Guide for More Effective Supervision Meetings

A. Prerequisites for increased success:

• Mutual respect between supervisor and employee:

• See each other as competent

• Interested in each other’s success

• Commit to the meeting (don’t cancel unless it’s for something extremely urgent)

• Supervisor should:

• Encourage and support the employee

• Demonstrate confidence in the employee’s ability to progress

• Ask for feedback

• Employee should:

• Be receptive to suggestions for improving performance

• Take ownership of success

• Ask for feedback

B. Assumptions:

• People are an organization’s most important resource

• Everyone has talents and strengths to nurture, and challenge areas to further develop

• Performance reviews and training are central to a supervisor’s success

• Managers have tremendous influence over an employee’s ability to grow, or they can impede progress

• Skills in appraising people and in developing their capabilities can be learned

• A combination of giving employees the opportunity to actively participate in the decision-making

process of setting goals and providing feedback are major factors in employee motivation
C. Preparation:

Supervisor:

• Consider the environment:

• Meet in private

• Eliminate disruptions or interruptions

• Schedule time in advance and allow adequate time

• Provide copy of any written agreements

• Prepare for the meeting

• review outcomes of prior meetings

• collect data in preparation for the meeting

• prepare an agenda for the meeting, including topics to be covered and

outcomes for the meeting

• consider expectations for the employee

• prepare talking points about what you wish to discuss

For the Employee:

• Prepare for the meeting

• review outcomes of any written agreement

• collect data in preparation for the meeting, including reviewing job description
and work plan

• consider own development (training) needs, and possible objectives for the next
period

• prepare talking points about what you wish to discuss

• think of ways that the supervisor can support/assist you in the achievement of
your goals