Are You Controlling or Guiding Me?

PC: Google Image

Aniruddha is a man of principles. By nature, he is a very soft-spoken, calm person.

He was brilliant academically and topped the University. This may be why he was selected by a reputed manufacturing company thatproduces quality engineering products.

After an elaborate induction training, the company put him in a machine shop.

Aniruddha told me that the Vice President, Mr Subhodh Agnihotri is a seasoned HR professional with 25+ years of experience.

To gain a thorough knowledge of production activities, Mr Agnihotri wanted to move Aniruddha to all departments before he was assigned the post of Assistant Manager of Production.

Mr Agnihotri must have thought that besides getting acquainted with machines and processing activities, Aniruddha should also get to know the workmen and other clerical and technical staff.

The company plans to see Aniruddha as a V.P. Manufacturing after some years.

When he visited me on Sunday, he looked very tired and worried person. He was never like that before.

When I asked him the reason for the changes, he narrated to me several incidents in his department. They were of different types-machine breakdowns, arrogant and disobedient workers, non-cooperative colleagues, steep targets, etc. The crucial problem was getting work done by the workers and staff.

I understood the gravity of his problems and his dilemma.

I offered him a cup of coffee and asked him to brief me on the scenario of his shop floor activities. I asked him what he meant by supervision. Like many fresh engineers, Aniruddha also had vague information about supervision. According to him, he has to give his assistants the work and ensure that they do it in the stipulated time with the expected quality. I said, “Let me elaborate. It is the process where you have to oversee and guide, instruct, help, and advise your assistants so that they can effectively perform their duties as expected. A person who performs this act of supervision is called a supervisor but he or she may not always have the formal title of supervisor. In your case, the company is not calling you a supervisor but a trainee engineer.”

“You know Aniruddha, I spent my life with manufacturing industries and enjoyed working with shop floor personnel. This is a big subject and may take a long time. But today we will discuss the fundamental aspects of effective supervision.” Aniruddha agreed.

I continued, “Let’s start from the basics, the concepts of supervision.

Supervision is a systematic process and it is continuous. It imbibes the latest technical and non-technical knowledge to their subordinates. It helps them to perfect their skills. It tries to enhance the attitude towards their work. It boosts their motivation.

Supervision is a very important function in any organization. In fact, I look at it as a first level of management. But one can look at it differently. Supervision can be from a coaching and mentoring perspective rather than a managerial perspective.

So, it is an extension of your training that allows you to observe, watch closely, assess, and guide your subordinates, the workers to enable them to perform their work effectively and efficiently to meet the required target.

Now, what are the keys to good supervision? They are:

• Setting clear goals and objectives for the team

• Proper communication with team members. This I feel is a very essential aspect. Many times no or wrong communication spoils the team spirit.

• You must delegate some of the tasks assign the responsibilities and watch carefully the results. This way you are developing your subordinate to shoulder more responsibility.

• Monitoring the team and individual member’s performances and giving them feedback. This will help them to improve.

• Raise the moral standards of your subordinates.

You didn’t ask me but I wish to tell you the importance of good supervision. Supervision is a link between top management and the staff and workers. The useful information is exchanged and issues can be sorted out.

The time was running fast. I also wanted to go to a restaurant to meet my friends.

Conclusion:

• It’s always a one-to-one communication between a supervisor and the subordinates who are being supervised.

• Top management holds the supervisor responsible for the performance of his/her subordinates.

• A supervisor helps workers and other subordinates to give their best performances so that they will help the organization achieve its goals.

• Supervision should not be looked at as mere fault-finding authority but as a collaborative effort to locate the problems and find the solutions. Basically, supervisors should help the workers to improve, enhance their knowledge and skills, and raise their capacity and capability. For this timely feedback is necessary from supervisors.

• A supervisor should hold regular meetings with the staff to review their pending work and overall performance.

• Supervisors also make safety rules to ensure the safety of their subordinates.

Aniruddha, now last two but very important points: A supervisor should build a team to ensure teamwork and he should bestow the disciplinary procedures under the guidance of the HR department.

And very importantly, the subordinates should never feel that they are being monitored or controlled. They expect guidance and not control