Supervisor Roles and Responsibilities: Helping People Succeed

CompassPoint Nonprofit Services Page 1 of 39

Supervisor Roles and

Responsibilities:

Helping People Succeed

CompassPoint Nonprofit Services

500 12th St, Suite 320

Oakland, CA 94607

ph 415-541-9000 fx 415-541-7708

Web: www.compasspoint.org

e-mail: info@compasspoint.org

Revision Date: July 6, 2012

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Disclaimer

All material is provided without

any warranty whatsoever,

including, but not limited to,

the implied warranties of

merchantability or fitness for a

particular purpose. Any names

of people or companies listed in

this book or in its companion

computer files are fictitious

unless otherwise noted.

2013 CompassPoint

Nonprofit Services unless

otherwise indicated. All rights

reserved. This publication,

including any companion

computer disk, or any

component part thereof, may

not be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by

any means, electronic or

mechanical, including

photocopying, recording,

storage in any information

retrieval system, or otherwise,

without the prior written

permission

CompassPoint,

500 12th St, Suite 320 Oakland,

CA 94607

ph 415.541.9000

or the author.

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Learning Objectives

 Understand the roles and responsibilities of a supervisor (understanding the

fundamentals of the supervision framework) to foster excellent performance that

supports individual and organizational needs.

 Know how to establish and communicate performance standards and expectations

using behavioral terms.

 Apply a feedback framework to give constructive and supportive feedback within a

supervisory context.

 Know how to establish work plans that include performance and professional

development goals.

 Know how to create strategies for effective supervision and performance meetings.

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Introduction

CompassPoint Philosophy and Values

1. People are the most important resource in a community based nonprofit – supervision

plays a key role supporting the success of people working in nonprofits.

2. Shared leadership – leadership is a process and happens at every level throughout an

organization.

3. Asset-based/strength-based – every individual has different talents and strength that

make them unique. Organizations and teams who recognize and deploy people based

on their strengths can achieve higher levels of performance.

4. Respect – regardless of the situation, all people should be treated with respect.

5. Performance is tied to outcomes – performance is not judged on personal preferences

or whims, but on objective outcomes tied to the organization’s needs.

6. A culture of providing ongoing and timely feedback to support performance

improvement and personal growth is critical for trust and relationship building.

7. Our multicultural values live and breathe in our organization and in our work with

nonprofit leaders, nonprofit organizations and the nonprofit field as a whole. Our work

is and rooted in and strengthened by ever-expanding community knowledge of and

relationships to diverse communities. Our programs are responsive to diverse ways of

learning and meet people where they are. We partner with others to promote collective

learning and to build the capacity of nonprofits as agents of multicultural

responsiveness and equity.

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Tools to Manage and Implement Change

Changing behavior or integrating a new skill requires that we look at three organizational

dimensions: skills, systems, and culture. An individual can learn new skills, but those skills are

applied within an organization. The organization may or may not have the necessary systems in

place to support and operationalize those skills successfully. The culture of the organization will

also impact one’s ability to apply skills. Do the values and practices inherent in the culture of

the organization foster or hinder the process?

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Each of us grapples with how to manage change in an organization, introduce new information

or galvanize support for a new idea. In these situations, consider the following:

Authority: What areas/projects in your work do you have the authority to decide upon and act

on those decisions? When do you make decisions on your own, when do you include others in

the decision?

Influence: What areas of organizational decision making are you able to influence when you do

not have authority to make the final decision? How do you influence them?

Concern: where are you limited or have no authority, where you can’t influence?

concern

authority influence

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Overview of Performance Management

The purpose of an organization’s performance planning and review process is to guide, support,

and develop staff to ensure both employee and organizational success.

It is an ongoing and cyclic process that runs on an annual basis and is shaped by the

organization’s needs. The performance management system fosters ongoing two-way

communication between employees and managers; supports the development of clear,

consistent, and measurable goals linked directly to the organization’s core values and

competencies; helps to articulate and support training needs and career development; and

establishes the criteria for making reward and recognition decisions.

Effective performance management begins with respect for one another and ends with

excellence in performance. It is the responsibility of supervisors to communicate on an ongoing

basis with their employees. These conversations should be grounded in honest communication

and provide staff with clear role expectations, feedback, identify performance improvement,

development opportunities, and career possibilities. Each employee has a responsibility to

participate fully in these conversations, be sure they understand their role responsibilities and

expectations, and communicate any obstacles or training needs in order to perform their role at

an optimum level.

Performance management should be happening all year long and culminates with a summary

review assessment that should bring closure to the performance period and provide a basis for

performance management for the next period.

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Executive leadership is responsible for ensuring that a performance management system is in

place and being used effectively, specifically this entails:

 Setting organizational strategy (together with the Board of Directors)

 Updating the employee handbook and communicating any changes

 Annually, in writing, communicate:

o Current strategy and plans

o Reminders and guidance to managers of deadlines to complete employee’s

annual goal setting and reviews

 Using and modeling the performance management process, practices, and tools

 Ensuring evaluations of their staff are well written and accurate by reviewing them and

providing feedback and coaching as appropriate

 Reviewing evaluations of employees and providing feedback to supervisors

Supervisors are responsible for:

 Aligning individual performance expectations with organizational goals

 Developing performance goals collaboratively with their direct reports

 Ensuring that performance goals are clearly communicated and current

 Providing fair, constructive, and timely feedback towards performance expectations and

goals

 Providing assistance, guidance, and coaching support as needed

 Ensuring that staff have professional development plans in place

 Conducting performance evaluations according to established systems and policies

Employees are responsible for:

 Communicating work load challenges

 Communicating progress towards performance goals

 Identifying and communicating professional development needs and opportunities

 Achieving performance and professional development goals as identified in individual

work plans and individual development plans.

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The Supervision Framework

The supervisor’s overall role is to communicate organizational needs, oversee

employees’ performance, provide guidance, support, identify development needs,

and manage the reciprocal relationship between staff and the organization so that

each is successful.

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Discussion Exercise

ORGANIZATIONALLY

1. What is working well within your organization’s performance management system?

2. What areas would you highlight for changes or improvements?

AS A SUPERVISOR

3. Where are you most strong as a supervisor?

4. What areas of supervision are challenging for you?

5. What should you highlight for improvement?

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Setting & Communicating Expectations

Group Exercise: Brainstorm a list of expectations you have for the people you

supervise.

10.

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Communicating Expectations

In order for employees to understand what is expected of them, you should communicate

expectations in terms of behaviors by explaining what it “looks like or sounds like” when an

employee is, for example, behaving “professionally,” treating co-workers with “respect,” or

being “accountable” for his or her work.

Often, expectations are set by the organization in the form of performance standards:

conditions that exist when the job is performed acceptably in terms of quality, quantity, time,

cost, impact, and process or method of doing. They are generally based on the organization, not

the person in the job. They are different from specific goals which are set for an individual, and

change over time, rather than the job. They enable individuals to differentiate between

acceptable and unacceptable results.

Examples of performance standards:

 Follow through: Enter all donor communications data within one week of contact.

 Accuracy: All client statistical reports shall be 100% error free.

 Punctuality: Be ready to receive clients at 9am every day.

 Responsive or Good Customer Service: Respond to all phone messages and emails within

48 hours.

 Excellence: Achieve an average score of 4.5 or higher on program participant evaluations.

 Clean: Keep kitchen clean to health code specifications.

 Friendly: Greet all clients and visitors with standard greeting when they arrive and offer

them a glass of water or coffee.

 Engagement: Actively participate in meetings; offer comments; ask questions; refrain from

doing other work in the meeting (e.g. using PDA, tweeting, writing, or using laptop).

 Good Communication: Check in with principal of each school to update them on program

status and issues within the first week of every month during school year.

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Expectation

Behavior

Professional

Arrive to work and all meetings on time; adhere to dress code

guidelines; ensure all written communications are error free

and use appropriate tone that considers the varied audiences

and client groups that we serve.

Respectful

Greet people in the hallways; treat colleagues as internal

customers; clean up your area and do your part to keep the

common area (e.g. kitchen) clean.

Accountable

Meet all deadlines; come prepared to meetings with minutes

from the last meeting, questions about the agenda and ideas

to contribute to the topic; respond to requests in a timely

manner.

There are 3 key points to remember about communicating your expectations in terms of

behaviors:

1. Phrase the behavior in terms of positive action when possible. Explain what you want

the employee to do (versus what you don’t want).

2. Make sure that your own actions model the behavior you expect from your employees.

3. Do not comment on a person’s character. Limit your comments to observable behavior.

For example, do not say “you are unprofessional.” Instead explain that punctuality is an

aspect of the professional behavior that is expected and when a person is late for

meetings s/he is not exhibiting that professional behavior.

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Organizational Values

Organizational values might also be applicable in an expectation setting conversation. As they

apply to every employee in the organization.

Examples:

 Confidentiality and Safety: It is vital that confidentiality and personal safety be

respected at all times. We, therefore, honor the privacy of clients, staff and volunteers.

We support an atmosphere of emotional, verbal, and physical non-violence in our

workplace and in our client programs.

 Equality and Empowerment of all People: All individuals have inherent worth and are,

therefore, valued equally regardless of gender, race, class, age, country of origin,

political affiliation, sexual orientation, religion or ability. Empowerment begins with

recognizing and knowing that individually and collectively we each have the strength to

make necessary change and to accomplish our goals.

 Personal Responsibility: We are trustworthy, reliable, and dependable. We recognize

that we make decisions that affect others and ourselves and do so with as much

information as possible. We hold ourselves and others accountable for decisions and

behaviors within both the agency and the community.

 Professional Integrity: We are honest and ethical in our professional work and

relationships. When in public, we behave in such a way that reflects positively on the

organization, and on our community collaborators and partners.

 Respect: It is essential to honor different opinions, styles, genders, races, classes, ages,

countries of origin, political affiliations, sexual orientations, religions, and abilities.

Respect is reflected in the way we treat our clients, ourselves, and members of the

community. We value the ideas, beliefs, and opinions of others, whether or not we

agree with them.

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EXERCISE: Communicating Expectations in Behavioral Terms

Silent Start

 Select one or two of your expectations. Write down the expectation and a few

behaviors that would demonstrate that expectation being met.

Small Groups

 Describe the expectation using behavioral terms; use an example.

 Was the expectation clearly communicated? If not, give your teammate suggestions.

Debrief

Expectation

Behaviors that demonstrate expectation is being met:

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Developing a Workplan: 4 STEPS

1. Identify and understand where expectations exist for that position.

o Formal – Job descriptions, organizational standards, project plans, program

goals, supervision requests

o Informal – Feedback, meetings, discussions, organizational culture

2. Key Result Areas (KRAs)

Key result areas are the major functions or areas of accountability that the person is

responsible for accomplishing throughout the year. Within each KRA there are a set of specific

job duties and tasks that need to be accomplished to achieve the desired result.

3. Develop Goals for the Workplan

Goal are specific achievements or personal development objectives assigned for a given time

period (monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or annually) and, if applicable, given a priority or weight

relative to other assigned tasks.

Goals help every employee in an organization understand what is expected of them to be

successful in their job. The goals that an employee and their manager create are specific

objectives relevant to the job, and are designed to help employees grow in their career. During

performance reviews, employees are evaluated and rated on these goals to determine how

successfully they've met performance expectations.

Goal Examples:

 Secure $30,000 in funding for after-school program this year.

 Enroll at least 250 children in after-school program this year.

 Facilitate one volunteer training each quarter this year.

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 Attend conflict resolution seminar by June 1.

 Create a draft workplan for developing new performance evaluation by May 30.

 Create first version of online resource directory by October 1.

 Secure location and at least 3 sponsors for annual event by January 30.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

SMART goals clarify what and when, not how or why. They clarify roles and responsibilities so

everyone who reads the goals can fully understand the scope and accountability. They identify

accountability for task completion. Every SMART goal should have the following five

characteristics.

Specific: A single key result to be accomplished; clarifies what and when

Measureable: The metric and expected performance level/result (e.g. percent

increase, completion of project)

Attainable / Achievable: The goal is attainable; can you actually accomplish the goal?

Relevant: Employee has control and the ability to effect; aligned with organizational

strategic goals

Time-bound: Expected completion date or when the goal will be achieved

The following goal meets all five criteria:

Within the review period every year, provide every employee with her/his completed correctly

documented performance evaluation that is mutually agreeable to by supervisor, employee and

management team.

Specific

A single key result to be accomplished; clarifies what and when

Measureable

Every employee, completed, correctly documented.

Attainable

Goal can be accomplished.

Realistic and

Relevant

Supervisor and employee must agree this is doable and that employee

has control and authorization to succeed.

Time-bound

Within the review period

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1. Specific

Goals should be straightforward and emphasize what you want to happen. Specifics help us to

focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do. Specific is the What, Why, and

How of the SMART model:

WHAT are you going to do? Use action words such as direct, organize, coordinate, lead,

develop, plan, build etc. WHY is this important to do at this time? What do you want to

ultimately accomplish? HOW are you going to do it?

To set a specific goal you must answer the six "W" questions:

 Who: Who is involved?

 What: What do I want to accomplish?

 Where: Identify a location.

 When: Establish a time frame.

 Which: Identify requirements and constraints.

 Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

2. Measureable

A measurable goal tells the employee exactly what is expected so there is no opportunity for

confusion. Words such as better, excellent, or high-level are not measureable. Your definition

of these words may not be the same as others’. There are two ways to measure whether a goal

has been met: quantity and quality.

Quantity: Quantity indicators include hard figures such as numbers of youth enrolled, or

funding in dollars or percentages. Quantity measurements may be expressed in one of the

following ways:

 As a known standard, such as program budget draft due October 1 every year.

 As a comparison, as in “15% increase over previous year,” or “not to exceed 5% over

previous years’ budget.” Be sure to include the comparison indicator with a

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percentage or ratio (such as “reduce operating expenses by 15% compared to last

year”).

 As a ratio or percent that can be tracked over a given period, such as “less than 5%

turnover.”

Quality: These are conditions that indicate a result has been achieved. You can use either a

comparison or a known standard. To decide whether to use a quality measurement, ask how

will I know when it is achieved? An example of a quality measurement is complying with all

conditions as outlined in the organizational employee handbook or treating all clients and staff

respectfully and compassionately as defined by organizational principles.

3. Attainable:

Both the supervisor and the employee must agree that this goal is reasonable and within the

employee’s job description.

You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time

frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out

of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but

because you grow and expand to match them.

Goals you set which are too far out of your reach, you probably won't commit to doing.

Although you may start with the best of intentions, the knowledge that it's too much for you

means your subconscious will keep reminding you of this fact and will stop you from even

giving it your best.

A goal needs to stretch you slightly so you feel you can do it and it will need a real commitment

from you. The feeling of success which this brings helps you to remain motivated.

4. Relevant:

To be relevant a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able

to work. The goal must be within the employee’s control and ability to influence the outcome.

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The goal should be aligned with the organizational strategic goals and the employee should

understand how his/her goal contributes to organizational success.

5. Time-bound:

Time-bound goals include a target date or a specific time period in which to meet the goal.

Examples include:

 By the end of the review period

 By the end of the quarter or year

 Every month

 Every time

 On an ongoing basis

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Professional Development

Identify the appropriate area of focus based on individual and organizational needs.

Level

Area of Focus

Required Skills, Knowledge, Experience?

Career Planning

What should you do now to prepare for your career

5+ years from now?

Next Job or Role

What should you do now to prepare yourself for a

promotion, increased responsibilities or a different

job?

Mastery: Current Job

or Role

What should you do now to ensure that you are

exceeding expectations and excelling in your

current position?

Threshold: Current

Job or Role

What should you do now to ensure that you are

meeting all expectations of your current position?

Principles for Development: The 70/20/10 Rule

Most learning and

development doesn’t

come from training.

Rather, sustainable

development comes

from on-the-job

learning—actually doing

the work while learning

how to do the work.

Learning from training,

unless applied

immediately, is lost

shortly after the class is

over. Development efforts should use the following strategies and ratios of effort.

70% On-the-job learning

Create conditions within the organization that support development and growth and hold

leaders accountable for the development of their people.

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Some ideas:

 Role conversations: Discuss with people the connections between their work and

developmental needs by revealing learning opportunities in their day-to-day

experiences.

 Stretch opportunities: Assigning additional projects, committee work, and new tasks.

Think about upcoming opportunities that provide people a chance to work on “next

level” job responsibilities.

 Shadowing and job rotations: Think about a temporary job or work rotation to provide

someone with a range of experiences. Allow people to job shadow others.

20% Learning through relationships

Ensure that individuals are learning from other people. In addition to staff, leverage board

members and volunteers with specific skills or experience.

Some ideas:

 Develop an internal mentor program and match individuals with board members, staff,

donors, external partners. Develop internal coaches; peer-to-peer or across functional

areas and levels. Provide external leadership coaches.

 Ensure supervision and ongoing feedback as people work on their goals.

 Join affinity groups, networking groups, learning circles.

10% Learning through formal training and education

Some ideas:

 Classes and workshops

 webinars/online learning

 Regular reading of publications, journals, articles

 Attending conferences

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Sample Workplan

Employee Name:

Maria Manager

Supervisor Name:

Sara Supervisor

Employee Title:

Program Manager

Supervisor Title:

Program Director

Time Period: 2013

Today’s Date: 01-15-14

Key Result Areas:

Desired Outcomes:

(SMART Goals or Standards)

Timeline

1. Manage After School

Program

 Schedule workshops; at least 2 workshops in each of

the following topics:

o College, employment, drugs and alcohol,

conflict resolution

 Recruit qualified presenters with at least 4 or more

years in area of expertise

 Review and update curriculum with program staff

before scheduling workshop.

 Decrease attrition; maintain returning youth

attendance at or above 85%.

12 to

18/year

2 per

quarter

By June

2013

Ongoing

2 Information and Referral

 Respond to information requests within at 24 hours.

 Conduct review of I & R data sheet for accuracy; update

according to new legislation

 Ensure referrals are appropriate for youth services as

measured by client survey sheets.

Ongoing

By Dec.

2013

Quarterly

3 Outreach

 Regularly contact each primary school during school

year

 Distribute newsletter to all schools

 One in-person presentation at each school

every 2

months

Monthly

Sept. thru

Nov.

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4. Admin and Operations

 Ensure timesheets are timely and accurate

 Attend monthly staff meetings

 Attend quarterly program managers meetings

 Employee work plans are completed and annual

reviews conducted

end of day

of the first

work day

after the

1st and

15th of

each

month

December

2013

Professional Development

Desired Outcomes:

(SMART Goals)

1. Increase conflict resolution

knowledge

 Attend conflict resolution seminar

 Conduct train-the-trainer for rest of program staff

2. Enhance knowledge about

nonprofit boards

 Attend organization’s board meetings

 Debrief with program director about observations,

questions, etc.

 Get mentor match with current board member

3/year

By June

By Dec.

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Your Turn! Develop Your Workplan

Employee Name:

Supervisor Name:

Employee Title:

Supervisor Title:

Time Period:

Today’s Date:

Key Result Areas:

Desired Outcomes:

(SMART Goals or Standards)

Timeline



Professional Development

Desired Outcomes:

(SMART Goals)



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Giving Performance Feedback

Giving Feedback

Providing feedback is an authentic, non-judgmental, and constructive process that allows the

receiver of the feedback to understand what behaviors and actions are helping and hindering

their success. Feedback should always include specific detail that will help the person better

understand the impact and outcome that s/he is contributing to.

Give feedback under these conditions only:

 You are prepared to be constructive

 You are not emotionally invested

 You can step into the other person’s shoes

 You have rehearsed and can be brief

Part 1: Supportive or Appreciative Feedback:

Supportive feedback reinforces behavior that is effective and desirable. Managers often assume

that good performance is to be expected and only bad performance should be followed with

feedback. Managers should discuss what the employee is doing well, thus highlighting

characteristics of strong and desired performance.

1. Acknowledge people as soon as possible after you observe desired performance. Timing

is critical to reinforce behavior and encourage more of the same.

2. Be authentic. Provide positive feedback when you can genuinely appreciate the

behavior otherwise you run the risk of appearing patronizing.

3. Be specific; avoid generalities. “Thank you” and “great work” alone are insufficient.

What exactly do you appreciate and why? Provide examples and details of how their

actions contributed to desired performance.

4. Give feedback in person when able. Email or phone messages can be used only when

too much time will lapse between in-person opportunities.

5. Be supportive. Do not follow positive feedback with a “but” comment.

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Examples:

Instead of this:

Try this:

“You were great in that

meeting, thanks.”

“When you were clear and concise while explaining your idea at

the meeting, it really helped the management team to focus

and understand the benefits of your proposal more clearly. That

will help us make a better decision for the program. I

appreciate how well you prepared”

“You really handled that

tough situation with the

client well. Thanks, you’re

awesome!”

“I really want to tell you how well you handled the client’s

problem. You were able to calm him down by being patient and

he could see that you were willing to take the time to help him.

That helped get to the right resolution, ultimately allowing him

to find the services he needs.”

“Thanks for keeping the

bathrooms clean.”

“I want to thank you for keeping the bathrooms really clean.

Our residents are dealing with a very tough time in their lives

and having a comfortable clean environment means a lot to

them and it conveys the care and respect we have for them.”

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EXERCISE: Identify a time you should have given someone supportive feedback.

SILENT START: Prepare your thoughts.

1. What expectations were met?

2. What specific behaviors did you observe? (e.g. what specifically did they do and/or

say?)

3. What positive impact did this have on you, others, the organization, or client?

FEEDBACK MIXER!

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Part 2: Corrective/Developmental Feedback

Corrective feedback addresses behavior that does not meet expectations, is ineffective, or

inappropriate. Feedback should address the behavior of the person, not the character of the

person. Provide feedback as soon as possible after you observe the undesirable performance

and allow adequate time for the conversation. Be sure that the feedback is always given in

private.

1. Provide the feedback as soon as possible after you observe the specific behavior. Timing

is critical to ensure that both parties have as a clear memory of the behavior and

situation.

2. Connect the behavior to the impact. Understand that your feedback will have greater

influence if the person understands how his/her action impacts the performance of the

organization, it’s not “just because you want it that way.”

3. Be specific; avoid generalities. Describe what you saw or observed and give details of

how those actions contributed to the situation that is not meeting expectations.

4. Give feedback in person when able. Consider the person and the circumstances; ensure

that he or she is in a confidential environment.

5. Be prepared to engage in problem solving or discussing solutions if appropriate.

6. Express confidence (positive statement) that the person can correct her/his behavior.

Not to be mistaken for positive feedback.

A few “don’ts”:

 Don’t apologize for giving negative or corrective feedback. This can undermine your

message. In other words, you are not sorry so why are you apologizing?

 Don’t use the “sandwich” approach. This dilutes your primary message and can send

mixed messages.

 Don’t avoid giving feedback. Give the staff person the chance to correct behaviors

before the issue becomes a bigger problem.

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Caution!

A behavior that does not improve after corrective feedback and problem

solving might become a performance problem, but not until the

employee has been given the opportunity to improve.

Examples:

“James, I would like to speak with you for a moment about today’s meeting with our funder.

Prior to the meeting, you did not provide an agenda and reference materials which are

necessary to ensure that we have everything we need for a focused and productive

conversation. Preparing that way is the level of professionalism that is expected. All of our

funders are critical partners to us and we need to always adhere to a high standard when we

engage with them. I know you care deeply about our reputation and funder relationships; I

appreciate your willingness to work on this next time..... “

“Malia, when we don’t know that you’re going to be late it doesn’t give us enough time to cover

reception. Today we ended up opening late and our clients were waiting outside the clinic. This

impacted the day’s appointment schedule and a number of other staff were not able to take

their lunch break. This caused stress on the staff and for the clients too. We understand that

there are times when schedules need to be adjusted; however our expectation is that you tell us

ahead of time so we can make other arrangements. Thanks for understanding and for ensuring

that you can meet this need.”

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EXERCISE: Identify a time you should have given someone corrective or developmental

feedback.

SILENT START: Prepare your thoughts.

1. What expectations were NOT met?

2. What specific behaviors did you observe? (i.e. what specifically did they do and/or say?)

3. What negative impact did this have on you, others, the organization, or client?

EXERCISE IN PAIRS:

1. Share the feedback with someone that you do not have a supervisory relationship with.

Do not role play, just share the feedback using notes from above.

2. Partners: Was the feedback clearly communicated and non-judgmental? If not, give

your partner suggestions.

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Supervision Meetings

Regular Supervision Meetings

Performance management is not an episodic event that happens at the beginning and end of a

performance cycle. It is an ongoing process that requires constant attention and

thoughtfulness. Supervisors are responsible for scheduling supervision meetings regularly with

each of their direct reports. Supervision meetings have numerous purposes:

 Monitor performance to expectations and work plan progress

 Discuss work load

 Discuss timelines and deadlines

 Identify any training needs, challenges, barriers, or obstacles

 Provide performance coaching when needed

 Problem-solve when required

 Provide feedback

 Providing documentation for legal purposes

Establish your supervision agendas in the following three categories:

Performance: Specific to individual’s performance. This generally includes performance

reviews and also addressing problems with performance or providing positive feedback on

specific performance.

Work Updates and Progress Check-ins: Generally checking in on upcoming tasks/deadlines or

status of tasks.

Support/Coaching/Mentorship: Less about performance or tasks, but more about the

individual’s “well being” as a staff member or personal/professional development.

One supervision meeting can encompass more than one of these agenda types, but

understanding what your focus is will make it easier for you to come up with clearer meeting

objectives.

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Guide for More Effective Supervision Meetings

Prerequisites for increased success:

 Mutual respect between supervisor and employee:

 See each other as competent

 Interested in each other’s success

 Commit to the meeting (don’t cancel unless it’s for something extremely

urgent)

 Supervisor should:

 Encourage and support the employee

 Demonstrate confidence in the employee’s ability to progress

 Ask for feedback

 Employee should:

 Be receptive to suggestions for improving performance

 Take ownership of success

 Ask for feedback

Assumptions:

 People are an organization’s most important resource

 Everyone has talents and strengths to nurture, and challenge areas to further

develop

 Performance reviews and training are central to a supervisor’s success

 Managers have tremendous influence over an employee’s ability to grow, or they

can impede progress

 Skills in appraising people and in developing their capabilities can be learned

 A combination of giving employees the opportunity to actively participate in the

decision making process of setting goals and providing feedback are major factors in

employee motivation

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Preparation:

Supervisor:

 Consider the environment:

 Meet in private

 Eliminate disruptions or interruptions

 Schedule time in advance and allow adequate time

 Provide copy of any written agreements

 Prepare for the meeting

 review outcomes of prior meetings

 collect data in preparation for the meeting

 prepare an agenda for the meeting, including topics to be covered and

outcomes for the meeting

 consider expectations for the employee

 prepare talking points about what you wish to discuss

For the Employee:

 Prepare for the meeting

 review outcomes of any written agreement

 collect data in preparation for the meeting, including reviewing job

description and work plan

 consider own development (training) needs, and possible objectives for the

next period

 prepare talking points about what you wish to discuss

 think of ways that the supervisor can support/assist you in the achievement

of your goals

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Sample Supervision Agenda

Discussions:

Notes/Action Needed:

Project Updates:

 Afterschool program enrollment status

 Recruitment status

 Review monthly reports

Performance:

 Progress on annual plan

 Professional development activities

 Feedback regarding last week’s team meeting

Coaching/Problem Solving:

 What’s working well?

 What’s challenging, barriers for you?

 How is your work-life balance?

 What do you need more of/less of from me?

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Action Plan for Improved Supervision

Three things I will do differently, practice, try or share with my coworkers:

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Thank you!

For questions contact Marla Cornelius at marlac@compasspoint.org

About the Trainer

Marla Cornelius, MNA, is a Senior Project Director at CompassPoint Nonprofit

Services where she works on several of CompassPoint’s nonprofit management and

leadership programs and research projects. She co-authored the national research

report UnderDeveloped: A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit

Fundraising (2013). She also led the development of the studies Ready to Lead?

Next Generation Leaders Speak Out (2008) and Daring to Lead 2011: A National

Study of Nonprofit Executive Leadership. She develops content, trains, and consults

in the areas of individual and organizational leadership and governance. Marla currently serves as the

Board Chair for DataCenter, a research justice organization. Marla is one of the lead trainers for the

Executive Director Intensive program led by Organizational Effectiveness.

About CompassPoint

CompassPoint is a national, nonprofit leadership and strategy

practice headquartered in Oakland, CA. Our mission is to

intensify the impact of fellow nonprofit leaders, organizations,

and networks as we achieve social equity together. For 40 years, CompassPoint has worked to carry out

this purpose by guiding nonprofits as they become better managed and continuously adapt to changing

constituent needs and economic realities. We believe that nonprofit organizations and leaders need

relevant support that builds on their strengths, experiences, and achievements and that those

individuals and organizations that invest in increasing their leadership and management capacities are

better poised to achieve meaningful impact and progress. We are a 22-person, integrated staff practice

offering the strongest teaching, coaching, consulting, and facilitated peer learning—all grounded in our

staff’s deep nonprofit leadership and governance experience.