oncept of Supervision

CONCEPT OF SUPERVISION

CHAPTER 1CONCEPT OF SUPERVISION

Supervision and management are actually two different things. Supervision is the direction of people at work and management is the planning and control of the work process. The Philosophy and Theory of Supervisionhttp://www.constructionplans.org/about_us.htm

A person can be a supervisor (direct people at work) without being a manager and a person can be a manager (planning and control of work) without supervising anyone.

In most workplace situations many supervisors also do some management and most managers also do some supervision.http://www.constructionplans.org/about_us.htmSupervisor a manager at the first level of management, which means the employees reporting to the supervisor are not managers

The Taft-Hartley Act embellishes this definition by indicating that a supervisor is any individual havingauthority, in the interest of the employer, to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off,recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward or discipline other employees, orresponsibility to direct them, or to adjust their grievances, or effectively to recommendsuch action, if in connection with the foregoing the exercise of such authorityis not of a merely routine or clerical nature, but requires the use of independentjudgment.14Functions of Supervisors

PlanningThe purpose of planning by supervisors is to determine how the department can contribute to achieving the organizations goals. This includes planning how much money to spend, what level of output to achieve, and how many employees will be neededOrganizing At the supervisory level, organizing involves activities such as scheduling projects and assigning duties to employeesModern supervisors are increasingly responsible for setting up and leading teams of workers to handle special projects or day-today operations.StaffingStaffingIdentifying, hiring, and developing the necessary number and quality of employeesA supervisors performance depends on the quality of results that the supervisor achieves through his or her employees

LeadingLeadingInfluencing people to act (or not act) in a certain wayThe supervisor is responsible for letting employees know what is expected of them and inspiring and motivating employees to do good work.1-9ControllingControllingMonitoring performance and making needed correctionsThe supervisor is expected to provide employees with the resources and motivation to identify and correct problems themselves.1-10Relationships Among the FunctionsPlanning comes first, followed by organizing, then staffing, then leading, and, finally, controlling. This order occurs because each function depends on the preceding function or functions.

Typically, supervisors spend most of their time leading and controlling.1-1111See Learning Objective 4: Identify the general functions of a supervisor.

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Responsibilities of Supervisors Recognize the talents of each subordinate. Share your vision of where the organization wants to go. Treat employees with dignity and respect. Conduct necessary meetings efficiently and ensure they accomplish their intended tasks. Keep your staff informed and up to date. Be accessible to those under your supervision. Conduct periodic evaluations of your groups progress. Provide an opportunity for employees to evaluate you. Praise your staff for their accomplishments. Keep in touch with your industry. Be able to perform the duties of those you supervise.1-12Recognize the talents of each subordinate. Share your vision of where the organization wants to go. Treat employees with dignity and respect. Conduct necessary meetings efficiently and ensure they accomplish their intendedtasks. Keep your staff informed and up to date. Be accessible to those under your supervision. Conduct periodic evaluations of your groups progress. Provide an opportunity for employees to evaluate you. Praise your staff for their accomplishments. Keep in touch with your industry. Be able to perform the duties of those you supervise. Keep a sense of humor. Be fair. Follow proper hiring practices. Know the law as it applies to your company and your job. Adhere to workplace safety rules and regulations. Keep accurate employee records. Avoid sexual harassment and discrimination based on gender, age, race, pregnancy,sexual orientation, or national origin. Know how to fire an employee without violating his or her rights.12Types of ResponsibilitiesGiving managers timely and accurate information for planningKeeping managers informed about the departments performanceGiving their employees clear instructions and making sure they understand their jobsCooperating with co-workers in other departments

1-1313See Learning Objective 5: Explain how supervisors are responsible to higher management, employees, and co-workers.


Responsibilities and AccountabilityAccountability the practice of imposing penalties for failing to carry out responsibilities adequately usually includes giving rewards for meeting responsibilities.1-14

Becoming a SupervisorAn employee with a superior grasp of the technical skills needed to perform well in the department.A person with the most seniority.An employee with good work habits and leadership skills.Recent college graduates.Typical candidates to be made supervisors:1-1515See Learning Objective 6: Describe the typical background of someone who is promoted to supervisor.


Preparing for the JobLearn about management through books and observation.Learn as much as possible about the organization, the department, and the job.Once on the job, continue the learning process.Acknowledge another persons feelings if they were also a candidate for the position.1-1616See Learning Objective 6: Describe the typical background of someone who is promoted to supervisor.


Obtaining and Using Power and AuthorityHave the new supervisors boss make an official announcement of the promotion.

State your expectations, desire to work as a team, and interest in hearing about work-related problems.

Dont rush to make changes in the department.

1-1717See Learning Objective 6: Describe the typical background of someone who is promoted to supervisor.

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Becoming a SupervisorSet limits on your behaviorDont be a rescuer.Figure out how to measure successCommunicate with everyoneBe firm.Learn from others1-18Often, a new supervisor takes on his or her positionas the result of a promotion. That means thesupervisors relationships with others in the departmentwill change. How do you maintain positiveworking relationships with people when you arenow responsible for ensuring they get their workdone correctly and efficiently? Here are somesuggestions for making the transition smoothly: Set limits on your behavior. Some kinds ofbehavior that co-workers commonly engageingossiping, grumbling about work, choosingfriendswill interfere with your role assupervisor. Employees are counting on you to befair and objective. If some employees expectfavors based on friendship, they are not truefriends. Dont be a rescuer. Instead of jumping in to getthe work done whenever a problem arises, teachthe employees in your group to do the tasks youonce handled. Training can be harder than doingthe job yourself, but it builds a stronger workgroup. Figure out how to measure success. How can youtell if each person is succeeding in terms of quality,cost, and timeliness? As a supervisor, you need tosee when employees are on track toward meetingtheir goals and when you need to step in. Communicate with everyone. Make a point oftalking to each member of your work group sothat you can understand each persons goals andeveryone knows what your expectations are. Showemployees how each persons efforts benefit thewhole group. Be firm. Sometimes employees test a newsupervisor to see if rules and standards will beenforced. If that happens, you will need to makeit clear that you are serious about the wholegroups success. Learn from others. Get to know other supervisorsand managers who will share the wisdom gainedfrom their experience.Sources: Based on Brandi Britton, Making the Movefrom Peer to Supervisor, Los Angeles Business Journal,October 10, 2005; Ed Lisoski, From Peer to Supervisor,Supervision, May 2005, both downloaded from Business &Company Resource Center, http://galenet.galegroup.com.18Characteristics of a Successful Supervisor1-19

19See Learning Objective 7: Identify characteristics of a successful supervisor.

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"Site" means the lands and other places on under in or through which the Works are to be executed and any other lands or places provided by the Employer for the purposes of the Contract together with such other places as may be designated in the Contract or subsequently agreed by the Engineer as forming part of the Site.(ICE Conditions of Contract Definition)

Construction Site Definitionhttp://www.longworthconsulting.co.uk/construction_contracts/site.htmThe Importance of Site SupervisionThe construction supervisor plays a huge role in determining the profitability of the construction work that a construction firm performs.

As the management person closest to the workface, that is, to where the work is actually performed by skilled construction craft workers, the supervisor continually makes decisions and takes actions that directly affect the cost of the work, as well as the duration of the project and the quality and the safety of the work.

Supervisor plays a central role in ensuring the profitability of construction projects.

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oncept of Supervision