Leaders in Organizations

Unit 10: Supervision and Delegation

Welcome to the unit on supervision and delegation. In this unit, you will learn how to be more effective in delegating work and supervising others, and you will also learn how to make difficult conversations more productive. How do the skills of supervision and delegation apply to you in your workplace? We will utilize principles from Covey’s Habit 5, which teaches you to listen better and with fewer "autobiographical" assumptions or interpretations. This leadership habit enhances your ability to work well with others, including supervising and delegating effectively.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Delegate tasks in the workplace clearly by defining boundaries of authority;
  2. Set personal and team performance goals;
  3. Analyze performance problems and follow specific steps to address them;
  4. Identify diverse ways to help employees grow professionally;
  5. Clarify your own management style;
  6. Select specific supervisory behaviors to put into practice;
  7. Listen to others with empathy; and
  8. Reflect upon and evaluate autobiographical listening patterns.
Practice

We encourage you to have a paper journal and pen with you to complete written activities and self-reflection assignments. Alternatively, you may find it useful to use Microsoft Word to complete written activities and self-reflection assignments.

Learning Activities

  • Activity: Five Words of Supervision (15 min)

    To begin this unit on Supervision and Delegation, let’s talk about five key words that build the foundation of supervision: clarity, empathy, courage, attention, and persistence. These five words describe critical attributes of effective supervisors.

    Instructions: Tap the circle on the image below to read more about key traits supervisors should demonstrate.

    Clarity

    Clarity means you are clear, understandable, and simple so that your encouragement, direction, and feedback can be easily understood by others. What is the message you are sending? What do you want done? How do you want it done?

    Empathy

    Empathy means understanding, appreciation, compassion and insight so that you can fully understand what others are experiencing.

    Persistence

    To continue steadfastly or firmly in purpose or course of action, so that you stay focused on what you are striving to achieve and don’t give up despite distractions and setbacks.

    Courage

    “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” (Winston Churchill) Courage is the ability to tackle the practical and emotional challenges you must face.

    Attention

    Taking an interest in other people and seeking their truth. When we pay attention, it indicates that the other person matters and what they say matters. Attention is the concentrated direction of the mind: awareness, consciousness, watchfulness, and mindfulness.

  • Reading: Where You Fit? (5 min)

    Lance Secretan was an inspiring leadership trainer 20 years ago. He said, “We all learn for leaders brave enough to bring their hearts to work”. We need to recognize that people want that type of leadership. Remember that supervision is connected with leading and managing. All three happen at the same time. The overlap among the three defines who you are as a leader, manager, and supervisor. The word “You” is indicated at the point of convergence.

    Another way to think about how they come together is that leadership is about vision (that is, where you are going), management is about getting the work done (how you are going to get there and what are the available resources) and supervision is about implementation (motivating and directing others to get the work done).

  • Video: Heart of Supervision (10 min)

    There are three practices of supervision that are at the heart of how supervisors make a difference: listening, setting goals, and cultivating accountability. You need to listen to learn, to know what’s on the minds of employees and others with whom you work. You need to set goals to help employees focus and prioritize their work, and then you need to cultivate accountability by paying attention to assure the work is completed on time, within budget, and at the level of quality needed.

    We also want to think about supervision in the context of motivation. What motivates us is often autonomy, mastery, and purpose. That is, how much independence do we have? How can we demonstrate our competence and deepen our mastery? And why are we doing this? Our work has to have meaning and serve a larger purpose. We need the ability to build our knowledge and skills, use our knowledge and skills, and do so in the pursuit of something important. Now, listen to a short video from guest lecturer, Richard Wilkinson (USA), where he shares his concept called the Heart of Supervision.

    Instructions: Tap the video to play.

    Credit: University of Washington
  • Reading: The Heart of Supervision Chart (10 min)

    In thinking about listening, setting goals, and accountability, as well as what motivates us as workers, we need to integrate the core responsibilities of a supervisor with the three things that motivate us as knowledge workers. The chart below shows behaviors that we as supervisors can use to support our employees in ways that are positive, productive, and proven. This chart of supervisory behaviors ties together the three core duties of supervisors and the three key motivators of knowledge workers. Use this chart to identify:

    1. Areas where you shine
    2. Areas you want to try
    3. Areas where you’d like to improve
  • Reading: Performance Evaluation (5 min)

    The following is a quote from the author Leigh Branham who said, “Lack of feedback is the number one reason for performance problems.” The main objective of this unit is to help you provide useful feedback to the people who work for you through effective performance evaluation.

    Feedback is about influencing future behavior, which is also the reason we do performance evaluations. Through performance evaluations, you can provide feedback to an employee that will help them improve, even if they are already doing a great job. Empathy is an important component to effective performance evaluations, too. Empathy encompasses understanding, appreciation, compassion, and insight. Feedback exists between two people when each affects the other. This point underscores that performance evaluation is about two-way communication. In performance evaluations, you are influencing the behavior of another, but that person is influencing you too.

  • Reading: Performance Review Questions (5 min)

    The essence of the performance review process is to answer three questions for the employee. As an employee, we want to know how we are doing in the eyes of our boss or commander. With this in mind, consider the three core questions of performance reviews from the employee’s point-of-view: How am I doing? What do I need to do? What do I need to learn? As useful as it may to reflect on past performance, it is equally important to know where we are heading in contributing to the success of the organization and in developing our skills.

  • Reading: Performance Review Steps (10 min)

    Now, we will get into the basic performance review process. We will walk through the steps one by one. The process begins with making two appointments: One for yourself to complete the review and one to meet with the employee. The second step is to get input from people with whom the employee works and from the employee. From this input, write the review. In doing so, your job is to weave together your own experience in supervising the employee with what you hear from the employee and their peers. In doing so, you create a succinct, clear message to the employee about how they are doing. Now a word of caution: just copying the self-assessment that an employee wrote is not useful to the employee. To provide truly useful feedback, you need to do the hard work of identifying themes in how the employee’s performance is seen, not just by themselves, but by their peers and you, too. The next step is to meet with the employee to discuss the written review. Remember that at this point the review is still a draft. Be sure to give the employee a chance to read the review before the meeting. You want the employee to have a chance to reflect on what you’ve written and be prepared for the meeting. Following your meeting with the employee, you will revise and finalize the evaluation. The last step is to finish the review process by giving the employee a copy of the final review and filing it in their personnel file.

    Here are the basic steps to completing a performance review. Making an appointment with the employee gives you a deadline for getting the review done. The key here is that the written review isn’t final until AFTER you meet with the employee. Only after the review is revised following that meeting with the employee can it be said the review process is completed.

    Writing the performance review is the supervisor’s responsibility. In the end, the review captures the supervisor’s perspective of the employee’s performance based on three key elements: the employee’s self-evaluation, input from co-workers*, and the supervisor’s own experience in working with the employee.

    In preparing the review, you need to collect information from three sources: yourself, the employee, and a few people with whom the employee works. Here are four questions you can use when seeking input on an employee’s performance from the employee’s colleagues: What are the employee’s strengths? How well do they work with others? What do they need to improve to be even more effective? And, finally, what should the learning priorities of the employee be? For yourself and the employee, in addition to these questions, consider what challenges or difficulties the employee faced in the past year and what they did to overcome them. Lastly, reflect on what the employee must achieve in the coming year. A final bit of advice, don’t forget to get input from your own boss or other senior staff members about the employee’s performance. Their point of view is as important to consider as those who may work with the employee day-to-day.

    *Here are four good questions to ask the employee and others about the employee’s performance:

    1. What are the employee’s strengths?
    2. How skillful is the employee in working effectively with others?
    3. What could the employee do to increase their effectiveness?
    4. What would you advise the employee to prioritize for their professional development?
  • Activity: Tips for Successful Performance Reviews (15 min)

    The following diagram includes tips and reminders for a successful performance review. Tap each element on the diagram below to review key tips to help you during your next performance review process.

    Instructions: Tap each element of the diagram to reveal more information.

    Write
    1. List the employee's accomplishments and strengths.
    2. List one or two concerns, if any. What would happen if the employee didn't address them? 
    3. List two or three goals for the coming year.
    4. List one or two professional development priorities.
    5. Give the employee a copy the day before, or morning of, the meeting.
    Meet
    1. Set a warm and collaborative tone.
    2. Describe how the meeting will proceed.
    3. Explain the process as a chance to assess the past and plan for the future.
    4. Encourage employee participation. The employee should do most of the talking.
    Discuss
    1. Ask: "How do you think the year has gone?" Pause and listen.
    2. Ask for their view on the points you've made in the review. Pause and listen.
    3. Identify together three to five accomplishments/improvements for next year.
    4. Ask: "What do you need or want to learn this year?" Pause and listen.
    5. Ask: "How can I help you reach your career goals?" Pause and listen.
    Close
    1. Clarify the plan for next year.
    2. Decide together how you will follow-up.
    3. Ask the employee to summarize what he or she heard.
    Revise
    1. Revise the review based on the discussion.
    2. Send a copy to the human resources team and a copy to the employee.
    Follow-Up
    1. Set appointments to follow-up, as agreed.
    2. Create folders to keep track of notable moments of the employee's performance during the coming year.
    3. Compliment successes and discuss concerns during the year.
  • Reading: How to Build on Strengths (10 min)

    Helping an employee identify and build on their strengths is the surest way to fully tap their talent and maximize their contribution to the organization’s success. Follow this sequence of questions from left to right. It will help you and the employee identify specific ways to use the employee’s strengths more fully and learning objectives to deepen their strengths even further.

    On your screen is a table with four questions for you to consider. When should you give the employee the written review? You may want to give the employee the written draft the morning of your meeting with them or the day before. They should have had a chance to see it and read it before you meet with them. The purpose of the meeting is to have a conversation with the employee, not to have them read and react to the review for the first time. What if the employee disagrees with what you have written? This is one of the reasons why the review is not final until the meeting because you can discuss with the employee the areas of disagreement. In doing so you may learn something that will cause you to change or revise the review. Maybe you’ve said something too strongly and, by revising it, you can make the same point but in a gentler way. Maybe you’ll decide the issue is not as serious a problem as you may have thought. On the other hand, if you feel that after further discussion that these concerns are still important to note, leave them there. But provide the employee a chance to express their contrary view in the employee comments section of the form. Who should do most of the talking in the review? The employee should do most of the talking. It is important to draw out from the employee how they see the year has gone and what they see as important for the year ahead. What if the employee won’t complete a self-assessment? Be flexible. You don’t have to be so formal about this.

    Often in performance reviews we spend too much time thinking about how to give critical feedback and nearly not enough time talking about strengths. We are all at our best when we are working from our strengths. How can you help the employee build on their strengths? How can you draw on the employee’s strengths to benefit the team and the organization even more? If there is a weakness, certainly, it needs to be addressed in the performance review. You are encouraged as a supervisor to spend more time thinking about how to build on strengths rather than dwelling on weaknesses.

    In building on strengths, first, think about the main responsibilities of the employee. The three questions you see on the screen now create the context for building on strengths. What is the employee good at? Deciding together with the employee how they can use a strength more fully to benefit the team or the organization will lead to powerful performance goals for the coming year. Similarly, encouraging the employee to deepen a strength will lead to exciting learning opportunities.

  • Self-Reflection: Clarify Your Concerns and Your Approach (15 min)

    Success in sharing concerns with an employee begins with your own preparation. Reflecting on these questions will help point you to the best way of communicating a concern to the employee so that the message is clear and the relationship is strengthened. *

    Sharing concerns can be difficult. Use these four questions to help prepare yourself to provide critical feedback fairly and effectively:

    1. What do I want for myself?
    2. What I want for others?
    3. What I want for the relationship?
    4. How would I behave if I really wanted those results?

    In your journal, write down your answers to these questions as you consider the concerns you want to raise with the employee and how you want to approach the conversation. Doing so will help you prepare for what may be an uncomfortable part of the review conversation. In preparing, though, you will be more effective in communicating any concerns with the employee in a way that is clear and thoughtful.

    *Adapted from Kerry Patterson, et al, Crucial Conversations, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2002, pg. 34.

  • Reading: How to Share Concerns (5 min)

    Listening well plays a central role in sharing your concerns. In the bestseller, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Steven Covey captures this notion well when he writes, “Maturity is the balance between courage and consideration. Seeking to understand requires consideration; seeking to be understood takes courage.” The two approaches below both get to the same end. The first one begins with the supervisor clearly expressing their concern and then asks for the employee’s point of view. The second approach reverses the order, with the supervisor beginning by asking for the employee’s point of view, followed by the supervisor expressing their point of view.

    Once you know what you want to say about any concerns you may have, you need a good way of saying it. Here are two ways to do so. In the first, you begin by stating clearly the nature of your concern and why it is a concern. Then you ask for the employee’s point of view. In the second, you begin by asking for the employee’s point of view and then express your own. Please remember the importance of making this conversation a true dialogue, a two-way conversation. The employee deserves to hear your concerns. Likewise, it is equally important to hear the employee’s point of view.

  • Reading: Defining Coaching (5 min)

    Let’s shift our conversation from delegation to coaching. When you hear the word coaching, what do you think? Coaching can be defined as “a supervisor-led dialogue aimed at increasing an employee’s effectiveness”. Coaches bring out the best in others. We bring out possibility and creativity with effective coaching. What role does a coach play on a team?

    Coaching is a conversation between two persons, in which the coach is focused on the development and success of the other person. A coach can be a supervisor, a fellow colleague, or a professional job/life counselor. They are a person who is available to the employee and communicates regularly, as well as helps another to be clear about what they are trying to accomplish and the results they would like to achieve. In addition, a coach helps a person expand their vision so they can see things they did not see before. This helps the employee see new possibilities and approaches to consider as well as ways in which their own behaviour works against them and the results they are trying to achieve.

    When coaching staff, there are some things to avoid:

    1. Giving solutions: The goal of coaching is to help the employee improve their own judgment and skill so that they can eventually succeed on their own. By jumping in with the solution, the supervisor does not support the employee to develop the ability to problem solve on their own.
    2. Judging
    3. Assessing the employee’s performance
    4. Blaming and criticizing from a supervisor undermines an employee’s perception that the supervisor is confident in their ability to solve the problem. This can undermine the employee’s self-confidence.
  • Reading: Coaching vs. Supervising (5 min)

    There are some key differences between coaching and supervising. To begin, coaching is personal in nature. It’s a different type of relationship you have with an employee. As a coach your role is to encourage employees to discover their own answers and solutions. You are there to provide support toward a clearly stated goal (such as personal growth or professional development), as well as feedback on progress towards the goal. You are also able to assess the relationship and see if coaching is the right solution.

    In contrast, supervising is more formal in nature. There is a structure in place for the employee to ask questions and the supervisor to provide answers and solutions when needed. The supervisor is there is clarify job responsibilities and provide feedback on job performance. They are also the ones to assess and evaluate job performance.

  • Reading: Effective Coaching (5 min)

    Coaching is a leadership tool that is designed to help produce results. In order to be an effective coach, supervisors must build a relationship of trust with an employee. The employee must have no doubt that the supervisor WANTS them to succeed and believes that he/she can. Your team will be stronger and perform better when members can effectively do their work and solve problems without a lot of direction from you. Effective coaching must be built on trust. This is often why some coaching relationships do not work because the trust did not exist first. Listening is one of the most important components of coaching.

    It’s important to remember that coaching techniques may not be possible with every employee.

    Coaching techniques will only work for an employee who wants to learn and change. They must be open to feedback, not defensive and resistant. They need to be willing to take responsibility for their own actions, especially actions that result in negative consequences.

    Source: Management Sciences for Health. 2005. Managers Who Lead. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Management Sciences for Health.

  • Activity: Coach Using the G-R-O-W-S Sequence (15 min)

    The GROWS methodology offers a useful set of questions that you can follow when coaching an employee:

    • Establish communication between the employee and the supervisor;
    • Create a win-win environment for both the employee and the supervisor;
    • Create an environment of open, concise communication to discuss service-related issues.
    • Establish expectations for behavior and performance; and
    • Establish time frames for improvement of behavior and performance.

    In the diagram below, we suggest you come up with seven ideas. Why so many? We suggest this many because the more creative and unexpected ideas often begin to emerge after the first, obvious solutions are expressed. The initial ideas may be preferred (the Will step), but they are best evaluated in the context of a broad view of what actions could help make meaningful progress towards the goal. Follow this proven sequence in coaching an employee. This order of discussion also works for many meetings and retreats!

    Instruction: Tap the elements on the diagram to reveal additional information about each step in the process.

    Goal

    First, you ask the employee to envision the desired future. Following the GROWS model means you begin with the end in mind, just as Steven Covey advises in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. What do you want to have happen? What would success look like?

    Reality

    Then, you ask the employee to describe the current reality of the situation in relation to their desired future. What factors favor success and what factors could hold the employee back? What is going on now? What factors favor success? What obstacles might be encountered?

    Options

    Once you know where you’re headed and have a good sense of the current situation, it’s time to get creative. Have the employee make a list of options to consider that will enable them to achieve their desired future in light of the current reality. In this step you want the employee to go beyond the obvious first idea and identify at least seven or eight options. As the supervisor, you can suggest options, too. In generating options, you are asking the employee what different ways there are to get from where they are today to where they want to be tomorrow? Given your goal and the current reality, what options could you try? What choices do you have?

    Will

    From this list of options, the employee decides what they will do. Which two or three ideas do they see as the most useful in achieving what they want to achieve? The employee does not need to use all of the ideas they came up with. Which of the options will you pursue? When?

    Support*

    The last step in the GROWS coaching process is to ask the employee what support they feel would be helpful to avoid getting stuck in trying to implement the two or three options they selected. What support or encouragement will help you implement your decision?

    *The “Support” step was the inspiration of a PATH staff member in India—Kishore Bajaj. He felt Whitmore’s original “GROW” model was incomplete without encouragement. PATH is a global health non-governmental organization based in Seattle, Washington.

    Source:
    John Whitmore, Coaching for Performance, London: Nicholas Brealey, 1996, pg. 49, with additional input from Mr. Kishore Bajaj, PATH India.

    The GROW coaching model was originally conceived by John Whitmore. See Coaching for Performance, London: Brealey, 2009.

  • Reading: What Is Feedback? (10 min)

    By now, you should have a solid foundation on the concept of coaching. In order to be effective in your coaching, you need to be able to give feedback. When you hear the term feedback, what comes to mind?

    Formal definitions of feedback define it as:

    “Information provided to a performer during or after an activity that enables the performer to assess the success or failure of his or her performance.” – Sports Science & Medicine, Oxford Press

    So, why is feedback important for supervision and why should a good supervisor provide timely feedback? Feedback is a valuable tool for getting the results you want from your staff and motivating employees. Feedback can improve an employee’s skills and performance, as well as foster growth. Effective feedback can also help you and an employee identify solutions to a problem.

    You have probably received feedback from a supervisor at some point in your work life. Feedback is a powerful tool that supervisors can use.

    Supervisors are often called upon to evaluate the performance of staff and the quality of work they produce. Effective feedback is an essential part of the coaching conversation. Feedback serves to sustain the behavior that is appropriate and effective and inform the employee where changes may be needed.

    There are four types of feedback: negative, positive, punitive and constructive. Negative and punitive feedback is ineffective for supervisors if the goal is to improve performance and help to solve problems. Negative and punitive feedback does not help to solve the problem of poor performance. It may cause employees to make excuses or avoid the problem, rather than foster accountability and pro-actively solve problems. It can cause hurt feelings, depression or anger and decreased confidence and self-esteem. Positive, constructive feedback is the best way for supervisors to achieve the goal of improving performance.

    Supervisors should ALWAYS give both positive and constructive feedback to ensure two-way communication. While you are having your conversation, remember to treat employees with respect. It is your job as a supervisor to help employees solve problems and correct mistakes.

    Source: ACQUIRE Project/Engender Health. Facilitative Supervision for Quality Improvement: A Curriculum. Module 10: Working Effectively with Staff. Coaching for High Performance: Roadmap, Revised Marine Corps Edition, 2011.

  • Reading: Giving Feedback—The Sandwich Approach (10 min)

    One way you can give effective feedback is by using the “sandwich” approach. This means providing the employee with balanced feedback (positive and constructive statements). If you envision a sandwich, the first slice of bread is a positive observation. Second, you place a small, but tender piece of meat in the middle—this is the suggestion for improvement. Third, you add another nice soft slice of bread—a final positive comment. The following is an example of “Feedback Sandwich”:

    1. Slice of Bread: “I liked the way you used people’s names when calling on participants.”
    2. Slice of Meat: “You may want to consider speaking more loudly, and facing the audience rather than reading the slides on the screen.”
    3. Slice of Bread: “Overall, your manner with the audience and your big smile really made me feel engaged!”

     

    As a manager or supervisor, remember you can help prepare an employee to receive feedback and engage them in the behaviour change process. The main purpose of constructive feedback is to help people understand where they stand in relation to expected or productive job behaviour. Recognition for effective performance is a powerful motivator. Most people want to obtain more recognition, so recognition fosters more of the appreciated actions. Also, for feedback to have its desired effect:

    1. Feedback must indicate that change is necessary
    2. The employee must see that there is a need to change their behaviour
    3. The employee must have a positive orientation to receiving feedback
    4. The employee must react positively to the feedback
    5. The employee must believe that change is possible
    6. The employee must set appropriate goals to change their behaviour
    7. The employee must take actions that lead to skill and performance improvement.

     

    Adapted from:

    1. ACQUIRE Project/Engender Health. Facilitative Supervision for Quality Improvement: A Curriculum. Module 10: Working Effectively with Staff.
    2. Harvard Manage Mentor eLearning program.
    3. United Republic of Tanzania. Teaching Methods & Training Coordination: Training of Trainer’s Workshop. 2010.
  • Reading: Giving Effective Feedback (10 min)

    The following are best practices to refer back to when giving effective feedback:

    1. Be specific, not general. For example: “The report you turned in yesterday was well-written, understandable, and made your points about the budget very effectively.” Not, "Good report."
    2. Focus on a specific behaviour, not on a person, their intentions, or their character. Effective feedback involves what or how something was done, not why. What did you like/dislike specifically? Why did you like/dislike it? Constructive feedback alerts an individual to an area in which his/her performance could improve. Constructive feedback is not criticism; it is descriptive and should always be directed to the action, not the person. For example: “When you held a sidebar conversation during the meeting, while Mary had the floor, you distracted the other people in the room who were trying to pay attention.”
    3. Be sincere, honest, and gentle. People will know if you are giving insincere feedback or false praise.
    4. Describe actions or behaviour that the individual can do something about. Offer reasonable and practical suggestions for improving. Focus on solutions, and offer support or assistance as appropriate.
    5. Ask permission to provide feedback. Feedback that is requested is more powerful. “I'd like to give you some feedback about the presentation, is that okay with you?"
    6. Share information and observations. Do not offer advice unless you have permission or advice was requested.
    7. Use respectful statements. For example, “You may want to consider…” Avoid using the words “should,” or “you always…”
    8. Choose appropriate timing and location. Provide the information as closely tied to the event as possible, for both positive & constructive comments. Do not critique serious issue in public.
    9. Check to make sure the other person understands. Ask questions, ask them to re-phrase your advice, or observe a change in behaviour.
    10. Be consistent. If the actions are great today, they're great tomorrow. If the policy violation merits discipline, it should always merit discipline.

     

    Adapted from: United Republic of Tanzania. Teaching Methods & Training Coordination: Training of Trainer’s Workshop. 2010.

    Heathfield, Susan. “Provide Feedback that has an Impact.” About.com: Human Resources. http://humanresources.about.com/cs/communication/ht/Feedbackimpact.htm

  • Video: Mentoring (5 min)

    Watch the following Everyday Leadership video called A Mentor Who Gives and Takes with Grace John Stewart (USA). As you watch Dr. John Stewart, think about the following questions.

    Instructions: Tap the video to play.

    Credit: University of Washington

    After you watch the video, in your journal, write your response to the following questions, then tap the Compare Answer button to reveal additional information.

    1. What qualities did Dr. John Stewart’s coach exhibit that were valuable to Grace and ultimately to the organization?
    2. In her story, how does trust play a role?
    3. What do you think was the effect of her mentor taking responsibility for Dr. John Stewart’s mistake?

    Compare Answer

  • Reading: Correcting Performance Problems Overview (5 min)

    We have all made mistakes. A supervisor’s role is to help his or her employees deal with the occasional blunder. No one is perfect, that is why pencils have erasers. The basic principles of correcting performance problems are: good faith, fairness, timeliness, and progressive discipline. They are basic principles that are appropriate in all contexts.

    Good faith means I will share my concerns with you and listen to your perspective. You do not have to agree with the employee, but you owe it to them to hear their point of view. The principle of fairness has two parts: being as clear as you can about the nature of the performance problem and giving the employee a reasonable chance to fix it. Lastly, the principle of timeliness means telling the employee your concerns as soon as possible following the events giving rise to your concerns.

    : Fairness, good faith, and timeliness are fundamental to addressing employee performance problems. These three principles apply to all interactions between supervisors and employees over performance problems, whether it is performance counseling or formal discipline. Though termination procedures vary widely from country to country, the basic sequence of progressive discipline seems to hold true in most locations.

    Progressive Discipline, also called “corrective action,” means giving a person formal notice of deficiencies and a chance to correct them. Progressive discipline begins with milder forms of discipline after informal means have proven insufficient to correct the problem behavior. If problems persist, the level of discipline escalates in severity and consequences. The sequence of progressive discipline is not absolute. Steps can be skipped or combined, based on the circumstances, and need not be taken in situations where termination is immediately warranted. Progressive discipline follows this sequence:

    1. Oral warning (documented)
    2. Written warning
    3. Termination
  • Reading: Avoiding Correcting Problems (5 min)

    So, why do managers avoid correcting performance? The answer often is a lack of confidence in dealing with emotions.

    Given the principles we just covered, you may wonder why managers avoid correcting employee’s performance. Sometimes, managers avoid correcting performance problems out of a lack of confidence in their own skills to deal with strong emotions an employee might have, such as anger, sadness, or defensiveness. There are several techniques you can use to handle emotional situations effectively. First, acknowledge the employee is upset and move forward with empathy. Also, choosing the right words, so as to not attack, is important. Focus on the work, not the character of the person you are correcting. And do not feed into the tension, be patient and listen to your employee. Second, clarifying the message is important and helps people from overreacting. Indicate what you are NOT saying. For example, you may say, “I am not saying you are doing a terrible job, I am saying that you need to be better meeting deadlines.” In some cases, it can be appropriate to apologize if you waited too long to address the problem or if you did address the problem before, but in a way that was not clear or “actionable”. It’s important to own your part of the problem, you may say for example: “I am sorry it took me so long to address this; I am addressing this now and we need to get resolution”. But remember; do not apologize if it is not appropriate to do so.

  • Reading: Ladder of Inference (10 min)

    The Ladder of Inference* is included here to draw attention to the way each of us decides what we will focus on when assessing the behavior of others. We begin with what’s happening around us. From this sea of activity, we observe the behavior of others. We interpret that behavior through the lens of our own experience. We then evaluate the behavior—good, bad, something else—and act on that conclusion. Staying lower on the ladder longer leads to conclusions and actions that are more fair and informed.

    *Adapted from Peter Senge, Rick Ross, et al. The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook, NY: Doubleday, 1994

  • Reading: Four Step Process to Correcting Performance Problems (10 min)

    Most discussions between supervisors and employees about performance problems are best described as performance counseling. Most often such discussions succeed in alerting the employee to the seriousness of the concern and the employee is able to get their performance back on course. Only when the employee fails to improve their performance is it time to move into formal, progressive discipline.

    Plan + Meet + Reflect and Decide + Follow-up = Better Work
    1. Plan: The first step in correcting performance problems is to plan. Within this step, there are four parts: analyzing the problem, clarifying what you want, considering the employees point-of-view, and planning the meeting itself.
      1. Analyze the problem
      2. Clarify what you want for yourself, others, and the relationship
      3. Anticipate the employee's point of view
      4. Get help, if you need it
    2. Meet: Our next step in correcting performance is to meet with the employee. Begin by preparing for the meeting by considering how you want to conduct yourself. It starts with being respectful. From there, be specific, be patient, listen, keep cool and remain calm. Regardless of what happened or what the employee did you must start with respect. Every employee, even those to be terminated, are to be treated with respect.
      1. Set the stage for a successful meeting
      2. Be specific about the problem, the desired performance, and the consequences of improving or not improving
      3. Listen actively and patiently to the employee's point-of-view
    3. Reflect and Decide: The third step in the process after planning the meeting and holding the meeting, is to pause and reflect. Give yourself a chance to think and move forward: The third step in the process after planning the meeting and holding the meeting, is to pause and reflect. Give yourself a chance to think and move forward with the information you gained. What will you do with what you learned? Maybe you will not change the direction that was intended originally. But maybe you will decide to do something else or nothing at all. Maybe there needs to be correction and redirection and maybe you’ve accomplished enough simply by raising awareness of the employee of the concerns that you had. Decide how to deal with the performance problem in light of what you learned.
      1. What did the employee say?
      2. How does what they say influence your expectations for changes in their performance?
    4. Follow-Up: The last step is to follow-up. You may need to meet with the employee again. Send an email to the employee to communicate in writing about the decision you made. Be sure to include what the next steps are, the guidance you can offer, and the expectations for improved performance. In many situations you can support the employee’s efforts to improve by meeting with them more frequently to offer feedback or providing training for them.
      1. Send an email summarizing the conclusions of your meeting and the expectations for improved performance
      2. Document the meeting for your file
      3. Set check-in appointments, if appropriate

    Finally, take the time to document the meeting and your follow-up. Be sure to write down the date, time, and location of meeting. Document the overall nature of the problem as described to the employee and record the main points of the conversation, as well as the employee’s response. It is important to be as close to verbatim as possible when recording what the employee said. Document the negative and positive consequences communicated to the employee and write down the commitment made by the employee for improvement. Also, write down the follow-up plan. It is important to complete this documentation immediately after the conversation with the employee. Keep it as a record in your own file to help you evaluate the employee’s progress and set the stage for additional meetings if necessary.

  • Activity: Analyzing Performance Problems (15 min)

    This tool helps get through the emotions around the performance issues to come to a place where you can deal with the important parts. What do you see that concerns you? What is the potential impact of the performance problem? What do you want the employee to be doing instead/differently? What would make them effective? What would happen if they changed? What would they get for doing it right? What is the reward? And what would happen if they did not change? What are the consequences if they don’t improve? We underestimate the upside of getting the performance back on track. The employee gets to keep their job, they obtain interesting assignments, become more integral to the team, more trusted by others, and experience reduced pressure. In short, they have brighter career prospects. If the employee fails to change, they then become marginalized, less sought after, their future is undermined, they face lost opportunities for future advancement or involvement in future initiatives, and, of course, they may put their job in jeopardy.

    The first step in successfully helping an employee correct their performance is to plan the conversation. And the first step in planning is analyzing the true nature of the performance problem. This framework has proven itself time and again in sorting through often emotional and frustrating situations to identify exactly what is going on and what needs to change. You will see that it begins with observing behavior, then moves to interpretation and evaluation and on to action.

    There are many sources of help available to you in completing this step. You may want to consult your boss, human resources, a trusted peer, legal counsel, or even a family member or friend. Tap the elements on the diagram below to reveal additional information about the process.

    Seek

    What do you see the employee doing that concerns you? Describe the behaviour you observe as if it were seen through a video camera.

    Consequences

    What happens to the employee if they change or fail to change their behaviour? Describe what the employee gains by correcting their behaviour and what they lose if they don’t.

    Feel

    How do you feel about what you see? Describe the impact of the behavior on yourself and others; decide if the problem is worth solving.

    See

    What do you see the employee doing that concerns you? Describe the behavior you observe as if it were seen through a video camera.

    Attention

    Taking an interest in other people and seeking their truth. When we pay attention, it indicates that the other person matters and what they say matters. Attention is the concentrated direction of the mind: awareness, consciousness, watchfulness, and mindfulness.

  • Self-Reflection: Correcting Performance Problems (15 min)

    Success in sharing concerns with an employee begins with your own preparation. Reflecting on these questions will help point you to the best way of communicating a concern to the employee so that the message is clear and the relationship is strengthened.*

    In your journal, take a moment to write down your answers to these questions as you consider the concerns you want to raise with the employee and how you want to approach the conversation.

    • What do I want for myself?
    • What do I want for others (including the employee)?
    • What do I want for the relationship?
    • How would I behave if I really wanted those results?

    This is an especially helpful tool where emotions are strong and opinions differ, such as issues involving performance.

    * Adapted from Kerry Patterson, et al, Crucial Conversations, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2002, pg. 34.

  • Reading: Considering the Employee’s Point-of-View (5 min)

    Now that the problem has been analyzed there is one more step in the planning phase. Consider the employee’s point-of-view. What will the employee say in response to you when you highlight your concerns? Well, they might say that the requests or level of authority was unclear or you may not have been available to give feedback. Sometimes people might say that they have been doing the process the same way forever without any feedback. An apology is appropriate in this instance and it is worthwhile to say that it was wrong to avoid dealing with the issue but the issue must be dealt with at this point. Again, acknowledge and own up to your own faults. Maybe there will be an accusation of different standards or levels of fairness between employees, so be aware of that and assess if the response is true, especially if there are differences between you and the employee. Perhaps the employee feels that they were not given a chance to do a good job or improve. This is a fair point and you should give the employee a fair chance to make improvements. They may say that they were never taught how to do their job or to handle a certain issue. In particular, this is common with new technology. Have they been given proper training? Maybe they will say they were never given the time or resources to do the job they were supposed to do. Lastly, they may simply disagree. Perhaps they will indicate that the assessment is not correct.

    Conversations with employees about performance problems typically involve some combination of the employee listening intently, asking clarifying questions, and, often, defending their actions in some way.

    Factor into your planning what you anticipate the employee will have to say on his/her own behalf. Which of these common defenses is the employee most likely to use? How legitimate is that perspective? How will you respond if one of these issues is raised?

  • Reading: Meet (5 min)

    To continue our discussion about the meeting phase, think about how to raise the issues with your employee. There are two ways to address the issues in meetings. You can begin with “I have a concern.” Then move on to, “My concern is x, y, z.” This should be identified during the analysis stage we discussed earlier. Third, move on to the listening part. You have prepared yourself, but up until now, you have not listened. Be courageous to listen. Hear your employee’s voice. Remember to pause and listen. The other method you can take is to begin with a question, “How do you see the situation?” Again, remember to pause and listen. When it’s your turn, tell the employee how you see the situation and move on to how you and the employee can move forward. Either path works. The first approach is more “Western”. The second may be more “Eastern”, but either way works. The second may also be more appropriate if you are unsure if you have all of the facts. It is a fair way to start the conversation. Whereas, the first approach is better if you are sure you have most of the facts and are ready to make a judgment about what happens next.

    Discussions about performance concerns are difficult. Supervisors must manage themselves and their emotions when meeting with the employee. Be sure to show respect, be specific, be patient, listen, and stay calm. Give yourself time to think. You can pause during the meeting to reflect on what you heard; take a break and reconvene later in the day; or schedule a follow-up meeting.

    The point is to take the time to consider what the employee has said and then decide what you will do. Have their comments changed in any way the course of action you feel is most appropriate given the performance concern?

  • Reading: Reflect and Decide (10 min)

    Give yourself time to think. You can pause during the meeting to reflect on what you heard; take a break and reconvene later in the day; or schedule a follow-up meeting. The point is to take the time to consider what the employee has said and then decide what you will do. Have their comments changed in any way the course of action you feel is most appropriate given the performance concern?

    Following- up with the employee is a three-step process:

    1. Complete a record of the meeting.
    2. Document what you have concluded and the expectations for future performance in an email to the employee.
    3. Make whatever appointments are necessary in light of what you have concluded. Often more frequent meetings with the employee are needed for a period of time to provide feedback and reinforce progress.

    In most cases you will never need to get to formal discipline. Most performance problems can be corrected following the steps we have covered in this module so far. If you do need to move to formal discipline, make it progressive. Progressive discipline is almost universally accepted as a means of corrective action. It begins with an oral warning. If the oral warning fails to achieve the desired improvements, the next step is to put it writing. This can take the form of a written warning or notice, or reprimand. In a written warning you will need to describe again the nature of the problem and the efforts you have made thus far in trying to correct the employee’s performance. Termination is in order when none of the previous, less severe actions have worked. Each country has its own rules for terminations that must be followed. Be sure to get help from your Human Resources department or legal counsel before terminating an employee’s job.

    So where can you turn for help? Remember, you are not in this alone. There are many venues for help, as you are aiming to deal with these issues. Take a moment to think about your current work environment. Can you turn to a trusted colleague? Your boss, HR, legal counsel, or an employers’ association? Family members can offer an outsider opinion or allow you to practice a difficult conversation and to get their reaction to the words being said. Who else may be a useful resource?

    So what is the number one way to avoid performance problems? Well, the number one way to avoid performance issues is to take the time to hire well. Take time to develop and analyze what is challenging about a job and come up with questions that are behaviorally related to those challenges. You are in a good place to avoid performance problems. Take time to hire well and thus avoid having the difficult problems later.

  • Reading: Development Expectations (5 min)

    In this final section, we will take a look at more familiar ways to help employees grow professionally. As we do so, bear in mind that recent studies indicate 70% of learning is from the work itself. The following are expectations around professional development. Employees need to take responsibility for their own development. What is it the employee most wants to learn? Why? How will this learning benefit them and the organization? What are different ways they can go about learning it? At the same time, as a supervisor, you want to encourage development. Professional development is initiated by the employee and encouraged by the supervisor. It’s a two-way-street.

  • Reading: How We Learn (5 min)

    One of the important points you will want to keep in mind is that there are many ways to learn, not just at workshops and conferences. Mentoring is where someone with experience or expertise teaches someone with less experience or expertise about something they know. As a supervisor you do not have to be a mentor, but you can put an employee in touch with someone who can play that role. Books and magazines can offer insight, too. And, teaching is a great way to learn because it forces you to crystalize your own thinking on a topic. Workshops, of course, are a familiar way to learn. And, again, in just doing the work an employee can learn a great deal, especially if they are trying something new.

  • Reading: How to Plan for Employee Development (5 min)

    Professional development is ultimately the responsibility of the employee with the support and encouragement of their supervisor. This simple framework of what, why, and how will give you the basis for a productive conversation with the employee about their learning and balances employee interests with those of the organization.

    1. What? What does the employee want to learn? What do you want the employee to learn?
    2. Why? How will this benefit the organization? The employee? Others?
    3. How? What are three ways to learn this? How will the employee share what they learn?
  • Activity: Menu of Professional Development Options (15 min)

    The following information can be used to help people to grow. For example, an employee can take on stretch assignments or participate in a cross-division or office working group. The employee can develop or improve a process, procedure, or practice. There is nothing like trying to change a practice to help us realize how and why it came to be. Learning can also come from efforts to master and apply a new method or technique. Learn from colleagues… join or start a journal club, for example. Find a mentor. Network: that is, get out there and talk to other people about their experiences and challenges. Reflective learning includes intentionally soliciting feedback. Ask others what they think of your performance. Create a personal vision. What do you want from your life? If you can clarify your values or what you want from your life, it is a gift you can give those you work with. Another big way to learn may not be work related but challenges you to take on a leadership role in your community, mosque, temple or church.

    Instructions: Tap the circles below to reveal additional information about how you can help your employees grow.

    Learn from the Work Itself
    1. Take on stretch assignments (assignments at a higher level of complexity and skill).
    2. Participate in a cross-division working groups.
    3. Develop or improve a process, procedure, or practice.
    4. Learn and apply a new method or technique.
    Learn from Colleagues
    1. Join or start a study group, journal club, or community of practice.
    2. Find a mentor for yourself.
    3. Network (meet periodically with other professionals to learn about their experiences and challenges).
    Learn through Teaching, Mentor Others
    1. Read and report to your team on what you read.
    2. Teach a workshop or course.
    3. Present at a conference or meeting.
    4. Share what you learn with your team.
    Reflective Learning
    1. Write case studies and articles.
    2. Solicit feedback.
    3. Keep a journal.
    4. Read a book.
    5. Create your personal vision and mission statement.
    6. Clarify your values.
    Learn with Others
    1. Join online discussion groups.
    2. Take an online course or workshop.
    3. Attend workshops, seminars, and conferences.
    4. Volunteer in your community.
    5. Participate in professional associations.
  • Reading: Planning for Employee Growth (5 min)

    Here are three steps for planning employee growth: what, why and how? What are the employee’s interests? What are yours, as the supervisor, for the employee? Why? How will it help the employee and your team? Why would it be a good investment for the organization to make in terms of time or money? Lastly, what is the plan for sharing and applying what the employee has learned to maximize the impact of their learning?

  • Reading: Delegation and Professional Development (5 min)

    The theme of this section is encouraging employee growth. We will focus on three key areas: delegation, coaching, and helping employees grow with an intentional learning strategy. As professionals, we must do more than complete our assignments; we need to deepen our skills, too. A quote from D. Blocher makes an important point, “Learning is not a spectator sport”. That is, learning cannot be a passive experience. It’s important that we actively engage with the subject we want or need to learn more about.

    You develop your employees through encouragement and attention. To “encourage” means to promote, advance, or foster. While “attention” means a concentrated direction of the mind; awareness, consciousness, watchfulness, and mindfulness. Paying attention is critical and is an element of respect. As a supervisor, paying attention to your employees and their work shows them that what they do matters. It shows that you care about them and their work, as well as what they have to say. The simple act of paying attention makes a huge difference in an employee’s motivation.

  • Video: Believing in the People Around You (2 min)

    Watch the following Everyday Leadership video called Believing in the People Around You with Magdalene Jeyarathnam (India). In this video, Ms. Jeyarathnam focuses on paying attention. She believes that supervisors need to be observant, recognize the strengths of employees, and create opportunities for growth in those areas. It is critical that you exercise the skills of listening and persistence as a leader. Wouldn’t you want to work for someone who believed in you, listened to you, and built on your strengths?

    Instructions: Tap the video to play.

    Credit: University of Washington
  • Video: Delegating (5 min)

    Delegation can be an important way to develop others because it gives them an opportunity to try something new. The definition of “delegation” is “to commit or entrust to another”. When we delegate to another person we need to keep the philosophy of giving employees room to make mistakes. Doing so allows them to grow in an area that might be a bit scary or they might at first feel clumsy at. Giving employees challenging opportunities and feedback along the way are keys to helping them grow through delegation. Watch the following Everyday Leadership video called Delegating with Dr. Douglas Lungu (Malawi).

    Instructions: Tap the video to play.

    Credit: University of Washington

    After you watch the video, in your journal, write your response to the following questions, then tap the Compare Answer button to reveal additional information.

    • What are some of the benefits of delegation both to yourself and to other people (those to whom you delegate)?

    Compare Answer

  • Video: Importance of Delegation (5 min)

    Next, watch a short video from guest lecturer, Richard Wilkinson (USA). Here Mr. Wilkinson shares his philosophy on delegation and why he believes it is important.

    Instructions: Tap the video to play.

    Credit: University of Washington
  • Reading: Delegation from the Experts (5 min)

    “The conductor doesn’t make a sound. The power comes from his ability to make other people powerful, to awaken possibility in other people.”—Ben Zander, conductor, speaker

    “Delegation can be the backbone of how a manager truly trains and develops people.”—Val Williams, executive coach

    On your screen are two quotes that relate to the idea of delegation. Ben Zander, a conductor and a speaker, said, “The conductor doesn’t make a sound. The power comes from his ability to make other people powerful, to awaken possibility in other people.” So how do you awaken the possibility in other people? An important way to do so is through delegation. Val Williams (an executive coach) said, “Delegation can be the backbone of how a manager truly trains and develops people”. The delegation worksheet, which we will cover shortly, was inspired by a short book on supervision that she wrote some years ago.

  • Video: Allowing Mistakes (5 min)

    Watch the following Everyday Leadership video called Allowing Mistakes with Celine Usiku (Namibia).

    Instructions: Tap the video to play.

    Credit: University of Washington

    After you watch the video, in your journal, write your response to the following questions, then tap the Compare Answer button to reveal additional information.

    1. How can you use delegation as both a time management tool and a tool to build leadership capacity in others?
    2. What practical changes can you make to your mindset that may allow you to delegate more effectively?

    Compare Answer

  • Reading: Delegation and Time Management (10 min)

    Effective delegation is an important time management activity. It is also one of the best ways a manager can help staff grow professionally. In fact, research by the Center for Creative Leadership concluded that the most significant way people learn is through challenging assignments. Training is number five on the list. Delegation is also the best way for you to manage your own time more effectively and to fully tap the talent of the people who work for you and with you.

    Remember, you do not just delegate to your own staff. Sometimes, you will delegate to a member of a team you’re leading, committee, or to a peer on a task force on which you both may be serving.

    A simple example is if you tell the Cleaner to empty the bins on Tuesdays and Fridays, the bins will be emptied then. If the bins overflow on Wednesday, they will likely not be emptied until Friday.

    If instead you said to empty the bins as often as necessary, the janitor would decide how often and adapt to special circumstances. You might suggest a regular schedule (teach the janitor a little personal time management), but by leaving the decision up to the janitor you will apply his/her local knowledge to the problem. Consider this frankly: do you want to be an expert on bin emptying, can you construct an instruction to cover all possible contingencies? If not, delegate to someone who gets paid for it.

    Delegation:

    1. Is a skill we are expected to use, but which few understand;
    2. Underpins a management and leadership style which allows staff to use and develop their skills;
    3. Gets the job done by someone else equally capable of completing the tasks and associated decision making; and
    4. Offers staff members the authority to react to situations without referring back to you—building leadership skills.

    To summarize the information shared on delegation, these tips all depend upon communicating clearly the nature of the task, the extent of their discretion, and the sources of relevant information and knowledge.

  • Reading: Why Do We Delegate? (5 min)

    Delegation is an integral part to ensure work gets done, deadlines are met, and workloads are managed. Delegation also helps allow people to grow, it’s taps into available talent and can help to clarify job responsibilities. In order to delegate effectively you must ensure that the person understands what you want, knows how to do it; and has the authority to achieve it.

    Delegation is not always as simple as it seems. What can make poor delegation occur? Poor communication about deadlines, deliverable, authority, priorities, resources, or purpose can cause poor delegation. Also, when we fail to take into consideration the current workload of the person we are delegating items to.

    So be sure to be clear about what you want, when, and why. Also, keeps the door open for questions and concerns. As much as you might want to see an individual grow, it will not occur over night. Have a conversation with the employee, talk about their ability to get work done and create opportunities for continuous dialogue. When you are delegating work, that person might need your assistance, so make yourself available. If someone says they can’t do what you ask, this is a perfect time for you to offer to help them re-prioritize their work. Identify which tasks are more of a priority to you so he or she knows where to begin.

  • Activity: Delegation Continuum (15 min)

    The delegation continuum is a tool for managers and helps to visualize how much authority the manger has, and how much freedom an employee has for any particular task. The continuum was developed in the 1960s and 1970s by Bob Tannenbaum and Warren Schmidt. There are many appropriate places within the continuum that represent effective delegation. It depends on the urgency, importance, experience, track record, and complexity of the assignment. A less experienced employee is typically given less authority; an employee who has proven him or herself is given more authority.

    Remember there is no one correct level of authority to delegate. It depends on many factors: complexity, timing, significance, experience, and ability. For example, it is not always the right thing to empower. Sometimes it is. Most of the time we are operating in the middle range of this continuum.

    Also, each organization has its own guidelines on management and leadership expectations. Be sure to compare this list with any internal policies on delegation that your organization may already have in place.

    Instructions: Take some time now to tap the numbers are on the diagram below. Each number will reveal additional information about the Tannenbaum and Schmidt continuum.

    Tell

    “Do exactly what I say.” Telling is the first level. It’s common if you have a junior employee or have a very specific idea of how things have to get done. Questions are okay; no latitude in implementing direction.

    Research

    “Look into this and tell me what you come up with. I’ll decide.” The next level, research, is where you tell an employee to research a topic, bring you the results of their research and then you make a decision. This is asking for investigation and analysis, but no recommendation.

    Recommend

    “Give me your recommendation and other options, along with the pros and cons of each. I’ll decide and let you know.” The third level is very common. It is where you have a person do some research and then make a recommendation to you based on their findings. Ultimately, you decide what to do. Ask for analysis and a recommendation, but the supervisor will still make the final decision.

    Consult

    “Let’s discuss what you’ve learned and your views on the best approach. We’ll decide together.” The next level, collaboration (consult), is where you have the employee do the research but then the two of you will come up with a solution together. This is where creativity can emerge in a collaborative exploration of how best to proceed. Give and take is the hallmark of consultative delegation. The employee is seen as an equal contributor to the final course of action.

    Check, then do

    “Let me know your decision, then go ahead unless I say not to.” Now the employee begins to control the action. This subtle increase in responsibility saves time. In this level (check, then do), the authority of the employee is balanced with the authority of the supervisor. From collaboration we come to “check, then do”. Here, you ask the employee to do research, come up with a potential solution, and check with you before implementing it. When you say “yes” the employee can proceed. At this level, you have confidence the employee can get the job done, but because of the complexity of the situation or the impact, you want to have the final say before he or she moves forward.

    Inform

    “Decide and take action, but let me know what you did.” The next level is where you tell (inform) an employee to just handle a situation but keep you informed as they proceed. They do not have to check in or seek approval. They handle it and let you know what they did. The supervisor defines the limits for an assignment, then the employee decides. Saves more time and allows a quicker reaction to wrong decisions.

    Empower

    “Decide and take action; you need not check back with me.” The last step, “empowerment” is where you say “take care of it”, just do it. This is the area of greatest authority for the employee to just do as they see fit. It is an expression of your confidence in the employee to handle the delegated responsibility appropriately. Keep these seven levels in mind as you choose how much authority to delegate and the level at which you want to be involved in decisions. Employee functions within limits defined by the supervisor. This is the most freedom that we can give another person on a task. A high level of confidence is necessary, and needs good controls to ensure mistakes are flagged. This depends very much on the context. Take for example, a car accident, if you are a trained nurse you do not need to go back to your supervisor and ask for permission to attend to the injured individual or to take him or her to the hospital. It depends on the urgency, importance, experience, track record and complexity of the assignment.

    In addition to distributing work, delegation can play a central role in developing employees. There is no consistently right level of authority to delegate. It depends on the experience and track record of the employee and the urgency, complexity, and impact of the assignment. Each of the seven levels in the continuum of delegation* is appropriate given the circumstances. Many people find themselves operating most often using levels 2 to 5, with level 4 the most common—that is, collaborating with the employee in exploring various options based on research the employee has completed.

    *Adapted from Leadership Continuum published by Robert Tannebaum and Warren Schmidt (1973).

    Source: Bob Tannenbaum and Warren Schmidt.

  • Reading: Delegation Worksheet

    On your screen is a worksheet of items to address before delegating. First, tell the employee what needs to be done and why. Be specific about when it needs to be completed. Identify how frequently the employee needs to check in with you as they work on the assignment. Lastly, be clear about how much authority the employees have to make decisions on their own, based on the delegation continuum we discussed earlier. But you are not done yet. It is important to remember that you must make delegation a dialogue. Ask the employee: What obstacles do they see that might make it difficult to complete the delegated assignment? What other work priorities do they have and how does this assignment compare in importance to those? Sometimes you find you have a good assignment but they might have another more pressing assignment. What resources to they need to get this assignment done? And how confident are they that they have the time available to complete the assignment by the deadline? This combination of telling and asking is key to the dialogue that makes for effective delegation. This helps you be realistic in your delegation and sets up the employee for success.

    The Delegation Worksheet can be used to help supervisors delegate effectively. This worksheet is useful because it answers the key questions of what, when, and what authority an employee has. There are three ways you might use this worksheet:

    1. Complete it and give it to the delegate.
    2. Use it as a guide in writing an email.
    3. Keep it in mind as a mental checklist as you delegate to someone verbally.

    Keep in mind, if you delegate often this is just intended to serve as a guide. You do not have to fill it out every time. It may, however, depend on the employee; sometimes they like having a form. Sometimes it can save you time if they have to come back and ask you several times for clarification. It also serves as a record that you delegated a task if the employee were to later say, “You never told me to do that.”

    Instructions: Tap the button below to reveal a sample delegation worksheet that you can use as a guide.

    Delegation Worksheet

  • Optional: Group Discussion (15 min)

    If you are taking this course with a partner or in a group setting, have a conversation about your leadership and management experience by discussing the following questions:

    You learned, in the section on Performance Evaluation, that often in performance reviews we spend too much time thinking about ways to give critical feedback and not enough time discussing strengths. It’s important to remember that we are all at our best when we are working from our strengths, rather than our weaknesses.

    • How can you help employees build on their strengths?
    • How can you draw on the employee’s strengths to benefit the team and the organization even more?
    • How do you share concerns about performance issues?
    • What are some different ways to help employees grow professionally?
  • Reading: Your Management Style (5 min)

    Defining your management style is critical. You must have some sort of philosophy or some way of thinking about management so that your tools in the toolbox are used wisely. You have to have some sort of way of thinking of how you are going to supervise in order to best and most wisely use the tools at your disposal. Next you will be provided with a framework for you to decide how you are going to be as a supervisor.

    A quote from Abraham Lincoln says, “Nearly anyone can stand adversity, but if you want to test a person’s character, give them power.” When you are a supervisor, you have power over someone else and you need to think about how you are going to use that power to bring out the best in others and the best in yourself. It doesn’t take much power to have it go to someone’s head. You want to be clear about what values you hold on which to build your supervisory practices. How you use your power is really a reflection of who you are. It is a key a determinant of how successful you will be and what kind of experience your employee(s) will have.

  • Reading: The Guardian Lions of the New York Public Library (5 min)

    Metaphors have power. During the 1930s, New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia named the guardian lions in front of the New York Public Library for the qualities he felt New Yorkers would need to survive the economic depression. These names have endured ever since, capturing two important touchstones needed for navigating life’s challenges. The third part of developing our management style brings us to New York City. Outside of the New York public library.

    The guardian lions outside the library are named Patience and Fortitude. They were named 80 years ago during the Great Depression in the United States. Mayor LaGuardia said that those two attributes were necessary to get through the Great Depression. These lions got at something important about how we need to get through life. Keeping these two ideas in mind will help simplify and clarify your management values and reliably guide your actions in ways that meet your personal aspirations for excellence.

    Think about how these lions can be applied to your supervisory practices. In your journal, write your response to the following questions:

    • What are the touchstones for your management practice?
    • What two ideas are most important to you—that you most want to inform your day-to-day interactions with others?
  • Quiz: Unit Knowledge Check (15 min)

    Assess your knowledge about the concepts you learned on supervision and delegation by answering four questions.

    Instructions: Tap the correct answer, then tap the Feedback button to reveal the correct answers and additional information.

    1.In order to delegate effectively, you must be clear about:

    2.What are the three core responsibilities of a supervisor?

    3.The GROWS methodology offers a useful set of questions that you can follow when coaching an employee. What does GROWS stand for?

    4. Match the following terms to their corresponding definitions.

  • Self-Reflection: Learning Action Plan (15 min)

    Putting your learning into action is essential to knowledge transfer, applying the knowledge you gained in this unit, and retaining that information in the future.

    Take a moment to reflect on what you’ve learned in this unit. After reflecting, in your journal, write:

    • Four things you learned in the unit.
    • Three things you will implement:
      • Today;
      • Six months from now; and
      • One year from now.
    • Two things that changed your perspective.
    • One thing you will ask for more help with.