TAKE INITIATIVE. To take initiative,
develop the following aptitudes:
1. Start new actions or plans without being
told.
2. Anticipate situations rather than react to
them.
3. Take resourceful and persistent action.
Supervision
Supervision is the ability of a leader to get a
job done, oversee the work process, and coordi-
nate efforts toward task completion. The super-
vision skill group includes six of the leadership
skills:
1. Planning and organizing
2. Optimizing use of resources
3. Delegating
4. Monitoring results
5. Rewarding
6. Disciplining
PLANNING AND ORGANIZING. When
planning and organizing how to do a job or
correct a problem, first arrange the activities,
people, or materials involved into a sensible order.
For example, you might arrange them by priority,
sequence, position in the chain of command, or
administrative functions. Whatever order you
decide to use, plan and organize so that you
proceed from the problem to a goal.
First you must determine the specific steps you
must take to get the job done. List and figure the
equipment, time, and manpower needed for the
job. Try to foresee any problems that might arise.
Ask yourself, Are time, equipment, or personnel
scarce? Do the personnel assigned have the skills
or knowledge to perform the assigned tasks?
Next list your plans in their order of
importance. What must be done now? What can
be left until later? By deciding the order in which
you must carry out your plans, you can set up a
plan of action.
A plan of action lists who will do what tasks
at what period. Take time to write down a plan
of action. Doing that will help you work around
obstacles, such as times your people will be away
from the work center.
Taking the following steps will allow you to
plan for interruptions and still complete the
assigned task in the most efficient and effective
manner.
1. Identify action steps, resources, or
obstacles involved in reaching a goal.
2. Prepare a schedule.
3. Set priorities.
These steps will allow you to plan for
interruptions and still complete the assigned task
in the most efficient and effective manner.
OPTIMIZING USE OF RESOURCES. Use
all division personnel. Try to make every job
meaningful by matching the right people with the
right job. Matching your people with jobs they
like to do and do well shows them you think their
job is important. When you give your people jobs
they have no interest in, they become bored.
Rotate your people, because doing the same
job day after day gets old. Rotating your people
gives them varied experience and training
opportunities. It also ensures you will have people
who can do the work if someone is on leave or
gets transferred.
Use the following guidelines in optimizing use
of resources:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Analyze the capabilities of individuals and
the characteristics or requirements of the
job.
Match the people and jobs to get the best
performance.
Fully use the human resources available to
accomplish tasks.
Consider the balance between the re-
quirements and work morale.
DELEGATING. Delegating authority to
your people is important because it will encourage
your subordinates to seek responsibility for
managing tasks. Giving orders may seem like the
easiest way to get a job done. However, that is
not the best way to motivate an individual to be
effective and efficient.
When you give an order, give a reason for the
order. By explaining, your people will know
youre not just making more work for them, but
avoiding extra work and making the task easier.
Along with assigning a task, you must delegate
your authority to carry out the task. Delegating
authority works well when you have several jobs
going on and cant oversee all jobs at the same
time. Someone has to be in charge in every group.
When you ask a subordinate to share in task
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