ORGANIZING AND PREPARING

THE SUPERVISORY PROGRAMS

What is "Supervision"?
There are several interpretations of
the term "supervision", but typically
supervision is the activity carried out by
supervisors to oversee the productivity and
progress of employees who report directly
to the supervisors. Supervision is a
management activity and supervisors have a
management role in the organization.
Rationale of Organizing and
Preparing a System
As a supervisor, one must be aware
that much is demanded of him. He must
guide, support, and assist his staff to do
the best job they can. He must motivate
them, manage any conflicts, and do his
best to meet the performance objectives
and help his employees to meet theirs so
that his program will meet its goals.
Importance of Supervisory Programs

A supervisory system guides supervisors

appropriately in planning, directing, and
controlling the performance of their
employees.

The system describes how the supervisors

tasks will be carried out, whether through
supervisory sessions with one or more
employees or through written or telephone
•Events and changes occur so
rapidly that plans must be made to
permit adaptation to new
conditions.

•A prepared supervisory program

ensures success to a certain
Factors to be Considered in the Program:

1. Program Period
On supervisory work the proper planning
period is the foreseeable future, whether it
be one month, six months, one year or more.
The supervisor must look down the road
ahead and plan specifically for things he can
see clearly and plan generally for other things.
2. Objectives
It is difficult to hit a target unless
you can see it know where it is
located. It is possible to become so
absorbed in activities that you forget
or lose sight of what you are trying to
accomplish. Objectives indicate the
3. Control
Controls have to do with the use of
measurements which tell us how we
are doing in relation to our objectives.
Controls should be set up when plans
are made. Words usually take the
place of quantitative measurements in
areas which have to do with human
4. Delegation

We cannot place responsibilities on the

shoulders of subordinates without considering
their capacities, the degree of supervision
required, and the controls which will tell us how
delegations are being discharged. As one writer
put it, “ delegations tell us what a person can do,
what he can’t do, and what he needs help in
doing.” Plans must be based upon projected
5. Communications
In order to coordinate the activities of
a group it is necessary that proper verbal,
written, and visual communication be
planned. If workers cannot achieve the
highest degree of productivity because of
inadequate orders, instructions, or
knowledge, there must be planning so that
they receive the right information at the
6. Methods and Procedures
There is no one best way of doing anything.
There may be methods that are best for a given
time but simple changes in job specifications may
require changes in method.
If the worker is to discharge his duties within
the framework of a policy, he should be informed
of the limitations imposed by the policy which in
most cases are oral rather than written.
Oral and written reminders of policies are
needed by employees and can bring assurance to
supervisors that employees are meeting job
7. Use of Resources
Too often the supervisor overlooks
or doesn't use the resources which are
available to him. Human resources
include the talents and skills of
employees, the staff assistance of
specialists, and the educational aids
8. Time
A supervisor needs to plan the use of his
own time as well as that of his subordinates.
A helpful tool in this regard is a “ To Do”
list of the things that must be done during
the course of a day or a week. Time is the
essence in management work and should be
used to best advantage, even though
planning for the use of time is often upset
9.Manpower

When work is being laid out, the planner

should keep the manpower requirements
uppermost in his mind. Available manpower
should be used to maximum advantage.
Productivity is achieved by proper selection,
training, and supervision.

People tend to work toward goals which they

feel are in their own interest. They are
motivated by various factors, and one of the best
keys to manpower utilization is to help workers
harmonize their motivations with the objectives
Steps in the Preparation of the Program:

1.Preparation of the program through

collaborative effort of the supervisors and
upper- management.
2. The plan should be written and illustrated
with pertinent subject matter such as charts,
graphs, statistics, drawings- so that all
interested parties can study and analyze the
plan.
3.It must be duly approved for execution.
Evaluating the Supervisory Program

1. Is the plan complete? Does it really cover

all important factors that bear on the
program? Has something been omitted
which would negate all the good works
done?
2. Will the plan help the organization to
achieve its objectives? Is it geared
towards moving in the right direction?
3. Are planning and procedure kept
separate? Planning essentially deals with
what has to be done? Procedure deals with
how it is to be done.

4. Does the plan reach far enough into the

future? Does the plan cover the maximum
time required for the existence of any of
its elements, such as workers, finances, or
manpower?
5. Is the plan colored too much by our own biases
and prejudices? It is difficult to be objective in
planning matters that affect us. Have we
considered the effects of planning not only from
our point of view but from that of others?

6. Does the plan contain creative contributions?

Have we really rearranged experience into new
patterns? Have we reassembled the knowledge
and experience we have gained so that new ways
of doing things are pointed out in our plan?
7. Have we really considered all the things that
need to be planned? Are we sure that all the
factors have been considered?

8. Are we prepared to deal with the obstacles

and objections that might be raised? Are we
ready to deal with questions that might be
raised? Will we be able to turn obstacles into
opportunities?