QUALITIES OF A GOOD SUPERVISOR  

Be sure you know exactly what you want an employee to do  
If you haven’t through an assignment yourself, you can’t accurately explain it to anyone else. Incomplete thoughts on your part are a guarantee of inadequate performance on the part of the worker.  
Be sure your instructions are understood  
Don’t assume an employee knows what you want him to do. Make certain if there’s the least doubt in your mind as to an employee’s comprehension of your instructions, ask him to explain them to you.
Avoid straight-jacket management  
Discuss the assignment with the employee. Encourage him to make suggestions and, when practical, give him the opportunity to put his ideas into practice.  
Pinpoint responsibility
Undefined responsibility is a sure road to failure. When you give an assignment, make sure every one involved knows who is in charge and who is responsible foe what.
Be a counselor, not a judge   
Your employees rely on you for advice. Make positive and constructive suggestions when a worker runs into a problem he finds difficult to solve.
Be flexible  
There is usually a better way to do a job. Sensible experimentation may help you find it. If either you or your employee comes up with a good, workable idea on how to improve a method for doing a job, try out. It may lead to save time or save money.
Set deadlines  
Don’t give assignments on an open-end basis. The employee has no idea of the urgency of a job unless you tell him. Set sensible deadlines for the completion of each part of an assignment. That way, both you and he can measure progress.  
Be helpful  
You’re the boss, and an employee is entitled to your help if he asks for it. Show him how he can solve the problem. He can then profit from your knowledge and experience and build his own initiative and self-confidence.  
Don’t do an employee’s works for him  
Giving advice is one thing; taking the job over is another. You won’t help anyone increase his skills or abilities if he knows that any time he runs to you with a problem, you will take care of it with no effort on his part.
Don’t back seat driver  
When you have given an employee an assignment, don’t give over-the shoulder criticism, particularly if it is premature. The smart supervisor tells a subordinate how to do a job, not how not to do it.  
Look at it from his point of view  
If a worker mistakes, ask yourself if they are a result of your own fault or shortcomings….a job beyond his experience, hasty instruction, poor follow-up. Don’t duck your share of the blame. Be sure you judge the quality of an employee’s performance by the quality of your own supervision.  
Review the assignment  
A frank, two-way discussion of a completed job gives you your chance to do your best coaching. Create the opportunity to discuss the employee’s errors in a constructive way, so that, in turn, he can ask you questions. Remember: your answers will help him handle things on his own the next time!

HOW TO DISCIPLINE  

Points a supervisor should follow when it becomes necessary to discipline an employee.  
  Step I - Approach disciplining action in friendly spirit
  Don’t give way to anger.
  Discipline in private.
  Explain to worker why discipline action is necessary.
  Show workers you are interested in their welfare.
  Step II - Fit the penalty to the case.
  Get all the facts about the wrong-doing.
  Let penalty be in proportion to the wrong.
  Take effective action at once.
  Step III - Take an impartial attitude.
  Treat all employees alike.
  Be consistent in your penalties.
  Do not be petty about unimportant details.
  Have as few rules and regulations as possible.
  Step IV - Be reasonable.
  Don’t continue to harp on bygones.
  Avoid nagging.
  Point out something good about a man’s work soon after disciplining .
  Try to reduce necessity for disciplining to minimum. 
  The better the supervision the less the need for discipline.

TRAINING-HOW TO TRAIN  

The things your trainee has to say tell you how effective or (ineffective) your instruction has been…. how well he has grasped the things you’ve tried to get over to him.  

1. His comments will give you an increased understanding and broader view of his capabilities and work potential.
2. The things he says can give you ideas for improving, the training process. They may even pin-point the need to approach it from an entirely different angle.
3. If you look at the training process as simply a ‘one way street’. You might as well wear a pair of blinders. Don’t give yourself any opportunity to miss a talent ‘by-way’ that’s ready and waiting for you to spot and turn to your advantage.

INSTRUCTIONS  'HOW TO INSTRUCT' ?

Your instructions are bound to be better if you PLAN to Analyse the job you want done before you talk to your employee about it. Decide on the objective, check your facts. The surer you are, the easier it will be to tell your man just what should be accomplished.  
 
  EXPLAIN Make certain you: worker understands the purpose of the assignment and the method you want him to use. Give him time to ask any questions he may have about the work.
  CLARIFY If you suspect that your employee isn’t clear on a few points, go back over your instructions again, give him a thorough explanation. If necessary, ask him to repeat the instructions back to you.

It’s better to do this than risk the possibility or costly errors
The manner in which you go about giving an instruction can make all the difference in the world in your worker’s performance.

Good manners for giving instructions

  Speak distinctly. Be accurate.
  Don’t be abrupt. Be consistent.
  Keep instructions as simple. If the instruction is complex, as far as possible write it.
  Have patience with slow Request, suggest but don’t learners demand. 
  Don’t ‘talk down’ to employees. Don’t give too many Instructions at one time.
  Try to adapt your method Make sure you are firm, sympathetic, etc. to instructions
  don’t oppose your worker’s ability. Others you’ve given previously unless you explain
  the change.
  The newspaper formula of who, what, when, where, how, and why works very well
  for checking your skill at giving instructions. Even if you’re familiar with this method
  it might pay to review it.

WHO is being qualified to receive a particular instruction ? Take the job knowledge, experience and availability of the worker into consideration.

WHAT kind of language do you use in your instruction ? Be certain your worker understands the meaning of all your words, phrases and symbols.

WHEN do you want the job started, and when must it be finished ? Rush jobs should have time limits set. Don’t leave this up to your employee to decide.
  
WHERE is the job located ? May be your worker isn’t sure where the job is located or doesn’t know here to get the tools and materials he needs. Set him straight on these things.
  
HOW should the job be done ? If your man is experienced, he won’t need so much explanation - but a new or inexperienced man should have plenty of guidance to get the job done properly.  

MORALE  
  Look for trouble spots If you feel there’s something wrong with the over-all work climate in your area-Try to decide which parts of the procedure and/or policy are rubbing your workers the wrong way.

Look for signs of weakness in group morale.  
  Study the complaints your workers have made recently, and see if you can get to 
  the root of them.  
  Do any of the complaints indicate real trouble, or are they only minor gripes ?  
  observe your employees at different times during the day- on coffee breaks and lunch hours as well as work time - to get an idea of their opinions and feelings. Your men may have good attitudes about the work, but may disagree on other, non-work subjects. Or it might be the other way around . If you can manage to get in on some of your employees’ bull sessions ( without becoming involved ) , you’ll soon be able to tell where the trouble spots lie. Then you’ll have a better opportunity to do what you can to correct them by straightening out misunderstandings and making procedural changes.  

Keep workers informed
Keep your men informed of developments. This makes for better teamwork, because when workers know more about what’s going on, they will be more personally concerned. Keep your self available for consultation as much of the time as you possibly can, and have conference as frequently as necessary. There’s nothing like effective two-way communication for increasing your sensitivity to the situation-and, in turn, making you the kind on top of things, the kind of guy who’ll go to bat for them-help iron out small difficulties before they become big ones.  
 
Problem situations  
How long did it take for the last serious problem to be resolved? Was time lost in recognising the real problem? Could the problem have been settled while it was still minor?  

Communications  
Are you nearly always the last one to know about situations in your group? Has an effective reporting system been established within the group ? Do you emphasis the importance of fast and accurate reporting ?

WORKERS VIEW OF SUPERVISOR  

  What is important is that he holds his temper, never bawls out people in front of others, treats all employees as individuals, really listens when people come in to talk. This is the one who’s their favourite boss.  
  But to some outspoken employees, the boss is ‘the guy with authority’, and no one with authority, and no one with authority is ever a favourite. But if he’s the kind of guy you can respect, that is enough. He will be the best boss, the kind employees respect, the kind they want.  
  In employees own words, the best boss ‘listens to what you have to say and you know he’s listening. You know exactly where you stand. Whether things go in favour or not, you know he’s fair. If an idea give him as merit, he will say so. If it doesn’t he’ll tell you why. That ‘why’ is mighty important. If you have a problem he doesn’t make a big to-do about it. You aren’t afraid to talk it over with him. He is understanding’.  
  The employees want a firm leader. They want him to be demanding. But they want him to have control over his own feelings. They want him to treat them with respect and as individuals. They’ll work harder, contribute more if he does.  
  Today when all-round tension is greater, an even-tempered boss is much easier to work with. The best boss is one who treats everybody equally but who does give individuals pats on the back if deserved. And employees know it if they really deserve it. They do say they’ll work much harder, contribute more if he does.  
  Our employees’ ‘best boss’ is one who gives them credit for knowing their jobs, for having a brain too, for letting them go ahead and use it. And the best boss is one who also is interested in them as a person. ‘Not too interested but enough’.  
  If there was one refrain that ran through all the answers, it was that the best boss is honest one, the one who gives an assignment along with responsibility to work on it but willing to give counsel when the going gets tough and advice is sought. Another way of saying it, ‘He doesn’t bother us as long as we reasonably put out. We work for him, he works for us. And he understands that sometimes there can be breakdowns.’  
  Employees want their boss to be truly dedicated. The best boss knows his people and their capabilities, backs up his deputies, retains his composure, is willing to discuss and issue before making a decision and points out personal short praise is earned’.  
  Did our employees say what they considered the worst boss ? Yes ! The worst bosses are those who don’t know how to communicate: comings in a diplomatic manner while getting the point across. ‘He makes you feel important and your job important. He gives praise when those who lack enthusiasm for their job. ‘If a boss is enthusiastic, the rest of us will be too: if he isn’t enthusiastic, why should we be ?’

PREVENT COMPLAINTS  

  Established customers are a firm’s best friends. The most effective way to keep them is to give them no cause for complaints, to establish your firm on that foundation stone of respect and confidence which is best described by the word ‘dependability’.The ideal way to handle complaints is to prevent things from happening that give rise to grievances, to be careful to give no grounds for a justifiable cause of distress. By thinking of the interest of the customer-a key principle in all business-you are safeguarding also your firm’s success.
  Supervisors can stress quality and service. The do-it-right-the-first-time principle’. Post letters of complaint and also letters of commendation on the bulletin board. Keep a chart showing whether complaints are increasing or decreasing in proportion to production or the service load.  
 
Regard complaints as opportunities  
It is important that employees who handle complaints understand that the customer is doing the company a favour by going to the bother of complaining. ‘One of the costliest tragedies of business is the customer whose dissatisfaction remains unexpressed-the person who simply says nothing but stops buying our product’.  

Hear the customer out  
"The vital thing is for people to listen to customers’, says a manufacturing supervisor. ‘Often all people want is to have their opinions respected. We have to make the customer feel that we understand how he come to take his position. Listening assures him of fairness, which in turn will make him take a fairer attitude in stating his claim’.  
 
Give the customer prompt attention  
In my estimation, nothing annoys a customer more than to be given the run-round’, says a manager. If a complaint is beyond the jurisdiction of the employee, or is too difficult for him to handle, he should be instructed immediately to take it to his supervisor. ‘The supervisor, in turn, shouldn’t give the employee the brush-off by saying, ;Couldn’t you have handled that yourself? Or, ‘Why bother me with something like this? Such comments will discourage  the employee from reporting future complaints to his boss’.  

Show the customer he is important  
In the case of a personal visit, the employee shouldn’t send the customer or client to ‘See Mr. X who is down the hall, second door to the right’. In the presence of the customer, he should phone Mr. X  make suitable arrangements for someone to meet the customer when he gets there. Or if it’s not against company policy, the employee may walk at least part of the way with the customer to make certain he is going in the right direction.  
  On the telephone, being switched from one party to another ad infinitum is even more annoying. A good idea is to furnish each employee who handles inquiries or complaints with a written chart on how to route customer calls in the most expeditious way.
  ‘The customer is the boss’, is more than slogan. Every contract with a customer should make it clear that he is the central figure.