1. How to Train Employees to Be
Supervisors
NSAA/NASC Joint Middle Management
Conference
April 16-18, 2007
Presentation by
Robert Black
Dean, Government Audit Training Institute
Graduate School, USDA

2. TEST
Which role is the most challenging?
Manager?
Supervisor?
Employee?

3. Questions to Consider in Training
Employees to be Supervisors
1. Does every employee want to be a
supervisor (want to move up)?
2. Can every employee be an effective
supervisor?
3. How do you know when an employee is
ready to be a supervisor?
4. Should an employee be trained first, then
moved up, or moved up then trained?

4. This Discussion Will Cover:
The various responsibilities of a supervisor
3 steps to developing a supervisor
The adjustments required for moving from
staff to a supervisory role
Power, personal styles, performance
Gen Xers, the New Millennials – retention
and motivation

5. Definition of a Supervisor
One who supervises others by assigning
and monitoring tasks.

6. Think about it…
Responsibility cannot be
delegated.

7. Individual Exercise
Write down as many duties, functions,
responsibilities that you can think of that
should be performed by a supervisor.
– Take one minute to make a list
– You may be asked to share it with the group

8. Multi-dimensional Role of a
Supervisor
Assign tasks
Monitor work
Provide OJT
Coach
Discipline
Counsel
Influence
Control quality
Assess performance
Ensure EEO
compliance
Enforce policy and
rules
Administer leave
Communicate rules,
policies, objectives
Run meetings

9. Food for Thought
“A manager [supervisor (added)] has got to
remember that he is on stage every day.
His people are watching him. Everything
he does, says, the way he says it, sends
off clues to his employees. These clues
affect performance.”
(Manager quoted in First Break All the Rules:
What the World’s Greatest Managers Do
Differently, Simon & Schuster, 1999)

10. Performance
What are the key components of a person’s
performance?
Performance = Ability + Support + Motivation

11. How to Approach Developing a
Supervisor
I. Ensure employee learns the basic
technical aspects of the job
II. Set expectations - plan together by
writing down steps leading to a
supervisory role/teach HR role
III. Follow through and always model the
expected behavior

12. Step I. Learning the Job Basics
Assume this is an auditor position; the
auditor must be able to (among other
things):
Research
Interview
Prepare working papers
Understand auditing standards

13. Preparing Staff for a Supervisory
Role
There are two main roles for which staff
must be trained:
1. Technical
2. Human relations

14. Segments of Development
Formal training
On-the-Job training
Job experiences
Individual development plan (IDP)

15. Technical Role of the Supervisor
Define audit objectives and scope
Determine methodology
Develop audit guidelines
Segment work into tasks
Delegate and assign tasks to staff
Monitor audit progress
Review evidence and working papers
Review report products

16. Step II. Set Expectations and
Teach HR Role
This step involves a combination of
discussions, demonstrations, instruction,
modeling
Timing as to when to start and when to
carry out these functions is dependent on
circumstances and judgment

17. Human Relations Role of
Supervisors
Set expectations
Provide OJT and feedback
Monitor staff performance
Appraise staff performance
Identify developmental needs
Manage conflict
Discipline

18. Creating a Climate for Productivity
Communicating
Motivating
Optimizing diversity

19. Required Adjustments from Staff to
Supervisor
In order for a staff person to become a
supervisor, that person must make
adjustments in 3 areas:
1. Role
2. Attitude
3. Skills

20. Examples of Adjustments –
1. ROLE
Old ROLE to new:
Direct control over
results to indirect ctl.
Work with peers to
supervise former
peers
Follow policies to
interpret policies
Required adjustments:
Accept less direct
control
Maintain role of
leader
Represent the
organization

21. Adjustments to 2. ATTITUDES
Old ATTITUDES to new
Desire to/willingness to:
Be well liked/praise or
criticize others
Avoid conflict/deal
with conflict
Compete with others/
develop cooperation
Required adjustments:
Accept new power &
relationships
Expect conflict
Shift focus to team

22. Adjustments to 3. SKILLS
Primary emphasis on
technical skills to
greater emphasis on
human skills and
broader goals:
Preparing working papers
to reviewing
Outlining and drafting
report segments to reviewing for compliance
with audit prog., policies,
and standards
Required adjustments:
Improve skill at finding
“holes” in evidence,
support, etc.
Improve skill at reviewing,
communicating, and
advocating reports to
higher levels

23. POWER is now MINE!
Power is the ability to influence the actions
of others.

24. POWER!
Formal
Informal
Legitimate
Expert
Coercive
Referant
Reward

25. Personal Styles
In order to become a supervisor, staff
must:
a. Recognize their own managerial and
interpersonal styles, and
b. Improve their effectiveness with
subordinates

26. III. Followthrough & Modeling
In training staff to become supervisors,
you must teach and model behaviors for
them; for example:
– Personal styles of managing
– How to conduct meetings
– How to handle conflict
– Focusing on performance

27. Myers Briggs Type Indicators
Extravert (E)
Introvert (I)
Sensing (S)
iNtuiting (N)
Thinking (T)
Feeling (F)
Judging (J)
Perceiving (P)

28. Think About It…
Responsibility cannot be delegated.
Supervisors are accountable for what
others do.

29. Working with Staff Performance
Challenges
Performance system elements:
Task
Direction
Resources
Consequences
Feedback
Performer

30. Meetings
Types of meetings:
– Decision making
– Problem solving
– Planning
– Feedback
– Presentation

31. Planning a Meeting
Desired outcomes objectives
Who (depends on
objectives)
Type: feedback,
decision making, etc.
Length
Timing
Agenda
Process
Roles (presenter,
facilitator, recorder,
etc.)
Decision process

32. Managing Conflict
Types of conflict
Aspects of conflict
Technical
Destructive
Interpersonal
Constructive

33. Conflict Management Styles
Compete – position allows it; agreed to
Avoid – unimportant issue; time not right
Compromise – some leeway; resources limited
Accommodate – relationships more important
Collaborate – commitment to cooperation; time

34. Motivation
A. Maslow (40’s & 50’s)
B. Herzberg (50’s &
60’s)
C. Deci (1970’s)
A. Hierarchy of needs –
satisfy one and move
up (5 needs)
B. Motivators and
hygiene
(maintenance) factors
C. Intrinsic motivation

35. Intrinsic Motivation
Stems from the innate sense of
accomplishment and enjoyment one gets
from doing good work
We do something because it is worth
doing
Performing the work makes us feel good
about ourselves; we feel competent and in
control

36. The Question is NOT how to
motivate others, but…
…how can leaders create
conditions under which others
will motivate themselves.

37. Perspectives on One Generation
Motivating Another
Matures
Born before 1945
Baby Boomers
Born 1945 -1964
Gen Xer’s
Born 1965 – 1979
New Millennials
Born 1980 +

38. New Values in the Workplace A Retention Issue
“Gen Xers and New Millennials have
essentially said to their managers – the
Matures and especially the Boomers –
‘We don’t share your definition of success.
We define success differently and will
pursue other rewards for our work.’”
Motivating the “What’s In It For Me?”
Workforce, Cam Marston, 2005

39. How Different Are They?
For them…
Jay Leno has ALWAYS been host of The
Tonight Show (Johnny Carson WHO?)
TV without “cable” is inconprehensible
The Cold War is just in history books
Going to the moon is old science

40. It’s not about the workday…
…it’s about the end result.
Younger workers look at what they
accomplished, not how many hours they
worked in a day
Up and coming supervisors have different
values/expectations; their supervisees
also different

41. Conclusions
The supervisory role is complex and
challenging
3 steps to developing new supervisors:
– train (technical & HR)
– set expectations for changing role
– model behavior (e.g., conflict management)
Understand the new workforce in order to
motivate and retain

42. Contact Information
Robert Black
Dean, Government Audit Training Institute
and Financial Management
Graduate School, USDA
Phone: 202-314-3560
E-mail: robert_black@grad.usda.gov