BEHIND THE CURTAIN:Helping Your Entry-Level Supervisees

to Prepare for Mid-Level Leadership

NASPA 2016

INTRODUCTIONSMartise CooksSenior Campus ConsultantCampus Labs

Shandee EwertAssistant Director for Residence LifeLoyola University Chicago@shandee_ewert

Marci WaltonAssociate Director for Residence LifeXavier University@MarciKWalton

LEARNING OUTCOMES๏ Evaluate current supervision skills within the context of student affairs competencies

๏ Identify best practices to supervision

๏ Identify ways to challenge entry-level supervisees to prepare for their next role

DISCUSSION

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

๏ Does supervision change among levels?

๏ Where do we learn our own supervision skills?

SUPERVISION IN HIGHER EDUCATION๏ “…is a management function intended to promote the achievement of

institutional goals and to enhance the personal and professional capabilities of staff.” -Winston & Creamer (1997), Improving Staffing Practices in Student Affairs

๏ Components of supervising professional staff:• Leadership• Human resource management• Planning• Organizing• Evaluation & feedback

NASPA / ACPA COMPETENCIES๏ Communicate with others using effective strategies in ways that the

person with whom you are engaged prefers

๏ Apply a range of strategies available for motivating others

๏ Assist individuals to create professional development plans that are appropriate for individual growth while serving the needs of the unit

๏ Design a professional development plan that…establishes action items for an appropriate pace for growth

๏ Develop or lead professional development initiatives that provide supervisees with purposeful opportunities to advance skills/knowledge

๏ Advocate for advancement opportunities for staff

๏ Effectively intervene in regard to morale, behavioral expectations, conflict, and performance issues

๏Staff meetings with team:Weekly: 79%Bi-weekly 9%Monthly 5%

๏ Receive feedback:More than weekly 21%Weekly 22%Bi-weekly 16%Monthly 13%Semesterly 24%Never 4%

๏ How many people supervisor directs:1-2: 11%3-5: 46%6-9: 32%10+: 11%

๏ Supervisor meets with staff:Weekly: 52%Bi-weekly: 27%Monthly: 6%Never: 4%

Ellett, Bryan, Guram, Shell, & Robinette (2006)

ACUHO-I SUPERVISION / MENTORSHIP STUDY

๏ Receive information about professional opportunities (career, association, publishing, research, etc.):Bi-weekly 19%Monthly 31%Semesterly 14%Never 16%

๏ Do you see your supervisor as a mentor?Yes 50%No 29%Unsure 21%

๏ Rate relationship with supervisor:Extremely satisfied 59%Somewhat satisfied 36%Neutral 4%

Ellett, Bryan, Guram, Shell, & Robinette (2006)

ACUHO-I SUPERVISION / MENTORSHIP STUDY

๏ Blah blah blah (Martise)

GENERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

COMMON SUPERVISOR MISTAKES๏ Underestimating the importance or potency of personal issues

๏ Rewarding wrong behavior or not giving prompt feedback

๏ Pursuing tasks without vision

๏ Pursuing vision without working out details with subordinates

๏ Failing to see leadership as service

๏ Ignoring one’s own advice

๏ Not balancing stability and change

๏ Not recognizing good people

๏ Not assisting supervisees in developing as leaders

Winston & Creamer (1997); Watkins (2013), The First 90 Days

EFFECTIVE SUPERVISIONClear goals

AccountabilityEthics/consistency

Open & clear communicationIntentional staff development

Different for every person you superviseEncourage experimentation & assessment

Balances high productivity & morale/rapport-building

STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIPS: SUPERVISION PLAN๏ Hopes to get from position?

๏ How do I like to be supervised?

๏ What do I need from a supervisor?

๏ In what areas can I be pushed to grow?

๏ In what areas do I need the most support?

๏ What will my availability and visibility look like?

๏ How will I build my own supervisory skills?

๏ How will I involve others in decision-making?

๏ How will I communicate?

๏ How will I increase my competencies as I prepare for my next role?

๏ What components of your roles as supervisor or supervisee make the experience positive? Which make it challenging?

STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIPS: SUPERVISOR ACTION PLAN๏ Individual interaction

๏ Administrative tasks/systems

๏ Recognition

๏ Preparation for next position

๏ Developing professional reputation

๏ Meeting facilitation

๏ Follow up

STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIPS: COMMUNICATING YOUR STYLE๏ Your priorities

๏ Your supervision philosophy

๏ Your background

๏ Your role, job description, and commitments

๏ Your personal goals (connect to supervision)

๏ Your decision-making style

๏ Your communication style

Winning Office Politics (Durbrin,1990), Strategies for Effective Relationships with Supervisors

Imbalance: Selfless Balance Imbalance:Selfish

I disempower myself, withdraw, become more passive, rely too much on the other to take the initiative, or provide the impetus – “laissez faire.”

I disempower the other person: being overly directive, controlling or even coercive.

I disempower myself, withdraw, become more passive, rely too much on the other to take the initiative, or provide the impetus – “laissez faire.”

Imbalance: Selfless Balance Imbalance:Selfish

I believe in empowering communication, which is appropriately assertive, and actively empowering the other person.

I disempower the other person: being overly directive, controlling or even coercive.

I disempower myself, withdraw, become more passive, rely too much on the other to take the initiative, or provide the impetus – “laissez faire.”

Imbalance: Selfless Balance Imbalance:Selfish

Imbalance: Selfless Balance Imbalance:Selfish

I focus too much on the other person, and listen too much.

I am too preoccupied with my own agenda, and listen too little.

I focus too much on the other person, and listen too much.

Imbalance: Selfless Balance Imbalance:Selfish

I balance attention on myself and the other person.

I am too preoccupied with my own agenda, and listen too little.

I focus too much on the other person, and listen too much.

Imbalance: Selfless Balance Imbalance:Selfish

Imbalance: Selfless Balance Imbalance:Selfish

I focus so much on feeling, needs and the relationship that I lose sight of the task.

I focus so much on the task that I lose sight of feelings, needs and the relationship.

I focus so much on feeling, needs and the relationship that I lose sight of the task.

Imbalance: Selfless Balance Imbalance:Selfish

I balance between the focus on task and the focus on the relationship.

I focus so much on the task that I lose sight of feelings, needs and the relationship.

I focus so much on feeling, needs and the relationship that I lose sight of the task.

Imbalance: Selfless Balance Imbalance:Selfish

FEEDBACK๏ Questions to Ask:

• How are you giving critical feedback to prepare supervisees for the next step?• What does holding people accountable look like?• When to document?

๏ Establishing Your Evaluative Criteria• Competence• Judgment• Energy• Focus• Relationships• Trust

Watkins (2013), The First 90 Days

MAP TO MAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

UNDERSTANDING DECISION-MAKING๏ Institutional / Office politics

๏ Budget matters

๏ Timelines

๏ When initiatives fail

NAVIGATING DEPARTMENTAL CULTURE๏ Getting buy-in

๏ Building a support system: Gossip vs. support

๏ Valuing inter-departmental relationships

๏ Knowing when to challenge & when to trust

๏ Raising concerns appropriately

UNDERSTANDING WHERE YOU FIT INTO THE BIG PICTURE๏ Authority sandwich

๏ Communicating up & down

๏ Contributing to the success of individuals and initiatives

DISCUSSION

REFLECTIONWhat were the challenges from your supervisee’s perspective?

How might you have approached the situation differently to more effectively challenge and develop your supervisee?

If the challenge was related to a departmental decision, how can you contribute to the success of your staff who were impacted?

TELL ME AND I FORGET. TEACH ME I MAY REMEMBER. INVOLVE ME AND I LEARN.Benjamin Franklin