Roles & Responsibilities Of a Supervisor

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THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SUPERVISOR 9th December 2005 Author: Michael Brooke Introduction Supervising is like parenting. These are two of the most important jobs any one can do, but few people are adequately prepared or trained to do them. Most people learn by trial and error with varying degrees of success. But both jobs are far too important to be left to chance and the good news is that you can learn with some help and guidance how to be successful in them. This article will help you to be a more effective and efficient supervisor. Supervisor's Role In one sentence, write down what you think your main role as a supervisor is. A role is a main activity or two that you are charged with undertaking. The answers could be: Provide leadership and collaborative direction to my staff; To be a team leader To ensure my staff have the human and physical resources to undertake their work in an efficient manner Supervisor's Responsibilities Learning Activity What are your main supervisory responsibilities in your present job? List them on a separate piece of paper (you should have 8 to 12). It is sometimes easier to think of these under two main headings: (a) job related and (b) people related. Once you have a list, then rank them in order of importance When you have completed this activity, look at the examples other examples of supervisory responsibilities provided by the author. Job Related Cost Control Equipment Goals Materials Plans Procedures Productivity Quality Standards Training People Related Coaching Communicating Delegating Disciplining Leadership Managing yourself Motivating Supervising others Learning Activity: Current Obstacles & Challenges What obstacles do you personally face now that makes it difficult for you to fulfill some of these responsibilities? They may stem: (1) from you (2) from your unit or (3) the organization as a whole.
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