CHAPTER ONE-Supervision

Meaning
There is an old saying that “which is not supervised is not done”. Hence, supervision arises in
response to need inherent in the functioning of an organization.
Supervision’ comprises two words, namely ‘super’, that is, superior or extra, and ‘vision’, that is,
sight or perspective.
Thus, ‘supervision’ refers to an act by which any person inspects or supervises the work of other
people, that is, whether they are working properly or not.
Its Emphasis is:
 Emphasis on maximizing production
 Emphasis on workers’ performance and human relations aspect
 Emphasis on the development of the personality of the worker
In short Supervision involves:
 Motivating,
 Guiding,
 Inspecting,
 Directing,
 Developing, coordinating and
 Controlling the subordinates.

Determinants of supervision success

 The ability of managing individual differences
 Effectiveness of institutional communication
 Effectiveness of formal control exercised over operations
 Institutional philosophy on centralization versus decentralization of authority

Significance of supervision
1. . Issue of orders and instructions
2. Planning and organizing the work
 3. It is important at all levels 
4. Vital link between workers and management
5. Motivating subordinates
6. Feedback to workers
7. Proper assignment of work

GOALS OF SUPERVISION
To bring personal and professional growth of employees in order to achieve quality in the
system.
 To persist in the delivery of high quality of services.
 To assist and to help in the development of staff to their highest potential.
 To interpret policies, objectives & need etc. of the organization.
 To plan services cooperatively and to develop coordination to avoid overlapping.
 To assist in the problem solving of the matters concerning personal, administrative and
operation of services.
 To develop standards of service and methods of evaluation of a personnel and services.
 To evaluate the services given, personal performance

Roles of a Supervisor
1. As a key man in the management
2. Person in the middle: a supervisor has to work between two forces, namely the
management and the workers.
3. As the marginal man
4. As another worker
5. As a human relations specialist

Functions of Supervisor:

A supervisor has to:

1. Help workers to develop their innate qualities to improve their performance

2. Help subordinates to adjust to their job requirements and to develop
3. Make the workers loyal towards their organization
 4. Provide expertise, skills, knowledge and experience to make workers learn
without fear and hesitation
5. Encourage free communication
6. Develop employee potential to an extent where they need no supervision
7. Cooperate with other supervisors
8. Prove a good link between the management and workers
9. Solve personal problems of subordinates to the extent possible
10. Maintain discipline
11. Correct the mistakes of subordinates
12. Explore new fields of knowledge
13. Introduce new, useful and scientific methods of production and administration
14. Have a clear understanding about plan of action
15. Know his/her job, duties, responsibilities, authority, accountability and so on
16. Divide responsibilities and duties to subordinates rationally and scientifically
17. Listen and look into the grievance of subordinates
18. Delegate authority and win their confidence.

Factors describing the performance of the best supervisor.

Factors

1. Favorable work climate

2. Personal maturity and sensitiveness
3. Human relations specialist
4. Technical job knowledge
5. Self-development and subordinate development 
6. Knowledge and execution of plans and policies
Qualities for effective supervision are:
i. Discretion /judgment
ii. Social skills,
iii. Technical competence,
iv. Empathy/understanding
v. Honesty,
vi. Courage/bravery
vii. Self-confidence,
viii. Communication skills,
ix. Teaching and guiding ability
x. Strong common sense.

Activities to secure higher productivity with employee satisfaction

Activities

i. Organize work and allot assignments to each employee;

ii. Hear and redress grievances and complaints;
iii. Recommend promotions, transfer, pay increases;
iv. Enforce rules and regulations with equity and justice;
v. Keep subordinates well informed;
vi. Keep subordinates posted about their progress;
vii. Give people tools and materials;
viii. Planning, directing motivating and controlling responsibilities.

Span of Supervision

Span of supervision means the number of subordinates whom a supervisor can competently
direct, guide and control.
if a supervisor has a large number of subordinates, engaged in a large number of unrelated jobs,
the following effects are bound to be felt:
A. Lack of proper communication with subordinates.
B. Indifference to ideas, suggestions and grievances of subordinates.
 C. A feeling among subordinates that their supervisor does not wield enough influence
with superior.
D. Frequent clash of views between supervisor and superior.

Why proper span of supervision is necessary:

1. A manager is a human being with natural limitations as regards the time and energy
he/she can devote to the activities falling under his /her supervision.
2. There is also limitation as regards the multiple complex jobs that he/she can effectively
supervise.
3. Given his/her limited time and energy, long hours of strenuous work involved in effective
supervision may affect his/her physical and mental health.

Guidelines for evolving the optimum span of supervision are:

i. Managers at higher level in the management pyramid or hierarchy should have a
span of three to seven operating subordinates.
ii. For first-line supervisors or managers of routine activities the optimum span of
supervision may be from fifteen to twenty employees.
iii. Several points are considered while having a wise decision on the span of
supervision-
a. Variety and importance of activities supervised,
b. Other duties in addition to supervision.
c. Stability of operations or lack of it.
d. Capable subordinates and a high degree of delegation may permit the chief
executive to have a wider span of control,
e. Relative importance of supervisory pay roll.
KINDS OF SPAN OF SUPERVISION

1. selection of ideal span of control a difficult task

2. wide span of supervision
3. functional supervision
4. line and staff
5. supervision in ‘tall and narrow structure’ of organization:
6. supervision in ‘flat-topped’ structure of organization

PRINCIPLES OF SUPERVISION

 encourage self-expression so as to draw out potential abilities of a worker

 Provide initiative to individual to take more responsibility.
 Provide full opportunity to do work in cooperation to develop the team spirit. And develop good
interpersonal relationship.
 Give autonomy to the workers depending from personality, competence and characteristics.
 interprets policies and gives creative instructions
 Meet the individual needs.
 Always think as a leader so as to give guidance help and encouragement.
 be democratic
 Be well planned and adopted to good planning. It calls for good planning and organization.
 Respects the personality of an individual (employee).

Qualities of a Good Supervisor

 Is strategic, detail-oriented and proactive.
 Does not favor or provide an unfair advantage to some employees over others.
 Is fair but firm when need be.
 Shows common courtesy and respect to all employees even their most difficult staff.
 Really listens to their employees’ concerns and helps them with determining the best path
towards resolving those concerns.
 Supports and encourages staff development.
 Takes the time to understand the work that their staff performs.
 Makes themselves available and takes the time to meet with employees.
 Has at least a general understanding of their employees’ strengths and weaknesses.
 Praises his/her employees for doing good work on a regular basis.
 Requires that all employees work to their fullest capacity.
  Addresses difficult workplace situations immediately.
 Shares with employees any information as appropriate that impacts the company.
 Share his/her goals and expectations with staff.
 Is very clear when assigning tasks to his/her employees
 Is not afraid to let their employees have their time in the limelight and, in fact,
encourages it.
 Is always willing to delegate work to others instead of trying to take care of everything.
 Treats his/her staff as partners and not as subordinates.
 Does not take credit for individual or collective employee accomplishments.
 Acts as a buffer for their employees when issues arise with clients or customers as
appropriate

Skills supervisors need to have:

1. communication
2. conflict resolution
3. leadership
4. critical thinking
5. interpersonal skills
6. time and priority management
7. diversity management
8. problem solving

Responsibilities of a Supervisor
 Quality and quantity production
 Fairness in treating workers and the institute
 Ability to handle persons/workers
 Knowledge of the machine/work with which workers work
 Knowledge of how instruct workers
 A knowledge of planning
 A knowledge of methods of working
 A healthy attitude towards his/her job, workers and the institute
 Good leadership
 Community activity
 Ability to keep workers satisfied
  Common sense/imagination
 A willingness to get more training
 Loyalty to workers and to management

Roles of Supervisor
1 Administrative Role
 Procure resources
 Provide leadership and direction
 Establish and enforce rules and standards, policies and procedures
 Establish and maintain boundaries
 Adhere to prevailing societal laws
 Create and maintain a team-based atmosphere
2 Managerial Roles
 Establish and maintain a communication system
 Distribute the workload
 Establish and clarify staff roles
 Protect and maintain resources
 Work within effective timeframes

3. Educational Role
 Teach values and belief system of agency
 Teach skills
 Provide and/or support educational program
 Teach discipline and correction
 Provide information about agency history
 Provide coaching & mentoring to promote staff development
4. Service and Support
 Nurture physical and personal well-being
 Respect staff members
 Resolve conflict among staff
  Support all staff consistently in the way most suited to each person
 Demonstrate empathy and concern for staff
 Communicate with staff

Types of Institutional Supervision

1. Internal Supervision

 This is the type of supervision carried out by the internal supervisor in the institute as the
dean, principal, headmaster/mistress, their assistant or the heads of departments.
 It is also referred to as within institute supervision.
2. External Supervision

 It is carried out by people designated by the Ministry of Education/ to carryout

supervision in Universities, colleges/schools etc.
TECHNIQUES OF SUPERVISION

STAGE ONE: PREPARATION

o Study of documents
o Identification of priority for supervision
o Preparation of supervision schedule  

STAGE TWO: SUPERVISION

 Establishing Contacts
 Review of the objectives , targets and norms
 . Review the job description
 Observe the nursing staff’s motivation
 Observe for any actual or potential conflicts

STAGE THREE: FOLLOW UP

 Reorganization of time table/work plan/duty roster

 Organizing in-service training programs /continuing education programs for nursing
personnel
  Initiating changes in logistic support or supply system
 Initiating actions for organizing staff welfare activities
 Counseling and guidance regarding career development and professional growth.

FACTORS TO EFFECTIVE SUPERVISION

 Human relation skill

 Technical and managerial knowledge
 Leadership position 
 Improved upward relations
 Relief from Non-supervisory duties
 General and loose supervision

METHODS OF SUPERVISION

Technical versus creative supervision

 Co-operative versus authoritative supervision
 Scientific versus intuitive supervision

STYLES OF SUPERVISION

 Task centered
 Employee centered supervisor
 An autocratic or critical supervisor
 A Benevolent/kind supervisor
 A Democratic supervisor  

QUALITIES OF A GOOD SUPERVISOR

Attention to detail
• Fairness
• Initiative
• Diplomacy
• Passion
• Emotional control
 • General outlook
• Personal qualifications
• Teaching ability

Typical Roles in Supervision

 Advocate
 Coach
 Facilitator
 Mentor
 Trainer

Five steps of supervision

Sep 1: Provide employees with the tools they need to do their jobs

Step 2: Provide employees with the training they need to do their jobs. 

Step 3: Help employees set goals to improve their performance. 

Step 4: Become a resource person

Sep 5: Hold staff accountable

Types of supervisory techniques

Democratic or Consultative: participatory

2. Autocratic: Carrot and stick approach

3. Free-Rein: complete freedom to workers

4. Bureaucratic: Focuses on rules and regulations of the institute

Factors affecting supervision

1. Human relation skill

2. Technical and managerial knowledge

 3. The position and status in the organization

4. Improved upward good relations with workmen

5. Must get relief from non-supervisory duties

Human Relation Skill:

 This includes the following:

(a) Guiding the working force

(b) Instructing , and

(c)Inspiring for better performance

 The supervisor has to depend on the decisions of top and middle-order management
for the following:

Leadership

(ii) Counseling

(iii) Communication

(iv) Human relation.

Problems arising from levels of supervision:

Costly to create levels of supervision or to add to them

(2) problems of communication between different levels

(3) several levels of supervision make planning and control difficult

Main requisites of effective supervision skills in:

. Leading,

2. Instructing,
 3. Human orientation,

4. Technical knowledge and

5. Knowledge of rules

Supervisory practices which are consistently related to the productivity of a group

Differentiation of supervisory role

2. Closeness of supervision

3. Employee orientation

4. Group cohesiveness

Reflection question

 Take your College as a reference point and evaluate the performance of the supervisor in
terms of the following points. Reflect professional suggestions

1. Skill in leading,

2. Skill in instructing,

3. Human orientation,

4. Technical knowledge and

5. Knowledge of rules
UNIT TWO- THE EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP
Employees have five corresponding responsibilities.

1) Use the tools that are provided,

2) make the most of the training,

3) Set goals and then pursue them,

4) Ask for help or guidance if they reach an impasse and

5) Account for their progress.

The benefits of supervision

 Better outcomes for service users.

 Better professional relationships.

 Opportunities to reflect and link knowledge and practice.

 Increased confidence.

 Skill development.

 Greater awareness and understanding.

 Reduced stress.

Steps in the supervisory process

Step One: Establishing and maintaining a relationship.

Step Two: Creating and implementing an individual development plan based on
assessment of needs and abilities of staff.
Step Three: Providing for on-going communication, interaction, and feedback for both
 groups and individuals.
Step Four: Providing formalized evaluation & feedback.

Goals of Supervision

 To increase the quality of job performance.

 To communicate job expectations

 To provide ongoing feedback

 To facilitate the supervisee's growth as an individual

 To challenge and to support

Factors that affect the Supervisory Process

 clear understanding of the roles, departmental philosophy, and expectations

 Work and personality styles of those involved

 Skill and confidence level of both the supervisee and supervisor

 An understanding of how each individual affects, and is affected by, others in the
department

Differences between those involved, including cultural, gender, and experiential

Factors to consider in developing Supervisory Style

 Know the staff with whom you are working. 

 Know your audience: different groups require different approaches.

 Have the goals or objectives of the group firmly in mind.

 What are the purposes of this staff?

 What things need to be accomplished to meet the goals?

 Know what the staff expects of you as a supervisor.

 Express sincere interest in the staff and its mission.

 Express a sincere interest in each individual within the group.

 Assist the group in setting realistic, attainable goals.

 Assist the group in developing a system through which they can evaluate their progress.

 Assist each individual in achieving their needs while helping the group achieve their goal.

 Assist the group in understanding the dynamics of the team and human interaction. 

 Realize the importance of the peer group and its effects on how each individual
participates or fails to participate.

 Assist the group in determining the needs of the persons the group is serving.

 Develop a style, which maintains a balance between an active and passive supervisor.

 Be aware of the various roles you will be filling from time to time.

 Consultant

 Campus liaison

 Clarifier

 Counselor

 Facilitator

 Friend

 Be aware of the institutional power structure, both formal and informal.

 Provide continuity for the staff from year to year.

 Challenge the staff to grow and develop.

 Be creative and innovative.

Good Supervisors

 Develop positive relationships with their staff members.

 Maintain open communication paths and facilitate trust

 Understand that supporting and challenging go hand in hand

 Spend appropriate time with those they supervise

 Communicate well with other members of the Office

 Communicate departmental mission and goals to staff members

 Help staff members understand how their work is appreciated by others

 Assist staff members in understanding his or her relevance

 Collaborate with supervisees in developing measures to assess the supervisee's progress

or success in a job/role.

 Self Check Exercise

Select one College from your group and evaluate the performance of the supervisor and
set suggestions for improvement:

A. Social skills,

B. Technical competence,

C. Empathy,

D. Honesty,

E. Courage,

F. Self-confidence,

Consider your dean and discuss the technique he/she has been used:
 conflict resolution

 leadership

 critical thinking

 interpersonal skills

 time and priority management

 diversity management.

 problem solving

Areas for supervisors to continually monitor in their work

Supervise only in areas of expertise

2.  Choose a specific supervisory model

3.  Avoid dual relationships

4. Regularly evaluate the supervisees competence

5. Be available for supervision

6. Formulate a sound supervisory contract

7. Be aware of financial considerations in supervision

8. Maintain professional liability coverage

9. Supervise honestly and with integrity

Three areas of supervision

 Administrative Supervision

2. Educational Supervision

3. Supportive Supervision

Questions for providing supervision for staff and volunteers 

1. What is providing supervision for staff and volunteers?

2. Why should you supervise staff and volunteers?

3. When should you provide supervision?

4. How do you supervise staff and volunteers?

What is providing supervision for staff and

 The duties of a supervisor may include training new workers, supporting and mentoring
supervisees, providing professional development, assigning and creating projects, making
sure plans are being carried out effectively, providing support, assisting with projects or
activities, and identifying and addressing unsatisfactory performance.

Why should you supervise staff and volunteers?

 Benefits both the individuals supervised and the organization
 Geared toward helping staff members
 Can explain the requirements and responsibilities of staff members’ and volunteers’
positions.
 Poor performance by staff or volunteers reflects poorly in the community and with
fundraisers
 Can help to recognize and address potential problems
Keeps staff and volunteers with the organization.. 
Models the type of relationship that should exist throughout the organization. 
Constructive feedback, can result in better employees who feel they are a more fully
integrated part of the group.
When should you provide supervision?
 For new staff members and volunteers should begin as soon as they join the organization,
and should continue on a regular basis throughout their stay.  
 Regular supervision provides the opportunity for staff and volunteers to work out
problems, to get to know the organization well, and to establish a good and productive
relationship with their supervisor
How do you supervise staff ?
 In order to ensure good supervision, it’s important to identify the right people to provide
it and then train them, so that they have a clear understanding of what supervision is, the
aspects of it that they should attend to, and the interpersonal skills they’ll need to practice
in order to do
 Some topics that might be included in a supervision
 How to involve all volunteers and staff members effectively
 How to enhance the value of volunteers to a program and to the paid employees
 How to include all volunteers and staff members in program planning and decision
making
 How to evaluate performance
 How to provide performance feedback to volunteers and staff
 How to hold volunteers and staff members accountable for job performance
 How to help workers avoid burnout
 How to create a climate in which volunteers and staff will be most productive
 How to build teams that include both volunteers and paid employees
 How to minimize tension between paid staff and volunteers
 The difference between formative (helping the supervisee to improve and develop
professionally through discussion, advice, and occasional counseling) and summative
(judging employee performance) supervision. 
What does good practical supervision consist of?
 Welcome new staff or volunteers and distribute basic information
 Meet with new supervisees as soon as possible
 Orient new supervisees
Orientation should include:
 The background of the organization
 Projects the organization is currently involved in
 A brief introduction to other staff and volunteers, and their general responsibilities
 Location of supplies, equipment, and facilities
 Organizational culture
 What kinds of decisions staff and volunteers are expected to make for themselves and
what they should discuss first with supervisors
Training should cover such areas as:
 Methods or techniques that the organization uses in its work
 General information about the field – essential theory, new discoveries, current work,
etc. 
 Information about the population or issue the organization is concerned with
 Interpersonal skills – communication, conflict resolution, problem solving, cultural
sensitivity, etc.

Monitor supervisees
 You can monitor supervisees in a number of ways:
 Keep a file for every staff member or volunteer which includes:
 Progress on her/his assigned projects, tasks, or duties
 A job description (the staff member or volunteer should also have a copy)
 A record of volunteer hours
 Any written performance evaluations
 Records of conversations about the staff member’s or volunteer’s performance
 Records of any grievances filed by the volunteer or staff member
 Records or copies of any awards, commendations, letters of praise, etc
 Records of individual professional development
 Copies of any contracts between the supervisee and the organization.