
Consequences
Feedback
Performer
Meetings
Types of meetings:

Decision making
Problem solving
Planning
Feedback
Presentation
Planning a Meeting

Desired outcomes -
objectives
Who (depends on
objectives)
Type: feedback,
decision making, etc.
Length
Timing



Agenda
Process
Roles (presenter,
facilitator, recorder,
etc.)
Decision process
Managing Conflict

Types of conflict

Technical

Interpersonal

Aspects of conflict

Destructive

Constructive
Conflict Management Styles
Compete position allows it; agreed to

Avoid unimportant issue; time not right

Compromise some leeway; resources limited

Accommodate relationships more important

Collaborate commitment to cooperation; time


Motivation
A. Maslow (40s & 50s)


B. Herzberg (50s &
60s)

C. Deci (1970s)
A. Hierarchy of needs
satisfy one and move
up (5 needs)
B. Motivators and
hygiene
(maintenance) factors

C. Intrinsic motivation
Intrinsic Motivation
Stems from the innate sense of
accomplishment and enjoyment one gets
from doing good work
We do something because it is worth
doing
Performing the work makes us feel good
about ourselves; we feel competent and in
control
The Question is NOT how to
motivate others, but


how can leaders create
conditions under which others
will motivate themselves.
Perspectives on One Generation
Motivating Another

Matures

Baby Boomers

Gen Xers

New Millennials

Born before 1945

Born 1945 -1964

Born 1965 1979

Born 1980 +
New Values in the Workplace -
A Retention Issue

Gen Xers and New Millennials have
essentially said to their managers the
Matures and especially the Boomers
We dont share your definition of success.
We define success differently and will
pursue other rewards for our work.
Motivating the Whats In It For Me?
Workforce, Cam Marston, 2005
How Different Are They?
For them

Jay Leno has ALWAYS been host of The
Tonight Show (Johnny Carson WHO?)
TV without cable is inconprehensible
The Cold War is just in history books
Going to the moon is old science
Its not about the workday
its about the end result.

Younger workers look at what they
accomplished, not how many hours they
worked in a day

Up and coming supervisors have different
values/expectations; their supervisees
also different
Conclusions
The supervisory role is complex and
challenging
3 steps to developing new supervisors:
train (technical & HR)
set expectations for changing role
model behavior (e.g., conflict management)
Understand the new workforce in order to
motivate and retain


Contact Information
Robert Black
Dean, Government Audit Training Institute
and Financial Management
Graduate School, USDA

Phone: 202-314-3560
E-mail: robert_black@grad.usda.gov