June 2004

NOTE: We’ve had many requests for an online catalog of the resources ALD offers and it is now available as a pdf – click here to view and download the ALD Resource Catalog

A very special offer on Leadership & Supervisor Training…

So you’ve become a supervisor or a manager… You’ve proven yourself with dedication and energy to your company and find yourself promoted to a first-level leadership position that includes on many new responsibilities. You’ve already found out that supervising people requires a completely different skill set than you demonstrated in your prior position. And advancing from peer of your former work group to the person in charge is a significant move that comes with its challenges. You’re now tasked with planning, organizing and carrying out your organization’s critical business priorities. You juggle managing activities and people, locating resources, providing information, developing people, coping with their everyday issues, and trying to manage your time.  At the same time you’re working within the context of your organizational, political, and economic business environments.  You’re superhuman—or at least it seems you’re expected to be!!

Leadership & Supervision Curriculum The Supervision Series

The Supervision Series modules teach your leaders how to bring teams together – to improve productivity—to focus on behavior and not attitudes – to deal with facts and not opinions – to create a climate of open communication.  The Supervision Series creates a more productive and efficient organization by developing a participative management culture.  For individuals, the Supervision Series provides the opportunity to develop proficiency in leadership, management functions, supervisory skills, and interpersonal relationships. The program will improve relations between leaders and team members increasing worker and leader productivity, and reducing stress for both parties. With the classroom and the soon-to-arrive online versions of the Supervision Series, individuals can take advantage of training anytime, anywhere—supporting their life-long goals. Objectives of the Supervision Series Reduce Turnover Increase Productivity Resolve Conflicts Improve Communication Promote Teamwork Gain Commitment versus Compliance Create a Better Work Environment Improve Bottom Line Enhance Coaching Skills

The program has been used by over one million people worldwide, and has a proven track record of over 20 years of training experience. Some current customers who are successfully using the Supervision Series include Cardinal Health, Regions Financial, Staples, Inc., Fred Meyer, Bombardier, and Leggett and Platt. This online or modular classroom series is ideal education for new managers, pre-management development or as a refresher for incumbent managers.

All modules include pre-test, post-tests and skill practices. Each can also be customized to reflect your specific business or industry. Modules are about 4 hours in length - ideal for segmenting your training. New videos in all new modules represent today’s workplace environments and scenarios. The two interpersonal skills modules - Essential Skills of Leadership and Essential Skills of Communication - are currently also available online - other modules will follow throughout the year.  Vital Learning Corp presents the Supervision Series; Vital Learning has been at the forefront of leader/manager training for over 20 years.  Vital Learning’s training program is effective because participants see the new skills, practice the new skills, and most importantly, transfer the new skills to their work and apply them to their job. Prepare your team leaders today to deal with the challenges of tomorrow with Vital Learning’s  Supervision Series Each course is available for the classroom or as an online course

Supervision Series Titles Include

Essential Skills of Leadership  Managers and team leaders will be able to: Maintain and Enhance Team Member Self-Esteem This is probably the single most important skill a manager or team leader can have. It is the ability to provide direction, evaluate performance, correct work habits, deal with complaints, and resolve conflicts while supporting a team member’s sense of self-respect and dignity. Focus on Behavior Problems on the job are solved more effectively and less stressfully when managers and team leaders deal with what people do rather than with their attitudes or personal characteristics. Encourage Team Member Participation Involving team members in decision-making, problem solving, and other non-routine, on-the-job activities is one of the manager’s or team leader’s key motivational tools.

Essential Skills of Communicating  Managers and team leaders will be able to: Create a Climate of Open Communication The bedrock of good communication is openness—the extent to which the organization and its people support the free exchange of open, honest communication. Openness contributes more to a positive communication climate than any other factor. Design Clear, Concise Messages Messages that are well designed are clear and concise. Managers and team leaders need to organize their thoughts and speak to each team member’s level of understanding. Manage Nonverbal Behaviors Effectively Voice tone, intonation, facial expressions, gestures, and posture are some of the nonverbal factors that managers and team leaders must understand and learn to use for effective communication. Listen to Communicate Effective communication cannot take place without effective listening, which includes the ability to reflect, probe, support, and advise.

Coaching Job Skills  Upon completion of this module, the team leader will have the skills to conduct a successful meeting with a team member on how to perform a job, task or skill. The team leader will also learn how to distinguish between performance problems that require coaching and those that can best be handled by some other means.

Communicating Up Most managers and team leaders realize the importance of upward communication, but few accept the responsibility for the quality and effectiveness of communicating with their own managers. Managers and team leaders will learn how to frame communication so that a desired result is achieved.

Managing Complaints As the leaders on the front line, managers and team leaders are often the first to hear team member complaints. And though sometimes they may seem to they may seem to be unimportant, each complaint should be addressed and resolved. This module shows how to resolve simple complaints and identify the “hidden agendas” that so often underlie the chronic grievances.

Delegating This module gives valuable insights into and practice of the “Three W’s” of effective delegation: When should team leaders delegate?; Whom should they delegate to?; and What explanation should they give to team members? Delegating also shows how to use delegation as a motivational tool, and improve team members’ skills.

Developing Performance Goals and Standards Unless your managers and team leaders are successful in spelling out the organization’s specific goals, their team members are not going to know how to meet those objectives. This module shows trainees how to establish specific, measurable, attainable, result-oriented, and time-framed performance standards. It then illustrates the steps that gain team member agreement and commitment to those performance standards.

Effective Discipline Most of us dislike having to discipline team members. Discipline team members because feelings can be easily hurt and resentment can linger for a long time. The skills your managers and team leaders will learn in Effective Discipline will preserve team members’ self respect and egos while changing the unacceptable behavior. This process encourages the best kind of discipline-self-discipline. It also motivates team members to accomplish their goals and work well within the organization.

Improving Work Habits Absenteeism . . . Repeated tardiness . . . Conduct . . .Dress code. If your team leaders are faced with these or other work habit issues, this module will show them how to address these issues. Merely quoting company regulations to the noncompliant worker will not solve the problem. The truly effective team leader immediately addresses poor work habits in a supportive, non-threatening way.

Providing Performance Feedback This module shows how evaluation is done by the experts. First, relevant performance standards are established. Then, the team member’s own performance evaluation is solicited. This accomplished, the stage is set for a summary evaluation that will be clear and credible to the team member.

Resolving Conflicts Whenever people work together, conflicts arise. They may be simple misunderstandings that your managers and team leaders can clear up. Or they may reveal subtle, but pervasive, morale problems that threaten to tear the delicate fabric of your organization. This module shows managers and team leaders how to explore a conflict and get to the heart of the problem to correct it before it’s too late.

Supporting Change As the link between management goals and the frontline labor force, the manager or team leader is the key to supporting change. Dealing with the “comfort level” of team members and involving them in detailed discussions will facilitate their acceptance of new ways of doing things. This module shows managers and team leaders how to introduce change without inducing defensive reactions. Click here to review each module’s objectives & skill points

Tour the ALD website for other skill-building resources designed for education in the mastery of leadership competencies http://www.youneverstoplearning.com/

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