The Supervisor’s Survival Guide

Trail Boss Cures Scotoma!

Trail Boss Charlie Clutter was on a role now, after reading his new book “Clear Out Your Clutter with Feng Shui”. He decided to follow the second part of the witch doctor’s prescription and purchased his new “conscious glasses”. What Charlie saw amazed him, as he viewed the Jungle with new eyes. Charlie noticed boxes and files stacked carelessly in places that not only looked tacky but they also were a safety hazard. He quickly calculated what the Worker’s Compensation claims had cost the company over the last few years…ouch! Charlie found things hanging on tent walls that were inappropriate in a professional environment; he noticed how dirty some areas in the Jungle Camp were and he thought about the health of his Jungle Crew; he noticed how hard it was to find things in the disorganized supply tent and he realized why they were always running out of things. Charlie decided to call in his Jungle Crew to help clean out the clutter in their Jungle camp – and not only did they overcome their dreaded disease ‘scotoma’, but they improved their efficiency around the Jungle.

What would a client think about your office environment if they were taken on a tour? Would they feel oppressed by the clutter and think your team was out of control? Or would they notice an environment that was spacious, organized and clean? It is only when you put on your ‘conscious glasses’ and really view the world around you, that you will be able to see the clutter that robs you of energy. And as supervisors in a lean and mean economy, you and you team need all the energy and clarity you can get!

TIP: Here is a great exercise for you and your team – buy some fun glasses at the dollar store and hand them out to the team. Ask everyone to dawn their new ‘conscious glasses’ and tour through the office, making note of things that are out of order, messy or unsafe. One organization we work with calls this exercise the ‘tacky tour’! Meet afterwards to summarize your findings and come up with a plan to clean up your environment. Congratulations, you have just taken your first step to becoming lean and clean!

Stay tuned for our next blog where you will learn more about the lean movement* in your Jungle…

It’s Spring! Get Lean and Clean!

Trail boss Charlie Clutter was frustrated with his progress as a Trail Boss – he just couldn’t seem to get organized! So he hopped on his elephant and went to the witchdoctor. Charlie was shocked to learn that he had a very contagious disease called ‘scotoma’. “What’s scotoma?” he asked the witchdoctor? Scotoma* he learned, is a common ailment that causes people to become so used to the obvious that they no longer see it. It other words familiarity becomes a part of our sub-conscious mind and things become invisible to us. What Charlie could no longer see around his jungle was the clutter. So the witchdoctor prescribed one book taken daily with one pair of ‘conscious glasses’. The book was called ‘Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui’, a title that Charlie scoffed at because it sounded too fluffy for the corporate world. But desperate to improve his efficiency, he bought it anyways and proceeded to read it behind closed tent doors (in case his jungle crew found out he was reading new age stuff)! And what Charlie learned so amazed him that he was motivated to do something about the clutter in his part of the jungle.

How many of you have grown used to the clutter in your environment? We do not have to know much about Feng Shui to recognize the oppressive feeling of a cluttered office space or home. Conversely we intuitively feel the energy of an environment that is spacious, organized and clear. For many this is the new beginning of the fiscal year, after closing the books in March. It is also a time to clean out the old to make room for the new.

TIP: Get into the habit of ruthlessly tossing or recycling superfluous paperwork and never jot down messages on loose pieces of paper – carry a notebook with you for notes and transfer them into your files when needed.

“Spacing clearing” is a branch of Feng Shui, and represents the process of clearing and consecrating energies in buildings. “Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui” is authored by Karen Kingston, ISBN 0-7679-0359-5.

* Scotoma is the Greek word for darkness, and is used when describing the blind spot in the human eye; scotoma has been adopted by human behavioralists to describe our blind spots in the world around us.

Stay tuned for Charlie’s experience as he follows the witchdoctor’s orders and buys his new “conscious glasses”…

THE FIVE FUNCTIONS OF SUPERVISING

How many supervisors really understand what they are responsible for when they start out on the Trail Boss path? Most are introduced to their staff, told what the goals and objectives are, and then the magic wand is waved to magically ensure success!

The five basic functions of the supervisor are:

Function #1: PLANNING
The first thing a new supervisor needs to learn is how to plan. This includes planning for personal tasks, employee workloads, coaching and developing staff and for implementing corporate goals. There are two basic levels of planning that supervisors are responsible for – long term strategic goals and short term tactile planning. Long term or strategic planning focuses on the big picture, providing a framework from which the team operates. Short term or tactile planning focuses on the daily operations of the team in meeting the long-term goals of the organization.

Function #2: ORGANIZING
Once the long and short-term planning goals are in place, the supervisor needs to organize accordingly. This includes prioritizing the workload based on business goals and then distributing the tasks to team members. There are many planning tools available such as the free newsletter www.mygoalmanager.com . Delegating is also a valuable part of organizing the workload and can be used to upskill employees and promote career development.

Function #3: RESOURCING
Resourcing is a term used to identify what is needed in order to get the job done.
This includes budget, staff requirements and support networks such as internet and the Human Resources Department. It is important for supervisors to know what resources are available and how to access them. It is recommended that supervisors develop a resource database that can be accessed personally and for employee situations.

Function #4: LEADING
“You manage things, you lead people”. Beyond the tactile duties of the supervisor, leadership is the part that inspires productivity and encourages employee buy-in. According to management consultants Kouzes and Posner, leadership is a combination of five practices that can be learned. These practices combine self-discipline with clear goals and recognition along the way.
www.theleadershipchallenge.com

The Coaching Connection offers leadership training which includes the work and of Kouzes and Posner. Check our website at www.kaizencoach.com/programs.htm

Function #5: MONITORING
Monitoring is the practice of ensuring work is being done according to the plan. There are numerous ways to measure progress including performance contracts/appraisals, monitoring qualitative and quantitative results, client feedback and project management tools/programs. Coaching employees on a regular basis is critical part of monitoring performance, while building trust and developing competencies throughout the performance period.

NB: The Coaching Connection offers training in coaching skills and how to conduct performance appraisals. Check our website at www.kaizencoach.com/programs.htm

Hangonto Buys a Compass!

From his trials in the Jungle, Hangonto decides to buy a compass. The compass is a key tool for Trail Bosses because it ensures things are going according to plan and the direction is on purpose. Author and speaker Steven Covey refers to this direction as the “True North” of an organization or individual.

Once Hangonto gets the hang of his new compass, he begins to learn and practice the five key functions of trail bossing – and low and behold, the team becomes more engaged with productivity in the jungle on the rise!

Stay tuned for “The Supervisor’s Safari Newsletter”, coming next: “The Five Functions of Supervising”

Grab the Vine!

As he is sinking faster and faster, Hangonto realizes he cannot do this on his own…he looks up for help and spots a vine, which he grabs onto. This vine is a special tool in the jungle and has many branches on it to help trail bosses during the swamp times. The Jungle HR Branch for example, is a part of the vine’s support and can coach Hangonto in working more effectively with his jungle crew. Other experienced Trail Bosses are also part of the support vine and can be very helpful mentors to Hangonto.

Stay tuned for next week’s blog…Hangonto Buys a Compass!

Hangonto Hits Quicksand!

Hangonto wakes up again, exhausted and frustrated – he has been working day and night in the jungle trying to get it all done. He has not yet learned how to organize the workload and therefore does not understand the power of delegating. One hot muggy day, Hangonto wanders into some quicksand and realizing his dilemma, cries for help…but his jungle crew is nowhere to be found! They are off doing their own thing and some are applying for new jungle positions because they are frustrated and bored.

Hangonto sinks deeper and deeper, his cries falling only on the ears of the wildlife lurking close by. Stay tuned for next week’s blog…Grab the Vine!

No Plan in the Jungle

In the early morning mist, the jungle crew arises to meet with the trail boss around the campfire coffee…they are waiting for direction, they are waiting to be used for their skills, they are waiting to be lead far into the wild jungle.

But this new trail boss, Hangonto Skills, doesn’t have a plan and wants to do his old job because that is what he knows best. The jungle crew are confused but they pick up their tools anyways and start cutting through the thick undergrowth. Suddenly there is a wild cry from high in the trees above, where senior trail bosses hang out…”Stop cutting, you’re going the wrong way!”.

When have you worked for a trail boss that didn’t have a plan? How did you feel and how did you respond? Stay tuned for next week’s blog…Hangonto Hits Quicksand!

Trail Boss Dismounts Elephant!

Imagine you are one of the jungle crew and you have been hacking through exceptionally thick jungle all day, slaying snakes, tigers, swamps and crocodiles!  Your backpack is heavy, you’re dirty and hungry…  and all you can think of is the cool lagoon and good meal waiting at the end of the day.
What if your new Trail Boss, while sitting on his mighty elephant, expected you to work longer and then added some more weight to your backpack?  And to top it off, he asked you to make the evening meal, without offering to help!  How would you feel and how willing would you be to serve this Trail Boss when he needed help?
When does your part of the jungle get extra thick and dark?  Is it at year-end, during a period of transition, a new project or under political pressures?  Part of earning the right to be a Trail Boss is in serving your jungle crew, especially when the jungle is exceptionally thick and dark…

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Trail Boss Gets Lost!

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” When in New Jungle, do as the Jungle Crews do…until you know where you’re going! Have you ever followed someone who doesn’t know where they’re going and worse yet, gotten lost? Not only are you frustrated and behind schedule, but you also lose trust in your leader. It’s a hard road back when the Trail Boss thinks they know better than their jungle crew, who have lived in the jungle long before the new Trail Boss showed up!

Every new Trail Boss needs to become a tour guide – and every new tour guide needs to learn the trail before leading the jungle crew.Take the time to walk your new trail and let your jungle crew help you navigate your way around.

Stay alert for our next Jungle Blog…”Trail Boss Dismounts Elephant!”

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Peter Principle Gets Promoted

Once upon a time in the jungle, there lived a very competent jungle crew member named Peter Principle.  Peter was very good at his job and he wanted to become a supervisor in order to improve things and share his knowledge with other the jungle crew.  One day Peter was promoted to supervisor and he proudly mounted his new elephant to take on the Trail Boss role.

However, his old jungle crew buddies wondered why Peter got promoted and what gave him the right to lead now…so they made up their own stories in the darkness of the jungle. So you are the new Trail Boss! Take some time to shine some light in the jungle where the dark stories lie.  Tell them about your new role and find out how you can help…

Stay alert for our next Jungle Blog…”Trail Boss Gets Lost!”

Read about the Peter Principle.

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Breaking in a New Trail Boss?

How many of you have had to break in a new supervisor?  I remember breaking in several new supervisors when I was a front line employee – some broke in well, some broke themselves and some broke others around them!  The best new supervisors took time to get to know us first and then provided clear direction to move us forward.  The worst new supervisors stampeded in on their high elephant and forgot to get off and meet us, the jungle crew, those who actually did the work!  They then proceeded to trample all over our camp and tried to take over the safari without knowing their way around our part of the jungle.

If YOU’RE a new trial boss, I encourage you to take time to gently break into your new jungle and get to know your jungle crew. They will much more readily follow a considerate trial boss.

Stay alert for our next Jungle Blog…  “Peter Principle Gets Promoted in the Jungle”

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First Steps

Well, you have decided that being a supervisor is more of a challenge than you thought or hoped. You are discovering that this jungle you find yourself in is full of pitfalls and traps and the corporate environment can get downright nasty. How do you navigate your team through this dense maze keeping your team’s moral in tact and your judgment sound? These are the areas that The Supervisor’s Survival Guide is designed to help you with.

Let’s take the FIRST STEPS together.

1. Make sure you are well trained as a supervisor.
2. Make sure you and your team are well equipped for the journey.
3. Make sure the path is clear and you understand where you are going.
4. Understand the potential dangers and pitfalls before launching out.