Leadership Training Works
Leaders are people who are effective in what they do, are respected by others, and typically rewarded for those skills in a variety of ways. Many managers and supervisors arrive at their position as a result of vacancy during a crisis, rather than through preparation, training and deliberative selection.
Front-line management must take the strategy (vision, wants and goals) of senior management and apply these in a way that produces results while maintaining positive employee relations.
The decision to provide a new supervisor training program to balance the traditional business requires a commitment to the time and resources. Balance doesn’t come easy. It takes the right strategic plan and the right personal to achieve. To train supervisors and managers effectively, you need a program that’s easy for you to deliver and that requires little time out of busy schedules. Also, if you're like most companies in these tight budget days, you need a program that’s reasonable in cost.
Workplace studies continually show that engaged employees perform significantly higher than those not engaged in their work. Businesses with an engaged workforce will typically have increased service and customer loyalty, better individual employee performance and reduced costs including safety, absenteeism and lost productivity. Leadership means setting goals and vision, a strategic framework to guide your team to attain a goal and rewarding them when they exceed it.
“Set Clear Company Goals”… Every employee must know your essential company goals. It seems like common sense that everyone knows the company’s overall goals. But it’s amazing when you talk to co-workers who don’t completely grasp it. As a supervisor, you can’t just assume your subordinates are knowledgeable. The purpose of the training is to make absolutely sure everyone was on the same sheet of paper when it came to understanding the overall goals. In addition, training should be updated as required to fine tune any modification to your company goals. As a supervisor, you can never assume your people know your company goals. Informed employee’s will grasp and appreciate, “The Big Picture” and stay focus on what is important, and more importantly, limit what is not.
“Set Realistic Completion Timelines”… . If you set unrealistic goals, it says a lot about your expertise. If you don’t understand this, you may be in the wrong job. But, if you set realistic timelines for specific tasks, your employees will respect your decisions. And visa versa, you will lose respect if you don’t set realistic completion timelines. As a supervisor, it’s important to set realistic timelines to complete tasks. You’re the expert who understands what a reasonable time to complete a given task is
“Ensure Proper Training and Tools”… It’s essential that you understand how to identify skill and tool deficiencies. It’s also critical to keep your own personal skill levels on par with the ever changing world of technology and trends. Don’t underestimate the importance of training the trainer. Having proper training and tools to accomplish company tasks seem like common sense, but it’s often overlooked or underestimated by managers. You should always encourage your workers to have input on training. You set the standards, but you should be receptive to new ideas. In addition, you should require your subordinates maintain accountability for company tools and to identify deficiencies to you as the supervisor.
“Firm, Fair and Consistent”… I believe being consistent is one of your greatest assets as a manager. Treating someone fairly means to treat every employee without preferential treatment. It’s very difficult to be totally impartial when dealing with a high performer versus a low performer, but it is one of the most important traits to have as a supervisor. You will lose valuable respect from your co-workers if you’re ever deemed to give anyone preferential treatment. Once you lose this respect, it’s almost impossible to regain. Anyone who is in charge should always remember to always be firm, fair and consistent with all of their subordinates. Being firm with an employee means they understand that there are firm consequences if they either violate policy or fail to meet company standards or goals.
Being consistent is one area that is often underestimated by managers. Being consistent on how you act from day to day is critical. As a manager, it’s important to be professional when confronted by an angry employee. When you remain calm and remain consistent with policy, you will remain professional.
“Encourage Innovative Thinking”… When an employee understands that their input is valuable, they will keep a mindset to look for improvement. Their inputs are very valuable to the success of your company. You can also encourage creative thinking through a formal or informal reward system. All managers should encourage innovative thinking. Every employee is important and will contribute when they feel their inputs are important to the company. If they perceive a lack of interest from management or no one is following through, they will cease future input.
“Trust and Verification”… When you delegate your authority, you’re showing your trust in their ability. Supervisors who understand trust allow the employee to perform at their peak. And visa versa, those who micro manage relate an image of mistrust and that is bad. Your high performers understand the importance of mutual trust and will not threaten it with poor performance. Trust and verification is critical for supervisors who are responsible for employees who are not under direct supervision. Trust can only be earned, but it’s important to verify. This can come in the form of impartial employee customer feedback.
“Advancement Preparation”… Not all employees want to become managers, but all employees want some type of advancement. It could be a pay structured advancement. It could be a promotion in title only. But, it’s important they understand that you’re interested and can provide them with information on how to improve themselves in the company. It’s important that you have this information in written form so there is no ambiguity. All supervisors should appreciate the importance of preparing their subordinates to advance professionally.
“Appreciation”… When an employee feels appreciation, they will work even harder for you. When a subordinate completes a task and does it well, tell them you appreciate it. You can never assume your workers understand how you feel about their work. A simple thank you for a job well done goes a long way and it does not cost a penny. I personally feel this is the most often overlooked area of management. The basic need to feel appreciation for work performed is important. The result is a cohesive winning team that come through the crisis more prepared for daily challenges and even the next crisis.
Our New Supervisor Training Program, an effective Leadership Development Course, and our Employee Handbook were designed especially for small businesses that do not have the time, resources or expertise to develop their own.
Our TurnKey New Supervisor Training Program product can be made specific to your company’s needs and helps new managers develop successful skills to effectively communicate, delegate and manage priorities to increase employee productivity, morale, work quality and accelerate their ability to focus their time and efforts on tasks that achieves results that are most important to the organization’s success.
Why write your own New Supervisor Training Program or an Employee Handbook when it's done for you? Pre-written course ware saves you time and money and helps you better prepare for classroom training with well-researched and proven course materials. (ModernManagers.com HR in a Box)
A turnkey handbook that covers employee-related policies and benefits. Make it your own merely by inserting key words, selecting alternative phrases, deleting segments that are not required or adding topics unique to your operation. Included is a power-point presentation that you can use to introduce your employees to your company products, customers, and community!