For more information, contact Continuing Education at 814-375-4772 or email [email protected].

Supervision Essentials Series

The Supervision Essentials Series is a training series designed to help you become a more effective and efficient leader. The classes are designed for first level supervisors, managers new to supervising others, individual contributors likely to move into supervision, or experienced managers who would like a refresher. The updated content in the modules of this series includes topics that reflect current challenges faced by today’s managers in the workplace.

As modules in this series are scheduled, the details of dates, times, and location will be added to the list below. Sign up for an individual class or any combination of classes. Companies who register 4 or more employees are eligible for discounts. Please call (814) 375-4715 to discuss all possible discounts.

Communicating Effectively

This module covers key concepts of interpersonal communication including the process model, verbal and nonverbal elements, communication barriers and problems, listening skills, and the supervisor’s responsibilities for keeping employees informed.

Setting the Stage for Excellent Performance

Employee performance management is the heart of supervision in that it includes all the supervisory activities directly related to ensuring that employee performance is the best that it can be. This module covers the basic concepts—what performance management consists of, why it is of benefit, how supervisors contribute to creating a motivational climate, and how to establish and communicate high standards and positive expectations for the performance of all employees.

Clarifying Expectations and Observing Performance

This module is designed to increase participant skills and use of effective processes in clarifying performance expectations and collecting performance-related information.  Exercises and checklists are designed to provide practice in developing performance objectives and standards and in planning for and conducting conferences to set expectations with employees.  Guidelines for performance observation and data collection are also included, along with a review of the key legal considerations associated with performance management.

Coaching and Providing Feedback

This module focuses on developing skills in the role of performance coach. Exercises help build understanding of the nature of the coaching role and build skills in providing constructive performance feedback.  Models and exercises involve participants in identifying causes of performance problems and selecting actions to bring about performance improvement. The final application exercise involves participants in planning for a performance improvement discussion with an employee.

Developing Employee Skills

This module is designed to increase the effectiveness of supervisors in their activities related to developing employee skills. In today’s organizations, developing skills that keep pace with changing technologies and marketplaces is especially challenging. Supervisors play a vital role in identifying the skills that employees need to improve, refresh or add as their responsibilities and expectations change. They support development through coaching and providing on-the-job or classroom training. The information, guidelines, and activities included in this Module will help supervisors meet their responsibilities for developing employees.

Developing a Team

This module introduces basic team concepts and provides guidelines for building high performance work teams. Exercises are designed to demonstrate concept applications, to develop insight, and to support the use of tools helpful to setting teams up for success. Areas of focus include: the characteristics of effective teams, various types of teams, tools and methods useful for developing high performance teams, dealing with barriers to team success, and working in a virtual team environment.

Building Work Relationships

This module focuses on examining and improving the quality of work relationships. The characteristics of high-quality work relationships are reviewed. An assessment of interpersonal style provides a framework for developing understanding and building skills in working effectively with others.  The module also provides guidelines for overcoming common difficulties in building high quality work relationships.

Managing Time and Priorities

This module provides a framework and exercises designed to increase participant awareness of the importance of using time effectively and insight into their current time-use patterns and habits. Other exercises help participants identify priorities. Guidelines provide direction for maintaining focus on priorities, reducing current time wasters, and developing a goal-based approach to time management.

Solving Problems

This module focuses on building skills in problem solving. A six-step model is introduced and a number of useful tools for defining problems, analyzing data, and generating alternative actions are explained and applied. Application exercises are designed to help supervisors solve the various problems they face on a daily basis.

Resolving Conflicts

This module helps build both understanding of the nature and causes of interpersonal conflict and the skills needed to resolve such conflicts. The potential positive and negative outcomes associated with conflicts are reviewed with guidelines and exercises designed to lead participants to positive resolutions. Application exercises increase participant awareness of their typical responses to conflict and guide them through an analysis of a current conflict situation.
 

All Supervision Series Classes:

Supervisory Roles and Responsibilities

  • Meeting Supervisory Responsibilities
  • Communicating Effectively
  • Building Work Relationships
  • Leading Others
  • Coaching Across the Generations

Managing Employee Performance

  • Setting the Stage for Excellent Performance
  • Clarifying Expectations and Observing Performance
  • Coaching and Providing Feedback
  • Dealing with Challenging Performance Situations

Solving Problems and Managing Priorities

  • Managing Time and Priorities
  • Solving Problems
  • Resolving Conflicts
  • Supervising Projects

Managing Key Resources and Processes

  • Interviewing and Selecting Employees
  • Developing Employee Skills
  • Developing a Team
  • Building a Positive Work Climate
  • E-Leadership
  • Employee Engagement