Fundamentals of Supervision

Problem Statement:
What are the most important skills, knowledge, and abilities needed for supervisors to lead individuals and teams in higher education organizations?  

The above problem statement is really asking, “As I supervisor, what do I need to know, what works in professional organizations like MC, and where do I begin in my journey”?  

The FUS aims to help aspiring and existing managers develop core skills and abilities to handle the complexities of modern supervision. The classes combine the ‘what’ of management with the ‘how’ of doing in the context of individuals, teams, and organizational dynamics. Participants in FUS will strengthen leadership skills to better manage individual relationships, teams, and tasks as well as develop coaching skills and cultural awareness competencies to lead in a highly diverse like MC.

Our first-class examines supervision in the context of performance and development. We look at classical contributions to the field of leadership to determine what elements still apply today and what new competencies are needed to work effectively in modern organizations.

Throughout the FUS, and especially in our debrief sessions, we will constantly ask questions of “what works in today’s workplace”, “what from the past remains important today”, and “where we are going”?

The afternoon has two main components: completing a web diagnostic to appreciate global culture and what diversity brings to the role of a supervisor and identifying departmental management issues that are important to the group.

Making the transition to a supervisor position has unique challenges. At the forefront is the need for supervisors to understand key business issues and meet performance goals while in the background managing competing interests from individuals, teams, and senior management can create frustration and impact effectiveness.

In this class we introduce John Adair’s ‘Action Centered Leadership’ (ACL) model which recognizes the role and value of leadership and the dynamic relationships between individuals, teams, and tasks. 

We identify current business issues and use the model to define practical strategies to help manage for both performance and motivational issues. To conclude, we examine a host of leadership issues, such as decision-making styles, the limits of adjusting your approach to getting work done, understanding the meaning of mindset, relationship management, setting professional boundaries, and coaching for performance. 

In these experiential-focused sessions, participants make meaning of what has been learned in previous workshops in the context of real work situations. Relevant business issues will be identified, and participants will be led through facilitated dialogue and small group activities to analyze, apply concepts (what was learned), and problem-solve (how to take action).

This in-person session helps participants understand key tools and practices for managing teams effectively. We’ll focus on four main areas: Building Relationships and Buy-In, Using Technology Tools, Maintaining Accountability, and Establishing Collaboration Systems. You will learn how to use specific tools to build teams where everyone can contribute and succeed, no matter their role. The session will offer practical examples and straightforward strategies that can be applied across different departments, making it relevant for a wide range of supervisory roles. Additionally, there will be hands-on activities that provide you opportunities to collaborate and put these ideas into practice, helping to ensure you leave with actionable skills to implement immediately.

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In these experiential-focused sessions, participants make meaning of what has been learned in previous workshops in the context of real work situations. Relevant business issues will be identified, and participants will be led through facilitated dialogue and small group activities to analyze, apply concepts (what was learned), and problem-solve (how to take action).

Giving and receiving feedback are essential skills for any manager. Feedback helps to develop people, raise performance, and motivate them to achieve excellence. The process of practicing feedback also has an essential role in helping people develop their self-awareness and impacts directly on how people view us. In this workshop, we will focus on providing effective feedback that engenders trust with the employee while supporting improved performance.

Problem-solving in teams and with other people is not a linear process and critical thinking is the disciplined process of evaluating information as a guide to action. In this class, you will learn essential elements and models of critical thinking and problem-solving, and in the process appreciate how intercultural awareness, creativity, and problem-solving as a team improves the chances of coming up with the best solution/results.

In these experiential-focused sessions, participants make meaning of what has been learned in previous workshops in the context of real work situations. Relevant business issues will be identified, and participants will be led through facilitated dialogue and small group activities to analyze, apply concepts (what was learned), and problem-solve (how to take action).

Key components to your success in a supervisory role are prioritize the work, set clear expectations, and decide the work delegated to employees for successful results. As a supervisor, your ability to get work done through others while effectively developing their skills is important to MC meeting its mission, vision, and goals of delivering quality learning to the community. Gaining the skills to clearly prioritize work and delegate with competence, commitment, and confidence are vital in your effectively managing the work.

How would you answer these questions?

• Are you constantly busy but don’t make progress on the things you need to get done?
• Do you feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work you need to do?
• Do you find yourself in reactionary mode throughout the day—reacting to the latest and loudest request and/or issue instead of focusing on the most important or meaningful work?

When it comes to all the inputs in your life, you may feel overwhelmed, stressed, and out of control. The sheer number of to-dos, commitments, tasks and projects makes it difficult to ever feel “on top” of everything. While you can’t change the amount of stuff coming into your life, you can change how you engage with that stuff. Gain greater control over your work, find more focus on each task, and feel a lot less stress with these Getting Things Done, or GTD, habits taught in this certificate class.

In this class, participants bring working drafts of their final projects to share and get feedback from their peers.