How supervisory skills training will set your leaders and businesses up for success
Often employers promote their employees into supervisory positions because of their skills and knowledge of the job, but don’t provide adequate training to enhance their competencies as supervisors. An entirely new set of skills is required when we work in a supervisory position. Nowadays, supervisors and managers are required to know more and know it better than any other generation before us. That is why learning to be an effective supervisor is so challenging.
Being an effective supervisor isn’t any one skill or trait; rather it is many different ones that, when combined, can lead to success. Without these skills, supervisors are often left feeling under-prepared, overwhelmed, and don’t know how to effectively hold their employees accountable. For many, what was initially an exciting opportunity to advance in their career could quickly turn into a daunting, uphill battle.
The ROI on Investing in Supervisory Skills Training
As business owners, you cannot be everywhere at once and you certainly cannot handle every employee-related issue that comes across your desk. There isn’t enough time in a day! That is what your management team is for. By taking steps to ensure that your managers and supervisors are set up for success, there is a direct correlation with improved productivity and team performance, increased employee retention, enhanced employee motivation and engagement, and consequently, higher client/customer satisfaction.
With endless training options available to you, how do you know where to start? What kinds of leadership training are of the most value to your team and what will have the most impact on your business? From an HR perspective, employment laws, interpersonal leadership skills, and performance management expertise are the foundations for a supervisor’s success. So, here’s what you need to know.
Understanding and Applying Applicable Employment Legislation
Understanding employment legislation and how it applies to your industry and the employees being supervised will help to ensure that the rights of employees are upheld and will mitigate risks for the employer. When supervisors know and understand applicable legislation, they can answer employee questions, provide support, and are better equipped to hold employees accountable. With search engines and AI tools readily accessible to employees, an abundance of information is available to them about their rights and what an employer “can” and “cannot” do. This is certainly a benefit to employees but can pose significant challenges for supervisors if they are not prepared to respond to employee claims with facts.
Consider this. Amir calls his supervisor to let him know that he is not feeling well and won’t be coming in to work today. This is Amir’s fourth sick day in a row. His supervisor lets him know that he will be required to provide a doctor’s note for this fourth day upon returning to work. Amir tells his supervisor that he read online that employers are no longer allowed to ask employees for sick notes, so he won’t be providing one. In this example, it is important for the supervisor to know and understand the employer’s obligations under the Ontario Employment Standards Act so that he can respond appropriately to the employee and educate the employee on what the employer is permitted to ask for and when. By providing this education to supervisors, it will not only reduce the number of calls to your HR department or senior management, but it will also foster confidence with your supervisors so that they feel better equipped to hold their employees accountable.
Each province and territory in Canada has employment legislation that supervisors should be aware of in the areas of employment standards, occupational health and safety, workers’ compensation, human rights, and accessibility. To learn more about the legislation and how it applies, Click Here.
Effective Communication and Conflict Resolution
Being an effective communicator can make or break a supervisor’s success in their role. Supervisors require the ability to communicate expectations clearly and to hold employees accountable to those expectations and standards. They need to adapt their communication style to meet the needs of their employees, and to build trust and relationships within their teams. Focusing on both verbal and non-verbal communication skills, cross-cultural communication, active listening, building their emotional intelligence, and knowing how to address barriers to communication will positively impact the supervisor’s ability to communicate with your employees. This is also critically important when resolving workplace conflicts, mediating disputes, and fostering team collaboration. Without these skills, minor incidents and interactions can snowball into larger disputes and, if left unaddressed, can lead to costly workplace investigations and significant damage to workplace culture and interpersonal relationships.
Picture this. Tension has been building between two employees, Matt and Jim, for weeks. Other team members noticed, and a few brought it to the attention of their supervisor. The supervisor spoke with both employees to try to understand what was going on. Matt told the supervisor that he doesn’t know why Jim has been treating him differently, but that Jim has been making snide remarks about him and giving him the silent treatment. Jim said that he and Matt have very different personalities, they fundamentally do not align with one another’s beliefs and work ethic, and that he is fed up with working with Matt. The supervisor knows that both employees are critical members of the team and does not want to upset either one in fear that they will walk-off the job. The supervisor decides not to address the issue further. What risks does this pose to the company? By not effectively addressing the conflict and encouraging communication between the employees, this could have a negative impact on team morale and productivity. If left unaddressed, the conflict could escalate resulting in further confrontation, an employee departure from the company, or a workplace harassment complaint.
Effective communication starts from the top. Knowing how to address communication and conflict issues promptly and effectively will not only improve the supervisor’s individual skills but enhance the overall performance of employees, positively impact the workplace culture, and mitigate risks to the organization.
Performance Management, Coaching, and Progressive Discipline
For most supervisors, performance management is viewed as something that they “have to get done.” They often resist the annual review process because it can be daunting, time-consuming, and they simply don’t know how to do it. This can make the task uncomfortable for the supervisor and the employee and render the overall process ineffective.
In addition, while annual reviews are part of the performance management process, they are just one small part. An effective supervisor requires the knowledge and skills to provide on-going, year-round, consistent performance management to their employees. Finding opportunities to coach employees, identifying employee behaviours that require discipline, and how to execute both in a timely and appropriate manner are skills that all supervisors should have.
Consider this. Jane is a long-time employee with no past performance issues. Over the past few months, she’s been coming in late, and her quality of work has significantly declined, which is not like her. Her supervisor feels something is going on; however, they have a good working relationship with Jane, and they don’t want Jane to feel like she is being micromanaged. Jane’s tardiness must stop and the concerns with her quality of work need to be addressed. Performance management training will better prepare the supervisor so that they know how and when to have these kinds of performance-related conversations with employees, address the issues head-on, and hold their team members accountable to company standards.
The transition to a supervisory role demands a comprehensive set of new skills that go beyond technical expertise. Investing in supervisory skills training for your managers, supervisors, and team leaders is a strategic move to enhance overall organizational performance and achieve long-term success within your organization. By focusing on key areas such as employment laws, communication, conflict resolution, performance management, coaching, and discipline, business owners can significantly enhance the capabilities of their supervisors, resulting in a more competent and confident leadership team.
Written by: HR Performance & Results (www.hrpar.ca) for further information, please contact Janice Leroux at janice@hrpar.ca
Larry Smith is the founder and president of Kathbern Management, an executive search firm based in Toronto. Kathbern helps companies find the executives and senior managers who not only have the experience and credentials to fulfill their responsibilities, but also have the emotional and “fit” requirements that will enable them to be successful in a particular environment. Kathbern simplifies the process and, through deep research, brings more and better candidates forward than would ever be possible through a do-it-yourself passive advertising campaign.
Learn more at www.kathbern.com, or contact us today for a free consultation about your key person search. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.