Best Practices Manual for Supervisors 1

Best Practices Manual for Supervisors

Desiree’ Forgason

 MGT/210 Best Practices Manual for Supervisors

January 23, 2011

Carla Williams

SHOWING COMMUNICATION SKILLS

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Communication is about more than the meaning of what you say. Sometimes people who

communicate only about information look arrogant and cold. At the same time, people who try to

be polite and make small talk instead of speaking usefully might seem boring and irrelevant. The

best strategy as a supervisor is to look like a good colleague is to be able to talk in a friendly,

social way, while giving people the useful and accurate information that they need (Watson,

2003).

Communication is one of the most important ways a supervisor can build trust and

respect among colleagues. Showing interest and concern in things that are important to

coworkers helps to create positive connections that can be very helpful when dealing with

work-related issues. For example, team members will generally appreciate a supervisor who

shows interest in them as real people—beyond their ability to complete tasks or solve work-

related problems (Watson, 2003).

One of the things that often hurt relationships between supervisors and their employees is

misunderstandings. People tend to make assumptions about the words and behaviors of other

people in their workplace. A good supervisor can validate the perception that they have about

what people are thinking or saying before they react to it. They can remind team members and

coworkers about their duties, meetings, and deadlines in positive and subtle ways, which reduces

problems and confusions (Watson, 2003).

DETERMINING EFFECTIVE ORIENTATION AND TRAINING METHODS

In the three-day orientation and training program that we have planned for our

salesclerks, we will review personnel policies, administrative procedures, and job duties

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Day 1 - Orientation

Orientation procedures: With the help of the human resources manager or the supervisor,

the new employees will fill out their income tax withholding forms, give us proof of their

identity and employment eligibility (according to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of

1986), and give the right information for their files. The emergency contact information form

will be an important part of their file.

Defining full-time and part-time employment and the benefits of each type that is

available. Additionally, this aspect also defines the procedures for timekeeping (like what exactly

is a “work week”). This also defines the breaks that employees are entitled to (like lunch and rest

breaks).

Go over the information about employee pay and benefits like vacation time and

insurance policies. New employees can be enrolled in the 401K retirement program, health

insurance, extra vacation, and pay raises after they have worked for us for ninety (90) days.

Reviewing conduct expectations and discipline policies. Things like sexual harassment and

alcohol/drug abuse are reasons for dismissal (i.e., being fired) and there is a zero-tolerance policy

for there. The new employee manual has procedures for telling the company about problems with

supervisors or co-workers, as well as how to tell supervisors or managers about work-related

issues.

We give our employees performance reviews after their first three months on the job, then

every year. The manual has information as to the policies about using the telephone, company

machines, the internet, and email. It also instructs how to deal with accidents at work, especially

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when an injury occurs. We require that our employees keep confidential information confidential

– this is strictly enforced.

This section is concerned with releasing an employee's personal records and information, also

who has access to this information (Employee Handbook, 2007).

These are useful day-to-day guidelines for salesclerks and their duties in the store:

Active Listening — You must give people your full attention when they speak, make sure that

you understand what they are saying, ask the right questions, and not interrupt people when they

are talking.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Give information to managers,

co-workers and subordinates, whether by phone, written down, email, or face-to-face.

Service Orientation — Go out of your way to help customers.

Social Perceptiveness — Pay attention to other peoples' reactions and try to understand what

makes that happen.

Critical Thinking — When figuring out ways to solve problems uses your logic and reason to

evaluate conclusions and alternative solutions for strengths and weaknesses.

Speaking — Communicate effectively with coworkers and customers.

Active Learning — understand how new information affects current problems and decisions, as

well as ones in the future.

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Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Use your own

judgments and the best information to figure out if events and process comply with the

company's standards, or local laws and regulations.

Deductive Reasoning — Be able to apply general rules to specific problems so that your

solutions are suitable and sensible.

Oral Comprehension — Listen and understand information that people give you with their

words and sentences.

Oral Expression — Communicate effectively when speaking with other people so that they can

understand you.

Problem Sensitivity — Know when something is wrong or when it might go wrong. You do not

have to solve the problem; just recognize that there is a problem.

Speech Clarity — You must be able to speak clearly and understandably in order to make

customers feel comfortable talking to you (O*Net OnLine, 2006).

Day 2 – Observation and hands-on

An experienced worker will watch while the new sales clerk helps customers find what

they are looking for and encourages their interest in the product. The new clerk needs to give the

customer courteous and efficient service. If the customer asks for something that is not already

out on the sales floor, the new salesclerk might have to check in the stockroom, make a special

order, or call another store to see if they have the item. The new salesclerk needs to know about

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future sales and be able to give customers answers to questions about these sales. If the

salesclerk should get a difficult customer, the employee will have to solve the problem him or

herself. A supervisor will be called if the customer is still unhappy about the problem. A

salesclerk must also be able to recognize likely security risks and how to prevent these situations

from escalating.

A salesclerk needs to be familiar with the features of a product, show how to use it, or

show the possible models and colors of the product. The salesclerk might get extra-specialized

training from sales representatives about the product, depending on its type. A person in the

cosmetics department, for example, will be trained about the store's products and the people who

will most benefit from these cosmetics (Retail Salesperson, 2007).

As the shift begins, each salesclerk is assigned a register with a drawer containing the

particular amount of money that they begin with – their “till.”

The salesclerk needs to count their till daily to make sure that it has the right amount of money

and small change. Salesclerks deal with customer returns and exchanges. In a return, the

salesclerk must make sure that the products are in good condition, find out when and where it

was bought, and how it was paid for. After they enter the charges for the items and take away the

cost of any coupons or discounts used, a salesclerk will then tally the customer’s bill and take

their money. Customers can pay in cash, personal checks, debit cards, or credit cards. A

salesclerk needs to know the procedures for accepting each kind of payment, and the store's

polices on each kind. They might need to request extra identification from a customer or call a

bank to authorize the use of checks, credit, or debit cards. After the transaction is finished, the

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sales should give the customer their receipt and the correct change.

When their shifts are over, salesclerks count the money in their drawers again and

compare it with the sales totals. We will probably overlook an occasional shortage of small

amounts of money, but repeated shorts could lead to dismissal. After they count their drawers,

which shifts are over salesclerks will separate and total charge forms, return slips, coupons, and

other non-cash items in their drawers.

Most salesclerks need to know how to use scanners and computers. If the store has

scanners, the cashier puts the product's Universal Product Code past the scanner, which will send

the code to the computer. The computer recognizes the product and its price. The manager needs

to be sure that their salesclerks understand how to work the cash register, as this can affect the

shop's inventory and sales information (Cashiers, 2007).

Day 3 – Evaluate Employees Performance

On their third day of training, the salesclerk can help customers while they are

unsupervised, but their manager or experienced coworker will be available for questions. When a

customer enters, the salesclerk should greet them and ask if they need any assistance in the shop.

The salesclerk should now be able to answer all of the customer’s questions about products and

sales. By this point, the salesclerk is completely knowledgeable about their department and its

products. The salesclerk will also be able to use the store's cash register to handle all purchases

and returns.

When the shift is over, the manager will ask the salesclerk if they have any lingering

problems or questions about the training. The manager will immediately help the salesclerk with

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any of their problems. If these small questions remain unresolved, they can turn into much larger,

more difficult problems.

IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY FOR TEAMS

No leader, no matter how talented, can go without other people's opinions – they should

ask for them and apply them. These tips can help a manager's team be more productive:

Engage in sense making – Engage with your environment to make sense of what is around you.

1. Get information from all available sources- your customer, suppliers, competitors,

employees, shop departments, and stockholders.

2. Get other people involved in your process. Tell people what you see, and consider other,

different, perspectives.

3. Test your conclusions with small experiments and observations ahead of time. Be on the

lookout for new alternatives and always explore your options.

4. Think outside the box and do not be afraid to apply new ideas. It helps to avoid describing

the world in stereotypes or binaries, like “good guys” and “bad guys,” oppressed or

oppressors, or engineering and marketing (Ancona, Malone, Orlikowski, & Senge, 2007).

Make relationships

1. Don't make immediate judgments, listen to other people, and try to understand their

perspectives.

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2. Encourage your employees and co-workers to express what they are thinking. What is

important to them? What do they think of events? Why?

3. Before you explain what you are thinking, try to anticipate how your listeners will react.

How can you explain your ideas in the best way?

4. When you explain things, go into your reasoning; do not just lay down a bottom line.

5. Evaluate how your relationships work right now: Can you receive advice or criticism

easily? How do you give advice? How do you consider complicated problems? How, and

who, can you ask for help? (Ancona, Malone, Orlikowski, & Senge, 2007)?

Cultivate inventiveness

1. Don't assume that you know the best way to do everything – especially if it is the oldest

way.

2. Encourage people to use creative solutions to a problem.

3. Try to organize your work in different ways. Put people into new and different groups, for

different results.

4. When you consider your environment, keep the question in mind “What other choices

could I make?” (Ancona, Malone, Orlikowski, & Senge, 2007)?”

CARRYING OUT PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS

Performance appraisals can be both confusing and emotional. Keep these steps in mind as

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you carry an appraisal out.

Preparing for appraisal interviews - Make sure that your appraisal files and recent so that you

are appraising the true current situation. These files need to have the agreed-upon performance

objectives and reviews of the employees. Use the right documents, prepared by the right people.

(Pearce, 2007).

Planning appraisals – Your appraisals should always be relaxed but formal. Many people think

that they would prefer an appraisal with a cup of coffee, but formal interviews really make

appraisals function better. Give the employee enough advance warning and have enough time to

interview (Pearce, 2007).

Conducting appraisals – Prepare for the appraisal to be a positive experience. Smile at your

employees, welcome them, make sure that you are both comfortable, and try to keep

interruptions at bay. Set real ground rules, but first makes sure that your employees do not have

any questions or concerns. Be honest, clear, and positive, and focus on the potential for future

change. Appraisals are a chance to work together and solve things, not an investigation (Pearce,

2007).

Reviewing achievements – Go over your employee’s achievements and find out where they

think they have been successful and whether they have reached their goals. If not, why, and

could they have solved their problems? It may be that you both have different ideas about roles

and duties, or that they have set new priorities for their work (Pearce, 2007).

Share views on progress - Give employee’s feedback on their progress and see if they agree. Tell

them where you think they could approve and ask how they can accomplish this (Pearce, 2007).

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Plans for improvement – Ask them how to improve their problem areas. If the employee is not

sure, make suggestions and get them to commit to try them. This is a development process – try

to discuss and agree rather than laying down rules. You want real and lasting improvement – this

only happens when employees feel that they “own” the improvement process, that they have

fully participated, and that they really want to take action to perform better (Pearce, 2007).

Dealing with development plans - When discussing the employees goals for their careers, be

honest with them and do not tell them things, or make promises, that you cannot keep. Tell

employees their realistic chances to advance, and keep the conversation on their professional

development and personal growth. If you can, give them the chance to try taking things in a new

direction (Pearce, 2007).

Agreeing with new objectives – Keep SMART – Specific, Measurable, Appropriate, Realistic,

and Timed – objective guidelines in mind. Agree on your employee's goals and the timetables for

their work. Your employees should be able to set their own goals and targets, but they should

keep challenging themselves. Discuss their review program for the next year (Pearce, 2007).

Ask for feedback – Before you say goodbye, make sure to ask your employees for their

feedback. Are they satisfied? Did they meet their goals? Go over the key points again and end the

discussion in an optimistic way. Promise to give them copies of the minutes (Pearce, 2007).

Final point – An appraisal can be a key tool to get your employees performing better and

happier. Keep in mind that you are working with your employee, and that the future is more

important than the past. No surprises for either you or the employee should come up, because

past problems should have been handled as each one comes up (Pearce, 2007).

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HANDLING CONFLICT

Problems between managers and employees can have a major effect on a business, and it

is important to handle these conflicts in the right way. These five steps can help to resolve this

kind of conflict in the workplace:

Step 1: Schedule a meeting with the manager and the employee. They should each tell you how

they define the problem.

Step 2: Both the manager and employee should think of a series of possible solutions.

Step 3: Pick out realistic solutions and get them to agree on the best ones.

Step 4: Try the solutions and check-in again after a week's time.

Step 5: Schedule meetings for the manager and the employee to check-in and avoid future

conflict from arising (Gerson, 2002).

IMPROVING EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

The relationship between managers and employees is very important, and crucial to the

workplace atmosphere and the productivity of the office. Keep these tips in mind:

1. You should never ask your employee to do something that you are unwilling to do. If you

respect your employees, you will show them respect in their job assignments. Only give

assignments that are fair.

2. Try to be available to your employees when they need to talk. An open door is not quite

enough – you need an open mind too. Set a meeting time to talk with staff. Make the rounds with

your employees to let them know that you are interested.

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3. Talk about your employee expectations so that you can see if you are on the same page. Not

understanding or agreeing on the task can cause friction between managers and employees.

4. Be on your employees' side. So what you can to put less pressure on them. Protect their

interests. Stand up for them.

5. Show your employees that you respect and have confidence in them. Delegate jobs to them.

This will show them that you believe that they have valuable skills (Schwartz, 2005).

References

Ancona, D., Malone, T. W., Orlikowski, W. J., & Senge, P. M. (2007). In Praise of the

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Incomplete Leader. Harvard Business Review, 92-100.

Cashiers. (2007, December 18). Retrieved December 22, 2010, from U.S. Department of Labor,

http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos335.htm

Employee Handbook. (2007, November 30). Retrieved December 21, 2010, from Wikipedia -

The free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employee_handbook

Gerson, V. (2002, September 03). Resolving Conflict in the Workplace. Retrieved January 12,

2011, from NFIB: http://www.nfib.com/object/3455177.html

O*Net OnLine. (2006). Retrieved December 22, 2010, from Occupational Information Network:

http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/43-5051.00

Pearce, C. (2007). Ten steps to conducting appraisals. Nursing Management - UK , p21.

Retrieved November 25, 2010, from EBESCOhost database

Retail Salesperson. (2007, December 18). Retrieved December 23, 2010, from U.S. Department

of Labor: http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos121.htm

Schwartz, A. (2005, July 25). Supervisor-Employee Relations: Tips For Managers. Retrieved

January 12, 2011, from Ezine@rticles:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Supervisor-EmployeeRelations:-Tips-For-Managers&id=53912

Watson, S. A. (2003, December 18). Maximize your chances for success with good

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communication skills. Retrieved January 13, 2011, from TechRepublic:

http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5100391.html