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Supportive Supervision in W-2

Trainer Guide

Goal: This course will provide information, tools and techniques to assist supervisors in creating and maintaining a supportive work environment for staff. Objectives: After attending this course, participants will be able to: • Identify different leadership and management styles and evaluate which style may

be appropriate for different situations and groups. • Adapt personal communication styles to assist in creating and maintaining a

supportive work environment. • Demonstrate effective listening and feedback techniques. • Use problem solving skills to create a more productive working environment. • Apply motivational strategies that can reduce stress and improve performance. • Use team building skills to improve efficiency and provide better customer service.

Trainer’s Notes Supportive Supervision in W-2

DCF/DFES/BWF Partner Training Section 2 9/01/10 S….Enhanced Case Management/Supportive_Supervision_in_ W-2_TN_090110

Housekeeping Tell class about the locations of:

• Restrooms • Break areas • Cafeteria and/or restaurants • Vending machines

Cover specific information concerning the training site:

• Security requirements/check in/visitor badges • Actions in case of emergency-fire, building evacuation, etc. • Restricted areas

Classroom protocol:

• Classroom rules-courtesy, respect, attention, tardiness, etc. • Cell phone use and texting • Appropriate behavior, etc.

Materials Needed 3-6 flip chart easels and paper Masking tape Scenario sheets Markers Flip chart sheets prepared for the activity on TN Page 12 Suggestion: Post leadership and communication style posters around the training room, or have related books available for perusal.



Table of Contents Summarize the Table of Contents and topics that we will discuss during this class. Ask if the class is familiar with these major topics and their importance to providing supportive and effective supervision. Tell the class that if they think of other aspects or topics during the class that they believe should be added, they should note them on their class evaluations so that we can take a look at including them in future classes.



Leadership Create two columns on flip chart paper. The two headings are Supervise and Lead. Ask what these mean and record responses. Possible responses to this Supervision vs. Leadership Activity:

Supervision Leadership Tell staff what to do Be an example Monitor and follow-up Train staff Conduct discipline Coach staff Organize Mentor staff Set an example Empower staff Train staff Provide feedback Correct behavior Actively listen Let people do their jobs Talk about how the words are different, but can mean the same thing. Talk about that even though our title may be supervisor – we want to think and act like leaders... Paraphrase the information on this Leadership page. Discuss the terms responsibility and accountability. Are they the same, or are they different? Can you give one without the other?



Survey State that the class will take a brief survey. Ask the class to identify how often they practice these behaviors by circling the appropriate numbers listed for each frequency. Score Interpretation 55-64 You are an excellent leader. Keep it up! 40-54 Good job, but you have room to improve. 25-39 Significant improvements can be made. Below 25 You need to do some concentrated work. State that the results are private, but they show where there may be areas where they could improve their leadership skills. Ask to circle or highlight those areas that they scored lowest. Revisit at the end of the class – this will be in trainer notes on Page 38 .



Leadership Behaviors Discuss the two Leadership behaviors.



Leadership Styles Stemming from these two leadership behaviors are four distinct leadership styles. Discuss the 4 styles. Tie each style with the appropriate box in the graph (S1, S2, etc) Style 1: __DIRECTING_______ The leader provides specific instructions and closely supervises task accomplishment. Style 2: __COACHING_______ The leader continues to direct and closely supervise task accomplishment, but also explains decisions, solicits suggestions, and supports progress. Style 3: __SUPPORTING_____ The leader facilitates and supports team members’ efforts toward task accomplishment and shares responsibility for decision-making with them. Style 4: _DELEGATING______ The leader turns over responsibility for decision-making and problem-solving to subordinates. Provide examples of each style. S1 – Do it like this (DIRECTING) S2 – Do it like this; here is why (COACHING) S3 – Do it like this; or do you have a different idea (SUPPORTING) S4 – Just do it (DELEGATING) Read each style and ask class to raise their hand at the style they believe they usually exhibit. Ask if they are like that all the time with everyone they supervise. Chances are when you asked them to choose a style, you heard comments like “it depends.” That is mostly true. There is no one best leadership style. The style you apply depends on the employee, and sometimes on the need of the agency/organization. Remind the class that there is no one best leadership style; different situations and people involved may require different styles.



Applying the Appropriate Leadership Style Stress that it is important to apply the appropriate leadership style to the person’s development llevel. Relate the two major aspects of the development styles: Competency and Commitment _Competency__ - a function of knowledge and skills that can be gained from education, training or experience. _Commitment - a combination of confidence (ability to perform a task well without supervision) and motivation (interest and enthusiasm for doing a task well). Ask if they have seen the different development levels among their staff. Would anyone like to share their experiences with employees illustrating the different development levels and how they approached leading them?



Applying the Appropriate Leadership Style Review and discuss: What is the appropriate leadership style to apply at the various development levels? The Four Development Levels Discuss the Development Levels. Ask for examples of the development levels they may have seen with their staff. Examples: Low Competency/High Commitment New worker – perhaps spends own time taking NWT – looks to other staff members for review of work. Some Competency/Low Commitment Worker on the job for a few months – not excited about attending additional training. High Competency/Variable Commitment Very competent – not crazy about working extra hours – not willing to help less experienced workers. High Competency/High Commitment Very proficient – asks for additional work – volunteers to help train new workers. Use the examples provided by the class to discuss how the different leadership styles could be applied in those situations. Ask for volunteers to train the next section. You usually will not have anyone who really wants to do this, and chances are good that no one will volunteer. Ask why there were no volunteers. Responses may include: Never trained before Uncomfortable Do not know material Ask what their commitment level is. Probably a D2. Some competence – but little commitment. If someone does volunteer, ask why. Did they have training experience? Do they know the material?



Leadership Styles Appropriate for the Various Development Levels Discuss examples of each development level. Link the leadership styles and development styles during the discussion. D1 – New worker with little experience, but a lot of motivation to learn D2 – Experienced worker, but taking over new job duties (covering for someone on maternity leave). Motivation could be low due to lack of time, or does not like job function. D3 – Experienced worker may lack confidence and/or motivation. May be bored with some parts of the job that are too routine/mundane. May be experiencing burnout. D4 – Experienced workers – very committed and motivated. Ask for a volunteer to read the quote at the bottom of the page.



Group Activity Break class into groups of four or five. Use the leadership scenarios in the appendix. Each group gets a scenario. Groups will decide the development level of the person in the scenario and explain why they chose that level. They also will decide on the appropriate leadership style to use. Allow 5-10 minutes for the group to make their decision and to explain how they would communicate with the employee. Inform the group that a spokesperson will be needed for each group to read the scenario and report back. Explain that while it is often difficult to put people in boxes, we will ask them to do this for the purposes of this activity. Allow a large group discussion regarding the decisions made by individual groups. Possible answers to scenarios: Mary: Development level: D1 or D2 Leadership style: Coaching Communication: Support and direct Mark: Development level: D2 or D3 Leadership style: Coaching Communication: Support, assist with multi-tasking Nancy: Development level: D4 Leadership style: Delegating Communication: Support, you are there to help if needed Ted: Development level: D3 Leadership style: Supporting/Coaching Communication: Praise, offer any needed training



Three Skills Needed Discuss the three skills. Ask for examples of when they used one or more of these skills.

Benefits of Using the Appropriate Leadership Style Ask for benefits of using the appropriate leadership style, depending on the situation and the individual. Record on flipchart. Examples:

• Fairness • Higher performance • Working as a team – not ganging up against a supervisor • Increased motivation • Better organized team • Better communication • Potentially less work for the supervisor in the long run



Communication Styles Stress that is not always about what is communicated – but how it is communicated. Understanding different styles and seeing the perspective of others reduces tension in the workplace.

Activity Have four flip chart sheets prepared with the following words written on them. Chart 1 Chart 2 Chart 3 Chart 4 Dramatic Goals Feelings Research Upbeat Competitive Connections Systematical Exaggeration Impatient Relationships Analyze Creative Multi-task Team-oriented Theory Flexibility Values time Friendly Cautious Value freedom Bottom-line Helpful Sequence Uses intuition Get it done Collaboration Questions Fast Ask class to walk around the room and look at all the sheets. They should stand next to the sheet that has the words that best represents their primary communication style. Give each group a clean sheet and have them make a list of how they like to communicate. Then have each group report back to the larger group. Class returns to their seats. Explain: Chart 1 – Expresser Chart 2 – Driver Chart 3 – Relater Chart 4 – Analytical State we will be learning more about these styles on the next couple pages.



Communication Styles Review the characteristics, signs and communication tips. After each style, ask what strengths the style brings to the W-2 program. Examples: Expresser Customers will probably like them They will find the flexibility in W-2 policy Fun to have around Get things done quickly Driver Probably good at developing short term goals Focus on and get things done Make decisions quickly and decisively Goal, task and results oriented



Communication Styles Review the characteristics, signs and communication tips. After each style, ask what strengths each style brings to the W-2 program. Examples: Relater Will have real concern for W-2 participant Active listeners Good at discovering strengths and barriers Have the ability to blend into any situation well Analytical Will have lots of labor market data May spend a lot of time with W-2 participants gathering data May be good at interpreting assessment information Probably good at quality control/quality assurance and/or monitoring



Group Activity Ask the participants to return to the communication style flip charts where they self-identified. The trainer will need to be a bit creative here because it will depend on the number of folks at each flip chart. The activity is that each communication style will need to decide:

• Why is this issue challenging for their particular communication style?

• How would they adapt their communication style, or utilize another communication style, or better deal with their particular assigned issue?

Prepare sheets: Each sheet has one of the following staff issues on it so you can give one to each group. One of their staff members:

• Is interpreting W-2 policy too literally and is assigning all the same activities/hours to all customers in order to meet work participation rates.

• Is reluctant to implement new policies and procedures designed to meet the

2010-2011 contract expectations for up front job search.

• Is hesitant to market and promote employment retention and advancement services to participants in a CMF placement. (When will I have time to do this too!)

• Has a personal value system that is affecting work with customers (e.g., I didn’t

get to go to school; W-2 shouldn’t support post secondary education or training). Give each group a clean sheet of paper and have them ponder the preceding two questions concerning their communication style and their assigned issue. They should record their thoughts on the sheet given them. Then have each group report back to the larger group. Tell class to return to seats.



Improve Communication with Staff

Ask class participants to answer the questions and complete the form. State that it is personal, but they may share if they like.



Effective Feedback Ask: Who has given feedback today? Say: Right, you probably all have. Feedback is just the reaction to someone else’s action. Your reaction either encourages or discourages the repeat of that action. Feedback can be as simple as a smile. How does it make you feel when someone smiles at you? (Elicit responses). Who is it easier to strike up a conversation with, someone who is smiling, or someone who is frowning or does not look very friendly? Review the first paragraph. Say: Giving feedback should be continual, not just done at the time of a performance review. We will not be discussing specifically how to do a performance review because every agency has its own policy. We will be learning how to use different types of feedback and tools to carry it out. This will allow feedback to be an ongoing process and help to make performance reviews perceived as a more positive experience and not something that is dreaded by both the employee and the supervisor. Ask if they know their agency documentation policy. Stress that documentation is important; however, explain that this training will not address specifically how to document because agency procedures/policies differ.

Activity Say: We all have at least one person that we would like to or need to give feedback, but we have been putting it off because we did not know what to say or we are dreading raising the issue. Think of that person now. In the area titled “Write a job-related behavior within your agency that needs to be addressed:” record the behavior that you need to give feedback on. As we progress through this training, keep that person in mind.



Reinforcement Say that we are going to take a closer look at reinforcement because even though we may think we are good supporters, there are some tips that can make this type of feedback even more powerful. We feel better when we believe we contribute to the organization, and our self-esteem rises along with our productivity and desire to do even better. The difference between good supervisors and great supervisors is that great supervisors recognize the power of positive feedback (reinforcement) and use it. They know people need to hear when they are doing things right. Frequent Observing work performance and providing feedback needs to be a routine part of your supervisory process. If employees feel you are aware of and involved in their performance, they will be more motivated to accomplish tasks. Remember, feedback comes in many forms; it does not need to be excessive to be effective. Accurate The content of any feedback needs to be accurate and concrete, relating to the goals of the organization, and based on behavior. If you did not personally view the behavior, make sure it is true before rewarding it. The more accurate your interaction, the more trust employees will put in your opinions and comments. Specific State your observations simply. Be direct and clear and make sure your feedback is relevant and meaningful to the recipient. Vague or over generalized feedback may be dismissed ,or worse, you may be perceived as insincere. When giving feedback on overall behavior, make sure to choose at least one detail to be specific about. Timely If feedback is given as soon as possible after the performance, it has more impact and the employee has confidence in the basis of that feedback. When feedback is part of your communication and interaction process, it makes it easier to approach redirection issues with those employees.



Redirection Everyone has received inappropriate feedback (redirection) or accurate feedback given in an ineffective way. Ask participants to recall an incident and state some of the things that made it inappropriate or ineffective. Record responses on flip chart. Ask if as a result of this, were they motivated or demotivated and why? Learning is a life-long process. We all make mistakes, lose our motivation or head in the wrong direction. Feedback often is dreaded and never seems easy. Because most of us have had bad feedback experiences, we worry we will de-motivate staff. Learning to contribute to an employee’s improvement while avoiding the dread and/or potential conflict associated with feedback is an important part of staff motivation. Focused on acts, not attitudes. It responds to specific actions that are done in the process of performing one’s job.

Direct toward the future. It does not dwell on past acts, but uses them as springboards to help develop action plans.

Goal oriented. We all juggle multiple layers of goals (personal, team, departmental, organizational). Useful feedback helps to realign or prioritize those goals for employees.

Multidirectional. If feedback is only hierarchical, it becomes a sword wielded by those above us. If it is viewed as a sharing of insights unique to each of us in our positions, it is viewed as information given for the team to meet its goal.

Supportive. It is given in the spirit of supportiveness with helpfulness in mind. It never belittles or attacks the recipient.

Continual. Feedback needs to be part of the process of achieving our goals. If it is only brought out and used during formal evaluations, it loses its effectiveness. When it is continual, team members feel comfortable responding to feedback as the tool for growth that it can be.



Redirection We need to invest preparation time and energy for redirection feedback. The checklist and tips are helpful in this process. Stress that redirection should always be sandwiched between reinforcement.



Redirection Listen “Seek first to understand.” Quite often, people know when their performance needs improvement. By allowing them to verbalize needed actions first, it alleviates embarrassment and gives them ownership. Start the redirection with a question. Use all of your listening skills when they respond. If they become defensive or angry, allow them to vent, but do not allow it to distract you from your goal of redirection. Stay open to ideas and options from that person. Control your emotional responses. Align Explain how their actions interfere with the goals. Give specific examples. If there is any confusion, clarify your expectations. Avoid evaluation, labeling, or giving advice. Solve All redirection must have a goal-setting component. Provide input as needed in developing the action plan while allowing the employee to create the specific outcome. Most people are quite capable of planning a course of action after they have good information on which to act. Set a timeline and schedule a follow-up meeting. Thank you Always finish a redirection session with gratitude for the person’s time, attention, understanding, and input, or other positive components. If you let them know you appreciate their contributions to the feedback process, they will feel more a part of it and may begin to look forward to these growth opportunities. Discuss in detail any points not discussed earlier such as: Appropriate time and place – make sure it is appropriate for the receiver also. Remind participants that:

• Redirection is always done in private, never in public. • Setting – in addition to being done in private, where do you want to give it? • Timing of when the redirection is given (Friday afternoon, or can it wait until

Monday)? • Know what triggers their hot button. • Anticipate how they may react.



Action Plan Participants will complete the action plan for the behavior they identified at the beginning of this section. Ask participants to share. This is a great tool for supervisors!



Creative Problem Solving-Attitude Introduce problem solving and its two elements: Attitude and Ownership. Ask: Why does it need to be creative? Allow a few minutes to complete the checklist. Ask for comments.



Creative Problem Solving-Ownership Review the bullet points.



Problems Ask the class to list a problem that exists in their agency. Encourage the use of a different problem than the one used during the feedback section. Feedback was about individual behavior. State that we would like them to use this problem that they have identified throughout this section.



Steps to Problem Solving Review the 5 steps. During further discussion on each of the steps, the class should be encouraged to make notes in the participant guide concerning the problem they identified. Look For or Become Aware of the Problem Take a couple minutes to brainstorm how we could find problems within an agency. Identify and Define the Problem In this step, we want to be able to discover the root cause and define the problem in a single sentence. Remember that a problem is the gap between what is and what ought to be. Problem solving is how we close the gap. This step helps us understand the two sides of the gap before we try to bridge them. Often when this step is skipped the symptoms of the problem are addressed, but the root cause is never identified and therefore returns. Research suggests that the effectiveness of solutions increases 85% after the real problem is identified. The best way to define the problem is to begin asking questions. If this is done thoroughly, the solutions may present themselves pretty clearly. Caution: Do not jump to Step 5 – implementing the solution. It may be tempting to short cut the process when you have a solution, but it is best to process the problem all the way through and then either fine tune the solution or discard it for a better one.



Activity Using the Fishbone, have the class take a few minutes to write their problem in the head of the fish. Have each person attempt to identify a major cause of the problem. Then they should try to identify the whys.



Problem Solving Gather Relevant Facts and People Gathering facts is mostly the process of asking ourselves the right questions. What has happened and precisely how did it happen? In the interest of objectivity, we want to make sure that we examine the situation from every viewpoint and arrive at an assessment that everyone can concur with.

Where and when did the problem occur? Is the location or time factor of significance? Who are the people involved in the situation, and in what way does (or did) their involvement affect the situation? Can we expect their behavior to change in any way? Is the problem more because of the people involved rather than the situation? Will the situation cause their normal behaviors to change?

Why hasn’t the situation resolved itself? What am I missing? Is there a reason this problem continues? Generate Creative Alternative Solutions • All ideas, even absurd or impractical ones are encouraged.

This is critical. Sometimes the strangest ideas end up being the best. • The goal is the quantity of ideas.

More is always better. Write them all down. • No judgments are made about any ideas.

No eye-rolling – no criticism – no “that will never work!” comments. • Ideas may be combined and built on by others on the team.

The more you allow the creative juices to flow, the more likely this will happen. Sometimes the ideas will be short-term fixes that can be built up to find a long-term solution.

Group Activity Break class into groups. Groups will choose one of the problems presented by someone in the group and go through the first 4 steps and try to find a solution. The trainer will need to be cautious that the groups do not pick personality type issues. Trainer should encourage some of the group members to be staff and not supervisors. Those group members should be active members of the discussion. Without this piece, all members of the group will skip steps 3 and 4. If a group seems to get done quickly, have them choose another problem by a group member.



Problem Solving Implement the best solution Keep in mind that sometimes you may need to resort to that short-term fix before you can implement the long-term solution. Ask the groups for their solutions. Ask why? This should be a lively interactive discussion. Evaluate Outcomes and Adapt This is so important – and often not done. Ask every group how their intended outcomes would be evaluated. Is there a method in place to evaluate? Will the solution they decided on work? Why or why not?



Motivation Myths: 1. I can motivate people. Not really – they have to motivate themselves. You can’t motivate people any more than you can empower them. Employees have to motivate and empower themselves. However, you can set up an environment where they best motivate and empower themselves. The key is knowing how to set up the environment for each of your employees. 2. Money is a good motivator. Not really. Certain things like money, a nice office and job security can help people from becoming less motivated, but they usually don’t help people become more motivated. The goal is to understand the motivations of each person. 3. Fear is a good motivator. Fear is a great motivator – but only for a very short time. That is why threats or a lot of yelling from the supervisor won’t inspire or light a spark under an employee for very long. Threats just create distrust and fear, and they are both demotivating in the long run. Instead of threats, take firm, appropriate action only when necessary. 4. I know what motivates me, so I know what motivates my staff. Not really. Different people are motivated by different things. Some people appreciate having time away from work so they can spend more time with family. Some people may be motivated by recognition of a job well done. People are not motivated by the same thing – understand what motivates each of your staff. 5. Increased job satisfaction means increased job performance. Research shows that is not necessarily true. Increased job satisfaction does not necessarily translate to increased job performance. If the goals of the organization are not aligned with the goals of the employee, then employees are not working effectively toward the mission of the agency. 6. I can’t comprehend employee motivation – it’s a science. Not true! There are very basic steps that you can take that will go a long way toward supporting your staff to motivate themselves toward increased performance in their job. We talk about those steps later.



Basic Principles to Remember Motivating employees starts with motivating yourself It's amazing how, if you hate your job, it seems that everyone else does, too. If you are very stressed out, it seems that everyone else is, too. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you're enthusiastic about your job, it's much easier for others to be, too. Also, if you're doing a good job of taking care of yourself and your own job, you'll have much clearer perspective on how others are doing in theirs. A great place to start learning about motivation is to start understanding your own motivations. The key to helping to motivate your employees is to understand what motivates them. What motivates you? Consider, for example, time with family, recognition, a job well done, service, learning, etc. How is your job configured to support your own motivations? What can you do to better motivate yourself? Always work to align goals of the organization with goals of employees As mentioned above, employees can be all fired up about their work and be working very hard. However, if the results of their work don't contribute to the goals of the organization, then the organization is not any better off than if the employees were sitting on their hands -- maybe worse off! Therefore, it's critical that managers and supervisors know what they want from their employees. These preferences should be worded in terms of goals for the organization. Identifying the goals for the organization usually is done during strategic planning. Whatever steps you take to support the motivation of your employees (various steps are suggested below), ensure that employees have strong input to identifying their goals and that these goals are aligned with the goals of the organization. (Goals should be worded to be "SMARTER." More about this later on below.) Key to supporting the motivation of your employees is understanding what motivates each of them Each person is motivated by different things. Whatever steps you take to support the motivation of your employees, they first should include finding out what really motivates each of your employees. You can find this out by asking them, listening to them and observing them. (More about this later on.) Recognize that supporting employee motivation is a process, not a task Organizations change all the time, as do people. Indeed, it is an ongoing process to sustain an environment where each employee can strongly motivate him/herself. If you look at sustaining employee motivation as an ongoing process, then you'll be much more fulfilled and motivated yourself. Support employee motivation by using organizational systems (for example, policies and procedures) -- don't just count on good intentions Don't just count on cultivating strong interpersonal relationships with employees to help motivate them. The nature of these relationships can change greatly, for example, during times of stress. Instead, use reliable and comprehensive systems in the workplace to help motivate employees. For example, establish expectations and standards, employee performance systems, organizational policies and procedures, etc., to support employee motivation. Also, establishing various systems and structures helps ensure clear understanding and equitable treatment of employees.



Steps You Can Take 1. Apply what you have learned today. 2. Briefly write down the motivational factors that sustain you and what you can do to sustain them This little bit of "motivation planning" can give you a strong perspective on how to think about supporting the motivations of your employees. 3. Make of list of three to five things that motivate each of your employees Read the checklist of possible motivators. Fill out the list yourself for each of your employees and then have each of your employees fill out the list for themselves. Compare your answers to theirs. Recognize the differences between your impression of what you think is important to them and what they think is important to them. Then meet with each of your employees to discuss what they think are the most important motivational factors to them. Lastly, take some time alone to write down how you will modify your approaches with each employee to ensure their motivational factors are being met. (NOTE: This may seem like a "soft, touchy-feely exercise" to you. If it does, then talk to a peer or your boss about it. Much of what's important in management is based very much on "soft, touchy-feely exercises." Learn to become more comfortable with them. The place to start is to recognize their importance.) 4. Work with each employee to ensure his/her motivational factors are taken into consideration in your reward systems For example, their jobs might be redesigned to be more fulfilling. You might find more means to provide recognition, if that is important to them. You might not have any control over increasing salaries and compensation, but other types of rewards are just as important to employees, such as allowing more family time, special consideration concerning personal requests, providing opportunities to pursue professional development or additional education, etc. 5. Have one-on-one meetings with each employee Employees are motivated more by your care and concern for them than by your attention to them. Get to know your employees, their families, their favorite foods, names of their children, etc. This can sound manipulative -- and it will be if it is not done sincerely. However, even if you sincerely want to get to know each of your employees, it may not happen unless you intentionally set aside time to be with each of them. 6. Cultivate strong skills in delegation Delegation includes conveying responsibility and authority to your employees so they can carry out certain tasks. However, you leave it up to your employees to decide how they will carry out the tasks. Skills in delegation can free up a great deal of time for managers and supervisors. It also allows employees to take a stronger role in their jobs, which usually also means more fulfillment and motivation in their jobs. 7. Reward it when you see it A critical lesson for new managers and supervisors is to learn to focus on employee behaviors, not on employee personalities. Performance in the workplace should be based on behaviors toward goals, not on popularity of employees. You can get into a great deal of trouble (legally, morally and interpersonally) for focusing only on how you feel about your employees instead of on what you're seeing.

http://www.managementhelp.org/guiding/motivate/mtv_list.htm



8. Reward it soon after you see it This helps to reinforce that you highly prefer the behaviors that you're currently seeing from your employees. Often, the shorter the time between an employee's action and your reward for the action, the clearer it is to the employee that you highly prefer that action. 9. Implement at least the basic principles of performance management Good performance management includes identifying goals, measures to indicate whether or not the goals are being met, ongoing attention and feedback about measures toward the goals, and corrective actions to redirect activities toward achieving the goals when necessary. Performance management can focus on organizations, groups, processes in the organization and employees. 10. Establish goals that are SMARTER SMARTER goals are:

Specific, Measurable, Acceptable, Realistic, Timely, Extending of capabilities, and Rewarding to those involved.

11. Clearly convey how employee results contribute to organizational results Employees often feel strong fulfillment from realizing that they're actually making a difference. This realization often requires clear communication about organizational goals, employee progress toward those goals and celebration when the goals are met. 12. Celebrate achievements This critical step often is forgotten. New managers and supervisors often are focused on getting "a lot done." This usually means identifying and solving problems. Successful managers come to understand that acknowledging and celebrating a solution to a problem can be every bit as important as the solution itself. Without ongoing acknowledgement of success, employees become frustrated, skeptical and even cynical about efforts in the organization. 14. Admit to yourself (and to an appropriate someone else) if you don't like an employee Managers and supervisors are people. It's not unusual to not like someone who works for you. That someone could, for example, look like an uncle you don't like. In this case, admit to yourself that you don't like the employee. Then talk to someone else who is appropriate to hear about your distaste for the employee, for example, a peer, your boss, your spouse, etc. Indicate to the appropriate person that you want to explore what it is that you don't like about the employee and would like to have a clearer perception of how you can accomplish a positive working relationship with the employee. It often helps a great deal just to talk out loud about how you feel and get someone else's opinion about the situation. As noted above, if you continue to focus on what you see about employee performance, you'll go a long way toward ensuring that your treatment of employees remains fair and equitable.

Possible Motivator Checklist To help you identify what motivates you, consider from among the categories of typical

motivators. Rank the categories, starting with "1" as the highest. You might have several categories that rank "1." Don't worry about getting your ranking to be "perfect." The

point is to go through the process of thinking about what motivates you. Consider discussing the results with your supervisor, friends, etc.



Encouraging Teamwork

Group Activity Divide the class into six groups (one for each key from the appendix). Assign each group one of the keys. Each group will discuss their key and come up with ways to use their assigned key to encourage teamwork. They will record their ideas on flipchart paper. Give each of the groups a scenario from the appendix after they have completed the previous activity. The scenario will give them a situation that they need to address. They are to use the flipchart suggestions given to their key to “solve” their scenario. If they come up with additional ideas as they work on their scenario, they are to add them to the flipchart in a different colored marker than the original ideas from the previous step. Each group then will share their scenario solution with feedback suggestions also given from the large group. If additional ideas come up from the class in the debrief, add them to the flipchart lists. Tell the class that you will email out the lists. (Make the lists look professional; hopefully they will hang it in their office to remind them of teamwork!) Work Together Suggested answers:

Do not cancel the meeting; the problems will not disappear on their own Try another attempt to get their input; ask for agenda items through an email;

responding to an email may be less threatening than a direct conversation Hold the meeting; be honest

Keep staff informed

Ask staff what they need

Be sure to follow up on concerns or ideas shared at the meeting

Bring food ~ shows hospitality and caring



Build Skills Suggested answers:

Individually meet with staff to find out what they would like to do with this staff

change ~ do they want a change or continue to do what they are doing? If they want a change, what skills or interests do they bring for this new

responsibility (hobbies, previous education and training)? What type of staff training is needed to get the plan moving?

Start discussing team changes at weekly staff meetings to lay the foundation for

change Develop individual staff training plans

Motivate Them Suggested answers: Acknowledge their feelings Remember that motivation is individual

Schedule a “fun meeting” (example, potluck luncheon meeting) to brainstorm

ideas for retention strategies; get staff input for planning this Mariana needs to stay upbeat and set an example for staff, continuing with her

job functions and responsibilities Continue to plan “fun” activities for the group (e.g., potluck, ice cream social at a

staff meeting, etc) Mariana needs to be available to staff to talk this through if needed and let staff

know she is there for them Thank staff whenever possible and feasible If Employee Assistance Program is available, use this as a resource Stay connected with staff to see how they are doing



Buddy Up Suggested answers: Talk to the administrative support supervisor; share that you have staff with

different learning styles and ask if there are staff assigned to this training that can meet these needs

Talk to your staff individually; find out what they need from the training Ask both staffs if they have a preference for whom they work with, emphasizing

that all need to be trained and you and the administrative support supervisor will work to set up a plan

Ensure trainer and trainee that you and the administrative support supervisor will

follow up regularly to see how things are going; staff also should communicate with their direct supervisor if there are concerns

Set Goals Suggested answers:

Start by updating department goals; start the process at a regularly scheduled

staff meeting and then set a separate meeting to work on goal updates Ask staff to look at newly developed department goals as they develop their own

goals Meet individually with staff to discuss their goals

Assure staff that goals will be looked at halfway through the year to measure

progress by you and them in an individual meeting Provide each staff member with department goals to hang in their offices; make

sure it looks professional!



Show Value Suggested answers:

Staff ideas are important; LaKeysha should have involved them in coverage

ideas for the person on medical leave; she also should have shared that she would be out of the office more with her extra responsibilities, but let them know when she would be in her office and available

Apologize for not involving them in decisions and keeping them better informed

LaKeysha needs to take time to see what her staff has been doing, maybe

connect with other supervisors located on site to find out how her staff is handling their extra responsibilities

Check with QA staff to get specific examples of a job well done Explain to staff that your extra projects will make you less available in the office,

but get their ideas on how to stay connected Thank them for all that they have done; without their commitment to their jobs,

they would not be able to handle these extra responsibilities Make it a point to stay in touch



Supervisory Self-Assessment and Action Plan Stress the point that no one is a perfect supervisor, and that we all have things we need to improve or work on. Point out that we also have strengths, which can be very useful as supervisors. Ask the class to take a few moments and fill out the supervisory questionnaire concerning their top three strengths and three things they need to work on. They can also refer back to the survey they took at the beginning of the day on PG Page 5 to see if the information is still the same. Ask them to think about the things they need to work on, what they can do to improve in these areas, and goals and timeframes for these actions. State that we must be able to manage ourselves before we can manage others effectively.

Summary and Wrap Up Summarize the major points of the training:

• leadership • communications styles • effective feedback • creative problem solving • motivation • encouraging teamwork

Challenge them to be effective and supportive supervisors. Thank them for their attention.



Appendix



Leadership Scenarios Mary was previously a clerical worker in the W-2 unit and is now a FEP. She is enthusiastic and a real go-getter. It is Monday morning; Mary completed new worker online training on Friday and will be attending her Enhanced Case Management classroom trainings in the next few months. Mary told you that she is feeling overwhelmed with everything she has just learned, but is confident that with time she will do fine. One of her tasks today is to do her first informal W-2 assessment on her own. Mark has been on the job for nine months and is developing a good understanding of W-2 policy and CARES/CWW procedures. However, you sense he is feeling stressed because he had to take on more cases due to vacancies. These vacancies include both long and short term situations. Nancy is a very experienced staff member. She has been a lead W-2 worker the past 8 years and does an outstanding job. Nancy has the creative mind in the group, will run with an idea and see it through to successful completion. Nancy’s task is to head up a committee to survey customer satisfaction in the agency. Ted has just been promoted to a supervisor position and now supervises 6 workers. For the past 10 years, Ted has been a FEP, has been active on several state and local workgroups and has helped to implement several new initiatives. Because of Ted’s excellent work, you know that Ted will make a fine supervisor; however, Ted is feeling a little insecure about his abilities.



Work Together Michelle has worked at the W-2 agency for the past three years. Previously, she worked as a head teller and supervisor for 5 customer service representatives at a local bank. She was very well liked and did a great job, but she wanted a new challenge. She started to apply for other positions in her community. She soon was hired as a receptionist at the W-2 agency, and after a few months took a job as a FEP. Michelle was recently promoted to a FEP supervisor, responsible for managing 10 FEPs. The previous supervisor was very controlling; Michelle’s supervision style has always been to work as a team. She held her first staff meeting last week and shared with staff her excitement about working as a team. She asked them to get back to her with ideas that would help to promote a team environment. Michelle has not heard from any of them. She has heard through the “grape vine” that staff are not buying into this team concept. Some of them are angry because Michelle got the promotion and they had been at the agency longer, applied and interviewed, but were not hired. It is now time for her second staff meeting, but she is thinking she should cancel it. Michelle doesn’t even know what her staff wants to talk about. She is beginning to doubt her skills as a supervisor. What should she do?



Build Skills Cheryl is a W-2 Manager and supervises 13 staff, including two clerical staff, one resource specialist, and 10 FEPS. Some of the FEPs have specialized caseloads (W-2 Ts or Job Ready CSJs). There also are two FEPs on staff who have a partial caseload, while also handling responsibilities as a workshop coordinator and worksite coordinator. Cheryl has been notified that the FEP specializing in a W-2 T caseload is retiring in 6 months. She has already been told by her W-2 director that this position will not be filled and to work with the staff she currently has. What can she do in the next 6 months so she and the staff are prepared for this? Motivate them Mariana has been working with the agency director to implement internal processes to meet the 2010-2011 W-2 contract expectations, especially related to increased job retention efforts. Although staff agree that these are nice ideas, they are already overwhelmed with documentation requirements and non-participation requirements. Mariana shared these job retention strategies with staff last week, and the morale in her department is the lowest she has ever seen it because of these additional job responsibilities and expectations. She has a great staff, but is worried about how this is affecting her staff both personally and professionally. She needs to do something, but what?



Buddy up The W-2 Agency you work for recently purchased a data matching system to better match W-2 participants and their skills to job openings. Clerical staff have been trained on this system, along with you and the administrative support supervisor. This system is going live in six months, and all FEPS need to be trained to enter information into this system as they meet with their participants. They also are expected to update this system as the W-2 participant gains new skills. Clerical staff will be responsible to update employer information received from FEP and/or job development staff and will be responsible to pull off reports for matching. You have five FEPS to be trained on this and already are dreading the process. You are speculating that three or four of your staff will catch on very quickly to this, but the other one or two will need more time and direction. Two clerical staff are assigned to do this training, but you do not know them very well! You know you need to get this training scheduled, but how? Set goals It is that busy time of the year again! Van needs to get his annual performance evaluations done for his staff. His manager already reminded him of the deadline. This year, his manager not only wants reports on performance measures, but he also wants Van to have his staff include professional goals on their evaluations. Van knows goals are important, but what is he going to do with all of their goals other than put them in a spreadsheet for his manager? He was also given the task of updating goals for his department. How will goal setting improve the staff and the department? How can Van make this an effective process?



Show value Lakeysha has been a W-2 supervisor for the past 5 years. She started with a great staff, and her staff loved her as a supervisor! She would always tell other supervisors how great her staff is and that she does not need to “babysit them.” They know what to do and just do it! Because of Lakeysha’s great organizational and leadership skills, she recently was appointed to a few statewide teams regarding extensive policy and systems changes. She has been out of her office quite a bit in the last few months. Lakeysha continues to hold her monthly staff meetings to tell staff about any new policies or procedures and just to check in. Other than this, she doesn’t spend much time with her staff, although she does return emails and phone calls to stay in touch. Her staff also has a member on medical leave for the next four months, but Lakeysha handled this. At a staff meeting two months ago, she shared with staff the “game plan” to redistribute this work equally. Staff said that they could handle the extra work for this short time period. Things seem to be going well; all performance goals and standards are being met by Lakeysha’s staff. Her staff has seemed a little less friendly towards her, but she knows they are very busy with the extra workload. It is Tuesday morning, and Lakeysha was scheduled to be out of the office for an offsite 8am meeting. She came in early to make copies, and as she walked past the break room, she overheard two of her staff talking. They both said that Lakeysha had no clue about what happens daily in their jobs any more. They just want things to be how they were before Lakeysha took on extra responsibilities. Lakeysha felt terrible. What could have LaKeysha done differently? What should she do now?

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