Support and Supervision Skills 2 Welcome

Stephenie Linham

Introductions

• In pairs -someone you don’t work with • Name and position • Why you are here and your expectations • Something we couldn’t tell by looking at you • Partner introduces you to the group

Introductions

• Housekeeping • Ground rules? • Participate and share experiences • Time Keeping, • Confidentiality, • Anything else • Copy power point e - mailed at end of course

Programme

• Workbook. Page 2 course content. • This course assumes a basic knowledge • We will try to make you much more aware of the importance and impact of your attitude and style • That it is worth investing the time and effort • Components necessary for good support and supervision • Various skills you will need

Self assessment

• It is people that get results and are worth investing in • Understanding yourself is the first step to changing and improving • It could be you that is holding your people back • Your management and communication style, attitudes and behaviours have a huge impact on others. • If you get it right people are challenged at the appropriate level and supported to achieve – and feel good

Good performance

• People who feel good about themselves produce good results • People who produce good results feel good about themselves • It’s your job to give them the clarity, management style, feedback, motivation, effective delegation and support and supervision they need to produce good results for you – and to make them feel good so they keep doing it.

Managers as role models • You are watched - you are the role model – so model the behaviours you want. • Set the example. • Adhere to the good practice you preach • Turn up on time and keep appointments- especially supervision • Have a good work/life balance. Remember duty of care – working time directive – work leisure balance

Managers as role models

• Really actively listen to people • Talk positively and demonstrate enthusiasm – it is infectious • Stay calm and positive • Control body language – you are always on parade! • Own up to your mistakes • Praise and acknowledge others contributions and achievements

Just why do they pay you?

• You can’t support and supervise staff until you are clear what is you are meant to be doing • You are paid to get results for the organisation – individually and through your staff- • 5-7 key areas usually • Planning Organising Staffing • Delegating Supervising Measuring • Reporting • Where are you weak? What are your strengths?

The problems • Your weakest areas will hold back performance in other areas • Do you procrastinate because you are actually not very good at it? • Do you avoid areas where you haven’t performed well in the past? • Lesson – If you are bad at something face up to it and do something about it. • Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field

Management

• Principally administrators • Keeping control Directs the work • Quality and quantity Business plans Budget setting • Communicates, delegates and motivates • Tangible measurable things • Supervisors should be spending 40% of their time on • human skills. • Getting the best out of people takes time and effort – but pays off • BUT - if you manage people you are a leader too!

Management x and y theories

• Workbook page 3 - Are you an x or y manager? • Workbook page 4 • Complete individually • Feedback session • Gives clues to your overall default management style

Management style

• No style is wrong –there is a time for them all but does it match the needs of the people you manage? Where they currently are and what they are doing ? • Autocratic/ Bureaucratic? • Tell people what to do and stick to strict procedures

Management style

• Autocratic/Participative? • Do consult and they can give their ideas but you make the final decision • Democratic/Participative? • Join with the team to discuss and make joint decisions • Freedom with Control? • Delegate but still take an overview • Coach? Support people to become effective. Coach people into the job or new tasks

Situational Management

• Effective managers adjust their style to provide what the individual or group can’t provide for itself – you are the missing ingredient • If you don’t change your style of management appropriately staff will under perform and can even become resentful and de-motivated

Situational Management

• No style is always best • Style should change with the people, task and situation • 4 levels of staff capability and confidence – • Are they ready - or not? • Are they willing – or not? • Understand the links between above and actively choose the best style for the situation

Readiness scale- ability and willingness

• Low -Tell/sell – Employee has no idea • Coach – Employee knows basics but performance below par • Consult – Employee knows how to do job but still needs some supervision • High -Delegate – Employee fully competent, willing and confident

Situational management Exercise

• Workbook page 5

Motivation

• How much can you be responsible for some else’s • motivation? • Managers are often VERY good at demotivating staff • It is infectious • Motivation comes from them – find out what it is that motivates them • Have to meet fundamental needs and have confirmation of our belief in ourselves or we blame someone else. • In work it is likely to be you and therefore you have problems with conflict and de motivation.

Motivation

• Group Exercise 10 minutes • What motivates you or your staff? • Does motivation change at different times in our lives?

Motivation • People are motivated by many different factors and motivation changes throughout our life depending on our circumstances. • Experiment and find out what motivates your staff • Passion for the cause, paid fairly, benefits, challenges, ticking boxes, praise, team, flexible working, voice, listened to, have choices etc etc • Reminder • People who produce good results feel good about themselves • People who feel good about themselves produce good results

Motivation

• Common needs • Feel we belong Efforts appreciated Liked In control of our lives Have choices Are a decent person Good at something Voice heard Recognised for being good Understood

Trigger the good feelings – Maslow’s theory

• Appreciate needs • In order • Survival – basics –food and shelter • Safety – physical, emotional –not living in fear of making a mistake, sexual or verbal harassment etc. • Love and belonging – liked and accepted • Esteem – feel competent, self respect and respected by others • Reach potential

Motivation

• Self assessment - Workbook page 6 Motivation • Where are most of your scores? • Low? 1-3 • Medium? 4-7 • High? 8-10

Motivation and learning

• Encourage – believe in them, guide them and be available, be patient, be enthusiastic and energetic have a positive approach - discourage negativity • Learning becomes motivational when people can use what they have learnt • The effort they have made is acknowledged • Understand failure is one of the ways we learn • Understand failure is an attitude not an outcome • Understand learning is inhibited when everything is outcome orientated

Active Listening

• Listening- the heart of good communication • It is about -Listening to try and understand, for ways to solve a problem, for actions, possibilities, ways to resolve conflict and to build relationships • It is NOT about • Proving you are right or wrong, an opportunity to punish, prove you know best, make your point, let of steam or get your story across. • What you say is only 7% of communication – what we see is 93%

Body Language

• Shaking the head and shoulder shrug • Open palms – you have no weapon/non

threatening/truthful • Palm down – showing authority – Hitler

salute • Palm down with closed fist pointing -

aggressive

Body language

• Finger pointing up on cheek with fingers across mouth with thumb supporting chin?

• Raised steeple fingers? • Hand covering mouth? • Frequently touching your nose? • Want to intimidate? Power gaze at the

third eye

Active listening

• The 6 Es • Ears to hear the words – watch the tone • Eyes to observe the body language • Experience – it will colour what we hear • Emotions –how we were feeling • Expectation will be formed by our emotions and experience • Egos – watch out or you will stop listening

Active listening

• Actively encourage to speak and tell their story – ask open questions • Do not jump to conclusions and give solutions – let them find and own the solutions • Use silence – attentive and a useful tool – someone has to fill the space • Reflect/Paraphrase/Summarise

Active listening exercise

• Practice the active listening skills • It is about listening to understand – not giving solutions. • The person talking may find their own solutions if given the space to do so. • Scenario workbook page 7

Deal with Conflict • It is the managers job to deal with and try to resolve conflict. Major cause of de motivation and stress. • Accept that conflict is normal – it is how we deal with it that is important - too much causes stress. • Implications both physically and emotionally • Deal with it while it is still small and before it grows and festers. • Denial solves nothing – but deal with your own emotions first • Never personal -Separate the problem from the person • Try to achieve a win win solution

Conflict and the workplace

• Discussion re causes of conflict

Conflict strategies

• Learnt as a child • If it worked then it will work now –default behaviour • Strategies were learnt then and so you can learn • new ones now • Assertiveness is making a conscious decision about choosing how you will respond to a conflict situation rather than just reacting instinctively.

Behaviour Ego states • Unique to individual depending on their experiences, mentality, intelligence and family • Reality – we are all tainted by our actual life experience – e.g. our fall back conflict strategy • Reality – by recognising this we can learn to choose our behaviours – consciously decide not to let this happen

Behaviour Ego states

• People create pressure or feel pressured to communicate in a complimentary way to the communication they are receiving • If you play one part expect the other person to act out the other role! • E.g. If you, as the boss, act like a controlling parent you can expect the employee to act like a child

Conflict

• It happens- Could you be the cause? • Clarify expectations • Are performance expectations defined and understood? • Do you have ground rules for behaviour? • Have you talked about de personalising conflict?

Conflict – things to consider • Facts - establish what happened – listen to their story, • What were the consequences -how did they feel? • Try to get them to think logically • Think through, how will each react? -then plan and rehearse, • What are your objectives? - What is the ideal outcome? What is the least you will accept? • Acknowledge their feelings –they can’t be challenged • I am sorry you feel that way • What does a satisfactory outcome look like for all the parties involved – including you? • Agree an action plan for all concerned.

5 approaches to resolving conflict

• Turtle – Denial or withdrawal • Teddy Bear – Suppression or smoothing over • Shark - Domination • Fox - Compromise • Owl –Collaboration • When are they appropriate?

Delegation Exercise

• What How Who Why When • Quality Current work load Skills • Resources Monitoring • Your involvement • In small groups - what do you need to consider for all the above points?

Delegation – things to consider

• Is it in someone’s job description • Who likes doing this and is good at is • When does it need to be done • How well does it have to be done • Is this a development opportunity • Is it worth investing my time – or not

Delegation • Beware of using the willing donkey – leads to all round resentment and potential stress • Think of the sausage machine – what you put in dictates what you get out at the other end • Do you have the time to support them properly? • If it is a new task for someone who is normally ready and willing they will need to be managed in a different way. • What is their existing work load? • Do they need training and support or are you setting them up for failure?

Communication • 4 main styles • Recognise your style, the impact of your style and the style of others • Are you green, blue, yellow or red? • Workbook page 8 • Do you recognise the colours in your team/ manager? • Very important to communicate appropriately to make sure they really listen and you are heard

Green Positives

o Feelings led o Warm, caring, supportive, nurturing o Interested in individuals o Relationships are important o Good listener • Cares about relationships

Blue Positives

• Fact • Authoritative • Practical • Pays attention to detail • Gets the facts right • Makes clear logical decisions • Takes time to think

Yellow Positives • Led by feelings and ideas

• People orientated • Fun to work with • Enthusiastic • Creative • Challenge status quo • Looks for new possibilities •

Red Positives

• Results led • Direct and confident • Loves change and challenge • Quick decisions • Will take risks • Dynamic, focused and inspiring

Exercise

• Working in groups • Looking at the handout what could be the negative perceptions/characteristics of each colour?

Green negative perceptions

• Over nurturing • Misplaced loyalties • Puts individuals before the task • Doesn’t let people grow or make mistakes • Hangs on to poor performers • Too soft

Blue negative perceptions

• More concerned with ideas and principles than people • Too much order • Over attention to facts and detail • Never gets anything done • Always plays by the rules • Closed mind • May be self critical

Yellow negative perceptions

• Addicted to change • Starts but doesn’t finish • Too many initiatives at once • Doesn’t get results • Doesn’t see things through

Red negative perceptions

• Action only – wants results • Not concerned about individuals • Doesn’t listen well • Doesn’t think things through • Can be hasty • Takes risks • Not interested in detail

Communication exercise • Purpose? -Understand the various styles of communication and use it to your advantage – know how to communicate with the different styles more effectively • How should you approach each of the colours? • Can you just knock on the door and walk in? • Should you plan and prepare anything? • What is the first 15 secs of conversation? • Exercise in groups

Green

• Motivated by appreciation. • They are looking for trust and security • Feelings led • Take interest in them as people • Establish rapport • Speak calmly • Focus on people outcomes • Talk about gut feelings • Explain why

Blue

• Prepare – they look for data • Motivated by procedures • Acknowledge skills but do not condescend • Present facts and information • Present ideas logically • Speak calmly • Avoid over emotion • Focus on benefits

Yellow

• Ideas • Use humour • Talk about feeling • Be passionate • Focus on the positive • Explain the why • Don’t take topic too seriously

Red

• Action led – looking for results • Be direct and to the point • Motivated by change and challenge –focus on the new and exciting • Mix facts and feelings • Keep the hows and whys brief but be prepared to give further details if they bite • Acknowledge desire for speedy results

Support and Supervision within the management structure

Vision • Needs to inspire, motivate and be memorable • Breaks down operational silos – every member of staff knows how their work contributes. • Without it you can’t plan, set targets or know how to prioritise • Management is how you go about achieving the Vision – objectives and then plans and individual targets. • You might not know how you will get there yet - but at least you know in which direction you are going

Support and Supervision within the management structure

• Vision • Business plan • Team plans • Individual work plans • Annual appraisal • Supervision • Support, training and development • Group discussion – reflections, challenges?

PLANNING • Proper prior planning prevents poor performance • Planning isn’t a luxury – 10% of time spent planning can save 90% of the time needed to get the job done • Recognise priorities, set objectives and then work out how they will be achieved –explicit, clear and formal. • Maximises resources available • Automatic instinctive planning is not enough • Don’t confuse activity with accomplishment

PLANNING

• Plans – team and individual+ projects. • Gant charts. List what needs to be done. • Set crucial dates, milestones. • Match what needs to be done with who can do it. • Useful for monitoring. • Use them yourselves and expect them from staff

Planning • Staff know their objectives and priorities so have a basis to start planning. • 20% activity leads to 80% results. The trick is knowing which 20%. • What is important, urgent - and manage time stealers. • Get organised or risk task taking 500% longer • Get everyone to develop good habits. Set at least 10 minutes aside to be alone, think and plan at the end of the day so you know what your priorities are tomorrow

Performance management • Aims to improve performance thus achieve the business objectives • Employees need to know what exactly they should be focusing on and what their priorities are in order to be able to achieve them and feel good • Performance management – Help them –Negotiate 5 clear priorities . Clarity –ALWAYS -SMART targets Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed. •

Performance management

• Agree objectives -give clear direction and good detailed guidance • . Set clear deadlines with monitoring procedures. • Make standards clear, recognise and overcome difficulties • Make sure appropriate resources are available • Opportunities to learn, change and develop

Feedback

Feedback • Real, precise, clear, relevant and regular • Help them reach their potential – catch them doing something right. Make them feel valued. • Praise and encourage them to do more of the same • Builds self confidence • Respond immediately • “I” statements • Acknowledge feelings

Effective challenging feedback

• Keeps them listening • You are solving a problem not apportioning blame • Keeps relationship intact – not personal – never in anger -it is about the behaviour – not the individual • Be clear what it is you expect –be specific and give real examples • Offer support, alternatives

Negative Feedback • A Sandwich? Start with what is going well – end on a positive note? Is this confusing? • Room for misconceptions or waiting for the other shoe to drop! Positive feedback is not heard. • Alternatively make the message clear, direct and unemotional–make an observation, state why this is a problem, state what needs to happen to change it.

Feedback Exercise

• Are you comfortable with both giving and receiving feedback? • Do your staff resist? Giving feedback to you or receiving feedback? • Exercise in pairs Workbook page 9 – giving challenging feedback

Annual Appraisals • Are they meaningful and a useful management tool? • Are they a waste of time? Do you do them just because it is expected? • Are there barriers and challenges? • Have you seen anything positive come from them? • General discussion with group

Annual Appraisal

• Framework to build on to manage people with ongoing supervision and support. • Supervisor and Supervisee have equal input • Standard form sent out prior to session for Supervisee to consider and complete and return to Supervisor before session so they are prepared - consider and plan session • Look at job description – still accurate and relevant? • Get them to own it e.g. Write up a record of meetings • Use active listening skills

Annual Appraisal

• Compare current work and behaviour with objectives-what has gone well and what has not? • What has helped? Training or knowledge gained? • Training or development needed • What has their contribution been to team or organisational objectives? Back to the vision. • Have they gained or got unused skills? • Relationships? With you? The Team? Rest of the organisation?

Training and development

• Group discussion • If training and development are identified • How would you prioritise? • What means can we use especially when there are budget restrictions?

Supervision

• Regular, planned, formal and contracted • Focus on – tasks, workloads, roles, responsibilities, accountability and development • Relates to Appraisal, Grievance and Disciplinary • Takes into account – past experience and skills

Monitoring via Supervision

• Vital cog in the wheel to check and monitor the agreed Action Plan is being followed through • Use a standard form so records are kept – signed? • Example workbook pages 10-13 • Meet regularly and keep the appointment • Privacy and confidentiality

Monitoring via Supervision

• Agree the agenda and be prepared • Revisit previous months meeting and check progress • Empathise with pressures, anxieties, look for success, give praise. • Prepare and be a friendly terrier – never let things go

Support and Supervision • Separate but tend to overlap – could conflict • Supervision normally informal – day to day, week to week, month to month issues and problems • Safe setting for staff to express themselves • Explore possibilities for development • Explore possible appropriate alternative support • Maintain confidentiality but use discretion and judgement

Boundaries between work and personal issues

• Our personal lives will affect our working lives – good supervision will take this into account • Only if the personal problem affects work does it become an issue for you – perhaps alternative ways of working, sick leave, compassionate leave? • You are not there to provide therapy or counselling as their supervisor • Support them to find outside support

Performance

• Everyone is a potential winner although some are disguised as losers –don’t let appearances fool you • Good performance management can turn things around • The important thing is what happens when you are NOT there – not when you are

Poor Performance • Poor performance can occur anywhere and at any time. Its causes are many. Inherited or may creep up slowly. Time/stress management. Lack clarity. De motivation. Change • When results do not meet the required standard, give immediate and constructive feedback and possibly coaching. • Face things early on before it gets out of control • Establish the reasons for the performance Personal? Individual? Organisational?

Poor performance

• Separate facts from feelings – Be in control of your own feelings. Don’t let your personal prejudices cloud your judgment • Sort out the facts. What is the person supposed to be doing? What are they actually doing? What are they doing well? What are the weaknesses? What have they not achieved? • Always listen to the person

Make sure you…..

• Plan – outcome you want, their reaction, alternatives, fall back position • What can you do to improve it? Clarity? • Give good guidance – objectives, detail, standards, resources • Support – Meet regularly, empathise with pressures anxieties, look for success, give praise, when giving feedback focus on the behaviour, not the person • Build the team –Don’t focus on the poor performer to the exclusion of the team, provide clear leadership to create a sense of team work & positive attitude

Face up to the reality • At the end of the process you may have to accept that your hope of a committed, motivated member of staff who is capable of doing the job well & to high standards is simply not realistic. • You may have to settle for a member of staff who is capable of doing the job, or aspects of the job, adequately, someone who contributes in a limited, but still useful manner, to the team. • If you believe that the removal of the person is inevitable then at an early stage look to your policies & procedures Lack of capability or unwillingness to do the job will probably mean eventual disciplinary action. Take expert advice.

When is a risk not really a risk?

• ….. When the risk to the business is higher if the employee stays than if they go!!!

Helpful skills for supervision

• And these are ………….? • A reminder and reflections before we do supervision exercises • Workbook pages 14-15 contains a list

Support, Supervision and Performance

• Case studies. Workbook page 16 • Choose a scenario • Discuss in small groups. Think and plan • What could be happening here? What could the reasons be? What are you going to do? • Agree the details of the scenario and then practise supervising the employee. • 1 person supervisor. 1 person supervisee + observers • Complete workbook questionnaires pages 17-18

Feedback session

• Challenges? • What went well? • What didn’t go so well? • What have you leant?

Action Plan

• Top 2 priorities • What skills do I want to develop more effectively? • What action will I now take? • What changes will I make? • What will I try?