44.312 Security Management

 home > Unit 3: supervision

Supervisory roles (continued)

• Must delegate whole task, not just a part, including decision making.
• Don't over-delegate, especially to those who lack knowledge, sills and abilities.
• Communicating:
  • "Effective communications skills are the lifeblood of an effective supervisor."
  • Two way: requires really listening, building in feedback loops to make certain people understand.
  • There can be a wide range of barriers to effective communications -- physical, psychological, or semantic.
  • One way to encourage good communication is "active listening."
    • requires that supervisor respect and appreciate person speaking
    • takes time
    • listen for feelings
    • respond to feelings
    • engage in paraphrasing
    • ask questions
    • give undivided attention
  • consider body language
  • also requires good meetings, well-timed, with agenda prepared in advance
• Influencing
  • supervisor can influence subordinates, peers,and supervisors.
  • Tactics, which may work for some influencing but not others, include:
    • coalition building
    • consultation
    • exchange
    • ingratiation
    • inspiration
    • legitimating
    • personal appeal
    • pressure
    • rational persuasion.
• Maintaining an ethical climate
  • "when organization members have stable, psychologically meaningful perceptions about ethical politics and procedures in the organization."
  • supervisor's behaviors are a major factor in this, especially if there's any kind of hypocritical behavior by supervisor.
  • Characteristics of ethical supervisors:
    • "looks out for interests of employees and customers and considers the needs and rights of as many employees as possible when making a decision
    • commits to the ideals of honest, quality, work, and fair play
    • focused on the ultimate objective or mission, more than rules and regulations
    • respects the 'whole person," not just the worker, including their religion, personal life, and out-of-work responsibilities
    • demands the same fair, objective standards from everyone
    • sticks with the macro mission of the organization-quality , service, meeting the needs of the clients/customers -- as a guide to decision making
    • considers employees personal and professional needs, the needs of the minority and majority of workers, and the service side of the business, balanced with the profits side"

--adapted from VanAuken (1992)

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