amy s.hewittand sheryl a.larson - institute on … · amy s.hewittand sheryl a.larson this chapter...

11SUPPORTING AND TRAINING SUPERVISORS

Amy S. Hewitt and Sheryl A. Larson

This chapter examines the role that front-line supervisors (FLSs) play in retaining di-rect support professionals (DSPs). It emphasizes the importance of supporting super-visors and ensuring that they have been adequately trained for their positions. The re-sults of a comprehensive job analysis for FLSs who work in community services forpeople with disabilities are provided. This chapter identifies the competencies forwhich FLSs need training and suggests how organizations can develop effective jobdescriptions, training programs, and performance reviews using the information ob-tained in this job analysis. The strategies that one organization used to better supportits FLSs are described. This chapter also includes sample FLS job descriptions, per-formance reviews, and a supervisor development self-assessment plan that organiza-tions can use as a model as they develop these tools within their own organizations.

TARGETED FRONT-LINE SUPERVISOR COMPETENCIES

This chapter focuses on the need to train and develop supervisors to be effective intheir roles. Consequently, all of the FLS competencies used throughout this book arerelated to this chapter.

UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM

FLSs have one of the most complex and difficult jobs in the field of community humanservices. They are responsible for the supervision of a workforce that is often under-trained and for which there is extremely high turnover and constant vacancies. In ad-dition, supervisors often supervise people that they do not see on a regular basis whoare working varied hours of the day and every day of the week. As a result, supervisorsalways have a group of new employees whom they are responsible to train. Supervisorsalso work direct support shifts when replacement employees cannot be found.

Many supervisors report that they were promoted to being a supervisor becausethey were good at doing direct care but also report that they were ill-prepared to beeffective supervisors (Larson, Sauer, Hewitt, O’Nell, & Sedlezky, 1998). Organiza-tions often do not have effective training programs for supervisors, which results insupervisors’ feeling that they were thrown in with little training and support and thatthey learned through trial and error. However, perhaps the best offense and defense in

239

battling the workforce challenges related to direct support is having excellent super-visors who know what they are supposed to do and who are supported in their jobs.This chapter provides suggestions and tools to assist organizations to better prepare,support, and value FLSs. It highlights the contributions FLSs make to improvingturnover and vacancy rates in their organizations as well as improving the overall qual-ity of the services provided by creating and developing employees who are effectiveand do a good job.

RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR SOLUTIONS

FLSs play a critical role in hiring, training, retaining, and supporting DSPs. They areessential to realizing the goals, purposes, and potential of community services (BarryAssociates, 1999; Cohen, 2000; Hewitt, Larson, & Lakin, 2000; Lakin, Bruininks,Hill, & Hauber, 1982; Larson, Lakin, & Hewitt, 2002; Oklahoma Department ofHuman Services, Developmental Disabilities Services Division, 2000; Test, Solow, &Flowers, 1999). Few studies of DSP workforce challenges acknowledge this reality.Research, however, suggests that settings with relatively inexperienced FLSs havehigher DSP turnover rates (Larson, Lakin, & Bruininks, 1998). Furthermore, two ofthe most frequently cited reasons by DSPs for leaving their positions relate to effec-tive supervision: 1) difficulties in getting along with co-workers and 2) conflicts withsupervisors (Larson, Lakin, & Bruininks, 1998).

Three focus groups with a total of 41 FLSs examined the question of what doesand does not work in orientation, training, and supporting supervisors (Larson, Sauer,et al., 1998). Table 11.1 summarizes the orientation that these supervisors were given.Supervisors reported receiving various kinds of orientation and training. Many re-ported that they taught themselves because no orientation was provided. Others re-ported that a mentor helped them through their initial months on the job. A few at-tended formal training provided either by their organization or by an outside entity.In-service training opportunities tended to be based on self-study or on courses of-fered through colleges or provider groups. Some supervisors reported getting an al-lowance for their own training, whereas others reported a lack of money for training.

Supervisors and managers who had access to mentors and networking reportedthat these were the most helpful components of orientation. Supervisors who did nothave mentors or networking opportunities frequently reported that they had littlesupport in learning what they were supposed to do and that this lack of support wastheir biggest problem. Other issues for supervisors included a lack of training oppor-tunities and an overwhelming amount of information to take in very quickly.

When asked what worked about in-service education and training, supervisorsreported liking networking opportunities, opportunities to practice using the infor-mation learned, and training provided outside the organization (Larson, Sauer, et al.,1998; see also Table 11.2). A number of effective and useful training practices wereidentified by FLSs. These include being paired with experienced peers and having refresher courses on certain topics. Features of in-service education that supervisors

240 • Hewitt and Larson

did not like included poor trainers who did not gear training to adult learners, poor-quality materials, and training on topics that were not important.

STRATEGIES FOR RESPONDING TO THE PROBLEM

Organizations can use several important strategies to better support their FLSs to beeffective at their job roles. The following sections provide an overview of many ofthese important considerations and interventions.

Define Supervisors’ Roles and ResponsibilitiesOne of the most important strategies that organizations can use to better support theirFLSs is to clarify their roles and responsibilities. This can be done through using jobanalyses, creating purposeful job descriptions that clarify responsibilities, finding abalance between supervisory and direct support duties, limiting multisite responsibil-

Supporting and Training Supervisors • 241

Table 11.1. Orientation for supervisors and managers

What worked? What did not work?

Having access to mentorsHaving access to training resourcesUsing cross-peer supportHaving experience in the human servicesReceiving good support from direct support

professionalsHaving support of immediate supervisorKnowing whom to callReceiving help from mentors when neededNetworking with people in same positionNetworking with supervisors in different organi-

zationsUsing step system that identifies what to learn

whenUsing trial and errorUsing interactive trainingMentors who explained how to do thingsNetworking with other supervisorsPurposeful on-the-job learningTraining from person who previously held the

positionWork experience in human servicesState-offered supervision and management

courses

Being thrown in to sink or swimAdministrator saying, “Here are your keys.”Taught selfUsing organization-developed training with no

outside guidelinesReceiving disciplinary action while still in trainingHaving training content that did not match the

jobNot having administrative support to accom-

plish tasks taught in trainingBeing held to overly high expectationsGetting too much information at onceNot being told what the job tasks were (if they

had told me, I would have done it)Just being given a set of keys and job descriptionNot having training across all categories of job

dutiesReceiving supervisory training that was not spe-

cific enough to actual job tasksNot receiving ongoing support for clarificationReceiving training that did not accommodate in-

dividual learning stylesNot being given enough resources to do or get

trainingBeing given policies to readReceiving only training required by regulationsNot receiving training about new types of ser-

vicesUsing interactive training

From Larson, S.A., Sauer, J., Hewitt, A., O’Nell, S., & Sedlezky, L. (1998). SOS training and technical assistance proj-ect for direct support professionals, trainers and frontline supervisors (pp. 39–40). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota,Institute on Community Integration, Research and Training Center on Community Living; adapted by permission.

ities, and providing added incentives for FLSs who end up working nonscheduled di-rect support shifts.

Use Job AnalysisAs described in Chapter 6, a job analysis is a careful exploration and rich descriptionof the role that a specific group or category of people have in a given job. For FLSs, ajob analysis describes what they actually do and what they should do on the job. Thisdifferentiation between what they do and what they should do is important becauseoften FLSs are so busy managing crises and responding to other workforce problems(e.g., creating schedules, filling vacancies, providing direct support because of vacan-cies) that they never get time to do other more critical tasks (e.g., supporting and train-ing new employees, observing employees and providing performance, communicating


Table 11.2. In-service training for supervisors and managers

What worked? What did not work?

Combination of off- and on-site trainingFollow-up after training for implementationNetworking opportunitiesTraining selected based on own wants and

needsOpportunity to use what was learned in training

and see it workIncentive program for continuing education or

college credit based on criteriaPeer-recommended trainingTime during training to practice and apply what

was learnedTraining from outside agencyTraining outside of industry (e.g., human re-

sources development and management train-ing from college or private industry)

Funds (based on percentage of salary) devotedto training

Stipend for outside trainingTraining that offers concrete examples and

strategiesVideos for busy peoplePermitting selection from opportunities listed in

quarterly newsletter

IdealPairing new with experienced supervisors for

2–4 weeks for training and rule reviewResources and support staff to cover partici-

pant’s job duties during trainingRefreshers on issues when needed

Patronizing or condescending trainersTraining consisting solely of participants talking

to each otherTraining with no practical applicationPoor or ineffective trainersTraining that is not geared toward adult learnersTraining content that is read to participantsTraining that is only offered at one timePoor-quality printed materialsReading manuals, reports, and booksRole playingHigh costs for trainingTraining sessions that are too far away or that

are too short to travel so farTraining sessions that are too longRepeated training with no varietySchedule driven by regulations and moneyTraining for one or two supervisors who then

train the others

From Larson, S.A., Sauer, J., Hewitt, A., O’Nell, S., & Sedlezky, L. (1998). SOS training and technical assistanceproject for direct support professionals, trainers and frontline supervisors (pp. 39–40). Minneapolis: University of Min-nesota, Institute on Community Integration, Research and Training Center on Community Living; adapted by per-mission.

in person with DSPs). A job analysis for FLSs also describes the specific knowledge,skills and attitudes that community human services supervisors need to be effective.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota created a comprehensive job analysisto identify the critical competencies and performance indicators for FLSs working inMinnesota (Hewitt, Larson, O’Nell, Sauer, & Sedlezky, 1998). This analysis was oneof the first completed within community human services for the FLS position and iscurrently the subject of a national validation study (Doljanac, Larson, Hewitt, &Salmi, 2004). This FLS job analysis details the broad competency areas and specificskills required of FLSs (see Figure 1 in the Introduction; for information on how toobtain a copy of this job analysis, refer to the Resources section in this chapter). Thisjob analysis provides insight into the vastly varied roles and responsibilities of FLSs.Although not every single supervisor has all of these job duties, most do.

Provide Clear Job Expectations and DescriptionsOrganizations need to work hard to let FLSs know exactly what they are expected todo in their jobs. Most job descriptions do not provide sufficient detail for employeesto understand everything they need to know or be able to do. Basing job descriptionson a comprehensive job analysis can be helpful in ensuring that employees know whatis expected of them. A sample job description for FLSs in community human servicesappears at the end of this chapter. This sample may not accurately reflect the role andduties of all FLSs, but it can give organizations ideas on what to include in their FLSjob descriptions.

In addition to describing exactly what the duties of a position are, organizationsshould let FLSs know exactly how their competence and skills will be evaluated. Usinga job analysis to guide this assessment and evaluation ensures that the assessment andevaluation measure actual FLS job tasks. A sample Front-Line Supervisor Perfor-mance Assessment is also provided at the end of this chapter.

Create Balance Between Direct Support and Supervisory RolesThe job analysis results presented in The Minnesota Frontline Supervisor Competenciesand Performance Indicators (Hewitt et al., 1998) indicate that supervisors have a com-plex and often difficult job. One of their broad areas of responsibility includes provid-ing direct support to the people who are supported by the organization. Supervisorsmust demonstrate that they are willing and able to provide direct support. Modelingof excellent direct support skills is essential for FLSs during effective training of DSPsand is valuable in gaining the respect and trust of DSPs and the individuals supportedand their family members. At the same time, being able to provide direct support isonly 1 of the 14 competency areas mentioned in the job analysis. To expect that su-pervisors can complete all of their supervisory duties and still provide 20–30 hours perweek of direct support across multiple sites is unrealistic. Unfortunately, that is the ex-pectation for far too many FLSs and contributes substantially to their burnout and toturnover rates of 27% (Hewitt, Larson, & Lakin, 2000) in these positions. Organiza-tions can employ several strategies to balance the number of supervisory and directsupport hours an FLS works (see Table 11.3).


Limit Multiple Site ResponsibilitiesAs community human services settings have become more decentralized, the numberof smaller community services organizations has dramatically increased. When ser-vices were provided in large congregate care settings, all of the employees for whichsupervisors were responsible worked in the same location during set shifts. Now, moreoften than not, supervisors guide and direct the work of DSPs working in many loca-tions at many different times of day and days of the week. Obviously, when employeesdo not work in the same place as the supervisor, the challenges of overseeing these em-ployees are greater. Some DSPs have indicated that they rarely if ever even see theirsupervisor (Larson, Lakin, & Bruininks, 1998). Many state that the reason they leavetheir positions is poor or limited supervision.

Certainly the costs associated with delivering effective services and the amount offunding an organization receives to a large extent dictate how organizations distributesupervision responsibilities. But, organizations need to consider certain important fac-tors and can put supports in place to maximize supervisor efficiency and effectiveness,even when supervisors are responsible for multiple sites. Organizations should reduceor limit the number of locations or sites for which a supervisor is responsible. Althoughthere is no magical maximum number of sites, some supervisors and managers have in-dicated to us in focus groups and training sessions that handling more than two or threesites becomes overwhelming. Capping the number of sites can reduce burnout amongsupervisors because they spend much less time traveling between sites and thus havemore time to spend in person supporting the employees they supervise.

When an FLS is responsible for more than two or three sites, it is important for theorganization to do a careful analysis of job duties and create a lead employee position ineach site to take on many of the responsibilities that might otherwise be given to theFLS. Some of the job tasks that could be delegated to this lead staff person include• Scheduling• Filling open shifts when others are not available• Arranging transportation• Scheduling appointments• Performing site-specific maintenance and upkeep


Table 11.3. Balancing supervisory work with direct support work for front-linesupervisors (FLSs)

Be realistic in estimating the percentage of time FLSs need to spend on dutiesother than providing direct support. Limit the number of routinely required directsupport hours to no more than 10–15 per week.

Have a pool of regular, full-time floater employees who can work across multiplesites and fill last-minute vacancies. These positions should be coveted posi-tions within the organization, and, if possible, people who work in these rolesshould be given an hourly augmentation to their base pay for being willing to putin hours without a predetermined schedule.

Pay FLSs overtime or augment their salaries when they work unscheduled directsupport shifts. This will provide an incentive to FLSs to complete their other su-pervisory duties in any given week so that they can dedicate any time left overto working direct support hours at a higher rate of pay.

• Completing paperwork• Doing specific liaison work and making routine contact with family members and

support team members• Scheduling training• Reviewing and submitting time cards for payrollThese duties are not involved with direct supervision and can greatly relieve the bur-den on FLSs, freeing up precious time for them to guide and direct the work of DSPsand evaluate and provide feedback to DSPs on their effectiveness.

In addition to delegating responsibilities and relieving job stress caused by FLSs’having too many duties, organizations can assist FLSs in managing multiple sites orlocations in other ways. Although in-person interaction between supervisors and em-ployees is important, supervisors managing multiple sites need efficient ways to con-nect with all of their employees. Supervisors need technology that makes it convenientto interact several times a week with each employee they supervise so that they cankeep in touch between times that they see each other face to face. Organizations needto support the use of internal computer networks and ensure that all employees haveaccess to e-mail. E-mail can be a quick and effective way for supervisors to connectwith their employees across locations. Supervisors could also greatly benefit from cel-lular telephones so that their employees can reach them on the first try. Often em-ployees spend much time trying to track their supervisor down by calling differentsites or by calling a pager and waiting for their supervisor to return their call. Moreimmediate and available communication can go a long way in helping DSPs feel con-nected to and supported by their supervisor. Last, ensuring that supervisors haveportable computers is important so that when supervisors move from location to loca-tion, they have access to all of their work-related computer files. Often supervisors areforced to be inefficient because they need to handwrite or type documents or need touse a centralized computer.

Offer Incentives for Extra and Unexpected Direct Support WorkSupervisors have to complete many essential tasks and duties, such as scheduling workshifts, providing guidance and support to DSPs, interacting with families, schedulingappointments, and ensuring that staff are trained. Yet, because of high DSP turnoverand vacancy rates, supervisors often have to work direct support shifts so that enoughstaff are on duty providing supervision and support to the people receiving services. Infact, some supervisors report that they often work as many as 20–40 hours of direct sup-port per week. In addition, they spend inordinate amounts of time trying to find staffto fill shifts. Without incentives to work these extra hours, many supervisors burn out.

Often supervisors are salaried employees. They quickly realize that if they wereworking as a DSP, they would be making much more money for the number of hoursthat they put in because they would be paid overtime. They also would have far fewerheadaches in terms of regular supervisory duties and the hassles that accompany hav-ing to fill open shifts. This not only discourages supervisors and causes burnout, it alsodiscourages DSPs from applying for open supervisory positions because they may beunwilling to work long hours without being able to earn overtime pay.


To address this problem, organizations should identify ways to provide incentivesto supervisors for the many hours of extra direct support they work. Some organiza-tions pay their supervisors an hourly rate for the hours they work in a direct care rolebeyond their 40 supervisory hours per week. Other organizations identify other formsof incentives such as offering gift certificates for shifts worked or points to redeem fora weeks’ stay at a local inn. The type of incentive is not as important as the acknowl-edgment that the organization recognizes that the supervisor is working hard and ex-pending extra energy for the betterment of the people supported. We caution organi-zations not to offer comp time as an incentive for supervisors unless organizations arecommitted to making it possible for supervisors to use the comp time within 30–60days. Supervisors often do not have the opportunity to take the time off because oflimited staff and numerous vacancies.

Proactively Cultivate a Cadre of New SupervisorsFLS turnover rates average around 27% (Hewitt, Larson, & Lakin, 2000; see Table1.11 and Chapter 1 for more information on FLS turnover). This means that in anygiven calendar year more than one fourth of all FLSs who were at a site at the begin-ning of the year were no longer there at the end of the year. Organizations are con-stantly looking for new supervisors. The most important ways for organizations toproactively address this need are to find capable and competent people to bring intoFLS positions; to support and train these individuals on how to be effective supervi-sors, preferably before they become supervisors; and to develop mentoring programsand support networks so that FLSs can interact with other FLSs both within and out-side of the organization in which they are employed.

Find New SupervisorsOrganizations can find new supervisors from within the organization or from outsidethe organization. Obviously promoting DSPs from within the organization providesopportunities for DSPs to see that they are not in dead-end jobs and that career pathsexist for them. The risk with promoting from within is that DSPs may not get suffi-cient training regarding their roles and responsibilities as FLSs. Often because a DSPhas worked for the organization, knows its practices, and has observed supervisors inaction, the organization assumes that the DSP will be a good supervisor right away andfails to provide training to support the person’s new role. Making the transition fromDSP to FLS can also be a challenge for some DSPs because they may end up super-vising people who used to be their peers.

To be successful, organizations must anticipate the need for new supervisors andprovide leadership development and training opportunities for existing DSPs beforean opening occurs. DSPs who are interested in moving into supervisory positionsneed to know how to be effective supervisors before they take on this role. The moreskills training organizations can offer in FLS competency areas, the better preparedpromoted DSPs will be in handling the challenges they will face as a new supervisor.

Recruiting new supervisors from outside the organization is sometimes necessarybut is less preferable to developing internal candidates. Bringing in new supervisors


from outside of the organization can cause existing DSPs to feel as if they have no op-portunities and have been overlooked for such positions. Recruiting supervisors fromoutside requires the new supervisors not only to learn basic supervision skills and jobduties but also to learn about the new organization and its policies, procedures, orga-nizational norms, and culture. Sometimes when change is needed in the culture of aspecific site or group of sites, however, an external candidate may be a better choice be-cause the person will have less of a negative perception of the organization to overcome.

Whether a new supervisor is developed from within or hired from outside, it iscritical to provide a realistic job preview (RJP) regarding that new position before theperson makes a decision about the job (see Chapter 3 for more about RJPs). During anRJP for a potential FLS, it is useful to have the person review a very detailed job de-scription or competency list. Some organizations have used The Minnesota FrontlineSupervisor Competencies and Performance Indicators (Hewitt et al., 1998) for this purpose.Although other information should also be provided (see Chapter 3 for ideas) to a per-son who is seriously considering a move to an FLS position, The Minnesota FrontlineSupervisor Competencies and Performance Indicators or a similar version tailored to the or-ganization can be a real eye opener about the nature and extent of FLS responsibilities.

Support and Train New SupervisorsDeveloping effective supports for new FLSs involves both orientation and socializa-tion activities (see Chapter 5) and skills training activities (see Chapters 6 and 7). Evenif a supervisor has worked in another role in the organization, there are enough dif-ferences in the roles of DSPs and FLSs that a new orientation is usually helpful. Thetasks and routines that are specific to FLS positions should be introduced during thesocialization process.

Organizations have many options about how to socialize new supervisors. For ex-ample, some organizations put together an orientation checklist that is specific to eachjob. The checklist asks the new supervisor to review the forms and processes he or shewill be expected to use, read specific materials that describe the organization’s man-agement culture, and review computer software and templates that are used for theFLS role (e.g., payroll, scheduling, and other management tools). The checklist alsoidentifies the people the new supervisor should meet with to learn about their newrole. The orientation checklist may also include such tasks as working with the officemanager to order business cards; reading The New Supervisor: A Guide for the NewlyPromoted, Third Edition (Chapman, 1992); completing an FLS self-assessment and/orself-development plan such as the ones that appear at the end of this chapter; readingthe last two reports completed by the previous supervisor on certain topics; and meet-ing with a human resources staff member to review basic employment laws. The or-ganization may also find it helpful to provide a list of abbreviations and acronyms usedby supervisors and managers in the organization, a list of the major projects that thenew supervisor is responsible for, and a list of the most important tasks that the per-son needs to complete each week for his or her first 4 weeks. The FLS orientationchecklist that we have used also includes this pointer for each week: “Ask a lot of ques-tions if you need more information.”


Develop Mentoring Programs and Support Networks

Peer mentoring programs and other forms of peer support can be helpful to new FLSs.Supervisors have reported that mentoring was one of the strategies that worked best(Larson, Sauer, et al., 1998). Often it is important for new employees to learn fromothers who are actually doing the same job. Observing others who are already compe-tent can assist in building confidence and support for FLSs. When hiring new FLSs,organizations should partner them with existing FLSs for mentoring and support. SeeChapter 8 for more information about developing a mentoring program and impor-tant considerations in doing so.

Regardless of whether a supervisor is new to the organization or has been pro-moted from within, providing transition time and overlap with the current supervisorbefore the position changes hands can prevent many problems. If that is not possible,it will be critical for the organization to be realistic about the amount of time it willtake for the person to learn and be comfortable with his or her new role. During thetransition time, providing additional staff support is important. For a supervisor whois new to the sites he or she is responsible for supervising, it will be important to havethe person spend several days getting to know the individuals supported and the staffin those sites before taking on the supervision role.

Provide Ongoing Support to SupervisorsAlthough orientation and training for new supervisors are important, it is also im-portant to provide ongoing support to them while they remain in supervisory roles.Organizations have many options for providing such support; these options are de-scribed next.

Give Supervisors Time to Connect and ShareSupervisors need the opportunity to share and connect with one another. In fact, mostemployees in professional roles need opportunities to network, share stories, and learnfrom others in similar roles. There are numerous ways in which an organization canprovide these types of opportunities to its supervisors (see Table 11.4).

Encourage Cultural CompetenceFLSs are expected to provide supervision to people from every imaginable cultural,ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, linguistic, and religious background. As the popula-tion of the United States becomes more diverse and as more immigrants begin work-ing in community human services, organizations will continually be broadening thediversity of their employee base. To effectively supervise a diverse group of employ-ees, FLSs need to receive training and develop competencies related to working withdiverse groups of people.

Hiring, training, and supporting employees who are new to the United States canprovide new challenges to FLSs. Research has indicated that FLSs face certain chal-lenges as they employ, train, and supervise these employees (Sedlezky et al., 2001):• Differing communication styles• Gender role differences


• Different experiences with and understanding of disabilities and disability serviceprovision

• Differing cultural norms regarding work roles and expectations• Different understandings of home making and other aspects of direct supportAlthough supervisors identified these differences as being difficult to deal with, thesesupervisors, over time and with the right support, were able to effectively supervise,support, and capitalize on the unique contributions of people from diverse back-grounds.

Hiring employees from diverse backgrounds brings a number of benefits to theorganization. By expanding and effectively supporting this pool of potential DSPs, or-ganizations can reap the rewards of a diversified workplace, such as the following:• Attracting and retaining talented people, thus reducing the costs associated with

recruitment and turnover• Meeting the needs of diverse consumers• Using creative and flexible problem solving that comes from different perspectives• Providing a work environment that is welcoming to all employees

It is important for FLSs to develop an understanding of cultural competence andhow to promote cultural competence in themselves, the DSPs they supervise, andtheir organization. It is impossible for FLSs to escape cultural differences and culturalconflict in their roles as supervisors. Culture can be defined as a “framework thatguides and bounds life practices” (Hanson, 2004, p. 4). People acquire early in lifetheir own cultural references and therefore tend to be unaware that many of their dailyinteractions and decisions are made within that framework. This lack of awareness ofone’s personal cultural practices becomes a problem when one experiences a differencewith someone who does not share the same cultural practices. It is important for FLSsto also understand that there is wide variation of individual behavior within a given


Table 11.4. Creating opportunities for front-line supervisors (FLS) to network

Provide at least 30–60 minutes before or after any organizational managementmeeting for FLSs to share information and network.

Develop and disseminate a list of internal experts on various topics. New super-visors can use this list to find out whom to call with questions on various as-pects of their job.

Hold optional brown bag lunches for FLSs that are typically not attended by man-agers and administrators. Market these lunches as opportunities for FLSs to gettogether and celebrate their accomplishments and contributions with one an-other.

Create a chatroom or electronic message board on the organization’s computernetwork or web site for FLSs to check in with one another and share ideas.

Send out a weekly e-mail with tips and strategies to support FLSs. This e-mailshould be created by FLSs.

Seek input from FLSs or assign a group of them to develop a networking day toprovide development and support specifically to FLSs in the organization.

Have managers establish routine lunch or dinner gatherings for the FLSs they su-pervise to provide networking and sharing opportunities.

Support an FLS networking group across all of the human services organizationsin your community. This offers FLSs in your organization the opportunity to learnnew strategies and ideas from other FLSs.

culture (Lynch & Hanson, 2004). For example, although European American culture istime conscious and values promptness, there are people within this culture who are nottimely, who do not wear watches and are not concerned with the strict keeping of time.

Cross-cultural competence is sometimes viewed as a learning continuum of atti-tudes and beliefs through which a person progresses. People typically go through a va-riety of stages as they learn about new cultures. Very few people embrace all culturaldifferences readily and with complete understanding. But through increased aware-ness and information about different cultures, people are often able to begin develop-ing cultural competence and embracing diversity. Learning about another culture, in-tegrating this information, and then displaying competence through demonstratedbeliefs, actions, and communications are part of an ongoing process. It is important forFLSs to develop an understanding of their own cultural practices and to become awareof the cultural practices of others to avoid misunderstandings and build more com-fortable and effective workplaces. Table 11.5 includes some specific skills and compe-tencies regarding cultural competence and working with diverse groups of people.

Set the Organizational ContextIn addition to understanding how to influence and work with people from various cul-tural backgrounds, FLSs also need to understand how their organization does or doesnot use culturally affirming and responsive services and support, both with supportedindividuals and with employees. Just as individuals fall along a spectrum of culturalcompetence, so do organizations. Culturally competent organizations value diversityat all levels of the organization and demonstrate this through policies and practices(e.g., training, hiring, promotions, physical environment). Culturally competent or-ganizations also support and reflect a commitment to understanding, valuing, and uti-lizing the full potential of each employee and his or her diverse perspectives. An or-ganization bias assessment such as the one that appears at the end of this chapter, mayhelp FLSs determine how culturally competent their organization is.


Table 11.5. Competencies for FLSs regarding cultural competence and diversity

FLSs understand culture and its impact on communication, interactions, and thebroader context of the work environment.

FLSs use communication, team building, and conflict resolution strategies in away that acknowledges and respects diversity.

FLSs implement training strategies that facilitate successful entry of employeeswho are recent immigrants into the organization and encourage competencybuilding of these employees.

FLSs identify recruitment strategies that promote a diverse workforce and tapunique recruitment sources and opportunities within the community.

FLSs identify and implement strategies to make the interviewing process moreculturally competent.

FLSs model culturally competent behavior and serve as change agents for in-creased cultural competence in the organization.

Adapted from Sedlezky, L., Anderson, L.L., Hewitt, A., O’Nell, S., Sauer, J., Larson, S.A., &Sjoberg, T. (2001). The power of diversity: Supporting the immigrant workforce (Facilitatorguide and learner guide, pp. A1–A2). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Institute on Com-munity Integration, Research and Training Center on Community Living.

Not only do supervisors need to be able to understand how culturally competenttheir organizations are, but they also need to learn effective strategies for getting anorganization to become more culturally competent. FLSs can be instrumental in help-ing organizations move along the continuum of cultural competence. FLSs can helpthe whole organization become more culturally competent by observing and commu-nicating how their organization’s spoken and unspoken policies and procedures areunderstood and practiced by all DSPs; by listening to DSPs and gathering their sug-gestions for improving the organizational climate; and by sharing these ideas withother supervisors, managers, and administrators. A curriculum designed to assist or-ganizations to do this is listed in the Resources section of this chapter.

In the Spotlight: REM-MNSherri A. Larson and Howard J. Miller

REM-MN is a for-profit, 35-year-old family-owned organization providing a wide variety ofsupports throughout Minnesota. REM-MN currently serves more than 30,000 individualsand employs 4,500 staff members. Training and supporting supervisors and managershas been on the front burner at REM-MN since the late 1990s.

REM-MN carries out its mission to create opportunities for people by adhering toits guiding beliefs and philosophy. Within these beliefs is the conviction that a well-trained, motivated, and engaged management and supervision team makes the differ-ence between the provision of quality services and marginal services. In 1996, the organi-zation began to introduce supervisors and managers to Covey’s The Seven Habits ofHighly Effective People (1989). Administrators supported the notion that supervisors andmanagers had to learn effective leadership skills for the organization to provide qualitysupports to individuals it served. REM-MN adopted the language of this training and incorporated it into their daily work lives. The training became increasingly focused onleadership skills and less focused on management skills.

In 2000, REM-MN developed a 3-day advanced leadership training that was sup-ported by many of the concepts introduced in the book First, Break All the Rules: Whatthe World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently (Buckingham & Coffman, 1999). This ad-vanced training emphasized performance-based skills, such as judging work perform-ance, hiring and retaining quality staff, understanding basic employment law, and uphold-ing professional integrity.

Due to restructuring in the organization, a number of additional managers joined thestaff in 2001. The training no longer met the needs of the organization as newer and in-experienced managers were overwhelmed by the job tasks and information provided inthe training and did not gain the leadership skills that REM-MN had hoped that the train-ing would provide. The advanced leadership training was funneled into a 1-day trainingsession on the intangibles of management and supervision, such as vision and leader-ship, and a separate orientation program was developed for supervisors and managers.

For the separate supervisor and manager program, training material was placed onCD-ROMs, to be used on laptop computers provided by the organization. The orientationcovers becoming an effective leader, developing effective employees, developing effec-tive teams, producing effective outcomes, controlling costs, and maintaining quality athomes. New supervisors and managers complete this program in conjunction with amentoring program designed to support the further development of skills.


Since the implementation of this new approach to the training and orientation ofsupervisors and managers, REM-MN has seen a reduction in employment terminationlawsuits thanks to the increased competency of supervisors and managers in under-standing and applying employment law. There has also been a reduction in overall staffturnover. By offering a balance of soft and hard skills throughout orientation and training,supervisors and managers develop more effective teams, work more effectively with staff,and create better services for consumers.

From Larson, S.A., & Miller, H. (2002). Supervisors of direct support professionals.Paper presented at the 2002 Reinventing Quality conference, Chicago.

OVERCOMING IMPLEMENTATION BARRIERS

As with any organizational change, developing a new or improved system to supportFLSs requires effort. It is important to involve current managers and supervisors aswell as other stakeholders in defining the ideal system for the organization. Probablythe biggest challenge is to create the system and actually implement it. It is very easyto get wrapped up in day-to-day crises and to lose track of the importance of makingneeded system improvements. An examination of the organization’s current FLSturnover rate and satisfaction survey results from FLSs can provide some of the mo-tivation for making the difficult changes.

It is also important for organizations to continually focus on what their super-visors need and how to fulfill these needs through improved practices. Often onceFLSs are trained and oriented, they are forgotten about until it is time for them to bepromoted. Organizations need to find and provide ways to recognize and support allemployees, including their FLSs.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

1. To what extent do supervisors in your organization have clear or unclear role ex-pectations?

2. What competencies does your organization strive to develop in supervisors?3. What strategies does your organization use to ensure that supervisors are not

overburdened with direct support hours when they are unable to find DSPs towork these hours? How does your organization provide support and incentives forsupervisors who are working additional hours?

4. How does your organization develop a cadre of effective new supervisors who areprepared to support, recruit, and retain DSPs? How does your organization de-velop leadership skills in DSPs who are preparing to become FLSs?

5. What opportunities exist within your organization for supervisors to mentor,network, and communicate with other supervisors within your organization?Outside of your organization?

6. Does your organization emphasize the importance of developing culturally com-petent supervisors?

7. What barriers exist within your organization regarding organizational culturalcompetence?


8. What other barriers to supporting and training effective supervisors exist withinyour organization?

CONCLUSION

Solving workforce challenges such as DSP turnover requires a careful examination ofthe processes used to develop, socialize, orient, train, and support supervisors. Manyof the other chapters in this book outline techniques that work with both DSPs andFLSs. This chapter has detailed several additional processes that organizations can useto specifically support FLSs. When applied in a planful way with other techniques, thestrategies in this chapter can help reduce supervisor turnover and improve workingconditions for every member of the work team, which in turn can lead to improvedsupports and quality-of-life outcomes for the individuals served by the organization.

RESOURCESChapman, E.N. (1992). The new supervisor: A guide for the newly promoted (3rd ed.). Menlo Park,

CA: Crisp Learning.

This short book introduces supervision to people who have just started or who are consideringtheir first supervisory position. It includes two checklists to help individuals assess their atti-tudes about supervision roles. It also provides introductory information about the critical skillsof discipline, delegation, coaching, and counseling. Designed to be read in 50 minutes, the bookconcludes with a 25-item true/false quiz that covers the content from the book.

College of Frontline Supervision (http://rtc.umn.edu/cfs)

The College of Frontline Supervision is an on-line training program designed to support FLSsin learning how to be most effective at what they do. New and experienced supervisors, man-agers, and human resources professionals in human services organizations can use this self-paced curriculum.

Haynes, M.E. (1991). Stepping up to supervisor (Rev ed.). Menlo Park, CA: Crisp Learning.

This book provides a bit more detail than The New Supervisor (Chapman, 1992) does about theprocess of becoming a new supervisor. Topics covered include being personally effective (e.g.,communicating for understanding, managing your time, dealing with conflict), working withindividuals (e.g., providing feedback, evaluating performance, handling discipline), and work-ing with groups (e.g., using the talent in your group, conducting work-group meetings, build-ing an effective team).

Hewitt, A., Larson, S.A., O’Nell, S., Sauer, J., & Sedlezky, L. (1998). The Minnesota frontlinesupervisor competencies and performance indicators: A tool for agencies providing community ser-vices. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration, Research and Training Center on Community Living. (Available from the publisher, 612-624-4512;http://www.rtc.umn.edu/pdf/flsupcom.pdf)

This booklet contains the results of a comprehensive job analysis for community FLSs. It de-scribes the characteristics of a contemporary community support organization; describes themission, vision, and values that underlie the competencies; and lists 14 broad FLS competencyareas, competency statements within each area, and performance indicators for each of thesestatements.


O’Nell, S., Hewitt, A., Sauer, J., & Larson, S. (2001). Removing the revolving door: Strategies to ad-dress recruitment and retention challenges (Facilitator guide and learner guide). Minneapolis:University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration, Research and Training Cen-ter on Community Living. (Available from the publisher, 612-624-4512; http://rtc.umn.edu/wddsp/dol.html)

This curriculum is designed to train FLSs to become active and effective in the recruitment, re-tention, and training of DSPs. The curriculum covers much of the same content as this bookbut also provides lesson plans and exercise suggestions for each topic. The modules addressesorganizational practices that influence recruitment, retention, and training; the FLS’s role in re-cruitment, retention, training, orientation, and mentoring; recognition and motivation of em-ployees; and selecting and implementing intervention strategies.

Sedlezky, L., Anderson, L.L., Hewitt, A., O’Nell, S., Sauer, J., Larson, S.A., & Sjoberg, T.(2001). The power of diversity: Supporting the immigrant workforce (Facilitator guide and learnerguide). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration, Re-search and Training Center on Community Living. (Available from the publisher, 612-624-4512; http://rtc.umn.edu/wddsp/dol.html)

This curriculum assists FLSs in gaining cultural competency and other knowledge and skillsnecessary to manage and support a diverse workforce. The modules deal with such topics asunderstanding diversity; building a cohesive team; orienting and training workers who are re-cent immigrants; and using recruiting, hiring, and organizational practices that support theseworkers.


Job Description

Front-Line Supervisor Position, Community Human Services

MINIMAL QUALIFICATIONSAt least 1 year of experience in providing direct support to recipients of community human services.High school degree (or GED), valid driver’s license, insurable.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONSA 2-year degree or certificate in a human services field. Five years of direct support experience in com-munity human services and some supervisory training and experience.

GENERAL POSITION DESCRIPTIONThe front-line supervisor (FLS) is responsible for guiding and directing the work of direct support pro-fessionals (DSPs) who work in community settings serving people with disabilities and other humanservices needs. In addition, the FLS is responsible for ensuring that organizational policies and proce-dures are implemented correctly and that the individuals who receive community supports live valuedand high-quality lives in their communities.

BROAD AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITYParticipating in organizational activities, serving on committees, and communicating the organization’svalues and principles to others; assisting in recruiting, selecting, and supporting DSPs; providing train-ing and mentoring to new and existing employees; guiding and directing the work of DSPs by settingclear expectations and monitoring progress; recognizing and valuing the skills and input of employees;and developing effective teams.

SPECIFIC JOB DUTIES

Area: Organizational ParticipationThe competent FLS knows and understands how recruitment and retention issues affect individualsreceiving supports, the sites for which he or she is responsible, and the whole organization and effec-tively participates in organizationwide activities and communicates with others regarding these issues.

Skills and Duties_____ Knows the actual annual turnover and vacancy rate at the sites for which he or she has direct

responsibility and how these compare with rates for the organization as a whole_____ Knows how to develop and implement a plan for reducing unwanted turnover and vacancies at

the sites he or she supervises or across the organization as a whole_____ Supports other FLSs in understanding and learning about recruitment and retention strategies

and why they are important_____ Monitors turnover, recruitment success, and employee satisfaction and uses the results to im-

prove personnel practices_____ Identifies necessary resources for individuals served and DSPs and advocates for these re-

sources with managers

Area: Recruitment and SelectionThe competent FLS is knowledgeable about a range of effective recruitment and selection strategiesand has the skills necessary to find and hire new employees who are appropriate for the job, who canmeet the needs of the people they support, and who are likely to stay.

Skills and Duties_____ Recruits new DSPs by posting announcements about open positions both within the organiza-

tion and externally in newspapers and on job boards; by encouraging existing staff to recruitpotential new hires; and by networking with high schools, technical schools, job centers, wel-fare-to-work programs, and other sources of potential new hires

_____ Recruits and mentors community volunteers and interns

Skills and duties from O’Nell, S., Hewitt, A., Sauer, J., & Larson, S. (2001). Removing the revolving door: Strategies toaddress recruitment and retention challenges (pp. 9–14 of learner guide). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, In-stitute on Community Integration, Research and Training Center on Community Living; adapted by permission.

Note: This is only a sample of FLS job duties, as they vary across organizations and sites. The Minnesota FrontlineSupervisor Competencies and Performance Indicators (Hewitt, Larson, O’Nell, Sauer, & Sedlezky, 1998) and other jobanalysis results can be used to develop a complete list.

(continued)

_____ Assists in the development of promotional materials for the organization, including newsletters,newspaper articles, brochures, and videos, and maintains contacts with media

_____ Understands the importance and components of a realistic job preview (RJP) in the hiring pro-cess and uses RJPs effectively with potential new hires

_____ Schedules and completes interviews with potential new DSPs in collaboration with existingDSPs and individuals supported and their family members

_____ Understands, develops, and uses structured interviews and other methods for making deci-sions regarding an applicant’s suitability to the job and organization

_____ Can articulate the difference between recruitment and selection and the importance of both_____ Seeks input from other staff and from individuals receiving supports and family members in

making hiring decisions

Area: Orientation, Training, and MentoringThe competent FLS is knowledgeable about formal and informal training, orientation, and mentoringpractices that respond to the needs, desires, and interests of new and existing employees.

Skills and Duties_____ Takes a direct interest in the roles and responsibilities of the DSPs he or she supervises_____ Coordinates, schedules, and documents DSPs’ participation and performance in orientation,

in-service training, and other self-directed learning and development_____ Observes and solicits feedback from staff and supported individuals and their families regard-

ing DSP training needs and desired opportunities for the individuals_____ Provides orientation and answers questions from new DSPs through a variety of formal and in-

formal instructional and learning activities_____ Identifies potential trainers and provides resources, coaching, and opportunities for DSP training_____ Provides mentorship opportunities to new and existing DSPs as needed or desired to promote

retention_____ Understands the purpose of orientation and implements strategies to welcome new DSPs and

help them feel comfortable in their new positions_____ Understands adult learning principles and uses them to effectively train DSPs_____ Teaches and coaches DSPs in the most effective approaches to achieving direct support com-

petencies

Area: Job Analysis and Performance AppraisalThe competent FLS is knowledgeable about the process of developing accurate job descriptions forDSPs and using them in performance appraisals.

Skills and Duties_____ Is aware of the Community Support Skill Standards (Taylor, Bradley, & Warren, 1996) and how

they can be used in development of job descriptions and performance reviews_____ Completes DSPs’ performance reviews by gathering input from peers, individuals receiving

supports and their family members, and organization personnel as required by policy and pro-cedure

_____ Develops and modifies job descriptions as needed_____ Understands the importance of accurate job descriptions and timely review processes_____ Provides necessary coaching; constructive feedback, including demonstrating correct per-

formance for DSPs; and, as needed, disciplinary action

Area: Participatory Management and Supervisory SkillsThe competent FLS is knowledgeable about his or her management responsibilities and a range ofparticipatory management techniques and is skilled in using strategies that collaboratively involveDSPs in management decisions and promote DSP job growth, promotion, and responsibility.

Skills and Duties_____ Encourages or nominates DSPs to participate in organizationwide cross-functional teams,

committees, or advisory boards_____ Seeks input from other staff and from individuals supported and their family members in mak-

ing hiring decisions_____ Delegates tasks or duties to DSPs as needed (beyond those in their job descriptions) for spe-

cial events and activities_____ Seeks DSPs’ opinions and input regarding various issues (e.g., program plans, budgets, pro-

cedures) and empowers DSPs to make decisions_____ Attends and actively participates in organization management, planning, and cross-functional

work groups

(continued)

Area: Recognition and Employee MotivationThe competent FLS understands the importance of recognition to job satisfaction and is able to matchspecific recognition techniques to the unique needs of individual DSPs.

Skills and Duties_____ Effectively communicates with DSPs by listening to their concerns, supporting and encourag-

ing their ideas and work, thanking them for their contributions, and providing positive feedbackregarding performance

_____ Recognizes the need for and plans celebrations with DSPs_____ Treats DSPs as professionals and acknowledges their unique skills and contributions_____ Effectively uses organizationwide recognition plans, as well as personal ways of acknowledg-

ing others for work well done

Area: Team Building and Conflict ManagementThe competent FLS is proactive in developing and supporting work teams, identifies areas in which hisor her work teams are having difficulty, and employs effective team building and conflict managementstrategies as needed.

Skills and Duties_____ Facilitates teamwork and positive interactions and attitudes among staff_____ Provides counseling and support to DSPs when conflicts arise_____ Provides formal communication to DSPs by using communication log books or memos and by

facilitating effective meetings and purposeful interactions_____ Encourages staff to maintain appropriate boundaries regarding personal and professional issues_____ Coordinates and facilitates annual, quarterly, and as-needed planning meetings for individuals

receiving supports or assists DSP in this process_____ Supports the coordination and facilitation of staff meetings_____ Understands that factors such as culture, age, gender, and other life experiences or perspec-

tives may affect communication and helps team members resolve conflicts based on miscom-munication due to those and other factors

_____ Welcomes new employees and helps new and existing employees become a well-functioningteam

Fro

nt-

Lin

e S

up

erv

iso

r P

erf

orm

an

ce

Asse

ssm

en

t

Sup

ervi

sor n

ame:

___

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

___

Dat

e co

mp

lete

d: _

____

____

____

____

____

____

Com

ple

ted

by:

___

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

___

Pu

rpos

e of

th

is t

ool:

This

ass

essm

ent

tool

is

des

igne

d t

o p

rovi

de

the

fron

t-lin

esu

per

viso

r (FL

S) w

ith a

cle

ar u

nder

stan

din

g of

his

or h

er p

erfo

rman

ce a

cros

s a

num

-b

er o

f cr

itica

l com

pet

ence

are

as.

As

this

FLS

’s d

esig

nate

d s

uper

viso

r, it

is im

por

-ta

nt fo

r you

to p

rovi

de

accu

rate

, cle

ar, a

nd s

pec

ific

feed

bac

k to

the

FLS

thro

ugh

this

eval

uatio

n. T

his

is o

nly

a s

amp

le.I

t in

clud

es o

nly

2 of

at

leas

t 14

nee

ded

com

pe-

tenc

y ar

eas;

the

se a

reas

are

tak

en f

rom

The

Min

neso

ta F

ront

line

Sup

ervi

sor

Com

-p

eten

cies

and

Per

form

ance

Indi

cato

rs(s

ee H

ewitt

, Lar

son,

O’N

ell,

Sau

er, &

Sed

lezk

y,19

98).

Inst

ruct

ion

s:P

leas

e ra

te t

he p

erfo

rman

ce d

emon

stra

ted

by

the

FLS

on

each

ski

llst

atem

ent i

n ea

ch o

f the

com

pet

ency

are

as li

sted

. Che

ck th

e b

ox to

the

right

of t

hesk

ill s

tate

men

t th

at m

ost

accu

rate

ly r

efle

cts

the

sup

ervi

sor’s

per

form

ance

(b

elow

exp

ecta

tions

, m

eets

exp

ecta

tions

, ab

ove

exp

ecta

tions

,or

sub

stan

tially

ab

ove

ex-

pec

tatio

ns,

as d

efin

ed b

elow

). If

you

have

not

had

the

op

por

tuni

ty t

o ob

serv

e or

eval

uate

a s

pec

ific

skill

, che

ck N

/A. T

hen

mar

k th

e ac

tual

per

form

ance

ind

icat

or y

ouus

ed t

o as

sess

the

FLS

’s p

erfo

rman

ce o

f the

sta

ted

ski

ll.

Whe

n yo

u m

eet w

ith th

e FL

S, c

omp

are

your

ass

essm

ent w

ith th

e su

per

viso

r’s s

elf-

asse

ssm

ent a

nd d

iscu

ss a

ny a

reas

in w

hich

ther

e is

sig

nific

ant d

iffer

ence

. Tog

ethe

rus

e th

e in

form

atio

n ga

ther

ed o

n ea

ch o

f the

ass

essm

ents

to

crea

te a

dev

elop

men

tp

lan

for

the

FLS

.

Per

form

ance

leve

l sca

le

Bel

ow e

xpec

tatio

nsTh

e su

per

viso

r ha

s lit

tle t

o no

kno

wle

dge

of t

his

skill

or

stra

tegi

es fo

r im

ple

men

ting

it. Im

pro

vem

ent

is n

eed

ed.

Mee

ts e

xpec

tatio

nsTh

e su

per

viso

r ha

s so

me

know

led

ge o

f thi

s sk

ill a

nd u

nder

stan

ds

the

imp

orta

nce

of t

he s

kill

but

doe

s no

t un

der

stan

d h

ow t

o im

ple

men

t it.

Ab

ove

exp

ecta

tions

The

sup

ervi

sor

has

good

kno

wle

dge

of t

his

skill

and

is u

sual

ly a

ble

to

use

the

skill

effe

ctiv

ely

one

the

job

; how

ever

, he

or

she

need

s ad

diti

onal

info

rmat

ion

and

sup

por

t in

usi

ng t

his

skill

in n

ew o

r un

fam

iliar

situ

atio

ns.

Sub

stan

tially

ab

ove

exp

ecta

tions

The

sup

ervi

sor

has

sup

erio

r kn

owle

dge

of t

his

skill

, alw

ays

uses

thi

s sk

ill w

ell,

and

can

dea

l with

alm

ost

any

rela

ted

situ

atio

n ef

fect

ivel

y.

N/A

Ther

e ar

e no

op

por

tuni

ties

in t

his

sett

ing

for

the

sup

ervi

sor

to p

ract

ice

or d

emon

stra

te c

omp

eten

ce in

thi

s sk

ill.

From

O’N

ell,

S.,

Hew

itt, A

., S

auer

, J.,

& L

arso

n, S

. (20

01).

Rem

ovin

g th

e re

volv

ing

doo

r: S

trat

egie

s to

ad

dre

ss r

ecru

itmen

t an

d r

eten

tion

chal

leng

es(p

p. 9

–14

of l

earn

er g

uid

e). M

inne

apol

is: U

nive

rsity

of M

inne

sota

, Ins

titut

e on

Com

mun

ity In

tegr

atio

n, R

esea

rch

and

Tra

inin

g C

ente

r on

Com

mun

ity L

ivin

g; a

dap

ted

by

per

mis

sion

.

(con

tinue

d)

Sk

ill sta

tem

en

ts a

nd

pe

rfo

rma

nc

e in

dic

ato

rs

Co

mp

ete

nc

y A

rea

: P

art

icip

ato

ry M

an

ag

em

en

t a

nd

Su

pe

rvis

ory

Sk

ills

Th

e co

mp

eten

t FL

S is

kn

owle

dg

eab

le a

bou

t h

is o

r h

er m

anag

emen

t re

spon

sib

iliti

es a

nd

a r

ang

e of

par

tici

pat

ory

man

age-

men

t te

chn

iqu

es a

nd

is s

kille

d in

usi

ng

str

ateg

ies

that

col

lab

orat

ivel

y in

volv

e D

SP

s in

pu

t in

man

agem

ent

dec

isio

ns

and

pro

mot

e D

SP

job

gro

wth

, pro

mot

ion

, an

d r

esp

onsi

bili

ty.

Enc

oura

ges

or n

omin

ates

DS

Ps

to p

artic

ipat

e in

org

aniz

atio

nwid

e cr

oss-

func

tiona

l tea

ms,

com

mitt

ees,

or

advi

sory

boa

rds

�D

SP

s su

per

vise

d b

y th

is F

LS a

re o

n cr

oss-

func

tiona

l tea

ms

and

com

mitt

ees

with

in t

he o

rgan

izat

ion

(e.g

., st

rate

gic

pla

nnin

g,re

crui

tmen

t/re

tent

ion)

.�

The

FLS

pro

vid

es a

sum

mar

y of

act

iviti

es t

hrou

ghou

t th

e or

gani

zatio

n in

whi

ch D

SP

s w

hom

he

or s

he s

uper

vise

s w

ere

invo

lved

(e.g

., p

lann

ing

com

pan

y p

icni

c, h

uman

rig

hts

com

mitt

ee).

See

ks in

put

from

oth

er s

taff

and

from

ind

ivid

uals

rec

eivi

ng s

upp

orts

and

the

ir fa

mily

mem

ber

s in

mak

ing

hirin

g d

ecis

ions

�D

SP

s an

d in

div

idua

ls r

ecei

ving

sup

por

ts a

nd t

heir

fam

ily m

emb

ers

rep

ort

that

the

FLS

has

con

sulte

d t

hem

bef

ore

mak

ing

ahi

ring

dec

isio

n.�

Sup

ervi

sors

des

crib

e ho

w t

hey

inco

rpor

ate

DS

P, c

onsu

mer

, and

fam

ily in

put

into

the

ir hi

ring

dec

isio

n.

Del

egat

es t

asks

or

dut

ies

to D

SP

s as

nee

ded

(bey

ond

tho

se in

the

ir jo

b d

escr

iptio

ns) f

or s

pec

ial e

vent

s an

d a

ctiv

ities

�D

SP

s re

por

t th

at t

he F

LS d

eleg

ates

var

ious

tas

ks t

o th

em a

nd p

rovi

des

follo

w-u

p t

o en

sure

tha

t th

e ta

sks

have

bee

n co

mp

lete

d.

�Th

e FL

S d

emon

stra

tes

for

the

man

ager

his

or

her

syst

em fo

r re

mem

ber

ing

wha

t ta

sks

have

bee

n as

sign

ed t

o va

rious

sta

ffm

emb

ers

and

how

he

or s

he fo

llow

s up

to

ensu

re c

omp

letio

n.

See

ks D

SP

s’ o

pin

ions

and

inp

ut r

egar

din

g va

rious

issu

es (e

.g.,

pro

gram

pla

ns, b

udge

ts, p

roce

dur

es) a

nd e

mp

ower

s D

SP

s to

mak

ed

ecis

ions

�Th

e st

aff m

eetin

g ag

end

a an

d m

inut

es c

lear

ly in

dic

ate

that

the

FLS

has

sou

ght

DS

P o

pin

ion,

inp

ut, a

nd id

eas.

�D

SP

s re

por

t th

at t

he F

LS h

as a

llow

ed t

hem

to

mak

e d

ecis

ions

.�

DS

Ps

rep

ort

that

the

y ha

ve h

ad d

irect

invo

lvem

ent

in t

he d

evel

opm

ent

of p

roce

dur

es a

nd in

div

idua

l sup

por

t p

lans

.

Below

expectations

expectations

Meets

expectations

Above

above

Substantially

N/A

(con

tinue

d)

Sk

ill sta

tem

en

ts a

nd

pe

rfo

rma

nc

e in

dic

ato

rs

Att

end

s an

d a

ctiv

ely

par

ticip

ates

in o

rgan

izat

ion

man

agem

ent,

pla

nnin

g, a

nd c

ross

-fun

ctio

nal w

ork

grou

ps

�M

anag

er o

bse

rves

the

FLS

par

ticip

atin

g in

a c

ross

-fun

ctio

nal w

ork

grou

p, p

lann

ing

mee

ting,

or

man

agem

ent

mee

ting.

�D

SP

s re

por

t th

at t

hey

are

incl

uded

in d

ecis

ion

mak

ing

rega

rdin

g or

gani

zatio

n p

olic

y an

d p

roce

dur

es.

�Th

e FL

S d

emon

stra

tes

activ

e m

emb

ersh

ip in

man

agem

ent

mee

tings

, pla

nnin

g m

eetin

gs, a

nd c

ross

-fun

ctio

nal w

ork

grou

ps

by

pro

vid

ing

a su

mm

ary

of p

artic

ipat

ion

and

issu

es im

por

tant

to

the

FLS

tha

t ha

ve e

volv

ed o

ut o

f the

se m

eetin

gs.

Co

mp

ete

nc

y A

rea

: R

ec

og

nit

ion

an

d E

mp

loye

e M

oti

va

tio

n

Th

e co

mp

eten

t FL

S u

nd

erst

and

s th

e im

por

tan

ce o

f re

cog

nit

ion

to

job

sat

isfa

ctio

n a

nd

is a

ble

to

mat

ch s

pec

ific

rec

ogn

itio

nte

chn

iqu

es t

o th

e u

niq

ue

nee

ds

of in

div

idu

al D

SP

s.

Eff

ectiv

ely

com

mun

icat

es w

ith s

taff

by

liste

ning

to

thei

r co

ncer

ns, s

upp

ortin

g an

d e

ncou

ragi

ng t

heir

need

s an

d w

ork,

tha

nkin

g th

emfo

r th

eir

cont

ribut

ions

, and

pro

vid

ing

pos

itive

feed

bac

k re

gard

ing

per

form

ance

�D

SP

s re

por

t th

at t

he F

LS li

sten

s to

con

cern

s, is

ap

pro

acha

ble

reg

ard

ing

issu

es, a

nd s

upp

orts

the

ir id

eas

and

con

cern

s.�

The

man

ager

ob

serv

es t

he F

LS s

upp

ortin

g st

aff m

emb

ers

who

hav

e b

roug

ht is

sues

to

the

FLS

’s a

tten

tion.

�Th

e FL

Ss

pro

vid

es a

cop

y of

writ

ten

doc

umen

ts s

uch

as s

urve

ys u

sed

to

solic

it fe

edb

ack

and

info

rmat

ion

from

DS

Ps.

Rec

ogni

zes

the

need

for

and

pla

ns c

eleb

ratio

ns w

ith D

SP

s�

DS

Ps

rep

ort

vario

us c

eleb

ratio

ns t

hat

the

FLS

has

arr

ange

d.

�Th

e FL

S d

escr

ibes

his

or

her

idea

s re

gard

ing

staf

f cel

ebra

tions

and

illu

stra

tes

seve

ral i

nexp

ensi

ve e

xam

ple

s to

the

man

ager

.

Trea

ts D

SP

s as

pro

fess

iona

ls a

nd a

ckno

wle

dge

s th

eir

uniq

ue s

kills

and

con

trib

utio

ns�

DS

Ps

rep

ort

that

the

FLS

cha

lleng

es D

SP

s b

y ca

pita

lizin

g on

the

ir st

reng

ths.

�Th

e FL

S r

epor

ts t

o th

e m

anag

er t

he v

ario

us w

ays

in w

hich

he

or s

he h

as a

ckno

wle

dge

d s

pec

ific

cont

ribut

ions

.�

Sta

ff m

eetin

g m

inut

es r

efle

ct t

hat

the

FLS

ack

now

led

ged

ind

ivid

ual c

ontr

ibut

ions

.

Eff

ectiv

ely

uses

org

aniz

atio

nwid

e re

cogn

ition

pla

ns, a

s w

ell a

s p

erso

nal w

ays

of a

ckno

wle

dgi

ng o

ther

s fo

r w

ork

wel

l don

e�

Org

aniz

atio

n ex

pen

ditu

re r

epor

ts in

dic

ate

that

the

FLS

use

d a

n in

cent

ive

pla

n�

DS

Ps

ind

icat

e to

the

man

ager

how

the

y ha

ve u

tiliz

ed t

heir

ince

ntiv

es (e

.g.,

saw

a m

ovie

with

tic

kets

rec

eive

d, p

urch

ased

item

sw

ith a

gift

cer

tific

ate,

wen

t ho

me

early

to

spen

d t

ime

with

fam

ily).

�Th

e FL

S o

ften

con

trib

utes

org

aniz

atio

n ne

wsl

ette

r ar

ticle

s re

gard

ing

DS

P a

ccom

plis

hmen

ts.

Below

expectations

expectations

Meets

expectations

Above

above

Substantially

N/A

Fro

nt-

Lin

e S

up

erv

iso

r S

elf

-Asse

ssm

en

t

Your

nam

e: _

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_D

ate

com

ple

ted

: ___

____

____

____

____

____

__

Pu

rpos

e of

th

is t

ool:

This

ass

essm

ent

tool

is d

esig

ned

to

help

you

as

a fr

ont-

line

sup

ervi

sor

(FLS

) to

iden

tify

your

cur

rent

leve

l of s

kill

in r

ecru

itmen

t an

d r

eten

tion

ofq

ualif

ied

dire

ct s

upp

ort

pro

fess

iona

ls (

DS

Ps)

and

to

serv

e as

a b

asis

for

a s

elf-

dev

elop

men

t p

lan

in t

hese

are

as.

You

may

als

o co

nsid

er h

avin

g ot

hers

, su

ch a

sso

me

of t

he p

eop

le y

ou s

uper

vise

or

your

sup

ervi

sor,

fill o

ut c

opie

s of

thi

s fo

rm t

ogi

ve a

mor

e w

ell-

roun

ded

revi

ew o

f you

r ski

lls. B

y se

ekin

g ot

hers

’ inp

ut y

ou w

ill d

is-

cove

r not

onl

y ho

w w

ell y

ou a

pp

ly th

e sk

ill s

tate

men

ts li

sted

but

als

o ho

w im

por

tant

othe

rs fe

el t

hese

ski

ll st

atem

ents

are

to

your

rol

e as

an

FLS

.

Inst

ruct

ion

s:P

leas

e ra

te y

our p

erfo

rman

ce o

n ea

ch s

kill

stat

emen

t in

the

tab

les

onth

e fo

llow

ing

pag

es. C

heck

the

box

to

the

right

of t

he s

kill

stat

emen

t th

at m

ost

ac-

cura

tely

refle

cts

your

per

form

ance

(int

rod

ucto

ry, p

ract

icin

g, p

rofic

ient

, ad

vanc

ed,o

rN

/A,

as d

efin

ed b

elow

). In

the

left

-han

d c

olum

ns,

ple

ase

des

crib

e ho

w im

por

tant

that

ski

ll is

in y

our

job

dut

ies,

usi

ng t

he r

atin

g sc

ale

bel

ow. F

or e

xam

ple

, if

the

skill

is p

art

of y

our

job

des

crip

tion

and

you

use

it f

req

uent

ly,

chec

k hi

gh;i

f a

skill

is n

otfr

eque

ntly

req

uire

d, c

heck

low

.

Per

form

ance

leve

l sca

le

Intr

oduc

tory

I hav

e lit

tle o

r no

kno

wle

dge

of t

his

skill

or

stra

tegi

es fo

r im

ple

men

ting

it.

Pra

ctic

ing

I hav

e so

me

know

led

ge o

f thi

s sk

ill. I

und

erst

and

the

imp

orta

nce

of t

he s

kill

but

do

not

have

an

und

erst

and

ing

of h

ow t

o im

ple

men

t it.

Pro

ficie

ntI h

ave

good

kno

wle

dge

of t

his

skill

and

am

usu

ally

ab

le t

o us

e th

is s

kill

effe

ctiv

ely

on t

he jo

b; h

owev

er, I

nee

d a

dd

ition

al in

form

atio

n an

d s

upp

ort

in u

sing

th

is s

kill

in n

ew o

r un

fam

iliar

situ

atio

ns.

Ad

vanc

edI h

ave

sup

erio

r kn

owle

dge

of t

his

skill

, alw

ays

use

this

ski

ll w

ell,

and

can

dea

l with

alm

ost

any

rela

ted

situ

atio

n ef

fect

ivel

y.

N/A

Ther

e is

no

opp

ortu

nity

in t

his

sett

ing

for

me

to p

ract

ice

or d

emon

stra

te c

omp

eten

ce in

thi

s sk

ill.

Job

pri

orit

y le

vel s

cale

Low

This

ski

ll is

rar

ely

req

uire

d o

f me

and

is n

ot n

eces

sary

.

Med

ium

This

ski

ll is

req

uire

d o

f me

but

is n

ot u

sed

dai

ly a

nd/o

r I c

ould

get

by

with

not

kno

win

g or

pra

ctic

ing

the

skill

.

Hig

hTh

is s

kill

is e

xtre

mel

y ne

cess

ary

to m

y p

ositi

on. E

ither

I us

e it

alm

ost

dai

ly, o

r it

is c

ritic

al t

hat

I hav

e th

e sk

ill w

hen

the

job

doe

s re

qui

re it

.

From

O’N

ell,

S.,

Hew

itt, A

., S

auer

, J.,

& L

arso

n, S

. (20

01).

Rem

ovin

g th

e re

volv

ing

doo

r: S

trat

egie

s to

ad

dre

ss r

ecru

itmen

t an

d r

eten

tion

chal

leng

es(p

p. 9

–14

of

lear

ner

guid

e). M

inne

apol

is: U

nive

r-si

ty o

f Min

neso

ta, I

nstit

ute

on C

omm

unity

Inte

grat

ion,

Res

earc

h an

d T

rain

ing

Cen

ter

on C

omm

unity

Liv

ing;

ad

apte

d b

y p

erm

issi

on.

Not

e:M

any

of t

hese

ski

ll st

atem

ents

com

e fr

om T

he M

inne

sota

Fro

ntlin

e S

uper

viso

r C

omp

eten

cies

and

Per

form

ance

Ind

icat

ors

(Hew

itt, L

arso

n, O

’Nel

l, S

auer

, & S

edle

zky,

199

8). S

ee t

he r

esou

rces

sect

ion

of t

his

chap

ter

for

mor

e in

form

atio

n on

thi

s p

ublic

atio

n.

(con

tinue

d)

Sk

ill sta

tem

en

ts

Kno

ws

the

actu

al a

nnua

l tur

nove

r an

d v

acan

cy r

ate

at t

he s

ites

for

whi

ch h

e or

she

has

dire

ct r

esp

onsi

bili

ty a

nd h

ow t

hese

com

par

e w

ith r

ates

for

the

orga

niza

tion

as a

who

le

Kno

ws

how

to

dev

elop

and

imp

lem

ent

a p

lan

for

red

ucin

g un

wan

ted

tur

nove

r an

d v

acan

cies

at

the

site

s he

or

she

sup

ervi

ses

orac

ross

the

org

aniz

atio

n as

a w

hole

Sup

por

ts o

ther

FLS

s in

und

erst

and

ing

and

lear

ning

ab

out

recr

uitm

ent

and

ret

entio

n st

rate

gies

and

why

the

y ar

e im

por

tant

Mon

itors

tur

nove

r, re

crui

tmen

t su

cces

s, a

nd e

mp

loye

e sa

tisfa

ctio

n an

d u

ses

the

resu

lts t

o im

pro

ve p

erso

nnel

pra

ctic

es

Iden

tifie

s ne

cess

ary

reso

urce

s fo

r in

div

idua

ls s

erve

d a

nd D

SP

and

ad

voca

tes

for

thes

e re

sour

ces

with

man

ager

s

Rec

ruits

new

DS

Ps

by

pos

ting

open

pos

ition

s b

oth

with

in t

he o

rgan

izat

ion

and

ext

erna

lly in

new

spap

ers

and

on

job

boa

rds;

by

enco

urag

ing

exis

ting

staf

f to

recr

uit

pot

entia

l new

hire

s; a

nd b

y ne

twor

king

with

hig

h sc

hool

s, t

echn

ical

sch

ools

, job

cen

ters

,w

elfa

re-t

o-w

ork

pro

gram

s, a

nd o

ther

sou

rces

of p

oten

tial n

ew h

ires

Rec

ruits

and

men

tors

com

mun

ity v

olun

teer

s an

d in

tern

stu

den

ts

Introductory

Practicing

Proficient

Advanced

N/A

(con

tinue

d)

Pe

rfo

rma

nc

e le

ve

l

High

Medium

Low

Pri

ori

ty le

ve

l

Th

e co

mp

eten

t FL

S k

now

s an

d u

nd

erst

and

s h

ow r

ecru

itm

ent

and

ret

enti

on is

sues

aff

ect

rece

ivin

g s

up

por

ts, t

he

site

s fo

r w

hic

h h

e or

sh

e is

res

pon

sib

le,

and

th

e w

hol

e or

gan

izat

ion

an

d e

ffec

tive

ly p

arti

cip

ates

in o

rgan

izat

ion

wid

e ac

tivi

ties

an

d c

omm

un

icat

es w

ith

oth

ers

reg

ard

ing

th

ese

issu

es.

Th

e co

mp

eten

t FL

S is

kn

owle

dg

eab

le a

bou

t a

ran

ge

of e

ffec

tive

rec

ruit

men

t an

d s

elec

tion

str

ateg

ies

and

has

th

e sk

ills

nec

essa

ry t

o fi

nd

an

d h

ire

new

emp

loye

es w

ho

are

app

rop

riat

e fo

r th

e jo

b, w

ho

can

mee

t th

e n

eed

s of

th

e p

eop

le t

hey

su

pp

ort,

an

d w

ho

are

likel

y to

sta

y.

Co

mp

ete

nc

y A

rea

: O

rga

niz

ati

on

al P

art

icip

ati

on

Co

mp

ete

nc

y A

rea

: R

ec

ruit

me

nt

an

d S

ele

cti

on

Sk

ill sta

tem

en

ts

Ass

ists

in t

he d

evel

opm

ent

of p

rom

otio

nal m

ater

ials

, inc

lud

ing

new

slet

ters

, new

spap

er a

rtic

les,

bro

chur

es, a

nd v

ideo

s, a

nd c

on-

tact

s w

ith m

edia

Und

erst

and

s th

e im

por

tanc

e an

d c

omp

onen

ts o

f a r

ealis

tic jo

b p

revi

ew (R

JP) i

n th

e hi

ring

pro

cess

and

use

s R

JPs

effe

ctiv

ely

with

pot

entia

l new

hire

s

Sch

edul

es a

nd c

omp

lete

s in

terv

iew

s w

ith p

oten

tial n

ew D

SP

s in

col

lab

orat

ion

with

exi

stin

g D

SP

s an

d in

div

idua

ls s

upp

orte

d a

ndth

eir

fam

ily m

emb

ers

Und

erst

and

s, d

evel

ops,

and

use

s st

ruct

ured

inte

rvie

ws

and

oth

er m

etho

ds

for

mak

ing

dec

isio

ns r

egar

din

g an

ap

plic

ant’s

sui

tab

il-ity

to

the

job

and

org

aniz

atio

n

Can

art

icul

ate

the

diff

eren

ce b

etw

een

recr

uitm

ent

and

sel

ectio

n an

d im

por

tanc

e of

bot

h

See

ks in

put

from

oth

er s

taff

and

from

ind

ivid

uals

rec

eivi

ng s

upp

orts

and

fam

ily m

emb

ers

in m

akin

g hi

ring

dec

isio

ns

Take

s a

dire

ct in

tere

st in

the

rol

es a

nd r

esp

onsi

bili

ties

of t

he D

SP

s he

or

she

sup

ervi

ses

Coo

rdin

ates

, sch

edul

es, a

nd d

ocum

ents

DS

Ps’

par

ticip

atio

n an

d p

erfo

rman

ce in

orie

ntat

ion,

in-s

ervi

ce t

rain

ing,

and

oth

er a

ltern

a-tiv

e se

lf-d

irect

ed le

arni

ng a

nd d

evel

opm

ent

Ob

serv

es a

nd s

olic

its fe

edb

ack

from

sta

ff an

d s

upp

orte

d in

div

idua

ls a

nd t

heir

fam

ilies

reg

ard

ing

DS

P t

rain

ing

need

s an

d d

esire

dop

por

tuni

ties

Introductory

Practicing

Proficient

Advanced

N/A

(con

tinue

d)

Pe

rfo

rma

nc

e le

ve

l

High

Medium

Low

Pri

ori

ty le

ve

l

Th

e co

mp

eten

t FL

S is

kn

owle

dg

eab

le a

bou

t fo

rmal

an

d in

form

al t

rain

ing

, ori

enta

tion

, an

d m

ento

rin

g p

ract

ices

th

at r

esp

ond

to

the

nee

ds,

des

ires

, an

d in

ter-

ests

of

new

an

d e

xist

ing

em

plo

yees

.

Co

mp

ete

nc

y A

rea

: O

rie

nta

tio

n, Tra

inin

g, a

nd

Me

nto

rin

g

Introductory

Practicing

Proficient

Advanced

N/A

(con

tinue

d)

Pe

rfo

rma

nc

e le

ve

l

High

Medium

Low

Pri

ori

ty le

ve

l

Th

e co

mp

eten

t FL

S is

kn

owle

dg

eab

le a

bou

t th

e p

roce

ss o

f d

evel

opin

g a

ccu

rate

job

des

crip

tion

s fo

r D

SP

s an

d u

sin

g t

hem

in p

erfo

rman

ce a

pp

rais

als.

Co

mp

ete

nc

y A

rea

: Jo

b A

na

lysis

an

d P

erf

orm

an

ce

Ap

pra

isa

l

Sk

ill sta

tem

en

ts

Pro

vid

es o

rient

atio

n an

d a

nsw

ers

que

stio

ns fr

om n

ew D

SP

s th

roug

h a

varie

ty o

f for

mal

and

info

rmal

inst

ruct

iona

l and

lear

ning

activ

ities

Iden

tifie

s p

oten

tial t

rain

ers

and

pro

vid

es r

esou

rces

, coa

chin

g, a

nd o

pp

ortu

nitie

s fo

r D

SP

tra

inin

g

Pro

vid

es m

ento

rshi

p o

pp

ortu

nitie

s to

new

and

exi

stin

g D

SP

s as

nee

ded

or

des

ired

to

pro

mot

e re

tent

ion

Und

erst

and

s th

e p

urp

ose

of o

rient

atio

n an

d im

ple

men

ts s

trat

egie

s to

wel

com

e ne

w D

SP

s an

d h

elp

the

m fe

el c

omfo

rtab

le in

the

irne

w p

ositi

ons

Und

erst

and

s ad

ult

lear

ning

prin

cip

les

and

use

s th

em t

o ef

fect

ivel

y tr

ain

DS

Ps

Teac

hes

and

coa

ches

DS

Ps

in t

he m

ost

effe

ctiv

e ap

pro

ache

s to

ach

ievi

ng d

irect

sup

por

t co

mp

eten

cies

Is a

war

e of

the

Com

mun

ity S

upp

ort

Ski

ll S

tand

ard

s(T

aylo

r, B

rad

ley,

& W

arre

n, 1

996)

and

how

the

y ca

n b

e us

ed in

dev

elop

men

t of

job

des

crip

tions

and

per

form

ance

rev

iew

s

Com

ple

tes

DS

Ps’

per

form

ance

rev

iew

s b

y ga

ther

ing

inp

ut fr

om p

eers

, ind

ivid

uals

rec

eivi

ng s

upp

orts

and

the

ir fa

mily

mem

ber

s,an

d o

rgan

izat

ion

per

sonn

el a

s re

qui

red

by

pol

icy

and

pro

ced

ure

Dev

elop

s an

d m

odifi

es jo

b d

escr

iptio

ns a

s ne

eded

Und

erst

and

s th

e im

por

tanc

e of

acc

urat

e jo

b d

escr

iptio

ns a

nd t

imel

y re

view

pro

cess

es

Pro

vid

es n

eces

sary

coa

chin

g; c

onst

ruct

ive

feed

bac

k, in

clud

ing

dem

onst

ratin

g co

rrec

t p

erfo

rman

ce fo

r D

SP

s; a

nd, a

s ne

eded

,d

isci

plin

ary

actio

n

Sk

ill sta

tem

en

ts

Enc

oura

ges

or n

omin

ates

DS

P t

o p

artic

ipat

e in

org

aniz

atio

nwid

e cr

oss-

func

tiona

l tea

ms,

com

mitt

ees,

or

advi

sory

boa

rds

See

ks in

put

from

oth

er s

taff

and

from

ind

ivid

uals

sup

por

ted

and

the

ir fa

mily

mem

ber

s in

mak

ing

hirin

g d

ecis

ions

Del

egat

es t

asks

or

dut

ies

to D

SP

s as

nee

ded

(bey

ond

tho

se in

the

ir jo

b d

escr

iptio

ns) f

or s

pec

ial e

vent

s an

d a

ctiv

ities

See

ks D

SP

s’ o

pin

ions

and

inp

ut r

egar

din

g va

rious

issu

es (e

.g.,

pro

gram

pla

ns, b

udge

ts, p

roce

dur

es) a

nd e

mp

ower

s D

SP

s to

mak

e d

ecis

ions

Att

end

s an

d a

ctiv

ely

par

ticip

ates

in o

rgan

izat

ion

man

agem

ent,

pla

nnin

g, a

nd c

ross

-fun

ctio

nal w

ork

grou

ps

Effe

ctiv

ely

com

mun

icat

es w

ith D

SP

s b

y lis

teni

ng t

o th

eir

conc

erns

, sup

por

ting

and

enc

oura

ging

the

ir id

eas

and

wor

k, t

hank

ing

them

for

thei

r co

ntrib

utio

ns, a

nd p

rovi

din

g p

ositi

ve fe

edb

ack

rega

rdin

g p

erfo

rman

ce

Rec

ogni

zes

the

need

for

and

pla

ns c

eleb

ratio

ns w

ith D

SP

s

Trea

ts D

SP

as

pro

fess

iona

ls a

nd a

ckno

wle

dge

s th

eir

uniq

ue s

kills

and

con

trib

utio

ns

Effe

ctiv

ely

uses

org

aniz

atio

nwid

e re

cogn

ition

pla

ns, a

s w

ell a

s p

erso

nal w

ays

of a

ckno

wle

dgi

ng o

ther

s fo

r w

ork

wel

l don

e

Introductory

Practicing

Proficient

Advanced

N/A

(con

tinue

d)

Pe

rfo

rma

nc

e le

ve

l

High

Medium

Low

Pri

ori

ty le

ve

l

Th

e co

mp

eten

t FL

S is

kn

owle

dg

eab

le a

bou

t h

is o

r h

er m

anag

emen

t re

spon

sib

iliti

es a

nd

a r

ang

e of

par

tici

pat

ory

man

agem

ent

tech

niq

ues

an

d is

ski

lled

inu

sin

g s

trat

egie

s th

at c

olla

bor

ativ

ely

invo

lve

DS

Ps

in m

anag

emen

t d

ecis

ion

s an

d p

rom

ote

DS

P jo

b g

row

th, p

rom

otio

n, a

nd

res

pon

sib

ility

.

Th

e co

mp

eten

t FL

S u

nd

erst

and

s th

e im

por

tan

ce o

f re

cog

nit

ion

to

job

sat

isfa

ctio

n a

nd

is a

ble

to

mat

ch s

pec

ific

rec

ogn

itio

n t

ech

niq

ues

to

the

un

iqu

e n

eed

sof

ind

ivid

ual

DS

Ps.

Co

mp

ete

nc

y A

rea

: P

art

icip

ato

ry M

an

ag

em

en

t a

nd

Su

pe

rvis

ory

Sk

ills

Co

mp

ete

nc

y A

rea

: R

ec

og

nit

ion

an

d E

mp

loye

e M

oti

va

tio

n

Sk

ill sta

tem

en

ts

Faci

litat

es t

eam

wor

k an

d p

ositi

ve in

tera

ctio

ns a

nd a

ttitu

des

am

ong

staf

f

Pro

vid

es c

ouns

elin

g an

d s

upp

ort

to D

SP

s w

hen

conf

licts

aris

e

Pro

vid

es fo

rmal

com

mun

icat

ion

to D

SP

s th

roug

h co

mm

unic

atio

n lo

g b

ooks

or

mem

os a

nd b

y fa

cilit

atin

g ef

fect

ive

mee

ting

and

pur

pos

eful

inte

ract

ions

Enc

oura

ges

staf

f to

mai

ntai

n ap

pro

pria

te b

ound

arie

s re

gard

ing

per

sona

l and

pro

fess

iona

l iss

ues

Coo

rdin

ates

and

faci

litat

es a

nnua

l, q

uart

erly

, and

as-

need

ed p

lann

ing

mee

tings

for

ind

ivid

uals

rec

eivi

ng s

upp

orts

or

assi

sts

DS

Ps

in t

his

pro

cess

Sup

por

ts t

he c

oord

inat

ion

and

faci

litat

ion

of s

taff

mee

tings

Und

erst

and

s th

at fa

ctor

s su

ch a

s cu

lture

, age

, gen

der

, and

oth

er li

fe e

xper

ienc

es o

r p

ersp

ectiv

es m

ay a

ffect

com

mun

icat

ion

and

help

s te

am m

emb

ers

reso

lve

conf

licts

bas

ed o

n m

isco

mm

unic

atio

n d

ue t

o th

ose

and

oth

er fa

ctor

s

Wel

com

es n

ew e

mp

loye

es a

nd h

elp

s ne

w a

nd e

xist

ing

emp

loye

es b

ecom

e a

wel

l-fu

nctio

ning

tea

m

Introductory

Practicing

Proficient

Advanced

N/A

Pe

rfo

rma

nc

e le

ve

l

High

Medium

Low

Pri

ori

ty le

ve

l

Th

e co

mp

eten

t FL

S is

pro

acti

ve in

dev

elop

ing

an

d s

up

por

tin

g w

ork

team

s, id

enti

fies

are

as in

wh

ich

his

or

her

wor

k te

ams

are

hav

ing

dif

ficu

lty,

an

d e

mp

loys

effe

ctiv

e te

am b

uild

ing

an

d c

onfl

ict

man

agem

ent

stra

teg

ies

as n

eed

ed.

Co

mp

ete

nc

y A

rea

: Te

am

Bu

ild

ing

an

d C

on

flic

t M

an

ag

em

en

t

Front-Line Supervisor Self-Development Plan

for Recruitment and Retention

Name: _____________________________________________ Date: _____________________________

1. List the two competency areas from your Front-Line Supervisor Self-Assessment which had themost skill statements listed as high priorities and low performance levels. These are your mostcritical and immediate needs.

a.

b.

2. Identify where these skills are taught (what training units or modules will be most helpful in learn-ing about these skills).

3. Create goal statements (what you want to accomplish) regarding these critical need areas:

During training In the next 3–6 months

4. List four specific steps that you can take to meet your goal statements:

During training In the next 3–6 months

From O’Nell, S., Hewitt, A., Sauer, J., & Larson, S. (2001). Removing the revolving door: Strategies to address recruit-ment and retention challenges (p. 15 of learner guide). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Institute on CommunityIntegration, Research and Training Center on Community Living; adapted by permission.

Don’t Does your organization . . . Yes No know

1. Welcome and accept all employees regardless of cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, religious, or linguistic background?

2. Ensure that all staff members are given equal opportunity to voice their concerns and comment about the workplace with no repercussions?

3. Ensure that meetings are not dominated by one particular point of view?

4. Respond to concerns and comments about the work environment in a respectful and timely manner?

5. Openly disapprove of any ethnic, racial, religious, sexual, or other demeaning slur or joke in the workplace?

6. Encourage and respect interaction between people of diverse backgrounds in meetings and/or in the everyday work environment?

7. Allow variety in dress and grooming?

8. Recognize and respect different religious and ethnic holidays in terms of release time for employees, program planning, and food for public and staff events?

9. Demonstrate flexibility with and provide support to staff who have limited English language skills?

10. Offer training on multicultural topics to all staff members?

11. Seek to diversify its staff, administration, and board of directors, by actively recruiting people of diverse cultures, races, abilities, and gender?

12. Have a written commitment to diversity in its mission statement, bylaws, and policies?

Organizational Bias Assessment

From Texas Association of Museums. (n.d.) A survey for management. Retrieved from http://www.io.com/~tam/multicultural/management.html; adapted by permission.

amy s.hewittand sheryl a.larson - institute on … · amy s.hewittand sheryl a.larson this chapter...

Documents