Supervisor Training and the 3 "I’s"

A supervisor of any type carries on the responsibility of "supervising" his/her workers and making sure work is getting done. It is a challenging role, yet rewarding, when a supervisor and the team has meet their goal. What makes a good supervisor? Or better yet, what makes an over-the-top supervisor? In this article, you’ll get some brief supervisor training tips recognized as the three I’s.

Initiate change-When work productivity is not meeting expectations, supervisors carry on the responsibility to initiate change. For example, envision an assembly line of several workers lined up in a row, each with a certain task that will contribute to the final product. What would happen if the first person in the line did not make his/her quota or starts falling behind in with production? As a result, the second person might not be able to contribute because his/her role is based upon the first person’s duties and so on. This chain reaction of work productivity will only get worse unless a supervisor steps up to make a change. There are several possibilities to what this supervisor could do. Probation may be an easy answer for some, but with effective supervisor training, a good leader will discover a way to make things work without having to compromise any work standards. Reorganizing the line of workers, cross-training, and confronting the individual about his/her drop in performance could provide insight, answers, and solutions that a supervisor can execute upon.. Initiating change isn’t just about putting someone on probationary status or switching roles and hiring someone else that will do the job. A good supervisor will strategically handle problems and find new solutions that will make the work environment continuously more productive and operate more smoothly.

Introduce new ideas-A resourceful supervisor who entices employees with new ideas in the workplace will serve as a successful problem solver and motivating role model. For example, a supervisor could observe work conditions as monotonous, unmotivated and sense that workers are getting burned out from daily work. He or she could ask themselves, ‘What can I do myself to motivate my workers?’ or ‘How can we fix this problem at work?’ Brainstorming and executing new ideas at work will help broaden the possibilities of the ideal work setting, or what works best in each situation. Supervisors providing new ideas will help keep workers active and rejuvenated and thus keep them from reaching job dissatisfaction and complacency.

Influence others-A charismatic and hard working supervisor will earn the respect of his/her employees. Not too many individuals want to work for a supervisor who doesn’t practice what he/she preaches—or carries a negative aura everywhere? An influential supervisor will get involved and take a moment to help their employees out with a difficult project or task. A supervisor who influences others but also motivates workers to influence each other will foster a continuous circle of positive emotions. Workers are more inclined to work harder when they see that their supervisor is equally working his/her part.

Using these three "I’s of supervisor training tips will provide you with a foundation to organize and run your group of workers more effectively, whether you are currently a supervisor, or will be transitioning to one in the future.

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By Stephanie Tuia Published: 4/7/2006